bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
2D Heterostructures for Highly Efficient Photodetectors: From Advanced Synthesis to Characterizations, Mechanisms, and Device Applications
Authors: Khan Sana , Khan Abbas , Azadmanjiri Jalal , Kumar Roy Pradip , Děkanovský Lukáš , Sofer Zdeněk , Numan Arshid
Published: March 2022

The serendipitous chemical and physical properties of 2D materials (2DMs) have provoked enormous research efforts. These materials suggest an attractive podium for various optoelectronic, energy conversion, energy storage, and sensing device applications. The outstanding optical and electrical properties combined with superior mechanical characteristics make 2DMs an unprecedented choice for the diversity of advanced high‐efficient photodetectors. The functionalities and properties of such materials can further be tailored by combining 2DMs in the form of nanoarchitecture heterostructures. Thus, this study focuses on the recent advancements of 2D heterostructures for highly efficient photodetectors started with an introduction to their basic structural configurations. Then, a discussion on their state‐of‐the‐art synthesis methods is stressing the approaches that contrive the current margins and provide a path toward realizing these materials for efficient photodetector applications. The advanced characterization techniques that are useful for analyzing 2DM‐based photodetectors and underlying mechanisms for superior device performance are summarized systematically. Furthermore, utilization of 2DM‐based heterostructures for high‐performance photodetector applications with the special emphasis on different photodetection mechanisms is also discussed comprehensively at the end.
A Vehicle‐Free Antimicrobial Polymer Hybrid Gold Nanoparticle as Synergistically Therapeutic Platforms for Staphylococcus aureus Infected Wound Healing
Authors: He Xiaojun , Dai Lixiong , Ye Lisong , Sun Xiaoshuai , Enoch Obeng , Hu Rongdang , Zan Xingjie , Lin Feng , Shen Jianliang
Published: March 2022

Pathogenic bacteria infection is a serious threat to human public health due to the high morbidity and mortality rates. Nano delivery system for delivering antibiotics provides an alternative option to improve the efficiency compared to conventional therapeutic agents. In addition to the drug loading capacity of nanocarriers, which is typically around 10%, further lowers the drug dose that pathological bacteria are exposed to. Moreover, nanocarriers that are not eliminated from the body may cause side effects. These limitations have motivated the development of self‐delivery systems that are formed by the self‐assembly of different therapeutic agents. In this study, a vehicle‐free antimicrobial polymer polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB, with bactericidal and anti‐biofilm functions) hybrid gold nanoparticle (Au NPs, with photothermal therapy (PTT)) platform (PHMB@Au NPs) is developed. This platform exhibits an excellent synergistic effect to enhance the photothermal bactericidal effect for Staphylococcus aureus under near‐infrared irradiation. Furthermore, the results showed that PHMB@Au NPs inhibit the formation of biofilms, quickly remove bacteria to promote wound healing through PTT in infection model in vivo, and even mediate the transition of macrophages from M1 to M2 type, and accelerate tissue angiogenesis. PHMB@Au NPs will have promising value as highly effective antimicrobial agents for patient management.
Multifunctional Hard Yet Flexible Coatings Fabricated Using a Universal Step‐by‐Step Strategy
Authors: Zhang Yunsheng , Chen Zixin , Zheng Hao , Chen Runze , Ma Chunfeng , Zhang Guangzhao
Published: March 2022

Hard yet flexible coatings with multi‐functionalities are useful for foldable displays and marine industries but rare. In this study, a highly cross‐linked multifunctional hybrid coating with ceramic‐like hardness and polymer‐like flexibility is reported. The coating is prepared via a step‐by‐step strategy, where two types of epoxy‐oligosiloxane nanoclusters are first synthesized by sol‐gel chemistry, and amine‐terminated curing agents are used to cross‐link them at room temperature. The coating is highly transparent (>92% transmittance), hard (6‐7H), and flexible (10 mm bending diameter) because of the unique combination of siloxane nanoclusters and polymer networks. Meanwhile, since the coating contains fouling‐resistant telomer and low‐surface‐tension liquid lubricant polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), it exhibits excellent anti‐biofouling and self‐cleaning properties. The results indicate that the mechanical and antifouling properties of the coating can be easily tuned and prove that the step‐by‐step strategy is a promising and universal method. The novel coatings can meet the needs of applications in foldable displays, marine industries, and other fields.
A new missense variant in RAB3GAP2 in a family with muscular dystrophy–short stature and defective autophagy: An expansion of the micro/Martsolf spectrum or a new phenotype?
Authors: Mora‐Roldan German A. , Galaviz‐Hernandez Carlos , Hiebert‐Froese Jose , Hernandez Arturo , Montes Luis , Duran‐Pasten Maria L. , Gazarian Karlen , Zenteno Juan C.
Published: March 2022

We describe a sibling pair of Mennonite origin born from consanguineous parentage with a likely new phenotype of limb–girdle muscular dystrophy, short stature, ptosis, and tracheomalacia. Exome sequencing in the affected subjects identified a novel homozygous RAB3GAP2 missense variant as the potential causal variant. As RAB3GAP2 has been recently shown to be involved in the autophagy process, we analyzed patient‐derived fibroblasts by fluorescence microscopy and demonstrated defective autophagic flux under rapamycin and serum starvation conditions when compared with wild‐type cells. The phenotype in the siblings described here is distinct from Martsolf and Warburg's micro syndromes, the currently known diseases arising from RAB3GAP2 pathogenic variants. Thus, this work describes a potentially novel recessive phenotype associated with a RAB3GAP2 defect and manifesting as a muscular dystrophy–short stature disorder with no ocular anomalies. Functional analyses indicated defective autophagy in patient‐derived fibroblasts, supporting the involvement of RAB3GAP2 in the etiology of this disorder. Our results contribute to a better characterization of the Martsolf/micro spectrum phenotype.
Tuning the Elasticity of Nanogels Improves Their Circulation Time by Evading Immune Cells
Authors: Desai Prachi , Rimal Rahul , Florea Alexandru , Gumerov Rustam A. , Santi Marta , Sorokina Anastasia S. , Sahnoun Sabri E. M. , Fischer Thorsten , Mottaghy Felix M. , Morgenroth Agnieszka , Mourran Ahmed , Potemkin Igor I. , Möller Martin , Singh Smriti
Published: March 2022

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy is used to treat solid tumors by locally delivering radiation. However, due to nephro‐ and hepato‐toxicity, it is limited by its dosage. To amplify radiation damage to tumor cells, radiolabeled nanogels can be used. We show that by tuning the mechanical properties of nanogels significant enhancement in circulation half‐life of the gel could be achieved. We demonstrate why and how small changes in the mechanical properties of the nanogels influence its cellular fate. Nanogels with a storage modulus of 37 kPa were minimally phagocytosed by monocytes and macrophages compared to nanogels with 93 kPa modulus. Using PET/CT a significant difference in the blood circulation time of the nanogels was shown. Computer simulations affirmed the results and predicted the mechanism of cellular uptake of the nanogels. Altogether, this work emphasizes the important role of elasticity even for particles that are inherently soft such as nano‐ or microgels.
Asymmetric Defluoroallylation of 4‐Trifluoromethylpyridines Enabled by Umpolung C−F Bond Activation**
Authors: Zhou Fei‐Yu , Jiao Lei
Published: March 2022

Carbon–fluorine bond activation of the trifluoromethyl group represents an important approach to fluorine‐containing molecules. While selective defluorinative functionalization reactions of CF3‐containing substrates have been achieved by invoking difluorocarbocation, difluorocarboradical, or difluoroorganometallic species as the key intermediates, the transformations via fluorocarbanion mechanism only achieved limited success. Furthermore, the enantioselective defluorinative transformation of the CF3group remained a formidable challenge. Here we report a defluorinative functionalization reaction of 4‐trifluoromethylpyridines involving difluoro(pyrid‐4‐yl)methyl anion as the key intermediate, which was developed based upon our previous studies on theN‐boryl pyridyl anion chemistry. In particular, asymmetric defluoroallylation of 4‐trifluoromethylpyridines and ‐pyrimidines could be achieved by using Ir‐catalysis to forge a difluoroalkyl‐substituted chiral center.
Dual In Situ Laser Techniques Underpin the Role of Cations in Impacting Electrocatalysts
Authors: Hou Shujin , Xu Lili , Ding Xing , Kluge Regina M. , Sarpey Theophilus Kobina , Haid Richard W. , Garlyyev Batyr , Mukherjee Soumya , Warnan Julien , Koch Max , Zhang Shengli , Li Weijin , Bandarenka Aliaksandr S. , Fischer Roland A.
Published: March 2022

Understanding the electrode/electrolyte interface is crucial for optimizing electrocatalytic performances. Here, we demonstrate that the nature of alkali metal cations can profoundly impact the oxygen evolution activity of surface‐mounted metal–organic framework (SURMOF) derived electrocatalysts, which are based on NiFe(OOH). In situ Raman spectroscopy results show that Raman shifts of the Ni−O bending vibration are inversely proportional to the mass activities from Cs+ to Li+. Particularly, a laser‐induced current transient technique was introduced to study the cation‐dependent electric double layer properties and their effects on the activity. The catalytic trend appeared to be closely related to the potential of maximum entropy of the system, suggesting a strong cation impact on the interfacial water layer structure. Our results highlight how the electrolyte composition can be used to maximize the performance of SURMOF derivatives toward electrochemical water splitting.
Laguerre‐based parametric order reduction for parametric systems by multi‐order Arnoldi
Authors: Yuan Jia‐Wei , Jiang Yao‐Lin , Qi Zhen‐Zhong
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a parametric model order reduction approach based on scaled Laguerre expansion series is investigated in frequency domain for large‐scale parametric systems. The proposed approach is implemented by two algorithms: the one‐sided algorithm and the two‐sided algorithm. Based on modified multi‐Arnoldi process for construction of projection matrices, reduced parametric systems with high fidelity are achieved in the full range of parametric domain. The reduced parametric systems obtained by the proposed algorithms preserve not only the parametric dependence of the original parametric system but also the first several Laguerre coefficients. The proposed algorithms are verified by two benchmarks (a synthetic parametric system and a microthruster unit). Comparisons of the results of original and reduced systems show that the obtained reduced systems have high fidelity.
Genome‐Scale Metabolic Model's multi‐objective solving algorithm based on the inflexion point of Pareto front including maximum energy utilization and its application in Aspergillus niger DS03043
Authors: Fan Xingcun , Zhou Jingru , Xia Jianye , Yan Xuefeng
Published: March 2022

The solution of Genome‐Scale Metabolic Model (GSMM) directly affects the simulation accuracy of the metabolic process in digital cells. Single‐objective optimization methods, such as flux balance analysis (FBA), which is widely used in solving GSMM, have limitations when simulating actual biological processes, which leads to unrealistic results due to other biological constraints being ignored. A novel multi‐objective differential evolution algorithm based on general FBA (i.e., differential evolution FBA [DEFBA]) is hence proposed to solve GSMM. First, in accordance with the assumption that cells minimize resource consumption and maximize resource utilization, the maximum specific growth rate and the minimum cellular production rate of ATP, NADPH, and NADH are defined as the multi‐objective functions of DEFBA. Second, FBA is used to produce the initial individuals of DEFBA by changing the upper bound of biomass reaction in GSMM. Third, mutation and selection operations help in generating new individuals in the solution space to search the Pareto front. Finally, the optimal solution is selected by analyzing the inflexion point of the Pareto front. In DEFBA, multi‐objective technology and optimal solution judging technology can introduce the biological constraints into the GSMM solving method, such that the solution can be more consistent with the essential biological mechanism. DEFBA is applied to solve Aspergillus niger's GSMM. The improved results show that DEFBA can be an effective general solving algorithm for GSMM.
Effects of π‐conjugation on the charge‐transport properties of hole‐transporting materials featuring diphenylamine‐π‐quinacridone for perovskite solar cells: A theoretical study
Authors: Rashid Md Al Mamunur , Kim Junkyu , Long Dang Xuan , Kwak Kyungwon , Hong Jongin
Published: March 2022

Density functional theory (DFT), time‐dependent DFT, and Marcus theory were used to probe the optoelectronic and charge‐transport properties of compounds obtained by inserting long‐chain aliphatic alkenes or condensed aromatic rings between the planar quinacridone core and the terminal donor diphenylamine moiety of a reference hole‐transporting material (HTM). Compared to the reference HTM, its newly designed derivatives showed lower‐lying highest occupied molecular orbitals that were well matched in energy with the valence band maximum of a representative perovskite absorber. HTMs obtained via the insertion of condensed aromatic rings showed higher hole mobilities than those obtained via the insertion of aliphatic alkenes. Overall, hole mobility was mainly influenced by the charge‐transfer integral, while other factors, such as the hole reorganization energy, hole hopping rate, and centroid distance, had only minor effects.
Navigating the Invisible: Measuring and Managing Behavioral Variability in Board Decision‐Making
Authors: Massie Hugh
Published: March 2022

Hugh Massie is the CEO and founder of Atlanta‐based DNA Behavior International and a champion of the practical application of behavioral insights. In this article, he discusses the often unseen and unmeasured behavioral issues that impact board decisions.
Simultaneous determination of serum homocysteine, cysteine, and methionine in patients with schizophrenia by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Li Zhenguo , Liu Mingli , Chen Chunwu , Pan Yongqiang , Cui Xueting , Sun Jian , Zhao Furong , Cao Yunfeng
Published: March 2022

Schizophrenia is a debilitating psychiatric disorder affecting approximately 1% of the population worldwide. Disturbances in the homocysteine metabolism are an important factor in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this research, a novel validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) quantification procedure was developed to investigate three significant compounds of homocysteine metabolism: homocysteine, cysteine, and methionine in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Sample preparation involved a reduction with dithiothreitol followed by protein precipitation, and the chromatographic runtime was 2 min. The LC–MS/MS method was validated according to CLSI C62‐A and the Chinese Guidance for Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry Clinical Application. The performance of the method was excellent with a coefficient of variation for precision in the range of 0.5–6.9%, an accuracy of 90.4–101.6%. In addition, the practical applicability of the method was demonstrated by applying it in the routine sample analysis for a schizophrenic patient. Increased homocysteine levels and decreased cysteine levels were observed in the patient with schizophrenia. These results indicate that the activity of the transsulfuration pathway may play a key role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
Metabolomics analysis reveals Oct4 overexpression drives metabolic reprogramming and enhanced glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathway in lung adenocarcinoma cells
Authors: Tang Yabin , Zhu Liang , Chen Hongzhuan , Meng Shuang
Published: March 2022

Poor prognosis in the underlying mechanisms involved in lung adenocarcinoma and its treatment leads to low survival rates in patients. Emerging evidence indicates that cancer is primarily a metabolic disease and metabolic reprogramming is a well‐established hallmark and driving force of cancer. Oct4, acting as an oncogene, is a major regulator of cell pluripotency. It can reprogram the differentiated cells into cancer stem cells (CSCs) and plays an oncogenic role when pathologically hijacked. However, data that Oct4, the genetic reprogramming factor, could induce metabolic reprogramming have been very limited, and the direct evidence in metabolic level whether Oct4 reprograms metabolome is lacking. In the present study, integrated untargeted and targeted metabolomics analyses were utilized to investigate metabolic changes induced by Oct4 overexpression in lung adenocarcinoma cells. The results suggested that elevated expression levels of Oct4 drive metabolic reprogramming. Oct4 overexpression redirects glucose catabolism to glycolysis pathway and to the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). This study identifies unique pathways that are candidate therapeutic targets for the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma. This study also aims to improve our understanding of the cancer‐promoting activity of Oct4 and help identify novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment.
The effect of physical exercise on circulating brain‐derived neurotrophic factor in healthy subjects: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Wang Ya‐Hai , Zhou Huan‐Huan , Luo Qiang , Cui Sidong
Published: March 2022

Objective

To investigate how physical exercise (PE) would affect brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of healthy subjects.

Methods

Seven databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus) were searched for RCTs assessing the effects of PE on serum and/or plasma BDNF until December 18, 2021. Meta‐analysis was performed by random‐effects method with standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup analysis and meta‐regression analysis were conducted to investigate the potential source of heterogeneity. Trim and fill method, and leave‐one‐out cross‐validation were conducted.

Results

Eventually, 21 articles, involving 809 participants, were included in the meta‐analysis. Overall, both acute (5 trials, SMD: 1.20, 95% CI: 0.36 to 2.04, p = .005) and long‐term (17 trials, SMD: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.27 to 1.08, p = .001) PE had significant positive effects on BDNF levels. Via subgroup analysis, studies of long‐term PE with larger sample sizes, female participants, participants older than 60 years, and aerobic exercise contributed to a more pronounced improvement on BDNF levels than that found when all studies were combined.

Conclusion

Both acute and long‐term PE had significant positive effects on circulating BDNF in healthy subjects. This review suggests that acute exercise and long‐term aerobic exercise are powerful forms of PE to enhance neurotrophic effect, especially for female subjects or subjects over 60 years.
circITCH suppresses cell proliferation and metastasis through miR‐660/TFCP2 pathway in melanoma
Authors: Zhang Jianfei , Cai Yanlin , Sheng Shunliang , Zhao Congling , Jiang Bin
Published: March 2022

Background

Melanoma is an aggressive disease that is rising in incidence. Advanced melanoma is still a life‐threatening disease. CircRNAs are documented to be involved in melanoma progression. But circITCH role in melanoma remains unclear.

Methods and Results

To explore the functions of circITCH in melanoma, levels of circITCH in melanoma tissues and paracarcinoma normal tissues were detected. To study the roles of circITCH in melanoma in terms of cell proliferation and migration, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed. Mechanism study was designed to investigate the potential regulatory effect of circITCH in melanoma. Results revealed that circITCH expression was repressed in melanoma versus adjacent normal tissues. Function study showed that circITCH suppressed melanoma cell proliferation and metastasis. The mechanism study showed that circITCH‐sponged miR‐660 to upregulate TFCP2 and suppress melanoma progression.

Conclusions

The circITCH/miR‐660/TFCP2 axis is involved in melanoma progression hence circITCH can be a diagnostic biomarker as well as a target for treating melanoma.
Persistent COVID‐19 negative report of a physician in Bangladesh living and visiting in Red‐listed country with some special precaution followed
Authors: Nahin Sabrina , Amin Mohammad Ashraful
Published: March 2022

COVID‐19 infections have been widespread in Bangladesh subsequently. We present the example of a 32‐year‐old Bangladeshi physician who worked in a hospital and was previously involved in collecting swabs for COVID‐19 patients. During the pandemic, he also traveled to a red‐listed country and was continuously negative throughout the period.
Nanostructural Analysis of Co‐Re/γ‐Al2O3 Fischer‐Tropsch Catalyst by TEM and XRD
Authors: Dehghan‐Niri Roya , Tsakoumis Nikolaos E. , Voronov Alexey , Holmen Anders , Holmestad Randi , Vullum Per‐Erik , Borg Øyvind , Rytter Erling. , Rønning Magnus. , Walmsley John C.
Published: March 2022

A rhenium promoted Fischer‐Tropsch (FT) cobalt catalyst supported on γ‐Al2O3 has been investigated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray Diffraction (XRD), before and after reduction. Electron diffraction, High Resolution TEM and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy were used to confirm the oxidation state. Cobalt aggregate, particle and crystallite sizes have been studied in detail and measured by TEM and XRD. A cobalt particle size of 10.0±2.4 nm obtained from bright field TEM images for the reduced material is consistent with the XRD analysis of the calcined catalyst. After reduction dark field TEM imaging gave a volume‐weighted crystallite size of 7.5±2.5 nm, which is close to the value obtained by XRD. The particles had lost the parallel orientation and physical continuity within the alumina pore structure that were present before reduction. The latter was confirmed by electron tomography. Lamellae identified with the presence of Hexagonal Close Packed cobalt were observed in the predominantly Face Centred Cubic particles.
Cocrystal Formation Precedes the Mechanochemically Acetate‐Assisted C−H Activation with [Cp*RhCl2]2
Authors: Ardila‐Fierro Karen J. , Rubčić Mirta , Hernández José G.
Published: March 2022

This work reports the experimentally studied mechanochemical formation of rhodacycles by ball milling pyridine‐ and quinoline‐derived substrates and [Cp*RhCl2]2 in the presence of NaOAc. Ex‐situ analysis of the mechanochemical reactions using powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD), solid‐state UV‐vis spectroscopy and ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy revealed the formation of unexpected cocrystals between the substrates and the rhodium dimer prior to the C−H activation step. This sequence of events differs from the generally accepted steps in solution in which cleavage of [Cp*RhCl2]2 is initiated by acetate ions. Additionally, the mechanochemical approach enabled the synthesis of the six‐membered rhodacycle [Cp*Rh(2‐benzilpyridine)Cl], a metal complex repeatedly reported as inaccessible in solution. Altogether, the results of this investigation clarify some of the fundamental aspects of mechanochemical cyclometallations.
Worldwide prevalence of rhinitis in adults: A review of definitions and temporal evolution
Authors: Savouré Marine , Bousquet Jean , Jaakkola Jouni J. K. , Jaakkola Maritta S. , Jacquemin Bénédicte , Nadif Rachel
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Although rhinitis is among the most common diseases worldwide, rhinitis prevalence in the general adult population is unclear and definitions differ widely.

Objective

To summarize the literature on rhinitis prevalence in the general adult population and to assess: (1) the prevalence according to different rhinitis definitions overall and in different regions of the world, and (2) the evolution of rhinitis prevalence over time.

Methods

We conducted an extensive literature review of publications including rhinitis prevalence using Pubmed and Scopus databases up to October 2020. We classified the definitions into three categories: unspecified rhinitis, allergic rhinitis (AR), and nonallergic rhinitis (NAR).

Results

Among 5878 articles screened, 184 articles were included, presenting 156 different definitions of rhinitis. Rhinitis prevalence ranged from 1% to 63%. The overall median prevalences of unspecified rhinitis, AR and NAR were 29.4%, 18.1% and 12.0%, and they varied according to the geographical location. Rhinitis prevalence tended to increase over time.

Conclusions

This review highlights the great heterogeneity of the definitions. The majority of studies had focused on AR, while only a few epidemiological data exist on NAR. We found geographical variability in rhinitis prevalence. Most of studies reported an increase of rhinitis prevalence over the last decades.
DNA methylation biomarkers in asthma and rhinitis: Are we there yet?
Authors: Legaki Evangelia , Arsenis Christos , Taka Styliani , Papadopoulos Nikolaos G.
Published: March 2022

The study of epigenetics has improved our understanding of mechanisms underpinning gene‐environment interactions and is providing new insights in the pathophysiology of respiratory allergic diseases. We reviewed the literature on DNA methylation patterns across different tissues in asthma and/or rhinitis and attempted to elucidate differentially methylated loci that could be used to characterize asthma or rhinitis. Although nasal and bronchial epithelia are similar in their histological structure and cellular composition, genetic and epigenetic regulation may differ across tissues. Advanced methods have enabled comprehensive, high‐throughput methylation profiling of different tissues (bronchial or nasal epithelial cells, whole blood or isolated mononuclear cells), in subjects with respiratory conditions, aiming to elucidate gene regulation mechanisms and identify new biomarkers. Several genes and CpGs have been suggested as asthma biomarkers, though research on allergic rhinitis is still lacking. The most common differentially methylated loci presented in both blood and nasal samples are ACOT7, EPX, KCNH2, SIGLEC8, TNIK, FOXP1, ATPAF2, ZNF862, ADORA3, ARID3A, IL5RA, METRNL and ZFPM1. Overall, there is substantial variation among studies, (i.e. sample sizes, age groups and disease phenotype). Greater variability of analysis method detailed phenotypic characterization and age stratification should be taken into account in future studies.
Chloroxylon swietenia (Roxb.) DC induces cell death and apoptosis by down‐regulating the NF‐κB pathway in MCF‐7 breast cancer cells: In vitro and in vivo investigations
Authors: Kamble Sonali S. , Choudhari Jasoda , Nimma Ramakrishna , Kumar Totakura Venkata Santosh , Patil Kapil K. , Hese Shrikant V. , Dawane Bhaskar S. , Gacche Rajesh N.
Published: March 2022

Background

Natural products with targeted bioactivity have gained major attention in the field of cancer research owing to emerging anti‐cancer drug resistance and off target toxicities. Chloroxylon swietenia (Roxb.) DC is recognized as a folklore medicinal plant and has numerous therapeutic benefits in the folklore medicine system, however the anti‐cancer potential of this plant and its mechanism of action is poorly understood.

Aims

The aim of the study was to investigate the anti‐breast cancer efficacy of C. swietenia leaves methanol extract (CSLME) against MCF‐7 hormone dependent human breast cancer cell line with possible mechanism of action.

Methods and results

The anti‐breast cancer activity of CSLME against MCF‐7 cells was assessed by evaluating its efficacy toward cytotoxicity, cell migration, colony formation, DNA fragmentation, apoptosis, cytoskeleton, angiogenesis, cell cycle regulation, and animal toxicity. The preliminary screening of CSLME against MCF‐7 cells revealed the cytotoxicity (IC50 20 μg/ml), inhibited cell migration, colony formation, and angiogenesis. It was observed that CSLME induces apoptosis by nuclear fragmentation and disruption of cytoskeleton by actin derangement. The results of Annexin V‐FITC assay and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry clearly pointed out the sizable fraction of apoptotic cells, and arrested the cells at G2/M phase of cell cycle. The results of the immunoblotting experiments showed that CSLME activates intrinsic pathway of apoptosis with down regulation of anti‐apoptotic marker like Bcl2, up regulation of pro‐apoptotic markers like Bax & Bad, along with successful cleavage of Caspase‐9 and PARP‐1. Further, western blot analysis revealed the possible down regulation of NF‐κB pathway by CSLME, which may be responsible for anti‐cancer activity in MCF‐7 cells. In vivo animal model studies using NOD‐SCID mice demonstrated impressive anti‐tumor activity with significant reduction in tumor volume of MCF‐7 tumor xenograft. Of note, in‐vivo acute oral toxicity study as per Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 423 revealed the nontoxic nature of CSLME.

Conclusion

The in vitro and in vivo findings clearly outline the potential of CSLME as inhibitor of growth and proliferation of MCF‐7 cells. Mechanistically, CSLME seems to activate intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, arrest cell cycle, target actin cytoskeleton, inhibit growth, colony formation, migration, and angiogenesis, with down regulation of NF‐κB pathway leading to cell death.
Machine‐readable universal data format for bidirectional reflectance distribution function and BiRDview—An open‐source web‐based application for viewing and comparing bidirectional reflectance data
Authors: Lanevski Dmitri , Ferrero Alejandro , Perales Esther , Manoocheri Farshid , Ikonen Erkki
Published: March 2022

Modern studies of bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) and its applications using data and machine‐driven science require formatting of BRDF data according to Findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable (FAIR) data principles. As a solution a FAIR universal BRDF file‐format based on Java Script Object Notation (JSON) is proposed. JSON principles as well as file structure are explained and examples are given. Automatic validation of universal BRDF file format is realized with the help of JSON schema. Furthermore, the source code and accompanying documentation are presented in dedicated supporting material files. It is expected that after its wide adoption, the proposed BRDF file format will enhance collaboration between different research groups and benefit machine‐driven science. The uptake is facilitated by introducing a BiRDview—a modern open‐source web‐based application for BRDF visualization.
Rule extraction from decision tree: Transparent expert system of rules
Authors: Boruah Arpita Nath , Biswas Saroj Kr. , Bandyopadhyay Sivaji
Published: March 2022

A system which is transparent and has less decision rules is an efficient, user‐convincing system and moreover convenient and manageable to fields like banking, business, and medical. Decision Tree (DT) is a data mining technique which is transparent and produces a set of production rules for decision‐making. However sometimes it creates some unnecessary and redundant rules which diminish its comprehensibility. Thus a system named Transparent Expert System of Rules (TESR) is proposed in this paper to efficiently improve comprehensibility of the DT by reducing the number of rules drastically without compromising accuracy. The proposed system adopts a Sequential Hill Climbing method with a flexible heuristic function to prune the insignificant rules from decision rules generated by DT. Finally, the proposed TESR system produces a transparent and comprehensible rule set for a decision. The proposed TESR performance is evaluated using 10 datasets and is compared with simple DT (ID3, C4.5, and Classification and Regression Trees) and also two of the existing transparent systems with respect to comprehensibility, accuracy, precision, recall, and F‐measures.
Phenoxazine‐Sensitized CO2‐to‐CO Reduction with an Iron Porphyrin Catalyst: A Redox Properties‐Catalytic Performance Study
Authors: Kientz Martin , Lowe Grace , McCarthy Blaine G. , Miyake Garret M. , Bonin Julien , Robert Marc
Published: March 2022

We have evaluated six phenoxazine derivatives as visible light photosensitizers for the photochemical reduction of CO2 to CO with an iron porphyrin catalyst in organic media. The phenoxazine core was functionalized with electron‐donating or ‐withdrawing groups to modify the photophysical properties. Both singlet and triplet excited state potentials of the sensitizers spanned several hundred mV range and the ground state oxidation potentials spanned 250 mV. We observed that no correlation can be established between the production of CO and the excited state potential of the phenoxazine, which determines the driving force for electron transfer to the catalyst. On the contrary, a clear correlation can be made between the oxidation potentials of the phenoxazine and the production of CO. This observation indicates that the process was limited by photosensitizer regeneration and highlights the fact that electron transfers not directly related to the catalyst activation could play a key role in homogeneous photocatalytic systems.
Aripiprazole versus quetiapine: Response/non‐response can be predicted at 2–4 weeks
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: March 2022

For a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, researchers wanted to address the predictive value of antipsychotic early response and non‐response for future remission and non‐remission for adolescents with a first‐episode of a broad spectrum of psychosis. They wanted to compare their results to those from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)‐30. They hypothesized that in adolescents with broad‐spectrum first‐episode psychosis, early non‐response would predict non‐response and non‐remission.
The zebrafish cohesin protein Sgo1 is required for cardiac function and eye development
Authors: Kamel Sarah M. , Broekman Sanne , Tessadori Federico , van Wijk Erwin , Bakkers Jeroen
Published: March 2022

Background

Cohesinopathies is a term that refers to/covers rare genetic diseases caused by mutations in the cohesin complex proteins. The cohesin complex is a multiprotein complex that facilitates different aspects of cell division, gene transcription, DNA damage repair, and chromosome architecture. Shugoshin proteins prevent the cohesin complex from premature dissociation from chromatids during cell division. Patients with a homozygous missense mutation in SGO1, which encodes for Shugoshin1, have problems with normal pacing of the heart and gut.

Results

To study the role of shugoshin during embryo development, we mutated the zebrafish sgo1 gene. Homozygous sgo1 mutant embryos display various phenotypes related to different organs, including a reduced heart rate accompanied by reduced cardiac function. In addition, sgo1 mutants are vision‐impaired as a consequence of structurally defective and partially non‐functional photoreceptor cells. Furthermore, the sgo1 mutants display reduced food intake and early lethality.

Conclusion

We have generated a zebrafish model of Sgo1 that showed its importance during organ development and function.
Responding to transboundary water challenges in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: In search of institutional fit
Authors: Tran Thong Anh , Tortajada Cecilia
Published: March 2022

The operations of large hydropower dams in the Mekong basin, while posing detrimental transboundary effects downstream, are not fully recognised in Vietnamese government policies, especially at the regional scale. This study adopts the concept of institutional fit to investigate policy gaps in addressing the transboundary water challenges characterised by falling floodwater flows and accelerating saltwater intrusion in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Based on interviews with key stakeholders (including central and provincial government officials, environmental experts, and academics) as well as desk reviews of policy documents, we argue that, while the transboundary water repercussions are increasingly evident on the ground, they are not adequately factored in water policies and strategic development planning for the delta. This study suggests that failure to incorporate co‐evolving effects of climate change and Mekong‐wide hydropower dynamics into local water governance will cause institutional constraints to tackle water stressors (too much or too little water) over the long term. Achieving institutional fit will therefore help align the national water policy framework with local development strategies and reduce policy‐practice gaps at the delta scale. To this end, two key aspects need to be considered: first, how, and in which forms, innovative management decisions and water governance policies can be effectively undertaken towards securing the living delta and its resilience to present and future environmental risks; and second, how reframed water policy and development agendas can holistically capture and resolve the transboundary hydrological problems, while leveraging the Vietnamese government's policy engagement at higher levels to address related impacts.
Surgical treatment of obesity and excess risk of developing heart failure in a controlled cohort study
Authors: Lundberg Christina E. , Jamaly Shabbar , Adiels Martin , Lagergren Jesper , Svensson Carl Johan , Björck Lena , Rosengren Annika
Published: March 2022

Aim

We aim to assess the risk of heart failure in patients with obesity with and without gastric bypass surgery compared with population controls.

Methods and results

This cohort study included all patients aged 20–65 years with a first ever registered principal diagnosis of obesity in the Swedish Patient Register in 2001–2013. These patients were matched by age, sex, and region with two population controls from the general Swedish population without obesity diagnosis. The obesity cohort was divided into two groups: 27 882 patients who had undergone gastric bypass surgery within 2 years of obesity diagnosis and 39 564 patients who had not undergone such surgery. These groups were compared with 55 149 and 78 004 matched population controls, respectively. Cox regression provided hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusted for age, education, and sex. During follow‐up (maximum 10 years, median 4.4 years, and interquartile range 2.5–7.2 years), 1884 participants were hospitalized for heart failure. Compared with population controls, gastric bypass patients had no excess risk of heart failure during the initial 0–≤4 years of follow‐up (HR = 1.35 [95% CI = 0.96–1.91]) but a marked increased risk during the final >4–10 years of follow‐up (HR = 3.28 [95% CI = 2.25–4.77]). Non‐operated patients with obesity had a marked excess risk of heart failure throughout the study period compared with population controls.

Conclusions

Gastric bypass for obesity seems to reduce the risk of heart failure to levels similar to the general population during the initial 4 years after surgery, but not thereafter.
Resource allocation of fog radio access network based on deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Tan Jingru , Guan Wenbo
Published: March 2022

With the development of energy harvesting technologies and smart grid, the future trend of radio access networks will present a multi‐source power supply. In this article, joint renewable energy cooperation and resource allocation scheme of the fog radio access networks (F‐RANs) with hybrid power supplies (including both the conventional grid and renewable energy sources) is studied. In this article, our objective is to maximize the average throughput of F‐RAN architecture with hybrid energy sources while satisfying the constraints of signal to noise ratio (SNR), available bandwidth, and energy harvesting. To solve this problem, the dynamic power allocation scheme in the network is studied by using Q‐learning and Deep Q Network respectively. Simulation results show that the proposed two algorithms have low complexity and can improve the average throughput of the whole network compared with other traditional algorithms.
Computation of hypersonic viscous flows with the thermally perfect gas model using a discontinuous Galerkin method
Authors: Ching Eric J. , Bensassi Khalil , Lv Yu , Ihme Matthias
Published: March 2022

This article is concerned with the numerical simulation of high‐speed thermally perfect flows using high‐order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods. In these methods, the polynomial approximation of the solution is susceptible to spurious oscillations, especially in high‐gradient regions. The introduction of variable thermodynamic properties, important for hypersonic flows, can exacerbate this issue. Given the general lack of satisfactory high‐order DG simulations of these types of flows, our primary objective is to demonstrate the success of the formulation proposed here in computing flows in this regime. Secondary goals are to (a) highlight that DG schemes are significantly less sensitive than finite‐volume methods to mesh‐shock misalignment in the given setting and (b) evaluate the sensitivity of surface heating predictions to various types of no‐slip isothermal wall boundary conditions. To handle strong shocks prevalent in this flow regime, intra‐element solution variations are used to detect discontinuities and smooth artificial viscosity is employed for stabilization. We discuss the algorithmic developments for extending a standard DG discretization of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations with the calorically perfect gas model to the thermally perfect gas model. We apply the resulting DG formulation to several hypersonic test cases, including inviscid flow over a cylinder and viscous flow over a double cone. Where appropriate, our results are benchmarked against those obtained with state‐of‐the‐art finite‐volume hypersonic flow solvers. The final case entails high‐speed particle‐laden flow over a blunt body. The results of this test illuminate how the consideration of variable thermodynamic properties influences the prediction of the particle phase.
Ultrasound‐assisted synthesis of nanoemulsion/protein blend for packaging application
Authors: Benimana Fidele , Potoroko Irina Y. , Pathak Prateek , Sonawane Shirish H. , Sonawane Shriram , Bagale Uday D.
Published: March 2022

In the present work, we studied the formation of sunflower oil nanoemulsion using ultrasound techniques. Later, we investigated the development of active films based on a mixture of whey protein containing sunflower oil base nanoemulsion with different concentrations (10, 25, and 50% of total whey protein). The prepared film was by analyzing using the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and field‐emission scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM). The film shows no changes in its integrity and crystallinity compared to the virgin film. The presence of nanoemulsion improves the mechanical properties from 2.75 MPa to 3.52 MPa while it decreases the water vapor permeability from 3.4 × 10–10 to 1.3 × 10−10g/m.s.Pa for concentrations NE (50% of Whey protein). The antioxidant activity for Tween 20 nanoemulsion is 38.7% compared to 36.1% for Tween 80 nanoemulsion. The antimicrobial activity of the film contains sunflower nanoemulsion higher than virgin films. The results showed the potential of blend film of whey protein with nanoemulsion for active films for novel food protection.
Role of context in knowledge flows: Host country versus headquarters as sources of MNC subsidiary knowledge inheritance
Authors: Teodorescu Mike Horia Mihail , Choudhury Prithwiraj , Khanna Tarun
Published: March 2022

Research Summary

We respond to calls in the strategy and international business literature for elucidating how multinational subsidiaries develop contextual intelligence in host countries and how they use the local context as a source of valuable opportunities for learning. Applying the theoretical lens of subsidiary absorptive capacity and building on a gravity model, we propose an approach that can distinguish and compare the influences of the host country context and headquarters over the subsidiary knowledge production. Some subsidiaries may become global second headquarters and innovation hubs, as evidenced qualitatively in the paper with the case of Cisco. Essentially, subsidiaries, characterized by higher stocks of knowledge and greater number of locally hired employees are likely to absorb relatively more knowledge from the local host country context.

Managerial Summary

Managers at multinational companies have to carefully balance acquiring knowledge from the headquarters, vis‐a‐vis acquiring knowledge from the local context of countries where the firm has subsidiaries. In contrast to a “headquarter‐centric” approach where most of the knowledge management activities are centered around the MNC headquarters, we argue that larger subsidiaries, often characterized by a large presence of local R&D workers, might disproportionately draw knowledge from the local context, rather than from the headquarters. In addition to developing theoretical propositions along these lines, we provide an illustrative example of how Cisco opened a “second headquarters” in India, to learn from the rich local context.
Age‐specificity and generalization of behavior‐associated structural and functional networks and their relevance to behavioral domains
Authors: Yu Junhong , Fischer Nastassja Lopes
Published: March 2022

Behavior‐associated structural connectivity (SC) and resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) networks undergo various changes in aging. To study these changes, we proposed a continuous dimension where at one end networks generalize well across age groups in terms of behavioral predictions (age‐general) and at the other end, they predict behaviors well in a specific age group but fare poorly in another age group (age‐specific). We examined how age generalizability/specificity of multimodal behavioral associated brain networks varies across behavioral domains and imaging modalities. Prediction models consisting of SC and/or rsFC networks were trained to predict a diverse range of 75 behavioral outcomes in a young adult sample (N = 92). These models were then used to predict behavioral outcomes in unseen young (N = 60) and old (N = 60) subjects. As expected, behavioral prediction models derived from the young age group, produced more accurate predictions in the unseen young than old subjects. These behavioral predictions also differed significantly across behavioral domains, but not imaging modalities. Networks associated with cognitive functions, except for a few mostly relating to semantic knowledge, fell toward the age‐specific end of the spectrum (i.e., poor young‐to‐old generalizability). These findings suggest behavior‐associated brain networks are malleable to different degrees in aging; such malleability is partly determined by the nature of the behavior.