bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐Assembly of Immune Signals to Program Innate Immunity through Rational Adjuvant Design
Authors: Bookstaver Michelle L. , Zeng Qin , Oakes Robert S. , Kapnick Senta M. , Saxena Vikas , Edwards Camilla , Venkataraman Nishedhya , Black Sheneil K. , Zeng Xiangbin , Froimchuk Eugene , Gebhardt Thomas , Bromberg Jonathan S. , Jewell Christopher M.
Published: November 2022

Recent clinical studies show activating multiple innate immune pathways drives robust responses in infection and cancer. Biomaterials offer useful features to deliver multiple cargos, but add translational complexity and intrinsic immune signatures that complicate rational design. Here a modular adjuvant platform is created using self‐assembly to build nanostructured capsules comprised entirely of antigens and multiple classes of toll‐like receptor agonists (TLRas). These assemblies sequester TLR to endolysosomes, allowing programmable control over the relative signaling levels transduced through these receptors. Strikingly, this combinatorial control of innate signaling can generate divergent antigen‐specific responses against a particular antigen. These assemblies drive reorganization of lymph node stroma to a pro‐immune microenvironment, expanding antigen‐specific T cells. Excitingly, assemblies built from antigen and multiple TLRas enhance T cell function and antitumor efficacy compared to ad‐mixed formulations or capsules with a single TLRa. Finally, capsules built from a clinically relevant human melanoma antigen and up to three TLRa classes enable simultaneous control of signal transduction across each pathway. This creates a facile adjuvant design platform to tailor signaling for vaccines and immunotherapies without using carrier components. The modular nature supports precision juxtaposition of antigen with agonists relevant for several innate receptor families, such as toll, STING, NOD, and RIG.
Low‐Power Negative‐Differential‐Resistance Device for Sensing the Selective Protein via Supporter Molecule Engineering
Authors: Dastgeer Ghulam , Nisar Sobia , Shahzad Zafar Muhammad , Rasheed Aamir , Kim Deok‐kee , Jaffery Syed Hassan Abbas , Wang Liang , Usman Muhammad , Eom Jonghwa
Published: November 2022

Van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures composed of atomically thin two‐dimensional (2D) materials have more potential than conventional metal‐oxide semiconductors because of their tunable bandgaps, and sensitivities. The remarkable features of these amazing vdW heterostructures are leading to multi‐functional logic devices, atomically thin photodetectors, and negative differential resistance (NDR) Esaki diodes. Here, an atomically thin vdW stacking composed of p‐type black arsenic (b‐As) and n‐type tin disulfide (n‐SnS2) to build a type‐III (broken gap) heterojunction is introduced, leading to a negative differential resistance device. Charge transport through the NDR device is investigated under electrostatic gating to achieve a high peak‐to‐valley current ratio (PVCR), which improved from 2.8 to 4.6 when the temperature is lowered from 300 to 100 K. At various applied‐biasing voltages, all conceivable tunneling mechanisms that regulate charge transport are elucidated. Furthermore, the real‐time response of the NDR device is investigated at various streptavidin concentrations down to 1 pm, operating at a low biasing voltage. Such applications of NDR devices may lead to the development of cutting‐edge electrical devices operating at low power that may be employed as biosensors to detect a variety of target DNA (e.g., ct‐DNA) and protein (e.g., the spike protein associated with COVID‐19).
Detecting and Quantifying Wavelength‐Dependent Electrons Transfer in Heterostructure Catalyst via In Situ Irradiation XPS
Authors: Li Yukun , Wang Li , Zhang Fei , Zhang Wentao , Shao Guosheng , Zhang Peng
Published: November 2022

The identity of charge transfer process at the heterogeneous interface plays an important role in improving the stability, activity, and selectivity of heterojunction catalysts. And, in situ irradiation X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) coupled with UV light optical fiber measurement setup is developed to monitor and observe the photoelectron transfer process between heterojunction. However, the in‐depth relationship of binding energy and irradiation light wavelength is missing based on the fact that the incident light is formed by coupling light with different wavelengths. Furthermore, a quantitative understanding of the charge transfer numbers and binding energy remains elusive. Herein, based on the g‐C3N4/SnO2 model catalyst, a wavelength‐dependent Boltzmann function to describe the changes of binding energy and wavelength through utilizing a continuously adjustable monochromatic light irradiation XPS technique is established. Using this method, this study further reveals that the electrons transfer number can be readily calculated forming an asymptotic model. This methodology provides a blueprint for deep understanding of the charge‐transfer rules in heterojunction and facilitates the future development of highly active advanced catalysts.
Podocalyxin‐Like Protein 1 Regulates Pluripotency through the Cholesterol Biosynthesis Pathway
Authors: Chen Wei‐Ju , Huang Wei‐Kai , Pather Sarshan R. , Chang Wei‐Fang , Sung Li‐Ying , Wu Han‐Chung , Liao Mei‐Ying , Lee Chi‐Chiu , Wu Hsuan‐Hui , Wu Chung‐Yi , Liao Kuo‐Shiang , Lin Chun‐Yu , Yang Shang‐Chih , Lin Hsuan , Lai Pei‐Lun , Ng Chi‐Hou , Hu Chun‐Mei , Chen I‐Chih , Chuang Chi‐Hsuan , Lai Chien‐Ying , Lin Po‐Yu , Lee Yueh‐Chang , Schuyler Scott C. , Schambach Axel , Lu Frank Leigh , Lu Jean
Published: November 2022

Deciphering signaling mechanisms critical for the extended pluripotent stem cell (EPSC) state and primed pluripotency is necessary for understanding embryonic development. Here, a membrane protein, podocalyxin‐like protein 1 (PODXL) as being essential for extended and primed pluripotency, is identified. Alteration of PODXL expression levels affects self‐renewal, protein expression of c‐MYC and telomerase, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and EPSC colony formation. PODXL is the first membrane protein reported to regulate de novo cholesterol biosynthesis, and human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are more sensitive to cholesterol depletion than fibroblasts. The addition of exogenous cholesterol fully restores PODXL knockdown‐mediated loss of pluripotency. PODXL affects lipid raft dynamics via the regulation of cholesterol. PODXL recruits the RAC1/CDC42/actin network to regulate SREBP1 and SREBP2 maturation and lipid raft dynamics. Single‐cell RNA sequencing reveals PODXL overexpression enhanced chimerism between human cells in mouse host embryos (hEPSCs 57%). Interestingly, in the human–mouse chimeras, laminin and collagen signaling‐related pathways are dominant in PODXL overexpressing cells. It is concluded that cholesterol regulation via PODXL signaling is critical for ESC/EPSC.
Realization of Ultrahigh Strain Modulation in Two‐Dimensional β‐InSe Layers
Authors: Liu Mingyan , Zhao Yibin , Wu Fang , Wang Licheng , Yao Jiamin , Yang Yunwei , Liu Cong , Wan Yi , Kan Erjun
Published: November 2022

2D materials are regarded as ideal candidates for fabricating flexible devices in electronics, due to their intrinsic clean surface and malleability. However, due to the weak interaction between 2D materials and the substrates underneath, bending or stretching will inevitably cause severe slippage, which degrades the device's performance or even leads to failure. The realization of no slippage between 2D materials and substrates under ultrahigh strain has become a key topic in the field of flexible electronics. Here, a strategy to overcome this limitation, by which strain can be effectively transferred to 2D materials is demonstrated. By applying this improved method to few‐layer β‐InSe, it is found that the loaded strain reaches as high as 7.2% without any slippage, along with an apparent redshift of ≈4.18 cm−1 in Raman scattering signals. The evolution trend of bandgap observed in the luminous properties of β‐InSe is consistent with the author's density functional theory (DFT) calculations. This convenient method can be intensively expanded to other van der Waals (vdW) layered materials and sheds light on flexible electronic applications.
Skeleton‐Reorganizing Coupling Reactions of Cycloheptatriene and Cycloalkenones with Amines
Authors: Ji Ding‐Wei , Hu Yan‐Cheng , Min Xiang‐Ting , Liu Heng , Zhang Wei‐Song , Li Ying , Zhou Yongjin J. , Chen Qing‐An
Published: November 2022

Skeletal reorganization reactions have emerged as an intriguing tool for converting readily available compounds into complicated molecules inaccessible by traditional methods. Herein, we report a unique skeleton‐reorganizing coupling reaction of cycloheptatriene and cycloalkenones with amines. In the presence of Rh/acid catalysis, cycloheptatriene can selectively couple with anilines to deliver fused 1,2‐dihydroquinoline products. Mechanistic studies indicate that the retro‐Mannich type ring‐opening and subsequent intramolecular Povarov reaction account for the ring reorganization. Our mechanistic studies also revealed that skeleton‐reorganizing amination between anilines and cycloalkenones can be achieved with acid. The synthetic utilization of this skeleton‐reorganizing coupling reaction was showcased with a gram‐scale reaction, synthetic derivatizations, and the late‐stage modification of commercial drugs.
Circularly Polarized Laser Emission from Homochiral Superstructures based on Achiral Molecules with Conformal Flexibility
Authors: Liu Zheng‐Fei , Ren Jiahuan , Li Pan , Niu Li‐Ya , Liao Qing , Zhang Shaodong , Yang Qing‐Zheng
Published: November 2022

Without external chiral intervention, it is a challenge to form homochirality from achiral molecules with conformational flexibility. We here report on a rational strategy that uses multivalent noncovalent interactions to clamp the molecular conformations of achiral D‐A molecules. These interactions overcome the otherwise dominant dipole‐dipole interactions and thus disfavor their symmetric antiparallel stacking. It in turn facilitates parallel packing, leading to spontaneous symmetry breaking during crystallization and thus the formation of homochiral conglomerates. When this emergent homochirality is coupled with optical gain characteristics of the molecules, the homochiral crystals are explored as excellent circularly polarized micro‐lasers with low lasing threshold (16.4 μJ cm−2) and high dissymmetry factorglum(0.9). This study therefore provides a facile design strategy for supramolecular chiral materials and active laser ones without the necessity of intrinsic chiral element.
How green and simple can nontoxic antimicrobial nanoparticles be obtained? Deposition of AgNPs on the TiO2 surface in a neutral aqueous media by using the flavonoid quercetin
Authors: Peña‐Juarez Mariana Gisela , Sanchez‐Vargas Luis Octavio , Gutierrez‐Castañeda Emmanuel Jose , Saldaña‐Garcés Rocío , Lopez‐Esparza Ricardo , Cuellar‐Camacho Jose Luis , Ruiz‐Garcia Jaime , Gonzalez‐Calderon Jose Amir
Published: November 2022

Although silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are excellent antimicrobial agents, they are considered hazardous materials due to their cytotoxic effects. In this research, AgNPs were deposited on TiO2 using a natural flavonoid under neutral conditions (pH 7) to obtain antibacterial nanomaterials without cytotoxicity. First, AgNPs were synthesized using two types of quercetin as a reducing agent, reactive grade and dietary supplement, to confirm the formation of AgNPs under this green approach. Later, the deposition of AgNPs on TiO2 was carried out again at pH 7 using reactive grade quercetin (sTiO2‐Ag(R)) and dietary supplement (sTiO2‐Ag(S)). They were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Z potential, and colloidal stability. The results showed that the deposition with dietary supplement is more efficient and safer, while the process carried out with reactive grade is inadequate since it causes nitrates bound to the TiO2 surface. The antipathogenic activity was studied against the main bacteria in raw food (Escherichia coli) and a major human pathogen (Staphylococcus aureus). The disk diffusion method confirmed higher inhibition when the deposition used the dietary supplement. Furthermore, sTiO2‐Ag(S) was analyzed by single‐plate serial dilution method to obtain minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). For S. aureus, the MIC was 31.2 μg/ml, and MBC was 1 mg/ml; for E. coli, the MIC was 7.8 μg/ml, and MBC was 1 mg/ml. Finally, cytotoxicity was evaluated by seeding peripheral blood mononuclear cells, showing that the sTiO2‐Ag(S) is nontoxic up to 100 ppm. These findings open the possibility of using these nanomaterials in numerous applications.
Enhancing the crystallinity and heat resistance of poly(ethylene terephthalate) using ZnCl2‐ionized polyamide‐66 as a heterogeneous nucleator
Authors: Tian Yuanfu , Cen Hongyu , Zheng Xuan , Zeng Zheng , Xu Wen , Hu Tao , Gong Xinghou , Hu Chuanqun , Wu Chonggang
Published: November 2022

To achieve the maximal improvement in the crystallization rate and heat resistance of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), 2.6 mol% of ZnCl2 ionized polyamide (PA)‐66 (PA‐66–Zn), with a strong coordination ability, is prepared and used as PET nucleator. This study found that the PA‐66–Zn heterogeneously nucleates PET more effectively than the CaCl2‐ionized PA‐66 and non‐ionized PA‐66 by differential scanning calorimetry, crystallization kinetics, X‐ray diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy. This is probably a result of the introduction of stronger ion–dipole interactions (IDIs) between the PET esters and the ionized‐PA‐66 ZnCl2‐coordinating amides, which obviously heightens the PET/PA‐66–Zn interfacial compatibility. As shown by scanning electron microscopy, the compatibilization through an appropriate concentration of IDIs promotes the formation of smaller and denser PA‐66 crystals with immensely increased nucleator efficiency. Furthermore, the PET/PA‐66–Zn with significantly improved crystallinity displays a remarkable increase in heat‐resistant temperature, at 21.6 and 55.1°C higher than that of PET/PA‐66 and PET, respectively. The results demonstrate that the PA‐66–Zn can act as a superior nucleator and as an outstanding heat‐resistant agent for PET.
Functionalized polyethylene on property enhancement of lubricating oil and their performance evaluation study
Authors: Baruah Urmilla , Saikia Maitrayee , Bora Ishan J. , Mohan Bitupan , Dutta Pranjal P. , Saikia Prakash J. , Baruah Shashi D.
Published: November 2022

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) functionalized polyethylene additives for improving the properties of lubricating oil has been investigated in which poly(MMA‐co‐ethylene) were synthesized by using three different polymerization techniques such as miniemulsion, post polymerization and reverse atom transfer radical polymerization with 1.0 molL −1 of MMA and 20 bar of ethylene pressure. The copolymers are block in nature with the composition of 1:3 molar ratios of ethylene:MMA which is independent of polymerization techniques used. 1H NMR analysis confirmed the successful incorporation of the copolymers in the lubricating oil. Thermogravimetric analysis reveals that the addition of poly(MMA‐co‐ethylene) increases thermal stability of the additive doped lubricating oil by approximately 40°C with a single stage decomposition pattern. Flash point measurements show an increasing flash point values for copolymer doped lubricating oil. From rheological study, the viscosity index of base lubricating oil has found significant increases from 102 to 129 with the addition of poly(MMA‐co‐ethylene) and the higher molecular weight (MW) of this copolymer provides better thickening efficiency. However, copolymer with higher MW seems to be more susceptible to mechanical degradation resulting in lower shear stability whereas copolymer with lower MW acts as a better pour point depressant.
Red is the new green: Dry wine‐based miniemulsion as eco‐friendly reaction medium for sustainable atom transfer radical polymerization
Authors: Flejszar Monika , Chmielarz Paweł , Oszajca Marcin
Published: November 2022

Wine‐based miniemulsion was used as polymerization medium for the synthesis of non water‐miscible polymethacrylates for the first time. The solution, inspired by green chemistry principles, is an interesting alternative to the use organic solvent application in polymer synthesis. The paper presents an unusual but cost‐effective solution, which, due to the presence of reducing agents present in wine, allowed the synthesis of polymethacrylates according to the low ppm atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) concept, but without the injection of additional reducing agents. Among the tested liquors were: (a) a white semi‐sweet wine (Tokaj—TK); (b) ruby sweet wine (Carlo Rossi—CR); (c) raspberry homemade wine (Wino Jana—WJ), and (d) dark red dry wine (Merlot—ME). Interestingly, the use of dry wine with ~300 ppm by wt of CuII/tris(2‐pyridylmethyl) amine (TPMA) as hydrophilic catalyst resulted in the controlled synthesis of poly(n‐butyl acrylate) (PnBA), poly(n‐butyl methacrylate) (PnBMA), and poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) (PtBA) characterized by a narrow molecular weight distribution (Đ = 1.18–1.50). The final structures of the synthesized polymers were comprehensively analyzed by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Why can insects not biosynthesize cholesterol?
Authors: Haas Eric , Kim Yonggyun , Stanley David
Published: November 2022

Two aspects of insect lipid biochemistry differ from the mammalian background. In one aspect, nearly a hundred years ago scientists demonstrated that the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs), linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n‐6) is an essential nutrient in the diets of all mammals that have been studied in that regard. An unknown number of insect species are able to biosynthesize LA de novo. Some species take the biosynthesized LA into fatty acid elongation/desaturation pathways to produce other PUFAs, 18:3n‐6, 20:3n‐6 and 20:4n‐6. A couple of species use the de novo produced LA to biosynthesize prostaglandins and other eicosanoids, short‐lived signal moieties that mediate important physiological actions in immunity and reproduction. Insects differ from mammals, also, in their lack of genes that encode enzymes acting in biosynthesis of cholesterol. Insects require dietary cholesterol to meet their cellular, physiological, developmental, and reproductive needs. Looking at a broader view of invertebrate biochemistry, most protostomes lost all or most genes involved in cholesterol biosynthesis. The massive gene loss occurred during the Ediacaran Period, which lasted 96 million years, from the end of the Cryogenian Period (635 million years ago; MYA) to the beginning of the Cambrian Period (538.6 MYA). The key point here is that the inability to biosynthesize cholesterol is not limited to insects; it occured in most protostomes. We address the protostome need and benefits of acquiring exogenous sterols.
Recent Advances of the Confinement Effects Boosting Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Authors: Liu Guomeng , Zhan Jiauyu , Zhang Zisheng , Zhang Lu‐Hua , Yu Fengshou
Published: November 2022

Powered by clean and renewable energy, electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to chemical feedstocks is an effective way to mitigate the greenhouse effect and artificially close the carbon cycle. However, the performance of electrocatalytic CO2RR was impeded by the strong thermodynamic stability of CO2 molecules and the high susceptibility to hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in aqueous phase systems. Moreover, the numerous reaction intermediates formed at very near potentials lead to poor selectivity of reaction products, further preventing the industrialization of CO2RR. Catalysis in confined space can enrich the reaction intermediates to improve their coverage at the active site, increase local pH to inhibit HER, and accelerate the mass transfer rate of reactants/products and subsequently facilitate CO2RR performance. Therefore, we summarize the research progress on the application of the confinement effects in the direction of CO2RR in theoretical and experimental directions. We first analyzed the mechanism of the confinement effect. Subsequently, the confinement effect was discussed in various forms, which can be characterized as an abnormal catalytic phenomenon due to the relative limitation of the reaction region. In specific, based on the physical structure of the catalyst, the confinement effect was divided in four categories: pore structure confinement, cavity structure confinement, active center confinement, and other confinement methods. Based on these discussions, we also have summarized the prospects and challenges in this field. This review aims to stimulate greater interests for the development of more efficient confined strategy for CO2RR in the future.
Connecting children with birth defects to health and social service programs: A collaboration between the Texas Birth Defects Registry and agency social workers
Authors: Betancourt Dayana , Canfield Mark A. , Ethen Mary K. , Shumate Charles , Drummond‐Borg Margaret , Kubenka Christina , Palacios Jessica , Agopian A. J.
Published: November 2022

Background

Timely referral to services for children born with birth defects can improve health outcomes. Birth defects surveillance registries may be a valuable data source for connecting children to health and social service programs.

Methods

Population‐based, state‐wide data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry (TBDR) at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) were used to connect children 9–18 months old, born with select birth defects with DSHS social workers. The social workers reviewed developmental milestones and referred children and their families to various health and social service programs. We tabulated the proportions of children meeting milestones and referral characteristics by referral program type and type of birth defect.

Results

Social workers reached 67% (909/1,362) of identified families. Over half of children (54%, 488/909) were not meeting the developmental milestones for their age. Social workers provided over 3,000 program referrals, including referring 21% (194/909) of children to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) and 28% (257/909) to case management.

Conclusion

Our results illustrate a method of leveraging a birth defects surveillance system for referral services. Given the large number of referrals made, our findings suggest that birth defects registries can be a valuable source of data for referring children to programs.
Developmental safety of nirmatrelvir in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos
Authors: Zizioli Daniela , Ferretti Sara , Mignani Luca , Castelli Francesco , Tiecco Giorgio , Zanella Isabella , Quiros‐Roldan Eugenia
Published: November 2022

Background

Nirmatrelvir, in combination with ritonavir, is one of the first orally available antiviral treatment for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Symptomatic pregnant women are at increased risk for severe illness and complications that can affect the developing baby. No malformations or lower embryo‐fetal survival have been observed when nirmatrelvir were administered to pregnant rats and rabbits. Safety evaluation of drugs used for treating COVID‐19 also in pregnancy is urgent for public health, then in this study we further investigated nirmatrelvir developmental toxicity using zebrafish as in vivo model.

Material and Methods

Using the standardized Fish Embryo Toxicity (FET) test, we first determined the lethal concentration 50 (LC50), exposing embryos from gastrula stage up to 120 hr post fertilization (hpf) and daily recording lethality. Then, we exposed embryos to five doses comprising the human therapeutic one and up to the LC50 (25 μM). Morphology was evaluated at 72 and 120 hpf.

Results

Nirmatrelvir did not affect survival rate and did not induce morphological defects up to the human therapeutic dose. Exposure at higher doses (2.4× and 3× the human Cmax) however resulted in decreased hatching rate, reduced growth, slower heartbeat with pericardial edema, reduction of eye dimension, absence of the swim bladder and disruption of the anterior–posterior axis, with lack of tail detachment, spinal curvature and straight and smaller head.

Conclusions

Our findings in zebrafish embryos add further information about developmental nirmatrelvir safety. Further studies are needed for pharmacological safety assessment of nirmatrelvir exposure during pregnancy.
Learn strategies for preventing, addressing sexual misconduct by ATs
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: November 2022

Power dynamics play a significant role in sexual misconduct. And in the patient‐provider relationship that exists between an athletic trainer or team physician and student‐athletes, the student‐athletes are usually the vulnerable ones — even more so when injury or illness is involved — and they expect their healthcare providers to act in their best interests. On the other hand, in certain circumstances, a coach or athletics director, or even a high‐profile student‐athlete, might have power over the AT or team physician.
Reduce liability by heeding guidance for proper operation of athletic training rooms
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: November 2022

Although athletic trainers devote themselves to protecting and supporting their student‐athletes’ health and overall well‐being, recent lawsuits serve as a wake‐up call that good intentions aren't enough to keep even the most well‐intentioned ATs from being dragged into court. And that's why your department should collaborate with your ATs to implement specific action plans to help protect these vital members of your athletics programs.
Did court dismiss hostile educational environment claim filed by 5 student‐athletes?
Authors: Lyerly Eric
Published: November 2022

Rutgers University‐Newark hired a head coach to preside over its women's basketball team. The team captain and two other members of the basketball team referred to themselves as “African‐American lesbian[s].” Another team member identified as a “Black bi[sexual].” Another identified as a “Hispanic heterosexual.”
Challenges and Opportunities of Transition Metal Oxides as Electrocatalysts
Authors: Xiong Wei , Yin Huhu , Wu Tianxing , Li Hao
Published: November 2022

As a sustainable energy technology, electrocatalytic energy conversion and storage has become increasingly prominent. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) are the key steps in the industrial applications of energy conversion and storage. Compared to the widely used precious metal catalysts, less‐noble transition metal oxides (TMOs) and TMO‐like materials have attracted broad attention as electrocatalysts in the above reactions. In this concept, we summarize the challenges and opportunities of some typical TMOs in electrocatalysis, and modification strategies of TMOs as electrocatalysts are discussed.
Boosting the Zn ion storage ability of amorphous MnO2 via surface engineering and valence modulation
Authors: Shi Xin , Liu Xinyue , Wang Enze , Cao Xianshuo , Yu Yanxia , Cheng Xiaoning , Lu Xihong
Published: November 2022

Manganese‐based oxides are promising cathode materials for aqueous zinc ion batteries (AZIBs) while suffering from poor reaction kinetics and structure collapse, resulting in inferior rate capability and cycling stability. Herein, an efficient crystal and surface engineering strategy is proposed to enhance the electron transfer ability of amorphous MnO2 and prevent its structure deformation during the Zn ion storage process. With the synergetic effect of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coating and Co‐doping, the Zn//PEDOT@Co‐MnO2 (PCMO) batteries show a high capacity of 298.9 mAh g−1 at the current density of 1 A g−1, a superior rate capability of 50.2% capacity retention at 10 A g−1, and outstanding cycling stability of 92.3% capacity retention after 1000 continuous cycles, significantly surpassing Zn//MnO2 (MO) and Zn//Co‐MnO2 (CMO) batteries in all aspects. Moreover, the peak energy density based on the mass of PCMO can reach 375 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 1.25 kW kg−1, which is better than most recently reported aqueous energy storage devices, including AZIBs, supercapacitors, lead‐acid batteries, and nickel‐based alkaline batteries. This work provides valuable information for designing advanced high‐performance Mn‐based cathodes for AZIBs.
Do more with Less: Improving High Parameter Cytometry Through Overnight Staining
Authors: Whyte Carly E. , Tumes Damon J. , Liston Adrian , Burton Oliver T.
Published: November 2022

Recent advances in flow cytometry have allowed high‐dimensional characterization of biological phenomena, enabling breakthroughs in a multitude of fields. Despite the appreciation of the unique properties of antigens and fluorophores in high‐parameter panel design, staining conditions are often standardized for short surface stains, regardless of antibody affinity or antigen accessibility. Here, we demonstrate how increasing antibody incubation times can lead to substantial improvements in sensitivity, maintaining specificity, and reducing background, while also significantly reducing the costs of high‐parameter cytometry panels. Furthermore, overnight staining reduces the influence of interexperimental variability, assisting accurate pooling over experiments over extended time courses. We provide guidance on how to optimize staining conditions for diverse antigens, including how different fixation strategies can affect epitope accessibility. Overnight staining can thus substantially improve the resolution, repeatability, and cost‐effectiveness of high‐parameter cytometry. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals
LLC.

This article was corrected on 18 January 2023. See the end of the full text for details.
Detection and Quantitation of DNA Damage on a Genome‐wide Scale Using RADAR‐seq
Authors: Zatopek Kelly M. , Potapov Vladimir , Ong Jennifer L. , Gardner Andrew F.
Published: November 2022

The formation and persistence of DNA damage can impact biological processes such as DNA replication and transcription. To maintain genome stability and integrity, organisms rely on robust DNA damage repair pathways. Techniques to detect and locate DNA damage sites across a genome enable an understanding of the consequences of DNA damage as well as how damage is repaired, which can have key diagnostic and therapeutic implications. Importantly, advancements in technology have enabled the development of high‐throughput sequencing‐based DNA damage detection methods. These methods require DNA enrichment or amplification steps that limit the ability to quantitate the DNA damage sites. Further, each of these methods is typically tailored to detect only a specific type of damage. RAre DAmage and Repair (RADAR) sequencing is a DNA sequencing workflow that overcomes these limitations and enables detection and quantitation of DNA damage sites in any organism on a genome‐wide scale. RADAR‐seq works by replacing DNA damage sites with a patch of modified bases that can be directly detected by Pacific Biosciences Single‐Molecule Real Time sequencing. Here, we present three protocols that enable detection of thymine dimers and ribonucleotides in bacterial and archaeal genomes. Basic Protocol 1 enables construction of a reference genome required for RADAR‐seq analyses. Basic Protocol 2 describes how to locate, quantitate, and compare thymine dimer levels in Escherichia coli exposed to varying amounts of UV light. Basic Protocol 3 describes how to locate, quantitate, and compare ribonucleotide levels in wild‐type and ΔRNaseH2 Thermococcus kodakarensis. Importantly, all three protocols provide in‐depth steps for data analysis. Together they serve as proof‐of‐principle experiments that will allow users to adapt the protocols to locate and quantitate a wide variety of DNA damage sites in any organism. © 2022 New England Biolabs. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Constructing a reference genome utilizing SMRT sequencing

Basic Protocol 2: Mapping and quantitating genomic thymine dimer formation in untreated versus UV‐irradiated E. coli using RADAR‐seq

Basic Protocol 3: Mapping and quantitating genomic ribonucleotide incorporation in wildtype versus ΔRNaseH2 T. kodakarensis using RADAR‐seq
VHDL implementation of circular shifting‐partial transmit sequence in MIMO OFDM systems
Authors: Abdel‐Atty Heba M. , Hassaneen Saly S. , Soliman Heba Y.
Published: November 2022

One of the basic issues in orthogonal frequency‐division multiplexing (OFDM) frameworks is the peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR). There are several PAPR reduction methods available. The partial transmit sequence (PTS) technique is considered one of the superior techniques for overcoming this issue. In this study, an efficient VHSIC hardware description language VHDL implementation of the PTS design utilising roundabout circular shifting CS was planned. The proposed structured method was designed as a real‐time prototype circuit over a field programmable gate array (FPGA) utilising the VHDL language. The implementation results of the prototype circuit in terms of the resources used in the FPGA using the Xilinx synthesis tool on the Virtex‐5 board for SISO, 2 × 2 MIMO and 4 × 4 MIMO models for N‐IFFT 64 and 256 points are presented. The structured framework effectively combined to be a compact framework with low intricacy and high speed. Testing of the implemented circuit verified its functionality. A comparison of our proposed CS‐PTS scheme with previously used PTS schemes, such as the subblock scheme, showed that our proposed method is superior in terms of hardware complexity reduction.
Medical morbidity and risk of general hospital admission associated with concurrent anorexia nervosa and COVID‐19: An observational study
Authors: Winston Anthony P. , Taylor Michael J. , Himmerich Hubertus , Ibrahim Mohammad A. A. , Okereke Uju , Wilson Robert
Published: November 2022

Objective

Investigate medical morbidity and risk of general hospital admission for patients with concurrent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and anorexia nervosa (AN) who have not received severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vaccination.

Methods

United Kingdom eating disorders clinicians contributed to a database of patients with an eating disorder and COVID‐19. We used this to investigate demography, symptoms, hospitalization, treatment, and outcomes for those with AN.

Results

We describe data for 49 patients (median age 21.5 years [interquartile range 17.0–33.5], 46 female) including 36 adults and 13 under‐18‐year‐olds. Three (6.1% [95% confidence interval 1.3%–17.9]) were admitted to a general hospital. For this sample, the expected age‐standardized hospital admission rate per COVID‐19 case (based on the general population of England) was 2.6% and therefore not significantly different to the hospitalization rate we observed. Three (including two of those admitted to hospital) contracted pneumonia. One had severe pneumonia and was admitted to an intensive care unit. No deaths or use of mechanical ventilation were recorded.

Discussion

To our knowledge, this represents the first study investigating medical morbidity or frequency of hospitalization for patients with COVID‐19 and AN. We did not find evidence that patients with AN are at increased risk of severe COVID‐19.

Public Significance

Medical morbidity and risk of hospitalization associated with concurrent COVID‐19 and anorexia nervosa (AN) had not, to our knowledge, been studied before. We used a database of patients with eating disorders and COVID‐19 (to which United Kingdom clinicians had contributed) to investigate presentation, treatment, outcomes, and COVID‐19 severity for those with AN and COVID‐19. We did not find evidence that patients with AN are at increased risk of severe COVID‐19.
Association of emotion recognition ability and interpersonal emotional competence in anorexia nervosa: A study with a multimodal dynamic task
Authors: Martini Matteo , Marzola Enrica , Musso Maria , Brustolin Annalisa , Abbate‐Daga Giovanni
Published: November 2022

Objective

Interpersonal difficulties are evidenced in Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and are thought to contribute to disease onset and maintenance, however, research in the framework of emotional competence is currently limited. Previous studies have often only used static images for emotion recognition tasks, and evidence is lacking on the relationships between performance‐based emotional abilities and self‐reported intra‐ and interpersonal emotional traits. This study aimed to test multimodal dynamic emotion recognition ability in AN and analyze its correlation with the psychometric scores of self‐ and other‐related emotional competence.

Method

A total of 268 participants (128 individuals with AN and 140 healthy controls) completed the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test, the Profile of Emotional Competence, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and measures of general and eating psychopathology. Scores were compared between the two groups. Linear mixed effects models were utilized to examine the relationship between emotion recognition ability and self‐reported measures and clinical variables.

Results

Individuals with AN showed significantly poorer recognition of emotions of both negative and positive valence and significantly lower scores in all emotional competence dimensions. Beside emotion type and group, linear mixed models evidenced significant effects of interpersonal comprehension on emotion recognition ability.

Discussion

Individuals with AN show impairment in multimodal emotion recognition and report their difficulties accordingly. Notably, among all emotional competence dimensions, interpersonal comprehension emerges as a significant correlate to emotion recognition in others, and could represent a specific area of intervention in the treatment of individuals with AN.

Public Significance

In this study, we evidence that the ability to recognize the emotions displayed by others is related to the level of interpersonal emotional competence reported by individuals with anorexia nervosa. This result helps in understanding the social impairments in people with anorexia nervosa and could contribute to advancements in the application of the training of emotional competence in the treatment of this disorder.
In hot water? Assessing the link between fundamental thermal physiology and predation of juvenile Chinook salmon
Authors: McInturf Alexandra G. , Zillig Ken W. , Cook Katherine , Fukumoto Jacqueline , Jones Anna , Patterson Emily , Cocherell Dennis E. , Michel Cyril J. , Caillaud Damien , Fangue Nann A.
Published: November 2022

In light of ongoing environmental change, understanding the complex impact of interacting stressors on species, communities, and ecosystems is an important challenge. Many studies to date examine the effects of potential stressors on a single species of concern. Yet these effects often resonate throughout a community and may produce changes in ecosystem dynamics that are equally critical to species resilience. The aim of this study was to develop a mechanistic understanding of how a rapidly changing stressor, water temperature, will alter trophic interactions among ectothermic fish species. In our region, California's Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta system, it has been speculated that the decreased survivorship of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in warming waters may be caused partly by increased predation. Temperature influences metabolic rate functions and the amount of energy available for fitness‐relevant parameters (i.e., swim performance and escape response). Consequently, we hypothesized that these patterns of predation emerge due to a physiological advantage of predators over prey at warmer temperatures. To explore this, our first objective was to determine the fundamental thermal physiology of juvenile Chinook salmon and their potential predators in the Delta. Three physiological performance traits were measured for each species across a spectrum of temperatures: aerobic scope, burst speed, and the ability to burst repeatedly. For our second objective, we assessed whether the effect of temperature on these performance traits predicted the outcome of predation trials conducted across the same temperature spectrum. We found that temperature effects were species or population specific. Additionally, absolute burst swimming ability and the relative burst performance between predator and prey were stronger indicators of trophic dynamics than aerobic scope. Our analyses also confirmed that a major predator in the Delta, specifically largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), is more thermally adapted to higher temperatures and will likely consume salmon with an increasing frequency as waters warm. Thus, we show that an improved understanding of how fundamental thermal physiology impacts predation can provide ecosystem managers with better tools to predictively model predation upon juvenile salmon based on prevailing and future water temperatures.
Piñon and juniper tree removal increases available soil water, driving understory response in a sage‐steppe ecosystem
Authors: McIver James , Grace James B. , Roundy Bruce
Published: November 2022

Over the past century, piñon and juniper trees have encroached into sagebrush steppe lands of the interior United States, and managers have for many years removed trees to stimulate the favored understory. While consistent understory response to tree removal in these semiarid lands suggests that trees outcompete other plants for water, no studies have linked increased soil water to understory response after tree removal. We tested the hypothesis that tree removal at six sagebrush steppe sites increased soil water, leading to increased understory plant cover. Using a structural equation model, we found that before tree removal, trees suppressed shrubs (standardized coefficient [SC] = −0.87), perennial deep‐rooted (SC = −0.50) and shallow‐rooted bunchgrasses (SC = −0.36), but had no influence on cheatgrass. The model explained between 2% (cheatgrass) and 40% (shrubs) of pretreatment cover variation. Measurement of the same plots six years post‐treatment showed that most cover variation was due directly to plant growth, with standardized coefficients between 0.51 (perennial shallow‐rooted grasses) and 0.72 (cheatgrass). Competition between cheatgrass and perennial deep‐rooted grasses was evident, with perennials having twice the influence on cheatgrass than vice‐versa (SC = −0.24 vs. −0.11). Spring soil water (wet‐degree days) increased significantly after tree removal, measured as cumulative over 6 years (SC = 0.30), and in the early Spring of year six (SC = 0.16). Treatment‐induced increase of cumulative Spring wet degree‐days explained variation in shrub cover at year 6 (SC = 0.12) and the increase of early Spring wet degree‐days at year 6 led to increases in perennial deep‐rooted grasses (SC = 0.24) and cheatgrass (SC = 0.23). We detected no influence of Spring wet degree‐days on perennial shallow‐rooted grasses. The post‐treatment model explained between 34% (shallow‐rooted perennial grasses) and 69% (deep‐rooted perennial grasses) of variation in understory cover. Most variation was explained by re‐measurement of the same populations, followed by treatment effects mediated through increased soil water availability, soil factors, and direct effects of the treatment itself. In conclusion, our model is consistent with the a priori hypothesis that additional wet degree‐days due to tree removal is a significant mechanism behind observed increases in understory cover.
Beyond the campaign‐style enforcement: A consensual approach to bridge the environmental policy implementation gap
Authors: Pan Fanfan , Xu Jianhua , Xue Lan
Published: November 2022

Existing studies on environmental policy implementation in China have largely been focused on the inadequacy of environmental policy implementation at local levels and the adversarial campaign‐style enforcement used to remedy it, while overlooked other approaches to addressing environmental issues. We present a case in which a consensual approach was used to control water pollution and identify key factors contributing to the adoption and success of such an approach. The research unit is the process of water pollution control in Shandong Province from 2002 to 2011. During the case period, the pulp and paper industry (the leading polluting source) was regulated with gradually tightened water pollution discharge standards which were made and implemented in a consensual way, surface water quality was greatly improved, and the economic output of the regulated industry grew rapidly. Key factors contributing to the adoption and success of such an approach include the presence of a capable policy entrepreneur who played an important role in policy innovation, forging consensus building in policy making and facilitating consensual policy implementation; the deep and wide involvement of the regulated firms in the policy making process which allowed them to share know‐how and express preferences; and the strong political support from provincial higher‐ups which signaled strong political wills. The findings enrich our understanding of environmental policy enforcement in China by adding a set of internal factors to a literature pool focusing more on the the influence of such external factors as institutional incentiveson policy processes and outcomes.
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Multi‐Molybdenum‐Substituted Preyssler‐type Phosphotungstates
Authors: Khoiru Wihadi Muh. Nur , Haioka Terufumi , Kojima Tatsuhiro , López Xavier , Ueda Tadaharu , Sano Tsuneji , Sadakane Masahiro
Published: November 2022

We report the synthesis of multi‐Mo‐substituted Preyssler‐type phosphotungstates, [P5W30‐xMoxO110Na(H2O)]14−, with different amounts of incorporated Mo via the hydrothermal reactions of H3PO4, Na2WO4, and Na2MoO4; and characterization by 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR), elemental analysis, electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS), and cyclic voltammetry. The number of substituted Mo increases by increasing the amount of Na2MoO4 in the reaction mixture, and in the [P5W30‐xMoxO110Na(H2O)]14−, up to penta‐Mo‐substituted species can be produced as mixtures of isomers with different Mo numbers and Mo positions. Single crystal X‐ray structure analysis and density functional theory calculation indicate that the most suitable substitution position is the belt position.
Removal of molybdenum from wastewater using modified amino‐functional framework: A study of the adsorption properties
Authors: Saghian Mahdie , Dehghanpour Saeed , Sharbatdaran Massoomeh
Published: November 2022

Herein, we have employed a convenient method to study kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the adsorption of molybdenum from wastewater by using modified Zr‐based metal–organic frameworks, UIO‐66‐NH2‐X, as adsorbents. The frameworks were fabricated with a simple and fast method from terephthalic acids and Zirconium metal ions and modified via introduction of aldehyde groups using imine condensation. This is the first report in which MOFs have been utilized as adsorbents in molybdenum adsorption. The prepared adsorbents show high adsorption efficiency, which is representative of an improvement compared to other literature. The adsorption capacity and molybdenum removal for the modified framework are 667 mg/g and 93%, respectively which is a significant and remarkable value among other previously reported articles. The experimental adsorption data could be well interpreted with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model. Thermodynamic studies illustrated a spontaneous exothermic mechanism for the adsorption process.