bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the IDENTIFYTM surface scanning system for radiation therapy setup on a closed‐bore linac
Authors: Dekker Janita , van het Schip Sander , Essers Marion , de Smet Mariska , Kusters Martijn , de Kruijf Willy
Published: March 2024

Purpose

In radiation therapy, surface guidance can be used for patient setup and intra‐fraction motion monitoring. The surface guided radiation therapy (SGRT) system from Varian Medical systems, IDENTIFYTM, consists of three pods, including cameras and a random pattern projector, mounted on the ceiling. The information captured by the cameras is used to make a reconstruction of the surface. The aim of the study was to assess the technical performance of this SGRT system on a closed‐bore linac.

Methods

Phantom measurements were performed to assess the accuracy, precision, reproducibility and temporal stability of the system, both in align and in load position. Translations of the phantoms in lateral, longitudinal, and vertical direction, and rotations around three axes (pitch, roll and yaw) were performed with an accurate, in‐house built, positioning stage. Different phantom geometries and different surface colors were used, and various ambient light intensities were tested.

Results

The accuracy of the IDENTIFYTM system at the closed‐bore linac was 0.07 mm and 0.07 degrees at load position, and 0.06 mm and 0.01 degrees at align position for the white head phantom. The precision was 0.02 mm and 0.02 degrees in load position, and 0.01 mm and 0.02 degrees in align position. The accuracy for the Penta‐Guide phantom was comparable to the white head phantom, with 0.06 mm and 0.01 degrees in align position. The system was slightly less accurate for translations of the CIRS lung phantom in align position (0.20 mm, 0.05 degrees). Reproducibility measurements showed a variation of 0.02 mm in load position. Regarding the temporal stability, the maximum drift over 30 min was 0.33 mm and 0.02 degrees in load position. No effect of ambient light level on the accuracy of the IDENTIFYTM system was observed. Regarding different surface colors, the accuracy of the system for a black phantom was slightly worse compared to a white surface, but not clinical relevant.

Conclusion

The IDENTIFYTM system can adequately be used for motion monitoring on a closed‐bore linac with submillimeter accuracy. The results of the performed measurements meet the clinical requirements described in the guidelines of the AAPM and the ESTRO.
Hyaluronic Acid‐based Cell‐free Composite Scaffold Promotes Osteochondral Repair In Vitro by Upregulating Osteogenic‐ and Chondrogenic‐Specific Gene Expressions
Authors: Pathmanapan Srinivetha , Muthuramalingam Akila , Pandurangan Ashok Kumar , Ayyadurai Niraikulam , Anandasadagopan Suresh Kumar
Published: March 2024

Osteochondral defects pose a significant challenge in clinical practice, leading to increased medical care, diminished quality of life for patients, and elevated economic burden. The restoration of osteochondral defects, particularly in cartilage, is limited by its finite repair capacity and complex architecture. Treatment based on regenerative therapies acclaims the favorable alternative to contemporary procedures. Studies reveal that engineered biomaterials hold the significant importance in stimulating tissue repair with minimal cost and risks. In this study, a porous composite scaffold is developed, where host cells infiltrate and create the microenvironment for cellular adhesion and enhanced differentiation. Thus, a composite scaffold composed of natural glycosaminoglycan hyaluronic acid (HA), the protein component fibrin, bioceramic nanohydroxyapatite (nHAP), and graphene oxide (GO) is fabricated. Scanning electron microscopy observation and physiochemical characterization reveal an interconnected pore structure, optimum swelling potential, high porosity (80.14%), controlled biodegradation, high mechanical properties, and mineralization. Evaluation of scaffold's biocompatibility using osteoblast – like MG‐63 cells – shows adequate viability, cell adhesion, and osteoinductive potential. The upregulated expressions of osteogenic and chondrogenic genes OCN, ALP, COL1A1, ACAN, SOX9, and COL2A1 promote mineralization and extracellular matrix formation. These findings suggest that the composite scaffold HA‐GO‐F‐nHAP exhibits promising potential for osteochondral repair.
Fibrillation of Pristine 2D Materials by 2D‐Confined Electrolytes
Authors: Tan Hui Li , Donato Katarzyna Z. , Costa Mariana C. F. , Carvalho Alexandra , Trushin Maxim , Ng Pei Rou , Yau Xin Hui , Koon Gavin K. W. , Tolasz Jakub , Němečková Zuzana , Ecorchard Petra , Donato Ricardo K. , Neto Antonio H. Castro
Published: March 2024

2D materials are solid microscopic flakes with a‐few‐Angstrom thickness possessing some of the largest surface‐to‐volume ratios known. Altering their conformation state from a flat flake to a scroll or fiber offers a synergistic association of properties arising from 2D and 1D nanomaterials. However, a combination of the long‐range electrostatic and short‐range solvation forces produces an interlayer repulsion that has to be overcome, making scrolling 2D materials without disrupting the pristine structure a challenging task. Herein, a facile method is presented to alter the 2D materials’ inter‐layer interactions by confining organic salts onto their basal area, forming 2D‐confined electrolytes. The confined electrolytes produce local charge inhomogeneities, which can conjugate across the interlayer gap, binding the two surfaces. This allows the 2D‐confined electrolytes to behave as polyelectrolytes within a higher dimensional order (2D → 1D) and form robust nanofibers with distinct electronic properties. The method is not material‐specific and the resulting fibers are tightly bound even though the crystal structure of the basal plane remains unaltered.
Spontaneous Line Defect‐Induced Co4Te7 Superlattices on SrTiO3(001) Featuring Flat Bands
Authors: Quan Wenzhi , Lu Yue , Wu Qilong , Shang Chanjuan , Li Chenyu , Hu Jingyi , Wang Jialong , Zhang Zehui , Zhou Si , Zhao Jijun , Ji Qingqing , Zhang Yanfeng
Published: March 2024

1D structures/patterns (e.g., line defect arrays, 1D Moiré patterns) embedded in 2D materials provide fascinating platforms for exploring versatile intriguing phenomena, for example, 1D Luttinger liquids and charge density waves (CDWs). Despite persistent efforts, incorporating periodic 1D patterns into 2D materials remains an ongoing pursuit. Herein, the direct preparation of monolayer 1D‐defect‐induced Co4Te7 superlattices (with periodic Te defect lines in the upper Te layer in 1T‐CoTe2) is reported, on lattice‐matched SrTiO3(001) (STO(001)) substrates via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Utilizing on‐site scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, the detailed atomic structure of monolayer Co4Te7 is identified, and its formation mechanisms from the synergistic effects of the Co/Te precursor ratio and adlayer‐substrate interfacial coupling are uncovered. The potential flat‐band feature of the monolayer Co4Te7 is also unveiled. This work should hereby offer valuable insights into the engineering of periodic 1D‐defect patterns in 2D materials, as well as the atomic‐scale structure and electronic property characterizations, thus paving ways for their intriguing property investigations.
Molecular Doped Biodegradable Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Optimal Output Performance
Authors: Li Cong , Luo Ruizeng , Bai Yuan , Shao Jiajia , Ji Jianying , Wang Engui , Li Zhe , Meng Hongyu , Li Zhou
Published: March 2024

Biodegradable polymers (BPs)‐based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have advantages, including biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, biodegradable TENGs (BD‐TENGs) possess relatively low output performance, limiting their application due to the small differences in triboelectric polarities for most BPs. Molecular doping is a simple and effective method in altering the triboelectric polarity of triboelectric materials and improving the output performance of BD‐TENGs. However, there is a lack of laws and mechanism about the differences in triboelectric polarities of different doped molecules, especially of molecules with biodegradability and biocompatibility. Here, kinds of doping molecules are selected for doping in tribopositive and tribonegative materials, respectively, and their triboelectric polarities and related laws are researched. In particular, the output performance of BD‐TENG is improved several times by doping small amounts of poly (propylene glycol) (PPG) and ethyl cellulose (EC), with enhanced resolution in abnormal respiratory signal monitoring. This work not only provides theoretical guidance for the selection of triboelectric molecules but also conducts in‐depth research in molecular‐level triboelectric mechanisms.
Nanoenabled Immunomodulatory Scaffolds for Cartilage Tissue Engineering
Authors: Pereira Vasconcelos Daniela , Leite Pereira Catarina , Couto Marina , Neto Estrela , Ribeiro Beatriz , Albuquerque Filipe , Freitas Alexandra , Alves Cecília J. , Klinkenberg Geir , McDonagh Birgitte Hjelmeland , Schmid Ruth Baumberger , Seitz Andreas M. , de Roy Luisa , Ignatius Anita , Haaparanta Anne‐Marie , Muhonen Virpi , Sarmento Bruno , Lamghari Meriem
Published: March 2024

Articular cartilage regeneration is a challenge in tissue engineering. Although diverse materials have been developed for this purpose, cartilage regeneration remains suboptimal. The integration of nanomaterials into 3D network materials holds great potential in the improvement of key mechanical properties, particularly important for osteochondral replacement scaffolds and even to function as carriers for disease‐modifying drugs or other regulatory signals. In this study, a simple yet effective cell‐free nanoenabled Col‐PLA scaffold specially designed to enhance cartilage regeneration and modulate inflammatory response is proposed, by incorporating poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) ibuprofen nanoparticles (NPs) into a collagen/polylactide (Col‐PLA) matrix. The developed nanoenabled scaffold successfully decreases IL‐1β release and leads to primary human chondrocytes survival, ultimately restoring extracellular matrix (ECM) production under inflammatory conditions. The nanoenabled Col‐PLA scaffolds secretome effectively decreases macrophage invasion in vitro, as well as neutrophil infiltration and inflammatory mediators’, namely the complement component C5/C5a, C‐reactive protein, IL‐1β, MMP9, CCL20, and CXCL1/KC production in vivo in a rodent air‐pouch model. Overall, the established nanoenabled scaffold has the potential to support chondrogenesis as well as modulate inflammatory response, overcoming the limitations of traditional tissue engineering strategies.
4D Printing of Mechanically Ultrastretchable and Ultrastrength Liquid‐Free Ionoelastomers with Rapid Responsiveness
Authors: Cai Ling , Wu Yixuan , Chen Guangxue , Kuang Xiao , Maharjan Sushila , Zhang Yu Shrike , He Minghui
Published: March 2024

4D printing has attracted widespread attention due to its ability to fabricate complex structures capable of responding to specific stimuli. However, existing smart materials used for 4D printing, such as conventional hydrogels, liquid crystal elastomers, and shape‐memory polymers, are constrained in their ability to fulfill both mechanical ultrastrength and ultrastretchability requirements simultaneously due to their water saturation or uneven network structures. This study presents 4D printing of liquid‐free ionic elastomers (LFIEs) that is achieved through photopolymerization of the acrylic acid‐tetramethylammonium chloride‐polymerizable deep eutectic solvent. The transition temperature (Tt) of the high‐fracture‐strength LFIEs is adjusted by introducing phenylphosphoric acid, harboring multiple hydrogen‐bonds, leading to improved molecular chain mobility through softening of the chains. Consequently, the 4D‐printed LFIEs retain their high strength while achieving ultrastretchable properties even under elevated temperatures during heating. Moreover, the 4D‐printed LFIEs demonstrate both a swift response time and a high fixation rate even after undergoing repeated transformation cycles. These outstanding capabilities exhibit by LFIEs present a reliable strategy for advancing their applications in diverse fields, such as smart furniture, robotics, and intelligent manufacturing with remote monitoring, and beyond.
Recent Advances in Wearable Flexible Sensors and Implantable Biotags for Aquatic Animals
Authors: Wang Lu , Gai Yansong , He Qipei , Kang Jiajie , Wang Kaijie , Jiang Yonggang
Published: March 2024

The impact of human activities and social industrialization on the marine environment and aquatic life cannot be underestimated. By utilizing information transmission intermediates such as underwater wearable sensors, it is possible to promptly and precisely assess the state of the marine environment, as well as the behavior of biological populations, thereby ensuring accurate protection of the marine ecology. Flexible electronic tags maintain accurate monitoring performance while addressing the biocompatibility of sensors. When the tag is attached to an organism's surface or implanted in the body, it can perform real‐time monitoring, providing valuable insights into their biology and behavior. At the same time, allow them to attach to the animal without causing injury or disruption to their inherent behavior. In this paper, implantable electronic tags and wearable flexible sensing systems are examined while exploring their potential applications in this field. The review discusses four aspects of these systems: physical information monitoring in the marine environments, chemical information monitoring in the marine environments, physiological information monitoring in animals, and biochemical information monitoring in animals. Finally, the article explores upcoming challenges and trends in the development of implantable electronic tags and wearable, flexible sensors for aquatic animals.
Unleashing the Performance of Self‐Rolled‐Up 3D Inductors via Deterministic Electroplating on Cylindrical Surfaces
Authors: Yang Zhendong , Khandelwal Apratim , Wang Allen T. , Nguyen Kristen , Wicker Scott , Shao Yang Victoria , Li Xiuling
Published: March 2024

Internet‐of‐Things and Cyber‐Physical‐System applications demand compact power converters, which require inductors to have small footprints but considerable power handling abilities. 3D air‐core tubular inductors fabricated using the self‐rolled‐up membrane (S‐RuM) technology have demonstrated significantly higher inductance density compared to conventional planar structures. However, previous design options and associated performance are constrained by the resistive loss due to the thickness of the metal and magnetic coupling limited by the air core. Here, the study reports a post‐rolling electroplating scheme aimed at enhancing the metal conductivity and core magnetic permeability in S‐RuM inductors, all while maintaining their compact footprint. A DC resistance improvement of over 10X and an inductance enhancement of over 30X are achieved by the 3D S‐RuM inductors, via parallel‐processed Cu‐electroplated strips on the cylindrical shells and partially permalloy‐electroplated core. The improvement is projected to continue to improve as the entire core is filled. This advancement paves the way for scalable applications of this technology in ultra‐compact, low‐loss passive power electronics, such as converters and filters.
The Absence of Intra‐Tumoral Tertiary Lymphoid Structures is Associated with a Worse Prognosis and mTOR Signaling Activation in Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Liver Transplantation: A Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Li Jianhua , Zhang Li , Xing Hao , Geng Yan , Lv Shaocheng , Luo Xiao , He Weiqiao , Fu Zhi , Li Guangming , Hu Bin , Jiang Shengran , Yang Zhe , Zhu Ningqi , Zhang Quanbao , Zhao Jing , Tao Yifeng , Shen Conghuan , Li Ruidong , Tang Feng , Zheng Shusen , Bao Yun , He Qiang , Geng Daoying , Wang Zhengxin
Published: March 2024

Tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS) can predict the prognosis and sensitivity of tumors to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy, whether it can be noninvasively predicted by radiomics in hepatocellular carcinoma with liver transplantation (HCC‐LT) has not been explored. In this study, it is found that intra‐tumoral TLS abundance is significantly correlated with recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Tumor tissues with TLS are characterized by inflammatory signatures and high infiltration of antitumor immune cells, while those without TLS exhibit uncontrolled cell cycle progression and activated mTOR signaling by bulk and single‐cell RNA‐seq analyses. The regulators involved in mTOR signaling (RHEB and LAMTOR4) and S‐phase (RFC2, PSMC2, and ORC5) are highly expressed in HCC with low TLS. In addition, the largest cohort of HCC patients is studied with available radiomics data, and a classifier is built to detect the presence of TLS in a non‐invasive manner. The classifier demonstrates remarkable performance in predicting intra‐tumoral TLS abundance in both training and test sets, achieving areas under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of 92.9% and 90.2% respectively. In summary, the absence of intra‐tumoral TLS abundance is associated with mTOR signaling activation and uncontrolled cell cycle progression in tumor cells, indicating unfavorable prognosis in HCC‐LT.
Risk factors for the need for advanced care among prescription and over‐the‐counter drug overdose patients
Authors: Tanaka Chie , Tagami Takashi , Nagano Makihiko , Nakayama Fumihiko , Kaneko Junya , Kuno Masamune
Published: March 2024

Aim

Prescription drug and over‐the‐counter (OTC) drug overdose is a major problem in emergency departments in Japan, and some need advanced care which is more than observation. We aimed to identify the prehospital risk factors for the need of advanced care among overdose patients.

Methods

This was a single‐center retrospective cohort study. We included overdoses patients of prescription drugs or OTC drugs, who admitted to our hospital between 2016 and 2021. We grouped them into advanced care and non‐advanced care. The main outcome was the need for advanced care. We performed a multiple logistic regression analysis, calculated the PAV score (Paracetamol use, Alcohol use, abnormal Vital signs on scene) and performed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

There were 229 subjects. The logistic regression analysis revealed that alcohol, paracetamol, and the abnormal vital signs on scene were associated with advanced care (alcohol‐odds ratio [OR]: 2.95; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29–6.75; paracetamol‐OR: 5.47; 95% CI: 2.18–13.71; abnormal vital signs‐OR: 4.61, 95% CI: 2.07–10.27). The rate of advanced care in the high PAV score (2 and 3) group was statistically higher than that in the low PAV score (0–1) group (p = 0.04). Area under the ROC curve of the PAV score was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.65–0.80).

Conclusion

Alcohol, paracetamol use and abnormal vital signs on scene might be risk factors for advanced care among prescription drugs or OTC drugs overdose patients, and the PAV score may predict the need for advanced care.
Enhanced Detection of Novel Low‐Frequency Gene Fusions via High‐Yield Ligation and Multiplexed Enrichment Sequencing
Authors: Wu Yi , Guo Jinxiao , Li Wenjun , Xiu Xuehao , Thirunavukarasu Deepak , Wang Yudong , Wang Kai , Chen Weiyu , Yu Zhang David , Yang Xiurong , Fan Chunhai , Song Ping
Published: March 2024

Panel‐based methods are commonly employed for the analysis of novel gene fusions in precision diagnostics and new drug development in cancer. However, these methods are constrained by limitations in ligation yield and the enrichment of novel gene fusions with low variant allele frequencies. In this study, we conducted a pioneering investigation into the stability of double‐stranded adapter DNA, resulting in improved ligation yield and enhanced conversion efficiency. Additionally, we implemented blocker displacement amplification, achieving a remarkable 7‐fold enrichment of novel gene fusions. Leveraging the pre‐enrichment achieved with this approach, we successfully applied it to Nanopore sequencing, enabling ultra‐fast analysis of novel gene fusions within one hour with high sensitivity. This method offers a robust and remarkably sensitive mean of analyzing novel gene fusions, promising the discovery of pivotal biomarkers that can significantly improve cancer diagnostics and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Reduction‐Tolerance Electrolyte Design for High‐Energy Lithium Batteries
Authors: Sun Chuangchao , Li Ruhong , Weng Suting , Zhu Chunnan , Chen Long , Jiang Sen , Li Long , Xiao Xuezhang , Liu Chengwu , Chen Lixin , Deng Tao , Wang Xuefeng , Fan Xiulin
Published: March 2024

Lithium batteries employing Li or silicon (Si) anodes hold promise for the next‐generation energy storage systems. However, their cycling behavior encounters rapid capacity degradation due to the vulnerability of solid electrolyte interphases (SEIs). Though anion‐derived SEIs mitigate this degradation, the unavoidable reduction of solvents introduces heterogeneity to SEIs, leading to fractures during cycling. Here, we elucidate how the reductive stability of solvents, dominated by the electrophilicity (EPT) and coordination ability (CDA), delineates the SEI formed on Li or Si anodes. Solvents exhibiting lower EPT and CDA demonstrate enhanced tolerance to reduction, resulting in inorganic‐rich SEIs with homogeneity. Guided by these criteria, we synthesized three promising solvents tailored for Li or Si anodes. The decomposition of these solvents is dictated by their EPTs under similar solvation structures, imparting distinct characteristics to SEIs and impacting battery performance. The optimized electrolyte, 1 M lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI) in N‐Pyrrolidine‐trifluoromethanesulfonamide (TFSPY), achieves 600 cycles of Si anodes with a capacity retention of 81 % (1910 mAh g−1). In anode‐free Cu||LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM523) pouch cells, this electrolyte sustains over 100 cycles with an 82 % capacity retention. These findings illustrate that reducing solvent decomposition benefits SEI formation, offering valuable insights for the designing electrolytes in high‐energy lithium batteries.
Introducing Carborane Clusters into Crystalline Frameworks via Thiol‐Yne Click Chemistry for Energetic Materials
Authors: Pu Tian‐Li , Wang Xu‐Yang , Sun Zhi‐Bing , Dong Xi‐Yan , Wang Qian‐You , Zang Shuang‐Quan
Published: March 2024

Crystalline frameworks represent a cutting‐edge frontier in material science, and recently, there has been a surge of interest in energetic crystalline frameworks. However, the well‐established porosity often leads to diminished output energy, necessitating a novel approach for performance enhancement. Thiol‐yne coupling, a versatile metal‐free click reaction, has been underutilized in crystalline frameworks. As a proof of concept, we herein demonstrate the potential of this approach by introducing the energy‐rich, size‐matched, and reductive 1,2‐dicarbadodecaborane‐1‐thiol (CB−SH) into an acetylene‐functionalized framework, Zn(AIm)2, via thiol‐yne click reaction. This innovative decoration strategy resulted in a remarkable 46.6 % increase in energy density, a six‐fold reduction in ignition delay time (4 ms) with red fuming nitric acid as the oxidizer, and impressive enhancement of stability. Density functional theory calculations were employed to elucidate the mechanism by which CB−SH promotes hypergolic ignition. The thiol‐yne click modification strategy presented here permits engineering of crystalline frameworks for the design of advanced energetic materials.
Enhancing shear strength in 3D printed single lap composite joints: A multi‐faceted exploration of GNP integration, print orientation, utilizing artificial neural networks, and dynamic analysis
Authors: Hiremath Vinayak S. , Reddy Mallikarjuna D. , Reddy Rajasekhara Mutra , Naveen J. , Chand R. Prem
Published: March 2024

The state‐of‐the‐art manufacturing process known as additive manufacturing (AM) employs components that may be processed by AM, including ceramics, polymeric materials, metallic substances, titanium, metallic substances, and composites, to produce parts with intricate designs and exact properties. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a rapidly growing 3D printing technique. However, most FDM systems only support polylactic acid (PLA) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as a printing medium. The impact of print orientations and graphene nanoparticles upon the tensile and shear properties of PLA single‐lap joint samples created by FDM has been investigated in this work. According to experimentation, the 0° orientation has the highest load‐bearing capacity and shear strength compared to 45° and 90°. Also, addition of GNP to epoxy adhesive improved greatly, with 0.25 to 1.00 weight percentages of 20.94, 12.34, 38.98, and 31.11%, respectively. FESEM has been used to analyze the failure criteria. The free vibrational analysis confirmed that the 3DS6 sample had the highest natural frequency (598.7 Hz) compared to all other samples. The artificial neural network (ANN) approach accurately predicted the failure load. The overall =0.8471 achieved is below the permissible margin of error, indicating that both the outcomes are reliable and in satisfactory agreement.
Preparation of transparent electrospun nanofibrous membrane from long‐persistent phosphor‐reinforced polymer for security authentication
Authors: Al‐Senani Ghadah M. , Al‐Qahtani Salhah D.
Published: March 2024

Photochromic inks have been a tempting authentication method to make commercial items more resistant to counterfeiting. However, recent studies have shown that photochromic inks have major drawbacks, such as expensiveness and low durability. Herein, we report the development of new photochromic nanofibers for cutting‐edge anti‐counterfeiting uses. Lanthanide‐doped strontium aluminate nanoparticles (LSAN) were synthesized and immobilized onto electrospun polyurethane nanofibers (PUNF). Anti‐counterfeiting materials encapsulated with inorganic photochromic agent can guarantee photostability and durability. LSAN function as an efficient inorganic photochromic agent whereas PUNF function as a hosting matrix. Both of photostability and reversibility of the prepared UV‐induced photochromic LSAN@PUNF were found to be rather high. Applying varying ratios of LSAN resulted in the development of polyurethane nanofibers with distinct emission properties depending on the LSAN content. The nanofibrous films showed green emission under UV illumination, and whereas no traces were detected in visible daylight. LSAN displayed diameters of 3–6 nm, whereas LSAN@PUNF nanofibers had diameters of 150–450 nm. Transparency was indicated by an excitation peak at 347 nm, and a green color was indicated by an emission peak of 530 nm. The current approach can be presented as an efficient technology to prevent forgery of commercial products.
Nucleophilic Selenocyclization Reaction of Benzodiynes Promoted by Sodium Selenide: Synthesis of Isoselenochromenes
Authors: Maroneze Adriano , Caldeira Fabíola , Back Davi F. , Wayne Nogueira Cristina , Zeni Gilson
Published: March 2024

We describe here the synthesis of isoselenochromenes via a nucleophilic selenocyclization reaction of benzodiynes with sodium selenide. The central parameters that affect this cyclization reaction were studied, and the best reaction conditions were applied to different substrates to determine the scope of the method. The results indicated that isoselenochromenes were obtained in higher yields when the reactions were performed by the addition of NaBH4 (3 equiv), at room temperature, under nitrogen atmosphere, to a solution of elemental selenium (2 equiv) in dimethylformamide (2 mL). After 1 h, a benzodiynes (0.25 mmol) solution in EtOH (3 mL) was added at room temperature. The reaction was stirred at 75 °C until the starting material was consumed. The best conditions were applied to benzodiynes having electron‐rich, electron poor aromatic rings, and alkyl groups directly bonded to the alkynes. The same reaction condition was extended to isothiochromene derivatives but failed to prepare isotelurochromenes. The isoselenochromenes were easily transformed into three new classes of organoselenium compounds using classical methods available in the literature. We also conducted several control experiments to propose a reaction mechanism.
Amino–Functionalized Multi–walled Carbon Nanotube/SPEEK Hybrid Proton Exchange Membrane for Iron–chromium Redox Flow Battery**
Authors: Bai Enrui , Sun Chuanyu , Zhu Haotian , Liu Zhihai , Xu Chongyang , Xie Xiaoyin , Wu Sheng
Published: March 2024

In the field of iron–chromium redox flow battery (ICRFB), the optimal doping ratio of the amino–functionalized multi–walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT−NH2) blended with SPEEK as hybrid proton exchange membrane (PEM) is determined to be 2 wt % by series tests. The ICRFB single–cell containing the S/MWCNT−NH2−2 PEM was tested and compared with the Nafion 212 and original SPEEK PEMs. It is worth noting that the single–cell containing S/MWCNT−NH2–2 exhibits significantly higher coulombic efficiency (CE : 96.06 %) and energy efficiency (EE : 88.68 %) under 40 mA cm−2 than that of the Nafion 212 (EE : 82.83 %, CE : 88.9 %). Differing from the original SPEEK PEM, it also exhibits higher EE (82.04 %) than the Nafion 212 (81.09 %) at 100 mA cm−2. During the self–discharge test, the lower permeability of iron/chromium ions through S/MWCNT−NH2–2 PEM also allows for a longer self–discharge time than the other two single–cells. Additionally, the single–cell containing S/MWCNT−NH2–2 showed a smaller decay range of EE (from 82.67 % to 77.36 %) and more discharge capacity retention (48 %) than that of the Nafion 212 (EE : from 82.64 % to 75.01 %, discharge capacity retention: 18 %) after 100 cycles, which suggests that the hybrid SPEEK PEM with optimal content of MWCNT−NH2 has a great potential to replace Nafion PEMs in the large‐scale commercialization of ICRFB.
Environmentally benign first derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetry for the analysis of two binary mixtures containing duloxetine with avanafil or tadalafil in spiked plasma samples
Authors: Abd‐AlGhafar Walaa Nabil , Abo Shabana Rasha , El‐Shaheny Rania , Tolba Manar M.
Published: March 2024

Antidepressants can cause sexual dysfunction side effects, necessitating the co‐administration of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. The simultaneous determination of these drugs in biological fluids is critical for therapeutic drug monitoring. For the first time, two binary mixtures containing duloxetine with either avanafil or tadalafil were estimated utilizing simple green spectrofluorimetric methods without the need for a previous separation step. The study was based on first derivative synchronous spectrofluorimetry in ethanol using a change in wavelength difference (∆λ) of 20 and 25 nm for the first and second combinations, respectively. Duloxetine and avanafil were estimated at 297.7 and 331 nm in their binary mixture, while duloxetine and tadalafil were determined at 290.3 and 297.7 nm, respectively. The linearity was achieved over the ranges of 0.1–1.5 μg mL−1for both duloxetine and avanafil and 0.01–0.40 μg mL−1for tadalafil, with limits of detection of 0.013, 0.022, and 0.004 μg mL−1for duloxetine, avanafil, and tadalafil, respectively. Successful application of the developed approaches was accomplished for the estimation of the two mixtures in dosage forms as well as human plasma with excellent percentage recoveries (96–103.75% in plasma), which supports their suitability for use in quality control laboratories and pharmacokinetic studies. Moreover, the adopted approaches' greenness was evidenced by applying three tools.
Naphthalimide‐based fluorescent probe for Hg2+ detection and imaging in living cells and zebrafish
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Chen Xin , Yu Shihua , Liu Zhigang , Fu Jing , Zeng Xiaodan
Published: March 2024

A simple naphthalimide‐based fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized for the determination of mercury ion (Hg2+). The probe showed a noticeable fluorescence quenching response for Hg2+. When added with Hg2+, the fluorescence intensity of the probe at 560 nm was remarkably decreased with the color changed from yellow to colorless under ultraviolet (UV) light. The probe had a notable selectivity and sensitivity for Hg2+ and displayed an excellent sensing performance when detecting Hg2+ at low concentration (19.5 nM). The binding phenomenon between the probe and Hg2+ was identified by Job's method and high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Moreover, the probe was not only utilized to identify Hg2+ in real samples with satisfactory results (92.00%–110.00%) but also was successfully used for bioimaging in cells and zebrafish. The recognition mechanism has been verified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for the first time. All the results showed that the probe could be used as a potent useful tool for detection of Hg2+.
Highly selective detection of deoxyribonucleic acid in living cells using RecA‐green fluorescent protein‐single‐stranded deoxyribonucleic acid filament fluorescence resonance energy transfer probe
Authors: Wang Chunlei , Zhang Yuanfu , Gong Wenyue , Wang Shuhao
Published: March 2024

A fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method was developed for double‐stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) detection in living cells using the RecA‐GFP (green fluorescent protein) fusion protein filament. In brief, the thiol‐modified single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) was attached to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs); on the contrary, the prepared RecA‐GFP fusion protein interacted with ssDNA. Due to the FRET between AuNPs and RecA‐GFP, fluorescence of RecA‐GFP fusion protein was quenched. In the presence of homologous dsDNA, homologous recombination occurred to release RecA‐GFP fusion protein. Thus, the fluorescence of RecA‐GFP was recovered. The dsDNA concentration was detected using fluorescence intensity of RecA‐GFP. Under optimal conditions, this method could detect dsDNA activity as low as 0.015 optical density (OD) Escherichia coli cells, with a wide linear range from 0.05 to 0.9 OD cells, and the regression equation was ΔF = 342.7c + 78.9, with a linear relationship coefficient of 0.9920. Therefore, it provided a promising approach for the selective detection of dsDNA in living cells for early clinical diagnosis of genetic diseases.
Percutaneous mechanical aspiration: A niche technology in evolution for right‐sided infective endocarditis
Authors: Rab Tanveer
Published: March 2024

Key points

Debulking vegetations in right‐sided infective endocarditis.

Percutaneous mechanical aspiration.

Reduction in the incidence of septic embolism and septic shock.
Unrevealing the Nitrogen Elusive Chirality of 3‐Sulfanyl and 3‐Sulfinyl N‐Tosyl Isoindolinones by ECD Spectra: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation
Authors: Palombi Laura , Monti Marta , Scarel Erica , Morlacci Valerio , Stener Mauro , Aschi Massimiliano
Published: March 2024

The nitrogen–hybridization/pyramidalization of two solvated N‐tosylisoindolinone derivatives having chiral residues in adjacent (I) or adjacent and distal (II) position has been investigated by a theoretical‐computational procedure based on Molecular Dynamics simulations and Quantum–Chemical calculations. After validation of our methodology in providing a reliable repertory of conformations by modeling the electronic circular dichroism (EDC) spectra, the electronic features associated with N‐pyramidalization were further characterized through Natural Bond Order (NBO) analysis. Comparing against the N‐geometry observed in crystal structures as a reference, our findings reveal that the presence of neighbouring chiral centers induces a more pronounced N‐pyramidalization in solution than in the solid state, both in I and II. Furthermore, NBO analysis confirms that the N‐lactam mostly retains the sp2 character but exhibits slight configurational distortion (ξI=13°; ξII=21°), which significantly influences the chiroptical activities observed in ECD spectra of I and II. This substantiates the N‐lactams as configurationally stable chiral centers.
Synthesis, Reactivity, and Complexation with Fe(0) of a Tight‐bite Bis(N‐heterocyclic silylene)
Authors: Hendi Zohreh , Pandey Madhusudan K. , Rachuy Katharina , Singh Mukesh K. , Herbst‐Irmer Regine , Stalke Dietmar , Roesky Herbert W.
Published: March 2024

The synthesis, reactivity, and complexation with Fe(0) precursor of a tight‐bite bis(N‐heterocyclic silylene) (bis(NHSi)) ligand 1 are reported. The reaction of 1 with p‐toluidine led to the activation of both N−H bonds across Si(II) atoms to afford a four‐membered heterocyclic cyclodisilazane 2, with hydride substituents attached to five‐coordinate Si atoms. A 1 : 2 reaction of 1 with Fe(CO)5 led to an intriguing dinuclear complex 3 featuring a five‐membered (N−Si−Fe−Fe−Si) ring with a Fe−Fe bond distance of 2.6892(13) Å. All compounds (1‐3) were thoroughly characterized by various spectroscopic methods and X‐ray diffraction studies conclusively established their molecular structures. DFT calculations were carried out to shed light on bonding and energetic aspects in 1–3.
First person profile: Mona Fouad, MD, MPH
Authors: Nierengarten Mary Beth
Published: March 2024

This news section offers Cancer readers timely information on events, public policy analysis, topical issues, and personalities. In this issue, Mona Fouad, MD, MPH, demonstrates her perseverance for preventive health care through programs in Alabama aimed at educating people about good health practices, the benefits of screening, and health literacy. In addition, golidocitinib shows promising antitumor activity in patients with refractory or relapsed peripheral T‐cell lymphoma; and promising new treatment approaches for locally advanced cervical cancer are discussed.
Fault‐tolerance approaches for distributed and cloud computing environments: A systematic review, taxonomy and future directions
Authors: Kirti Medha , Maurya Ashish Kumar , Yadav Rama Shankar
Published: March 2024

Fault tolerance is crucial in ensuring smooth working of distributed and cloud computing. It is challenging to implement because of the constantly changing infrastructure and complex configurations in distributed and cloud computing. Implementation of various fault tolerance methods require domain‐specific knowledge as well as in‐depth understanding of the existing techniques and approaches. Recent surveys on fault tolerance in cloud and distributed environments exist, but they have limitations. This article systematically reviews fault tolerance approaches in distributed and cloud computing and discusses their taxonomy. Based on the taxonomy provided, fault‐tolerance approaches are divided into four types, that is, reactive approaches, proactive approaches, adaptive approaches, and hybrid approaches. Reactive approaches provide a preventive measure after the occurrence of faults in the system. Proactive approaches prevent the system or minimize failure effects by predicting in advance. The adaptive approaches predict, learn, and adapt the changes to deal with new faults in the system. The hybrid approaches combine reactive, proactive, and adaptive approaches. The objective of this article is to give a better understanding of handling faults using suitable approaches and further compare them on various parameters. The paper also presents a promising research direction based on the challenges and issues in multiple approaches.
Stacked ensemble modeling for improved tuberculosis treatment outcome prediction in pediatric cases
Authors: Yilmaz Yildiran
Published: March 2024

The promising results of ML (machine learning) methods in various disciplines have led to the frequent use of these methods in health fields such as disease diagnosis, personalized medicine, medical image‐based diagnosis, and predicting the number of deaths and cases in a pandemic. However, a neglected area in the field of healthcare is the lack of study with ML to predict treatment outcomes for tuberculosis (TB) patients, particularly children experiencing failed treatment. This need has become more apparent as the coronavirus pandemic has reversed the gains of health institutions with TB disease, especially in children. Therefore, this article conducted a study using the stacked ensemble ML method to early predict the risk for children experiencing a failed treatment outcome of TB. To fulfill this need and determine the most appropriate technique, a two‐stage methodology was followed in this work. First, predictions were obtained by combining the information gain feature selection (IGFS) approach with a variety of single‐based ML algorithms, including logistic regression (LR), deep belief neural networks (DBN), random forest (RF), and decision tree (DT). Second, the proposed method, which includes a stacked ensemble ML technique, was used. The latter model uses LR as a meta‐learner and the aforementioned single‐based ML algorithms (DBN, LR, RF, and DT). The performance results of ML models used in the two stages were compared, and the proposed model which is the combination of the stack‐based ensemble learning model and the IGFS technique provided better ROC curves, accuracy, precision, and recall results.
Understanding the Formation and Growth of New Atmospheric Particles at the Molecular Level through Laboratory Molecular Beam Experiments
Authors: Wang Yadong , Zhan Shiyu , Hu Yongjun , Chen Xi , Yin Shi
Published: March 2024

Atmospheric new particle formation (NPF), which exerts comprehensive implications for climate, air quality and human health, has received extensive attention. From molecule to cluster is the initial and most important stage of the nucleation process of atmospheric new particles. However, due to the complexity of the nucleation process and limitations of experimental characterization techniques, there is still a great uncertainty in understanding the nucleation mechanism at the molecular level. Laboratory‐based molecular beam methods can experimentally implement the generation and growth of typical atmospheric gas‐phase nucleation precursors to nanoscale clusters, characterize the key physical and chemical properties of clusters such as structure and composition, and obtain a series of their physicochemical parameters, including association rate coefficients, electron binding energy, pickup cross section and pickup probability and so on. These parameters can quantitatively illustrate the physicochemical properties of the cluster, and evaluate the effect of different gas phase nucleation precursors on the formation and growth of atmospheric new particles. We review the present literatures on atmospheric cluster formation and reaction employing the experimental method of laboratory molecular beam. The experimental apparatuses were classified and summarized from three aspects of cluster generation, growth and detection processes. Focus of this review is on the properties of nucleation clusters involving different precursor molecules of water, sulfuric acid, nitric acid and NxOy, respectively. We hope this review will provide a deep insight for effects of cluster physicochemical properties on nucleation, and reveal the formation and growth mechanism of atmospheric new particle at the molecular level.
Electron Structure Tuned Oxygen Vacancy‐Rich AuPd/CeO2 for Enhancing 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural Oxidation
Authors: Wei Yanan , Pan Jianming , Yan Xu , Mao Yanli , Zhang Yunlei
Published: March 2024

The design of high activity catalyst for the efficiently conversion of 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5‐furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) gains great interest. The rationally tailoring of electronic structure directly affects the interaction between catalysts and organic substrates, especially molecular oxygen as the oxidant. This work, the bimetallic catalysts AuPd/CeO2 were prepared by the combining method of chemical reduction and photo‐deposition, effectively concerting charge between Au and Pd and forming the electron‐rich state of Au. The increasing of oxygen vacancy concentration of CeO2 by acidic treatment can facilitate the adsorption of HMF for catalysts and enhance the yield of FDCA (99.0 %). Moreover, a series of experiment results combining with density functional theory calculation illustrated that the oxidation performance of catalyst in HMF conversion was strongly related to the electronic state of interfacial Au−Pd−CeO2. Furthermore, the electron‐rich state sites strengthen the adsorption and activation of molecular oxygen, greatly promoting the elimination of β‐hydride for the selective oxidation of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA) to FDCA, accompanied with an outgoing FDCA formation rate of 13.21 mmol ⋅ g−1 ⋅ min−1 at 80 °C. The perception exhibited in this research could be benefit to understanding the effects of electronic state for interfacial sites and designing excellent catalysts for the oxidation of HMF.
Utilizing signal flow graph on multiple feedback amplifiers of NMC and DACFC with emphasis on design space exploration and conversion
Authors: Ghashghai Masume , Ghaznavi‐Ghoushchi Mohammad Bagher
Published: March 2024

Over a long time, different methods of frequency compensation of multistage amplifiers have been exploited for improvement in the behavior of stabilizing. In the present paper, the step‐by‐step conversion process of the dual active capacitive feedback compensation (DACFC) three‐stage amplifier into the nested Miller compensation (NMC) three‐stage amplifier is presented by a systematic approach and signal flow graphs (SFGs) based on the graph theory rules in graph domain. Also, according to graph rules, the conversion of the multiple feedback amplifier NMC into the multiple feedback amplifier DACFC is investigated in detail in the graph domain. During the conversion process, the difference in the gain‐bandwidth product (GBW) in the two mentioned case study's amplifiers is examined in terms of the graph at the system level. The elimination of two branches in one step of the conversion process of the SFG of the NMC into the SFG of the DACFC leads to a significant improvement in the behavior of GBW. This paper also conducts verification of the design of conventional NMC and DACFC amplifier circuits in HSPICE using 0.35‐μm CMOS technology and compares the circuit simulation results to SFG simulation results. In order to show the correctness of the idea, they are redesigned in HSPICE using 0.18‐μm CMOS technology, and appropriate results are obtained.
A portable Raspberry Pi‐based camera set‐up to record behaviours of frogs and other small animals under artificial or natural shelters in remote locations
Authors: Groffen Jordy , Hoskin Conrad J.
Published: March 2024

We describe a Raspberry Pi‐based camera system that is portable, robust and weatherproof, with a close‐up focus (2.5 cm). We show that this camera system can be used in remote locations with high rainfall and humidity. The camera has an Infrared LED light to film in dark places and can continuously record up to 21 days (504 h). We also describe how to make concrete artificial shelters to mount the camera in. One of the great strengths of this shelter/camera set‐up is that the animals choose to take up residence and can then be filmed for extended periods with no disturbance. Furthermore, we give examples of how shelters and cameras could be used to film a range of behaviours in not only many small cryptic amphibian species but also other small vertebrates and invertebrates globally.