bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High gain/bandwidth off-chip antenna loaded with metamaterial unit-cell impedance matching circuit for sub-terahertz near-field electronic systems
Authors: Alibakhshikenari Mohammad , Virdee Bal S. , Mariyanayagam Dion , Vadalà Valeria , Naser-Moghadasi Mohammad , See Chan H. , Dayoub Iyad , Aïssa Sonia , Livreri Patrizia , Burokur Shah Nawaz , Pietrenko-Dabrowska Anna , Falcone Francisco , Koziel Slawomir , Limiti Ernesto
Published: October 2022

An innovative off-chip antenna (OCA) is presented that exhibits high gain and efficiency performance at the terahertz (THz) band and has a wide operational bandwidth. The proposed OCA is implemented on stacked silicon layers and consists of an open circuit meandering line. It is shown that by loading the antenna with an array of subwavelength circular dielectric slots and terminating it with a metamaterial unit cell, its impedance bandwidth is enhanced by a factor of two and its gain on average by about 4 dB. Unlike conventional antennas, where the energy is dissipated in a resistive load, the technique proposed here significantly reduces losses. The antenna is excited from underneath the antenna by coupling RF energy from an open-circuited feedline through a slot in the ground-plane of the middle substrate layer. The feedline is shielded with another substrate layer which has a ground-plane on its opposite surface to mitigate the influence of the structure on which the antenna is mounted. The antenna has the dimensions 12.3 × 4.5 × 0.905 mm3and operates across the 0.137–0.158 THz band corresponding to a fractional bandwidth of 14.23%. Over this frequency range the average measured gain and efficiency are 8.6 dBi and 77%, respectively. These characteristics makes the proposed antenna suitable for integration in sub-terahertz near-field electronic systems such as radio frequency identification (RFID) devices with high spatial resolution.
Physiologic and molecular responses of indica–japonica subspecies tetraploid rice seed germination to ion beams
Authors: Huang Yaqin , Li Jinzhe , Huang Qunce
Published: October 2022

Ionizing radiation can not only reduce the yield of rice but also cause rice toxicity, and consumption of this kind of rice threatens human health. Moreover, the production and application of freon has further caused a hole in the earth’s ozone layer, increasing the amount of ionizing radiation from the sun affecting rice. To select and breed new radiation-resistant rice varieties, dry seeds of theindica–japonicasubspecies of tetraploid rice subjected to different doses of ionizing radiation were investigated for their responses during germination. The results showed that the relative water absorption, seed vigour and GA3content sharply decreased in response to three different doses of ionizing radiation, and the regulation of the expression of genes related to α-amylase synthesis and gibberellin metabolism was disrupted. Moreover, the degree of inhibition increased with increasing dose. Notably, under 3.0 × 1017ions/cm2radiation, an upregulation ofOsGA3ox2expression resulted in a sharp increase in GA3content in theindica–japonicatetraploid rice, and upregulated expression ofOsAmy3AandOsAmy3Dresulted in sharp increase in α-amylase activity, water absorption, and sucrose and fructose contents, which resulted in the seed vigour being greater than that of its parents. The results indicate that additional research on the physiological and molecular features ofindica–japonicatetraploid rice seed germination in response to ionizing radiation is needed.
The potential key genes and pathways associated with Wilms tumor in quest of proper candidates for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes
Authors: Bitaraf Masoud , Mahmanzar Mohammadamin , Zafari Narges , Mohammadpour Hadiseh , Vasei Mohammad , Moradi Matin Leyla , Kajbafzadeh Abdol-Mohammad , Majidi Zolbin Masoumeh
Published: October 2022

To designate the probable most important differentially expressed genes and genetic pathways in Wilms tumor and assess their expression and diagnostic potential by RT-PCR and statistical analysis. Systematic review of the literature and various bioinformatics analysis was carried out to gather and narrow down data. The expression of end-resulting genes was compared in Wilms tumor and normal tissue samples using RT-PCR. Statistical tests reported the diagnostic accuracy of genes and their correlation with clinicopathological features. Four genes including CDH1, NCAM1, EGF, and IGF2 were designated. The panel combining them has 100% sensitivity and specificity in differentiating tumors from normal tissue. Eight pathways, most involved in cell–cell and cell-basal matrix junction interactions, were found to be associated with disease pathogenesis. The suggested genes should undergo further evaluation to be validated as diagnostic biomarkers. Further research on the eight proposed pathways is recommended.
Modeling electronic health record data using an end-to-end knowledge-graph-informed topic model
Authors: Zou Yuesong , Pesaranghader Ahmad , Song Ziyang , Verma Aman , Buckeridge David L. , Li Yue
Published: October 2022

The rapid growth of electronic health record (EHR) datasets opens up promising opportunities to understand human diseases in a systematic way. However, effective extraction of clinical knowledge from EHR data has been hindered by the sparse and noisy information. We present Graph ATtention-Embedded Topic Model (GAT-ETM), an end-to-end taxonomy-knowledge-graph-based multimodal embedded topic model. GAT-ETM distills latent disease topics from EHR data by learning the embedding from a constructed medical knowledge graph. We applied GAT-ETM to a large-scale EHR dataset consisting of over 1 million patients. We evaluated its performance based on topic quality, drug imputation, and disease diagnosis prediction. GAT-ETM demonstrated superior performance over the alternative methods on all tasks. Moreover, GAT-ETM learned clinically meaningful graph-informed embedding of the EHR codes and discovered interpretable and accurate patient representations for patient stratification and drug recommendations. GAT-ETM code is available at https://github.com/li-lab-mcgill/GAT-ETM.
Variability of key-performance-indicators in commercial gilthead seabream hatcheries
Authors: Kourkouta Chara , Tsipourlianos Andreas , Power Deborah M. , Moutou Katerina A. , Koumoundouros George
Published: October 2022

Skeletal abnormalities are one of the most important key-performance-indicators (KPIs) in finfish hatcheries. Coping with the problem of skeletal abnormalities relies on the understanding of the link between the variability in the rearing conditions, and the variability in abnormalities incidence. Here, 74 seabream larval populations, from four commercial hatcheries, were examined for the presence of abnormalities and monitored with respect to the applied conditions. The inward folding of gill-cover and pugheadedness were the most frequent abnormalities present, with a mean (± SD) frequency of 11.3 ± 17.9 and 6.0 ± 7.2%, respectively. Other abnormalities were observed at very low mean rates (≤ 1%). A new abnormality type, ray-resorption syndrome, was also found. The recorded rate of normally inflated swimbladder was 92.3 ± 7.4% and mean survival rate was 25.9 ± 21.0%. Classification tree analysis indicated six rearing variables as potentially important predictors for pugheadedness, six variables for caudal-fin abnormalities and 10 variables for survival rate. Complementary genetic analysis, revealed differentiating genetic diversity and significant genetic distances among participating hatcheries, suggestive of the role of company-specific management of genetic resources in KPIs’ variability. The results are discussed with respect to their potential use in the control of skeletal abnormalities by commercial hatcheries, as well as for benchmarking among different hatcheries.
Chromosome-scale genome assembly provides insights into the molecular mechanisms of tissue development of Populus wilsonii
Authors: Li Chaofeng , Xing Haitao , Li Can , Ren Yun , Li Honglei , Wan Xue-Qin , Lian Chunlan , Mi Jia-Xuan , Zhang Shengkui
Published: October 2022

Populus wilsoniiis an important species of sectionLeucoides, and the natural populations mainly grow in southwest China. In this study, a single genotype of wildP. wilsoniiwas sequenced and assembled at genome size of 477.35 Mb in 19 chromosomes with contig N50 of 16.3 Mb. A total of 38,054 genes were annotated, and 49.95% of the genome was annotated as repetitive elements. Phylogenetic analysis identified that the divergence betweenP. wilsoniiand the ancestor ofP. deltoidesandP. trichocarpawas 12 (3–23) Mya. 4DTv and Ks distributions supported the occurrence of the salicoid WGD event (~65 Mya). The highly conserved collinearity supports the close evolutionary relationship among these species. Some key enzyme-encoding gene families related to the biosynthesis of lignin and flavonoids were expanded and highly expressed in the stems or leaves, which probably resist the damage of the natural environment. In addition, some key gene families related to cellulose biosynthesis were highly expressed in stems, accounting for the high cellulose content ofP. wilsoniivariety. Our findings provided deep insights into the genetic evolution ofP. wilsoniiand will contribute to further biological research and breeding as well as for other poplars inSalicaceae.
Liquid-solid contact electrification when water droplets hit living plant leaves
Authors: Armiento Serena , Filippeschi Carlo , Meder Fabian , Mazzolai Barbara
Published: October 2022

Contact electrification has gained interest as a mechanism for generating charges on surfaces. It has also been shown that plant leaves generate electrification by both solid-solid and liquid-solid contact. However, it is unclear how water droplets hitting a leaf causes charging and which structural features affect this phenomenon. Here, we show how the in-situ surface structures of leaves, droplet composition, and prior ionization of the droplet influence living plant liquid-solid contact electrification on several superhydrophobic and hydrophilic living plant species. We find that the hierarchical structures responsible for self-cleaning and wetting, known as the Lotus effect, also create a specific electrification pattern. Each water droplet causes a characteristic signal in the plant tissue depending on the structure and composition of the epicuticular wax layer as well as the droplet composition. These findings give insight on how contact electrification occurs in nature, suggesting the potential for deriving new bio-based materials for sensing and energy harvesting in artificial and plant-hybrid devices.
Transient evolution of the relative size distribution of earthquakes as a risk indicator for induced seismicity
Authors: Ritz Vanille A. , Rinaldi Antonio P. , Wiemer Stefan
Published: October 2022

Induced earthquakes pose a substantial challenge to many geo-energy applications, and in particular to Enhanced Geothermal Systems. We demonstrate that the key factor controlling the seismic hazard is the relative size distribution of earthquakes, the b-value, because it is closely coupled to the stress conditions in the underground. By comparing high resolution observations from an Enhanced Geothermal System project in Basel with a loosely coupled hydro-mechanical-stochastic model, we establish a highly systematic behaviour of the b-value and resulting hazard through the injection cycle. This time evolution is controlled not only by the specific site conditions and the proximity of nearby faults but also by the injection strategy followed. Our results open up new approaches to assess and mitigate seismic hazard and risk through careful site selection and adequate injection strategy, coupled to real-time monitoring and modelling during reservoir stimulation.
Microplasma-assisted synthesis of a mixed-valence Ce-MOF with enhanced oxidase-like activity for colorimetric sensing of dopamine
Authors: Xia Yi , Zhou Jiaxin , Liu Yanying , Liu Yutong , Huang Ke , Yu Huimin , Jiang Xue , Xiong Xiaoli
Published: October 2022

Mixed valence Ce-MOF (MVCM) with enhanced cataltical activity was synthesized by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) microplasma, and a colorimetric platform of oxidase-like MVCM was established for DA detection.
Determination of quinolone antibiotics in honey by pH-induced natural deep eutectic solvent combined with vortex-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction
Authors: Zhu Xiaoming , Zhao Chenyang , Liu Jun , Qin Feng , Xiong Zhili , Zhao Longshan
Published: October 2022

A pH-induced natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES) combined with vortex-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid extraction technique followed by HPLC was established for the determination of quinolone antibiotics in honey.
A new magnetic ionic liquid based salting-out assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction for the determination of parabens in environmental water samples
Authors: Tao Yuan , Jia Luyao , Qin Honglin , Niu Ruiting , Qiao Lizhen
Published: October 2022

In this study, a new magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) was designed and prepared, containing a magnetic cation from the ligand N,N-dimethyl biguanide (DMBG) complexing with magnetic center Co2+ and a bis-trifluoromethanesulfonimide (NTf2−) anion.
A MnOx-nucleic acid nanoprobe with enzyme-free cascade signal amplification for ultrasensitive intracellular microRNA imaging
Authors: Xu Jiayao , Qin Yuxin , Liang Qiuyi , Zhong Xiaohong , Hou Li , Huang Yong , Zhao Shulin , Liang Hong
Published: October 2022

A schematic illustration of a MnOx-nucleic acid nanoprobe for amplified fluorescence detection and imaging of miRNA in living cells based on the combination of catalytic hairpin assembly, hybridization chain reaction, and DNAzyme amplification.
Recent advances in photocatalytic polyfluoroarylation
Authors: Liu Yan , Zuo Lin , Shang Tianyi , Wang Zhenling , Yu Bing
Published: October 2022

Polyfluoroaryl compounds belong to privileged moieties and engender distinct properties in many pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials. In this review, state-of-the-art in photocatalytic polyfluoroarylation has been present since 2014.
Raising the LUMO level of fullerene derivatives alleviates the output voltage loss in tin halide perovskite solar cells
Authors: Wu Cheng , Zhu Weike , Wang Shurong , Cao Zhiyuan , Ding Liming , Hao Feng
Published: October 2022

Two novel electron transport materials were designed and synthesized for tin halide perovskite solar cells. With the well-matched energy levels, the device achieved an efficiency of 10.17% along with a remarkable open-circuit voltage of 0.76 V.
Self-assembly of an in silico designed dipeptide derivative to obtain photo-responsive vesicles
Authors: Zhang Jun , Wang Yining , Wang Junfeng , Yan Youguo , Li Jiawei , Li Zhen
Published: October 2022

Photo-responsive vesicles self-assembled from in silico designed peptide derivatives were investigated using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations.
Lead-free all-inorganic halide double perovskite materials for optoelectronic applications: progress, performance and design
Authors: Zuo Tao , Qi Fangfang , Yam ChiYung , Meng Lingyi
Published: October 2022

The geometrical and electronic structures of all-inorganic halide double perovskites and their applications in optoelectronic devices are reviewed. Novel design methods are desirable to develop this type of perovskite with superior performance.
In silico method for identifying the key residues in a knotted protein: with MJ0366 as an example
Authors: Wang Jianmei , Peng Xubiao
Published: October 2022

A simple in silico method for predicting the key residues for knotting and unknotting a knotted protein is put forward, with the residues ranked by the relevance to knotting and unknotting in the annealing molecular dynamics simulations.
Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics studies on excited state decay pathways of 5-azacytosine in aqueous solution
Authors: Chang Xue-Ping , Zheng Lingyun , Yu Li , Zhang Teng-Shuo , Xie Bin-Bin
Published: October 2022

In this work, we have used the QM(CASPT2//CASSCF)/MM approach to study the photophysical properties and relaxation mechanism of 5-azacytosine (5-AC) in aqueous solution.
The Rashba effect in two-dimensional hybrid perovskites: the impacts of halogens and surface ligands
Authors: Liu Beichen , Gao Huaxiong , Meng Chaoying , Ye Honggang
Published: October 2022

The distortion of octahedrons will introduce Rashba effect in 2D hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites.
Biological effect of black phosphorus nanosheets on the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 S protein and ACE2
Authors: Liu Rui Rui , Zhai Hong Lin , Shao Hai Ping , Wang Tian Hua
Published: October 2022

The binding of the spike glycoprotein (S protein) in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the main pathway that leads to serious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection.
Metal–water covalency in the photo-aquated ferrocyanide complex as seen by multi-edge picosecond X-ray absorption
Authors: Vaz da Cruz Vinícius , Mascarenhas Eric J. , Büchner Robby , Jay Raphael M. , Fondell Mattis , Eckert Sebastian , Föhlisch Alexander
Published: October 2022

Multi-edge picosecond transient absorption spectroscopy provides access to the electronic structure of the photo-aquated ferrocyanide complex. Fingerprints for Fe–water covalent bonding channels are seen at the Fe L-edge, O K-edge and N K-edge.
Molecular mechanisms of CeO2 nanomaterials improving tomato yield, fruit quality, and postharvest storage performance
Authors: Feng Yan , Wang Chuanxi , Chen Feiran , Cao Xuesong , Wang Jing , Yue Le , Wang Zhenyu
Published: October 2022

Nanomaterials (NMs) have exhibited great potential for improving agriculture production and fruit storage.
Hawthorn or semen cassiae-alleviated high-fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in rats via the reduction of endoplasmic reticulum stress
Authors: Mao Kanmin , Liu Hongjuan , Cao Xin , Yang Miao , Wang Xinzheng , Yang Xuefeng , Hao Liping
Published: October 2022

A high-fat diet (HFD) was used to establish a rat hepatic steatosis model. TCMs such as hawthorn and semen cassiae have a protective effect against obesity-related hepatic steatosis via the PPAR-γ (PPARG)-ER stress axis.
Faba beans with enhanced antioxidant activity ameliorate acetic acid-induced colitis in experimental rats
Authors: El-sayed Salwa M. , Nossier Mona I. , Nossier Ahmed Ibrahim
Published: October 2022

Faba beans are among the legumes that are of the greatest importance due to their high nutritional value.
Crystallized glass tailored by controlled heat treatment for carbon dioxide capture under mild conditions
Authors: Kim Hyung-Ju , Yang Hee-Chul , Lee Keunyoung , Foster Richard I.
Published: October 2022

Depicted is the formation of crystallized alkaline earth oxide-containing glass adsorbents for radioactive carbon dioxide (14CO2) sequestering and mineralization under mild operating conditions enabling long-term geological disposal of hazardous 14C.
Dinuclear indium phthalocyanine doped in PMMA glass used as nonlinear optical limiter
Authors: Zhang He , Li Lucheng , Wang Luyi , Chen Jun , Wang Jing , Liu Yang , Zhang Huijie , Wang Qiang
Published: October 2022

A novel dinuclear indium phthalocyanine (In-Pc-In) is synthesized and doped in PMMA, the resulting In-Pc-In-PMMA can greatly suppress aggregation between Pc units. As a result, the In-Pc-In-PMMA show superior nonlinear absorption behaviors than the In-Pc-In-THF samples.
Small molecule induces mitochondrial impairment in colon cancer cells
Authors: Shinde Sopan , Chhabria Dimple , Ingle Jaypalsing , Kumar Mohit , Kirubakaran Sivapriya , Basu Sudipta
Published: October 2022

The 3-methoxy-pyrrole synthetic derivative was identified as a novel molecule to damage the powerhouse in colon cancer cells.
Complex of nanocarriers based on the metal polyphenol network: multi-modal synergistic inhibition of tumor cell proliferation by inducing ferroptosis and photodynamic effect
Authors: Zhou Kaiyue , Xu Wennan , Zhang Xiaotong , Wang Shisheng , Li Yueqing , Yang Li , Cai Rui , Xu Qiang , Li Guangzhe , Guo Xiuhan
Published: October 2022

The metal-polyphenol network has been widely employed in the field of nanodrugs delivery due to its pH-responsiveness.
A metal-free approach to highly functionalized 3-substituted-3-arylbenzofuran-2(3H)-ones
Authors: Dhotare Bhaskar B. , Kumar Sahil , Wadawale Amey , Nayak Sandip K. , Kumar Mukesh , Goswami Dibakar
Published: October 2022

A novel approach for H2SO4-mediated dehydrative substitution of 3-hydroxy-3-phenylbenzofuran-2(3H)-ones with electron-rich arenes/1,3-diones/alcohols/thiols as nucleophiles is presented.
Metalloborospherenes with the stabilized classical fullerene-like borospherene B36as electric field manipulated second-order nonlinear optical switches
Authors: Chen Weihong , Liu Jiayuan , Sun Weiming , He Huimin , Yu Shansheng , Li Ying , Li Zhiru
Published: October 2022

The unstable classical fullerene-like borospherene B36is wrapped in 8 Li and 12 Mg atoms and stablized in metalloborospherene Mg12Li8&B36.
Preparation and bioevaluation of [99mTc]Tc-labeled A7R and DA7R for SPECT imaging of triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Su Hongxing , Zhao Lingzhou , Yu Buhui , Zeng Huahui , Yang Jiqin , Zhu Meilin , Zhao Jinhua
Published: October 2022

[99mTc]Tc-labeled D-type A7R peptide showed better tumor-to-muscle ratios and lower renal uptake.
Gate-voltage-induced reversible electrical phase transitions in Mo0.67W0.33Se2 devices
Authors: Kim Min-Sik , Choi Dong-Hwan , Lee In-Ho , Kim Wu-Sin , Kwon Duhyuk , Bae Myung-Ho , Kim Ju-Jin
Published: October 2022

Mo0.67W0.33Se2 devices show gate-voltage-induced electrical phase transitions.
Tuning the optical absorption performance of MoS2 monolayers with compressive strain
Authors: Zhao Yibin , Du Zhengwei , Wang Licheng , Liu Mingyan , Hu Xudong , Yao Bing , Li Xiaoming , Gao Libo , Liu Cong , Wan Yi , Kan Erjun
Published: October 2022

Here, we fabricated a home-made strain loading device and proposed a compressive strain measurement method, by which the strain-dependent optical absorption properties of MoS2 monolayers under compression has been studied.
Porous charged polymer nanosheets formed via microplastic removal from frozen ice for virus filtration and detection
Authors: Kim Kyoungwook , Min Jaemin , Lee Minjong , Sim Geunhong , Oh Seung Soo , Park Moon Jeong
Published: October 2022

A method to remove microplastics from polluted water was established through ice-assisted synthesis of polyaniline. As a result of microplastic removal, porous polyaniline nanosheets form, which can effectively filter out, detect, and capture viruses.
Brønsted acid catalyzed annulations of ketene dithioacetals: synthesis of 3-aryl coumarins and indenes
Authors: Arora Shivani , Singh Surya Pratap , Sharma Parashuram , Singh Anand
Published: October 2022

PTSA catalyzed divergent synthetic routes toward 3-aryl coumarins and indenes were developed using ketene dithioacetals. These transformations are transition-metal and oxidant free, proceed under mild conditions, and provide quick access to these important structural motifs.
Visible-light-mediated aerobic Ritter-type C–H amination of diarylmethanes using DDQ/tert-butyl nitrite
Authors: Li Tianci , Yang Jiangyu , Yin Xin , Shi Jinhua , Cao Qun , Hu Miaomiao , Xu Xiaowen , Li Meichao , Shen Zhenlu
Published: October 2022

A metal-free photocatalytic Ritter-type C–H amination of diarylmethanes using O2 as an oxidant has been developed using a co-catalytic system of DDQ and TBN and offers a low cost, sustainable way to synthesise secondary amides under mild conditions.
Direct eight-electron NO3−-to-NH3 conversion: using a Co-doped TiO2 nanoribbon array as a high-efficiency electrocatalyst
Authors: Zhao Donglin , Ma Chaoqun , Li Jun , Li Ruizhi , Fan Xiaoya , Zhang Longcheng , Dong Kai , Luo Yongsong , Zheng Dongdong , Sun Shengjun , Liu Qian , Li Quan , Lu Qipeng , Sun Xuping
Published: October 2022

A Co-TiO2 nanoribbon array supported on a Ti plate is a high-efficiency catalyst for electrochemical NO3–-to-NH3 conversion, capable of attaining a large NH3 yield of 1127 μmol h−1 cm−2 and high Faradaic efficiency of 98.2%.
Colloidal synthesis of size-confined CsAgCl2 nanocrystals: implications for electroluminescence applications
Authors: Ji Sujun , Meng Xuan , Wang Xiaochen , Bai Tianxin , Zhang Ruiling , Yang Bin , Han Keli , Jiang Junke , Liu Feng
Published: October 2022

A facile EuCl3-based route to CsAgCl2 nanocrystals with tunable particle size was proposed. LEDs fabricated exhibit favorable warm white-light emission, which opens up new avenues to develop single-component warm white LEDs.
Copper-catalyzed cross coupling reaction of sulfonyl hydrazides with 3-aminoindazoles
Authors: Feng Guipeng , Meng Jie , Xu Shaohong , Gao Yao , Zhu Yingying , Huang Ziyu
Published: October 2022

A radical–radical cross coupling reaction of 3-aminoindazoles with sulfonyl hydrazides was realized. The strategy afforded the straightforward synthesis of 1,3-substituted aminoindazoles in good yields (up to 96%).
Selective synthesis of 3-formylbenzofuran and 3-acylbenzofuran using a chalcone rearrangement strategy
Authors: Nakamura Akira , Imamiya Akira , Ikegami Yuichiro , Rao Fei , Yuguchi Harumi , Miki Yasuyoshi , Maegawa Tomohiro
Published: October 2022

A method for the highly selective synthesis of two benzofuran isomers, 3-formylbenzofurans and 3-acylbenzofurans, by rearranging and subsequently transforming 2-hydroxychalcones has been developed.
Generalized rubric for level of explanation sophistication for nucleophiles in organic chemistry reaction mechanisms
Authors: Yik Brandon J. , Dood Amber J. , Frost Stephanie J. H. , Cruz-Ramírez de Arellano Daniel , Fields Kimberly B. , Raker Jeffrey R.
Published: October 2022

Reaction mechanisms are central to organic chemistry and organic chemistry education. Assessing understanding of reaction mechanisms can be evaluated holistically, wherein the entire mechanism is considered; however, we assert that such an evaluation does not account for how learners variably understand mechanistic components (e.g., nucleophile, electrophile) or steps (e.g., nucleophilic attack, proton transfer). For example, a learner may have proficiency of proton transfer steps without sufficient proficiency of a step where a nucleophile and electrophile interact. Herein, we report the development of a generalized rubric to assess the level of explanation sophistication for nucleophiles in written explanations of organic chemistry reaction mechanisms from postsecondary courses. This rubric operationalizes and applies chemistry education research findings by articulating four hierarchical levels of explanation sophistication: absent, descriptive, foundational, and complex. We provide evidence for the utility of the rubric in an assortment of contexts: (a) stages of an organic chemistry course (i.e., first or second semester), (b) across nucleophile and reaction types, and (c) across prompt variations. We, as well, present a case study detailing how this rubric could be applied in a course to collect assessment data to inform learning and instruction. Our results demonstrate the practical implementation of this rubric to assess understanding of nucleophiles and offer avenues for establishing rubrics for additional mechanistic components, and understanding and evaluating curricula.
The elastic response of graphene oxide gels as a crumpling phenomenon
Authors: Barwich Sebastian , Möbius Matthias E.
Published: October 2022

The elastic response of nanosheet gels is governed by the low bending stiffness and thickness of the sheets rather than the inter-particle bonds. These particles can be considered soft colloids as they easily crumple and deform.
Newly designed acrylamide derivative-based pH-responsive hydrogel-urease bioconjugates: synthesis and catalytic urea hydrolysis
Authors: Yadav Nisha , Kumar Krishna , Singh V. K. , Rai Shailja , Blahatia Kunal , Das Anupam , Jana Tushar
Published: October 2022

Newly designed pH-responsive hydrogel-urease bioconjugates enables the BCs for low Km value in pH range 4 to 11.
Anisotropic sol–gel transition: the influence of sample thickness, pressure and strain
Authors: Varshini G. V. , Parthasarathi Srividhya , Rao D. S. Shankar , Prasad S. Krishna
Published: October 2022

On reducing the sample thickness, (i) an abrupt drop in transition temperature (Tsol–gel), (ii) crossover from 3D–2D gel fibre growth and (iii) diminution of storage and loss elastic moduli were observed. Applied pressure hinders gel network formation.
Chiral three-dimensional supramolecular assemblies: colloidal onions, cubosomes, and hexosomes
Authors: Wang De-Yin , Ren Li-Jun , Liu Hong-Kai , Wang Wei
Published: October 2022

Chiral amphiphiles self-assemble in solution into chiral three-dimensional supramolecular assemblies, such as colloidal onions, cubosomes, and hexosomes.
Cellulose nanocrystals as nucleating agents for the strain induced crystallization in natural rubber
Authors: Candau Nicolas , Fernandes João Paulo Cosas , Vasmer Emilien , Maspoch Maria Lluisa
Published: October 2022

Dispersed cellulose nanocrystals enhance strain induced crystallization in the natural rubber matrix and lead to improved elastocaloric performance.
Enabling both ultrahigh initial coulombic efficiency and superior stability of Na2Ti3O7anodes by optimizing binders
Authors: Li Ying , Liu Yihua , Wang Dong , Hu Changyan , Luo Kangying , Zhong Benhe , Sun Yan , Liu Yang , Wu Zhenguo , Guo Xiaodong
Published: October 2022

Ultra-stable NTO electrodes with high ICE require suitable binders to provide both good electrode integrity and derived high-quality SEI.
An integrated solar evaporator with multilevel hierarchy and multifunctional properties for efficient and salt fouling-resistant desalination
Authors: Yang Zhi , Chen Lei , Yang Kaijie , Chen Cheng , Zhang Yuyao , Li Shan , Chu Chiheng , Zhu Xiaoying , Chen Baoliang
Published: October 2022

A hierarchy is integrated into the solar evaporator and triggers multifunctional properties, by which salt-resistant desalination is achieved without sacrificing the energy efficiency even in hypersaline solutions (83–93% in 3.5–25 wt% brine).
Mesoporous, anisotropic nanostructures from bioinspired polymeric catecholamine neurotransmitters and their potential application as photoacoustic imaging agents
Authors: Lu Zhenzhen , Acter Shahinur , Teo Boon Mian , Bishop Alexis I. , Tabor Rico F. , Vidallon Mark Louis P.
Published: October 2022

Different process parameters can be used to fabricate polydopamine, polynorepinephrine, and polyepinephrine nanospheres and mesoporous nanomaterials (golf balls and bowls) with structure-dependent performance as photoacoustic imaging agents.
Transition-metal-doped hydrophilic ultrasmall iron oxide modulates MRI contrast performance for accurate diagnosis of orthotopic prostate cancer
Authors: Xie Wenteng , Gan Yuehao , Zhang Ya’nan , Wang Peng , Zhang Jia , Qian Junchao , Zhang Guilong , Wu Zhengyan
Published: October 2022

This work clearly illustrated the mechanism of contrast enhancement in transition-metal-doped IONs, and it provides a novel paradigm for developing highly efficient T2 contrast agents.
Plasmonic Au@Ag-upconversion nanoparticle hybrids for NIR photodetection via an alternating self-assembly method
Authors: Fang Guoqiang , Ji Yanan , Xiao Qi , Dong Xinyao , Wu Jinlei , Zou Jixin , Xu Yizhuo , Xu Wen , Dong Bin
Published: October 2022

Flat and dense monolayer Au@Ag nanorods/UCNPs (50–400 nm) is fabricated by an alternating self-assembly method. The optimized photoresponsivity and detectivity of Au@Ag NRs/UCNPs (150 nm)/MAPbI3 PDs is separately 0.51 A W−1 and 6.9 × 109 Jones.
Highly specific fluorescent probes toward acetic acid via structural transformation of zinc complexes
Authors: Lu Hai-Yue , Xu Liang-Jin , Wang Jin-Yun , Chen Zhong-Ning
Published: October 2022

Acetic acid probes based on Zinc complexes with high stability and selectivity were successfully prepared by reacting the H2tBuCarPy ligand with ZnBr2, which exhibit reversible vapor-chromism during the uptake and release of acetic acid.
Spatio-temporal variation in air quality and unexpected pollution levels during the lamp event over the Indo-Gangetic Plain in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Goyal Isha , Verma Puneet Kumar , Singh Vipin , Kumari K. Maharaj , Lakhani Anita
Published: October 2022

During the lamp event in phase-1 (P1) of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concentration of air pollutants over the Indo Gangetic Plain (IGP) increased substantially. Analyses show an association of benzene and toluene with PM2.5 due to oil-based emissions.
IGF2BP2 serves as a core m6A regulator in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Hu Yuan , Chen Jiexin , Liu Muyuan , Feng Qin , Peng Hanwei
Published: October 2022

Methylation of N6 adenosine (m6A) plays a crucial role in the development and progression of cancers. Its modification is regulated by three types of m6A-related regulators (methyltransferases (writers), demethylases (erasers), and RNA-binding proteins (readers)). Till now, the functions and roles of these regulators in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) remain largely unexplored. Therefore, we utilized the open HNSC dataset in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), four different cell lines, and our HNSC patient samples (n=40) to explore the clinical significance of 19 m6A regulators, and selected the most significant prognosis-related regulator. Authentic analyses based on online websites were also used in the study (Oncomine, UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier plotter, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), cBioPortal, LinkedOmics, String, etc.). From the results, general overexpression of m6A regulators was observed in pan-cancer, especially in HNSC. IGF2BP2 was recognized as the hub m6A regulator, which was an independent, unfavorable prognostic factor in HNSC. Its mRNA and protein expression in HNSC were significantly up-regulated. Gene mutation types of IGF2BP2 in HNSC (32%) were mainly mRNA High or Amplification, which represented the high expression of IGF2BP2. And these mutations were associated with a poor prognosis. In functional analysis, IGF2BP2 was negatively correlated to tumor immune infiltration in HNSC. Finally, HMGA2 might interact with the IGF2BP2 in HNSC. In conclusion, IGF2BP2 serves as a core m6A regulator among all regulators in HNSC, which has a high expression and predicts the poor prognosis of HNSC patients independently. IGF2BP2 might bring a new direction for HNSC treatment in the future.
Single-cell transcriptomics in planaria: new tools allow new insights into cellular and evolutionary features
Authors: García-Castro Helena , Solana Jordi
Published: October 2022

Single-cell transcriptomics has revolutionised biology allowing the quantification of gene expression in individual cells. Since each single cell contains cell type specific mRNAs, these techniques enable the classification of cell identities. Therefore, single cell methods have been used to explore the repertoire of cell types (the single cell atlas) of different organisms, including freshwater planarians. Nowadays, planarians are one of the most prominent animal models in single cell biology. They have been studied at the single cell level for over a decade using most of the available single cell methodological approaches. These include plate-based methods, such as qPCR, nanodroplet methods and in situ barcoding methods. Because of these studies, we now have a very good picture of planarian cell types and their differentiation trajectories. Planarian regenerative properties and other characteristics, such as their developmental plasticity and their capacity to reproduce asexually, ensure that another decade of single cell biology in planarians is yet to come. Here, we review these characteristics, the new biological insights that have been obtained by single-cell transcriptomics and outline the perspectives for the future.
Dynamics of phagocytosis mediated by phosphatidylserine
Authors: Vorselen Daan
Published: October 2022

Phagocytosis triggered by the phospholipid phosphatidylserine (PS) is key for the removal of apoptotic cells in development, tissue homeostasis and infection. Modulation of PS-mediated phagocytosis is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in the context of atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer. Whereas the mechanisms of target recognition, lipid and protein signalling, and cytoskeletal remodelling in opsonin-driven modes of phagocytosis are increasingly well understood, PS-mediated phagocytosis has remained more elusive. This is partially due to the involvement of a multitude of receptors with at least some redundancy in functioning, which complicates dissecting their contributions and results in complex downstream signalling networks. This review focusses on the receptors involved in PS-recognition, the signalling cascades that connect receptors to cytoskeletal remodelling required for phagocytosis, and recent progress in our understanding of how phagocytic cup formation is coordinated during PS-mediated phagocytosis.
ERK1/2 in immune signalling
Authors: Lucas Richard M. , Luo Lin , Stow Jennifer L.
Published: October 2022

Extracellular signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) are the final components of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation cascade, an integral module in a diverse array of signalling pathways for shaping cell behaviour and fate. More recently, studies have shown that ERK1/2 plays an essential role downstream of immune receptors to elicit inflammatory gene expression in response to infection and cell or tissue damage. Much of this work has studied ERK1/2 activation in Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways, providing mechanistic insights into its recruitment, compartmentalisation and activation in cells of the innate immune system. In this review, we summarise the typical activation of ERK1/2 in growth factor receptor pathways before discussing its known roles in immune cell signalling with a focus downstream of TLRs. We examine emerging research uncovering evidence of dysfunctional ERK1/2 signalling in inflammatory diseases and discuss the potential therapeutic benefit of targeting ERK1/2 pathways in inflammation.
Cancer cells hijack RNA processing to rewrite the message
Authors: Borden Katherine L.B.
Published: October 2022

Typically, cancer is thought to arise due to DNA mutations, dysregulated transcription and/or aberrant signalling. Recently, it has become clear that dysregulated mRNA processing, mRNA export and translation also contribute to malignancy. RNA processing events result in major modifications to the physical nature of mRNAs such as the addition of the methyl-7-guanosine cap, the removal of introns and the addition of polyA tails. mRNA processing is a critical determinant for the protein-coding capacity of mRNAs since these physical changes impact the efficiency by which a given transcript can be exported to the cytoplasm and translated into protein. While many of these mRNA metabolism steps were considered constitutive housekeeping activities, they are now known to be highly regulated with combinatorial and multiplicative impacts i.e. one event will influence the capacity to undergo others. Furthermore, alternative splicing and/or cleavage and polyadenylation can produce transcripts with alternative messages and new functionalities. The coordinated processing of groups of functionally related RNAs can potently re-wire signalling pathways, modulate survival pathways and even re-structure the cell. As postulated by the RNA regulon model, combinatorial regulation of these groups is achieved by the presence of shared cis-acting elements (known as USER codes) which recruit machinery for processing, export or translation. In all, dysregulated RNA metabolism in cancer gives rise to an altered proteome that in turn elicits biological responses related to malignancy. Studies of these events in cancer revealed new mechanisms underpinning malignancies and unearthed novel therapeutic opportunities. In all, cancer cells coopt RNA processing, export and translation to support their oncogenic activity.
Informational Masking and Listening Effort in Speech Recognition in Noise: The Role of Working Memory Capacity and Inhibitory Control in Older Adults With and Without Hearing Impairment
Authors: Stenbäck Victoria , Marsja Erik , Hällgren Mathias , Lyxell Björn , Larsby Birgitta
Published: October 2022

Purpose:

The study aimed to assess the relationship between (a) speech recognition in noise, mask type, working memory capacity (WMC), and inhibitory control and (b) self-rated listening effort, speech material, and mask type, in older adults with and without hearing impairment. It was of special interest to assess the relationship between WMC, inhibitory control, and speech recognition in noise when informational maskers masked target speech.

Method:

A mixed design was used. A group (
N
= 24) of older (
M
age
= 69.7 years) individuals with hearing impairment and a group of age normal–hearing adults (
M
age
= 59.3 years,
SD
= 6.5) participated in the study. The participants were presented with auditory tests in a sound-attenuated room and with cognitive tests in a quiet office. The participants were asked to rate listening effort after being presented with energetic and informational background maskers in two different speech materials used in this study (i.e., Hearing In Noise Test and Hagerman test). Linear mixed-effects models were set up to assess the effect of the two different speech materials, energetic and informational maskers, hearing ability, WMC, inhibitory control, and self-rated listening effort.

Results:

Results showed that WMC and inhibitory control were of importance for speech recognition in noise, even when controlling for pure-tone average 4 hearing thresholds and age, when the maskers were informational. Concerning listening effort, on the other hand, the results suggest that hearing ability, but not cognitive abilities, is important for self-rated listening effort in speech recognition in noise.

Conclusions:

Speech-in-noise recognition is more dependent on WMC for older adults in informational maskers than in energetic maskers. Hearing ability is a stronger predictor than cognition for self-rated listening effort.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.21357648
A 3D graph convolutional networks model for 2D skeleton‐based human action recognition
Authors: Weng Libo , Lou Weidong , Shen Xin , Gao Fei
Published: October 2022

With the popularity of cameras, the application of action recognition is more and more extensive. After the emergence of RGB‐D cameras and human pose estimation algorithms, human actions can be represented by a sequence of skeleton joints. Therefore, skeleton‐based action recognition has been a research hotspot. In this paper, a novel 3D Graph Convolutional Network model (3D‐GCN) with space‐time attention mechanism for 2D skeleton data is proposed. Three‐dimensional graph convolution is employed to extract spatiotemporal features of skeleton descriptor that is composed of joint coordinates, frame differences and angles. Meanwhile, different joints and different frames are given different attention to achieve action classification. A zebra crossing pedestrian dataset named ZCP is also provided, which simulates possible pedestrian actions on the zebra crossing in real scenes. Experimental evaluation is carried out on ZCP dataset and NTU RGB+D dataset. Experimental results show that our method is better than current 2D‐based methods and is comparable with 3D methods.
Single source self‐balanced switched‐capacitor multilevel inverter with reduced number of semiconductors
Authors: Amani Mohammad , Azari Milad Niaz , Rezanejad Mohammad
Published: October 2022

Recently, the demand for switched‐capacitor converters has increased due to the use of a low voltage input source. This article aims to improve some weak points of these inverters, such as the high number of elements by presenting a novel single‐source high step‐up multi‐level inverter topology. The proposed inverter consists of a switched‐capacitor cell with self‐balancing capability. The proposed converter uses a low voltage DC source to charge a series of capacitors stage by stage to increase the amplitude of the capacitors multiple times the input voltage. These capacitors which work as asymmetrical sources can generate a high‐amplitude AC output voltage level and hence reduce the number of DC sources and semiconductors which leads to the simplicity of structure. Since the proposed converter is using low voltage single DC source it can be used in a renewable energy application. Another aspect of this converter is producing negative levels in the output voltage without using a high‐voltage full‐bridge inverter and reducing the number of components. To verify the proposed multi‐level inverter operation, a 9‐level prototype is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink and implemented in the laboratory. The simulation and test result of the inverter confirm the validity of the proposed scheme.
The influence of flux rope heating models on solar prominence formation
Authors: Brughmans N. , Jenkins J. M. , Keppens R.
Published: October 2022

Context. Prominences are cool, dense clouds suspended within the solar corona. Their in situ formation through the levitation-condensation mechanism is a textbook example of the thermal instability, where a slight energy imbalance leads to a runaway process resulting in condensed filamentary structures embedded within the concave-up portions of a flux rope. The detailed interplay between local radiative losses and the global heating of the solar corona is investigated here for prominence-forming flux rope structures.

Aims. We begin by exploring the influence of two classes of commonly adopted heating models on the formation behaviour of solar prominences. These models consider either an exponential variation dependent on height alone, or local density and magnetic field conditions. We highlight and address some of the limitations inherent to these early approximations by proposing a new, dynamic 2D flux rope heating model that qualitatively accounts for the 3D topology of the twisted flux rope field.

Methods. We performed 2.5D grid-adaptive numerical simulations of prominence formation via the levitation-condensation mechanism. A linear force-free arcade is subjected to shearing and converging motions, leading to the formation of a flux rope containing material that may succumb to thermal instability. The eventual formation and subsequent evolution of prominence condensations was then quantified as a function of the specific background heating prescription adopted. For the simulations that consider the topology of the flux rope, reduced heating was considered within a dynamically evolving ellipse that traces the flux rope cross-section. This ellipse is centred on the flux rope axis and tracked during runtime using an approach based on the instantaneous magnetic field curvature.

Results. We find that the nature of the heating model is clearly imprinted on the evolution and morphology of any resulting prominences: one large, low-altitude condensation is obtained for the heating model based on local parameters, while the exponential model leads to the additional formation of smaller blobs throughout the flux rope which then relocate as they tend towards achieving hydrostatic equilibrium. Finally, a study of the condensation process in phase space reveals a non-isobaric evolution with an eventual recovery of uniform pressure balance along flux surfaces.