bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fungal insecticidal activity elevated by non‐risky markerless overexpression of an endogenous cysteine‐free protein gene in Beauveria bassiana
Authors: Mou Ya‐Ni , Ren Kang , Tong Sen‐Miao , Ying Sheng‐Hua , Feng Ming‐Guang
Published: April 2022

BACKGROUND

Fungal insecticides are notorious for slow kill action, an intrinsic trait that can be improved by the genetic engineering of an exogenous or endogenous virulence factor. However, transgenic insecticides expressing exogenous toxin and herbicide‐resistant marker genes may cause unexpected ecological risks and are hardly permitted for field release due to strict regulatory hurdles. It is necessary to improve biotechnology that can speed up fungal insect‐killing action and exclude ecological risk source.

RESULTS

A markerless transformation system of Beauveria bassiana, a main source of wide‐spectrum fungal insecticides, was reconstructed based on the fungal uridine auxotrophy (Δura3). The system was applied for overexpression of the small cysteine‐free protein (120 amino acids) gene cfp previously characterized as a regulator of the fungal virulence and gene expression. Three cfp‐overexpressed strains showed much faster kill action to Galleria mellonella larvae than the parental wild‐type via normal cuticle infection but no change in vegetative growth and aerial condition. The faster kill action was achieved due to not only significant increases in conidial adherence to insect cuticle and total activity of secreted cuticle‐degrading Pr1 proteases and of antioxidant enzymes crucial for collapse of insect immune defense but acceleration of hemocoel localization, proliferation in vivo and host death from mummification.

CONCLUSION

The markerless system is free of any foreign DNA fragment as a source of ecologic risk and provides a novel biotechnological approach to enhancing fungal insecticidal activity with non‐risky endogenous genes and striding over the regulatory hurdles. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
Nanostructured CdS thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis method
Authors: Kerimova A. , Bagiyev E. , Aliyeva E. , Bayramov A.
Published: April 2022

Influence of solution pH on the structural and optical properties of CdS films deposited by conventional spray pyrolysis technique was studied. X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PLS), and Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (SE) methods were used for the characterization of the deposited films. PL spectrum of the film deposited from the solution with pH = 10.2 shows broad‐band PL emission located at 460 nm (2.7 eV), which can be attributed to the quantum size effect at grain sizes of <10 nm. No shifts of ϵ1 and ϵ2 due to the quantum size effect are observed in dielectric function spectra, what can be caused by low concentration of nano‐sized (<10 nm) CdS grains. The change in the film properties with the pH of the solution was analyzed in terms of variation of grain sizes of the polycrystalline films.
Phase transformation during simultaneous chalcogenization of CuIn(S,Se)2 thin films using metalorganic sources
Authors: Shoji Ryuki , Kayama Yoshiki , Chichibu Shigefusa F. , Sugiyama Mutsumi
Published: April 2022

Simultaneous chalcogenization of CuIn(Sy,Se1‐y)2 (CISSe) thin films has been demonstrated using organometallic sources such as diethylselenide [(C2H5)2Se] and ditertiarybutylsulfide [(t‐C4H9)2S] to obtain homogeneous CISSe pseudobinary alloys with controlled amounts of Se and S species. Low‐temperature chalcogenization at 300 °C resulted in the formation of Cu‐SSe and In‐SSe alloys diffused into the Cu11In9 metallic precursor. On the other hand, high‐temperature chalcogenization produced CISSe thin films without additional phases. The obtained results can be used for elucidating the mechanism of simultaneous chalcogenization and development of high‐performance and cost‐effective commercial applications.
Ionization effects on Cu(In, Ga)Se2 thin‐film solar cells
Authors: Kawakita Shirou , Imaizumi Mitsuru , Ishizuka Shogo , Shibata Hajime , Okuda Shuichi
Published: April 2022

Cu (In, Ga) Se2 (CIGS) solar cells were irradiated with 60, 100, and 250 keV electrons to reveal the characteristics of radiation induced defects. Electrons with less than 200 keV energy cannot generate any displacement defects in CIGS materials. In addition, a low amount of the electrons can improve the roll‐over behavior in current‐voltage characteristics of CIGS solar cells. However, the deterioration of the electrical performance in CIGS solar cells irradiated with a high amount of electrons was observed. The deterioration rate on the cells irradiated with lower‐energy electrons was higher than that induced by electrons with higher‐energy. The degradation curve of JSC based on the ionizing dose estimated from the ionizing energy loss model does not depend on the energy of electrons. Therefore, it implies that the electrons can degrade CIGS solar cells due to the ionization effect.
Low band‐gap CuIn(S,Se)2 thin film solar cells using molecular ink with 9.5% efficiency
Authors: Wang Yajie , Lin Xianzhong , Wang Lan , Köhler Tristan , Lux‐Steiner Martha Ch. , Klenk Reiner
Published: April 2022

Vacuum free, solution based routes to the preparation of chalcopyrite absorbers for solar cells promise options in device design and manufacturing that are not provided by the standard vacuum based approaches. In order to fully exploit these options, the precursor should contain neither nanoparticles nor hazardous chemicals, and it should be stable under ambient conditions. In this contribution we report on CuIn(S,Se)2 thin film preparation based on spin coating of an air stable molecular ink containing metal chlorides and thiourea in organic solvents. Several key parameters directly influencing the performance of the resulting solar cells have been identified. Wetting of the glass/Mo substrate has been adjusted by varying the concentration of ethylene glycol butyl ether in the ink. Before annealing in Ar/Se at atmospheric pressure, several cycles of ink deposition and drying can be used to increase the thickness of the precursor stack. Careful balancing of ink concentration, number of precursor deposition cycles, and annealing temperature profile will transform the multi‐layer precursor into a sufficiently thick, continuous, large grained film as required for high quantum efficiency, and good red response of the cells. These optimizations aimed at high photo current have already led to an efficiency of 9.5%.
Observation of the c‐f hybridization effect in valence‐transition system EuPtP
Authors: Anzai Hiroaki , Ichiki Katsuya , Schwier Eike F. , Iwasawa Hideaki , Arita Masashi , Sato Hitoshi , Shimada Kenya , Namatame Hirofumi , Taniguchi Masaki , Mitsuda Akihiro , Wada Hirofumi , Mimura Kojiro
Published: April 2022

We study the electronic structure of EuPtP, which exhibits two first‐order valence transitions at T1 = 247 K and T2 = 201 K, using angle‐resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Below T2, we observe an energy gap at the crossing point of the bulk Eu 4f and conduction bands. The shape of band dispersions is described by a hybridization‐band picture based on the periodic Anderson model. Our results demonstrate the c‐f hybridization effect in the low‐temperature phase of EuPtP.
Fabrication of perovskite solar cells by reaction between spin‐coated precursor films and CH3NH3I vapor
Authors: Ebe Hinako , Sasagawa Shohei , Araki Hideaki
Published: April 2022

The organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3 thin‐films were obtained by reaction between spin‐coated PbI2 precursor thin‐films on a porous‐TiO2 layer and CH3NH3I vapor. The dependence of the photovoltaic properties of solar cells fabricated with these films on the CH3NH3I powder source temperature and reaction time was investigated. The obtained thin‐films were characterized using X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The best power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) for each heating condition were 160 °C for 30 min, 150 °C for 45 min, and 140 °C for 60 min. The presence of PbI2 and CH3NH3PbI3 layers, and a flatter and more compact morphology, led to relatively high PCE. The perovskite thin‐films were annealed in a N2 atmosphere and the effect of annealing temperature on the photovoltaic performance was also investigated. The PCE for a solar cell fabricated using CH3NH3PbI3 thin‐films annealed in the range from 130 to 150 °C for 1 h was over 4%.
Comparison of buffer layers on SnS thin‐film solar cells prepared by co‐evaporation
Authors: Yago Aimi , Sasagawa Shohei , Akaki Yoji , Nakamura Shigeyuki , Oomae Hiroto , Katagiri Hironori , Araki Hideaki
Published: April 2022

The binary compound SnS consists of elements that are non‐toxic, inexpensive, and abundant in the Earth's crust. It is a p‐type semiconductor with a band gap energy of 1.3 eV and an absorption coefficient of 104 cm−1, and is therefore a potential candidate for use as a solar cell absorber material. In this study, SLG/Mo/SnS/CdS/ZnO:Al/Al and SLG/Mo/SnS/ZnO/ZnO:Al/Al SnS thin‐film solar cells with different buffer layers were fabricated using a co‐evaporation method. The dependence of the photovoltaic properties of the SnS thin‐film solar cells with CdS or ZnO as the buffer layer was investigated. We demonstrate that the device with a ZnO buffer layer exhibited higher conversion efficiency and short‐circuit current density compared to the device with a CdS buffer layer.
Fabrication and electrical response of flexible supercapacitor based on activated carbon from bamboo
Authors: Echeverry‐Montoya N.A. , Prías‐Barragán J.J. , Tirado‐Mejía L. , Agudelo C. , Fonthal G. , Ariza‐Calderón H.
Published: April 2022

We present the fabrication and electrical response of a flexible prototype supercapacitor based on activated carbon electrodes obtained from bamboo (Guadua angustifoliaKunth) as precursor. The supercapacitor prototype was fabricated by using a multilayer configuration method; activated carbon electrodes were impregnated with 0.5 M H2SO4 as electrolyte and filter paper was used as separator. Carbon activation was performed by using NaOH and KOH solutions. Activated carbon electrodes were characterized by adsorption isotherms, cyclic voltammetry, and SEM techniques. Electrical response was found by using charge‐discharge curves. Through adsorption isotherms analysis, we found a surface area of 408 and 309 m2 g−1for the activated carbon with NaOH and KOH, respectively. From the electrical characterization analysis of the supercapacitor device, we obtained 0.92 F for the maximum capacitance value by using 0.5 V as fixed value in the bias voltage. Also, we proposed an equivalent electrical circuit for the supercapacitor prototype. This capacitance value is comparable with the capacitance values exhibited by rigid commercial supercapacitor, such as Dinacap and capacitor Capattery Gold, among others. Finally, these results suggest that the activated carbon from bamboo can be used in flexible electronic applications.
X‐ray characterization of self‐organized periodic body‐centered tetragonal lattices of SiGe dots
Authors: Zaumseil Peter , Yamamoto Yuji , Capellini Giovanni
Published: April 2022

Modern nanotechnology offers new possibilities to create artificial materials such as three‐dimensional (3D) ordered island crystals that might be of interest e.g., for optoelectronic applications. We demonstrate that a completely self‐organized body‐centered tetragonal lattice of SiGe dots can be achieved by reduced pressure chemical vapor deposition (RPCVD). Main subject of this paper is the application of different X‐ray diffraction techniques to study the structural properties of a large ensemble of buried SiGe dots with the target to optimize deposition conditions. This includes specular ω‐2Θ scans to reveal vertical periodicity and strain state, reciprocal space mapping to determine lateral arrangement and symmetry of dots, and in‐plane diffraction to get better inside to the lateral strain distribution close to the surface for further growth simulations.

SEM cross‐section images of a SiGe/Si superlattice of imperfect lateral periodic structure of SiGe dots.
Microwave synthesis and magnetic properties of Laves‐type Ti2M3Si (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni)
Authors: Hamm Christin M. , Diop Léopold V.B. , Zhang Hongbin , Gutfleisch Oliver , Birkel Christina S.
Published: April 2022

Fast and energy‐efficient synthesis methods become increasingly important aspects in the experimental high throughput searching of functional materials. Particularly high‐temperature solid‐state preparation techniques typically require large amounts of energy due to extended heating cycles. Therefore, we have utilized a time and energy‐efficient synthesis method using a commercial microwave oven in order to prepare intermetallic Laves‐type phases. Ti2M3Si with M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni can be prepared within only 10 min of microwave heating based on this convenient one‐step procedure. These compounds are of interest because of their potentially useful magnetic properties and therefore contribute to the ongoing search for rare earth‐free alternatives to state‐of‐the‐art magnetic materials.

Transition metal‐based Laves phase compounds Ti2M3Si were prepared by time‐ and energy‐efficient microwave heating and their structural and magnetic properties studied.
Development of fountain detectors for spectroscopy of secondary electron in SEM
Authors: Agemura Toshihide , Iwai Hideo , Sekiguchi Takashi
Published: April 2022

To image the variation of surface potential in semiconductors, energy selective secondary electron detector, named fountain detector (FD), was developed. Two types of grids, planar and spherical, were designed and the superiority of latter was demonstrated. The p–n junction of 4H‐SiC was observed using spherical FD and the image was much clear than that using conventional detector.
Luminescent and electrical properties of oxygen‐implanted silicon
Authors: Danilov Denis , Vyvenko Oleg , Loshachenko Anton , Ber Boris , Kasantsev Dmitrii , Sobolev Nikolay
Published: April 2022

Light emitting diodes with an active defect‐rich region produced by oxygen implantation and a subsequent multistep annealing of silicon wafers were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy, SIMS, capacitance voltage, deep level transient spectroscopy, electroluminescence (EL), and cathodoluminescence (CL) techniques. The properties of two groups of n‐based samples with and without thermal pre‐treatment at 1000 °C for 15 min were compared regarding their defect structure, defects electrical activity, luminescent spectra as well as the impact of prolonged intense electron irradiation. The observed difference in the properties of such groups was explained by a difference in the density and oxygen content of oxygen‐related defects. A significant distinction between EL and CL spectra at low excitation levels was found and interpreted to be due to particular defect kinds in near‐surface and the deepest layers of the implanted region. The blue shift of EL spectra upon excitation increase reported previously is explained by the increase of penetration depth of the holes and specific depth distribution of the defects of different kinds.
Impact of temperature dependence of resistivity on thermal time constant of direct‐current‐driven Peltier device
Authors: Yamaguchi Shigeo , Anzai Toru
Published: April 2022

We studied the impact of the temperature dependence of electrical resistivity on the thermal time constant of our Peltier device with a sandwich structure, which is composed of N‐type Bi2Se0.37Te2.4 and P‐type Bi0.6Sb1.3Te3 bulks. We demonstrated that the current dependence of the thermal time constant is strongly affected by the temperature dependence of the internal electrical resistance of the device, and we also introduced an expression for the relationship between the thermal time constant and four parameters (heat capacity, Seebeck coefficient, thermal conductance, and thermal gradient of internal electrical resistance) for our Peltier device in terms of current.
Positron probing of open vacancy volume of phosphorus‐vacancy complexes in float‐zone n‐type silicon irradiated by 0.9‐MeV electrons and by 15‐MeV protons
Authors: Arutyunov Nikolay , Emtsev Vadim , Elsayed Mohamed , Krause‐Rehberg Reinhard , Abrosimov Nikolay , Oganesyan Gagik , Kozlovski Vitalii
Published: April 2022

For the first time the samples, cut from the same wafer of crystals of float‐zone silicon, n−FZ−Si(P) and n−FZ−Si(Bi), were subjected to irradiation with 0.9‐MeV electrons and 15‐MeV protons at RT for studying them by low‐temperature positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. Measurements of Hall effect have been used for the materials characterization. The discussion is focused on the open vacancy volume (Vop) of the thermally stable group‐V‐impurity‐vacancy complexes comprising the phosphorus atoms; the bismuth‐related vacancy complexes are briefly considered. The data of positron probing of PV pairs (E‐centers), divacancies, and the thermally stable defects in the irradiated n−FZ−Si(P) materials are compared. Beyond a reliable detecting of the defect‐related positron annihilation lifetime in the course of isochronal annealing at ∼ 500 °C, the recovery of concentration of phosphorus‐related shallow donor states continues up to ∼650–700 °C. The open vacancy volumes Vop to be characterized by long positron lifetimes Δτ2 ∼271–289 ps in (gr.‐V‐atom)–Vop complexes are compared with theoretical data available for the vacancies, τ(V1), and divacancies, τ(V2). The extended semi‐vacancies, 2Vs‐ext, and relaxed vacancies, 2Vinw, are proposed as the open volume Vop in (gr.‐V‐atom)–Vop complexes. It is argued that at high annealing temperature the defect Ps–Vop–Ps is decomposed.
Revisiting Stabilities of Cubic Zincblende IV‐IV Materials From Density Functional Theory
Authors: Hammou N. , Zaoui A. , Ferhat M.
Published: April 2022

The electronic structure of cubic zincblende (ZB) IV‐IV compounds are treated traditionally through first‐principles models neglecting relativistic effects, regardless the presence of heavier atoms like Ge, Sn, or Pb. Applying relativistic first‐principles plane wave pseudopotential methods, we revisit here the thermodynamic and dynamical stability of ZB‐IV‐IV materials: SiC, GeC, SnC, PbC, SiGe, SiSn, SiPb, GeSn, PbGe, and PbSn. Our results evince that except 3C‐SiC, all other IV‐IV compounds in the ZB phase exhibit positive formation enthalpy, thus manifesting thermodynamic instability. PbC, and SnC divulge huge thermodynamic instability, due to the high value of their elastic strain formation energy; whereas SiGe, GeSn, and PbSn show weak thermodynamic instability due to their insufficient chemical formation energy. Furthermore, except 3C‐SiC, we found that all other ZB‐IV‐IV compounds are dynamically unstable.
Robotic Heller‐Dor procedure for oesophageal achalasia: Fluorescence‐guided intraoperative assessment of myotomy. A retrospective single‐centre experience
Authors: Romanzi Andrea , D'Alba Lucia , Campagna Pasquale , Mancini Raffaello , Pernazza Graziano
Published: April 2022

Background

The robotic Heller‐Dor (RHD) procedure for oesophageal achalasia (EA) is safe and effective. We aim to evaluate the intraoperative use of fluorescence imaging, as an alternative means to intraoperative endoscopy, to assess myotomy at the end of the procedure.

Methods

Thirty‐four patients affected with EA underwent RHD. The myotomy was assessed intraoperatively by endoscopy in group A (17 patients), and by fluorescence imaging in group B (17 patients). Perioperative and long‐term results were compared.

Results

In group A, one mucosal tear was identified during intraoperative endoscopy. In group B, indocyanine green (ICG) helped identify residual muscle fibres in three cases. No perforation of the oesophageal mucosa occurred in group B.

Conclusions

Fluorescence‐imaging improved the identification of residual muscle fibres and made it possible to verify the integrity of the mucosa without the use of intraoperative endoscopy. A significant reduction in operative times has been related to the use of this technique.
Command filtering‐based adaptive neural network control for uncertain switched nonlinear systems using event‐triggered communication
Authors: Chen Zhongyu , Niu Ben , Zhang Liang , Zhao Jinfeng , Ahmad Adil M. , Alassafi Madini O.
Published: April 2022

In this article, a command filtering‐based adaptive event‐triggered neural network control scheme is proposed for a class of uncertain switched nonlinear systems with unknown control coefficient and input saturation. First, radial basis function neural networks are used as function approximators to estimate unknown nonlinear functions. Then, an event‐triggering mechanism based on the tracking error is introduced to avoid the over‐consumption of communication resources. Furthermore, command filters are employed to solve the problem of complexity explosion that exists in conventional backstepping control design, and the error compensation signals are designed to reduce the errors caused by the filters. Considering that the unknown control gain and input saturation exist in many practical applications, a Nussbaum‐type function is thus introduced into the controller design to address these challenging issues. Finally, stability of the closed‐loop system is strictly proven under a standard Lyapunov stability analysis framework. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is illustrated by a simulation example.
The rank of sparse random matrices
Authors: Coja‐Oghlan Amin , Ergür Alperen A. , Gao Pu , Hetterich Samuel , Rolvien Maurice
Published: April 2022

We determine the asymptotic normalized rank of a random matrix over an arbitrary field with prescribed numbers of nonzero entries in each row and column. As an application we obtain a formula for the rate of low‐density parity check codes. This formula vindicates a conjecture of Lelarge (2013). The proofs are based on coupling arguments and a novel random perturbation, applicable to any matrix, that diminishes the number of short linear relations.
Stronger conservation promotes mangrove biomass accumulation: Insights from spatially explicit assessments using UAV and Landsat data
Authors: Zhu Zhu , Huang Minmin , Zhou Zeyou , Chen Guixiang , Zhu Xudong
Published: April 2022

Chinese mangroves have been recovered in area over the past two decades from previous declining trend, and about half of existing mangroves are still in their young growth stage. This provides a unique opportunity to assess mangrove conservation by examining the growth dynamics of young mangroves over different conservation periods. However, we are currently short of effective assessment tools for spatially explicit quantification of mangrove conservation effects. To fill up this gap, we proposed a novel remote sensing approach using readily available unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and Landsat enhanced vegetation index (EVI) data to assess the spatial evolution of aboveground biomass (AGB) of young mangroves. With the space‐for‐time hypothesis, the approach implemented with an empirical EVI‐height‐AGB equation was tested in four subtropical estuarine mangroves in the southeastern coast of China. The results indicated: (a) the UAV‐based Structure from Motion (SfM) technology served as an effective and low‐cost means for capturing the spatial heterogeneity of mangrove canopy heights; (b) a maximum stand age of 15 years could be used to define the young growth stage of mangroves, for which the EVI‐height relationships could be described by exponential equations without suffering significant spectral saturation effects; (c) mangrove forests had overall faster annual AGB accumulation during the young growth stage over the post‐2000 versus pre‐2000 conservation period. This study is one of the first attempts to develop a remote sensing approach for quantifying spatially explicit AGB accumulation rates of young mangroves. It highlights the practicability and advantage of the UAV‐SfM technology and confirms that stronger conservation efforts promote mangrove AGB accumulation over the past two decades. The developed EVI‐height‐AGB framework fueled with readily available UAV and Landsat data provides a unique tool for assessing mangrove conservation effects from landscape to regional scales.
Why is ecological sustainability so difficult to achieve? An in‐context discussion of conceptual barriers
Authors: Wolters Teun
Published: April 2022

Despite all kinds of environmental goals and programmes, there has been a severe overshooting of the planet's ecological boundaries. The paper investigates various conceptual barriers contributing to the lack of ecological sustainability. The concepts discussed are weak sustainability, eco‐efficiency, ecological modernization, and neoliberalism. This paper's empirical field comprises the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and what preceded them. It is about the report Our Common Future, the green economy, ecological modernization and the Millennium Development Goals. Even with partially positive effects, these programmes have not fulfilled their promises. The various conceptual barriers are recognizable in these programmes; they are exponents of an unshaken belief in efficient markets and conventional economic growth. This appears to be the overriding issue as economic growth in terms of GDP does not respect ecological boundaries, so that ecological sustainability comes closer to being realized. Neoliberalism—coupled with the power of the World Bank and the IMF and their long maintained “market fundamentalism”—has produced unsatisfactory outcomes in the social and ecological domains. The various crises during the last decades have caused governments to expand their roles, but every time this happened under the promise of a speedy return to normal, that is, small government and austerity. Ecological sustainability requires strong governmental roles. This paper does not provide a complete path towards ecological sustainability but discusses three possible conceptual foundations for it: steady‐state economics, eco‐development, and post‐growth economics.
The number needed to treat adjusted for explanatory variables in regression and survival analysis: Theory and application
Authors: Vancak Valentin , Goldberg Yair , Levine Stephen Z.
Published: April 2022

The number needed to treat (NNT) is an efficacy index commonly used in randomized clinical trials. The NNT is the average number of treated patients for each undesirable patient outcome, for example, death, prevented by the treatment. We introduce a systematic theoretically‐based framework to model and estimate the conditional and the harmonic mean NNT in the presence of explanatory variables, in various models with dichotomous and nondichotomous outcomes. The conditional NNT is illustrated in a series of four primary examples; logistic regression, linear regression, Kaplan‐Meier estimation, and Cox regression models. Also, we establish and prove mathematically the exact relationship between the conditional and the harmonic mean NNT in the presence of explanatory variables. We introduce four different methods to calculate asymptotically‐correct confidence intervals for both indices. Finally, we implemented a simulation study to provide numerical demonstrations of the aforementioned theoretical results and the four examples. Numerical analysis showed that the parametric estimators of the NNT with nonparametric bootstrap‐based confidence intervals outperformed other examined combinations in most settings. An R package and a web application have been developed and made available online to calculate the conditional and the harmonic mean NNTs with their corresponding confidence intervals.
Changes in perceived stress during the COVID‐19 pandemic among American veterans
Authors: Davis Jordan P. , Prindle John , Saba Shaddy K. , Tran Denise D. , Lee Daniel S. , Sedano Angeles , Castro Carl A. , Pedersen Eric R.
Published: April 2022

American veterans are a population that suffer from both context specific stressors as well as many population‐specific major‐life events. The present exploratory study utilises a longitudinal cohort of 1230 U.S. veterans surveyed from February 2020 through February 2021. We sought to understand heterogeneity in perceived stress, using growth mixture modelling, over this time period, how COVID‐specific factors such as negative reactions to the pandemic, loneliness, and employment disruptions influence perceived stress trajectories, and how veterans vary across distal outcomes including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pain, depression, sleep problems, physical health, and alcohol use disorder. Results revealed a 4‐class solution: Stable High, Stable Low, Steady Increasing, and Steady Decreasing classes. In terms of COVID specific factors, negative reactions to COVID were consistently associated with perceived stress for those in the Stable High and Steady Increasing classes whereas loneliness was associated with stress trajectories for all emergent classes. Finally, in terms of our distal outcomes, results showed a relatively robust pattern with veterans in the Stable High or Steady Increasing classes reporting worse scores across all outcomes including PTSD, pain, sleep problems, physical health, depression, and alcohol use disorder. Understanding the interplay between existing vulnerabilities, ongoing stressors, and behavioural health outcomes among veterans is crucial for prevention and intervention efforts.
Modular Assembly of a Concatenated DNA Circuit for In Vivo Amplified Aptasensing
Authors: Wu Qiong , Yang Lei , Xie Lingling , Shang Jinhua , He Shizhen , Liu Jing , Wang Fuan
Published: April 2022

Probing endogenous molecular profiles in living entities is of fundamental significance to decipher biological functions and exploit novel theranostics. Despite programmable nucleic acid‐based aptasensing systems across the breadth of molecular imaging, an aptasensing system enabling in vivo imaging with high sensitivity, accuracy, and adaptability is highly required yet is still in its infancy. Artificial catalytic DNA circuits that can modularly integrate to generate multiple outputs from a single input in an isothermal autonomous manner, have supplemented powerful toolkits for intracellular biosensing research. Herein, a multilayer nonenzymatic catalytic DNA circuits‐based aptasensing system is devised for in situ imaging of a bioactive molecule in living mice by assembling branched DNA copolymers with high‐molecular‐weight and high‐signal‐gain based on avalanche‐mimicking hybridization chain reactions (HCRs). The HCRs aptasensing circuit performs as a general and powerful sensing platform for precise analysis of a series of bioactive molecules due to its inherent rich recognition repertoire and hierarchical reaction accelerations. With tumor‐targeting capsule encapsulation, the HCRs aptasensing circuit is specifically delivered into tumor cells and allowed the high‐contrast imaging of intracellular adenosine triphosphate in living mice, highlighting its potential for visualizing these clinically important biomolecules and for studying the associated physiological processes.
Janus‐like BxC/C Quantum Sheets with Z‐Scheme Mechanism Strengthen Tumor Photothermal‐Immunotherapy in NIR‐II Biowindow
Authors: Lu Shi‐Yu , Wang Jingjing , Wang Xingyue , Yang Wenting , Jin Meng , Xu Luen , Yang Huawei , Ge Xiaoxiao , Shang Changshuai , Chao Yuguang , Zhou Lei , Yin Kun , Zhang Qinghua , Gu Lin , Cao Yang , Ran Haitao , Guo Shaojun , Liu Hui
Published: April 2022

Carbon dots (CDs) are one of the most popular photothermal agents (PTAs) as a noninvasive strategy for tumor treatment. However, because of the inherent dominant fluorescent emission, the CDs‐based PTAs hardly achieve a single photothermal conversion, which causes low photothermal conversion efficiency and poor photothermal performance. In this regard, finding a new CDs‐based material system to greatly restrain its fluorescence to enhance its photothermal conversion efficiency is highly required, however, it is still a grand challenge. Herein, a kind of Z‐scheme CDs‐based PTAs consisting of 2D ultrathin nonmetallic BxC/C Janus quantum sheets (BxC/C JQSs) is reported to greatly enhance the photothermal conversion efficiency. It is demonstrated that the heterogeneous growth of Z‐scheme BxC/C JQSs enables the NIR‐driven quick injection of hot electrons from C into the conjugated BxC, realizing a single conversion of light to heat, and resulting in a high photothermal conversion of 60.0% in NIR‐II. Furthermore, these new Z‐scheme BxC/C‐polyethylene glycol JQSs display outstanding biocompatibility and show effective tumor elimination outcome both in vitro and in vivo through the synergistic photothermal‐immunotherapy in the NIR‐II biowindow with undetectable harm to normal tissues.
Photothermally Crumpled MoS2 Film as an Omnidirectionally Stretchable Platform
Authors: Park Seoungwoong , Song Jaekwang , Kim Tae Kyung , Choi Kwang‐Hun , Hyeong Seok‐Ki , Ahn Minchul , Kim Hwa Rang , Bae Sukang , Lee Seoung‐Ki , Hong Byung Hee
Published: April 2022

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is considered a fascinating material for next‐generation semiconducting applications due to its outstanding mechanical stability and direct transition characteristics comparable to silicon. However, its application to stretchable platforms still is a challenging issue in wearable logic devices and sensors with noble form‐factors required for future industry. Here, an omnidirectionally stretchable MoS2 platform with laser‐induced strained structures is demonstrated. The laser patterning induces the pyrolysis of MoS2 precursors as well as the weak adhesion between Si and SiO2 layers. The photothermal expansion of the Si layer results in the crumpling of SiO2 and MoS2 layers and the field‐effect transistors with the crumpled MoS2 are found to be suitable for strain sensor applications. The electrical performance of the crumpled MoS2 depends on the degree of stretching, showing the stable omnidirectional stretchability up to 8% with approximately four times higher saturation current than its initial state. This platform is expected to be applied to future electronic devices, sensors, and so on.
Highly Sensitive Exosome Detection for Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer Using Immunoassay Based on Hierarchical Surface‐Enhanced Raman Scattering Substrate
Authors: Li Juan , Li Yanru , Chen Shuai , Duan Weili , Kong Xue , Wang Yunshan , Zhou Lianqun , Li Peilong , Zhang Chengpeng , Du Lutao , Wang Chuanxin
Published: April 2022

Exosomes have emerged as potential biomarkers for pancreatic cancer (PaC). However, it is still challenging to get quantitative detection of exosomes with the specific surface receptors. In this study, a highly sensitive detection system is first constructed for the direct quantitation of specific exosomes in real samples using hierarchical surface‐enhanced Raman scattering substrate (H‐SERS substrate) and rapid enrichment strategy magnetic beads @ exosomes @ SERS detection probes (MEDP). It is found that the detection system (MEDP @ H‐SERS substrate) could provide a 3.5 times higher SERS intensity compared with MEDP sandwich immunocomplex only. Moreover, LRG1‐positive exosomes (LRG1‐Exos) and GPC1‐positive exosomes (GPC1‐Exos) are chosen to distinguish PaC through exosome proteomics and database screening. The lower limit of detection (LOD) is 15 particles µL‐1 using the MEDP @ H‐SERS substrate. Significantly, the detection in clinical samples shows that the innovative combination of LRG1‐Exos and GPC1‐Exos could improve the diagnostic efficiency of PaC, with an area under the operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.95. Even for the early‐stage PaC, the diagnostic accuracy is still high (AUC = 0.95). Collectively, the findings indicate that the MEDP @ H‐SERS substrate has great potential for the early diagnosis of PaC.
Mono‐ and bis‐edaravone adducts formed in the presence of vanillin in an aqueous solution
Authors: Regnault Romain , Kouach Mostafa , Goossens Laurence , Thuru Xavier , Bailly Christian , Goossens Jean‐François
Published: April 2022

Edaravone is an antioxidant drug used for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Edaravone has been shown to react with aldehydes, such as 6‐formylpterin. We investigated the reaction of edaravone with vanillin (used as a model aromatic aldehyde) to evidence the reaction products formed in an aqueous solution. Mono‐ and bis‐adducts vanillin‐(edaravone)1‐2 were characterized by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to high‐resolution mass spectrometry. Kinetic analysis revealed that the bis‐adduct vanillin‐(edaravone)2 formed more intensely and more rapidly than the mono‐adduct vanillin‐(edaravone)1. Decay rates of 2.4 and 3.4 μM/min were calculated for vanillin and edaravone, respectively. The Michael addition of a second edaravone molecule onto the vanillin‐(edaravone)1 hybrid corresponds to a facile reaction compared to the initial Knoevenagel‐type condensation between edaravone and vanillin. However, the bis‐adduct vanillin‐(edaravone)2 can decompose in solution to provide the mono‐adduct and regenerate small amounts of edaravone and vanillin. The regeneration of vanillin from vanillin‐(edaravone)2 was kinetically characterized. We compared the condensation of edaravone with fifteen aromatic aldehydes, to show that only vanillin and 3‐methoxy‐benzaldehyde can react easily with edaravone, the other aromatic aldehydes being less or not reactive. The study opens perspectives to apprehend the reactivity of edaravone with biologically relevant aldehydes.
Direct Quantification of Ligand‐Induced Lipid and Protein Microdomains with Distinctive Signaling Properties**
Authors: Wirth Daniel , Paul Michael D. , Pasquale Elena B. , Hristova Kalina
Published: April 2022

Lipid rafts are ordered lipid domains that are enriched in saturated lipids, such as the ganglioside GM1. While lipid rafts are believed to exist in cells and to serve as signaling platforms through their enrichment in signaling components, they have not been directly observed in the plasma membrane without treatments that artificially cluster GM1 into large lattices. Here, we report that microscopic GM1‐enriched domains can form in the plasma membrane of live mammalian cells expressing the EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase in response to its ligand ephrinA1‐Fc. The GM1‐enriched microdomains form concomitantly with EphA2‐enriched microdomains. To gain insight into how plasma membrane heterogeneity controls signaling, we quantify the degree of EphA2 segregation and study initial EphA2 signaling steps in both EphA2‐enriched and EphA2‐depleted domains. By measuring dissociation constants, we demonstrate that the propensity of EphA2 to oligomerize is similar in EphA2‐enriched and ‐depleted domains. However, surprisingly, EphA2 interacts preferentially with its downstream effector SRC in EphA2‐depleted domains. The ability to induce microscopic GM1‐enriched domains in live cells using a ligand for a transmembrane receptor will give us unprecedented opportunities to study the biophysical chemistry of lipid rafts.
From farm to fork: The difficult journey of healthy food
Authors: Ginanneschi Marco
Published: April 2022

The new European “Farm to Fork” Strategy has been praised for addressing the issue of the long‐run sustainability of the food system. In this document, the link between human and planetary health is often recalled. However, consumers' aspiration to healthy food is dealt with only superficially. This article analyzes and challenges the position assumed by the European Commission on this topic, using a holistic and transdisciplinary approach to food, called pantrophy. Drawing on several disciplines beyond food science and economics, the author argues that health is not only a question of diet. As a social fact, healthy food is a blend of moral dilemma, a luxury, a fashion item, an object of desire, and a sign of distinction. Therefore, it will hardly become cheap and easily available, as suggested by the Strategy. For the same reason, even the market mechanism envisaged to spread healthier eating habits might prove ineffective. The author calls for a radical change of the European policy in order to ensure that access to healthy food does not become unjust, discriminatory, and a cause of social conflict. The challenge consists in shifting part of the governmental institutions' effort from changing consumption styles to guaranteeing the intrinsic quality of food at its source.
Correction to: Crisis Reporters, Emotions, and Technology
Authors: Kotišová Johana
Published: April 2022

The frontmatter of the book has been revised. The open access funding information in the ‘Funding’ page xv has been updated to:
Reconstruction of the Hippocampus
Authors: Romani Armando , Schürmann Felix , Markram Henry , Migliore Michele
Published: April 2022

The hippocampus is a widely studied brain region thought to play an important role in higher cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and navigation. The amount of data on this region increases every day and delineates a complex and fragmented picture, but an integrated understanding of hippocampal function remains elusive. Computational methods can help to move the research forward, and reconstructing a full-scale model of the hippocampus is a challenging yet feasible task that the research community should undertake.

In this chapter, we present strategies for reconstructing a large-scale model of the hippocampus. Based on a previously published approach to reconstruct and simulate brain tissue, which is also explained in Chap.10, we discuss the characteristics of the hippocampus in the light of its special anatomical and physiological features, data availability, and existing large-scale hippocampus models. A large-scale model of the hippocampus is a compound model of several building blocks: ion channels, morphologies, single cell models, connections, synapses. We discuss each of those building blocks separately and discuss how to merge them back and simulate the resulting network model.
Distributed Control for Conservation Laws
Authors: Bayen Alexandre , Monache Maria Laura Delle , Garavello Mauro , Goatin Paola , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: April 2022

This chapter focuses on control of systems of conservation laws with distributed parameters. Problem with different parameterized fluxes is addressed: in particular, we deal with cases where the control is the maximal speed and look for continuous dependence of the solution on parameters.
Control Problems for Hamilton-Jacobi Equations Co-authored by Alexander Keimer
Authors: Bayen Alexandre , Monache Maria Laura Delle , Garavello Mauro , Goatin Paola , Piccoli Benedetto
Published: April 2022

In this chapter, we introduce Hamilton-Jacobi PDEs. These PDEs are related to conservation laws and their solutions are the anti-derivative (in space) of the Entropy solutions of the corresponding conservation law, given that some assumptions are satisfied.
Do Targeted R&D Grants toward SMEs Increase Employment and Demand for High Human Capital Workers?
Authors: Daunfeldt Sven-Olov , Halvarsson Daniel , Tingvall Patrik Gustavsson , McKelvie Alexander
Published: April 2022

Most previous studies on the employment effects of government R&D grants targeting SMEs are characterized by data-, measurement-, and selection problems, making it difficult to construct a relevant control group of firms that did not receive an R&D grant. We investigate the effects on employment and firm-level demand for high human capital workers of two Swedish programs targeted toward growth-oriented SMEs using Coarsened Exact Matching. Our most striking result is the absence of any statistically significant effects. We find no robust evidence that the targeted R&D grant programs had any positive and statistically significant effects on the number of employees recruited into these SMEs, or that the grants are associated with an increase in the demand for high human capital workers. The lack of statistically significant findings is troublesome considering that government support programs require a positive impact to cover the administrative costs associated with these programs.
The Digital Platform Economy and the Entrepreneurial State: A European Dilemma
Authors: Acs Zoltan J.
Published: April 2022

The application of big data, new algorithms, and cloud computing is creating a digital platform economy (DPE) built around platform organizations and their platform-based ecosystem. We use the DPE Index to examine Europe’s digital efficiency across countries and explain its global position by analyzing Brexit and the electric vehicle industry. We argue that the United Kingdom left the European Union because E.U. regulations were holding back the U.K.’s strong DPE and that a weak DPE is holding German back from being a leader in the electric vehicle industry. The problem for Europe’s DPE is that the entrepreneurial state is strong and the private sector is weak.
An Effectual Analysis of Markets and States
Authors: Sarasvathy Saras D.
Published: April 2022

Entrepreneurial expertise consists in nonpredictive heuristics grouped under the rubric of effectuation. The principles and process of effectuation specify ways to tackle multiple uncertainties, allowing the cocreation of innovative upsides even without large, upfront investments. In focusing attention on the differences between risk and uncertainty, effectuation compels us to rethink the familiar relationships between risk and reward. Entrepreneurs and their stakeholders self-select into the effectual process not only to build products and ventures but also to reshape their environments, including markets and states. An effectual perspective, therefore, offers new frameworks to analyze the role of markets and states in innovation, especially in shaping and choosing goals worth pursuing in the face of complex interacting uncertainties. Additionally, it suggests that the question, “What are we willing to live with if we get it wrong?” has to become a larger part of the public discourse than it is today.
EDM of Ti6Al4V under nano-graphene mixed dielectric: a detailed roughness analysis
Authors: Ishfaq Kashif , Maqsood Muhammad Asad , Anwar Saqib , Harris Muhammad , Alfaify Abdullah , Zia Abdul Wasy
Published: April 2022

Surface finish has an essential role in superior performance of machined products which becomes crucial for sophisticated applications like invasive biomedical implants and aerospace components. Ti6Al4V is popular in these applications due to its exceptional characteristics of weight-to-strength ratio. However, Ti6Al4V is a difficult-to-cut material; therefore, non-traditional cutting techniques especially, electric discharge machining (EDM), are widely adopted for Ti6Al4V cutting. The engagement of nano-powders are used to upsurge the cutting rate and surface quality. Among the different powders, a novel nano-powder additive, i.e., graphene, has not been tested in EDM of Ti6Al4V. Therefore, the potential of nano-graphene is comprehensively investigated herein for roughness perspective in EDM of Ti-alloy. The experimental design is based on Taguchi L18 orthogonal framework which includes six EDM parameters. The experimental findings are thoroughly discussed with statistical tests and physical evidence. The surface quality achieved with an aluminum electrode was found best amongst its competitors, whereas the worst surface asperities were noticed when brass electrode was used under graphene mixed dielectric. Moreover, it is conceived that the positive tool polarity provides lower roughness for all types of electrodes. Furthermore, optimal settings have been developed that warrant a reduction of 61.4% in the machined specimen’s roughness compared to the average roughness value recorded during the experimentation.