bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Stability Analysis of a Hydrofoiling Sailing Boat using CFD
Authors: Bagué Alec , Degroote Joris , Demeester Toon , Lataire Evert
Published: March 2021

Abstract. This paper describes the study of the dynamic stability of a hydrofoiling sailing boat called the “Goodall Design Foiling Viper”. The goal of Goodall Design is to make hydrofoiling accessible to a wider public, whereas it was previously reserved for professional sailors at the highest level of the sport. To allow for safe operation, stability is an essential characteristic of the boat. The aim of this work is to find a strategy to perform a dynamic stability analysis using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which can be used in a preliminary design stage. This paper starts by establishing a theoretical framework to perform the dynamic stability analysis. A stability analysis has to be performed around an equilibrium state which depends on operating parameters such as speed, centre of gravity, etc. . A fluid-structure interaction strategy is applied to determine these equilibrium states. The last part discusses the stability characteristics of the Viper. The framework managed to assess the dynamic stability of the Viper and found 5 longitudinal eigenmodes: two complex conjugated pairs of eigenvalues and one real eigenvalue. It can be concluded that the boat was both statically and dynamically stable.
“Stealing Stuff Is about the Stuff, not the Stealing”: Rick and Morty and Narrative Instability
Authors: Muniowski Łukasz
Published: March 2021

Rick and Morty, one of the most popular presently-airing American TV series, is deeply rooted in popular culture. Each episode is full of allusions and references to other cultural texts, accentuating the show’s own status as a pop cultural text. This article analyzes the third episode of the fourth season of Rick and Morty, “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty,” using Stefan Schubert’s concept of narrative instability. The episode mocks twist films by introducing a ridiculous number of twists, eventually making the viewer immune to the element of surprise usually brought on by what Schubert understands as unstable moments. In doing so, the episode also emphasizes the overuse of that narrative device in recent decades in films, TV series and video games. “One Crew Over the Crewcoo’s Morty” deconstructs twist films while sticking to the rules of the sub-genre and remaining entertaining in its own right. Instability can pose quite a problem for the showrunners, who usually have to adjust to the norms of serialized storytelling. By using Schubert’s theory of narrative instability to discuss a singular episode of a series, I hope to demonstrate the extent to which this quality has permeated modern storytelling. The episode highlights the effects of over-reliance on narrative instability as a tool, as even the most elaborate form is not enough to make up for the lack of essence. This is exactly what Rick criticizes in the episode, when he states: “stealing stuff is about the stuff, not the stealing.”
Epic Fail: The Failure of the Anthropostory in Douglas Coupland’s Post-Millennial Prose
Authors: Nikiel Julia
Published: March 2021

The aim of the paper is to discuss the conceptualization of humanity’s planetary agency offered by a Canadian author, Douglas Coupland, in his three post-millennial novels: Generation A, Player One: What Is to Become of Us?, and Worst.Person.Ever. Exposing the egotism of what for years he has been calling humanity’s “Narrative Drive,” Coupland comments on the fallacies of the Anthropocene. Advocating the power of stories to act as models for approaching climate change in its hyperobjectivity, the three novels hint that unless people learn to story-tell-with other terran forces and agents, the anthropostory, which positions humans as the only active agents in a sequential narrative of conquest and destitution, is bound to come to an abrupt end.
Transitioning the Edges of Multiple Text Worlds: A Cognitive Processing Path from Textuality to Texture in Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life
Authors: Bendrat Anna
Published: March 2021

The paper is located in the field of cognitive poetics and its general aim is to explore cognitive processes underlying the idiosyncrasy of a reader’s narrative engagement on the level of texture. By introducing the notion of texture, Peter Stockwell (2009) added the third level of a reading experience, situated above a text (level 1) and textuality (level 2). While textuality present in text‘s stylistic patterns is the “outcome of the workings of shared cognitive mechanics, evident in texts and readings,” texture is defined as the “experienced quality of textuality” (Stockwell, Texture – A Cognitive Aesthetics of Reading 1). In other words, texture must involve a reader’s aestheticpositioning, but it also “requires aesthetics to be socially situated” (Stockwell 191; emphasis added). The paper focuses on Hanya Yanagihara’s novel A Little Life (2015) which has been selected due to its added complexity stemming from the fact that the chapters have alternating narrators. In the book a computational analysis is applied to the narratives of the three focalizers to trace and compare the positive and negative emotional valence of the texts with the use of R-environment software. It is argued that where intradiegetic perspectivizing entities (focalizers/narrators) are multiple, indicating and creating a mental representation of the main protagonist involves a particularly complex process. The protagonist’s ontological existence inside the narrative situation blends with the reader’s mental capacity for synthesis along the edges of the multiple narrative perspectivization.
Making A Middle Landscape
Authors: Rowe Peter G.
Published: March 2021

Today's suburban metropolitan development of single-family homes, shopping centers, corporate offices, and roadway systems constitute what Peter Rowe calls a "middle landscape" between the city and the country. Looking closely at suburban America in terms of design and physical planning, Rowe builds a case for a new way of seeing and building suburbia - complete with theoretical underpinnings and a basis for design.
Synaptotagmin-7 places dense-core vesicles at the cell membrane to promote Munc13-2- and Ca2+-dependent priming
Authors: Tawfik Bassam , Martins Joana S , Houy Sébastien , Imig Cordelia , Pinheiro Paulo S , Wojcik Sonja M , Brose Nils , Cooper Benjamin H , Sørensen Jakob Balslev
Published: March 2021

Synaptotagmins confer calcium-dependence to the exocytosis of secretory vesicles, but how coexpressed synaptotagmins interact remains unclear. We find that synaptotagmin-1 and synaptotagmin-7 when present alone act as standalone fast and slow Ca2+-sensors for vesicle fusion in mouse chromaffin cells. When present together, synaptotagmin-1 and synaptotagmin-7 are found in largely non-overlapping clusters on dense-core vesicles. Synaptotagmin-7 stimulates Ca2+-dependent vesicle priming and inhibits depriming, and it promotes ubMunc13-2- and phorbolester-dependent priming, especially at low resting calcium concentrations. The priming effect of synaptotagmin-7 increases the number of vesicles fusing via synaptotagmin-1, while negatively affecting their fusion speed, indicating both synergistic and competitive interactions between synaptotagmins. Synaptotagmin-7 places vesicles in close membrane apposition (<6 nm); without it, vesicles accumulate out of reach of the fusion complex (20–40 nm). We suggest that a synaptotagmin-7-dependent movement toward the membrane is involved in Munc13-2/phorbolester/Ca2+-dependent priming as a prelude to fast and slow exocytosis triggering.
Authors Alliance Partner Program (A2P2) [Product Review]
Authors: Kilcer Emily , Kearney Ann
Published: March 2021

The Authors Alliance Partner Program (A2P2; https://www.authorsalliance.org/a2p2-home/) is a recent addition to the educational content of the Authors Alliance. This nonprofit advocacy organization aims, "to advance the interests of authors who want to serve the public good by sharing their creations broadly." Their new initiative provides prêt-à-porter instructional material with the express purpose of supporting the scaling of rights-related programming—a goal that distinguishes A2P2 from other well-established and deeply valuable copyright-focused resources. While copyright touches nearly all we do in libraries, outreach in this area often primarily falls to scholarly communication or copyright librarians. As Schmidt (2019) notes, “providing copyright information services in the library has become part of the standard operations of academic libraries in the U.S.” We must, consequently, train ourselves up and stay current on copyright issues, as well as instruct our peers and our communities on copyright- and author rights—related issues (Reeves 2015; Norris et al. 2019; Secker et al. 2019). We need to build resources on topics that are nuanced, evolving, and carry risk. These efforts take time, care, and confidence. For professionals who may well have varied and competing job responsibilities, time and confidence certainly may be at a premium (Charbonneau and Priehs 2014). While one could easily despair, there’s help to be had. Enter, A2P2.
Second New Primary PNET of Kidney in a Treated Case of Carcinoma Breast: A Case Report
Authors: Bakshi Nanki , Jain Vandana , Waghmare Chaitali , Ravichandran Meenaxi , Mahawar Megha
Published: March 2021

Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumour (PNET) is a member of small round cell “Blue tumour” family. The overall incidence of PNET is <1%. PNET of kidney is uncommon and was first reported in 1975. Since the first report around 150 cases have been published in medical literature. It exhibits highly aggressive behaviour. It usually affects young adults and has a male predominance of 3:1. Only six cases of PNET of kidney have been reported in older patients and PNET of kidney as a second new primary has rarely been reported, only three cases of renal PNET with history of an earlier or synchronous primary cancer were reported in literature from the USA, Germany and China. Here, the author reported a case of renal PNET in a 48-year-old female who has been treated for right breast cancer by surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy three years (July 2015) prior to diagnosis of PNET of left kidney. Upon diagnosis, patient underwent left nephrectomy. Postoperatively, patient was started on Ewing’s Family of Tumours (EFT) 2001 protocol. Patient completed induction therapy followed by radiation to tumour bed with concurrent weekly single agent vincristine and was planned for maintenance chemotherapy. After one cycle of maintenance chemotherapy, patient developed severe febrile pancytopenia and was admitted in the ICU, even after aggressive medical line of management, patient could not be revived. Although, the patient tolerated the treatment protocol for breast malignancy well and the primary was under control but after three years, with the diagnosis of a very rare second new primary PNET of left kidney which has a very aggressive nature and poor prognosis, the patient could not tolerate the multimodality treatment which was required.
Social Capital as a Panacea for the Competitive Advantage of Brewing Firms in South-South Nigeria
Authors: Chukwunonso Nosike Joseph , Ebuka Arachie Augustine , Ezinne Kekeocha Mary , Chinyelu Obi Ngozi
Published: March 2021

The study examined the nexus between social capital and competitive advantage. Specifically, it examined the relationship between relational capital and flexibility of brewing firms in South-South, Nigeria. The study was fastened on the Behavioral Theory of the Firm (BTF) propounded by Cyert and March (1963). Survey design was used for the study, questionnaire was the data collection tool employed, a population of 1,187 was used, a sample size of 290 was determined using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sampling technique, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient analysis was used to analyze the collected data. Findings of the study revealed that the relationship between relational capital and firm flexibility is statistically significant and positive since r=0.85 and p-value > 0.05. Sequel to this, the study concluded that social capital is actually a panacea for the competitive advantage of the studied brewing firms in South-South, Nigeria. Base on this, the researchers recommended that management of the focused brewing firms should strive towards the building of close social ties between the organization and its key stakeholders as it impacts firm flexibility.
The Theoretical Overview of Generalized Gumbel Type-Ⅱ Distribution
Authors: Ain S. Qurat Ul , Aijaz Ahmad , Tripathi Rajnee
Published: March 2021

A new version of weighted model is introduced by assigning weights to Gumbel Distribution Type Ⅱ (GDT-Ⅱ) to make it more useful and flexible in life time data .This paper provides an understanding of some basic statistical properties of (WGDT-Ⅱ).It includes moments and maximum likelihood estimator. In addition to the above it imparts the insight to distribution function, survival rate, hazard rate and reverse hazard rate. The behavior of PDF, CDF, and Survival rate, Hazard rates and Reverse Hazard rates has been presented through various graphs by setting different values of parameters.
Expression of Evi-1 Gene in Leukaemia: Diagnostic and Prognostic Perspective
Authors: Okafor Ifeyinwa Maryann , Okoroiwu Henshaw Uchechi
Published: March 2021

Leukaemias are malignant neoplasms characterized by disorderly, purposeless proliferation of white blood cells with abundance of one cell type. The exact aetiology of leukaemias is still yet to be fully understood. However, it is generally believed that neoplasm is caused by genetic mutation, chromosomal translocation, or activation of certain oncogenes. There are also nuclear oncogenes which are also vital genes in normal cell proliferation and differentiation, often being pivotal genes in developmental and cell cycle regulation. They are also important in cancer progression. Ecotropic viral integration site (EVI-1), a nuclear oncogene has been implicated in the progression of some leukaemias. EVI-1 gene is located on the human chromosome 3 band q24-q28 and spans over 100 kb.  The EVI-1 gene encodes a 145 kDa protein of the zinc-finger family which is an essential transcription factor for appropriate murine and human development and is also associated with some leukaemias, following ectopic expression. EVI-1 protein is divided into two main regions: The N-terminal region that contains zinc finger domains (ZFi) and C-terminal region containing three zinc finger domains (ZFii) and a sequence of acidic amino acid. This review summarizes the biological, leukaemogenetic/oncogenic roles and biochemical properties of EVI-1. It further discusses the diagnostic and prognostic implication of EVI-1 in some leukaemias, encouraging incorporation of routine assay of EVI-1 in diagnosis and prognostic monitoring of leukaemias.
Effect of Antibiotics on the Haemocyte Count and Rearing Performance of Silkworm Bombyx mori L.
Authors: Rafiq Iqra , Buhroo Z. I. , Sahaf K. A. , Ganie N. A. , Baqual M. F. , Mir S. A. , Nagoo Shahina A. , Kirmani Sabiha Ashraf
Published: March 2021

Background: Antibiotic agents have been used in recent years to increase the growth of silkworm larvae and to improve production. In this context, the present investigation reported the effects of ceftiofur sodium, oxytetracycline and enroflaxcin on total haemocyte count (cells/mm3), survival percentage and economic characteristics in silkworm Bombyx mori L. at various concentration levels. The study regarding the effect of antibiotics was conducted on the silkworm breed APS-45. Three concentrations (0.05%, 0.10% and 0.15%) were prepared for each antibiotic. The worms were reared upto 3rd instar without any treatment. After third moult silkworms were supplemented with antibiotic fortified mulberry leaves.

Results: The experimental results showed that the effect of different antibiotics on economic parameters like larval weight, larval duration, cocoon weight, shell ratio and raw silk percentage were significantly increased in the treated lines in comparison to the control. Antibiotics also increased survival percentage and the most effective result was obtained at 0.15% of ceftiofur sodium followed by oxytetracycline and enroflaxcin. In the present study highest THC value of 9157.33 mm/cm3 was recorded in treatment ceftiofur sodium treated batch at concentration C3 0.15%. An increment in the total haemocyte count was observed in other treatments as well and the cell count increased with an increase in concentration of antibiotic dosage and the effectiveness of the antibiotics followed the order ceftiofur sodium, oxytetracycline and enroflaxcin.

Conclusion: This research outlines that there is a significant improvement in the total haemocyte count and economic traits in silkworm with the supplementation of antibiotic fortified mulberry leaves. The antibiotic treatment has significantly improved the raw silk percentage and has been found to be effective in reducing the mortality of silkworms. So, this antibiotic fortification can be further exploited for higher raw silk production.
Effect of Tillage and Irrigation Methods on the Productivity, Profitability and Nutrient Uptake of Wheat
Authors: Kumar Rajendra , Naresh R. K. , Vivek . , Singh Adesh , Kumar Satendra , Kumar Vivak
Published: March 2021

Tillage and crop establishment method play an important role in the placement of seed at proper depth which ultimately affect germination and crop growth. The selection of suitable crop establishment method for wheat is dependent upon the time of sowing and availability of soil moisture. A field experiment was conducted during Rabi season 2017-18 and 2018-19 to evaluate the effect of tillage and crop establishment methods on productivity, nutrient uptake and profitability of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Results revealed that grains, straw and biological yields were significantly higher under treatment T5 (wide bed furrow irrigated) and at par with T2 (furrow irrigated with gated pipe Raised bed) and T8 (zero till flat irrigated by gated pipe Controlled flood irrigation).Total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake were significantly more in treatment T5 than other treatments. Significantly maximum gross return (97818 ₹ ha-1), was recorded under T5 which was at par with T8 and T2. The maximum net return (61910 ₹ ha-1) and B: C ratio (2.84) were fetched under T8 than all other treatments followed by and T5.
Tsamdro (Rangeland) as a Source of Livelihood to the People of Bhutan
Authors: Samdrup Yeshi , Yangzom Kinley
Published: March 2021

Tsamdro plays an essential role in providing resources for the survival of yaks, cattles and horses as these animals provide continuous support to herders in Naro, Merak and Logchina gewogs. There has been numerous change in land tenure system of ownership in tsamdro since 1960s of the ownership of tsamdro. However, in Land Act 2007; it was stated that tsamdro will be nationalized and policy will be implemented by 2017, yet the policy has not been implemented and herders still use the tsamdro as used earlier, where the owners had to obtain written permits from the Dzongkhag authorities to graze one’s livestock on one’s own grazing land by paying an annual grazing permit fee. This study aimed at determining whether tsamdro is a source of livelihood for the herders in Naro, Merak and Logchina gewogs. It was carried out in Naro, Logchina and Merak subdistricts (gewogs) of Bhutan. It employed a quantitative method by distributing questionnaire survey. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and the data was collected from a convenience sampling method of (N=75) herders through moderation analysis. The moderation analysis showed that tsamdro is a source of livelihood (land asset 571.526*** and livestock 37.670***) to herders. Further research is limited to study area and findings are likely to hold good for similar area only. Further research to find other sources of livelihood and their socio-economic impact on herders is recommended.
Molybdenum Dioxide Nanoparticles Anchored on Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotubes as Oxidative Desulfurization Catalysts: Role of Electron Transfer in Activity and Reusability
Authors: Zou Juncong , Lin Yan , Wu Shaohua , Zhong Yuanyuan , Yang Chunping
Published: March 2021

Electron transfer between metal‐oxides and supports considerably affects the oxidative desulfurization (ODS) performance of catalysts, while this is far from being well understood. Herein, molybdenum dioxide with oxygen vacancies (VO‐MoO2) catalysts derived from Mo‐based metal‐organic frameworks are anchored on electron‐rich nitrogen‐doped carbon nanotubes (NC) to obtain excellent ODS activity and reusability. Results show that either dibenzothiophene (DBT) or 4,6‐dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6‐DMDBT) is removed 100% on the composite catalyst (VO‐MoO2@NC) within 40 min of reaction when cumene hydroperoxide is chosen as an oxidant. After five cycles of reaction, DBT and 4,6‐DMDBT removal still exceeded 99.5 and 95.0%, respectively. Results from density functional theory calculations and characterizations confirm that the strong electron‐donating effect of NC on VO‐MoO2 can promote the dispersion of VO‐MoO2 and reduce the bond energy of the MoO bond, leading to exposure of active sites and enrichment of oxygen vacancies (VO). Furthermore, the strong interfacial electrostatic interaction caused by the electron transfer from NC to VO‐MoO2 can reduce the leaching of active sites of the catalyst. This study provides a versatile strategy of constructing strong electronic interaction between metal‐oxide and support via anchoring on NC for the design of high‐performance ODS catalysts.
Synergy of Immunostimulatory Genetherapy with Immune Checkpoint Blockade Motivates Immune Response to Eliminate Cancer
Authors: Yu Ting , Nie Wen , Hong Zehua , He Yihong , Chen Jing , Mi Xue , Yang Shuping , Li Xiaoling , Wang Bilan , Lin Yunzhu , Gao Xiang
Published: March 2021

Normalizing the tumor‐induced immune deficiency in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) through increasing the efficient infiltration and activation of antitumoral immunity in TME is the core of promising immunotherapy. Herein, a Cyclo(Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐d‐Phe‐Lys) (RGD) peptides‐modified combinatorial immunotherapy system based on the self‐assembly of the nanoparticles named RGD‐DMA composed of RGD‐PEG‐PLA, methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(lactide) (MPEG‐PLA) and 1,2‐Dioleoyl‐3‐trimethylammonium‐propane (DOTAP) is used to codeliver the immunostimulatory chemokine CCL19‐encoding plasmid DNA (CCL19 pDNA) and immune checkpoint ligand PD‐L1 inhibitor (BMS‐1). The RGD‐DMA/pCCL19‐BMS‐1 system not only exhibited significant inhibition of tumor progression but also induced locally high concentrations of immunostimulatory cytokines at tumor sites without causing an obviously systemic inflammatory response. The immunosuppressive TME is efficaciously reshaped by the coadministration of RGD‐DMA/pCCL19 and BMS‐1, as indicated by the activated T lymphocytes, increased intratumoral‐infiltration of mature dendritic cells (DCs), and the repolarization of macrophages from pro‐tumoral M2‐phenotype toward tumoricidal M1‐phenotype. The upregulated PD‐L1 expression at tumor sites caused by the increased IFN‐γ levels after immunostimulatory gene therapy further demonstrated the synergistic effects of BMS‐1 in counteracting the inhibitory role of PD‐L1 expression in antitumor immunity. Therefore, the combination of immunostimulating therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor that synergistically target multiple immune regulatory pathways demonstrates significant potential as a novel immunotherapy approach.
Synchrotron X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy and Electrochemical Study of Bi2O2Se Electrode for Lithium‐/Potassium‐Ion Storage
Authors: Wu Zhibin , Liang Gemeng , Wu Jingxing , Pang Wei Kong , Yang Fuhua , Chen Libao , Johannessen Bernt , Guo Zaiping
Published: March 2021

Elucidating the battery operating mechanism is important for designing better conversion‐type anodes as it determines the strategies used to improve electrochemical performances. Herein, the authors pioneered the electrochemical study of layered Bi2O2Se as anodes for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs). Surprisingly, the Bi2O2Se/graphite composite electrode shows even better cycle stability for PIBs. The electrochemical reaction mechanisms of the Bi2O2Se/graphite electrode for LIBs and PIBs are investigated by potential‐resolved in situ and ex situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy based at the Bi LIII‐edge and Se K‐edge through characterizing the local atomic structure evolution, valence state change, and charge transfer. New insights are gained regarding the electrochemical process of Se2− anions in Bi2O2Se, where multiple Li–Se intermediates rather than the traditional single‐phase Li2Se are involved in this conversion‐type anode. The advanced understanding of anionic electrochemistry in conversion‐type anodes prompts one to find appropriate ways to suppress side‐reactions and improve the battery performances.
Report of a novel variant in the FAM111A gene in a fetus with multiple anomalies including gracile bones, hypoplastic spleen, and hypomineralized skull
Authors: Müller Réka , Steffensen Thora , Krstić Nevena , Cain Mary Ashley
Published: March 2021

Kenny‐Caffey syndrome type 2 (KCS2) and osteocraniostenosis (OCS) are allelic disorders caused by heterozygous pathogenic variants in the FAM111A gene. Both conditions are characterized by gracile bones, characteristic facial features, hypomineralized skull with delayed closure of fontanelles and hypoparathyroidism. OCS and KCS2 are often referred to as FAM111A‐related syndromes as a group; although OCS presents with a more severe, perinatal lethal phenotype. We report a novel FAM111A mutation in a fetus with poorly ossified skull, proportionate long extremities with thin diaphysis, and hypoplastic spleen consistent with FAM111A‐related syndromes. Trio whole exome sequencing identified a p.Y562S de novo missense variant in the FAM111A gene. The variant shows significant similarity to other reported pathogenic mutations fitting proposed pathophysiologic mechanism which provide sufficient evidence for classification as likely pathogenic. Our report contributed a novel variant to the handful of OCS and KCS2 cases reported with pathogenic variants.
Confined placental mosaicism involving multiple de novo copy number variants associated with fetal growth restriction: A case report
Authors: Del Gobbo Giulia F. , Yuan Victor , Robinson Wendy P.
Published: March 2021

The presence of multiple large (>1 Mb) copy number variants (CNVs) in non‐malignant tissue is rare in human genetics. We present a liveborn male with a birth weight below the first percentile associated with placental mosaicism involving eight 2.4–3.9 Mb de novo duplications. We found that the duplications likely co‐localized to the same cells, were mosaic in the placenta, and impacted maternal and paternal chromosomes. In addition, 27.4 Mb and 240 genes were duplicated in affected cells, including candidate placental genes KISS1 and REN. We ruled out involvement of homologous recombination‐based mechanisms or an altered epigenome in generating the CNVs. This case highlights the diversity of genetic abnormalities in the human placenta and the gaps in our knowledge of how such errors arise.
Hedgehog acyl‐transferase‐related multiple congenital anomalies: Report of an additional family and delineation of the syndrome
Authors: Pande Shruti , Radhakrishnan Periyasamy , Shetty Naveenchandra M. , Shukla Anju , Girisha Katta M.
Published: March 2021

This study includes previous reports of four affected individuals from two unrelated families with hedgehog acyl‐transferase (HHAT)‐related multiple congenital anomaly syndrome. Microcephaly, small cerebellar vermis, holoprosencephaly, agenesis of corpus callosum, intellectual disability, short stature, skeletal dysplasia, microphthalmia–anophthalmia, and sex reversal constitute the phenotypic spectrum of this condition with variable expression. We report an additional family with three affected conceptuses: two abortuses and one living proband. We did proband–parents trio exome sequencing and identified a biallelic in‐frame deletion c.365_367del; (p.Thr122del) in exon 5 of HHAT. With this report, we delineate the phenotype and allelic heterogeneity of the HHAT‐related multiple congenital anomaly syndrome.
High‐Performance Noncovalently Fused‐Ring Electron Acceptors for Organic Solar Cells Enabled by Noncovalent Intramolecular Interactions and End‐Group Engineering
Authors: Zhang Xin , Qin Linqing , Yu Jianwei , Li Yuhao , Wei Yanan , Liu Xingzheng , Lu Xinhui , Gao Feng , Huang Hui
Published: March 2021

Noncovalently fused‐ring electron acceptors (NFREAs) have attracted much attention in recent years owing to their advantages of simple synthetic routes, high yields and low costs. However, the efficiencies of NFREAs based organic solar cells (OSCs) are still far behind those of fused‐ring electron acceptors (FREAs). Herein, a series of NFREAs with S⋅⋅⋅O noncovalent intramolecular interactions were designed and synthesized with a two‐step synthetic route. Upon introducing π‐extended end‐groups into the backbones, the electronic properties, charge transport, film morphology, and energy loss were precisely tuned by fine‐tuning the degree of multi‐fluorination. As a result, a record PCE of 14.53 % in labs and a certified PCE of 13.8 % for NFREAs based devices were obtained. This contribution demonstrated that combining the strategies of noncovalent conformational locks and π‐extended end‐group engineering is a simple and effective way to explore high‐performance NFREAs.
Absolute Configuration Determination from Low ee Compounds by the Crystalline Sponge Method. Unusual Conglomerate Formation in a Pre‐Determined Crystalline Lattice
Authors: Dubey Ritesh , Yan KaKing , Kikuchi Takashi , Sairenji Shiho , Rossen Anouk , Goh Shermin S. , Feringa Ben L. , Fujita Makoto
Published: March 2021

When chiral compounds with low enantiomeric excess (ee, R:S=m:n) were absorbed into the void of the crystalline sponge (CS), enantiomerically pure [(R)m(S)n] chiral composites were formed, changing the centrosymmetric space group into non‐centrosymmetric one. The absolute configuration of the analyte compounds was elucidated with a reasonable Flack (Parsons) parameter value. This phenomenon is characteristic to the “post‐crystallization” in the pre‐determined CS crystalline lattice, seldom found in common crystallization where the crystalline lattice is defined by an analyte itself. The results highlight the potential of the CS method for absolute configuration determination of low ee samples, an often encountered situation in asymmetric synthesis studies.
Reversible Micrometer‐Scale Spiral Self‐Assembly in Liquid Crystalline Block Copolymer Film with Controllable Chiral Response
Authors: Yuan Jianan , Lu Xuemin , Li Qingxiang , Lü Zhiguo , Lu Qinghua
Published: March 2021

The spiral is a fundamental structure in nature and spiral structures with controllable handedness are of increasing interest in the design of new chiroptical materials. In this study, micrometer‐scale spiral structures with reversible chirality were fabricated based on the assembly of a liquid crystalline block copolymer film assisted by enantiopure tartaric acid. Mechanistic insight revealed that the formation of the spiral structures was closely related to the liquid crystalline properties of the major phase of block copolymer under the action of chiral tartaric acid. The chiral spiral structures with controllable handedness were easily erased under ultraviolet light irradiation and restored via thermal annealing. This facile thermal treatment method provides guidance for fabrication of chiral micrometer‐scale spiral structures with adjustable chiral properties.
Assessing the Effects of Sunlight on the Photooxidation of Tropical Oils with Experimental and Computational Approaches
Authors: Dodoo Daniel , Tulashie Samuel Kofi , Dodoo Thomas , Kwaw Francis
Published: March 2021

This study aims to investigate the influence of high‐intensity sunlight radiation on the photooxidation of tropical oils (TO). Coconut oil (CNO), palm oil (PO), and palm kernel oil (PKO) were chosen for determining the indicators of photooxidation when exposed to and in the absence of sunlight for 7 weeks. The results showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in free fatty acid (FFA) levels and peroxide value (PV) when the TO were exposed to sunlight. The iodine value and color content decreased significantly (P < 0.05) due to the decomposition of unsaturated FFA owing to the breaking down of the π‐bonds and the degradation of color pigments during photooxidation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed strong vibrational absorptions at 1721 and 3505 cm−3, 1720 and 3560 cm−3, and 1721 and 3554 cm−3 for the CNO, PO, and PKO samples exposed to sunlight, respectively. These bands can be attributed to the presence of secondary oxidation products, which were absent in the TO that were not exposed to sunlight. A simulation was performed to support the FTIR results, which also indicated peaks from the secondary oxidation products at 1744 and 3660 cm−3. The study also revealed that the rate of photooxidation was different for each TO. The rate of oxidation followed the order PO > PKO > CNO. In contrast, no notable changes were observed in the TO kept away from sunlight. These results suggest that exposing TO to sunlight influences their oxidation stability and quality.
Preparation a core‐shell lipid/polymer nanoparticle containing Isotretinoin drug with pH sensitive property: A response surface methodology study
Authors: Ghaghelestani Tahereh Najafi , Farhadian Nafiseh , Binesh Nafiseh
Published: March 2021

In this study, a core‐shell lipid/polymer nanoparticle (NP) was prepared to deliver Isotretinoin drug with pH sensitive and controllable drug release property for oral administration usage. Chitosan was cross‐linked to tripolyphosphate to form the core of the NP using the ionic gelation technique and coated with glycerol monostearate lipid as a shell by applying a two‐step approach. Response surface methodology was used to investigate the effects of various parameters on particle size and drug entrapment efficiency of the nanoparticles. Optimal nanoparticles with lower particle size and higher entrapment efficiency had a diameter of 100 nm based on TEM analysis and 64% drug entrapment efficiency. Coating NPs surface with lipid changed the NPs charge, hydrophilicity and swelling property. Lipid coating NPs changed release rate from 6 to 4% after 2 h in simulated gastric fluid (SGF), 9 to 16% after 6 h in simulated intestine fluid (SIF) and 21 to 71% after 7 days in blood medium. Kinetic modeling of drug release confirmed Fickian diffusion based on Higuchi model in SIF and blood media where swelling and dissolution of polymer network were negligible, while drug dissolution due to polymer swelling in SGF media was the dominant mechanism for drug release.
Investigation on pull‐out behavior and interface critical parameters of polymer fibers embedded in concrete and their correlation with particular fiber properties
Authors: Sigrüner Michael , Muscat Dirk , Strübbe Nicole
Published: March 2021

A crucial problem in concrete engineering is the corrosion of steel reinforcements. Polymer fibers as alternative reinforcement material can prevent corrosion; however, high adhesion to concrete and good fiber mechanics are necessary for polymers to be considered as an alternative reinforcement. This study tested different thermoplastic polymer materials to evaluate their level of adhesion to concrete. The adhesion properties of different self‐drawn polymer fibers were analyzed by extracting the fibers from concrete using single fiber pull‐out test (SFPT). To determine the adhesion mechanism, different polymer properties were analyzed and correlated to SFPT. Strong evidence was found that the fibers mechanical properties correlate with SFPT. Roughening the fiber surface increases the SFPT results significantly. While highly polar materials can support the adhesion process, a clear correlation could not be found. This study identifies high stiffness and roughness as the crucial properties of polymer fibers used in concrete engineering. If these factors can be engineered into the fiber, polymer fibers can present an alternative to steel in concrete reinforcement.
Evaluation of cell‐free DNA accuracy as diagnostic biomarker for prostate cancer: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Caixia , Chen Chunfeng , Sadeghi Morteza
Published: March 2021

Purpose

This updated meta‐analysis aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of circulating cell‐free DNA (cf‐DNA) for prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases to retrieve related studies. Several diagnostic estimates, including sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), likelihood ratios (LRs), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were also used to perform the meta‐synthesis. Additionally, the area under hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves (AU‐HSROC) was used as a global measure of test accuracy.

Results

Twenty‐nine unique articles were enrolled in the meta‐analysis. Pooled SE and SP for overall accuracy of cf‐DNA in PCa were obtained as 0.54 (95% CI: 0.47–0.61) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.88–0.95), respectively. Positive LR (PLR) was 6.8 (95% CI: 4.9–9.5, I2: 92.98%) and negative LR (NLR) was 0.5 (95% CI: 0.43–0.58). Pooled DOR was 13.56 (95% CI: 9.49–19.37) and the AU‐HSROC was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.79–0.86).

Conclusion

The present study suggested that cf‐DNA assays have comparable SE as well as remarkably higher SP (qualitative assays) than common biomarkers in the detection of PCa like prostate‐specific antigen (PSA). In addition, cf‐DNA assays have better performance in PCa confirmation and almost similar performance to PSA in excluding PCa patients.
Estimated annual prevalence, medical service utilization and direct costs of lung cancer in urban China
Authors: Zhu Dawei , Shi Xuefeng , Nicholas Stephen , Ma Yong , He Ping
Published: March 2021

Background

Evidence‐based policy making for delivering affordable lung cancer care relies on the breadth, depth and quality of knowledge of its treatment costs. This study estimates the annual prevalence, medical service utilization and direct treatment costs of lung cancer in urban China.

Materials and Methods

Using claim data from China's urban basic medical insurance between 2013 and 2016, we constructed a nationally representative sample of lung cancer patients in urban China. Weighted descriptive analyses, Poisson regressions and generalized linear modelling were used to analyse lung cancer medical service utilization and costs and their associations with patient characteristics.

Results

In urban China, the annual prevalence of lung cancer was 87.65/100000, with nearly 0.65% of total health expenditures of urban residents spent on lung cancer treatments. Weighted average annual total medical costs of lung cancer was RMB33.78 (US$5.36) thousand, with annual out‐of‐pocket costs of RMB10.26 (US$1.63) thousand. The average yearly number of lung cancer‐related outpatient visits was 2.42 and inpatient admissions was 2.07, with an average cost of RMB0.75 (US$0.12) thousand for outpatients and RMB 15.67 (US$2.49) thousand for inpatients. Inpatient expenses were the major component (95%) of lung cancer medical costs, with roughly 67% of inpatient services occurring in high‐level tertiary hospitals. Medical care utilization and direct medical costs were associated with sex, age and insurance status. Western medicine costs were the major contributor (39.4%) to average lung cancer‐related medical costs.

Conclusion

Lung cancer imposed a significant economic burden on China's health system and a financial cost on lung cancer sufferers and their families. Specific policies are required to efficiently allocate health resources, contain health expenditure and decrease the individual financial burden of lung cancer.
Hollow Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres Decorated with Metal Oxide Nanoparticles as Efficient Earth‐Abundant Zinc‐Air Battery Catalysts
Authors: He Yingjie , Aasen Drew , McDougall Alexandra , Yu Haoyang , Labbe Matthew , Ni Chuyi , Milliken Sarah , Ivey Douglas G. , Veinot Jonathan G. C.
Published: March 2021

Invited for this month's cover picture are the research teams of Jonathan G. C. Veinot and Douglas G. Ivey at the University of Alberta (Canada). The cover picture provides an artistic representation of a new class of bifunctional Zn‐air battery catalysts consisting of hollow mesoporous carbon nanospheres decorated with various precious‐metal‐free transition‐metal oxide nanoparticles. Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/celc.202001526.
Clinicopathological characteristics of Epstein–Barr virus and microsatellite instability subtypes of early gastric neoplasms classified by the Japanese and the World Health Organization criteria
Authors: Tanabe Hiroki , Mizukami Yusuke , Takei Hidehiro , Tamamura Nobue , Omura Yuhi , Kobayashi Yu , Murakami Yuki , Kunogi Takehito , Sasaki Takahiro , Takahashi Keitaro , Ando Katsuyoshi , Ueno Nobuhiro , Kashima Shin , Yuzawa Sayaka , Hasegawa Kimiharu , Sumi Yasuo , Tanino Mishie , Fujiya Mikihiro , Okumura Toshikatsu
Published: March 2021

Gastric cancer is a heterogenous disease with different phenotypes, genotypes, and clinical outcomes, including sensitivity to treatments and prognoses. Recent medical advances have enabled the classification of this heterogenous disease into several groups and the consequent analysis of their clinicopathological characteristics. Gastric cancer associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) and microsatellite‐unstable tumors are considered to be the two major subtypes as they are clearly defined by well‐established methodologies, such as in situ hybridization and polymerase chain reaction‐based analyses, respectively. However, discrepancies in the histological diagnosis of gastric neoplasms remain problematic, and international harmonization should be performed to improve our understanding of gastric carcinogenesis. We re‐evaluated Japanese cases of early gastric cancer according to the current World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and classified them into genomic subtypes based on microsatellite instability (MSI) and EBV positivity to determine the initial genetic events in gastric carcinogenesis. A total of 113 Japanese early gastric cancers (including low‐ and high‐grade dysplasias) treated with endoscopic resection over 5 years were archived in our hospital. A histological re‐evaluation according to the WHO criteria revealed 54 adenocarcinomas, which were divided into 6 EBV‐positive (11.1%), 7 MSI‐high (MSI‐H, 13.0%), and 41 microsatellite stable cases (75.9%). MSI‐H adenocarcinoma was confirmed by an immunohistochemistry assay of mismatch repair proteins. Programmed death‐ligand 1 immunostaining with two antibodies (E1L3N and SP263) was positive in tumor cells of one MSI‐H adenocarcinoma case (1/7, 14.3%). The proportion of stained cells was higher with clone SP263 than with E1L3N. Histologically, EBV‐positive carcinomas were poorly differentiated (83.8%), and MSI‐H cancers were frequent in well to moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (85.7%), indicating that the EBV‐positive subtype presented with high‐grade morphology even when an early lesion. Our study indicates that the WHO criteria are useful for subdividing Japanese early gastric cancers, and this subdivision may be useful for comparative analysis of precursor lesions and early carcinoma.
Effects of Ionic Liquids on the Thermodynamics of Hydrogen Activation by Frustrated Lewis Pairs: A Density Functional Theory Study**
Authors: Liu Xiaoqing , Li Xue , Yao Xiaoqian , Zhao Weizhen , Liu Lei
Published: March 2021

Nowadays, hydrogen activation by frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) and their applications are one of the emerging research topics in the field of catalysis. Previous studies have shown that the thermodynamics of this reaction is determined by electronic structures of FLPs and solvents. Herein, we investigated systems consisting of typical FLPs and ionic liquids (ILs), which are well known by their large number of types and excellent solvent effects. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to study the thermodynamics for H2 activation by both inter‐ and intra‐molecular FLPs, as well as the individual components. The results show that the computed overall Gibbs free energies in ILs are more negative than that computed in toluene. Through the thermodynamics partitioning, we find that ILs favor the H−H cleavage elemental step over the elemental steps of proton attachment, hydride attachment and zwitterionic stabilization. Moreover, the results show that these effects are strongly dependent on the type of FLPs, where intra‐molecular FLPs are more affected compared to the inter‐molecular FLPs.
More questions on buprenorphine and the X‐waiver: What do patients want?
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: March 2021

In the fast‐breaking world of the “X‐waiver” and the imprimatur required by the federal government to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD), a recent document (at press time) was a sign‐in letter from an unprecedented coalition of treatment and recovery organizations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) requesting the development of “improved training platforms to replace waiver training prior to waiver elimination.” The Feb. 18 letter, a copy of which was obtained by CPU, supports President Biden's goal of increasing access to the use of methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine. It's buprenorphine, however, that is at issue in this letter.
Cytologic diagnosis of metastatic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in cerebrospinal fluid: A case report
Authors: Yan Muxia , Wu Ying , Xia Jianqing , Zhang Xiaohong , Wang Yiqian
Published: March 2021

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) originates from a differentiation block in muscle progenitors. Leptomeningeal metastasis is a rare but devastating complication of RMS which can be caused by dissemination of cancer cells in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Here, we present a 4‐year‐old female with RMS originating from the upper nasal wall. The following histologic and immunohistochemistry analyses combined with molecular testing analysis supported the diagnosis of embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). Results from CSF routine test, magnetic resonance imaging scans and CSF cytology indicated metastatic meningitis, thus confirming the diagnosis of metastatic ERMS in CSF. This is the first report to describe the clinical features of ERMS in CSF.