bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of microsurgical vasoepididymostomy using intussusception technique: a systematic review and meta‑analysis
Authors: Wang Shou-yang , Fang Yang-yi
Published: February 2023

A systematic review and meta-analysis of microsurgical vasoepididymostomy (MVE) for treating epididymal obstructive azoospermia (EOA) with different intussusception techniques. We conducted a comprehensive literature search using PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, retained literature related to obstructive azoospermia or male infertility and vasoepididymostomy, proactively reviewed other relevant literature, supplemented valuable references, and excluded studies that did not use intussusception and where valuable statistical data were difficult to obtain. Event rate and risk ratio (RR) were estimated. Patency rates were investigated. The influence of motile sperms found in the epididymal fluid, anastomotic sides and sites on patency was evaluated. 273 articles were comprised in this analysis, and 25 observational studies were eventually included, with a total patient sample of 1400. The overall mean patency rate was 69.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 64.6–73.6%;I2 = 63.735%). We conducted a meta-analysis of the factors affecting patency after microsurgical IVE, finding that the presence of motile sperms in epididymal fluid (RR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.18–1.97%;P = 0.001), anastomosing bilaterally (RR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.15–1.50%;P < 0.0001) and distally (RR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.09–1.85%;P = 0.009) lead to higher patency rates. IVE is an effective treatment for EOA. The presence of motile sperms found in the epididymal fluid, anastomosing bilaterally and distally are significantly correlated with higher patency rates.
Breed and ruminal fraction effects on bacterial and archaeal community composition in sheep
Authors: McLoughlin Steven , Spillane Charles , Campion Francis P. , Claffey Noel , Sosa Chrystian C. , McNicholas Yvonne , Smith Paul E. , Diskin Michael G. , Waters Sinéad M.
Published: February 2023

While the breed of cattle can impact on the composition and structure of microbial communities in the rumen, breed-specific effects on rumen microbial communities have rarely been examined in sheep. In addition, rumen microbial composition can differ between ruminal fractions, and be associated with ruminant feed efficiency and methane emissions. In this study, 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to investigate the effects of breed and ruminal fraction on bacterial and archaeal communities in sheep. Solid, liquid and epithelial rumen samples were obtained from a total of 36 lambs, across 4 different sheep breeds (Cheviot (n = 10), Connemara (n = 6), Lanark (n = 10) and Perth (n = 10)), undergoing detailed measurements of feed efficiency, who were offered a nut based cereal diet ad-libitum supplemented with grass silage. Our results demonstrate that the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lowest for the Cheviot (most efficient), and highest for the Connemara breed (least efficient). In the solid fraction, bacterial community richness was lowest in the Cheviot breed, while Sharpea azabuensis was most abundant in the Perth breed. Lanark, Cheviot and Perth breeds exhibited a significantly higher abundance of epithelial associated Succiniclasticum compared to the Connemara breed. When comparing ruminal fractions, Campylobacter, Family XIII, Mogibacterium, and Lachnospiraceae UCG-008 were most abundant in the epithelial fraction. Our findings indicate that breed can impact the abundance of specific bacterial taxa in sheep while having little effect on the overall composition of the microbial community. This finding has implications for genetic selection breeding programs aimed at improving feed conversion efficiency of sheep. Furthermore, the variations in the distribution of bacterial species identified between ruminal fractions, notably between solid and epithelial fractions, reveals a rumen fraction bias, which has implications for sheep rumen sampling techniques.
Knowledge grounded medical dialogue generation using augmented graphs
Authors: Varshney Deeksha , Zafar Aizan , Behera Niranshu Kumar , Ekbal Asif
Published: February 2023

Smart healthcare systems that make use of abundant health data can improve access to healthcare services, reduce medical costs and provide consistently high-quality patient care. Medical dialogue systems that generate medically appropriate and human-like conversations have been developed using various pre-trained language models and a large-scale medical knowledge base based on Unified Medical Language System (UMLS). However, most of the knowledge-grounded dialogue models only use local structure in the observed triples, which suffer from knowledge graph incompleteness and hence cannot incorporate any information from dialogue history while creating entity embeddings. As a result, the performance of such models decreases significantly. To address this problem, we propose a general method to embed the triples in each graph into large-scalable models and thereby generate clinically correct responses based on the conversation history using the recently recently released MedDialog(EN) dataset. Given a set of triples, we first mask the head entities from the triples overlapping with the patient’s utterance and then compute the cross-entropy loss against the triples’ respective tail entities while predicting the masked entity. This process results in a representation of the medical concepts from a graph capable of learning contextual information from dialogues, which ultimately aids in leading to the gold response. We also fine-tune the proposed Masked Entity Dialogue (MED) model on smaller corpora which contain dialogues focusing only on the Covid-19 disease named as the Covid Dataset. In addition, since UMLS and other existing medical graphs lack data-specific medical information, we re-curate and perform plausible augmentation of knowledge graphs using our newly created Medical Entity Prediction (MEP) model. Empirical results on the MedDialog(EN) and Covid Dataset demonstrate that our proposed model outperforms the state-of-the-art methods in terms of both automatic and human evaluation metrics.
Safety and efficacy of autologous cell vaccines in solid tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials
Authors: Bastin Donald J. , Montroy Joshua , Kennedy Michael A. , Martel Andre B. , Shorr Risa , Ghiasi Maryam , Boucher Dominique M. , Wong Boaz , Gresham Louise , Diallo Jean-Simon , Fergusson Dean A. , Lalu Manoj M. , Kekre Natasha , Auer Rebecca C.
Published: February 2023

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials to formally assess the safety and efficacy of autologous whole cell vaccines as immunotherapies for solid tumors. Our primary safety outcome was number, and grade of adverse events. Our primary efficacy outcome was clinical responses. Secondary outcomes included survival metrics and correlative immune assays. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for studies published between 1946 and August 2020 using any autologous whole cell product in the treatment of any solid tumor. The Cochrane Randomized Controlled Trial risk of bias tool was used to assess risk of bias. Eighteen manuscripts were identified with a total of 714 patients enrolled in control and 808 in vaccine arms. In 698 patients receiving at least one dose of vaccine, treatment was well tolerated with a total of 5 grade III or higher adverse events. Clinical response was reported in a minority (n = 2, 14%) of studies. Autologous cell vaccines were associated with improved overall (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.01–1.63) and disease-free survival (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.05–1.67) over thirteen and ten trials respectively. Where reported, immune assays correlated well with clinical outcomes. Our results suggest that autologous whole cell vaccination is safe and efficacious in increasing survival in patients undergoing treatment for solid tumors.

Registration: PROSPERO CRD42019140187.
Residue-specific binding of Ni(II) ions influences the structure and aggregation of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptides
Authors: Berntsson Elina , Vosough Faraz , Svantesson Teodor , Pansieri Jonathan , Iashchishyn Igor A. , Ostojić Lucija , Dong Xiaolin , Paul Suman , Jarvet Jüri , Roos Per M. , Barth Andreas , Morozova-Roche Ludmilla A. , Gräslund Astrid , Wärmländer Sebastian K. T. S.
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia worldwide. AD brains display deposits of insoluble amyloid plaques consisting mainly of aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, and Aβ oligomers are likely a toxic species in AD pathology. AD patients display altered metal homeostasis, and AD plaques show elevated concentrations of metals such as Cu, Fe, and Zn. Yet, the metal chemistry in AD pathology remains unclear. Ni(II) ions are known to interact with Aβ peptides, but the nature and effects of such interactions are unknown. Here, we use numerous biophysical methods—mainly spectroscopy and imaging techniques—to characterize Aβ/Ni(II) interactions in vitro, for different Aβ variants: Aβ(1–40), Aβ(1–40)(H6A, H13A, H14A), Aβ(4–40), and Aβ(1–42). We show for the first time that Ni(II) ions display specific binding to the N-terminal segment of full-length Aβ monomers. Equimolar amounts of Ni(II) ions retard Aβ aggregation and direct it towards non-structured aggregates. The His6, His13, and His14 residues are implicated as binding ligands, and the Ni(II)·Aβ binding affinity is in the low µM range. The redox-active Ni(II) ions induce formation of dityrosine cross-links via redox chemistry, thereby creating covalent Aβ dimers. In aqueous buffer Ni(II) ions promote formation of beta sheet structure in Aβ monomers, while in a membrane-mimicking environment (SDS micelles) coil–coil helix interactions appear to be induced. For SDS-stabilized Aβ oligomers, Ni(II) ions direct the oligomers towards larger sizes and more diverse (heterogeneous) populations. All of these structural rearrangements may be relevant for the Aβ aggregation processes that are involved in AD brain pathology.
SBAS-InSAR based validated landslide susceptibility mapping along the Karakoram Highway: a case study of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Authors: Kulsoom Isma , Hua Weihua , Hussain Sadaqat , Chen Qihao , Khan Garee , Shihao Dai
Published: February 2023

Geological settings of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) increase the risk of natural disasters, threatening its regular operations. Predicting landslides along the KKH is challenging due to limitations in techniques, a challenging environment, and data availability issues. This study uses machine learning (ML) models and a landslide inventory to evaluate the relationship between landslide events and their causative factors. For this, Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Random Forest (RF), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Naive Bayes (NB), and K Nearest Neighbor (KNN) models were used. A total of 303 landslide points were used to create an inventory, with 70% for training and 30% for testing. Susceptibility mapping used Fourteen landslide causative factors. The area under the curve (AUC) of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) is employed to compare the accuracy of the models. The deformation of generated models in susceptible regions was evaluated using SBAS-InSAR (Small-Baseline subset-Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar) technique. The sensitive regions of the models showed elevated line-of-sight (LOS) deformation velocity. The XGBoost technique produces a superior Landslide Susceptibility map (LSM) for the region with the integration of SBAS-InSAR findings. This improved LSM offers predictive modeling for disaster mitigation and gives a theoretical direction for the regular management of KKH.
Inhibition of nicotinamide dinucleotide salvage pathway counters acquired and intrinsic poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor resistance in high-grade serous ovarian cancer
Authors: Sauriol Skye Alexandre , Carmona Euridice , Udaskin Molly L. , Radulovich Nikolina , Leclerc-Desaulniers Kim , Rottapel Robert , Oza Amit M. , Lheureux Stephanie , Provencher Diane M. , Mes-Masson Anne-Marie
Published: February 2023

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy, owing notably to its high rate of therapy-resistant recurrence in spite of good initial response to chemotherapy. Although poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have shown promise for ovarian cancer treatment, extended therapy usually leads to acquired PARPi resistance. Here we explored a novel therapeutic option to counter this phenomenon, combining PARPi and inhibitors of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT). Cell-based models of acquired PARPi resistance were created through an in vitro selection procedure. Using resistant cells, xenograft tumors were grown in immunodeficient mice, while organoid models were generated from primary patient tumor samples. Intrinsically PARPi-resistant cell lines were also selected for analysis. Our results show that treatment with NAMPT inhibitors effectively sensitized all in vitro models to PARPi. Adding nicotinamide mononucleotide, the resulting NAMPT metabolite, abrogated the therapy-induced cell growth inhibition, demonstrating the specificity of the synergy. Treatment with olaparib (PARPi) and daporinad (NAMPT inhibitor) depleted intracellular NAD+ , induced double-strand DNA breaks, and promoted apoptosis as monitored by caspase-3 cleavage. The two drugs were also synergistic in mouse xenograft models and clinically relevant patient-derived organoids. Therefore, in the context of PARPi resistance, NAMPT inhibition could offer a promising new option for ovarian cancer patients.
Effects of mammalian sex hormones on in vitro organogenesis of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)
Authors: Haliloğlu Kamil , Türkoğlu Aras , Balpınar Özge , Öztürk Halil İbrahim , Özkan Güller , Poczai Peter
Published: February 2023

Beans are an important plant species and are one of the most consumed legumes in human nutrition, especially as a protein, vitamin, mineral, and fiber source. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a plant that also has an important role in natural nitrogen fixation. Currently, in vitro regeneration and micropropagation applications are limited in relation to genetic factors in bean Accordingly, there is great need to optimize micropropagation and tissue culture methods of the bean plant. To date, the effect of mammalian sex hormones (MSH) on in vitro conditions in P. vulgaris L. is poorly understood. This study examined the effects of different types of explants (embryo, hypocotyl, plumule, and radicle), MSH type (progesterone, 17 β-estradiol, estrone, and testosterone), and MSH concentration (10−4, 10−6, 10−8 and 10−10 mmol L−1) on the responding explants induction rate (REI), viability of plantlets rate (VPR), shoot proliferation rate (SPR), root proliferation rate (RPR), and callus induction rate (CIR). The effects of mammalian sex hormones, concentrations, explant type, and their interactions were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.01) in all examined parameters. The best explants were embryo and plumule. Our results showed that the highest REI rate (100%) was recorded when 10−10 mmol L−1 of all MSH was applied to MS medium using the plumule explant. The highest VPR (100%) was obtained when 10−10 mmol L−1 of all MSH was applied to MS medium using the plumule explant. The highest root proliferation rates (77.5%) were recorded in MS medium supplemented with 10−8 mmol L−1 17β-estradiol using embryo explant. The highest percentage of shoot-forming explants (100%) generally was obtained from embryo and plumule cultured in the MS culture medium with low MSH concentration. In addition, the highest CIR (100%) was obtained from embryo and plumule explant cultured in MS medium containing 10−10 mmol L−1 of all MSH types. In conclusion, we observed that mammalian sex hormones may be used in bean in vitro culture.
Patient profile, management, and quality of life associated with Dravet syndrome: a cross-sectional, multicentre study of 80 patients in Spain
Authors: Gil-Nagel Antonio , Sánchez-Carpintero Rocío , Villanueva Vicente
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to describe the profile of patients diagnosed with Dravet syndrome (DS), their clinical management, and the impact of DS on their quality of life (QoL) and family. Data of 80 patients from 11 centres in Spain was collected. Patients (47.5% female) were 12.7 (9.6) years on average (SD, standard deviation). Despite the first episode occurred when patients were a mean (SD) of 0.4 (0.2) years, DS was not diagnosed until they were 6.9 (10.1) years old. The majority (86.7%) had SCN1A gene mutations and 73.4% had seizures during the last year (mostly generalized motor seizures [47.8%]). The mean (SD) number of status epilepticus episodes was 3.6 (8.0) since diagnosis and 0.1 (0.5) in the last year. On the Health Utilities Index Mark (HUI) multi-attribute scale, the mean global score (SD) was 0.56 (0.24) in HUI2 and 0.32 (0.37) in HUI3. The impact of the disease was severe in most patients (HUI2, 81%; HUI3, 83.5%). In the Care-related QoL (CarerQol) the mean (SD) well-being score was 7.2 (2.1). Most caregivers (90%) were satisfied with their caregiving tasks, although 75% had difficulties combining these tasks with daily activities, 68.8% reported mental health problems and 61.2% physical problems.
Improvements in 2D p-type WSe2 transistors towards ultimate CMOS scaling
Authors: Patoary Naim Hossain , Xie Jing , Zhou Guantong , Al Mamun Fahad , Sayyad Mohammed , Tongay Sefaattin , Esqueda Ivan Sanchez
Published: February 2023

This paper provides comprehensive experimental analysis relating to improvements in the two-dimensional (2D) p-type metal–oxide–semiconductor (PMOS) field effect transistors (FETs) by pure van der Waals (vdW) contacts on few-layer tungsten diselenide (WSe2) with high-k metal gate (HKMG) stacks. Our analysis shows that standard metallization techniques (e.g., e-beam evaporation at moderate pressure ~ 10–5 torr) results in significant Fermi-level pinning, but Schottky barrier heights (SBH) remain small (< 100 meV) when using high work function metals (e.g., Pt or Pd). Temperature-dependent analysis uncovers a more dominant contribution to contact resistance from the channel access region and confirms significant improvement through less damaging metallization techniques (i.e., reduced scattering) combined with strongly scaled HKMG stacks (enhanced carrier density). A clean contact/channel interface is achieved through high-vacuum evaporation and temperature-controlled stepped deposition providing large improvements in contact resistance. Our study reports low contact resistance of 5.7 kΩ-µm, with on-state currents of ~ 97 µA/µm and subthreshold swing of ~ 140 mV/dec in FETs with channel lengths of 400 nm. Furthermore, theoretical analysis using a Landauer transport ballistic model for WSe2 SB-FETs elucidates the prospects of nanoscale 2D PMOS FETs indicating high-performance (excellent on-state current vs subthreshold swing benchmarks) towards the ultimate CMOS scaling limit.
Structure and proteomic analysis of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.) radial nerve cord
Authors: Smith Meaghan K. , Rotgans Bronwyn A. , Lang Tomas , Johnston Ryan , Wang Tianfang , Suwansa-ard Saowaros , Bose Utpal , Satoh Nori , Egertova Michaela , Hall Michael R. , Byrne Maria , Elphick Maurice R. , Motti Cherie A. , Cummins Scott F.
Published: February 2023

The nervous system of the Asteroidea (starfish or seastar) consists of radial nerve cords (RNCs) that interconnect with a ring nerve. Despite its relative simplicity, it facilitates the movement of multiple arms and numerous tube feet, as well as regeneration of damaged limbs. Here, we investigated the RNC ultrastructure and its molecular components within the of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster sp.), a well-known coral predator that in high-density outbreaks has major ecological impacts on coral reefs. We describe the presence of an array of unique small bulbous bulbs (40–100 μm diameter) that project from the ectoneural region of the adult RNC. Each comprise large secretory-like cells and prominent cilia. In contrast, juvenile COTS and its congener Acanthaster brevispinus lack these features, both of which are non-corallivorous. Proteomic analysis of the RNC (and isolated neural bulbs) provides the first comprehensive echinoderm protein database for neural tissue, including numerous secreted proteins associated with signalling, transport and defence. The neural bulbs contained several neuropeptides (e.g., bombyxin-type, starfish myorelaxant peptide, secretogranin 7B2-like, Ap15a-like, and ApNp35) and Deleted in Malignant Brain Tumor 1-like proteins. In summary, this study provides a new insight into the novel traits of COTS, a major pest on coral reefs, and a proteomics resource that can be used to develop (bio)control strategies and understand molecular mechanisms of regeneration.
Characterization and functional analyses of wheat TaPR1 genes in response to stripe rust fungal infection
Authors: Liu Rong , Lu Jing , Xing Jiayi , Xue Lv , Wu Yu , Zhang Lei
Published: February 2023

The pathogenesis-related protein-1 (PR1) gene is important for plants to respond to various biotic and abiotic stresses. Unlike those in model plants, PR1 genes in wheat have not been systematically studied. Herein, we identified 86 potential TaPR1 wheat genes using bioinformatics tools and RNA sequencing. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that the TaPR1 genes were involved in the salicylic acid signalling pathway, MAPK signalling pathway, and phenylalanine metabolism in response to Pst-CYR34 infection. Ten of the TaPR1 genes were structurally characterized and validated by RT‒PCR. One particular gene, TaPR1-7, was found to be associated with resistance to Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) in a biparental wheat population. Virus-induced gene silencing showed that TaPR1-7 is important for Pst resistance in wheat. This study provides the first comprehensive study on wheat PR1 genes, improving our overall understanding of these genes in plant defenses, particularly against stripe rust.
Changes in task performance and frontal cortex activation within and over sessions during the n-back task
Authors: Yeung Michael K. , Han Yvonne M. Y.
Published: February 2023

The n-back task is a popular paradigm for studying neurocognitive processing at varying working memory loads. Although much is known about the effects of load on behavior and neural activation during n-back performance, the temporal dynamics of such effects remain unclear. Here, we investigated the within- and between-session stability and consistency of task performance and frontal cortical activation during the n-back task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Forty healthy young adults performed the 1-back and 3-back conditions three times per condition. They then undertook identical retest sessions 3 weeks later (M = 21.2 days, SD = 0.9). Over the course of the task, activation in the participants’ frontopolar, dorsomedial, dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and posterolateral frontal cortices was measured with fNIRS. We found significantly improved working memory performance (difference between 1-back and 3-back accuracies) over time both within and between sessions. All accuracy and reaction time measures exhibited good to excellent consistency within and across sessions. Additionally, changes in frontal oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) concentration were maintained over time across timescales, except that load-dependent (3-back > 1-back) HbO changes, particularly in the ventrolateral PFC, diminished over separate sessions. The consistency of fNIRS measures varied greatly, with changes in 3-back dorsolateral and ventrolateral HbO demonstrating fair-to-good consistency both within and between sessions. Overall, this study clarified the temporal dynamics of task performance and frontal activation during the n-back task. The findings revealed the neural mechanisms underlying the change in n-back task performance over time and have practical implications for future n-back research.
Part II model support on a new mechanism for North Pacific Oscillation influence on ENSO
Authors: Zhao Jiuwei , Sung Mi-Kyung , Park Jae-Heung , Luo Jing-Jia , Kug Jong-Seong
Published: February 2023

Owing to the significant influence of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on global climate, how ENSO events are initiated is an intriguing issue. The North Pacific Oscillation (NPO), a primary atmospheric variability over the midlatitude, is a well-known trigger for ENSO events, but the physical linkage is not yet fully understood. Based on observational analyses, in Part I, we proposed a new mechanism that the NPO-related wave activity flux (WAF) could directly induce the equatorial wind anomalies in both upper and lower levels. In this study, we substantiate the impacts of the WAF on tropical circulations using climate models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phases 5 and 6 (CMIP5/6). We found that the intensity of the southward WAF over the central Pacific is a paramount factor resulting in intermodel diversity in simulating the NPO–ENSO linkage. By classifying the models into two groups of strong and weak meridional WAF (MWAF), we reveal that the strong MWAF models simulate stronger upper- and lower-level equatorial winds and precipitation anomalies that facilitate the ENSO in subsequent winter. We also reveal that the magnitude of the MWAF is closely related to the model’s climatological meridional wind and meridional shear of climatological zonal wind, emphasizing the role of systematic bias on the ENSO simulation. A comparison of the MWAF impact and seasonal footprinting mechanism demonstrates the dominant influence of the MWAF in determining the diversity of NPO–ENSO relationships.
Tuning the electrophoretic separations on a surface-accessible and flexible fibre-based microfluidic devices
Authors: Khan Jawairia Umar , Pathan Mirbaz Ali , Sayyar Sepidar , Paull Brett , Innis Peter C.
Published: February 2023

Electrophoretic separation of charged ions on a textile-braided structure.
Electrodeposition model with dynamic ion diffusion coefficients for predicting void defects in electroformed microcolumn arrays
Authors: Ma Zhigao , Jiang Bingyan , Dong Yanzhuo , Qiang Jun , Drummer Dietmar , Zhang Lu
Published: February 2023

Due to the confined mass transfer capability in a microchannel, void defects are easily formed in the electroformed microcolumn array with a high depth/width ratio, which seriously affects the life and performance of micro-devices.
Distinct mechanism of Tb3+ and Eu3+ binding to NCS1
Authors: Alam Md Shofiul , Leyva Dennys , Michelin Woodline , Fernandez-Lima Francisco , Miksovska Jaroslava
Published: February 2023

EF hands in neuronal calcium sensor 1 display different affinity and specificity for Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions.
Tuning a small electron polaron in FePO4 by P-site or O-site doping based on DFT+U and KMC simulation
Authors: Chen Taowen , Ye Yaokun , Wang Ying , Fang Chi , Lin Weicheng , Jiang Yao , Xu Bo , Ouyang Chuying , Zheng Jiaxin
Published: February 2023

By studying the formation and dynamics of a small polaron in doped FePO4, it is found that the doping of S at the P site changes the motion mode of the polaron, thus increasing the intrinsic electronic conductivity of FePO4.
Reorganization energy of electron transfer
Authors: Matyushov Dmitry V.
Published: February 2023

The theory of electron transfer reactions establishes the conceptual foundation for redox solution chemistry, electrochemistry, and bioenergetics.
Automated pipetting robot for proxy high-throughput viscometry of Newtonian fluids
Authors: Soh Beatrice W. , Chitre Aniket , Lee Wen Yang , Bash Daniil , Kumar Jatin N. , Hippalgaonkar Kedar
Published: February 2023

In this work, we develop a proxy high-throughput viscometer for Newtonian fluids with viscosities between 1500 and 12 000 cP.
Cherry juice alleviates high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice by resolving gut microbiota dysbiosis and regulating microRNA
Authors: Wang Zhen , Liu Hongxu , Song Guoku , Gao Jingzhu , Xia Xiaodong , Qin Ningbo
Published: February 2023

A possible mechanism by which cherry juice improves obesity.
Co-encapsulation of curcumin and resveratrol in zein-bovine serum albumin nanoparticles using a pH-driven method
Authors: Chen Xiao , Yu Chong , Zhang Yi , Wu Yan-Chao , Ma Yao , Li Hui-Jing
Published: February 2023

In the present study, zein–bovine serum albumin (BSA) composite nanoparticles (NPs) are produced with the use of a pH-driven method.
Sub-nL thin-film differential scanning calorimetry chip for rapid thermal analysis of liquid samples
Authors: Ni Sheng , Zhu Hanliang , Neuzil Pavel , Yobas Levent
Published: February 2023

The first DSC chip that features thin-film enclosures, very low-addenda heat capacity, low residual heat conduction, and rapid response for analyzing liquids.
Rotors of BOSCHIBAs as endoplasmic reticulum fluorescent probes in HeLa and human umbilical vein endothelial cells
Authors: López-Espejel Margarita , Ibarra-Rodríguez Marisol , Muñoz-Flores Blanca M. , Bahena-Villarreal Marcos R. , Cavazos-Jaramillo Azael A. , Garza-Villegas Mónica D. , Rodríguez-Padilla Cristina , Luna-Cruz Itza E. , Dias H. V. Rasika , Alcocer-González Juan M. , Jiménez-Pérez Víctor M.
Published: February 2023

New fluorescent BOSCHIBAs for selective staining of the endoplasmic reticulum in HeLa and HUVE cells.
In situ/photoinduced fabrication of Zn/ZnO nanoscale hetero-interfaces with concomitant generation of solar hydrogen
Authors: Mangrulkar Priti A. , Manwar Nilesh R. , Chilkalwar Anushree A. , Deshpande Aparna S. , Rayalu Sadhana S.
Published: February 2023

A simple route of illumination of Zn(NP) to form two different Zn/ZnO heterostructures recovered at two different stages with concomitant hydrogen generation.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of highly potent and selective CYP1B1 inhibitors
Authors: Zhang Haoyu , Xu Ping , Wang Ting , Wang Shiyu , Li Weixia , Mao Jianping , Wang Jian , Zhang Fengjiao , Cheng Maosheng
Published: February 2023

A series of highly potent and selective CYP1B1 inhibitors based on N-phenyl-[2,4′-bithiazol]-2′-amine were obtained and their structure–activity-relationships were analyzed.
Quantum dot-doped CeOx–NiB with modulated electron density as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting
Authors: Wang Huimin , Feng Tao , Wang Lincai , Hao Weiju
Published: February 2023

The modulated electron density of CeOx–NiB/SiC@NF electrode significantly boosts the electrochemically active surface area and electron transfer, which delivers excellent performance for HER and OER. And the electrode exhibits good stability.
Broadband hyperbolic thermal metasurfaces based on the plasmonic phase-change material In3SbTe2
Authors: Meng Chong , Zeng Ying , Lu Dunzhu , Zou Hongyuan , Wang Junqin , He Qiang , Yang Xiaosheng , Xu Ming , Miao Xiangshui , Zhang Xinliang , Li Peining
Published: February 2023

We used laser pulses to make hyperbolic thermal metasurfaces based on plasmonic phase-change material In3SbTe2 for multilevel modulation and polarization control of thermal radiation, enabling applications such as thermal anti-counterfeiting.
Vitrimer ionogels towards sustainable solid-state electrolytes
Authors: Li Fengdi , Nguyen Giao T. M. , Vancaeyzeele Cédric , Vidal Frédéric , Plesse Cédric
Published: February 2023

Ionogels are composed of ionic liquid percolated within a polymer network. Here, endowed with vitrimer properties to conceive sustainable solid-state electrolytes working in open air, they keep their performance after healing or welding.
Million-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal the interfacial interactions and assembly of plant PSII-LHCII supercomplex
Authors: Mao Ruichao , Zhang Han , Bie Lihua , Liu Lu-Ning , Gao Jun
Published: February 2023

Theoretical simulations reveal the general mechanism of antenna anchoring to the core in PSII.
A magnetic X-band frequency microwave nanoabsorbent made of iron oxide/halloysite nanostructures combined with polystyrene
Authors: Jelodar Diana Fallah , Rouhi Mojtaba , Taheri-Ledari Reza , Hajizadeh Zoleikha , Maleki Ali
Published: February 2023

A magnetic hybrid nanoabsorbent made of iron oxide, halloysite and polystyrene is fabricated and utilized for the absorption of X-band microwaves.
Redox tuning of the H-cluster by second coordination sphere amino acids in the sensory [FeFe] hydrogenase from Thermotoga maritima
Authors: Chongdar Nipa , Rodríguez-Maciá Patricia , Reijerse Edward J. , Lubitz Wolfgang , Ogata Hideaki , Birrell James A.
Published: February 2023

Site-directed mutagenesis of the sensory [FeFe] hydrogenase from Thermotoga maritima reveals new insight into how the protein environment tunes the active site properties for its sensory role.
Aryl-to-alkyl radical relay Heck reaction of amides with vinyl arenes
Authors: Du Yu-jia , Sheng Xia-xin , Li Jun-hua , Chen Jia-ming , Yang Sen , Chen Ming
Published: February 2023

Herein, a photo-induced palladium catalyzed aryl-to-alkyl radical relay Heck reaction at α-C(sp3)–H site of amide has been developed. This method is scalable and operationally simple. Mechanistic studies reveal the radical nature of this transformation.
Ti3C2TxMXene/carbon nanofiber multifunctional electrode for electrode ionization with antifouling activity
Authors: Lei Jingjing , Yu Fei , Xie Haijiao , Ma Jie
Published: February 2023

We report a flexible self-supporting Ti3C2TxMXene/carbon nanofiber film fabricated by electrospinning. It served as a multifunctional CDI electrode with high-performance antifouling and antibacterial activity.
A convergent fragment coupling strategy to access quaternary stereogenic centers
Authors: Kerkovius Jeff K. , Wong Alice R. , Mak Victor W. , Reisman Sarah E.
Published: February 2023

A fragment coupling strategy for the formation of quaternary stereogenic centers in polycyclic systems based upon the semi-pinacol reaction is reported.
Preferential localization of a single spot in reaction–diffusion systems on non-spherical surfaces
Authors: Nampoothiri Sankaran
Published: February 2023

The present work systematically examines the effect of breaking the rotational symmetry of a surface on the spot positioning in reaction–diffusion (RD) systems.
Through-drop imaging of moving contact lines and contact areas on opaque water-repellent surfaces
Authors: Vieira Arthur , Cui Wenjuan , Jokinen Ville , Ras Robin H. A. , Zhou Quan
Published: February 2023

The progressing wetting interface on opaque hydrophobic surfaces is observed and quantified using a transparent droplet probe and contact angles near 180° are measured with an uncertainty as low as 0.2°.
Regulated electron migration in sandwich-like m-Ti3C2/Fe3O4 composites derived from electrostatic assembly boosted electromagnetic wave absorption
Authors: Yang Yuxiao , Zhao Jianyun , Wang Jiuhong , Li Yinhuan , Yu Wei , Ding Shujiang
Published: February 2023

Sandwich-like m-Ti3C2/Fe3O4 composites derived from electrostatic assembly exhibit highly effective electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption capacity. We demonstrate the influence of regulating electron hopping behaviors on EM characteristics and absorption performance.
Enabling dendrite-free and high-rate lithium anode with a self-standing anionic-MOF separator
Authors: Wang Chengjie , Hao Zhendong , Hu Yating , Wu Yue , Liu Jingbing , Jin Yuhong , Wang Hao , Zhang Qianqian
Published: February 2023

An anionic MOF separator is proposed to accelerate lithium-ion transport towards constructing high-performance dendrite-free LMBs.
An intelligent phase transformation system based on lyotropic liquid crystals for sequential biomolecule delivery to enhance bone regeneration
Authors: Li Rui , Zhang Jiao , Shi Jingyu , Yue Jiang , Cui Yongzhi , Ye Qingsong , Wu Gang , Zhang Zhiping , Guo Yuanyuan , Fu Dehao
Published: February 2023

A liquid crystal formulation systems containing deferoxamine and simvastatin was developed successfully to stimulate angiogenesis and improve osteogenesis.
Nanodrug constructed using dietary antioxidants for immunotherapy of metastatic tumors
Authors: Wu Xiao , Tan Yifeng , Zhang Jing , Cui Rong , Liao Chunyan , Zhang Shiyong
Published: February 2023

We herein developed a new ICD inducer VC@cLAV, which would induce strong ICD through elevating ROS in cancer cells for the immunotherapy of metastatic tumors while acting as an anti-oxidant in non-cancer cells for cytoprotection.
Calcium-peroxide-mediated cascades of oxygen production and glutathione consumption induced efficient photodynamic and photothermal synergistic therapy
Authors: Zhang Lanfang , Lu Hui , Tang Yu , Lu Xiaojie , Zhang Zhendong , Zhang Yan , Liu Ying , Wang Chenhui
Published: February 2023

The oxidative stress amplifier CaO2/ICG@ZIF-8 was constructed by loading CaO2 and ICG onto ZIF-8, achieving efficient photodynamic and photothermal synergistic therapy by CaO2-mediated cascades of oxygen production and glutathione consumption.
An adhesive SERS substrate based on a stretched silver nanowire-tape for the in situ multicomponent analysis of pesticide residues
Authors: Dai Xing , Xue Danni , Liu Xiaohan , Gu Chenjie , Jiang Tao
Published: February 2023

Two essential factors in powerful surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy analysis of trace pesticide residues are viz., high sensitivity and efficient sampling.
Design of experiments (DoE) to develop and to optimize extraction of psychoactive substances
Authors: Tang Tiantian , Chen Wanyi , Li Lixian , Cao Shurui
Published: February 2023

The design of experiments (DoE) method was employed to optimize the adsorption processes of seven psychoactive substances in environmental water samples. The analytes were determined by UHPLC-MS/MS.
Not antiaromaticity gain, but increased asynchronicity enhances the Diels–Alder reactivity of tropone
Authors: Tiekink Eveline H. , Vermeeren Pascal , Hamlin Trevor A.
Published: February 2023

Tropone can be activated in Diels–Alder reactionsviacarbonyl umpolung. The enhanced reactivity of tropone originates from the increased asynchronicity of the reaction and not by the, recently proposed, induced antiaromaticity.
A quantitative thermodynamic metric for identifying deep eutectic solvents
Authors: Like Bricker D. , Uhlenbrock Christina E. , Panzer Matthew J.
Published: February 2023

A threshold value for dimensionless excess Gibbs energy is proposed to assist in establishing true deep eutectic solvents.
Highlights on the reversible nonpolar-to-polar P3121–P31 phase transition at low temperature in NaLa(SO4)2·H2O: mechanism and piezoelectric properties
Authors: Azeroual H. , Bantignies J.-L. , Maurin D. , Granier D. , Haines J. , Cambon O. , Hermet P.
Published: February 2023

We report the existence in NaLa(SO4)2·H2O of a displacive phase transition under 200 K from the nonpolar P3121 to the polar P31 space group.
Clarifying the local microenvironment of metal–organic frameworks and their derivatives for electrochemical CO2 reduction: advances and perspectives
Authors: Aslam Muhammad Kashif , Yang Kang , Chen Sheng , Li Qiang , Duan Jingjing
Published: February 2023

Electrochemical CO2 reduction has been widely explored since 1970's, which could alleviate the current environmental and energy crisis caused by excessive CO2. Various strategies have been developed, including engineering and optimization of electrolytic cells and catalysts.
Correction: Visualizing morphological structures of rice grains in precooked products using synchrotron radiation X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography
Authors: Miki Hiromi , Yoneyama Akio , Hirano Keiichi
Published: February 2023

Correction for ‘Visualizing morphological structures of rice grains in precooked products using synchrotron radiation X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography’ by Hiromi Miki et al., Food Funct., 2023, 14, 87–93, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2FO02714C.
Surface enrichment dictates block copolymer orientation
Authors: Bae Suwon , Noack Marcus M. , Yager Kevin G.
Published: February 2023

An autonomous loop, coupled to molecular dynamics simulations, is used to explore diblock copolymer ordering in thin films.
Nanoscale friction on MoS2/graphene heterostructures
Authors: Liu Zhao , Szczefanowicz Bartosz , Lopes J. Marcelo J. , Gan Ziyang , George Antony , Turchanin Andrey , Bennewitz Roland
Published: February 2023

Stacked hetero-structures of two-dimensional materials allow for a design of interactions with corresponding electronic and mechanical properties.
The material–microorganism interface in microbial hybrid electrocatalysis systems
Authors: Li Jiyao , Han Hexing , Chang Yanhong , Wang Bin
Published: February 2023

This review presents a comprehensive summary of the material–microorganism interface in microbial hybrid electrocatalysis systems.
Quantitative analysis of fucosylated glycoproteins by immobilized lectin-affinity fluorescent labeling
Authors: Gao Ziyuan , Chen Sufeng , Du Jing , Wu Zhen , Ge Wei , Gao Song , Zhou Zeyang , Yang Xiaodong , Xing Yufei , Shi Minhua , Hu Yunyun , Tang Wen , Xia Jun , Zhang Xumin , Jiang Junhong , Yang Shuang
Published: February 2023

The LAFLQ method quantifies glycoproteins by fluorophore labeling and lectin affinity. On-plate fluorescence detection enables simultaneous analysis of multiple samples. Glycosylations in human biofluids can be achieved using different lectins.
Improved performance of Cr(vi)-reducing microbial fuel cells by nano-FeS hybridized biocathodes
Authors: Zhuang Xinglei , Tang Shien , Dong Weiliang , Xin Fengxue , Jia Honghua , Wu Xiayuan
Published: February 2023

Synergistic actions of nano-FeS coupling with biofilms realized deep reduction of Cr6+ to Cr0 and cathode passivation alleviation in MFCs.
CO2-switchable emulsions with controllable size and viscosity
Authors: Jiang Jianzhong , Li Huaixin , Gu Yao
Published: February 2023

CO2-switchable emulsions with on-demand stability and controllable properties, such as droplet size, viscosity, and emulsion type, were prepared with a CO2-switchable surfactant and silica nanoparticles.
Highly-efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution triggered by spatial confinement effects over co-crystal templated boron-doped carbon nitride hollow nanotubes
Authors: Dai Wei , Wang Ranhao , Chen Zhijie , Deng Shimao , Huang Changzhu , Luo Wenjun , Chen Hong
Published: February 2023

Hollow nanotube-like boron-doped carbon nitride for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.
Effect of terminations on the hydrogen evolution reaction mechanism on Ti3C2 MXene
Authors: Meng Ling , Yan Li-Kai , Viñes Francesc , Illas Francesc
Published: February 2023

Surface composition on Ti3C2 MXene (0001) surface and its effect on hydrogen evolution reaction are analyzed based on systematic density functional calculations.
The importance of lone pairs to structure and bonding of the novel germanium nitridophosphate GeP2N4
Authors: de Boer Tristan , Somers Cody , Boyko Teak , Ambach Sebastian , Eisenburger Lucien , Schnick Wolfgang , Moewes Alexander
Published: February 2023

The new nitridophosphate GeP2N4 differs structurally from all other known MP2N4 phases, owing to a Ge2+ lone pair. Its stereochemical influence could be exploited to tune the properties of other compounds when M2+ is exchanged with Ge2+.
Fabrication of stable multi-level resistance states in a Nb-doped Ge2Sb2Te5 device
Authors: Zheng Long , Song Zhitang , Song Wenxiong , Zhu Xiaoqin , Song Sannian
Published: February 2023

The similarity of bond lengths between doped element X and Te in the X–Te polyhedrons was important for the manipulation of GST properties. Nb-doped GST enhanced structural stability and resulted in a continuum of multi-level resistance states.
G4-interacting proteins endangering genomic stability at G4 DNA-forming sites
Authors: Kim Nayun
Published: February 2023

In guanine-rich DNA strands, base-base interactions among guanines allow the conformational shift from the B-form DNA to the non-canonical quadruplex or G4 structure. The functional significance of G4 DNA in vivo is largely dependent on the interaction with protein factors, many of which contain the arginine–glycine–glycine or RGG repeat and other consensus G4-binding motifs. These G4-interacting proteins can significantly modulate the effect of G4 DNA structure on genome maintenance, either preventing or aggravating G4-assoicated genome instability. While the role of helicases in resolving G4 DNA structure has been extensively discussed, identification and characterization of protein factors contributing to elevation in G4-associated genome instability has been relatively sparse. In this minireview, we will particularly highlight recent discoveries regarding how interaction between certain G4-binding proteins and G4 DNA could exacerbate genome instability potentiated by G4 DNA-forming sequences.
Experimental study on bumps formation textured by nanosecond laser on Ti6Al4V alloy
Authors: Liu Zhifang , Niu Tong , Lei Yaxi , Luo Yuanxin
Published: February 2023

The surface properties of biomaterials are the key factors for the success of artificial implants in the body. The creation of patterns on titanium alloys by laser surface texturing techniques can modify the surface to make it multifunctional. The evolution of the surface morphology of Ti6Al4V alloy textured by a nanosecond laser with 1064 nm wavelength in the air is studied. Laser surface texturing treatment is performed on the titanium alloy through different pulse numbers, power, pulse width and scan times to obtain different morphologies. The 2D cross‐section profile shows that the morphology can be divided into three types in the evolution process of various pulse numbers, powers and pulse widths: bump‐shaped, hump‐shaped and crater‐shaped. It is found that the effect of pulse width on morphology mainly depends on power. The effects of laser parameters on the height of bumps and the evolution of morphology are the main research points to analyse the topography evolution. The causes of bumps are also analysed. Energy dispersive spectrometer measures the area irradiated by the laser, and it is found that the oxygen content of the bump is up to 43.1%, which can speculate that the bump is the result of the oxidation reaction.
FARNet: Fragmented affinity reasoning network of text instances for arbitrary shape text detection
Authors: Chen Honghui , Chen Pingping , Qiu Yuhang , Ling Nam
Published: February 2023

Arbitrary shape text detection is a challenging task in scene text recognition. Driven by deep learning and large‐scale data sets, the detection method based on connected component (CC) has increasingly gained popularity. However, there are still problems of unclear separation of text instances and incorrect component links. Thus, in this paper, the authors propose a novel component connection method, that is, Fragmented Affinity Reasoning Network of Text Instances (FARNet), for arbitrary shape text detection. The network consists of a Weighted Feature Fusion Pyramid Network (WFFPN), Text Fragments Subgraph (TFS), and Dense Graph Attention Network (DGAT), which can be trained end‐to‐end. The WFFPN is used to generate text fragments, TFS and DGAT jointly construct an affinity reasoning network. Since the neighbouring boundaries between text instances may blend them into a single instance, the core idea is to use the WFFPN to divide the text instance into a series of rectangular fragments, the affinity reasoning network infers the affinity between fragments and then links them to rebuild text instances. Extensive experiments on seven challenging datasets (ICDAR2015, MSRA‐TD500, Totaltext, CTW‐1500, ICDAR 2019MLT, ICDAR2019 ArT, and DAST‐1500) demonstrate that the proposed text detector achieves state‐of‐the‐art performance in both on polygon datasets and quadrilateral datasets. The code is available at https://github.com/giganticpower/FARNet.