bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tunable Photoresponsive Behaviors Based on Triphenylamine Derivatives: The Pivotal Role of π‐Conjugated Structure and Corresponding Application
Authors: Yang Yujie , Wang Jiaqiang , Li Dan , Yang Jie , Fang Manman , Li Zhen
Published: September 2021

Photoresponsive materials have drawn much attention and are widely applied in daily life for their reversible changes in luminous color or appearance color under light irradiation. In this work, a new photoresponsive system based on triarylamine derivatives is developed. With the changed aryl substituents, adjustable photoresponsive properties, including photoactivated phosphorescence and photochromism after being dispersed into the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix, are demonstrated. According to the theoretical calculations and experimental data, the competition between the formations of triplet excitons and cationic radicals under photoirradiation should be the main reason for their different photoresponsive properties. Excitingly, the applications of rewritable photopatterning, anticounterfeiting, information encryption, and decryption are realized conveniently, in addition to the successful model of sunglasses to protect eyes away from ultraviolet radiation and strong light in the sunlight. These studies present a simple and efficient design strategy for the development of photoresponsive materials on modulating the phosphorescence and photochromic property.
Interaction of Potential Sources in Infinite 2D Arrays: Diffusion through Composite Membranes, Micro‐Electrochemistry, Entrance Resistance, and Other Examples
Authors: Yaroshchuk Andriy , Bondarenko M. P.
Published: September 2021

Regular 2D arrays of potential sources on impervious “screens” are a mathematical idealization for the description of a number of natural and/or technological processes. At steady state, they are described by Laplace equation with suitable boundary conditions. This study explains the evolution of boundary conditions from a given potential to a given potential gradient at infinity with increasing size of arrays and provides a criterion for micro‐ and macro‐arrays in terms of distance to potential‐defining surfaces. For regular macro‐arrays, the problem is formulated and solved numerically by using cell models. The use of rigorous cell models requires 3D numerical simulations, but a simplified (cylindrical, 2D) cell model is shown to have an excellent accuracy. Numerical as well as theoretical analyses reveal a simple far‐field behavior described by an asymptotic expression for an additional potential drop (applicable for sources whose size does not exceed about 40% of the intersource distance) dependent on just one numerical constant. This expression is used for the derivation of useful approximate formulae for several applications (diffusion resistance of composite membranes, limiting current in arrays of microelectrodes, entrance diffusion resistance in arrays of scarce and short nanopores) and compared with relevant interpolation formulae available in the literature.
Metal‐Decorated Crown Ether‐Embedded Graphene Nanomeshes for Enhanced Molecular Adsorption
Authors: Krishnakumar Rohini , James Anto , Swathi Rotti Srinivasamurthy
Published: September 2021

Success in single molecule detection using graphene and graphene oxide has opened up numerous opportunities for other 2D carbon‐based substrates to be used for applications in sensing and storage. Graphene nanomeshes, in particular, offer excellent platforms as filtration membranes. Molecular adsorption on pristine graphene is governed by weak van der Waals interactions, while considerable binding strengths can be achieved on defective, metal‐doped and metal‐decorated graphene. Hypothesizing that crown ether‐embedded graphene nanopores can bring in a strong electrostatic component toward molecular binding, electronic structure calculations on the binding of NH3, H2O, and HF on pristine and metal‐decorated graphene crown ethers (GCEs), latest addition to the family of graphene nanomeshes are reported. Li+ and Ca2+ decoration on crown‐4 and crown‐6 GCEs is shown to yield enhanced molecular binding strengths when compared to pristine GCEs and pristine graphene. The per molecular adsorption strengths are found to exhibit a gradual decrease upon addition of molecules. However, the propensity of the molecules to form strong hydrogen‐bonded clusters as well as exhibit favorable interactions with the GCEs contributes to a negligible decrease in the per molecular adsorption strengths in some cases. The findings indicate that metal‐decorated O‐based GCEs are potential substrates for molecular adsorption.
Direct Charge Trapping Multilevel Memory with Graphdiyne/MoS2 Van der Waals Heterostructure
Authors: Wen Jialing , Tang Wenhui , Kang Zhuo , Liao Qingliang , Hong Mengyu , Du Junli , Zhang Xiankun , Yu Huihui , Si Haonan , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Yue
Published: September 2021

Direct charge trapping memory, a new concept memory without any dielectric, has begun to attract attention. However, such memory is still at the incipient stage, of which the charge‐trapping capability depends on localized electronic states that originated from the limited surface functional groups. To further advance such memory, a material with rich hybrid states is highly desired. Here, a van der Waals heterostructure design is proposed utilizing the 2D graphdiyne (GDY) which possesses abundant hybrid states with different chemical groups. In order to form the desirable van der Waals coupling, the plasma etching method is used to rapidly achieve the ultrathin 2D GDY with smooth surface for the first time. With the plasma‐treated 2D GDY as charge‐trapping layer, a direct charge‐trapping memory based on GDY/MoS2 is constructed. This bilayer memory is featured with large memory window (90 V) and high degree of modulation (on/off ratio around 8 × 107). Two operating mode can be achieved and data storage capability of 9 and 10 current levels can be obtained, respectively, in electronic and opto‐electronic mode. This GDY/MoS2 memory introduces a novel application of GDY as rich states charge‐trapping center and offers a new strategy of realizing high performance dielectric‐free electronics, such as optical memories and artificial synaptic.
Effects of creating a jejunal pouch on postoperative quality of life after total gastrectomy: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Tsuji Toshikatsu , Isobe Taro , Seto Yasuyuki , Tanaka Chie , Kojima Kazuyuki , Motoori Masaaki , Ikeda Masami , Nitta Toshikatsu , Oshio Atsushi , Nakada Koji
Published: September 2021

Aim

Total gastrectomy results in the complete loss of gastric function and the development of severe postgastrectomy syndrome. During the jejunal pouch procedure following total gastrectomies, a substitute stomach is created to alleviate the effects of postgastrectomy syndrome. However, the procedure's effectiveness remains controversial. This study aimed to explore the effect of jejunal pouch creation after total gastrectomy on postoperative quality of life.

Methods

A nationwide multi‐institutional cross‐sectional study, the Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment study NEXT, used the Postgastrectomy Syndrome Assessment Scale‐45 questionnaire to explore the optimal gastrectomy procedure for cancer located in the upper third of the stomach or around the esophagogastric junction. The questionnaire consists of 45 items consolidated into 19 main outcome measures relating to postgastrectomy symptoms, amount of food ingested, quality of ingestion, ability for working, level of satisfaction for daily life, and the physical and mental component summary of the 8‐Item Short Form Health Survey. Eligible completed questionnaires were retrieved from 1909 patients. Of these, the data were analyzed for 1020 patients who underwent total gastrectomy and 93 patients who underwent jejunal pouch creation after total gastrectomy.

Results

Postoperative quality of life was compared between patients with and without pouches. The analysis revealed that patients with pouches, particularly oral pouches, experienced substantially improved postoperative quality of life than those without, even after adjusting for several clinical factors using multiple regression analyses.

Conclusion

The results suggest that total gastrectomy with jejunal pouch creation, particularly oral pouches, may significantly improve postoperative quality of life.
A comparative study of catalytic activity on iron‐based carbon nanostructured catalysts with Pd loading: Using the Box–Behnken design (BBD) method in the Suzuki–Miyaura coupling
Authors: Moniriyan Faezeh , Sabounchei Seyyed Javad
Published: September 2021

Highly dispersed palladium nanoparticles immobilized on surface‐modified Fe3O4 NPs and magnetic carbon nanostructures (CNSs; carbon nanotubes/graphene oxide) were synthesized and applied as a recyclable and reusable nanocatalyst to achieve palladium (II)‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura reaction of arylboronic acid with aryl bromides. Carbon nanostructures with immobilized hydantoin (PH)‐Pd complex display excellent stability, including a high performance at low catalyst loading. Magnetic separation prevents catalyst centrifuge or filtration and also contributes to practical techniques for recovery. Next, a response surface method based on a three‐level Box–Behnken design was used, which involved three factors: catalyst loading, reaction time, and solvent. The Box–Behnken method was advantageous to parameters optimization for obtaining a yield, with high efficiency and accuracy. As a result of catalytic tests, the TONs and TOFs were calculated from all coupling reactions. The prepared nano‐magnetic catalysts, after the catalysis reaction, can be easily recovered through the magnetic field. Evaluated catalytic performance indicates that these types of catalysts can function as effective recyclable catalysts at least five times without losing the initial level of catalytic activity.
Injection molding versus extrusion in the manufacturing of soy protein‐based bioplastics with zinc incorporated
Authors: Jiménez‐Rosado Mercedes , Maigret Jean‐Eudes , Lourdin Denis , Guerrero Antonio , Romero Alberto
Published: September 2021

Bioplastics are mostly processed by injection molding. However, more continuous techniques are still being tested, such as extrusion, which allow them to be produced at a lower cost. In this way, the principal objective of this work was to develop soy protein‐based bioplastics with zinc sulphate (fertilizer) incorporated by extrusion, using different plasticizers (glycerol and water) and temperatures (95, 115, and 135°C). In addition, the same parameters were used to produce bioplastics by injection molding in order to compare both processing techniques. Thus, the main novelty of this work was the evaluation of extrusion as a substitute for injection molding in the production of these bioplastics, trying to improve their scalability to the industrial sector. For this, the bioplastics were evaluated through their physico‐chemical and mechanical properties, as well as functional properties for horticulture and microstructure. Results showed that glycerol allows obtaining better mechanical resistance but quickly zinc release. Nevertheless, these properties can be modified by the processing parameters, getting better mechanical resistance and slower zinc release at higher temperatures. In addition, results highlight the high potential of extrusion for the development of bioplastics, which can lead to a reduction in operating costs during industrial processing.
The efficacy of acupuncture on the sleep structure of patients with insomnia: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Fang Qin‐Qin , Wang Xiao‐Qiu , Liu Cheng‐Yong , Xi Han‐Qing , Wan Qing‐Yun , Qin Shan , Xu Liang , Tian Qian‐Mo , Pan Rui , Wu Wen‐Zhong
Published: September 2021

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on the sleep structure of patients with insomnia, so as to provide a valuable basis for the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia. We conducted searches based on MeSH terms and free words in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of science, CKNI (China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database), WanFang Database, and Chongqing VIP Information from the inception of these database until 10 July 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated acupuncture treatment in patients with insomnia, and pertinent details of the results were saved. Comprehensive analysis showed that: (1) compared with the Western medicine groups, the acupuncture groups showed significant advantages in reducing the percentage of N1 sleep stage and N2 sleep stage, as well as increasing that of N3 sleep stage and REM sleep stage. However, no significant difference was found in increasing the effective rate, reducing total PSQI score, improving the total sleep time, reducing sleep latency, and improving sleep efficiency between the Western medicine groups and the acupuncture groups. (2) Compared with the sham acupuncture groups, the acupuncture treatment showed advantages in increasing the effective rate, reducing Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score, increasing the total sleep time, and improving sleep efficiency. However, no significant difference was observed between the sham acupuncture groups and the acupuncture groups with regard to reducing sleep latency, the percentage of N1 sleep stage and N2 sleep stage, as well as increasing that of N3 sleep stage and REM sleep stage.
Anatomical societies find new ways to come together in a post‐Covid world
Authors: Boscolo‐Berto Rafael , Porzionato Andrea , Stecco Carla , Macchi Veronica , De Caro Raffaele
Published: September 2021

The world has been turned upside down by a global health emergency caused by the Covid‐19. Given the high contagiousness of the virus and the need to contain its spread, social distancing rules, self‐isolation policies, and geographical lockdowns have been enforced globally. Over the pandemic emergency the majority of the planned in‐person meetings and congresses of national and international anatomical societies have been postponed or canceled. It is unclear what the future holds, but times of crisis often present possibilities for re‐thinking old ways to achieve a more critical approach. It has become increasingly clear that traditional in‐person congress formats of scientific societies need to be reevaluated. Over the past year and a half, two types of congressional modalities have been trialed to address the challenge of the pandemic as far as scientific meetings are concerned: the fully virtual congress, in which case the conference program is live streamed to all of the attendees, and the hybrid congress, in which case some of the attendees physically participate at the congress's venue while others interact via a virtual platform. The current study set out to investigate the technical difficulties, social challenges, costs and sustainability, logistics and management issues linked to holding various types of congresses in the post‐Covid world. Anatomical societies throughout the world are actively striving to reshape their response to the current global emergency and to uncover new types of conference modalities in the effort to keep scientific exchange alive and flourishing in the post‐Covid era.
Computational Exploration of Mechanistic Avenues in Metal‐Free CO2 Reduction to CO by Disilyne Bisphosphine Adduct and Phosphonium Silaylide
Authors: Dutta Sayan , Singh Kalyan , Koley Debasis
Published: September 2021

Recent years have seen a growing interest in metal‐free CO2 activation by silylenes, silylones, and silanones. However, compared to mononuclear silicon species, CO2 reduction mediated by dinuclear silicon compounds, especially disilynes, has been less explored. We have carried out extensive computational investigations to explore the mechanistic avenues in CO2 reduction to CO by donor‐stabilized disilyne bisphosphine adduct (R1M) and phosphonium silaylide (R2) using density functional theory calculations. Theoretical calculations suggest that R1M exhibits donor‐stabilized bis(silylene) bonding features with unusual Si−Si multiple bonding. Various modes of CO2 coordination to R1M have been investigated and the coordination of CO2 by the carbon center to R1M is found to be kinetically more facile than that by oxygen involving only one or both the silicon centers. Both the theoretically predicted reaction mechanisms of R1M and R2‐mediated CO2 reduction reveal the crucial role of silicon‐centered lone pairs in CO2 activations and generation of key intermediates possessing enormous strain in the Si−C−O ring, which plays the pivotal role in CO extrusion.
Self‐Assembly of Surface‐Functionalized Ag1.8Mn8O16 Nanorods with Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosheets as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Zinc‐Air Batteries
Authors: Du Guojun , Zong Yun , Liu Xiaogang , Liu Zhaolin
Published: September 2021

Bifunctional electrocatalysts play a key role in the performance of rechargeable metal‐air batteries. Herein, we report a hybrid catalyst, Ag1.8Mn8O16/rGO, self‐assembled by Ag1.8Mn8O16 nanorods and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets through electrostatic attraction. The hybrid catalyst exhibits a better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity than commercial Pt/C in alkaline medium. When employed as an air‐cathode catalyst in Zn‐air cells, the hybrids enabled higher and more stable output voltage and better durability of the cells, benefitting from the improved electrode conductivity, larger surface area, and synergetic coupling as a result of its high structural integrity.
Selective Transformation of Norbornadiene into Functionalized Azaheterocycles and β‐Amino Esters with Stereo‐ and Regiocontrol
Authors: Semghouli Anas , Benke Zsanett , Remete Attila M. , Novák Tamás T. , Fustero Santos , Kiss Loránd
Published: September 2021

Novel functionalized azaheterocycles with multiple chiral centers have been accessed from readily available norbornene β‐amino acids or β‐lactams across a stereocontrolled synthetic route, based on ring‐opening metathesis (ROM) of the staring unsaturated bicyclic amino esters, followed by selective cyclization through ring‐closing metathesis (RCM). The RCM transformations have been studied under various experimental conditions to assess the scope of conversion, catalyst, yield, and substrate influence. The structure of the starting norbornene β‐amino acids predetermined the structure of the new azaheterocycles, and the developed synthetic route took place with the conservation of the configuration of the chiral centers.
Simultaneous confidence intervals for contrasts of quantiles
Authors: Segbehoe Lawrence S. , Schaarschmidt Frank , Djira Gemechis D.
Published: September 2021

Skewed distributions and inferences concerning quantiles are common in the health and social science researches. And most standard simultaneous inference procedures require the normality assumption. For example, few methods exist for comparing the medians of independent samples or quantiles of several distributions in general. To our knowledge, there is no easy‐to‐use method for constructing simultaneous confidence intervals for multiple contrasts of quantiles in a one‐way layout. In this paper, we develop an asymptotic method for constructing such intervals both for differences and ratios of quantiles and extend the idea to that of right‐censored time‐to‐event data in survival analysis. Small‐sample performance of the proposed method and a bootstrap method were assessed in terms of coverage probabilities and average widths of the simultaneous confidence intervals. Good coverage probabilities were observed for most of the distributions considered in our simulations. The proposed methods have been implemented in an R package and are used to analyze two motivating datasets.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/graphene oxide composite as drug carrier system for 5‐fluorouracil
Authors: Hasanin Mohamed S. , El‐Sakhawy Mohamed , Ahmed Hanaa. Y. , Kamel Samir
Published: September 2021

Aim

This study aims to prepare a nanocomposite (HPMC/5‐FL@GO) from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and graphene oxide (GO) as biocompatible materials. The nanocomposite enhances the drug activity of immobilized 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU), decreasing the side effect of long‐run treatment protocols with highly efficient drug‐drug activity.

Method and results

Different samples were characterized by ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic light scattering along with cytotoxicity and anticancer study. A homogenous and compatible nanocomposite structure with a homogenous drug distribution was confirmed. Furthermore, the prepared nanocomposite has a low cytotoxicity effect against normal Vero cell lines compared with 5‐FU. The antitumor activities of the same nanocomposite (20.4 and 74.3 μg mL−1 on A549 and HepG‐2) were lower than that of 5‐FU (54.1 and 103 μg mL−1 on A549 and HepG‐2).

Conclusion and implications

According to the attained results, the HPMC/5‐FL@GO can apply in a biomedical application such as cancer therapy with the unique biocompatible to human cells.
A sequence‐based method for predicting extant fold switchers that undergo α‐helix ↔ β‐strand transitions
Authors: Mishra Soumya , Looger Loren L. , Porter Lauren L.
Published: September 2021

Extant fold‐switching proteins remodel their secondary structures and change their functions in response to cellular stimuli, regulating biological processes and affecting human health. Despite their biological importance, these proteins remain understudied. Predictive methods are needed to expedite the process of discovering and characterizing more of these shapeshifting proteins. Most previous approaches require a solved structure or all‐atom simulations, greatly constraining their use. Here, we propose a high‐throughput sequence‐based method for predicting extant fold switchers that transition from α‐helix in one conformation to β‐strand in the other. This method leverages two previous observations: (a) α‐helix ↔ β‐strand prediction discrepancies from JPred4 are a robust predictor of fold switching, and (b) the fold‐switching regions (FSRs) of some extant fold switchers have different secondary structure propensities when expressed by themselves (isolated FSRs) than when expressed within the context of their parent protein (contextualized FSRs). Combining these two observations, we ran JPred4 on 99‐fold‐switching proteins and found strong correspondence between predicted and experimentally observed α‐helix ↔ β‐strand discrepancies. To test the overall robustness of this finding, we randomly selected regions of proteins not expected to switch folds (single‐fold proteins) and found significantly fewer predicted α‐helix ↔ β‐strand discrepancies. Combining these discrepancies with the overall percentage of predicted secondary structure, we developed a classifier to identify extant fold switchers (Matthews correlation coefficient of .71). Although this classifier had a high false‐negative rate (7/17), its false‐positive rate was very low (2/136), suggesting that it can be used to predict a subset of extant fold switchers from a multitude of available genomic sequences.
Developments of biobased plasticizers for compostable polymers in the green packaging applications: A review
Authors: Alhanish Atika , Abu Ghalia Mustafa
Published: September 2021

The demand for biobased materials for various end‐uses in the bioplastic industry is substantially growing due to increasing awareness of health and environmental concerns, along with the toxicity of synthetic plasticizers such as phthalates. This fact has stimulated new regulations requiring the replacement of synthetic conventional plasticizers, particularly for packaging applications. Biobased plasticizers have recently been considered as essential additives, which may be used during the processing of compostable polymers to enormously boost biobased packaging applications. The development and utilization of biobased plasticizers derived from epoxidized soybean oil, castor oil, cardanol, citrate, and isosorbide have been broadly investigated. The synthesis of biobased plasticizers derived from renewable feedstocks and their impact on packaging material performance have been emphasized. Moreover, the effect of biobased plasticizer concentration, interaction, and compatibility on the polymer properties has been examined. Recent developments have resulted in the replacement of synthetic plasticizers by biobased counterparts. Particularly, this has been the case for some biodegradable thermoplastics‐based packaging applications.
Aspiration pneumonia in head and neck cancer patients undergoing concurrent chemoradiation from India: Findings from a post hoc analysis of a phase 3 study
Authors: Patil Vijay , Noronha Vanita , Shrirangwar Sameer , Menon Nandini , Abraham George , Chandrasekharan Arun , Prabhash Kumar
Published: September 2021

Background

There are limited data from low‐ to middle‐income countries (LMIC) on the incidence, risk factors, treatment outcomes, and antibiotic susceptibility spectrum of aspiration pneumonia (AsP).

Methods

We conducted a post hoc analysis of a randomized control trial in which adult patients with locally advanced head and neck cancers had received 66–70 Gy of radiation combined with cisplatin 30 mg/m2weekly for 6–7 weeks or cisplatin at the same dose with nimotuzumab 200 mg once weekly till the completion of radiation. The following data were extracted and analyzed—the incidence of AsP, time to the onset of AsP, risk factors, treatment outcomes of AsP, and its impact on progression‐free survival (PFS), locoregional control (LRC) rates, and overall survival (OS).

Results

Out of 536 patients enrolled in the study, 151 (28.3%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 24.5–2.1) patients developed AsP. The median time to develop AsP was 39 days (95% CI 34–44). Only baseline dysphagia (odds ratio = 3.76, 95% CI 1.05–13.51,p = 0.042) was associated with a significant risk of development of AsP. Among the patients in which pathogenic organism was isolated (69 patients), gram‐negative species was isolated in 63 patients (89%). Cisplatin at 200 mg/m2or more was delivered in 312 (81%) patients in the non‐AsP cohort versus 107 (70.9%) patients in AsP cohort (p = 0.014). There was no statistical difference in LRC (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.057; 95% CI 0.771–1.448), PFS (HR = 1.176; 95% CI 0.89–1.553), and OS (HR = 1.233; 95% CI 0.939–1.618) between the two cohorts.

Conclusion

Aspiration pneumonia is a common complication in head and neck malignancies and patients with baseline dysphagia are at high risk. Gram‐negative bacteria are the predominant causative agents. The use of broad‐spectrum antibiotics results in resolution of symptoms.
Effects of indoleamine 2, 3‐dioxygenase (IDO) silencing on immunomodulatory function and cancer‐promoting characteristic of adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs)
Authors: Heidari Fahimeh , Razmkhah Mahboobeh , Razban Vahid , Erfani Nasrollah
Published: September 2021

Indoleamine 2, 3‐dioxygenase (IDO) catabolizes tryptophan, mediates immunomodulatory functions, and is released by stromal cells such as mesenchymal stem cells. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of IDO silencing on immunosuppressive function of adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs), T cells phenotype, and the proliferation/migration of tumor cells. ASCs isolated from adipose tissues of healthy women were transfected with IDO‐siRNA. Galectin‐3, transforming growth factor‐β1, hepatocyte growth factor, and interleukin‐10 as immunomodulators were measured in ASCs using qRT‐PCR. T cells phenotype, interferon‐γ, and interleukin‐17 expression were evaluated in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) cocultured with IDO silenced‐ASCs by flow cytometry and qRT‐PCR, respectively. Scratch assay was applied to assess the proliferation/migration of MDA‐MB‐231 cell line. Galectin‐3 was upregulated (p ˂ 0.05) while hepatocyte growth factor was downregulated (p ˂ 0.05) in IDO‐silenced ASCs compared to control groups. Regulatory T cells were inhibited in PBLs cocultured with IDO‐silenced ASCs; also T helper2 was decreased in PBLs cocultured with IDO‐silenced ASCs relative to the scramble group. IDO‐silenced ASCs caused interferon‐γ overexpression but interleukin‐17 downregulation in PBLs. The proliferation/migration of MDA‐MB‐231 was suppressed after exposing to condition media of IDO‐silenced ASCs compared with condition media of untransfected (p < 0.01) and scramble‐transfected ASCs (p < 0.05). The results exhibited the weakened capacity of IDO‐silenced ASCs for suppressing the immune cells and promoting the tumor cells' proliferation/migration. IDO suppression may be utilized as a strategy for cancer treatment. Simultaneous blocking of immunomodulators along with IDO inhibitors may show more effects on boosting the efficiency of immune‐based cancer therapies.
Traumatic experiences among individuals with severe mental illnesses on probation
Authors: Givens Ashley , Cuddeback Gary S.
Published: September 2021

Background

The large and growing number of individuals with severe mental illnesses who are on probation presents challenges to both mental health and criminal justice authorities. The clinical and mental health service needs of probationers with severe mental illnesses have however, been insufficiently researched, particularly with respect to trauma and the need for trauma‐informed services.

Aims

To explore the lifetime prevalence of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among people on probation who also have other serious mental illnesses and their demographic characteristics.

Methods

Individuals on probation in six counties in one southeastern state who had been diagnosed with severe mental illnesses were assessed for PTSD; they were also asked whether they had experienced any of 14 traumatic events of interest over their lifetimes.

Results

Of 207 participants, about half had clinically diagnosable PTSD. Nearly two‐thirds had experienced more than five traumatic events during their lifetimes: 86% experienced at least one non‐interpersonal traumatic event, such as a car accident, and 90% experienced at least one interpersonal traumatic event, such as a physical assault. The latter was the single most frequently reported traumatic event (80%, n = 160). PTSD was, on average, associated with a higher number of prior traumatic experiences overall.

Conclusions

In one state in the USA, rates of trauma experiences and PTSD among probationers with other mental illnesses are high. Relative to prisoners, little is known about the mental health needs among probationers, so replication in a larger sample across jurisdictions would be useful. Findings are likely to have implications for form of service delivery as well as treatment needs.
Efficient Cleaning and Heat Recovery of Flue Gas from a Small‐Scale Boiler
Authors: Darbandi Tayebeh , Risberg Mikael , Westerlund Lars
Published: September 2021

Small‐scale biomass boilers contribute to the emission of particulate matter (PM) to the environment. In this study, the performance of a wet‐scrubber purification system for flue gas was experimentally investigated. The experimental setup consisted of a boiler, a wet scrubber, a generator, and heat exchangers. The results showed an average PM collection efficiency of ca. 42 % for a PM size range of 0.08–10 µm over a testing period of five months. Furthermore, the results showed an improvement in the heat recovery of about 18 %. Focusing only on the heat losses through exhaust flue gases, the losses were shown to have decreased by 72 %. During the total testing period of 8.5 months, no decrease could be noticed in the absorption solution ability.
n‐Butane, iso‐Butane and 1‐Butene Adsorption on Imidazolium‐Based Ionic Liquids Studied with Molecular Beam Techniques
Authors: Winter Leonhard , Bhuin Radha G. , Maier Florian , Steinrück Hans‐Peter
Published: September 2021

The interaction of molecules, especially hydrocarbons, at the gas/ionic liquid (IL) surface plays a crucial role in supported IL catalysis. The dynamics of this process is investigated by measuring the trapping probabilities of n‐butane, iso‐butane and 1‐butene on a set of frozen 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium‐based ILs [CnC1Im]X, where n=4, 8 and X−=Cl−, Br−, [PF6]− and [Tf2N]−. The decrease of the initial trapping probability with increasing surface temperature is used to determine the desorption energy of the hydrocarbons at the IL surfaces. It increases with increasing alkyl chain length n and decreasing anion size for the ILs studied. We attribute these effects to different degrees of alkyl chain surface enrichment, while interactions between the adsorbate and the anion do not play a significant role. The adsorption energy also depends on the adsorbing molecule: It decreases in the order n‐butane>1‐butene>iso‐butane, which can be explained by different dispersion interactions.
Further contributions to the dynamics of a freely rotating elliptical particle in shear flow
Authors: Ding Zhizhong , Tiwari Shashank S. , Zhang Chenguang , Tyagi Mayank , Kong Bo , Nandakumar Krishnaswamy , Joshi Jyeshtharaj B.
Published: September 2021

In this study, the dynamic response of a neutrally buoyant elliptical cylinder is investigated for a two‐dimensional shear flow over a wide range of aspect ratios ( where, and are the major and minor axis radii, respectively). Parametric studies were carried out for confinement ratios () that vary the distance between the particle and the domain walls (H) for shear‐rate (G) based Reynolds number The simulations were performed using the signed distance field‐immersed boundary method (SDFIBM) algorithm implemented in OpenFOAM. The motion of the particle is limited to free rotation about the axis through the centroid without any translational freedom. This work demonstrates and affirms two distinct responses of the elliptical particle in shear flow: (1) a periodical rotating stage that exhibits a relaxation type of response and (2) a spontaneously locked stationary stage, where the net torque becomes zero. A critical Reynolds number () demarcates the transition between these two stages, and it depends on aspect ratio and confinement ratio. The prediction of was found to be in excellent agreement with the experimentally reported data in the literature, validating the SDFIBM for particles subjected to shear flows.
Setting a benchmark for resource utilization and quality of care in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Europe—Rationale and design of the international BENCHMARK registry
Authors: McCalmont Gemma , Durand Eric , Lauck Sandra , Muir Douglas F. , Spence Mark S. , Vasa‐Nicotera Mariuca , Wood David , Saia Francesco , Chatel Nicolas , Lüske Claudia M. , Kurucova Jana , Bramlage Peter , Frank Derk
Published: September 2021

Background

The use of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) for treating aortic stenosis (AS) has increased exponentially in recent years. Despite the availability of clinical practice guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease, disparities in quality of care (QoC) for TAVI patients remain widespread across Europe. Tailored QoC measures will help to reduce resource utilization and improve patient outcomes without compromising patient safety. Using a clear set of QoC measures, the BENCHMARK registry aims to document the progress that can be achieved if such tailored QoC measures are implemented.

Methods

The BENCHMARK registry (BENCHMARK) is a non‐interventional, multicenter registry in patients with severe symptomatic AS undergoing TAVI with a 1‐ and 12‐months follow‐up. BENCHMARK will be conducted at 30 centers across Europe and will enroll a total of 2400 consecutive TAVI patients. Patients suffering from severe symptomatic AS who undergo TAVI with a balloon‐expandable transcatheter aortic valve will be included. The registry will comprise four phases: (1) a retrospective baseline evaluation phase; (2) an education phase; (3) an implementation phase; and (4) a prospective effect documentation phase (prospective phase). The registry's primary objectives are to reduce the length of hospital stay and accelerate the post‐procedural patient recovery pathway, but without compromising safety. The study started in April 2021 and has an estimated completion date of May 2023.

Discussion

BENCHMARK will establish QoC measures to reduce resource utilization, intensive care unit bed occupancy, and overall length of hospitalization with uncompromised patient safety post‐TAVI (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04579445).
Intersectionality and cancer survivorship: Sexual orientation and racial/ethnic differences in physical and mental health outcomes among female and male cancer survivors
Authors: Boehmer Ulrike , Jesdale Bill M. , Streed Carl G. , Agénor Madina
Published: September 2021

Background

Because of concerns about sexual minorities' poor cancer survivorship, this study compared cancer survivors' health outcomes in relation to multiple intersecting social positions, namely gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity.

Methods

This secondary data analysis used 2014‐2019 Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey data. The survey respondents consisted of 40,482 heterosexual and sexual minority men and 69,302 heterosexual and sexual minority women who identified as White, Black, or Hispanic. Logistic regression models compared White, Black, and Hispanic male and female cancer survivors' health status, depression, and health‐related quality of life by sexual orientation. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and access to care.

Results

Mental health findings showed consistency, with sexual minority male and female cancer survivors having 2 to 3 times greater odds of depression and/or poor mental health among White, Black, and Hispanic survivors. Among White women, sexual minorities reported greater odds of fair or poor health, poor physical health, and poor activity days, whereas White sexual minority men showed similar odds in comparison with their heterosexual counterparts. Among Black and Hispanic sexual minority men and women, differences in the odds of fair or poor health, poor physical health, and poor activity days in comparison with their heterosexual counterparts were mostly explained by sociodemographic and access‐to‐care factors.

Conclusions

Physical and mental health outcomes vary in relation to sexual orientation and race/ethnicity among both female and male cancer survivors. Clinicians, researchers, and health care administrators must better understand and address the unique needs of cancer survivors in relation to multiple axes of social inequality to advance cancer equity.
A Bioreductive Protecting Group for RNA Synthesis
Authors: Saneyoshi Hisao , Nakamura Kodai , Terasawa Kazuma , Ono Akira
Published: September 2021

This protocol describes a method for the preparation of ribonucleoside phosphoramidite bearing a bioreductive protecting group on the 2′‐OH group and its application in the synthesis of bioreduction‐responsive oligonucleotides. The protecting group used in this method consists of the modified 4‐nitrobenzyl skeleton, which has gem‐dimethyl groups at benzylic positions to enable deprotection under physiological conditions. Applying the synthesized ribonucleoside phosphoramidite to solid‐phase synthesis of oligonucleotides, a 2′‐O‐protected oligonucleotide was obtained without any undesirable cleavages under standard oligonucleotide synthesis conditions. The 2′‐O‐protected oligonucleotide was then treated with a combination of nitroreductase (Escherichia coli) and NADH as a bioreduction system for cleavage of the 2′‐O‐protecting group. After reduction of the nitro group, the protecting group was deprotected in a time‐dependent manner. Thus, this protection technology is a potential new tool for production of reduction‐responsive RNA‐based materials that can be used in life and medical sciences. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of ribonucleoside phosphoramidite bearing a bioreductive protecting group

Basic Protocol 2: Synthesis of 2′‐O‐protected oligonucleotides and their deprotection properties under bioreduction
In vitro mineral apposition analysis of two Colombian plant extracts on Amelogenesis imperfecta teeth
Authors: Gutiérrez‐Prieto Sandra J. , Sequeda‐Castañeda Luis G. , Penedo‐Jaramillo Gabriela M. , Chacín‐Nieto Andrea V. , Contreras‐Cáceres Daniel R. , Moreno‐Abello Gloria C. , Galvis‐Rincón María P. , Gamboa‐Jaimes Fredy O. , Luengas‐Caicedo Pilar E.
Published: September 2021

Objective

To determine if native Colombian Piper marginatum Jacq. and Ilex guayusa Loes plant extracts have a remineralizing effect on teeth with Amelogenesis imperfecta in comparison with the commercial products Clinpro‐3M and Recaldent™.

Material and Methods

An in vitro study was carried out with 128 human teeth slices (64 healthy and 64 with Amelogenesis imperfecta) on which an initial Raman spectroscopy was performed followed by Raman spectroscopies at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h to determine possible remineralization by observing mineral increase or decrease as a result of P. marginatum Jacq. and I. guayusa Loes extract application in comparison to control substance (Clinpro and Recaldent™) application. Obtained data were analyzed using a bivariate method with a t unidirectional test. Significant differences among groups were determined by an ANOVA with Dunnett post hoc tests.

Results

Native I. guayusa Loes and P. marginatum Jacq. Colombian plants extracts exhibited phosphate and orthophosphate mineral apposition, where P. marginatum Jacq. presented better results.

Conclusions

Native Colombian I. guayusa Loes and P. marginatum Jacq plant extract might in the future be useful for dental tissue remineralization, as they induced phosphate and orthophosphate mineral apposition, main components of tooth enamel. These types of natural compounds can become an alternative to fluorine, whose ingestion is harmful to the human body.
Clustered Routing Method in the Internet of Things Using a Moth‐Flame Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Sadrishojaei Mahyar , Jafari Navimipour Nima , Reshadi Midia , Hosseinzadeh Mehdi
Published: September 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) is a set of interrelated devices on the Internet platform that can receive and send data to make human life more efficient and convenient. Clustering is a useful data collection method in the IoT that selectively cuts energy consumption by forming IoT nodes into some clusters. The cluster head can control all cluster nodes, and all intracluster and intercluster connections are made through it. Due to the NP‐Hard nature of the clustering problem, a moth‐flame optimization algorithm is proposed to select the minimum number of necessary clusters for routing in this article. This scheme is extracted from the life cycle of moths and enables effective communication by creating the optimal number of clusters. The proposed fitness function consists of the sum of the distances, the amount of energy remaining, and the degree of the nodes. The obtained experimental results are compared to different clustering algorithms, such as whale optimization algorithm, novel chemical reaction optimization, and cuckoo search optimization. The simulation using MATLAB clearly showed that the proposed method has a low number of cluster head nodes and the most balanced clusters. It also improves lifetime by at least 14.59% compared to the mentioned techniques.
An electrically small inverted L‐shaped asymmetric coplanar strip‐fed antenna with split‐ring resonator for multiband applications
Authors: Rengasamy Rajkumar , RajeshKumar Venkatesan , Phani Kumar Kanaparthi V.
Published: September 2021

In this paper, an electrically small inverted L‐shaped asymmetric coplanar strip‐fed antenna with a split‐ring resonator structure is proposed for multiband applications. It possesses an extended monopole antenna and a rectangular split‐ring resonator (RSRR) structure. A monopole is responsible for generating the first and last resonance frequencies. Similarly, the RSRR structure produces center frequency (5.5 GHz) among three resonance frequency bands and improves impedance matching at a higher frequency. The antenna has an electrical size of 0.176 λ0 × 0.096 λ0 × 0.012 λ0. The proposed antenna has a triband resonance response at 2.45, 5.5, and 7.5 GHz with a bandwidth of 560 MHz, 680 MHz, and 3 GHz, respectively, which covers WiBro (2.3 GHz), WLAN (2.4/5.2 GHz), WiMAX (2.5/5.5 GHz), X‐band downlink (7.4 GHz), and ITU band (8.5 GHz). The antenna design is simulated and validated with measured results and has better radiation characteristics in all the required frequency bands. The presence of metamaterial property in the proposed RSRR is analyzed. The design is an electrically small antenna, and it has a radian sphere (ka) = 0.64. Further, the proposed antenna performances are compared with the various existing literature.
Impact of maternal hyperglycemia on cardiac development: Insights from animal models
Authors: Choudhury Talita Z. , Majumdar Uddalak , Basu Madhumita , Garg Vidu
Published: September 2021

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of birth defect‐related death in infants and is a global pediatric health concern. While the genetic causes of CHD have become increasingly recognized with advances in genome sequencing technologies, the etiology for the majority of cases of CHD is unknown. The maternal environment during embryogenesis has a profound impact on cardiac development, and numerous environmental factors are associated with an elevated risk of CHD. Maternal diabetes mellitus (matDM) is associated with up to a fivefold increased risk of having an infant with CHD. The rising prevalence of diabetes mellitus has led to a growing interest in the use of experimental diabetic models to elucidate mechanisms underlying this associated risk for CHD. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive summary of rodent models that are being used to investigate alterations in cardiac developmental pathways when exposed to a maternal diabetic setting and to summarize the key findings from these models. The majority of studies in the field have utilized the chemically induced model of matDM, but recent advances have also been made using diet based and genetic models. Each model provides an opportunity to investigate unique aspects of matDM and is invaluable for a comprehensive understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying matDM‐associated CHD.