bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sulfonated polyether ether ketone composite proton exchange membranes incorporated with a novel hierarchical‐structure hybrid nanofiller consisting solid superacid zirconium phosphate and CNTs
Authors: Yan Pengjia , Yu Zhanghu , Chen Zhihong , Hu Ji , Wang Wanhui , Gong Chunli
Published: November 2022

How to simultaneously improved the proton conductivity and mechanical strength is a key problem facing currently used proton exchange membranes (PEMs). Herein, a solid inorganic superacid‐zirconium phosphate (ZrP) with a two‐dimensional layer structure was combined with one‐dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to prepare hybrid nanofiller ZrP‐CNTs by an in situ chemical deposition method. The new hybrid nanofiller was then applied to modify sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK), a widely used PEM matrix, to obtain a series of composite membranes. The structure and properties of the membranes were fully characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, TG, tensile properties, and proton conductivity. The results showed that the proton conductivities of the membranes were significantly improved due to the addition of super solid acid‐ZrP that has abundant proton sources or proton sites. Moreover, the composite membranes exhibited better mechanical properties and thermal stability than those of pure SPEEK membrane, owing to the great interface interaction and good compatibility between ZrP‐CNTs and SPEEK. The composite membrane (2 wt% ZrP‐CNTs) demonstrated the optimal comprehensive performance. Its proton conductivity was 36.63 mS cm−1 and its tensile strength was 37.56 MPa, which was 70% and 10%, respectively, higher than those of the pure SPEEK membrane under the same condition.
Atypical development of social and nonsocial working memory capacity among preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Gong Linlin , Guo Dong , Gao Zaifeng , Wei Kunlin
Published: November 2022

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have shown impaired performance in canonical and nonsocial working memory (WM). However, no study has investigated social WM and its early development. Using biological motion stimuli, our study assessed the development of social and nonsocial WM capacity among children with or without ASD across the age span between 4 and 6 (N = 150). While typically developing (TD) children show a rapid development from age 5 to 6, children with ASD showed a delayed development for both social and nonsocial WM capacity, reaching a significant group difference at age 6. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between social (but not nonsocial) WM capacity and the severity of autistic symptoms among children with ASD. In contrast, there is a positive correlation between both types of WM capacity and intelligence among TD children but not among children with ASD. Our findings thus indicate that individuals with ASD miss the rapid development of WM capacity in early childhood and, particularly, their delayed social WM development might contribute to core symptoms that critically depend on social information processing.
Teaching graduate research skills in genomics via an integrated ‘flipped’ journal club program
Authors: Golden Aaron
Published: November 2022

Journal clubs are well regarded as a highly effective means of engaging graduate students with the contemporary research literature, where individual students prepare and deliver presentations on selected research articles to their peers, followed by a group discussion. Regular journal clubs have the advantage of enhancing student scientific reading, assessment and communication skills as well as developing a better understanding of the field. We developed a flipped journal club program as part of the one semester module ‘Genomics Research Methods’ with the goal of enhancing—and quantifying—individual student ability to engage with the genomics scientific literature. This involves all students and faculty reviewing a given manuscript, with the former submitting research relevant questions they would wish to ask the presenting student at the journal club, and the latter grading them. These questions are then ranked based on their median grade, and subsequently discussed in class. This cycle repeats weekly until all students have presented. Our analysis of question grade data over three consecutive years demonstrated clear improvements in student performance for all students between the start and end of the module. While no difference in performance was noted based on gender over the full semester, improvement in performance was significantly evident for the female cohort between the start and end of the module. Our results are consistent with module survey feedback of overall reported enhanced research self‐efficacy. This demonstrates that this flipped journal club implementation is a highly effective means of both assessing and improving individual student learning in genomics research ability. The involvement of the teaching faculty furthermore offers a means to foster a dynamic research community for all participants involved. This methodology is easily transferable to other bioscience graduate/undergraduate programs seeking to effectively teach essential research ability skills and enhance student self‐efficacy.
The course on modern 5G/6G networks: A step toward understanding a flexible network core
Authors: Vujošević Dušan , Bojović Petar D. , Šuh Jelena , Martić Goran , Bojović Živko
Published: November 2022

5G and 6G represent next‐generation communication technologies that provide high spectral and energy efficiency, low latency, and massive connectivity due to extensive growth in Internet‐of‐Things devices. Their impact on the quality of life will be significant and enable them to shape modern society's future. The intensive network softwarization and cloudification represent leading drivers for future core network development. Therefore, educational institutions must respond quickly and ensure these technologies' easy and rapid adoption. It is necessary to introduce new approaches to engineers' education, shifting the focus from traditional network technologies toward more programmable network concepts based on network softwarization and cloudification. Our research goal has been to develop and implement a course while focusing on conceiving technical and pedagogical solutions to provide high‐quality education. We have used globally available APIs, tools, and open‐source software to achieve deeper student involvement in our course. We have evaluated our approach by surveying students at the School of Computing, Union University of Belgrade. The results indicate students' high satisfaction with the proposed course. At the same time, they reveal specific problems that affect the effective acceptance of knowledge from certain areas covered in the course. Finally, we have prepared a list of guidelines for teaching courses of 5G/6G core.
Deaths and adverse events from adjuvant therapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors in solid malignant tumors: A systematic review and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Xie Ruiyang , Wu Jie , Shang Bingqing , Bi Xingang , Cao Chuanzhen , Guan Youyan , Shi Hongzhe , Shou Jianzhong
Published: November 2022

Background

By prolonging overall survival and reducing disease recurrence rates, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are an emerging adjuvant therapy option for patients with resectable malignant tumors. However, the safety profile (deaths and adverse events [AEs]) of adjuvant ICIs has not been fully described.

Methods

We searched the literature for phase III randomized clinical trials that compared PD‐1, PD‐L1, and CTLA‐4 inhibitors in solid malignant tumors. Incidences of death, discontinuation, AEs of any cause, treatment‐related adverse events (TRAEs), and immune‐related adverse events (IRAEs) were extracted for the network meta‐analysis. Network meta‐analyses with low incidence and poor convergence are reported as incidences with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

Results

Ten randomized clinical trials that included 9243 patients who received ICI adjuvant therapy were eligible. In total, 21 deaths due to TRAEs were recorded, with an overall incidence of 0.40% (95% CI: 0.26–0.61). The treatment‐related mortality rates for ipilimumab (0.76%, 95% CI: 0.31–1.55) and atezolizumab (0.56%, 95% CI: 0.18–1.31) were higher than for pembrolizumab (0.24%, 95% CI: 0.10–0.56) and nivolumab (0.30%, 95% CI: 0.08–0.77). The most frequent causes of death were associated with the gastrointestinal (0.10%, 95% CI: 0.04–0.24) and pulmonary (0.08%, 95% CI: 0.03–0.21) systems. Compared with the control arm, we found that nivolumab (odds ratio [OR]: 2.73, 95% CI: 0.49–15.85) and atezolizumab (OR: 12.43, 95% CI: 2.42–78.48) caused the fewest grade ≥3 TRAEs and IRAEs. Commonly reported IRAEs of special interest were analyzed, and two agents were found to have IRAEs with incidences >10%, i.e., hepatitis for atezolizumab (14.80%, 95% CI: 12.53–17.32) and hypophysitis for ipilimumab (13.53%, 95% CI: 11.38–15.90).

Conclusions

Ipilimumab and atezolizumab were correlated with higher treatment‐related death rates than pembrolizumab and nivolumab, in which the gastrointestinal and pulmonary systems were mostly involved. Regarding severe TRAEs and IRAEs, nivolumab and atezolizumab are likely to be the safest agent, respectively. This study will guide clinical practice for ICI adjuvant therapies.
RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq analysis of CD163+ macrophage‐induced progestin‐insensitive endometrial cancer cells
Authors: Wang Lulu , Lv Qiaoying , Wu Pengfei , Luo Shuhan , Liu Sijia , Chen Xiaojun , Luo Xuezhen
Published: November 2022

Background

Progestins are used as fertility‐sparing regimens for young patients with stage 1A endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) and atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). CD163+ macrophages promote estrogen‐dependent EEC development, but whether they induce progestin insensitivity remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the possible effects of CD163+ macrophages on progestin response in AEH/EEC patients.

Methods

The number of infiltrating CD163+ macrophages in progestin‐insensitive and ‐sensitive endometrial lesions was compared. The effects of CD163+ macrophages on progestin responses and progesterone receptor (PR) expression in EC cells were evaluated in vitro. ATAC‐seq and RNA‐seq were combined to identify molecular/biological changes induced by CD163+ macrophages in progestin‐insensitive EC cells.

Results

Increased CD163+ macrophage infiltration was significantly associated with progestin insensitivity and longer treatment durations in AEH/EEC patients. Additionally, the number of CD163+ macrophages was negatively correlated with PR expression in AEH/EEC tissues. Furthermore, the CD163+ macrophage‐mediated microenvironment and secreted cytokines downregulated PR expression and impaired the response of EC cells to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). RNA‐seq analysis demonstrated that CD163+ macrophages antagonized PR signaling by blocking or even reversing MPA‐regulated differential gene expression. Based on RNA‐seq and ATAC‐seq analyses, extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling and ECM‐related transcription factors, FOXF2, POU1F1, and RUNX1were identified to potentially be involved in CD163+ macrophage‐induced progestin insensitivity in endometrial cancer patients.

Conclusions

We identified CD163+ macrophages as an important mediator of progestin desensitization and an unfavorable factor for the efficacy of fertility‐preserving treatment in AEH/EEC patients.
Perception and safety analysis of COVID‐19 vaccination in cancer patients: A multicenter, real‐world study
Authors: Lee Kyoungmin , Park In Hae , Oh Sang Cheul , Seo Jae Hong , Jeon Min Ji , Yu Eun Sang , Kim Dae Sik , Choi Chul Won , Lim Ah‐reum , Hyun Myung Han , Kim Ju Won , Kim Jwa Hoon , Choi Yoon Ji , Lee Soohyeon , Park Kyong Hwa , Kim Yeul Hong , Choi Jung Yoon , Kim Jung Sun , Lee Se Ryeon , Sung Hwa Jung , Kang Eun Joo
Published: November 2022

Background

Although various coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccines have been delivered to the public worldwide, data on cancer populations are limited. Vaccine hesitancy related to safety concerns is observed among cancer patients. We report the perception of COVID‐19 vaccines and their safety profile after vaccination among cancer patients.

Materials and Methods

Between April and November 2021, a multicenter survey was conducted on 318 patients treated in any hemato‐oncology outpatient clinic among three hospitals under the Korea University Medical Center. The medical records of the patients were reviewed to obtain detailed clinical and hematological toxicity data.

Results

A perception survey was conducted among 293 patients. Among them, 53.9% were concerned about developing vaccine‐related adverse events (VRAEs) and 23.5%, about negative effects on cancer treatment. During the study period, 255 and 186 patients participated in a safety survey after the first and second doses, respectively. After the first dose, 62% of patients reported VRAEs (2.4%, grade 3), whereas 48.9% reported VRAEs (2.7%, grade 3) after the second dose. For both doses, injection‐site pain and sore arm pain were the most common VRAEs, followed by myalgia, fatigue, and headache. No grade 4/5 VRAEs were observed, and there were no differences in complete blood count after vaccination. Multivariate analysis revealed female sex, active cancer treatment, and mRNA vaccines as independent risk factors for VRAE development in cancer patients.

Conclusion

Despite high levels of concern, COVID‐19 vaccines were well tolerated by cancer patients, with a safety profile consistent with that of the general population.
Perturbations in common and distinct inflammatory pathways associated with morning and evening fatigue in outpatients receiving chemotherapy
Authors: Kober Kord M. , Harris Carolyn , Conley Yvette P. , Dhruva Anand , Dokiparthi Vasuda , Hammer Marilyn J. , Levine Jon D. , Oppegaard Kate , Paul Steven , Shin Joosun , Sucher Anatol , Wright Fay , Yuen Brian , Olshen Adam B. , Miaskowski Christine
Published: November 2022

Background

Moderate to severe fatigue occurs in up to 94% of patients with cancer. Recent evidence suggests that morning and evening fatigue are distinct dimensions of physical fatigue. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the transcriptome for common and distinct perturbed inflammatory pathways in patients receiving chemotherapy who reported low versus high levels of morning or low versus high levels of evening cancer‐related fatigue.

Methods

Patients completed questionnaires during the week prior to their chemotherapy treatment. Severity of morning and evening fatigue was evaluated using the Lee Fatigue Scale. Gene expression and pathway impact analyses (PIA) were performed in two independent samples using RNA‐sequencing (n = 357) and microarray (n = 360). Patterns of interactions between and among these perturbed pathways were evaluated using a knowledge network (KN).

Results

Across the PIA, nine perturbed pathways (FDR < 0.025) were common to both morning and evening fatigue, six were distinct for morning fatigue, and four were distinct for evening fatigue. KN (19 nodes, 39 edges) identified the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)‐Akt pathway node (perturbed in evening fatigue) with the highest betweenness (0.255) and closeness (0.255) centrality indices. The next highest betweenness centrality indices were seen in pathways perturbed in evening fatigue (i.e., nuclear factor kappa B: 0.200, natural killer cell‐mediated cytotoxicity: 0.178, mitogen‐activated protein kinase: 0.175).

Conclusions

This study describes perturbations in common and distinct inflammatory pathways associated with morning and/or evening fatigue. PI3K‐Akt was identified as a bottleneck pathway. The analysis identified potential targets for therapeutic interventions for this common and devastating clinical problem.
Proton‐Induced Defect‐Rich Vanadium Oxides as Reversible Polysulfide Conversion Sites for High‐Performance Lithium Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Chen Zihan , Liang Shuaijie , Yang Cao , Li Huanhuan , Zhang Linlin
Published: November 2022

Lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries have attracted attention due to their high theoretical energy density, natural abundance, and low cost. However, the diffusion of polysulfides decreases the utilization and further degrades the battery's life. We have successfully fabricated a defect‐rich layered sodium vanadium oxide with proton doping (HNVO) nanobelt and used it as the functional interface layer on the separator in Li‐S batteries. Benefiting from the abundant defects of NVO and the catalytic activity of metal vanadium in the electrochemical process, the shuttle of polysulfides was greatly decreased by reversible chemical adsorption. Moreover, the extra graphene layer contributes to accelerating the charge carrier at high current densities. Therefore, a Li‐S battery with G@HNVO delivers a high capacity of 1494.8 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C and a superior cycling stability over 700 cycles at 1 C. This work provides an effective strategy for designing the electrode/separator interface layer to achieve high‐performance Li‐S batteries.
Acceleration Effect of Bowl‐Shaped Structure in Aerobic Oxidation Reaction: Synthesis of Homosumaneneortho‐Quinone and Azaacene‐Fused Homosumanenes
Authors: Nishimoto Mikey , Uetake Yuta , Yakiyama Yumi , Saeki Akinori , Freudenberg Jan , Bunz Uwe H. F. , Sakurai Hidehiro
Published: November 2022

An oxidation reaction of hydroxyhomosumanene on silica gel providing homosumaneneortho‐quinone and its synthetic application for azaacene‐fused homosumanenes is described. Hydroxyhomosumanene is photochemically oxidized by air, when it is coated on silica gel; this aerobic oxidation proceeds faster than that of planar analogues. The difference of such reactivity was attributed to the unusual keto‐enol tautomerization due to structural difference between planar and curved π‐system. The homosumaneneortho‐quinone was used in the synthesis of several azaacene‐fused homosumanenes, azaacenohomosumanenes. X‐ray diffraction analysis of the single crystals revealed their columnar stacking structures due to the interactions between each bowl. Azaacenohomosumanenes exhibited high electron affinity due to the combination of buckybowl and electron‐deficient azaacene moieties.
Mitsunobu Functionalization of Poly(vinyl alcohol) Derivatives†
Authors: Zhang Yin , Wang Yu , You Wei
Published: November 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Polymer functionalization is a powerful tool to prepare polymers with diverse structures without the need of synthesizing monomers or performing polymerization reactions. Polymers that are difficult to be synthesized using direct polymerization reactions can be accessed using polymer functionalization. We herein present Mitsunobu derivatization of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to convert the hydroxyl groups into diverse functional groups. Partial acetalation strategy is applied to improve solubility of the PVA derivatives in tetrahydrofuran, and more importantly, the acetals can act as protecting groups so that functionalized copolymers are produced. Diverse functions can be introduced into PVA derivatives by installing different functional groups. Transparent, colorless, flexible, and scalable UV‐shielding membranes are conveniently prepared in one step using this method.
Single Molecule Imaging with Liquid Phase Electron Microscopy
Authors: Li Jia‐Ye , Zhang De‐Yi , Mao Sheng , Wang Huan
Published: November 2022

Few single‐molecule experiments have enabled the direct imaging of functional biomacromolecules in real‐time in their native liquid environments, resolving their conformational adaptations, transient interactions, and intermediate states. Liquid phase electron microscopy (LP‐EM), due to its unique combination of spatial and temporal resolution, has shown to be a promising tool. Recent experiments have enabled successful imaging of intact structures of organic molecules and biological systems with an ordinary electron microscope. Adapting image processing methods and quantitative data analysis from single particle experiments based on the optical microscope, quantifying motion and relaxation of these interacting molecules allows the experimental observations of pathways, to test theoretical predictions, and discovery of new mechanisms. Combining LP‐EM with tomography, fluorescence, and mass spectroscopy allows for probing multi‐dimensional structural and dynamic information. Challenges remain in obtaining high‐quality data in large quantities, which can be improved by developing new liquid cell platforms and machine learning‐based data analysis.
Fabrication of Uniform ZnO Hexagonal Nanorods in the Presence of Mg2+ and Conversion to ZnO@ZnS Heterojunctions for Spatial Charge Separation
Authors: Guo Na , Wang Chuantao
Published: November 2022

Large‐scale uninform ZnO hexagonal nanorods were obtained by tuning the molar ratio of Mg2+ and Zn2+ without any organic surfactant or any further treatment, then the ZnO@ZnS heterojunction were obtained by in‐situ sulfidation method. The photocatalytic activity of as‐prepared photocatalyst sample was evaluated by their photocatalytic of Congo Red (CR) in a fixed‐bed microreactor and photocatalytic hydrogen production. The photocatalytic experiments showed that Z@ZS‐4 possesses higher photocatalytic performance for a sulfidation time up to 4 h. Probable photogenerated charge transfer mechanism has been proposed, and the corresponding photoluminescence and photoelectrochemical measurements revealed the higher charge transfer rate across the Z@ZS‐4 interface.
Support vector machine classifier optimized with seagull optimization algorithm for brain tumor classification
Authors: Lavanya S. , Annlin Jeba S. V. , Bhuvaneswari P. , Shajin Francis H.
Published: November 2022

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a practical tool for diagnosing tumors in human brain. In this work, MRI images are analyzed to find tumor‐containing regions and classify these regions into three different types of tumor: meningioma, glioma, and pituitary. Several methods were utilized previously for brain tumor detection, but no one method classify the brain tumor accurately and also it takes high computation time. To overwhelm these issues, a support vector machine optimized with seagull optimization algorithm (SOA) is proposed for brain tumor classification (SVM‐SOA‐BTC). The brain MRI images are gathered via Brats image dataset. Then the images are preprocessed using Savitzky–Golay denoising method. Then residual exemplars local binary pattern based feature extraction is utilized for extracting radiomic features. Then, the extracted features are fed to SVM classifier for classifying the brain tumors, like normal and abnormal. Then the weight parameters of the SVM are optimized using the SOA. The simulation is implemented on MATLAB. Then the proposed SVM‐SOA‐BTC method achieves 33.78%, 19.69%, and 11.62% higher accuracy; 30.62%, 25.05%, and 9.10% higher F‐score compared with existing methods, like Deep‐CNN‐DSCA‐BTC, CNN‐WHHO‐BTC, and AFDNN‐FLA‐BTC respectively.
An SDN‐based DDoS defense approach using route obfuscation
Authors: Hormozi Mohammad , Erfani S. Hossein
Published: November 2022

DDoS attack as an attempt to make an online service inaccessible by suppressing it with massive traffic from various sources is a problem that is getting worse by the day, and when customers need to implement DDoS mitigation solutions in their network, they often have to make major changes to the existing network in terms of establishing new protocols or the need to completely redesign the existing network. Software evolution in networks under the name of software‐defined networks is developing and advancing in parallel with traditional networks, and the tendency and migration towards this generation of networks may be considered more and more seriously. Using SDN to encounter DDoS attacks, given its reactive capabilities, brings strategies such as dynamic cyber deception and active defense to minds, against attackers. In this article, we show how to obfuscate the network route to the destination by playing the address in the path and destination of the attacker's request, without understanding them from the heart of the issue by using the capabilities of software‐defined networks and lead DDoS attack flows, and kept the rest of network safe with least effect on topology from this destruction.
Spectrally Resolved Fiber Photometry for In Vivo Multi‐Color Fluorescence Measurements
Authors: Zhou Jingheng , Yeh Alan , Meng Chengbo , Papaneri Amy B. , Peddada Teja , Kobzar Nicholas P. , Cui Guohong
Published: November 2022

This article describes how to assemble and operate a spectrometer‐based fiber photometry system for in vivo simultaneous measurements of multiple fluorescent biosensors in freely moving mice. The first section of the article describes the step‐by‐step procedure to assemble a basic single‐spectrometer fiber photometry system and how to expand it into a dual‐spectrometer system that allows for simultaneous recordings from two sites. The second part describes the steps for a typical fiber probe implantation surgery. The last section describes how to acquire and analyze the time‐lapsed spectral data. This article is intended for teaching labs how to build their own fiber photometry systems (with a video tutorial) from commercially available parts and perform in vivo recordings in behaving mice. © Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Basic Protocol 1: Assembling a dual‐laser, single‐spectrometer fiber photometry system

Support Protocol: Dual‐spectrometer fiber photometry assembly

Basic Protocol 2: Optical fiber probe implantation

Basic Protocol 3: Data acquisition and analysis
A Flow Cytometry–Based Assay to Measure C3b Deposition on Protozoan Parasites Such as Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Sikorski Patricia M. , Grigg Michael E.
Published: November 2022

Flow cytometry is a powerful tool that can be used to study protozoan parasite interactions with the complement system. We developed a flow cytometric assay to measure the deposition of complement activation product C3b and to assess resistance to complement‐mediated lysis. This assay involves exposing cultured parasites to human serum (the source of human complement) and staining parasites with antibodies against complement proteins to detect and quantify complement components on the parasite surface by flow cytometry. The assay can be used to compare complement activation across a variety of different species of protozoan parasites. As a proof of concept, we describe protocols to study C3 deposition on the single‐cell protist Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite actively regulates C3 deposition and proteolytic inactivation to eliminate the formation of lytic pores targeted to the parasite surface coat, which is the end‐product of the complement cascade. The antibodies used in this assay recognize both active and inactive forms of C3 deposited on parasite surfaces. Hence, the assay facilitates the identification and characterization of parasite resistance factors that regulate complement deposition and catabolic inactivation. © Published 2022. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Basic Protocol 1: Culturing human foreskin fibroblasts and Toxoplasma gondii strains

Basic Protocol 2: In vitro complement activation assay

Support Protocol: Screening of normal human serum

Basic Protocol 3: Flow cytometric analysis of C3b deposition
Dual band 8 × 8 MIMO antenna system for DCS 1800 and 5G mobile applications
Authors: Mistri Raj Kumar , Mahto Santosh Kumar , Sinha Rashmi
Published: November 2022

A dual‐band (1.6–1.9 GHz and 3.3–3.9 GHz) eight‐antenna multiple‐input and multiple‐output (MIMO) system is proposed in this paper. The basic structure of the proposed antenna element consists of microstrip lines, cylindrically shaped shorting, and a rectangular‐shaped defected ground structure (DGS). This structure is responsible for the production of a self‐ isolated MIMO system. The performance of the MIMO antenna system is investigated by the detailed analysis of S‐parameters, Envelope Correlation Coefficient (ECC), Mean Effective Gain (MEG), Total Active Reflection Coefficient (TARC), and Channel Capacity (CC). The proposed MIMO antenna system offers a good S‐parameter, radiation pattern, and satisfactory isolation characteristics. The MIMO antenna system is fabricated on lossy high dielectric (
 = 4.3) FR4 substrate (loss tangent 0.02). The measured results are in good agreement with simulated one. The proposed antenna focuses on the 3.3–3.9 GHz frequency band, which covers bands 3.3–3.6 GHz (center frequency, 3.45 GHz) or 3.4–3.8 GHz (center frequency, 3.6 GHz) under the band below 6 GHz for 5G operation.
Design and comparative analysis of circuit theory model‐based slot‐loaded printed rectangular monopole antenna for UWB applications with notch band
Authors: Yadav Ashok , Singh Pramod , Verma Ramesh Kumar , Singh Vinod Kumar
Published: November 2022

In this paper, a slotted printed rectangular monopole antenna (SPRMA) is proposed that covers the entire UWB (ultra‐wideband) except for WiMAX and WLAN (802.11/a‐n). In the first stage, a rectangular monopole antenna is designed, which covers the entire UWB frequency. Then, a T‐slot is inserted in the radiating patch to have the rejection of the band containing WiMAX and WLAN (802.11/a‐n). The notch characteristics of the proposed antenna are observed from 3.0 to 3.65 GHz and 4.5 to 6.65 GHz respectively. Measured peak gain of 3.28 dBi has been observed at 4.25 GHz frequency. To show the validation of antenna, mathematical analysis using circuit theory has been also given in the paper. The prototype has been also tested inside the anechoic chamber to give the validation in real‐time environment. Several other reported antenna structures have also the same notch band in UWB with different notching methods. The proposed structure's radiation properties are compared with other reported structures proving the compactness of the proposed structure.
Reconstruction of Postinfarcted Cardiac Functions Through Injection of Tanshinone IIA@ Reactive Oxygen Species‐Sensitive Microspheres Encapsulated in a Thermoreversible Hydrogel
Authors: Yu Ling , Liang Yubin , Gao Lei , Chen Peipei , Yu Zhiqiang , Zhang Minzhou , Hinek Aleksander , Mao Shuai
Published: November 2022

Myocardial damage resulting from acute myocardial infarction often leads to progressive heart failure and sudden death, highlighting the urgent clinical need for effective therapies. Recently, tanshinone IIA has been identified as a promising therapeutic agent for myocardial infarction. However, efficient delivery remains a major issue that limits clinical translation. To address this problem, an injectable thermosensitive poly (lactic acid‐co‐glycolic acid)‐block‐poly (ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly (lactic acid‐co‐glycolic acid) gel (PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA) system encapsulating tanshinone IIA‐loaded reactive oxygen species‐sensitive microspheres (Gel−MS/tanshinone IIA) has been designed and synthesized in this study. The thermosensitive hydrogel exhibits good mechanical properties after reaching body temperature. Microspheres initially immobilized by the gel exhibit excellent reactive oxygen species‐triggered release properties in a high‐reactive oxygen species environment after myocardial infarction onset. As a result, encapsulated tanshinone IIA is effectively released into the infarcted myocardium, where it exerts local anti‐pyroptotic and anti‐inflammatory effects. Importantly, the combined advantages of this technique contribute to the mitigation of left ventricular remodeling and the restoration of cardiac function following tanshinone IIA. Therefore, this novel, precision‐guided intra‐tissue therapeutic system allows for customized local release of tanshinone IIA, presenting a promising alternative treatment strategy aimed at inducing beneficial ventricular remodeling in the post‐infarct heart.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Pyridine Ligand‐Promoted Non‐Directed C−H Olefination of Phenol Derivatives
Authors: Gao Du , Huang Zhibin , Zhou Guanyu , Huang Pengcheng , Zhao Yanwei , Zhao Yingsheng
Published: November 2022

Herein, we report an undirected ortho‐olefination reaction using tri‐isobutyl silicon‐protected phenol as the substrate, palladium acetate as the catalyst, and inexpensive pyridine derivatives as ligands. Various phenols were tolerated well, affording the olefinated product in moderate to good yields. Importantly, bioactive compounds such as hexyl‐methoxyphenol and estradiol were tolerated, highlighting the synthetic importance of this method.
The impact of input data resolution on neural network forecasting models for wind and photovoltaic energy generation using time series data
Authors: AlShafeey Mutaz , Csaki Csaba
Published: November 2022

Accurate photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy forecasting are crucial for grid stability and energy security. There are various modeling techniques and methods to design forecasting models, each leading to different accuracy. In this research, datasets were collected from a 546 kWp grid‐connected PV farm and a 2 MW wind turbine for one full year. These data were used to train and test artificial neural network models to forecast day‐ahead PV and wind energy utilizing time‐series input data with 15‐, 30‐, and 60‐min resolutions. The models were able to forecast the PV energy accurately, while the same models trained for wind showed poor performance. Higher input data resolutions lead to slightly better forecasting performance for the PV farm. Utilizing data with higher resolution can improve the forecast by 1%–5%. While for wind energy forecasting, the resolution has very minor effects, although the 30‐min resolution shows a slightly better forecasting performance.
Withdrawal: Techno‐economic feasibility analysis of Integrated Renewable Energy System for an urban area in Nanded, Pune – A detailed case study and analysis
Authors: KanasePatil A. B. , Kaldate A. P. , Al‐rubaie A. J. , Muthusamy S. , Panchal H. , Loganathan A. K. , Jaber M. M.
Published: November 2022

Withdrawal: Techno‐economic feasibility analysis of Integrated Renewable Energy System for an urban area in Nanded, Pune – A detailed case study and analysis, A. B. KanasePatil, A. P. Kaldate, A. J. Al‐rubaie, S. Muthusamy, H. Panchal, A. K. Loganathan, M. M. Jaber

The above article from Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy, published online on 14 November 2022 in Wiley Online Library (http://wileyonlinelibrary.com) has been withdrawn by agreement between the journal Editor in Chief, Martin Abraham and Wiley Periodicals LLC. The withdrawal has been agreed following no response from the author to requests to sign the Journal's publishing license.
Bioinspired Interfacial Spontaneous Growth of ZnO Nanocatalysts onto Recycled Textiles as a Sustainable Approach for Water Purification
Authors: Wang Xi , Wang Yuan , Nie Menyan , Cowling Stephen , Chen Xiaogang , Lu Jian R. , Liu Xuqing
Published: November 2022

Zinc oxide, as a commonly used photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, typically shows limitations in wastewater treatment, such as aggregation and recycling problems caused by nanoscale dimensions and inappropriate substrates. Anchoring ZnO on substrates is a strategy to obtain stable catalytic performance. Particularly, natural fibers with hollow structures are an attractive alternative for ecological and economical ZnO loading templates, but depositing ZnO onto hollowed fiber surfaces presents a challenge. Here, a straightforward in situ growth method for producing nanostructured zinc oxide on cotton fibers from recycled garments is reported. The modified polydopamine on the fiber surface captures the catalyst required for in situ growth of ZnO and serves as a platform for spontaneous catalytic crystal growth on the fiber surface. The ZnO nanocrystals are uniformly dispersed on the outer and inner walls of cotton fibers, demonstrating excellent durability in wastewater treatments. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of functional fibers is optimized by doping Ag nanoparticles to improve degradation efficiency. This can extend the prospect of further applications of developed ZnO/fibers in optoelectronics, spintronics, and provide inspiration for recycling and upgrading of used garments.
Role of C‐type natriuretic peptide in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Özay Ali Cenk , Özay Özlen Emekçi , Edebal Oğuz Han
Published: November 2022

Objective

To evaluate serum C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) and androgen concentrations in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and compare them with the healthy group.

Methods

The present study was carried out prospectively at the Near East University Hospital, between July 15, 2019 and September 1, 2020. Out of the 90 patients aged between 18 and 40 years old who were enrolled, the final study population consisted of 36 patients with PCOS and 30 healthy women.

Results

Body mass index, free androgen index, serum androstenedione, total testosterone, free testosterone, and CNP were significantly higher and serum sex‐hormone‐binding globulin level was lower in the PCOS group.

Conclusion

We revealed that serum CNP levels are high in PCOS patients. The mechanism of the relationship between this increase and hyperandrogenism or anovulation is not known, but these findings provide a direction for new studies.

ClinicalTrials.gov

NCT04006171.
Investigation of stillbirths in Brazil: A systematic scoping review of the causes and related reporting processes in the past decade
Authors: Souza Renato T. , Brasileiro Mariana , Ong Melissa , Delaney Louisa , Vieira Matias C. , Dias Marcos A. B. , Pasupathy Dharmintra , Cecatti José G.
Published: November 2022

Background

Recognizing the causes of stillbirths and their associated conditions is essential to reduce its occurrence.

Objective

To describe information on stillbirths in Brazil during the past decade.

Search strategy

A literature search was performed from January 2010 to December 2020.

Selection criteria

Original observational studies and clinical trials.

Data collection and analysis

Data were manually extracted to a spreadsheet and descriptive analysis was performed.

Results

A total of 55 studies were included; 40 studies (72.2%) used the official data stored by national public health systems. Most articles aimed to estimate the rate and trends of stillbirth (60%) or their causes (55.4%). Among the 16 articles addressing the causes of death, 10 (62.5%) used the International Classification of Diseases; most of the articles only specified the main cause of death. Intrauterine hypoxia was the main cause reported (ranging from 14.3% to 54.9%).

Conclusion

Having a national system based on compulsory notification of stillbirths may not be sufficient to provide quality information on occurrence and, especially, causes of death. Further improvements of the attribution and registration of causes of deaths and the implementation of educational actions for improving reporting systems are advisable. Finally, expanding the investigation of contributing factors associated with stillbirths would create an opportunity for further development of prevention strategies in low‐ and middle‐income countries such as Brazil.
Biomechanical assessment of a novel meniscal scaffold compared to partial meniscectomy: A study on porcine meniscal injury
Authors: Sezaki Shunsuke , Otsuki Shuhei , Ikeda Kuniaki , Ishitani Takashi , Okamoto Yoshinori , Wakama Hitoshi , Matsuyama Junya , Nakamura Kaito , Neo Masashi
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to investigate the appropriate size of scaffold implantation on stress distribution and evaluate its mechanical and biomechanical properties considering hydrolysis. The meniscus acts as a load distribution in the knee, and its biomechanical properties are essential for the development of the PGA scaffold. We established a novel meniscal scaffold, which consists of polyglycolic acid (PGA) covered with L‐lactide‐ε‐caprolactone copolymer (P[LA/CL]). After 4 weeks of hydrolysis, the scaffold had a 7% volume reduction compared to the initial volume. In biomechanical tests, the implantation of scaffolds 20% larger than the circumferential and vertical defect size results in greater contact stress than the intact meniscus. In the mechanical evaluation associated with the decomposition behavior, the strength decreased after 4 weeks of hydrolysis. Meanwhile, in the biomechanical test considering hydrolysis, contact stress and area equivalent to intact were obtained after 4 weeks of hydrolysis. In conclusion, the implantation of the PGA scaffold might be a useful alternative to partial meniscectomy in terms of mechanical properties, and the PGA scaffold should be implanted up to 20% of the defect size.
An efficient and green synthesis of 2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones using Brønsted acidic ionic liquid grafted onto silica
Authors: Huynh Tam Thanh Thi , Nguyen The Thai , Tran Phuong Hoang
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND

The synthesis of 2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones has been studied extensively, yet previous synthetic routes involved unrecyclable catalysts, toxic organic solvents and an expensive purification step with column chromatography. The current study reports on the preparation of 2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones from recyclable Brønsted acidic ionic liquid grafted onto silica.

RESULTS

1‐Methyl‐1‐(4‐sulfobutyl)pyrrolidinium hydrogen sulfate supported onto silica gel (MSPHS@SiO2) was prepared via a simple process. This material was demonstrated as an effective recyclable catalyst for the preparation of 2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones through the cyclization of 2‐aminobenzamide and aldehydes. The optimized conditions were MSPHS@SiO2 (30 mol%), TBHP (2 mmol), EtOH:H2O (15 mL, 1:2) at 120 °C for 24 h. A wide range of 2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones were obtained in 34.2–92.5% yields via simple recrystallization. The catalyst could be recycled and a plausible mechanism is proposed.

CONCLUSION

MSPHS@SiO2 is an efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the synthesis of 2‐phenylquinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones from readily available and low‐cost starting materials. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
One‐pot multicomponent designing of novel 2‐imino‐4‐arylidene‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one
Authors: Amer Amer A. , Abdelhamid Antar A. , Elnakeeb Amany Sh. , Salah Hanan A.
Published: November 2022

An unprecedented series of 2‐imino‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐ones were designed by straightforward and dynamic technique via one‐pot three‐component reaction of isothiocyanatobenzene, primary amines, ethyl bromoacetate and/or phenacylbromide. Furthermore, we found that the reaction between 2‐imino‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one and arylidenemalononitrile using of C2H5ONa as catalyst gave the corresponding 3‐(2‐phenylethyl)‐5‐(4‐arylidene)‐2‐(phenyl imino)‐1,3‐thia‐zolidin‐4‐one instead of 5‐amino‐7‐aryl‐3‐(2‐phenylethyl)‐2‐(phenylimino)‐3,7‐dihydro‐2H‐6‐carbonitrile. The identical molecules were designed through other routes via the reaction of 2‐imino‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one with the corresponding aryl carbaldehyde.
Balanced Steady‐State Free Precession Cine MR Imaging in the Presence of Cardiac Devices: Value of Interleaved Radial Linear Combination Acquisition With Partial Dephasing
Authors: Xiang Jie , Lamy Jerome , Lampert Rachel , Peters Dana C.
Published: November 2022

Background

Balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) is important in cardiac MRI but suffers from off‐resonance artifacts. The interpretation‐limiting artifacts in patients with cardiac implants remain an unsolved issue.

Purpose

To develop an interleaved radial linear combination bSSFP (lcSSFP) method with partial dephasing (PD) for improved cardiac cine imaging when implanted cardiovascular devices are present.

Study Type

Prospective.

Phantom and Subjects

Flow phantom adjacent to a pacemaker and 10 healthy volunteers (mean age ± standard deviation: 31.9 ± 2.9 years, 4 females) with a cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) positioned extracorporeally at the left chest in the prepectoral region.

Field Strength/Sequence

A 3‐T, 1) Cartesian bSSFP, 2) Cartesian gradient echo (GRE), 3) Cartesian lcSSFP, and 4) radial lcSSFP cine sequences.

Assessment

Flow artifacts mitigation using PD was validated with phantom experiments. Undersampled radial lcSSFP with interleaving across phase‐cyclings and cardiac phases (RLC‐SSFP), combined with PD, was then employed for achieving improved quality of cine images from left ventricular short‐axis view. The image quality in the presence of cardiac devices was qualitatively assessed by three independent raters (1 = worst, 5 = best), regarding five criteria (banding artifacts, streak artifacts, flow artifacts, cavity visibility, and overall image quality).

Statistical Tests

Wilcoxon rank‐sum test for the five criteria between Cartesian bSSFP cine and RLC‐SSFP with PD. Fleiss kappa test for inter‐reader agreement. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Based on simulations and phantom experiments, 60 projections per phase cycling and 1/6 PD were chosen. The in vivo experiments demonstrated significantly reduced banding artifacts (4.8 ± 0.4 vs. 2.7 ± 0.7), fewer streak artifacts (3.7 ± 0.6 vs. 2.6 ± 0.7) and flow artifacts (4.4 ± 0.4 vs. 3.7 ± 0.6), therefore improved cavity visibility (4.1 ± 0.4 vs. 2.9 ± 0.9) and overall quality (4.0 ± 0.4 vs. 2.7 ± 0.7).

Data Conclusion

RLC‐SSFP method with PD may improve cine image quality in subjects with cardiac devices.

Evidence Level

2.

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1.