bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pancreatic islet cryopreservation by vitrification achieves high viability, function, recovery and clinical scalability for transplantation
Authors: Zhan Li , Rao Joseph Sushil , Sethia Nikhil , Slama Michael Q. , Han Zonghu , Tobolt Diane , Etheridge Michael , Peterson Quinn P. , Dutcher Cari S. , Bischof John C. , Finger Erik B.
Published: March 2022

Pancreatic islet transplantation can cure diabetes but requires accessible, high-quality islets in sufficient quantities. Cryopreservation could solve islet supply chain challenges by enabling quality-controlled banking and pooling of donor islets. Unfortunately, cryopreservation has not succeeded in this objective, as it must simultaneously provide high recovery, viability, function and scalability. Here, we achieve this goal in mouse, porcine, human and human stem cell (SC)-derived beta cell (SC-beta) islets by comprehensive optimization of cryoprotectant agent (CPA) composition, CPA loading and unloading conditions and methods for vitrification and rewarming (VR). Post-VR islet viability, relative to control, was 90.5% for mouse, 92.1% for SC-beta, 87.2% for porcine and 87.4% for human islets, and it remained unchanged for at least 9 months of cryogenic storage. VR islets had normal macroscopic, microscopic, and ultrastructural morphology. Mitochondrial membrane potential and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels were slightly reduced, but all other measures of cellular respiration, including oxygen consumption rate (OCR) to produce ATP, were unchanged. VR islets had normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) function in vitro and in vivo. Porcine and SC-beta islets made insulin in xenotransplant models, and mouse islets tested in a marginal mass syngeneic transplant model cured diabetes in 92% of recipients within 24–48 h after transplant. Excellent glycemic control was seen for 150 days. Finally, our approach processed 2,500 islets with >95% islets recovery at >89% post-thaw viability and can readily be scaled up for higher throughput. These results suggest that cryopreservation can now be used to supply needed islets for improved transplantation outcomes that cure diabetes.
Single-cell transcriptomics reveals a distinct developmental state of KMT2A-rearranged infant B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Khabirova Eleonora , Jardine Laura , Coorens Tim H. H. , Webb Simone , Treger Taryn D. , Engelbert Justin , Porter Tarryn , Prigmore Elena , Collord Grace , Piapi Alice , Teichmann Sarah A. , Inglott Sarah , Williams Owen , Heidenreich Olaf , Young Matthew D. , Straathof Karin , Bomken Simon , Bartram Jack , Haniffa Muzlifah , Behjati Sam
Published: March 2022

KMT2A-rearranged infant ALL is an aggressive childhood leukemia with poor prognosis. Here, we investigated the developmental state of KMT2A-rearranged infant B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) using bulk messenger RNA (mRNA) meta-analysis and examination of single lymphoblast transcriptomes against a developing bone marrow reference. KMT2A-rearranged infant B-ALL was uniquely dominated by an early lymphocyte precursor (ELP) state, whereas less adverse NUTM1-rearranged infant ALL demonstrated signals of later developing B cells, in line with most other childhood B-ALLs. We compared infant lymphoblasts with ELP cells and revealed that the cancer harbored hybrid myeloid–lymphoid features, including nonphysiological antigen combinations potentially targetable to achieve cancer specificity. We validated surface coexpression of exemplar combinations by flow cytometry. Through analysis of shared mutations in separate leukemias from a child with infant KMT2A-rearranged B-ALL relapsing as AML, we established that KMT2A rearrangement occurred in very early development, before hematopoietic specification, emphasizing that cell of origin cannot be inferred from the transcriptional state.
The MHC class I MICA gene is a histocompatibility antigen in kidney transplantation
Authors: Carapito Raphael , Aouadi Ismail , Verniquet Martin , Untrau Meiggie , Pichot Angélique , Beaudrey Thomas , Bassand Xavier , Meyer Sébastien , Faucher Loic , Posson Juliane , Morlon Aurore , Kotova Irina , Delbos Florent , Walencik Alexandre , Aarnink Alice , Kennel Anne , Suberbielle Caroline , Taupin Jean-Luc , Matern Benedict M. , Spierings Eric , Congy-Jolivet Nicolas , Essaydi Arnaud , Perrin Peggy , Blancher Antoine , Charron Dominique , Cereb Nezih , Maumy-Bertrand Myriam , Bertrand Frédéric , Garrigue Valérie , Pernin Vincent , Weekers Laurent , Naesens Maarten , Kamar Nassim , Legendre Christophe , Glotz Denis , Caillard Sophie , Ladrière Marc , Giral Magali , Anglicheau Dany , Süsal Caner , Bahram Seiamak
Published: March 2022

The identity of histocompatibility loci, besides human leukocyte antigen (HLA), remains elusive. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I MICA gene is a candidate histocompatibility locus. Here, we investigate its role in a French multicenter cohort of 1,356 kidney transplants. MICA mismatches were associated with decreased graft survival (hazard ratio (HR), 2.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45–3.11; P < 0.001). Both before and after transplantation anti-MICA donor-specific antibodies (DSA) were strongly associated with increased antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR) (HR, 3.79; 95% CI: 1.94–7.39; P < 0.001; HR, 9.92; 95% CI: 7.43–13.20; P < 0.001, respectively). This effect was synergetic with that of anti-HLA DSA before and after transplantation (HR, 25.68; 95% CI: 3.31–199.41; P = 0.002; HR, 82.67; 95% CI: 33.67–202.97; P < 0.001, respectively). De novo-developed anti-MICA DSA were the most harmful because they were also associated with reduced graft survival (HR, 1.29; 95% CI: 1.05–1.58; P = 0.014). Finally, the damaging effect of anti-MICA DSA on graft survival was confirmed in an independent cohort of 168 patients with ABMR (HR, 1.71; 95% CI: 1.02–2.86; P = 0.041). In conclusion, assessment of MICA matching and immunization for the identification of patients at high risk for transplant rejection and loss is warranted.
COVID-19 and resilience of healthcare systems in ten countries
Authors: Arsenault Catherine , Gage Anna , Kim Min Kyung , Kapoor Neena R. , Akweongo Patricia , Amponsah Freddie , Aryal Amit , Asai Daisuke , Awoonor-Williams John Koku , Ayele Wondimu , Bedregal Paula , Doubova Svetlana V. , Dulal Mahesh , Gadeka Dominic Dormenyo , Gordon-Strachan Georgiana , Mariam Damen Haile , Hensman Dilipkumar , Joseph Jean Paul , Kaewkamjornchai Phanuwich , Eshetu Munir Kassa , Gelaw Solomon Kassahun , Kubota Shogo , Leerapan Borwornsom , Margozzini Paula , Mebratie Anagaw Derseh , Mehata Suresh , Moshabela Mosa , Mthethwa Londiwe , Nega Adiam , Oh Juhwan , Park Sookyung , Passi-Solar Álvaro , Pérez-Cuevas Ricardo , Phengsavanh Alongkhone , Reddy Tarylee , Rittiphairoj Thanitsara , Sapag Jaime C. , Thermidor Roody , Tlou Boikhutso , Valenzuela Guiñez Francisco , Bauhoff Sebastian , Kruk Margaret E.
Published: March 2022

Declines in health service use during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic could have important effects on population health. In this study, we used an interrupted time series design to assess the immediate effect of the pandemic on 31 health services in two low-income (Ethiopia and Haiti), six middle-income﻿ (Ghana, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mexico, Nepal, South Africa and Thailand) and high-income (Chile and South Korea) countries. Despite efforts to maintain health services, disruptions of varying magnitude and duration were found in every country, with no clear patterns by country income group or pandemic intensity. Disruptions in health services often preceded COVID-19 waves. Cancer screenings, TB screening and detection and HIV testing were most affected (26–96% declines). Total outpatient visits declined by 9–40% at national levels and remained lower than predicted by the end of 2020. Maternal health services were disrupted in approximately half of the countries, with declines ranging from 5% to 33%. Child vaccinations were disrupted for shorter periods, but we estimate that catch-up campaigns might not have reached all children missed. By contrast, provision of antiretrovirals for HIV was not affected. By the end of 2020, substantial disruptions remained in half of the countries. Preliminary data for 2021 indicate that disruptions likely persisted. Although a portion of the declines observed might result from decreased needs during lockdowns (from fewer infectious illnesses or injuries), a larger share likely reflects a shortfall of health system resilience. Countries must plan to compensate for missed healthcare during the current pandemic and invest in strategies for better health system resilience for future emergencies.
Towards an efficient validation of dynamical whole-brain models
Authors: Wischnewski Kevin J. , Eickhoff Simon B. , Jirsa Viktor K. , Popovych Oleksandr V.
Published: March 2022

Simulating the resting-state brain dynamics via mathematical whole-brain models requires an optimal selection of parameters, which determine the model’s capability to replicate empirical data. Since the parameter optimization via a grid search (GS) becomes unfeasible for high-dimensional models, we evaluate several alternative approaches to maximize the correspondence between simulated and empirical functional connectivity. A dense GS serves as a benchmark to assess the performance of four optimization schemes: Nelder-Mead Algorithm (NMA), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMAES) and Bayesian Optimization (BO). To compare them, we employ an ensemble of coupled phase oscillators built upon individual empirical structural connectivity of 105 healthy subjects. We determine optimal model parameters from two- and three-dimensional parameter spaces and show that the overall fitting quality of the tested methods can compete with the GS. There are, however, marked differences in the required computational resources and stability properties, which we also investigate before proposing CMAES and BO as efficient alternatives to a high-dimensional GS. For the three-dimensional case, these methods generated similar results as the GS, but within less than 6% of the computation time. Our results contribute to an efficient validation of models for personalized simulations of brain dynamics.
A novel hybrid peptide composed of LfcinB6 and KR-12-a4 with enhanced antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-biofilm activities
Authors: Ajish Chelladurai , Yang Sungtae , Kumar S. Dinesh , Kim Eun Young , Min Hye Jung , Lee Chul Won , Shin Sung-Heui , Shin Song Yub
Published: March 2022

Hybridizing two known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a simple and effective strategy for designing antimicrobial agents with enhanced cell selectivity against bacterial cells. Here, we generated a hybrid peptide Lf-KR in which LfcinB6 and KR-12-a4 were linked with a Pro hinge to obtain a novel AMP with potent antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm activities. Lf-KR exerted superior cell selectivity for bacterial cells over sheep red blood cells. Lf-KR showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities (MIC: 4–8 μM) against tested 12 bacterial strains and retained its antimicrobial activity in the presence of salts at physiological concentrations. Membrane depolarization and dye leakage assays showed that the enhanced antimicrobial activity of Lf-KR was due to increased permeabilization and depolarization of microbial membranes. Lf-KR significantly inhibited the expression and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor‐α) in LPS-stimulated mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. In addition, Lf-KR showed a powerful eradication effect on preformed multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRPA) biofilms. We confirmed using confocal laser scanning microscopy that a large portion of the preformed MDRPA biofilm structure was perturbed by the addition of Lf-KR. Collectively, our results suggest that Lf-KR can be an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-biofilm candidate as a pharmaceutical agent.
Improved anti-biofouling resistances using novel nanocelluloses/cellulose acetate extracted from rice straw based membranes for water desalination
Authors: Morsy Ashraf , Mahmoud Amira S. , Soliman Aya , Ibrahim Hesham , Fadl Eman
Published: March 2022

Cellulose and Nanocellulose acetate (NCA) have attractive novel properties like excellent mechanical properties, rich hydroxyl groups for modification, and natural properties with environmental friendliness. Cellulose was extracted from rice straw wastes as an extra value, then it had been further transformed into NCA using the acidic hydrolysis technique. The structural, crystalline, morphological, were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1HNMR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning microscopy, respectively. The particle size of the Nanocellulose extracted from rice straw was about 22 nm with a spherical shape. Development membranes were prepared with different concentrations of NCA to improve the performance and the anti-biofouling properties of cellulose acetate reverse osmosis (RO) membranes using a phase inversion technique. The structural of membranes were characterized by FTIR, water contact angle measurements, while the anti-biofouling properties were studied by static protein adsorption. The results indicated the development membrane features a lower contact angle accomplished with exhibits pore-forming ability and enhanced hydrophilicity of prepared membrane, furthermore the development cellulose acetate reverse osmosis (CA-RO) membranes with 40:60% RNCA:CA produced a salt rejection of 97.4% and a water flux of 2.2 L/m2 h. the development membrane have resists effectively protein adsorption and microbial growth showed from the results of Static protein adsorption.
Probing the dispersive properties of optical fibers with an array of femtosecond-written fiber Bragg gratings
Authors: Boilard Tommy , Vallée Réal , Bernier Martin
Published: March 2022

We propose an efficient method to determine the effective refractive index of step-index optical fibers from the visible to the mid-IR and thus allowing to infer their dispersive properties over a broad spectral range. The validity of the method, based on the writing of an array of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) with known periods using the fs scanning phase mask technique, is first confirmed with a standard silica fiber, then applied to various fluoride glass fibers to determine their effective refractive index and dispersion over more than three octaves, i.e. from 550 to 4800 nm.
An new elastic–plastic analytical solution of circular tunnel under non-axisymmetric conditions
Authors: Li Guofeng , Li Ning , Bai Yue , Yang Min
Published: March 2022

The surrounding rock is in the initial stress state before the tunnel excavation, and it undergoes the stress redistribution to reach the secondary stress state after the tunnel excavation. The surrounding rock is not only the main load source but also is an important part of the load bearing structure. Once the stress of some zone in the surrounding rock exceeds the strength of the rock mass, the part surrounding rock will enter into a state of plasticity or failure. Analytical solution is the most powerful mean to analyze this kind of underground cavern engineering problems. However, the existing solutions can not directly or simultaneously obtain the secondary stress field and excavation disturbance displacement field that we are concerned about. The implicit approximate solution cannot be degenerated to an accurate axisymmetric expression for the most existing non-axisymmetric elastic–plastic solutions. Therefore, this paper derives the elastic solution of a circular tunnel under the condition of the non-axisymmetric external load with the radial and shear inner loads. On this basis, the new elastic–plastic solution and the plastic zone radius equation of the circular tunnel under the conditions of the non-axisymmetric external load with radial inner load are derived. It can directly obtain the secondary stress field and excavation disturbance displacement field, and can degenerate to an accurate axisymmetric expression. The distribution characteristics of the analytical solution are in good agreement with the numerical test results, indicating that the new solution can provide a relatively accurate theoretical basis for the analysis and research of tunnel engineering.
Potential cross-species correlations in social hierarchy and memory between mice and young children
Authors: Chou Yu-Ju , Ma Yu-Kai , Lu Yi-Han , King Jung-Tai , Tasi Wen-Sheng , Yang Shi-Bing , Kuo Tsung-Han
Published: March 2022

Social hierarchy is associated with various phenotypes. Although memory is known to be important for hierarchy formation, the difference in memory abilities between dominant and subordinate individuals remains unclear. In this study, we examined memory performance in mice with different social ranks and found better memory abilities in dominant mice, along with greater long-term potentiation and higher memory-related gene expression in the hippocampus. Daily injection of memory-improving drugs could also enhance dominance. To validate this correlation across species, through inventory, behavioral and event-related potential studies, we identified better memory abilities in preschool children with higher social dominance. Better memory potentially helped children process dominance facial cues and learn social strategies to acquire higher positions. Our study shows a remarkable similarity between humans and mice in the association between memory and social hierarchy and provides valuable insight into social interactions in young animals, with potential implications for preschool education.
Simultaneous electrochemical detection of ozone and free chlorine with a boron-doped diamond electrode
Authors: Peng Zhen , Irkham  , Akai Kazumi , Murata Michio , Tomisaki Mai , Einaga Yasuaki
Published: March 2022

O3 and free chlorine play significant roles in disinfection and organic degradation.
Rapid analysis of triazine herbicides in fruit juices using evaporation-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction with solidification of floating organic droplets and HPLC-DAD
Authors: Wu Beiqi , Niu Yu , Bi Xinyuan , Wang Xiaowen , Jia Liyan , Jing Xu
Published: March 2022

CaO is added to the system to generate heat to assist evaporation to improve extraction efficiency.
Atomic force microscopy applied to interrogate nanoscale cellular chemistry and supramolecular bond dynamics for biomedical applications
Authors: Simpson Joshua D. , Ray Ankita , Koehler Melanie , Mohammed Danahe , Alsteens David
Published: March 2022

Understanding biological interactions at a molecular-level grants valuable information relevant to improving medical treatments and outcomes.
Mechanistic insights into H2 evolution via water splitting at the expense of B2(OH)4: a theoretical study
Authors: Yan Jiaying , Zhou Yuhang , Liu Xiang , Li Dong-Sheng
Published: March 2022

In this article the catalytic mechanism for H2 evolution via water splitting at the expense of B2(OH)4 catalyzed by acid, base or metal nanoparticles was investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Defect-rich Fe-doped NiS/MoS2 heterostructured ultrathin nanosheets for efficient overall water splitting
Authors: Liu Peng , Li Jiawen , Yan Jianyue , Song Wenbo
Published: March 2022

Fe doped NiS/MoS2 heterostructured nanosheets with abundant lattice defects from a one-step sulfurizing Fe doped Ni/Mo bimetallic MOF for overall water splitting.
Mechanism, thermochemistry, and kinetics of the reversible reactions: C2H3 + H2 ⇌ C2H4 + H ⇌ C2H5
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Lam , Bross David H. , Ruscic Branko , Ellison G. Barney , Stanton John F.
Published: March 2022

A combination of high-level coupled cluster theory, Active Thermochemical Tables, and master-equation simulations is used to study the reversible reactions: C2H3 + H2 ⇌ C2H4 + H ⇌ C2H5.
Resistance-switchable conjugated polyrotaxane for flexible high-performance RRAMs
Authors: Zhou Jiankui , Feng Hanfang , Sun Qingqing , Xie Zhengkun , Pang Xinchang , Minari Takeo , Liu Xuying , Zhang Li
Published: March 2022

Resistance-switchable conjugated polyrotaxane is reported for flexible and high-performance RRAMs with high ON/OFF ratio (108), fast response (29 ns) and long-term retention via the electrical doping of the polyaniline core by a cyclodextrin sheath.
Hitchhiking probiotic vectors to deliver ultra-small hafnia nanoparticles for ‘Color’ gastrointestinal tract photon counting X-ray imaging
Authors: Ostadhossein Fatemeh , Moitra Parikshit , Gunaseelan Nivetha , Nelappana Michael , Lowe Chiara , Moghiseh Mahdieh , Butler Anthony , de Ruiter Niels , Mandalika Harish , Tripathi Indu , Misra Santosh K. , Pan Dipanjan
Published: March 2022

Gastrointestinal (GI) tract is one of the hard-to-reach target tissues for the delivery of contrast agents and drugs. Herein we have used novel hafnia nanoparticles encapsulated in probiotics for GI tract imaging using photon counting color-CT.
High temperature structure evolution of SiBZrOC quinary polymer derived ceramics
Authors: Liu Chen , Hong Changqing , Wang Xinwei , Han Jiecai
Published: March 2022

SiBZrOC quinary ceramics were obtained through the modification of a SiOC precursor with B(OH)3and Zr(OnPr)4.
Highly crystalline N and S co-doped carbon dots as a selective turn off–on sensor for Cr(vi) and ascorbic acid and a turn off sensor for metanil yellow
Authors: Abbasi Ambreen , Shakir Mohammad
Published: March 2022

Highly crystalline N and S co-doped carbon dots (NS CDs) were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using mesaconic acid, ethylenediamine, and sulfuric acid as C, N, and S sources.
A flexible carbonized melamine foam/silicone/epoxy composite pressure sensor with temperature and voltage-adjusted piezoresistivity for ultrawide pressure detection
Authors: Li Zheng-Xin , Gao Xing-Yu , Huang Pei , Li Yuan-Qing , Fu Shao-Yun
Published: March 2022

A novel wearable pressure sensor produced by introducing temperature-stimulated epoxy into the carbonized melamine foam/silicone system has an ultra-wide detection range with the aid of temperature or voltage.
Yb/Er/Ho-engineered rare earth fluoride nanoparticles to unlock multimodal in vivo medical imaging
Authors: Wang Yanli , Zhang Haihong , Zhang Hao , Ding He , Wang Yan , Wang Shuya , Dai Tianqi , Wang Weiyan , He Fei , Zhang Zhiyi
Published: March 2022

Yb/Er/Ho-engineered rare earth fluoride nanoparticles with synergistic three-modal imaging abilities are presented, which can provide an alternative approach for in vivo disease diagnosis and supervision.
A facile biosynthesis strategy of plasmid DNA-derived nanowires for readable microRNA logic operations
Authors: Yin Xue , Yao Dongbao , Lam Michael Hon-Wah , Liang Haojun
Published: March 2022

A facile biosynthesis strategy of plasmid DNA-derived nanowires was developed for readable logical operations of multiple microRNA inputs directly by gel electrophoresis without labeling and amplification.
A selective fluorescence turn-on sensing coordination polymer for antibiotic aztreonam
Authors: Wang Xiaomei , Liu Cheng , Wang Ming , Zhou Xinhui , You Yujian , Xiao Hongping
Published: March 2022

Reports about the detection of antibiotic aztreonam (ATM) are very rare. Herein, a fluorescent “turn-on” sensing coordination polymer for ATM is described.
Selective degradation of histone deacetylase 8 mediated by a proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC)
Authors: Chotitumnavee Jiranan , Yamashita Yasunobu , Takahashi Yukari , Takada Yuri , Iida Tetsuya , Oba Makoto , Itoh Yukihiro , Suzuki Takayoshi
Published: March 2022

We report a first-in-class PROTAC that induces HDAC8-selective degradation versus other HDACs and potently inhibits the growth of Jurkat cells.
Discovery of novel photocaged ERK1/2 inhibitors as light-controlled anticancer agents
Authors: Chen Rui , Wang Ziyue , Liu Lihong , Pan Zhengying
Published: March 2022

The first series of photocaged ERK1/2 inhibitors were developed and demonstrated potent inhibitory activities in biological assays upon irradiation by light.
Solid-state NMR insights into alcohol adsorption by metal–organic frameworks: adsorption state, selectivity, and adsorption-induced phase transitions
Authors: Khan Arafat Hossain , Salout Sara Amanzadeh , Shupletsov Leonid , De Ankita , Senkovska Irena , Kaskel Stefan , Brunner Eike
Published: March 2022

Alcohol adsorption by metal–organic frameworks (ZIF-8 and ZIF-11) in aqueous solutions is investigated including alcohol mixtures.
Continuous-flow synthesis of alkyl zinc sulfinates for the direct photofunctionalization of heterocycles
Authors: Nova-Fernández José Luis , García Montaña J. , Mollari Leonardo , Pascual-Coca Gustavo , Cabrera Silvia , Alemán José
Published: March 2022

A sustainable flow strategy for the alkylation of heterocycles via the in situ generation of alkyl zinc sulfinates is presented.
An end-on bis(μ-hydroxido) dimanganese(ii,iii) azide complex for C–H bond and O–H bond activation reactions
Authors: Jeon Hyeri , Kim Jisoo , Kim Jin , Cho Kyung-Bin , Hong Seungwoo
Published: March 2022

The C–H bond and O–H bond activation reaction by the bis(μ-hydroxido) dimanganese complex occurred via H-atom abstraction in a concerted manner.
Probing the electronic and ionic transport in topologically distinct redox-active metal–organic frameworks in aqueous electrolytes
Authors: Shen Cheng-Hui , Chen Yu-Hsiu , Wang Yi-Ching , Chang Tzu-En , Chen You-Liang , Kung Chung-Wei
Published: March 2022

The redox-hopping-based electrochemical behaviours in aqueous electrolytes are studied in various concentrations of Na2SO4 to separately probe the electronic and ionic transports within the thin films of three Mn-decorated Zr-MOFs.
An ideal Weyl nodal ring with a large drumhead surface state in the orthorhombic compound TiS2
Authors: Yang Tie , Ding Shoubing , Liu Ying , Wu Zhimin , Zhang Gang
Published: March 2022

An singe Wey nodal ring is found in the orthorhombic compound TiS2 and it exhibits ideal drumhead surface states.
Simulated-sunlight-driven Cr(vi) reduction on a type-II heterostructured Sb2S3/CdS photocatalyst
Authors: Zhu Zhen-yu , Li Jia-yuan , Li Wei , Liu Xiao-yun , Dang Yan-yan , Ma Teng-hao , Wang Chuan-yi
Published: March 2022

Construction of a type-II heterostructured Sb2S3/CdS photocatalyst for highly improved simulated-sunlight-driven Cr(vi) reduction.
Rheotaxis quality index: a new parameter that reveals male mammalian in vivo fertility and low sperm DNA fragmentation
Authors: Yaghoobi Mohammad , Azizi Morteza , Mokhtare Amir , Javi Farhad , Abbaspourrad Alireza
Published: March 2022

Rheotaxis plays a crucial role in sperm navigation through the female reproductive tract. By mimicking the structure of the uterotubal junction, we provide a new method of sperm quality assessment.
Application of ionic liquids for the functional materialization of chitin
Authors: Kadokawa Jun-ichi
Published: March 2022

This perspective article illustrates that the possible applications of chitin as a material have been widely extended through the use of ionic liquids, which are now identified as an important research field regarding chitin.
In situtunable circular dichroism of flexible chiral metasurfaces composed of plasmonic nanorod trimers
Authors: Lin Hsiang-Ting , Hsu Yao-Yu , Cheng Pi-Ju , Wang Wei-Ting , Chang Shu-Wei , Shih Min-Hsiung
Published: March 2022

We present an ultra-thin flexible chiral metasurface capable forin situtuning optical circular polarization by mechanical stretching which can be an important element for flexible sensing, display and communication optoelectronic chips.
Development of a new type of multi-functional mechanochromic luminescence material by infusing a phenyl rotator into the structure of 3,4-diphenylmaleic anhydride
Authors: Wang Zexin , Chen Liwei , Lin Xiang , Liu Wei , Han Jun , Chen Nannan , Jiang Hong , Sun Shitao , Li Zhenli , Hao Jinle , Lin Bin , Li Renfu , Chen Xueyuan , Zhai Xin , Xie Lijun
Published: March 2022

We have developed a new type of multi-functional mechanochromic material by integrating a phenyl rotator and a donor–acceptor unit into the structure of BPMA.
WS2/In2S3 composite photocatalyst for photocatalytic H2 generation and pollutant degradation
Authors: Guo Bingrong , Liu Bin , Wang Chaoli , Wang Yuhua , Yin Shu , Han Weihua
Published: March 2022

A Z-scheme WS2/In2S3 photocatalyst with a bi-layered sheet-like structure was designed to promote separation and transfer of photocarriers.
Ternary photocatalysts based on MOF-derived TiO2 co-decorated with ZnIn2S4 nanosheets and CdS nanoparticles for effective visible light degradation of organic pollutants
Authors: Liu Huan , Li Jingzhe , Chen Yue , Sun Xuting , Xu Xun , Qiu Lingfang , Duo Shuwang , Li Ping
Published: March 2022

A high-efficiency visible-light-responsive CdS/ZnIn2S4/TiO2 photocatalyst was prepared for the first time by the self-sacrificing template method followed by a two-step chemical bath process.
Bubble and dew-point measurement of mixtures of 1H,1H,2H-perfluoro-1-octene and 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluoro-1-octanol in supercritical CO2
Authors: Dhamodharan Duraisami , Ghoderao Pradnya NP , Park Cheol-Woong , Byun Hun-Soo
Published: March 2022

In this article, solubility data are presented for the fluoro-monomer (meth)acrylate, which plays an important role as an organic solvent in several industrial processes.
Tunable multicolor and bright white emission in PEG modified β-NaGdF4 nanocrystals by systematic introduction of Ce3+ and Mn2+/Ln3+
Authors: Li Xiaolong , Pei Yaru , Liang Ruimei , Qian Chao , Wang Jinzeng
Published: March 2022

Effective multicolor and strong white light emission were realized in NaGdF4:Ce NPs by precisely adjusted the doping amounts of Dy3+ and Eu3+.
Circumventing the scaling relationship on bimetallic monolayer electrocatalysts for selective CO2 reduction
Authors: Zhao Zhonglong , Lu Gang
Published: March 2022

Dual-functional active sites are designed to circumvent the scaling relationship between the HER and CO2RR on bimetallic monolayer electrocatalysts.
Bridging D–A type photosensitizers with the azo group to boost intersystem crossing for efficient photodynamic therapy
Authors: Hao Boyi , Wang Jiaxin , Wang Chao , Xue Ke , Xiao Minghui , Lv Shuyi , Zhu Chunlei
Published: March 2022

A novel and effective strategy is developed for enhanced photosensitization by bridging D–A type photosensitizers with the azo group, holding great potential in high-quality photodynamic therapy with rapid prediction of the therapeutic outcome.
Crystallinity modulation of donors by heteroatom side-chain engineering and solvent additive achieving 14.3% all-small-molecule organic solar cells
Authors: Li Dandan , Wang Jie , Xie Lin , Ge Jinfeng , Zhou Rong , Gu Qun , Yang Daobin , Zhang Jianqi , Ge Ziyi
Published: March 2022

BDT-S:Y6-BO blend film, displays a smoother surface, proper crystallinity, more face-on preferred orientation and a better nano interpenetrating network phase separation morphology than BDT-O:Y6-BO blend film, resulting in effective and balanced carrier mobilities.
Correction: Enhanced oxygen reduction kinetics of IT-SOFC cathode with PrBaCo2O5+δ/Gd0.1Ce0.9O2−δ coherent interface
Authors: Zhang Yang , Shen Leyu , Wang Yuhao , Du Zhihong , Zhang Binze , Ciucci Francesco , Zhao Hailei
Published: March 2022

Correction for ‘Enhanced oxygen reduction kinetics of IT-SOFC cathode with PrBaCo2O5+δ/Gd0.1Ce1.9O2−δ coherent interface’ by Yang Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 3495–3505, DOI: 10.1039/D1TA09615J.
Near-infrared upper phenyl-fused BODIPY as a photosensitizer for photothermal–photodynamic therapy
Authors: Yu Tao , Zhang Dongxiang , Wang Jie , Sun Changliang , Cui Tianfang , Xu Zhangrun , Jiang Xin-Dong , Du Jianjun
Published: March 2022

The introduction of a ring-fused segment into a BODIPY scaffold promoted a spectral bathochromic-shift and enhanced the intersystem crossing capability by a twisted structure.
Phenomics approaches to understand genetic networks and gene function in yeast
Authors: Yeung Clarence Hue Lok , Sahin Nil , Andrews Brenda
Published: March 2022

Over the past decade, major efforts have been made to systematically survey the characteristics or phenotypes associated with genetic variation in a variety of model systems. These so-called phenomics projects involve the measurement of ‘phenomes’, or the set of phenotypic information that describes an organism or cell, in various genetic contexts or states, and in response to external factors, such as environmental signals. Our understanding of the phenome of an organism depends on the availability of reagents that enable systematic evaluation of the spectrum of possible phenotypic variation and the types of measurements that can be taken. Here, we highlight phenomics studies that use the budding yeast, a pioneer model organism for functional genomics research. We focus on genetic perturbation screens designed to explore genetic interactions, using a variety of phenotypic read-outs, from cell growth to subcellular morphology.
In the spotlight: the role of TGFβ signalling in haematopoietic stem and progenitor cell emergence
Authors: Thambyrajah Roshana , Monteiro Rui
Published: March 2022

Haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) sustain haematopoiesis by generating precise numbers of mature blood cells throughout the lifetime of an individual. In vertebrates, HSPCs arise during embryonic development from a specialised endothelial cell population, the haemogenic endothelium (HE). Signalling by the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) pathway is key to regulate haematopoiesis in the adult bone marrow, but evidence for a role in the formation of HSPCs has only recently started to emerge. In this review, we examine recent work in various model systems that demonstrate a key role for TGFβ signalling in HSPC emergence from the HE. The current evidence underpins two seemingly contradictory views of TGFβ function: as a negative regulator of HSPCs by limiting haematopoietic output from HE, and as a positive regulator, by programming the HE towards the haematopoietic fate. Understanding how to modulate the requirement for TGFβ signalling in HSC emergence may have critical implications for the generation of these cells in vitro for therapeutic use.
Agreement Between Caloric and Horizontal Video Head Impulse Testing in School-Aged Children Presenting With Dizziness
Authors: Piker Erin G. , Picou Erin , Jacobson Gary P. , Coltisor Allison
Published: March 2022

Objective:

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between the horizontal semicircular canal video head impulse test (hvHIT) and the caloric test in a sample of school-age children evaluated due to complaints of dizziness or imbalance. In adults, these two tests provide different but complementary information regarding vestibular function and/or pathology. However, the most common causes of vestibular loss in children are different than those in adults, and it is not clear how these two tests of horizontal semicircular canal function are related in a pediatric population.

Method:

This is a retrospective study of electronic records of pediatric patients (< 18 years old) who were referred for vestibular function testing and completed both hvHIT and caloric testing. Agreement between both test results was evaluated by examining measures of sensitivity, specificity, and calculating Cohen's kappa.

Results:

Results from 117 patients (mean age = 13.7 years, age range: 8–17 years, 37 males) were analyzed. Most patients (97/115 [84.3%]) demonstrated both normal hvHIT and caloric test results. Compared to caloric testing, the hvHIT had poor sensitivity (38.9%) and excellent specificity (98.0%). Cohen's kappa analysis revealed moderate agreement between the methods (coefficient = 0.49 [0.24, 0.73]). Where disagreement between the two tests occurred, the final diagnosis was not contingent on either test result.

Conclusions:

There is a moderate agreement between the hvHIT and the caloric test in pediatric patients presenting to a tertiary care medical center for a vestibular evaluation. Most patients in this cohort presented with normal findings. The specificity of hvHIT was excellent, although the sensitivity was low. This may be related to the low prevalence of peripheral vestibular system disease in this study cohort, and these results do not generalize to centers that serve populations of children where vestibular disorders are more prevalent (e.g., children with sensorineural hearing loss).
Reliability modelling and optimization for microservice‐based cloud application using multi‐agent system
Authors: Liu Zheng , Yu Huiqun , Fan Guisheng , Chen Liqiong
Published: March 2022

In the process of the continuous development of the Internet of Things, cloud computing has been applied in many fields, how to guarantee the quality of service, such as low latency, high bandwidth, high reliability etc., has become a challenging problem. This paper proposes a method to model and optimize reliability for microservice‐based cloud applications using multi‐agent system (MAS), thus maximizing the reliability of cloud computing and dynamically scheduling microservices to minimize the delay within the budget. Firstly, a dynamic microservice scheduling scheme is proposed to provide efficient computing services by using MAS. A hierarchical cloud computing model is formed by predicated Petri net (PrT net) and the properties of constructed model are analysed. Secondly, agents have been utilized to describe the essential characteristics of microservice scheduling process in the cloud applications. The partial critical path (PCP) aims to maximize the reliability of cloud applications under the limitation of budget and meet the user‐defined deadline. Finally, the proposed PCPRO algorithm has been applied to cloud environment, which is suitable for different scientific workflows in the cloud computing environment. The effectiveness of this method is verified by simulation, the experiment results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Damping inter‐area oscillation using reinforcement learning controlled TCSC
Authors: Huang Renke , Gao Wei , Fan Rui , Huang Qiuhua
Published: March 2022

Inter‐area oscillation is a serious problem that threatens a power system. Appropriate damping control of the inter‐area oscillation would ensure the grid stability and maintain the tie‐line power transfer capability. In this paper, a novel reinforcement learning (RL) based power oscillation damping (POD) controller is proposed that uses Thyristor Controlled Series Compensators (TCSC) to damp inter‐area oscillations. By leveraging the unbiased gradient direction estimation of the natural evolution strategy (NES), the power flows on the tie‐lines were successfully regulated and inter‐area oscillations were damped through dynamically modulating the inserted reactance of the TCSC. Furthermore, parallel computation techniques were adopted to speed up the training process of the NES. The proposed RL‐based POD controller has been tested on both two‐area four‐machine system and North American MinniWECC system. Extensive studies have demonstrated the excellent performance of the proposed RL‐based TCSC POD controller in damping inter‐area oscillations.
Analysis of soil impulse discharge characteristics based on optical‐electrical synchronous observation
Authors: Li Yuanjie , Li Chun , Lu Hailiang , Liu Gang , Cai Hansheng , Chen Huaifei , Lan Lei , Wen Xishan
Published: March 2022

The impulse performance of grounding electrodes highly depends on soil impulse discharge characteristics. The analysis of soil discharge dynamic process images is helpful to understand the impulse discharge mechanism of grounding electrodes. This paper designed an optical‐electrical synchronous observation platform for simulate soil (SiO2 crystal) discharge, and discharge dynamic process images is obtained by high‐speed camera. Through analysing breakdown delay time and thermal power before breakdown, it is found that soil impulse discharge is mainly an electrical breakdown process, and soil ionization intensity is positively correlated with the light intensity emitted by whole soil sample in breakdown channel development stage. The time from voltage application to the occurrence of ionization is defined as initial ionization delay time (IIDT). Using image processing technology, the change curve of optical image average grayscale value with time in the process of soil discharge is obtained, and a calculation method of IIDT is proposed by comparing the difference between average grayscale value curve and background image average grayscale value. Experiment results show that IIDT is negatively correlated with impulse voltage, particle size and water content, but not with salt content.
Multi‐scale single image dehazing based on the fusion of global and local features
Authors: Chen Ziyu , Zhuang Huaiyu , Han Jia , Cui Yani , Deng Jiaxian
Published: March 2022

Aiming at the problems of incomplete dehazing of a single image and unnaturalness of the restored image, a multi‐scale single‐image defogging network with local features fused with global features is proposed, using fog and non‐fogging image pairs train the network in a direct end‐to‐end manner. The network is divided into global feature extraction module, multi‐scale feature extraction module and deep fusion module. The global feature extraction module extracts global features that characterize the contour; multi‐scale feature extraction module extracts features at different scales to improve learning accuracy; in the deep fusion module, the convolutional layer extracts the local features that describe the image content, and then the local features and the global features are merged through skip connections. Comparative experiments were carried out on artificially synthesized fog images and real fog images. The experimental results show that the algorithm proposed here can achieve the ideal dehazing effect, and is superior to other comparison algorithms in subjective and objective aspects.
H‐plane horn antenna with very low side lobes using partially dielectric‐filled gap waveguide technology
Authors: Mohammadpour Mohammad , Mohajeri Farzad , Razavi Parizi Seyed Ali
Published: March 2022

In this paper, two H‐plane horn antennae are designed using groove and ridge gap waveguide (GGW and RGW) techniques. In the proposed structures, the gap waveguide is partially filled with a dielectric to control the amplitude and phase distribution across the antenna aperture so that a very low side lobe level (SLL) can be achieved. Two sample antennae are designed and simulated for the frequency range from 12 to 16 GHz, and the prototypes are fabricated. The fabricated antennae show quite wide impedance bandwidth (S11 ≤ 10 dB) of 28% and 32% for the RGW and GGW versions, respectively. The obtained maximum side lobe level for the designed GGW and RGW horns is about −30 and −24 dB, respectively, over the operating bandwidth. In comparison with state‐of‐the‐art designs, the proposed structures introduce much lower SLL.
A global review of routing mechanisms in the named data network
Authors: Sembati Yassine , Naja Najib , Jamali Abedellah
Published: March 2022

Named Data Networking (NDN) is the future architecture for the internet, as it should have a good design routing to handle massive node connections with different behaviors. Routing is an important part of NDN since it configures the topology as well as policies, and manages long-term changes to the forwarding table. However, routing protocols are burdened with many challenges that reduce the connection performance. This paper investigates and critically evaluates the classification of NDN routing plane researches. Also, this paper classifies all types of routing protocols that exist in the literature. To our best knowledge, this is the first review that identifies the major challenges, such as routing overhead, in all NDN routing protocol types. This review will serve as guidelines for our future work in NDN routing research.
Fast Fourier transform for fingerprint enhancement and features extraction with adaptive block size using orientation fields
Authors: Amina Ait Aoudia , Dominique Michelucci , Youcef Zafoune
Published: March 2022

Extracting minutiae from a digital fingerprint is a crucial step in a fingerprint-based recognition systems. This work deals with poor-quality fingerprint images containing broken ridges. The enhancement stage connects broken ridges and is essential for extracting correct minutiae. We use a FFT variant [8] for this stage, but, to truly benefit from FFT in a block, it is essential to determine a suitable block size, depending on ridges orientation field. We propose to use a quadtree to partition the ridges orientation field into homogeneous blocks. A block is homogeneous when at least seventy percent of its ridges orientations are within ten degrees. Another issue addressed in this article is the choice of a suitable neighborhood window size W for computing orientation field image, depending on the fingerprint image quality. The performance improvements of our algorithm are evaluated and compared with standard measures MSE, PSNR and GI, on databases DB1 to DB4 of FVC2004 and NIST special database SD302d.
System segmentation of Lungs in images chest x-ray using the generative adversarial network
Authors: El Mansouri Omar , El Mourabit Yousef , El Habouz Youssef
Published: March 2022

One of the most common medical imaging methods is a chest x-ray, as it contributes to the early detection of lung cancer compared to other methods. this work presents the use of a generative adversarial network to perform lung chest x-ray image segmentation. The network is two frameworks neural (generator and discriminator). In our work the generator is trained to generate a mask for the input of a given original image, the discriminator distinguishes between the original mask and the generated mask, the final objective is to generate masks for the input. The model is trained and evaluated, well generalized experimental results of the JSRT dataset reveal that the proposed model can a dice score of 0.9778, which is better than other reported state-of-the-art results.
Security of communication 5G-V2X: A proposed approach based on securing 5G-V2X based on Blockchain
Authors: Manale Boughanja , Mazri Tomader
Published: March 2022

With the rapid evolution of wireless communication and autonomous vehicles, vehicle to Everything (V2X) communications provides driving safety, traffic efficiency, and real-time traffic information in-vehicle networks. V2X has evolved by integrating 5G cellular access technology and New Radio (NR) into V2X communications (i.e., 5G NR V2X). Since the security issue in 5G-V2X remains a crucial point, we conducted a literature review approach and identified the 5G-V2X communication levels in this paper. The main objective of this study was to develop an approach to secure 5G-V2X. The proposed methodology is based on Blockchain to ensure the 5G-V2X architecture levels.