bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mass cytometric and transcriptomic profiling of epithelial-mesenchymal transitions in human mammary cell lines
Authors: Wagner Johanna , Masek Markus , Jacobs Andrea , Soneson Charlotte , Sivapatham Sujana , Damond Nicolas , de Souza Natalie , Robinson Mark D. , Bodenmiller Bernd
Published: February 2022

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) equips breast cancer cells for metastasis and treatment resistance. However, detection, inhibition, and elimination of EMT-undergoing cells is challenging due to the intrinsic heterogeneity of cancer cells and the phenotypic diversity of EMT programs. We comprehensively profiled EMT transition phenotypes in four non-cancerous human mammary epithelial cell lines using a flow cytometry surface marker screen, RNA sequencing, and mass cytometry. EMT was induced in the HMLE and MCF10A cell lines and in the HMLE-Twist-ER and HMLE-Snail-ER cell lines by prolonged exposure to TGFβ1 or 4-hydroxytamoxifen, respectively. Each cell line exhibited a spectrum of EMT transition phenotypes, which we compared to the steady-state phenotypes of fifteen luminal, HER2-positive, and basal breast cancer cell lines. Our data provide multiparametric insights at single-cell level into the phenotypic diversity of EMT at different time points and in four human cellular models. These insights are valuable to better understand the complexity of EMT, to compare EMT transitions between the cellular models used here, and for the design of EMT time course experiments.
Natural bio-convective flow of Maxwell nanofluid over an exponentially stretching surface with slip effect and convective boundary condition
Authors: Wang Fuzhang , Ahmad Shafiq , Al Mdallal Qasem , Alammari Maha , Khan Muhammad Naveed , Rehman Aysha
Published: February 2022

The under-consideration article mainly focuses an unsteady three-dimensional Maxwell bio-convective nanomaterial liquid flow towards an exponentially expanding surface with the influence of chemical reaction slip condition. The feature of heat transport is achieving in the existenceof convective boundary condition and variable thermal conductivity. With the help of similarity variables, the flow form of equations is turned into a nonlinear form of coupled ODEs. The numerical solutions are calculated by adopting bvp4c function of MATLAB. Impact of distinct characteristics on the temperature, velocity microorganism and concentration field is graphically evaluated. Moreover, physical quantities are observed via graphs and tabulated data in details. It has been seen by the observation that the involvement of unsteadiness parameter restricts the change of laminar to turbulent flow. Further, for increasing velocity slip parameter velocity component in both directions shows lessening behavior. The Nusselt number exhibits diminishing behavior for larger values of Deborah number, and it shows the opposite behavior for larger values of convective parameter.
Phenylalanine gold nanoclusters as sensing platform for π–π interfering molecules: a case study of iodide
Authors: Amiri-Sadeghan Amir , Dinari Ali , Mohammadi Soheila , Zohrabi Tayebeh , Khodarahmi Reza , Hosseinkhani Saman , Yoon Jungwon
Published: February 2022

The photo-physical properties of metal nano clusters are sensitive to their surrounding medium. Fluorescence enhancement, quenching, and changes in the emitted photon properties are usual events in the sensing applications using these nano materials. Combining this sensitivity with unique properties of self-assembled structures opens new opportunities for sensing applications. Here, we synthesized gold nanoclusters by utilizing phenylalanine amino acid as both capping and reducing molecule. Phenylalanine is able to self-assemble to rod-shaped nano structure in which the π–π interaction between the aromatic rings is a major stabilizing force. Any substance as iodide anion or molecule that is able to weaken this interaction influence the fluorescence of metal nano-clusters. Since the building blocks of the self-assembled structure are made through the reaction of gold ions and phenylalanine, the oxidized products and their effect of sensing features are explored.
Quantitative parameter mapping of contrast agent concentration and relaxivity and brain tumor extracellular pH
Authors: Matsumoto Yuki , Harada Masafumi , Kanazawa Yuki , Taniguchi Yo , Ono Masaharu , Bito Yoshitaka
Published: February 2022

In clinical magnetic resonance imaging, gadolinium-based contrast agents are commonly used for detecting brain tumors and evaluating the extent of malignancy. We present a new method to evaluate relaxivity (r1) and contrast agent concentration separately in contrast-enhanced lesions using quantitative parameter mapping (QPM). Furthermore, we also aimed to estimate the extracellular pH (pHe) of tumor lesions. We demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate pathophysiological tumor changes due to therapeutic efficacy by measuring r1 in contrast-enhanced lesions. In this study, the primary brain tumor group showed significantly higher r1 values than other brain disease groups (P < 0.001). Moreover, mean pHe value showed a trend for tumor malignancy having a lower pHe value and primary brain tumor having a significantly lower pHe than other brain diseases (P < 0.001). Our results might suggest that QPM can separately quantify r1 and CA concentration in brain tumors and that pHe brain tumor mapping could serve as a tumor biomarker. In conclusion, our method has potential clinical applications for assessing the treatment effects.
Clinical and pathological characteristics associated with the presence of the IS6110 Mycobacterim tuberculosis transposon in neoplastic cells from non-small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Arrieta Oscar , Molina-Romero Camilo , Cornejo-Granados Fernanda , Marquina-Castillo Brenda , Avilés-Salas Alejandro , López-Leal Gamaliel , Cardona Andrés F. , Ortega-Gómez Alette , Orozco-Morales Mario , Ochoa-Leyva Adrián , Hernandez-Pando Rogelio
Published: February 2022

Lung cancer (LC) and pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) are the deadliest neoplastic and bacterial infectious diseases worldwide, respectively. Clinicians and pathologists have long discussed the co-existence of LC and TB, and several epidemiologic studies have presented evidence indicating that TB could be associated with the development of LC, particularly adenocarcinoma. Nonetheless, this data remains controversial, and the mechanism which could underlie the association remains largely unexplored. Some bioinformatic studies have shown that human cancer biopsies have a very high frequency of bacterial DNA integration; since Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (MTb) is an intracellular pathogen, it could play an active role in the cellular transformation. Our group performed an exploratory study in a cohort of 88 LC patients treated at the Instituto Nacional de Cancelorogía (INCan) of Mexico City to evaluate the presence of MTb DNA in LC tissue specimens. For the first time, our results show the presence of the MTb IS6110 transposon in 40.9% (n = 36/88) of patients with lung adenocarcinomas. Additionally, through in-situ PCR we identified the presence of IS6110 in the nuclei of tumor cells. Furthermore, shotgun sequencing from two samples identified traces of MTb genomes present in tumor tissue, suggesting that similar Mtb strains could be infecting both patients.
A matrix representation for sustainable activities
Authors: Mahmud A. S. , Zachary D. S.
Published: February 2022

The present paper develops a matrix framework to determine the sustainability of multiple activities simultaneously. We define an activity as an action or process involving multiple resources; each activity depends upon other activities at a higher level. First, the problem of sustainability is framed in the context of an input–output model. Later, an infinite layer approach is adopted to represent different sectors of the economy and both renewable and non-renewable resources. Using the infinite layer approach, the concentration of renewable energy usage is calculated for each activity. The conversion to productive use varies from one resource to another. The current endeavor also focuses on enhancing energy efficiency to reduce non-renewable resource dependency.
Classifying neovascular age-related macular degeneration with a deep convolutional neural network based on optical coherence tomography images
Authors: Han Jinyoung , Choi Seong , Park Ji In , Hwang Joon Seo , Han Jeong Mo , Lee Hak Jun , Ko Junseo , Yoon Jeewoo , Hwang Daniel Duck-Jin
Published: February 2022

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is among the main causes of visual impairment worldwide. We built a deep learning model to distinguish the subtypes of nAMD using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images. Data from SD-OCT images of nAMD (polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, retinal angiomatous proliferation, and typical nAMD) and normal healthy patients were analyzed using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The model was trained and validated based on 4749 SD-OCT images from 347 patients and 50 healthy controls. To adopt an accurate and robust image classification architecture, we evaluated three well-known CNN structures (VGG-16, VGG-19, and ResNet) and two customized classification layers (fully connected layer with dropout vs. global average pooling). Following the test set performance, the model with the highest classification accuracy was used. Transfer learning and data augmentation were applied to improve the robustness and accuracy of the model. Our proposed model showed an accuracy of 87.4% on the test data (920 images), scoring higher than ten ophthalmologists, for the same data. Additionally, the part that our model judged to be important in classification was confirmed through Grad-CAM images, and consequently, it has a similar judgment criteria to that of ophthalmologists. Thus, we believe that our model can be used as an auxiliary tool in clinical practice.
Development and clinical application of a deep learning model to identify acute infarct on magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Bridge Christopher P. , Bizzo Bernardo C. , Hillis James M. , Chin John K. , Comeau Donnella S. , Gauriau Romane , Macruz Fabiola , Pawar Jayashri , Noro Flavia T. C. , Sharaf Elshaimaa , Straus Takahashi Marcelo , Wright Bradley , Kalafut John F. , Andriole Katherine P. , Pomerantz Stuart R. , Pedemonte Stefano , González R. Gilberto
Published: February 2022

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. The ability to quickly identify the presence of acute infarct and quantify the volume on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has important treatment implications. We developed a machine learning model that used the apparent diffusion coefficient and diffusion weighted imaging series. It was trained on 6,657 MRI studies from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH; Boston, USA). All studies were labelled positive or negative for infarct (classification annotation) with 377 having the region of interest outlined (segmentation annotation). The different annotation types facilitated training on more studies while not requiring the extensive time to manually segment every study. We initially validated the model on studies sequestered from the training set. We then tested the model on studies from three clinical scenarios: consecutive stroke team activations for 6-months at MGH, consecutive stroke team activations for 6-months at a hospital that did not provide training data (Brigham and Women’s Hospital [BWH]; Boston, USA), and an international site (Diagnósticos da América SA [DASA]; Brazil). The model results were compared to radiologist ground truth interpretations. The model performed better when trained on classification and segmentation annotations (area under the receiver operating curve [AUROC] 0.995 [95% CI 0.992–0.998] and median Dice coefficient for segmentation overlap of 0.797 [IQR 0.642–0.861]) compared to segmentation annotations alone (AUROC 0.982 [95% CI 0.972–0.990] and Dice coefficient 0.776 [IQR 0.584–0.857]). The model accurately identified infarcts for MGH stroke team activations (AUROC 0.964 [95% CI 0.943–0.982], 381 studies), BWH stroke team activations (AUROC 0.981 [95% CI 0.966–0.993], 247 studies), and at DASA (AUROC 0.998 [95% CI 0.993–1.000], 171 studies). The model accurately segmented infarcts with Pearson correlation comparing model output and ground truth volumes between 0.968 and 0.986 for the three scenarios. Acute infarct can be accurately detected and segmented on MRI in real-world clinical scenarios using a machine learning model.
Bioprocess development for bacterial cellulose biosynthesis by novel Lactiplantibacillus plantarum isolate along with characterization and antimicrobial assessment of fabricated membrane
Authors: Saleh Ahmed K. , El-Gendi Hamada , Soliman Nadia A. , El-Zawawy Waleed K. , Abdel-Fattah Yasser R.
Published: February 2022

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an ecofriendly biopolymer with diverse commercial applications. Its use is limited by the capacity of bacterial production strains and cost of the medium. Mining for novel organisms with well-optimized growth conditions will be important for the adoption of BC. In this study, a novel BC-producing strain was isolated from rotten fruit samples and identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum from 16S rRNA sequencing. Culture conditions were optimized for supporting maximal BC production using one variable at a time, Plackett–Burman design, and Box Behnken design approaches. Results indicated that a modified Yamanaka medium supported the highest BC yield (2.7 g/l), and that yeast extract, MgSO4, and pH were the most significant variables influencing BC production. After optimizing the levels of these variables through Box Behnken design, BC yield was increased to 4.51 g/l. The drug delivery capacity of the produced BC membrane was evaluated through fabrication with sodium alginate and gentamycin antibiotic at four different concentrations. All membranes (normal and fabricated) were characterized by scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and mechanical properties. The antimicrobial activity of prepared composites was evaluated by using six human pathogens and revealed potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus mutans, with no detected activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans.
Different perception of dry eye symptoms between patients with and without primary Sjogren’s syndrome
Authors: Kim Minjeong , Chun Yeoun Sook , Kim Kyoung Woo
Published: February 2022

Here, we investigated the different perception of dry eye symptoms between in patients with and without primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS). In this study, 221 patients with dry eye disease (DED) without pSS (non-SS DED group) and 55 patients with DED with pSS (SS DED group) were included. The ocular discomfort was evaluated using ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire and patients were further divided into 3 severity subgroups according to OSDI scores. The OSDI score was higher in the non-SS DED group even after matching corneal erosion scores despite the ocular surface erosions and tear deficiency was worse in the SS DED group. The corneal sensitivity was nearly normal in both groups without inter-group difference (Non-SS DED group: 5.82 ± 0.54 cm, SS DED group: 5.90 ± 0.29 cm, p = 0.217). Moreover, all clinical parameters were not significantly correlated with OSDI scores in both non-SS DED group and SS DED group. In the mild and severe OSDI subgroups, the ocular surface erosions and tear deficiency were worse in the SS DED group whereas the OSDI scores were not different between groups. In conclusion, clinicians should be aware that pSS patients may complain less of their discomfort unlike their actual severe status of DED.
Characterization of influenza A virus induced transposons reveals a subgroup of transposons likely possessing the regulatory role as eRNAs
Authors: Shen Steven S. , Nanda Hezkiel , Aliferis Constantin , Langlois Ryan A.
Published: February 2022

Although many studies have observed genome-wide host transposon expression alteration during viral infection, the mechanisms of induction and the impact on the host remain unclear. Utilizing recently published influenza A virus (IAV) time series data and ENCODE functional genomics data, we characterized virus induced host differentially expressed transposons (virus-induced-TE) by investigating genome-wide spatial and functional relevance between the virus-induced-TEs and epigenomic markers (e.g. histone modification and chromatin remodelers). We found that a significant fraction of virus-induced-TEs are derived from host enhancer regions, where CHD4 binding and/or H3K27ac occupancy is high or H3K9me3 occupancy is low. By overlapping virus-induced-TEs to human enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), we discovered that a proportion of virus-induced-TEs are either eRNAs or part of enhancer RNAs. Upon further analysis of the eRNA targeted genes, we found that the virus-induced-TE related eRNA targets are overrepresented in differentially expressed host genes of IAV infected samples. Our results suggest that changing chromatin accessibility from repressive to permissive in the transposon docked enhancer regions to regulate host downstream gene expression is potentially one of the virus and host cell interaction mechanisms, where transposons are likely important regulatory genomic elements. Our study provides a new insight into the mechanisms of virus-host interaction and may lead to novel strategies for prevention and therapeutics of IAV and other virus infectious diseases.
An experimental and theoretical approach to electrochemical sensing of environmentally hazardous dihydroxy benzene isomers at polysorbate modified carbon paste electrode
Authors: Ganesh Pattan-Siddappa , Kim Sang-Youn , Kaya Savas , Salim Rajae
Published: February 2022

It is well known that, surfactants provide a neutral, positive and/or negative charge on the electrode surface by forming a monolayer, which in turn affects the charge transfer and redox potential during the electroanalysis process. However, the molecular level understanding of these surfactant-modified electrodes is worth investigating because the interaction of the analyte with the electrode surface is still unclear. In this report, we used quantum chemical models based on computational density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the polysorbate 80 structure as well as the locations of energy levels and electron transfer sites. Later, the bare carbon paste electrode (bare/CPE) was modified with polysorbate 80 and used to resolve the overlapped oxidation signals of dihydroxy benzene isomers. The m/n values obtained at polysorbate/CPE was approximately equal to 1, signifying the transfer of same number of protons and electrons. Moreover, the analytical applicability of the modified electrode for the determination of catechol (CC) and hydroquinone (HQ) in tap water samples gave an acceptable recovery result. Overall, the application of DFT to understand the molecular level interaction of modifiers for sensing applications laid a new foundation for fabricating electrochemical sensors.
Efficient oil–water separation coating with robust superhydrophobicity and high transparency
Authors: Chen Baiyi , Zhang Rongrong , Fu Hexuan , Xu Jiadai , Jing Yuan , Xu Guohe , Wang Bin , Hou Xu
Published: February 2022

There has been a growing interest in oil–water separation due to the massive economic and energy loss caused by world-wide oil spill. In the past decades, a new type of superhydrophobic surface has been developed for the efficient oil–water separation, but its large-scale use is significantly limited by its expensive, sophisticated, and fragile roughness structure. Meanwhile, to handle complex operating conditions, the transparency of the superhydrophobic surface has been more attractive due to its potential visual oil–water separation and optical application scenarios. Herein, we showed a simple and versatile strategy to fabricate superhydrophobic coating with robustness and high transparency. Subsequently, this multifunctional superhydrophobic coating was utilized for oil–water separation and indicated excellent separation efficiency. In this strategy, candle soot composed of carbon nanoparticles was deposited onto the substrate and used as a rough surface template. Then, a filmy and hard silica shell was modified onto this template via chemical vapor deposition to reinforce the roughness structure. Following, this soot-silica coated substrate was calcined in air to remove the candle soot template. Finally, based on a rational surface design, this robust silica coating achieved excellent superhydrophobicity thereby showing inherently oil–water separation benefits. This reinforced superhydrophobic coating presented robust superhydrophobicity even after 410 s sand impacting with the height of 40 cm and 20 cycles of sandpaper abrasion. Also, it retained excellent oil–water separation efficiency even after reuses.
Nitrate sources and mixing in the Danube watershed: implications for transboundary river basin monitoring and management
Authors: Halder J. , Vystavna Y. , Wassenaar L. I.
Published: February 2022

Dispersed and unknown pollution sources complicate water management in large transboundary watersheds. We applied stable isotopes of water and nitrate together with contaminants of emerging concern (CECs: carbamazepine, caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, perfluorooctanoic acid and 2,4-dinitrophenol) to evaluate mixing and inputs of water and contaminants from tributaries into the mainstem of the transboundary Danube River. Stable isotope (δ18O, δ2H) variations from low values (− 13.3 ‰, − 95.1 ‰) in the Upper Danube after the Inn River confluence to high values (− 9.9 ‰, − 69.7 ‰) at the Danube River mouth revealed snowmelt dominated tributary mixing (~ 70%) in the mainstem. Stable isotopes of nitrate (δ15N-NO3) in the Danube River varied from lower values (+ 6.7 ‰) in the Upper Danube to higher values after the mixing with Morava River (+ 10.5 ‰) and showed that cold snowmelt can reduce biological activity and controls nitrate biotransformation processes in the mainstem up to 1000 km downstream. Data on emerging contaminants affirmed the low biodegradation potential of organic compounds transferred into the mainstem by tributaries. We found pollutant source tracing in large rivers is complicated by mixing of multiple sources with overlapping isotopic signatures, but additional tracers such as CECs improve the interpretation of hydrological processes (e.g., water transit time) and support tracing of nitrate pollution sources, and biogeochemical processes. Our approach can be applied to other watersheds to improve the understanding of dilution and mixing processes. Moreover, it provides directions for improving national and transboundary water quality monitoring networks.
Blood–brain barrier disruption as a cause of various serum neuron-specific enolase cut-off values for neurological prognosis in cardiac arrest patients
Authors: Kang Changshin , You Yeonho , Ahn Hong Joon , Park Jung Soo , Jeong Wonjoon , Min Jin Hong , In Yong Nam , Yoo Insool , Cho Yongchul , Ryu Seung , Lee Jinwoong , Kim Seung Whan
Published: February 2022

We compared the cut-off and prognostic value of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) between groups with and without severe blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption to reveal that a cause of various serum NSE cut-off value for neurological prognosis is severe BBB disruption in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients underwent target temperature management (TTM). This was a prospective, single-centre study conducted from January 2019 to June 2021. Severe BBB disruption was indicated using cerebrospinal fluid-serum albumin quotient values > 0.02. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of serum NSE obtained on day 3 of hospitalisation to predict poor outcomes was used. In patients with poor neurologic outcomes, serum NSE in those with severe BBB disruption was higher than in those without (P = 0.006). A serum NSE cut-off value of 40.4 μg/L for poor outcomes in patients without severe BBB disruption had a sensitivity of 41.7% and a specificity of 96.0%, whereas a cut-off value of 34.6 μg/L in those with severe BBB disruption had a sensitivity of 86.4% and a specificity of 100.0%. We demonstrated that the cut-off and prognostic value of serum NSE were heterogeneous, depending on severe BBB disruption in OHCA patients treated with TTM.
Co-occurrence CDK4/6 amplification serves as biomarkers of de novo EGFR TKI resistance in sensitizing EGFR mutation non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Sitthideatphaiboon Piyada , Teerapakpinyo Chinachote , Korphaisarn Krittiya , Leelayuwatanakul Nophol , Pornpatrananrak Nopporn , Poungvarin Naravat , Chantranuwat Poonchavist , Shuangshoti Shanop , Aporntewan Chatchawit , Chintanapakdee Wariya , Sriuranpong Virote , Vinayanuwattikun Chanida
Published: February 2022

Despite the development of predictive biomarkers to shape treatment paradigms and outcomes, de novo EGFR TKI resistance advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains an issue of concern. We explored clinical factors in 332 advanced NSCLC who received EGFR TKI and molecular characteristics through 65 whole exome sequencing of various EGFR TKI responses including; de novo (progression within 3 months), intermediate response (IRs) and long-term response (LTRs) (durability > 2 years). Uncommon EGFR mutation subtypes were significantly variable enriched in de novo resistance. The remaining sensitizing EGFR mutation subtypes (exon 19 del and L858R) accounted for 75% of de novo resistance. Genomic landscape analysis was conducted, focusing in 10 frequent oncogenic signaling pathways with functional contributions; cell cycle, Hippo, Myc, Notch, Nrf2, PI-3-Kinase/Akt, RTK-RAS, TGF-β, p53 and β-catenin/Wnt signaling. Cell cycle pathway was the only significant alteration pathway among groups with the FDR p-value of 6 × 10–4. We found only significant q-values of < 0.05 in 7 gene alterations; CDK6, CCNE1, CDK4, CCND3, MET, FGFR4 and HRAS which enrich in de novo resistance [range 36–73%] compared to IRs/LTRs [range 4–22%]. Amplification of CDK4/6 was significant in de novo resistance, contrary to IRs and LTRs (91%, 27.9% and 0%, respectively). The presence of co-occurrence CDK4/6 amplification correlated with poor disease outcome with HR of progression-free survival of 3.63 [95% CI 1.80–7.31, p-value < 0.001]. The presence of CDK4/6 amplification in pretreatment specimen serves as a predictive biomarker for de novo resistance in sensitizing EGFR mutation.
Oropharyngeal administration of mother’s own milk influences levels of salivary sIgA in preterm infants fed by gastric tube
Authors: Chen Li-Lian , Liu Jie , Mu Xiao-He , Zhang Xi-Yang , Yang Chuan-Zhong , Xiong Xiao-Yun , Wang Mei-Qi
Published: February 2022

The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of oropharyngeal mother’s milk administration on salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels in preterm infants fed by gastric tube. Infants (n = 130) with birth weight < 1500 g were randomly allocated into two groups which both received breast milk for enteral nutrition. The experimental group (n = 65) accepted oropharyngeal mother’s milk administration before gastric tube feeding for 14 days after birth. The control group (n = 65) accepted oropharyngeal 0.9% normal saline administration. Saliva concentration of sIgA were assessed at the 2 h, 7th and 14th day after birth. The level of salivary sIgA in experimental group were significantly higher than those in control group on the 7th day after birth (p < 0.05), but there were no differences in salivary sIgA levels on the 14th day between the two groups. The results of quantile regression analysis showed that oropharyngeal mother’s milk administration, delivery mode and gestational age had significant effects on the increase of sIgA. SIgA in experimental group and the total number of intervention had a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05). Oropharyngeal mother’s milk administration can improve salivary sIgA levels of preterm infants.
A novel method to design and evaluate artificial neural network for thin film thickness measurement traceable to the length standard
Authors: Lee Joonyoung , Jin Jonghan
Published: February 2022

The artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been often used for thin-film thickness measurement, whose performance evaluations were only conducted at the level of simple comparisons with the existing analysis methods. However, it is not an easy and simple way to verify the reliability of an ANN based on international length standards. In this article, we propose for the first time a method by which to design and evaluate an ANN for determining the thickness of the thin film with international standards. The original achievements of this work are to choose parameters of the ANN reasonably and to evaluate the training instead of a simple comparison with conventional methods. To do this, ANNs were built in 12 different cases, and then trained using theoretical spectra. The experimental spectra of the certified reference materials (CRMs) used here served as the validation data of each trained ANN, with the output then compared with a certified value. When both values agree with each other within an expanded uncertainty of the CRMs, the ANN is considered to be reliable. We expect that the proposed method can be useful for evaluating the reliability of ANN in the future.
Construction of antibacterial adhesion surfaces based on bioinspired borneol-containing glycopolymers
Authors: Cheng Qiuli , Peng Yi-Yang , Asha Anika Benozir , Zhang Leitao , Li Junbo , Shi Zuosen , Cui Zhanchen , Narain Ravin
Published: February 2022

Preparation of antibacterial coating materials is considered an effective strategy to prevent medical device-related infections.
A DNA and mitochondria dual-targeted photosensitizer for two-photon-excited bioimaging and photodynamic therapy
Authors: Zhou Yuping , Xia Weikang , Liu Chuang , Ye Sheng , Wang Lei , Liu Ruiyuan
Published: February 2022

A DNA and mitochondria dual-targeted photosensitizer TPA-2PI with an A–π-D–π-A structure was synthesized and utilized for two-photon-excited bioimaging and photodynamic therapy in living systems.
Synthesis of medium-ring lactams and macrocyclic peptide mimetics via conjugate addition/ring expansion cascade reactions
Authors: Palate Kleopas Y. , Yang Zhongzhen , Whitwood Adrian C. , Unsworth William P.
Published: February 2022

A conjugate addition/ring expansion (CARE) cascade reaction sequence is reported that enables medium-sized ring and macrocyclic bis-lactams to be prepared from primary amines and cyclic imides.
A bilayer coating as an oxygen-transfer cascade for the electrochemical ambient conversion of methane to oxygenates
Authors: Kadosh Yanir , Ben-Eliyahu Yeshayahu , Bochlin Yair , Ezuz Lior , Iflah Yacov , Halevy Shuli , Kozuch Sebastian , Korin Eli , Bettelheim Armand
Published: February 2022

Triggered by an applied potential, a new electrode bilayer coating serving as an oxygen transfer cascade is able to oxidize methane to useful oxygenates.
Facile surface functionalization of MXene by pillar[5]arene for enhanced electrochemical performance
Authors: Wang Cui , Yi Fan , Li Runhao , Liang Xiao-Cui , He Qiang , Min Xuehong , Hu Xiaoyun , Sun Yue
Published: February 2022

We describe functional two-dimensional materials via the combination of pillar[5]arene and MXene, which exhibit high supramolecular recognition, enrichment capability, and high electrochemical response toward dye molecules.
Revealing protein binding affinity on metal surfaces: an electrochemical approach
Authors: Lyu Danya , Wang Pingshi , Zhang Shuo , Liu Guokun , Ren Bin
Published: February 2022

An interfacial capacitance-based electrochemical strategy is applied to investigate the binding affinity of SRBD protein on different surfaces for evaluating of the potential risk of indirect virus infection pathways.
AuB8−: an Au–borozene complex
Authors: Chen Wei-Jia , Zhang Yang-Yang , Li Wan-Lu , Choi Hyun Wook , Li Jun , Wang Lai-Sheng
Published: February 2022

Photoelectron spectroscopy and quantum chemistry studies are used to investigate the structure and bonding of AuB8−.
Development of anthrazoline photocatalysts for promoting amination and amidation reactions
Authors: Wang Danfeng , Huang Hai , Zhu Xiaolin
Published: February 2022

Herein, we report the synthesis, photophysical and electrochemical properties of a series of anthrazoline organophotocatalysts, as well as their photocatalytic competencies in promoting C–N bond formation in combination with nickel catalyst.
Structural transformation of copper coordination complexes accompanied with chiral transformation
Authors: Li Zhongkui , Su Hao , Zhu Yanhong , Yan Li , Li Hui
Published: February 2022

The structural transformation of copper coordination complexes accompanied with chiral transformation under solvent induction.
Prediction of dielectric constants of ABO3-type perovskites using machine learning and first-principles calculations
Authors: Kim Eunsong , Kim Joonchul , Min Kyoungmin
Published: February 2022

We constructed the machine-learning model for predicting the dielectric constant of ABO3 perovskite with additionally calculated and analyzed 216 thermodynamically stable ABO3-type perovskites.
Stabilization and fluorescence light-up of G-quadruplex nucleic acids using indolyl-quinolinium based probes
Authors: Biswas Annyesha , Singh Sushma B. , Todankar Chaitra S. , Sudhakar Sruthi , Pany Sushree Prangya Priyadarshinee , Pradeepkumar P. I.
Published: February 2022

Small molecule based fluorescent probes for the stabilization and sensing of G-quadruplex DNAs.
DNA sequencing based on electronic tunneling in a gold nanogap: a first-principles study
Authors: Zou Hao , Wen Shizheng , Wu Xiaoyan , Wong Ka-Wai , Yam ChiYung
Published: February 2022

First-principles simulations show the ability of DNA sequencing based on electronic tunneling in a sulfur-decorated gold nanogap.
Mass transfer analysis of boron-doped carbon nanotube cathodes for dual-electrolyte lithium–air batteries
Authors: Wang Yuyang , Yu Mingfu , Li Jie , Zhang Tianyu , Wang Xun , Hao Milong , Wang Xue , Cheng Long , Sun Hong
Published: February 2022

Defect-rich BC3NTs can enhance the mass transfer ability of dual-electrolyte Li-air batteries.
The binding mechanism of NHWD-870 to bromodomain-containing protein 4 based on molecular dynamics simulations and free energy calculation
Authors: Shi Mingsong , He Jun , Weng Tiantian , Shi Na , Qi Wenyan , Guo Yong , Chen Tao , Chen Lijuan , Xu Dingguo
Published: February 2022

Bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) proteins (BRD2, BRD3, BRD4, and BRDT) are epigenetic readers with tandem bromodomains.
Superior thermoelectric properties of ternary chalcogenides CsAg5Q3 (Q = Te, Se) predicted using first-principles calculations
Authors: Jong Un-Gi , Kang Chung-Jin , Kim Su-Yong , Kim Hyon-Chol , Yu Chol-Jun
Published: February 2022

We performed a first-principles investigation of the anharmonic lattice dynamics and thermal transport properties of CsAg5Q3 (Q = Te and Se), revealing its promising thermoelectric performance.
Use of group 13 aryloxides for the synthesis of green chemicals and oxide materials
Authors: Petrus Rafał , Utko Józef , Petrus Joanna , Awashra Mohammad , Lis Tadeusz
Published: February 2022

Homo- and heterometallic group 13 aryloxides were obtained and used to synthesize attractive green chemicals, i.e., hydroxy acid glyceryl esters and star-shaped polyesters, or heterometallic oxide materials, i.e. γ-LiAlO2 and β-LiGaO2.
Ultrathin Bi4O5Br2 nanosheets with surface oxygen vacancies and strong interaction with Bi2O2CO3 for highly efficient removal of water contaminants
Authors: Zhang Lili , Wang Zhiqiang , Li Tong , Hu Chun , Yang Min
Published: February 2022

Ultrathin Bi4O5Br2 nanosheets with surface oxygen vacancies and strong interfacial interaction with Bi2O2CO3 for highly efficient removal of water contaminants.
Redox-active and Brønsted basic dual sites for photocatalytic activation of benzylic C–H bonds based on pyridinium derivatives
Authors: Ma Shuai , Ma Jin-Ming , Cui Jing-Wang , Rao Cai-Hui , Jia Meng-Ze , Zhang Jie
Published: February 2022

A mild and efficient photocatalytic C–H bond activation strategy has been developed by combining redox-active and Brønsted basic dual sites to offer a concerted pathway for H abstraction through concomitant proton and electron transfer.
Synthesis and photophysical properties of novel oxadiazole substituted BODIPY fluorophores
Authors: Matveeva Maria D. , Zhilyaev Dmitry I. , Miftyakhova Almira R. , Chulkin Pavel , Janasik Patryk , Voskressensky Leonid G. , Talarico Giovanni , Efimov Ilya V.
Published: February 2022

Using 3-phenyl-5-(5-phenyl-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole, BODIPYs with the oxadiazole groups at the 1,7-positions were prepared and their photophysical properties were characterized.
A systematic comparison of the extraction and adsorption of theophylline by new amino acid ester-based ionic liquids
Authors: Liu Na , Teng Juan , Yohannes Alula , Song Hang , Yao Shun
Published: February 2022

The selective extraction and adsorption of theophylline with a new amino acid ester-based ionic liquid was demonstrated, and a systematic comparison was made for future applications.
Metal-/catalyst-free one-pot three-component thioamination of 1,4-naphthoquinone in a sustainable solvent
Authors: Xiong Li , He Shuai-Qi , Pan Jie , Yu Bing
Published: February 2022

A metal-/catalyst-free protocol for the direct thioamination of 1,4-naphthoquinone with thiophenols and amines using air as an oxidant in a green solvent has been developed.
Synthesis and exploration of configurational dynamics in equilibratingE/Z2-aryliminothiazolidin-4-ones using NMR and estimation of thermodynamic parameters
Authors: Singh Rahul , Kumar Parvin , Sindhu Jayant , Devi Meena
Published: February 2022

NMR based in-depth exploration of stereodynamic behavior in equilibratingE/Z2-aryliminothiazolidin-4-ones and determination of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters.
Metal-assisted synthesis of salen-based porous organic polymer for highly efficient fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates
Authors: Yuan Gang , Lei Yin , Meng Xianyu , Ge Bangdi , Ye Yu , Song Xiaowei , Liang Zhiqiang
Published: February 2022

A series of metal–salen-based porous organic polymers was synthesized using a simple metal-assisted synthetic method, among which Co-salen-POP exhibited highly efficient performance in the fixation of CO2 into cyclic carbonates.
A new electrochemical DNA biosensor for determination of anti-cancer drug chlorambucil based on a polypyrrole/flower-like platinum/NiCo2O4/pencil graphite electrode
Authors: Mahmoudi-Moghaddam Hadi , Garkani-Nejad Zahra
Published: February 2022

In the current study, DNA immobilization was performed on pencil graphite (PG) modified with a polypyrrole (PPy) and flower-like Pt/NiCo2O4 (FL-Pt/NiCo2O4) nanocomposite, as a new sensitive electrode to detect chlorambucil (CHB).
Iridium/graphene nanostructured catalyst for the N-alkylation of amines to synthesize nitrogen-containing derivatives and heterocyclic compounds in a green process
Authors: Chen Tsun-Ren , Chen Yu-Tung , Chen Yi-Sheng , Lee Wen-Jen , Lin Yen-Hsing , Wang Hao-Chen
Published: February 2022

The unprecedented iridium/graphene nanostructured catalyst directly promotes the formation of C–N bonds without the need for pre-activation steps, solvents, alkalis and other additives.
Chiral columns forming a lattice with a giant unit cell
Authors: Rybak Paulina , Krowczynski Adam , Szydlowska Jadwiga , Pociecha Damian , Gorecka Ewa
Published: February 2022

We present a new type of columnar phase with a giant unit cell and Fddd lattice formed below Colh phase. The complex 3D structure of the ColFddd phase results from frustration imposed by packing of chiral columns of opposite handedness in a triangular lattice.
Understanding the water molecule effect in metal-free B-based electrocatalysts for electrochemical CO2 reduction
Authors: Meng Yuxiao , Xu Zhangmeng , Shen Zhangfeng , Xia Qineng , Cao Yongyong , Wang Yangang , Li Xi
Published: February 2022

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) is a feasible and economical way to eliminate CO2via converting it into useful products.
Heterostructured ferroelectric BaTiO3@MOF-Fe/Co electrocatalysts for efficient oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Wang Shuang , Li Qiong , Sun Shujuan , Ge Kai , Zhao Yi , Yang Kai , Zhang Zhiheng , Cao Jiayu , Lu Jie , Yang Yongfang , Zhang Yue , Pan Mingwang , Lin Zhiqun , Zhu Lei
Published: February 2022

We present a simple route to creating anBTO200@MOF-Fe/Co heterostructures for efficient OER, but also provide a unique platform for designing superior, noble metal-free OER electrocatalysts via incorporating ferroelectric, high-κ nanomaterials.
Aggregation of CeO2 particles with aligned grains drives sintering of Pt single atoms in Pt/CeO2 catalysts
Authors: Lee Jaeha , Kang Sungsu , Lee Eunwon , Kang Minho , Sung Jongbaek , Kim Tae Jin , Christopher Phillip , Park Jungwon , Kim Do Heui
Published: February 2022

During thermal treatment of Pt/CeO2 catalysts, aggregation of CeO2 particles can facilitate the sintering of supported Pt, especially when the neighboring lattice-aligned CeO2 particles aggregate.
A hybrid hydrogel system composed of CdTe quantum dots and photonic crystals for optical anti-counterfeiting and information encoding–decoding
Authors: Pan Guoyi , Yan Jingye , Tang Zilun , Zhang Jieheng , Lin Xiaofeng , Yang Dongpeng , Wu Jianyu , Lin Wenjing , Yi Guobin
Published: February 2022

A novel hybrid hydrogel system composed of CdTe QDs and SiO2 PCs was developed for optical anti-counterfeiting and information encoding–decoding.
Current electrochemical approaches to selective deuteration
Authors: Norcott Philip L.
Published: February 2022

A highlight of recent synthetic methods for selective deuteration of organic molecules using electrochemistry.
Redox-neutral dehydrogenative cross-coupling of alcohols and amines enabled by nickel catalysis
Authors: Yan Zijuan , Liu Feipeng , Wang Xuchao , Qiang Qing , Li Yongjie , Zhang Yao , Rong Zi-Qiang
Published: February 2022

A facile and straightforward synthetic method for the construction of amidesviaredox-neutral Ni/NHC-catalyzed dehydrogenative cross-coupling of alcohols and amines has been developed.
The impact of fluence dependent proton ion irradiation on the structural and optical properties of Bi5In30Se65 thin films for nonlinear optical devices
Authors: Priyadarshini P. , Das S. , Alagarasan D. , Ganesan R. , Varadharajaperumal S. , Sahoo S. , Naik R.
Published: February 2022

The influence of 30 keV proton ion irradiation on the surface morphology, surface topography and optical properties of Bi5In30Se65 thin films.
Synthesis of hierarchical nanocrystalline β zeolite as efficient catalyst for alkylation of benzene with benzyl alcohol
Authors: Zhou Pan , Liu Meng-Nan , Luo Qun-Xing , Zhang Jianbo , Chen Huiyong , Ma Xiaoxun , Hao Qing-Qing
Published: February 2022

Hierarchical β zeolite with enhanced transport and specific catalytic activity of acid sites in Friedel–Crafts alkylation was achieved by using amphiphilic organosilane surfactant as mesopores-directing agent and crystal growth inhibitor.
Correction: Titania/chitosan–lignin nanocomposite as an efficient photocatalyst for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol under UV and visible light
Authors: Khan Ayesha , Goepel Michael , Lisowski Wojciech , Łomot Dariusz , Lisovytskiy Dmytro , Mazurkiewicz-Pawlicka Marta , Gläser Roger , Warczak Magdalena , Colmenares Juan Carlos
Published: February 2022

Correction for ‘Titania/chitosan–lignin nanocomposite as an efficient photocatalyst for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol under UV and visible light’ by Ayesha Khan et al., RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 34996–35010. DOI: 10.1039/D1RA06500A
Comprehensive characterization of the alternative splicing landscape in ovarian cancer reveals novel events associated with tumor-immune microenvironment
Authors: Sun Dan , Zhao Xingping , Yu Yang , Li Waixing , Gu Pan , Zhi Zhifu , Xu Dabao
Published: February 2022

Background: Ovarian cancer (OV) is a serious threat to women’s health. Immunotherapy is a new approach. Alternative splicing (AS) of messenger RNA (mRNA) and its regulation are highly relevant for understanding every cancer hallmark and may offer a broadened target space.

Methods: We downloaded the clinical information and mRNA expression profiles of 587 tumor tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We constructed a risk score model to predict the prognosis of OV patients. The association between AS-based clusters and tumor-immune microenvironment features was further explored. The ESTIMATE algorithm was also carried out on each OV sample depending on the risk score groups. A total of three immune checkpoint genes that have a significant correlation with risk scores were screened.

Results: The AS-events were a reliable and stable independent risk predictor in the OV cohort. Patients in the high-risk score group had a poor prognosis (P<0.001). Mast cells activated, NK cells resting, and Neutrophils positively correlated with the risk score. The number of Macrophages M1 was also more numerous in the low-risk score group (P<0.05). Checkpoint genes CD274, CTLA-4, and PDCD1LG2, showed a negative correlation with the risk score of AS in OV.

Conclusions: The proposed AS signature is a promising biomarker for estimating overall survival (OS) in OV. The AS-events signature combined with tumor-immune microenvironment enabled a deeper understanding of the immune status of OV patients, and also provided new insights for exploring novel prognostic predictors and precise therapy methods.
Research of key technologies for multi‐rotor UAV automatic aerial recovery system
Authors: Xing Zhenlin , Zhang Li , Ai Jianliang
Published: February 2022

This study proposes an aerial recovery technology that can complete aerial recovery for target unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by a platform UAV to overcome the limitation of ground recovery for multi‐rotor UAVs. To ensure the safety of automatic aerial recovery, more requirements are made for the stability of multi‐rotor UAVs. This study proposes a back‐stepping trajectory tracking controller for feedforward compensation of uncertain disturbances. The results of the simulation show that the controller can effectively prevent external disturbance and meet requirements for the desired trajectory tracking. Furthermore, based on a you only look once (YOLO) network, this study designs a real‐time image recognition and positioning system, which can achieve real‐time positioning for platform UAV by the target UAV with an image‐processing rate of 8 frames per second (FPS). With the main objective of safety, this study designs an automatic recovery guiding system for target UAVs using a fuzzy controller. The target UAVs can automatically realize a soft landing on the platform UAV effect of the guiding system. Finally, this study conducts dynamic recovery tests in‐flight and verifies the feasibility of automatic aerial recovery technology for multi‐rotor UAVs.