bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photophysical and Photoelectrochemical Properties of CsPbBr3 Films Grown by Electrochemically Assisted Deposition
Authors: Gau Daniel L. , Ramírez Daniel , Iikawa Fernando , Riveros Gonzalo , Díaz Patricia , Verdugo Javier , Núñez Gerard , Lizama Susy , Lazo Pamela , Dalchiele Enrique A. , Contreras Lidia , Idigoras Jesús , Anta Juan , Marotti Ricardo E.
Published: June 2022

Perovskite have had a great impact on the solid‐state physics world in the last decade not only achieving great success in photovoltaics but, more recently, also in the implementation of other optoelectronic devices. One of the main obstacles for the adoption of Pb‐based perovskite technologies are the high amounts of Pb needed in the conventional preparation methods. Here we present for the first time a detailed analysis of the photophysical and photoelectrochemical properties of CsPbBr3 films directly grown on fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass through a novel technique based in the electrodeposition of PbO2 as CsPbBr3 precursor. This technique allows to save up to 90 % of the Pb used compared to traditional methods and can be scalable compared with the commonly used spin‐coating process. The low temperature analysis of their photoluminescence spectra, performed in both steady state and time dependence, revealed a strong interaction between electrons and longitudinal optical (LO) phonons dominant at high temperatures. On the other hand, the electrochemical and photoelectrochemical analysis proves that CsPbBr3 prepared using this new method has state‐of‐the‐art features, showing a p‐type behavior under depletion regime. This is also confirmed by photoelectrochemical measurements using p‐benzoquinone as target molecule. These results prove that the proposed method can be used to produce excellent CsPbBr3 films, saving much of the lead waste.
The control and evaluation method of the cascaded buck–boost converter for equalization on battery strings
Authors: Chen Guanhua , Wang Xueqi , Huang Linlu , Li Zexiang
Published: June 2022

With the further implementation of the carbon peak carbon neutral strategy, new energy vehicles will play an important cornerstone in the realization of this policy. However, the power source lithium battery pack has reduced the charge and discharge capacity due to the variation in the energy of the single cells, which largely limits the wide application of new energy vehicles. A cascaded buck–boost converter is proposed to balance the inconsistent energy in the battery pack. This equalization circuit is equipped with two fundamental working modes on which a matrix equalization strategy is developed and optimized accordingly. Then, the systematic evaluation method on average efficiency and time is applied to investigate the performance of the converter. Subsequently, the proposed converter and its control method have shown better performance than the existing equalization circuit via simulation and experimental verification. The design has high scalability and is expected to be applied to large‐scale energy storage systems to serve the construction of the global energy Internet.
Increased lead and glucocorticoid concentrations reduce reproductive success in house sparrows along an urban gradient
Authors: White Justin H. , Heppner Jennifer J. , Ouyang Jenny Q.
Published: June 2022

Urbanization is increasing at a rapid pace globally. Understanding the links among environmental characteristics, phenotypes, and fitness enables researchers to predict the impact of changing landscapes on individuals and populations. Although avian reproductive output is typically lower in urban compared with natural areas, the underlying reasons for this discrepancy may lie at the intersection of abiotic and biotic environmental and individual differences. Recent advances in urban ecology highlight the effect of heavy metal contamination on stress physiology. As high levels of glucocorticoid hormones decrease parental investment, these hormones might be the link to decreased reproductive success in areas of high environmental pollution. In this study, we aimed to identify which abiotic stressors are linked to avian reproductive output in urban areas and whether this link is mediated by individual hormone levels. We used fine‐scaled estimates (2 m2 spatial resolution) of nighttime light, noise, and urban density to assess their impacts on the physiological condition of adult house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We measured circulating levels of lead and glucocorticoid concentrations in 40 breeding pairs of free‐living house sparrows and related these physiological traits to reproductive success. Using structural equation modeling, we found that increased urban density levels linked directly to increased plasma corticosterone and lead concentrations that subsequently led to decreased fledgling mass. Sparrows with increased lead concentrations in plasma also had higher corticosterone levels. Although urban areas may be attractive due to decreased natural predators and available nesting sites, they may act as ecological traps that increase physiological damage and decrease fitness. To illustrate, avian development is strongly explained by parental corticosterone levels, which vary significantly in response to urban density and lead pollution. With fine‐scale ecological mapping for a species with small home ranges, we demonstrated the presence and impacts of urban stressors in a small city with high human densities.
Testing the effectiveness of environmental DNA (eDNA) to quantify larval amphibian abundance
Authors: Breton Brie‐Anne A. , Beaty Lynne , Bennett Amanda M. , Kyle Christopher J. , Lesbarrères David , Vilaça Sibelle Torres , Wikston Madison J. H. , Wilson Chris C. , Murray Dennis L.
Published: June 2022

Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring is rapidly becoming an established approach for detecting the presence of aquatic organisms and may also be useful for indexing or estimating species abundance. However, the link between eDNA concentration and abundance of individuals (i.e., density or biomass) remains tenuous and may vary widely across species and environmental conditions. We investigated the relationship between eDNA concentration and abundance in two common and closely related amphibians in eastern North America, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica), and northern leopard frog (R. pipiens). We manipulated tadpole density in 80‐L mesocosms and documented the relationship between tadpole density and biomass and eDNA concentration through time. The two species differed in the amount of detectible genetic material produced, despite having comparable biomass. Concentration of eDNA increased with tadpole numbers and was primarily correlated with tadpole density in wood frogs and biomass in leopard frogs. eDNA degradation rates were rapid and comparable between species, with tadpoles becoming indetectable within 5 days post‐removal from the mesocosm, irrespective of tadpole density. Overall, our findings support that eDNA concentration has potential for tracking amphibian abundance in wetlands, but that indices of abundance are likely to be coarse and species‐specific calibration will be required. Future research should address how biotic and abiotic factors influence eDNA production, degradation, and recovery across species and through time before relying on eDNA for monitoring amphibian abundance in nature.
Peri‐operative Takotsubo syndrome after non‐cardiac surgery: a retrospective nested case–control study
Authors: Shang Zhi , Zhao Menglin , Cai Jiageng , Wu Cencen , Xu Yuan , Zeng Lin , Cai Hong , Xu Mao , Fan Yuanyuan , Li Yanguang , Gao Wei , Xu Weixian , Zu Lingyun
Published: June 2022

Aims

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is an acute reversible cardiac dysfunction that may occur during the peri‐operative period and among patients with serious illness. We aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, peri‐operative management, and prognosis of peri‐operative TTS (pTTS) and explore the factors associated with pTTS.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective nested case–control study using the database of patients who underwent in‐hospital non‐cardiac surgeries between January 2017 and December 2020 in Peking University Third hospital. Cases were adult patients diagnosed TTS at discharge who were matched with four controls based on operative types. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was used to identified the factors associated with pTTS. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy.

Results

Among the 128 536 patients underwent non‐cardiac surgery, 20 patients with pTTS and 80 patients without were enrolled in this study. The incidence of pTTS was about 0.016% in our centre. The median age of patients with pTTS was 52.5 (38.25, 76.25) years, although 90% of them were female. Fifty per cent (9 cases) of female patients were pre‐menopausal. Caesarean section has the highest proportion of pTTS (30% of the pTTS cases) with the incidence of caesarean section‐related pTTS of 0.06% in our centre. A high prevalence of non‐apical ballooning pattern of regional wall motion abnormality (seven cases, 35%) and a high mortality (two cases, 10%) were observed. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of patients with pTTS was significantly decreased (41.7 ± 8.8%). In the acute phase, supportive treatments aiming to reduce life‐threatening complications were main treatment strategies. After receiving systematic treatment, significant improvements were observed in LVEF (63.1 ± 13.5%), with median recovery time of LVEF of 7.48 days. Leucocyte count [odds ratio (OR): 4.59; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10–19.15], haemoglobin (HGB) (OR: 10.52; 95% CI: 1.04–106.36), and the revised cardiac risk index (RCRI) score (OR: 6.30; 95% CI: 1.05–37.88) were the factors significantly associated with pTTS. The RCRI score performed poorly in the prediction of pTTS (AUC: 0.630; 95% CI: 0.525–0.735). After adding leucocyte count and HGB into the RCRI score, the AUC was significantly improved (AUC: 0.768; 95% CI: 0.671–0.865; P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with pTTS have some differences compared with common TTS, including higher proportion of pre‐menopausal female, higher prevalence during caesarean section, higher prevalence of non‐apical ballooning pattern of regional wall motion abnormality, and higher mortality. The RCRI score performed poorly in the evaluation of pTTS. Adding HGB and leucocyte count into the RCRI score could significantly improve its predictive performance.
Single‐Crystal‐to‐Single‐Crystal Transformation and Alcohols Enantioseparation of Homochiral Ir(III)‐Metallohelix‐Based Porous Molecular Crystal
Authors: Wu Jinguo , Li Xuezhao , Shi Zhuolin , He Cheng
Published: June 2022

Single‐crystal‐to‐single‐crystal (SCSC) transformations of porous crystals have been proved as an important platform for creating new materials. The current study describes porous molecular crystal with two different polymorphs based on the same chiral helicate modules can be controllably obtained when simply changing the crystallization solvents from diethyl ether to isopropyl ether. Interestingly, the β‐polymorph can also be effective obtained through SCSC transformations from α‐polymorph in solid state using isopropanol as a trigger. Compared with our reported α‐polymorph, the newly obtained β‐polymorph porous molecular crystal displays higher CO2 uptake and better selectivity for CO2 over N2 at 298 K. Meanwhile, as chiral solid adsorbents, both of β‐polymorph and α‐polymorph exhibit similar enantioselective separation abilities towards alcohols but different adsorption kinetics.
Muddying the muddle in the middle even more
Authors: Sarmiento Esteban E. , Pickford Martin
Published: June 2022

In an Evolutionary Anthropology article Roksandic et al. (2022) propose a new middle Pleistocene hominin species H. bodoensis to replace a “poorly defined” Homo heidelbergenis. Homo bodoensis extends from the African Middle Pleistocene through the Levant to South‐eastern Europe with all currently classified H. heidelbergensis fossils from western Europe subsumed into Homo neandertalensis. The authors claim their new species will be more clearly defined than H. heidelbergensis and will better describe hominin variation and evolution in the middle Pleistocene. Roksandic et al. are unable to account for some European fossils (i.e., Petralona and Arago) and provide no evidence as to how their new species meets their objectives. Fatally, they overlook the priority rule and fail to realize that H. bodoensis is both a junior synonym of Homo rhodesiensis and Homo saldanensis. Roksandic et al. conflate taxonomy with phylogeny, present hypotheses as facts, and harbor many systematic and evolutionary misconceptions.
When and how do business shutdowns work? Evidence from Italy's first COVID‐19 wave
Authors: Ciminelli Gabriele , Garcia‐Mandicó Sílvia
Published: June 2022

Governments around the world have adopted unprecedented policies to deal with COVID‐19. This paper zooms in on business shutdowns and investigates their effectiveness in reducing mortality. We leverage highly granular death registry data for almost 5000 Italian municipalities in a diff‐in‐diff approach that allows us to mitigate endogeneity concerns credibly. Our results, which are robust to controlling for a host of co‐factors, offer strong evidence that business shutdowns effectively curb mortality. We calculate that they may have reduced the death toll from the first wave of COVID‐19 in Italy by about 40%. Our findings also highlight that timeliness is key – by acting 1 week earlier, their effectiveness could have been increased by an additional 5%. Finally, shutdowns should be targeted. Closing service activities with a high degree of interpersonal contact saves the most lives. Shutting down production activities, while substantially reducing mobility, only has mild effects on mortality.
Development, usability and quality evaluation of the resilient mobile application for women with breast cancer
Authors: Rezaee Rita , Asadi Sima , Yazdani Azita , Rezvani Alireza , Kazeroon Arash Mani
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Mental health problems as a consequence of cancer lower the quality of life of cancer patients. Despite increasing studies of breast cancer‐focused mobile health applications (m‐Health apps), there is less research on breast cancer patients' quality of life or well‐being. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate the usability and quality of an educational m‐Health app aimed at improving the resilience of breast cancer in women.

Methods

This study was conducted in four phases. It included extracting the requirements of the app through the nominal group technique. Based on these results, an m‐Health app was developed and evaluated in terms of usability and quality by two scales, System Usability Scale and Mobile App Rating Scale questionnaires, respectively. Finally, the role of patients' age and educational backgrounds in the use of the app was assessed. The relationship between learnability and usability of the app was measured by the T‐Test.

Results

The app was developed with three user interfaces. Its usability developed from the patient's point of view scored a remarkable score of 83.20 with a 95% confidence interval. This value was too indicative of high satisfaction with the usefulness and the possibility of recommending it to other cancer survivors. The results of the quality evaluation from an expert's point of view showed that this app had good functionality. Evaluation of the role of demographic information in the use of the app showed that it can be used for all age groups with different levels of education. The app did not differ significantly between learnability and usability.

Conclusion

The development of m‐Health apps, based on usability principles that are suitable for all age groups with different levels of education, is welcomed by cancer patients.
Numerical investigation of activation energy of radiative magnetohydrodynamic Williamson nanofluid flow
Authors: Younus Mohammed , Venkata Lakshmi Akavaram
Published: June 2022

The activation energy (AE) of mixed convective, radiative magnetohydrodynamic Williamson nanofluid flow across an exponentially stretched sheet was investigated numerically. To convert the governing nonlinear partial differential equations into coupled ordinary differential equations, suitable similarity variables were introduced. The “Runge Kutta method” with the procedure of shooting was used to solve the resulting system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations with boundary conditions. The effects of various factors on profiles of nanoparticle volume fraction, temperature, and velocity were explored, and the results were presented graphically. The acquired results show that they are in great agreement with those found in the open literature. It is found that concentration profile is an increasing function of AE E whereas it decreases for chemical reaction rate constant and temperature difference . It is also evident from the table that the local Sherwood number rises as the chemical reaction rate constant and temperature differences arise, and falls as the AE is enhanced.
Wildfire and hydrological processes
Authors: Boyer Elizabeth W. , Wagenbrenner Joseph W. , Zhang Lu
Published: June 2022

Climate change is a crucial factor in increasing wildfire risks, where warmer and drier conditions, increased drought periods and increased lightning strikes have made many areas more susceptible to burning. This special issue focuses on Wildfire and Hydrological Processes, exploring how wildfire has impacted watersheds and water resources. The manuscripts in this collection underscore how wildfire can change the nature of vegetation, characteristics of soils, hydrological flow paths, and residence times of water in the critical zone, and provide new insights toward predictability of wildfire impacts on watersheds. The studies reveal that wildfire can affect water quantity and quality over varying timescales, from during the active burning to years and decades afterward.
l‐Asparaginase synergizes with etoposide via the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in Epstein−Barr virus‐positive Burkitt lymphoma
Authors: Sang Wei , Tu Dongyun , Zhang Meng , Qin Yuanyuan , Yin Wenjing , Song Xuguang , Sun Cai , Yan Dongmei , Wang Xiangmin , Zeng Lingyu , Li Zhenyu , Xu Kailin , Xu Linyan
Published: June 2022

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is an aggressive Epstein−Barr virus (EBV)‐driven B‐cell lymphoma characterized by the translocation and rearrangement of the c‐Myc proto‐oncogene. High‐intensity multidrug chemotherapy regimens have a limited effect on the survival of refractory or relapsed BL patients, mainly owing to the high EBV load and drug resistance. l‐asparaginase (
l‐Asp) and etoposide (VP‐16) play a beneficial role in EBV‐related lymphoproliferative diseases; however, their roles and mechanisms in BL remain unclear. In this study, we found that VP‐16 inhibited BL cell proliferation and arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. It also induced autophagy and activated the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathways in BL cells. Mechanistically, VP‐16 inhibited c‐Myc expression and regulated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Notably, VP‐16 also showed a specific synergistic effect with
l‐Asp to induce apoptosis in EBV‐positive BL cells but not in EBV‐negative BL cells. VP‐16 combined with
l‐Asp further inhibited c‐Myc expression and downregulated the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Additionally, we found that VP‐16 inhibited the expression of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), and in combination with
l‐Asp further decreased LMP1 expression in Raji cells. Our in vivo data also showed that the dual‐drug combination significantly inhibited the growth of BL tumors and prolonged the survival of mice compared to VP‐16 alone. In conclusion, this study provides new evidence that
l‐Asp may enhance the antitumor effect of VP‐16 by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in EBV‐positive BL cells.
Genomic diversity of SARS‐CoV‐2 in Pakistan during the fourth wave of pandemic
Authors: Umair Massab , Ikram Aamer , Rehman Zaira , Haider Syed A. , Ammar Muhammad , Badar Nazish , Ali Qasim , Rana Muhammad S. , Salman Muhammad
Published: June 2022

The emergence of different variants of concern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has resulted in upsurges of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) cases around the globe. Pakistan faced the fourth wave of COVID‐19 from July to August 2021 with 314,786 cases. To understand the genomic diversity of circulating SARS‐CoV‐2 strains during the fourth wave of the pandemic in Pakistan, this study was conducted. The samples from 140 COVID‐19‐positive patients were subjected to whole‐genome sequencing using the iSeq Sequencer by Illumina. The results showed that 97% (n = 136) of isolates belonged to the delta variant while three isolates belonged to alpha and only one isolate belonged to the beta variant. Among delta variant cases, 20.5% (n = 28) isolates were showing B.1.617.2 while 23.5% (n = 25), 17.59% (n = 19), 14.81% (n = 16), and 13.89% (n = 15) of isolates were showing AY.108, AY.43 AY.127, and AY.125 lineages, respectively. Islamabad was found to be the most affected city with 65% (n = 89) of delta variant cases, followed by Karachi (17%, n = 23), and Rawalpindi (10%, n = 14). Apart from the characteristic spike mutations (T19R, L452R, T478K, P681R, and D950N) of the delta variant, the sublineages exhibited other spike mutations as E156del, G142D, T95I, A222V, G446V, K529N, N532S, Q613H, and V483A. The phylogenetic analysis revealed the introductions from Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Germany. This study highlights the circulation of delta variants (B.1.617.2 and sublineages) during the fourth wave of pandemic in Pakistan.
Molecular imaging on ACE2‐dependent transocular infection of coronavirus
Authors: Li Danni , Xiong Liyan , Pan Guixia , Wang Tingfang , Li Rou , Zhu Lizhi , Tong Qianqian , Yang Qinqin , Peng Ye , Zuo Changjing , Wang Cong , Li Xiao
Published: June 2022

A transocular infection has been proved as one of the main approaches that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) invades the body, and angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) plays a key role in this procedure. Dynamic and quantitative details on virus distribution are lacking for virus prevention and drug design. In this study, a radiotraceable pseudovirus packed with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene, 125I‐CoV, was prepared and inoculated in the unilateral eye of humanized ACE2 (hACE2) mice or ACE2‐knockout (ACE2‐KO) mice. Single‐photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography images were acquired at multiple time points to exhibit ACE2‐dependent procedures from invasion to clearance. Positron emission tomography (PET) and western blot were performed to quantify ACE2 expression and verify the factors affecting transocular infection. For the transocular infection of coronavirus (CoV), the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS), lungs, intestines, and genital glands were the main targeted organs. Due to the specific anchor to ACE2‐expressed host cells, virus concentrations in genital glands, liver, and lungs ranked the top three most and stabilized at 3.75 ± 0.55, 3.30 ± 0.25, and 2.10 ± 0.55% inoculated dose (ID)/mL at 48 h post treatment. Meanwhile, ACE2‐KO mice had already completed the in vivo clearance. In consideration of organ volumes, lungs (14.50 ± 3.75%ID) and liver (10.94 ± 0.71%ID) were the main in‐store reservoirs of CoV. However, the inoculated eye (5.52 ± 1.85%ID for hACE2, 5.24 ± 1.45%ID for ACE2‐KO, p > 0.05) and the adjacent brain exhibited ACE2‐independent virus infection at the end of 72 h observation, and absolute amount of virus played a key role in host cell infection. These observations on CoV infection were further manifested by infection‐driven intracellular EGFP expression. ACE2 PET revealed an infection‐related systematic upregulation of ACE2 expression in the organs involved in RAAS (e.g., brain, lung, heart, liver, and kidney) and the organ that was of own local renin–angiotensin system (e.g., eye). Transocular infection of CoV is ACE2‐dependent and constitutes the cause of disturbed ACE2 expression in the host. The brain, genital glands, and intestines were of the highest unit uptake, potentially accounting for the sequelae. Lungs and liver were of the highest absolute amount, closely related to the respiratory diffusion and in vivo duplication. ACE2 expression was upregulated in the short term after infection with CoV. These visual and quantitative results are helpful to fully understanding the transocular path of SARS‐CoV‐2 and other CoVs.
Effect of orientation training on employee and firm performance
Authors: Mahmood Monowar , Ostrovskiy Alexandr , Capar Nejat
Published: June 2022

Considering the prevalence and importance of employee orientation training, this study investigates the long‐term impact of employee orientation training on employee and firm performance of multinational corporations in Kazakhstan. The study further investigates employees’ expectations of such learning opportunities to improve the effectiveness of orientation training. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey on 285 employees working in multinational corporations in Kazakhstan. Furthermore, four focus group discussions involving 20 employees from four organizations were arranged to identify employees’ expectations of the content of orientation training. The findings revealed a significant effect of orientation training on long‐term employee performance, such as job satisfaction, learning transfer, intrinsic motivation, and employee commitment, and firm performance, such as profitability, revenue growth, operational efficiency, product or service innovation, and customer satisfaction. The findings further identified gaps between new employees’ expectations and current orientation training content in the post‐Soviet transition economy context. Based on empirical evidence, the study provides some recommendations to improve the effectiveness of orientation training in the future. The findings contribute to the literature on workplace learning integrating the theoretical tenets and empirical evidence in a transition economy context. The study provides new insights about employees’ expectations of orientation training to improve their workplace performance.
Soil science within German cities
Authors: Burghardt Wolfgang , Kneib Wolfram D. , Höke Silke , Lehmann Andreas , Makowsky Lutz , Kocher Birgit , Steinweg Bernd
Published: June 2022

The soils of urban areas were belatedly discovered as a research subject, becoming popular for study in the 1970s. With the growth of cities, there were increased requirements for urban soil information to assure the urban quality of life. Thus, the WG Urban Soils (AKS [Arbeitskreis Stadtboeden], today AGUB) within the German Soil Science Society (DBG) was established in 1987. This paper outlines the national and international achievements of AKS/AGUB and the initiated international urban soil network. Particular attention is given to soil mapping and research in Germany.

The foundation of AKS/AGUB initiated a high scientific response on the new research field of urban soils. A soil mapping instruction was established. According to the German concept of soil unit “soil form” from the substrate and soil formation, much attention was given to soil material of natural and technic origin, as well as structure and profile composition. The focus of soil formation is on the young age, the effect of artificial landscape construction, and the speed of soil development. For surveying areas of high soil diversity, conceptual maps were developed. A great number of cities were mapped. As in Germany, urban soils were included in several national soil classification systems. Those of Germany, the United States, Russia, France, and the international World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) are compared. A great number of tasks of urban administration concern soil problems, such as pollution, soil sealing, urban greening, stormwater infiltration, heating, dust, and carbon sequestration, so soils were relevant in city government work. Internationally, the WG SUITMA of International Union of Soil Science and the US WG INCOMANTH were dedicated to urban soils. The AKS/AGUB could contribute to the European Commission with concepts of soil functions and soil evaluation and the introduction of Technosols to the WRB.

Important future aspects will be the competition of intense rising soil consumption by building activities, and the availability and quality of soils for a sustainable urban life.
Highly selective titanium (IV)‐immobilized O‐phospho‐L‐tyrosine modified magnetic nanoparticles for the enrichment of intact phosphoproteins
Authors: Lei Qin , Murshed Abduh , Ogbuehi Anthony Chukwunonso , Peng Qian , Zhang Yiqing , Sun Fenyong , Zhong Qi , Jin Lei , Wang Hao
Published: June 2022

Phosphorylation is one of the most important protein post‐translational modifications, which possesses dramatic regulatory effects on the function of proteins. In consideration of the low abundance and low stoichiometry of phosphorylation and non‐specific signal suppression, efficient capture of the phosphoproteins from complex biological samples is critical to meet the need for protein profiling. In this work, a facile preparation of titanium (IV)‐immobilized O‐phospho‐L‐tyrosine modified magnetic nanoparticles was developed for the enrichment of intact phosphoproteins. The prepared magnetic nanoparticles were characterized by various instruments and had a spherical shape with an average diameter of 300 nm. The adsorption isotherms were investigated and the maximum capacity for β‐casein was calculated to be 961.5 mg/g. Standard protein mixtures and biological samples (non‐fat milk and human serum) were selected to test the enrichment performance. Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis demonstrated the excellent enrichment performance with high selectivity. With the superparamagnetic property, titanium (IV)‐immobilized O‐phospho‐L‐tyrosine modified magnetic nanoparticles were convenient for the practical application and clinical promotion, thus having a promising prospect in the field of phosphoprotein research.
Voice Therapy Improves Acoustic and Auditory‐Perceptual Outcomes in Children
Authors: Fujiki Robert Brinton , Braden Maia , Thibeault Susan L.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

This study employed acoustic measures as well as auditory‐perceptual assessments to examine the effects of voice therapy in children presenting with benign vocal fold lesions.

Methods

A retrospective, observational cohort design was employed. Sustained vowels produced by 129 children diagnosed with benign vocal fold lesions were analyzed, as well as connected speech samples produced by 47 children. Treatment outcome measures included Consensus of Auditory‐Perceptual Evaluation of Voice (CAPE‐V), jitter, shimmer, Noise‐to‐Harmonic Ratio (NHR), cepstral peak prominence (CPP), and Low‐to‐High Ratio (LHR) on sustained vowels, and CPP and LHR on connected speech.

Results

Following voice therapy, significant improvements in CAPE‐V ratings (p < 0.001) were observed. Additionally, jitter (p = 0.041), NHR (p = 0.019), and CPP (p < 0.01) on sustained vowels, and CPP (p = 0.002), and LHR (p = 0.008) on connected speech significantly improved following voice therapy. CPP increased with age in males but did not change in females. CAPE‐V ratings and perturbation measures indicated that dysphonia was more severe in younger children pre and post‐therapy.

Conclusions

Auditory‐perceptual and acoustic measures demonstrated improved voice quality following voice therapy in children with dysphonia. CPP effectively quantified voice therapy gains and allowed for analysis of connected speech, in addition to sustained vowels. These findings demonstrate the value of CPP as a tool in assessing therapy outcomes and support the efficacy of voice therapy for children presenting with vocal fold lesions.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 133:977–983, 2023
Automated Design of Li+‐Conducting Polymer by Quantum‐Inspired Annealing
Authors: Hatakeyama‐Sato Kan , Adachi Hiroki , Umeki Momoka , Kashikawa Takahiro , Kimura Koichi , Oyaizu Kenichi
Published: June 2022

Automated molecule design by computers is an essential topic in materials informatics. Still, generating practical structures is not easy because of the difficulty in treating material stability, synthetic difficulty, mechanical properties, and other miscellaneous parameters, often leading to the generation of junk molecules. The problem is tackled by introducing supervised/unsupervised machine learning and quantum‐inspired annealing. This autonomous molecular design system can help experimental researchers discover practical materials more efficiently. Like the human design process, new molecules are explored based on knowledge of existing compounds. A new solid‐state polymer electrolyte for lithium‐ion batteries is designed and synthesized, giving a promising room temperature conductivity of 10−5 S cm−1 with reasonable thermal, chemical, and mechanical properties.
A case of congenital fiber‐type disproportion syndrome presenting dilated cardiomyopathy with ACTA1 mutation
Authors: Matsumoto Ayumi , Tsuda Hidetoshi , Furui Sadahiro , Kawada‐Nagashima Masako , Anzai Tatsuya , Seki Mitsuru , Watanabe Kazuhisa , Muramatsu Kazuhiro , Osaka Hitoshi , Iwamoto Sadahiko , Nishino Ichizo , Yamagata Takanori
Published: June 2022

Background

Actin, alpha, skeletal muscle 1 (ACTA1) is one of the causative genes of nemaline myopathy (NM) and congenital fiber‐type disproportion (CFTD). CFTD is characterized by type 1 fiber atrophy and distinguished from NM in the absence of rods. Eight patients with CFTD, including one patient with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), have previously been reported. Herein, we report the case of a 10‐year‐old boy presenting with CFTD and DCM.

Methods

We performed exome sequencing and analyzed the effect of Met327Lys mutations on cultured C2C12 muscle cells compared with that seen in the wild type (WT, ACTA1) and previously identified Asp294Val mutations associated with a severe phenotype of CFTD without cardiomyopathy.

Results

Exome sequencing revealed a de novo mutation, c.980 T > A, p.(Met327Lys), in ACTA1 (NM_001100.4). C2C12 cells transfected with the WT plasmid expressed ACTA1 in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Cells with the Asp294Val mutant showed needle‐like structures in the cytoplasm, whereas the expression of the Met327Lys mutant resulted in few aggregations but many apoptotic cells.

Conclusion

Apoptosis induced in Met327Lys‐transfected muscle cells supports the pathogenicity of the mutation and can be implicated as one of the histopathological features associated with CFTD, as in NM.
Fully automatic quantification of transient severe respiratory motion artifact of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced MRI during arterial phase
Authors: Jang Jinseong , Chung Yong Eun , Kim Sungwon , Hwang Dosik
Published: June 2022

Purpose

It is important to fully automate the evaluation of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced arterial phase images because the efficient quantification of transient severe motion artifacts can be used in a variety of applications. Our study proposes a fully automatic evaluation method of motion artifacts during the arterial phase of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced MR imaging.

Methods

The proposed method was based on the construction of quality‐aware features to represent the motion artifact using MR image statistics and multidirectional filtered coefficients. Using the quality‐aware features, the method calculated quantitative quality scores of gadoxetate disodium–enhanced images fully automatically. The performance of our proposed method, as well as two other methods, was acquired by correlating scores against subjective scores from radiologists based on the 5‐point scale and binary evaluation. The subjective scores evaluated by two radiologists were severity scores of motion artifacts in the evaluation set on a scale of 1 (no motion artifacts) to 5 (severe motion artifacts).

Results

Pearson's linear correlation coefficient (PLCC) and Spearman's rank–ordered correlation coefficient (SROCC) values of our proposed method against the subjective scores were 0.9036 and 0.9057, respectively, whereas the PLCC values of two other methods were 0.6525 and 0.8243, and the SROCC values were 0.6070 and 0.8348. Also, in terms of binary quantification of transient severe respiratory motion, the proposed method achieved 0.9310 sensitivity, 0.9048 specificity, and 0.9200 accuracy, whereas the other two methods achieved 0.7586, 0.8996 sensitivities, 0.8098, 0.8905 specificities, and 0.9200, 0.9048 accuracies

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the high performance of the proposed automatic quantification method in evaluating transient severe motion artifacts in arterial phase images.
Accelerated dual‐venc 4D flow MRI with variable high‐venc spatial resolution for neurovascular applications
Authors: Aristova Maria , Pang Jianing , Ma Yue , Ma Liliana , Berhane Haben , Rayz Vitaliy , Markl Michael , Schnell Susanne
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Dual‐velocity encoded (dual‐venc or DV) 4D flow MRI achieves wide velocity dynamic range and velocity‐to‐noise ratio (VNR), enabling accurate neurovascular flow characterization. To reduce scan time, we present interleaved dual‐venc 4D Flow with independently prescribed, prospectively undersampled spatial resolution of the high‐venc (HV) acquisition: Variable Spatial Resolution Dual Venc (VSRDV).

Methods

A prototype VSRDV sequence was developed based on a Cartesian acquisition with eight‐point phase encoding, combining PEAK‐GRAPPA acceleration with zero‐filling in phase and partition directions for HV. The VSRDV approach was optimized by varying z, the zero‐filling fraction of HV relative to low‐venc, between 0%–80% in vitro (realistic neurovascular model with pulsatile flow) and in vivo (n = 10 volunteers). Antialiasing precision, mean and peak velocity quantification accuracy, and test–retest reproducibility were assessed relative to reference images with equal‐resolution HV and low venc (z = 0%).

Results

In vitro results for all z demonstrated an antialiasing true positive rate at least 95% for  = 2 and 5, with no linear relationship to z (p = 0.62 and 0.13, respectively). Bland–Altman analysis for z = 20%, 40%, 60%, or 80% versus z = 0% in vitro and in vivo demonstrated no bias >1% of venc in mean or peak velocity values at any . In vitro mean and peak velocity, and in vivo peak velocity, had limits of agreement within 15%.

Conclusion

VSRDV allows up to 34.8% scan time reduction compared to PEAK‐GRAPPA accelerated DV 4D Flow MRI, enabling large spatial coverage and dynamic range while maintaining VNR and velocity measurement accuracy.
Interlocking degradation of vinyl polymers via main‐chain CC bonds scission by introducing pendant‐responsive comonomers
Authors: Yamamoto Sota , Kubo Tomohiro , Satoh Kotaro
Published: June 2022

Degradation of vinyl polymers remains a challenge because of the robust main‐chain CC bonds. In this study, we designed novel pendant‐responsive comonomers with a carbon–halogen bond, which can be copolymerized with vinyl monomers to enable facile degradation of the CC backbone upon triggering stimulus. The comonomer unit was designed to induce interlocking degradation, that is, it first generates side‐chain radical upon trigger, subsequently provides a main‐chain radical via intramolecular 1,5‐shift, and then finally causes the main‐chain cleavage via β‐scission. A remarkable decrease in molecular weight was observed when the obtained copolymer was treated with a copper catalyst, and the effect of polymer structure was assessed on the interlocking degradation behavior.
Protein structure prediction improves the quality of amino‐acid sequence alignment
Authors: Lesk Arthur M. , Konagurthu Arun S.
Published: June 2022

The basic operation in analysis of protein evolution is alignment: the specification of residue‐residue correspondences. A structural alignment is a specification of residue‐residue correspondences based on the atomic positions in the structures of two or more proteins. It is well‐known that structural alignments are more accurate, over a much wider range of divergence, than pairwise alignments based solely on sequences—for instance computed with the Needleman–Wunsch algorithm with affine gap penalties. Given the amino‐acid sequences of two proteins, alignments based solely on the sequences fall into “daylight”, “twilight”, and “midnight” zones, in which the fidelity of the correspondences diminishes in accuracy, and in strength of ability to distinguish true homology from noise. The success of AlphaFold2 in template‐free modeling of three‐dimensional structures from one‐dimensional amino‐acid sequence information implies that: given the amino‐acid sequences of two or more proteins, in the absence of experimentally determined structures, reliable alignments—even for very highly diverged proteins—could in many cases be achieved by applying AlphaFold2 to the sequences, and performing structural alignments of the models.
China's place attractivity, population mobility and its mechanisms: Perspectives from a full spectrum of spatial analyses
Authors: Danlin Yu , Yaojun Zhang
Published: June 2022

Understanding the potential mechanisms of population mobility is important in population studies. The current study calculates a place attractivity score and collects 12 socioeconomic and natural condition factors at the prefecture‐level in China. A full spectrum of spatial autoregression and eigenfunction‐based spatial filtering models are employed to investigate the relationship between place attractivity and the factors at the global level, which assumes the relationship stays the same everywhere. A random‐effects eigenfunction‐based spatial filtering spatially varying coefficient model is used to check the relationships at local level, which admits that relationships might be different in different locations. Results suggest that the eigenvector spatial filtering analysis models perform better than other models. China's population mobility is primarily driven by economic push‐pull factors. Accessibility, job opportunity, temperature and terrain also play roles in determining a prefecture's attractivity. Local analysis suggests that the relationships are likely only true in large migration destinations.
Multimodal Potentials of Gold Nanoparticles for Bone Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine: Avenues and Prospects
Authors: Gupta Archita , Singh Sneha
Published: June 2022

Osseous tissue repair has advanced due to the introduction of tissue engineering. The key elements required while engineering new tissues involve scaffolds, cells, and bioactive cues. The macrostructural to the nanostructural framework of such complex tissue has engrossed the intervention of nanotechnology for efficient neo‐bone formation. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have recently gained interest in bone tissue regeneration due to their multimodal functionality. They are proven to modulate the properties of scaffolds and the osteogenic cells significantly. GNPs also influence different metabolic functions within the body, which directly or indirectly govern the mechanism of bone regeneration. Therefore, this review highlights nanoparticle‐mediated osteogenic development, focusing on different aspects of GNPs ranging from scaffold modulation to cellular stimulation. The toxic aspects of gold nanoparticles studied so far are critically explicated, while further insight into the advancements and prospects of these nanoparticles in bone regeneration is also highlighted.
Insights Into to the KX (X = Cl, Br, I) Adsorption‐Assisted Stabilization of CsPbI2Br Surface
Authors: Li Xiao‐Fen , Cheng Song‐Qi , Zhou Yu‐Qian , Ouyang Wen‐Hong , Li Shunning , Liu Bai‐Xin , Liu Jian‐Bo
Published: June 2022

Despite the excellent optoelectronic properties, organic‐inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells (PSCs) still present significant challenges in terms of ambient stability. CsPbI2Br, a member of all‐inorganic perovskites, may respond to this challenge because of its inherent high stability against light, moisture, and heat, and therefore has gained tremendous attraction recently. However, the practical application of CsPbI2Br is still impeded by the notorious phenomenon of photoinduced halide segregation. Herein, by applying first‐principles calculations, the stability, electronic structure, defect properties, and ion‐diffusion properties of the stoichiometric CsPbI2Br (110) surface and that with the adsorption of KX (X = Cl, Br, I) are systematically investigated. It is found that the adsorbed KX can serve as an external substitute of the halogen vacancies on the surface, therefore inhibiting halogen segregation and improving the stability of the CsPbI2Br surface. The KX can also eliminate deep‐level defect states caused by antisites, thereby contributing to the promoted optoelectronic properties of CsPbI2Br. The mechanistic understanding of surface passivation in this work can lay the foundation for the future design of CsPbI2Br PSCs with optimized optoelectronic performance.
Anomalous Self‐Optimizing Microporous Graphene‐Based Lithium‐ion Battery Anode from Laser Activation of Small Organic Molecules
Authors: Zhang Binghao , Cheng Le , Huang Libei , Tang Yu , Fang Yongjin , Li Tao , Ye Ruquan , Liu Qi
Published: June 2022

Laser scribing technology is a straightforward technique to fabricate porous graphene, yet only conducted with polymeric precursors. Compared to polymers, molecular engineering of small organic molecules is much easier, which can be used to modify the graphene with tailored performance. Here we report the first employment of a laser to respectively transform small organic molecules, pentacene quinone and tetraazapentacene quinone (TAPQ), into graphene (P‐LIG and N‐LIG) as high‐performance lithium‐ion battery anodes. The TAPQ, as the N‐fused molecular precursor, produces nitrogen‐doped graphene. Both N‐LIG and P‐LIG exhibit significant self‐enhancement of capacity upon cycling; the N‐LIG anode delivers reversible capacities of 5863 mAh g‐1 at 0.2 A g‐1 and retains 1970 mAh g‐1 at 2 A g‐1 after another 500 cycles, which is the best performance for the graphene‐type anode. Kinetics studies and structural characterizations verify that the surface‐ and diffusion‐controlled processes are both progressively optimized, providing extra lithium storage upon cycling. It is also supported by small‐angle X‐ray scattering that the disordering level of micropores is increased upon cycling for N‐LIG, corresponding to the enhancement of microporous level. Our work successfully develops a novel facile approach to fabricating heteroatom‐doped microporous graphene exhibiting high performance and provides new insight into the lithium storage mechanism.
Determination of copper and lead ions using gold nanoparticles as a colorimetric probe with the aid of cysteine
Authors: Peng Li‐Jing , Chen Guo‐Ying , Zhou Hang‐Yu , Yang Feng‐Qing
Published: June 2022

This work describes a simple and reliable colorimetric method based on the gold nanoparticles without any modification, which can realize the rapid, sensitive, and quantitative detection of lead (Pb2+) and copper (Cu2+) ions, providing a reference for monitoring metal ions in the environmental water. When Pb2+ was added to the gold nanoparticles solution containing a low concentration of L‐Cysteine, the combination of Pb2+ and L‐Cysteine can induce the aggregation of gold nanoparticles. On the contrary, Cu2+ can catalyze the oxidation of L‐Cysteine and destroy the formation of the Au‐S bond between L‐Cysteine and gold nanoparticles, thereby preventing the aggregation of gold nanoparticles. As the ultraviolet‐visible spectrum of gold nanoparticle solution is closely related to their aggregation status, the Cu2+ and Pb2+ can be determined. The calibration curves, which are constructed based on ratios of the absorbance at 650 nm and 520 nm of gold nanoparticles, display good linearity in the range of 50.0−2.5 × 103 nM for Pb2+ and 25.0−300.0 nM for Cu2+, respectively. The limits of quantitation of Pb2+ and Cu2+ are determined to be 50.0 and 25.0 nM, respectively. In addition, the spiked recoveries of Pb2+ and Cu2+ in real water samples are 94.6−112.5 and 87.3−114.7% with a relative standard deviation of less than 6.3%, respectively.