bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crowdsourcing digital health measures to predict Parkinson’s disease severity: the Parkinson’s Disease Digital Biomarker DREAM Challenge
Authors: Sieberts Solveig K. , Schaff Jennifer , Duda Marlena , Pataki Bálint Ármin , Sun Ming , Snyder Phil , Daneault Jean-Francois , Parisi Federico , Costante Gianluca , Rubin Udi , Banda Peter , Chae Yooree , Chaibub Neto Elias , Dorsey E. Ray , Aydın Zafer , Chen Aipeng , Elo Laura L. , Espino Carlos , Glaab Enrico , Goan Ethan , Golabchi Fatemeh Noushin , Görmez Yasin , Jaakkola Maria K. , Jonnagaddala Jitendra , Klén Riku , Li Dongmei , McDaniel Christian , Perrin Dimitri , Perumal Thanneer M. , Rad Nastaran Mohammadian , Rainaldi Erin , Sapienza Stefano , Schwab Patrick , Shokhirev Nikolai , Venäläinen Mikko S. , Vergara-Diaz Gloria , Zhang Yuqian ,   the Parkinson’s Disease Digital Biomarker Challenge Consortium, Abrami Avner , Adhikary Aditya , Agurto Carla , Bhalla Sherry , Bilgin Halil , Caggiano Vittorio , Cheng Jun , Deng Eden , Gan Qiwei , Girsa Rajan , Han Zhi , Heisig Stephen , Huang Kun , Jahandideh Samad , Kopp Wolfgang , Kurz Christoph F. , Lichtner Gregor , Norel Raquel , Raghava G. P. S. , Sethi Tavpritesh , Shawen Nicholas , Tripathi Vaibhav , Tsai Matthew , Wang Tongxin , Wu Yi , Zhang Jie , Zhang Xinyu , Wang Yuanjia , Guan Yuanfang , Brunner Daniela , Bonato Paolo , Mangravite Lara M. , Omberg Larsson
Published: March 2021

Consumer wearables and sensors are a rich source of data about patients’ daily disease and symptom burden, particularly in the case of movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, interpreting these complex data into so-called digital biomarkers requires complicated analytical approaches, and validating these biomarkers requires sufficient data and unbiased evaluation methods. Here we describe the use of crowdsourcing to specifically evaluate and benchmark features derived from accelerometer and gyroscope data in two different datasets to predict the presence of PD and severity of three PD symptoms: tremor, dyskinesia, and bradykinesia. Forty teams from around the world submitted features, and achieved drastically improved predictive performance for PD status (best AUROC = 0.87), as well as tremor- (best AUPR = 0.75), dyskinesia- (best AUPR = 0.48) and bradykinesia-severity (best AUPR = 0.95).
smiFISH and embryo segmentation for single-cell multi-gene RNA quantification in arthropods
Authors: Calvo Llilians , Ronshaugen Matthew , Pettini Tom
Published: March 2021

Recently, advances in fluorescent in-situ hybridization techniques and in imaging technology have enabled visualization and counting of individual RNA molecules in single cells. This has greatly enhanced the resolution in our understanding of transcriptional processes. Here, we adapt a recently published smiFISH protocol (single-molecule inexpensive fluorescent in-situ hybridization) to whole embryos across a range of arthropod model species, and also to non-embryonic tissues. Using multiple fluorophores with distinct spectra and white light laser confocal imaging, we simultaneously detect and separate single RNAs from up to eight different genes in a whole embryo. We also combine smiFISH with cell membrane immunofluorescence, and present an imaging and analysis pipeline for 3D cell segmentation and single-cell RNA counting in whole blastoderm embryos. Finally, using whole embryo single-cell RNA count data, we propose two alternative single-cell variability measures to the commonly used Fano factor, and compare the capacity of these three measures to address different aspects of single-cell expression variability.
Pol α-primase dependent nuclear localization of the mammalian CST complex
Authors: Kelich Joseph M. , Papaioannou Harry , Skordalakes Emmanuel
Published: March 2021

The human CST complex composed of CTC1, STN1, and TEN1 is critically involved in telomere maintenance and homeostasis. Specifically, CST terminates telomere extension by inhibiting telomerase access to the telomeric overhang and facilitates lagging strand fill in by recruiting DNA Polymerase alpha primase (Pol α-primase) to the telomeric C-strand. Here we reveal that CST has a dynamic intracellular localization that is cell cycle dependent. We report an increase in nuclear CST several hours after the initiation of DNA replication, followed by exit from the nucleus prior to mitosis. We identify amino acids of CTC1 involved in Pol α-primase binding and nuclear localization. We conclude, the CST complex does not contain a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and suggest that its nuclear localization is reliant on Pol α-primase. Hypomorphic mutations affecting CST nuclear import are associated with telomere syndromes and cancer, emphasizing the important role of this process in health.
Structural basis of the dynamic human CEACAM1 monomer-dimer equilibrium
Authors: Gandhi Amit K. , Sun Zhen-Yu J. , Kim Walter M. , Huang Yu-Hwa , Kondo Yasuyuki , Bonsor Daniel A. , Sundberg Eric J. , Wagner Gerhard , Kuchroo Vijay K. , Petsko Gregory A. , Blumberg Richard S.
Published: March 2021

Human (h) carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1) function depends upon IgV-mediated homodimerization or heterodimerization with host ligands, including hCEACAM5, hTIM-3, PD-1, and a variety of microbial pathogens. However, there is little structural information available on how hCEACAM1 transitions between monomeric and dimeric states which in the latter case is critical for initiating hCEACAM1 activities. We therefore mutated residues within the hCEACAM1 IgV GFCC′ face including V39, I91, N97, and E99 and examined hCEACAM1 IgV monomer-homodimer exchange using differential scanning fluorimetry, multi-angle light scattering, X-ray crystallography and/or nuclear magnetic resonance. From these studies, we describe hCEACAM1 homodimeric, monomeric and transition states at atomic resolution and its conformational behavior in solution through NMR assignment of the wildtype (WT) hCEACAM1 IgV dimer and N97A mutant monomer. These studies reveal the flexibility of the GFCC’ face and its important role in governing the formation of hCEACAM1 dimers and selective heterodimers.
CAP2 is a regulator of actin pointed end dynamics and myofibrillogenesis in cardiac muscle
Authors: Colpan Mert , Iwanski Jessika , Gregorio Carol C.
Published: March 2021

The precise assembly of actin-based thin filaments is crucial for muscle contraction. Dysregulation of actin dynamics at thin filament pointed ends results in skeletal and cardiac myopathies. Here, we discovered adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 2 (CAP2) as a unique component of thin filament pointed ends in cardiac muscle. CAP2 has critical functions in cardiomyocytes as it depolymerizes and inhibits actin incorporation into thin filaments. Strikingly distinct from other pointed-end proteins, CAP2’s function is not enhanced but inhibited by tropomyosin and it does not directly control thin filament lengths. Furthermore, CAP2 plays an essential role in cardiomyocyte maturation by modulating pre-sarcomeric actin assembly and regulating α-actin composition in mature thin filaments. Identification of CAP2’s multifunctional roles provides missing links in our understanding of how thin filament architecture is regulated in striated muscle and it reveals there are additional factors, beyond Tmod1 and Lmod2, that modulate actin dynamics at thin filament pointed ends.
Inside-out chicken enteroids with leukocyte component as a model to study host–pathogen interactions
Authors: Nash Tessa J. , Morris Katrina M. , Mabbott Neil A. , Vervelde Lonneke
Published: March 2021

Mammalian three-dimensional (3D) enteroids mirror in vivo intestinal organisation and are powerful tools to investigate intestinal cell biology and host–pathogen interactions. We have developed complex multilobulated 3D chicken enteroids from intestinal embryonic villi and adult crypts. These avian enteroids develop optimally in suspension without the structural support required to produce mammalian enteroids, resulting in an inside-out enteroid conformation with media-facing apical brush borders. Histological and transcriptional analyses show these enteroids comprise of differentiated intestinal epithelial cells bound by cell-cell junctions, and notably, include intraepithelial leukocytes and an inner core of lamina propria leukocytes. The advantageous polarisation of these enteroids has enabled infection of the epithelial apical surface withSalmonellaTyphimurium, influenza A virus andEimeria tenellawithout the need for micro-injection. We have created a comprehensive model of the chicken intestine which has the potential to explore epithelial and leukocyte interactions and responses in host–pathogen, food science and pharmaceutical research.
The structure of a major surface antigen SAG19 from Eimeria tenella unifies the Eimeria SAG family
Authors: Ramly Nur Zazarina , Dix Samuel R. , Ruzheinikov Sergey N. , Sedelnikova Svetlana E. , Baker Patrick J. , Chow Yock-Ping , Tomley Fiona M. , Blake Damer P. , Wan Kiew-Lian , Nathan Sheila , Rice David W.
Published: March 2021

In infections by apicomplexan parasites includingPlasmodium,Toxoplasma gondii, andEimeria, host interactions are mediated by proteins including families of membrane-anchored cysteine-rich surface antigens (SAGs) and SAG-related sequences (SRS).Eimeria tenellacauses caecal coccidiosis in chickens and has a SAG family with over 80 members making up 1% of the proteome. We have solved the structure of a representativeE. tenellaSAG, EtSAG19, revealing that, despite a low level of sequence similarity, the entireEimeriaSAG family is unified by its three-layer αβα fold which is related to that of the CAP superfamily. Furthermore, sequence comparisons show that theEimeriaSAG fold is conserved in surface antigens of the human coccidial parasiteCyclospora cayetanensisbut this fold is unrelated to that of the SAGs/SRS proteins expressed in other apicomplexans includingPlasmodiumspecies and the cyst-forming coccidiaToxoplasma gondii,Neospora caninumandBesnoitia besnoiti. However, despite having very different structures, Consurf analysis showed thatEimeriaSAG andToxoplasmaSRS families each exhibit marked hotspots of sequence hypervariability that map to their surfaces distal to the membrane anchor. This suggests that the primary and convergent purpose of the different structures is to provide a platform onto which sequence variability can be imposed.
Evolutionary histories and antimicrobial resistance in Shigella flexneri and Shigella sonnei in Southeast Asia
Authors: Chung The Hao , Bodhidatta Ladaporn , Pham Duy Thanh , Mason Carl J. , Ha Thanh Tuyen , Voong Vinh Phat , Turner Paul , Hem Sopheak , Dance David A. B. , Newton Paul N. , Phetsouvanh Rattanaphone , Davong Viengmon , Thwaites Guy E. , Thomson Nicholas R. , Baker Stephen , Rabaa Maia A.
Published: March 2021

Conventional disease surveillance for shigellosis in developing country settings relies on serotyping and low-resolution molecular typing, which fails to contextualise the evolutionary history of the genus. Here, we interrogated a collection of 1,804 Shigella whole genome sequences from organisms isolated in four continental Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) over three decades to characterise the evolution of both S. flexneri and S. sonnei. We show that S. sonnei and each major S. flexneri serotype are comprised of genetically diverse populations, the majority of which were likely introduced into Southeast Asia in the 1970s–1990s. Intranational and regional dissemination allowed widespread propagation of both species across the region. Our data indicate that the epidemiology of S. sonnei and the major S. flexneri serotypes were characterised by frequent clonal replacement events, coinciding with changing susceptibility patterns against contemporaneous antimicrobials. We conclude that adaptation to antimicrobial pressure was pivotal to the recent evolutionary trajectory of Shigella in Southeast Asia.
Oncolytic adeno-immunotherapy modulates the immune system enabling CAR T-cells to cure pancreatic tumors
Authors: Rosewell Shaw Amanda , Porter Caroline E. , Yip Tiffany , Mah Way-Champ , McKenna Mary K. , Dysthe Matthew , Jung Youngrock , Parihar Robin , Brenner Malcolm K. , Suzuki Masataka
Published: March 2021

High expression levels of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) have been associated with poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, HER2-targeting immunotherapies have been unsuccessful to date. Here we increase the breadth, potency, and duration of anti-PDAC HER2-specific CAR T-cell (HER2.CART) activity with an oncolytic adeno-immunotherapy that produces cytokine, immune checkpoint blockade, and a safety switch (CAdTrio). Combination treatment with CAdTrio and HER2.CARTs cured tumors in two PDAC xenograft models and produced durable tumor responses in humanized mice. Modifications to the tumor immune microenvironment contributed to the antitumor activity of our combination immunotherapy, as intratumoral CAdTrio treatment induced chemotaxis to enable HER2.CART migration to the tumor site. Using an advanced PDAC model in humanized mice, we found that local CAdTrio treatment of primary tumor stimulated systemic host immune responses that repolarized distant tumor microenvironments, improving HER2.CART anti-tumor activity. Overall, our data demonstrate that CAdTrio and HER2.CARTs provide complementary activities to eradicate metastatic PDAC and may represent a promising co-operative therapy for PDAC patients.
Long-term stability in γ-CsPbI3 perovskite via an ultraviolet-curable polymer network
Authors: Cho Nam-Kwang , Na Hyun-Jae , Yoo Jeeyoung , Kim Youn Sang
Published: March 2021

Black-colored (α, γ-phase) CsPbI3perovskites have a small bandgap and excellent absorption properties in the visible light regime, making them attractive for solar cells. However, their long-term stability in ambient conditions is limited. Here, we demonstrate a strategy to improve structural and electrical long-term stability in γ-CsPbI3by the use of an ultraviolet-curable polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) polymer network. Oxygen lone pair electrons from the PEGDMA are found to capture Cs+and Pb2+cations, improving crystal growth of γ-CsPbI3around PEGDMA. In addition, the PEGDMA polymer network strongly contributes to maintaining the black phase of γ-CsPbI3for more than 35 days in air, and an optimized perovskite film retained ~90% of its initial electrical properties under red, green, and blue light irradiation.
Black Sea hydroclimate and coupled hydrology was strongly controlled by high-latitude glacial climate dynamics
Authors: Wegwerth Antje , Plessen Birgit , Kleinhanns Ilka C. , Arz Helge W.
Published: March 2021

The Black Sea experienced pronounced millennial-scale changes in temperature and rainfall during the last glacial coinciding with Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles. However, little is known regarding the amount and sources of freshwater reaching this inland basin. Here, we present detailed ostracod δ18O data from the glacial Black Sea showing subdued Dansgaard-Oeschger cyclicity and four prominent longer-term saw-tooth shaped Bond-like cycles. We propose that the δ18Oostracods signature primarily reflects changes in the atmospheric circulation in response to the waxing and waning Eurasian Ice Sheet. The millennial-scale ice sheet variations likely resulted not only in latitudinal migrations of atmospheric frontal systems but also in shifts of dominant moisture sources for the Black Sea. Heavier isotopic precipitation arrived from the North Atlantic-Mediterranean realm during the warmer interstadials and lighter isotopic precipitation from the Eurasian continental interior during the colder stadials. The subdued Dansgaard-Oeschger variability likely reflects an integrated precipitation signal additionally affected by the long mixing times of the large Black Sea volume up to 1,500 years as suggested from hydrologic-isotope-balance modelling.
(r)HDL in theranostics: how do we apply HDL's biology for precision medicine in atherosclerosis management?
Authors: B. Uribe Kepa , Benito-Vicente Asier , Martin Cesar , Blanco-Vaca Francisco , Rotllan Noemi
Published: March 2021

(r)HDL therapeutics has progressed a long way but has yet to produce fruitful results. Based on what has been learned and on the most innovative perspectives, a new generation of “smart” rHDL is emerging as an alternative for the management of CVD.
Mechanistic analysis of light-driven overcrowded alkene-based molecular motors by multiscale molecular simulations
Authors: Feng Mudong , Gilson Michael K.
Published: March 2021

Ground-state and excited-state molecular dynamics simulations shed light on the rotation mechanism of small, light-driven molecular motors and predict motor performance. How fast can they rotate; how much torque and power can they generate?
Mixed-dimensional InAs nanowire on layered molybdenum disulfide heterostructures via selective-area van der Waals epitaxy
Authors: Baboli Mohadeseh A. , Abrand Alireza , Burke Robert A. , Fedorenko Anastasiia , Wilhelm Thomas S. , Polly Stephen J. , Dubey Madan , Hubbard Seth M. , Mohseni Parsian K.
Published: March 2021

Self-assembly of vertically aligned III–V semiconductor nanowires on two-dimensional van der Waals nanomaterials allows for integration of novel mixed-dimensional nanosystems with unique properties for optoelectronic device applications.
Synthesis, 3D-pharmacophore modelling and 2D-QSAR study of new pyridine-3-carbonitriles as vasorelaxant active agents
Authors: Srour Aladdin M. , Dawood Dina H. , Saleh Dalia O.
Published: March 2021

A new set of pyridine-3-carbonitriles (3a–v) conjugated with various five-membered ring systems at pyridinyl C-6 were designed and synthesized as vasorelaxant active agents.
Temperature-triggered formation of a cellulose II nanocrystal network through regioselective derivatization
Authors: Lin Fangbo , Pignon Frédéric , Putaux Jean-Luc , Jean Bruno
Published: March 2021

The two ends of rodlike cellulose II nanocrystals (CNC-II) were regioselectively functionalized either with gold nanoparticles or with thermosensitive polymer chains.
Efficient removal of chromate ions from aqueous solution using a highly cost-effective ferric coordinated [3-(2-aminoethylamino)propyl]trimethoxysilane–MCM-41 adsorbent
Authors: Madri Rakesh Kumar , Tiwari Dhanesh , Sinha Indrajit
Published: March 2021

The present investigation involves synthesis and characterization of MCM-41–AEAPTMS–Fe(iii)Cl using coordinated Fe(iii) on MCM-41–AEAPTMS for efficient removal of hazardous Cr(vi) ions from aqueous solution.
A luminescent Cd(ii) coordination polymer as a multi-responsive fluorescent sensor for Zn2+, Fe3+ and Cr2O72− in water with fluorescence enhancement or quenching
Authors: Liu Liangjuan , Ran Yungen , Du Jianlong , Wang Zhichao , Liu Mei , Mu Yajuan
Published: March 2021

A luminescent Cd(ii) coordination polymer can act as a multi-responsive sensor for efficiently detecting Zn2+, Fe3+ and Cr2O72− ions.
Reversible metamorphosis from Fe3O4 to FeO of epitaxial iron oxide films grown on the Fe-p(1 × 1)O surface
Authors: Capra M. , Lodesani A. , Brambilla A. , Finazzi M. , Duò L. , Ciccacci F. , Picone A.
Published: March 2021

The reduction and oxidation of epitaxial Fe3O4 films grown by reactive deposition on a Fe-p(1 × 1)O surface have been investigated by means of surface science techniques.
Enhanced electrical and thermal properties of semi-conductive PANI-CNCs with surface modified CNCs
Authors: Chen Po-Yun , Hsu Chieh , Venkatesan Manikandan , Tseng Yen-Lin , Cho Chia-Jung , Han Su-Ting , Zhou Ye , Chiang Wei-Hung , Kuo Chi-Ching
Published: March 2021

Biodegradable surface-modified CNCs were synthesized found high dispersibility and flexibility. Polyaniline-doped CNCs nanocomposites were exhibited high conductivity and thermal stability that may be promising for flexible semiconductors.
Enhanced blue emission from CsPb(Br/Cl)3 perovskite nanocrystals by localized surface plasmon resonance of Au nanoparticles
Authors: Bao Liang , Liu Wenqiang , Chen Yonghua , Zhang Yanbo , Zhang Yang
Published: March 2021

The local surface plasmon resonance effect induced by metal nanoparticles on perovskites provides a powerful approach to enhance the photoluminescence of such all-inorganic systems.
A substantial increase of analytical throughput in capillary electrophoresis throughput by separation-interrupted sequential injections
Authors: Li Hongliang , Guo Chao , Zhang Qianchun , Bao Linchun , Zheng Qingfeng , Guo Zhenpeng , Chen Yi
Published: March 2021

We proposed an idea of separation-interrupted sequential injections (Sisi) to substantially increase the throughput of CE together with theory and experimental demonstration. The separation time of Sisi-CE-C4D/C4D is only 21% of that of normal CE.
Mechanisms of allosteric and mixed mode aromatase inhibitors
Authors: Souza Samson A. , Held Abby , Lu Wenjie J. , Drouhard Brendan , Avila Bryant , Leyva-Montes Raul , Hu Michelle , Miller Bill R. , Ng Ho Leung
Published: March 2021

Identification of multiple ligand binding sites in aromatase.
Advances in transition metal-free deborylative transformations of gem-diborylalkanes
Authors: Jo Woohyun , Lee Jun Hee , Cho Seung Hwan
Published: March 2021

This article highlights recent advances on the base-promoted deborylative carbon–carbon and carbon–boron bond-forming reactions using gem-diborylalkanes as the sources of α-borylcabanions.
Ultrafast photoinduced dynamics in Prussian blue analogues
Authors: Barlow Kyle , Johansson J. Olof
Published: March 2021

A review on ultrafast photoinduced processes in molecule-based magnets with an emphasis on Prussian blue analogues.
How neutral nitrogen-containing compounds are oxidized in oxidative-denitrogenation of liquid fuel with TiO2@carbon
Authors: Bhadra Biswa Nath , Baek Yong Su , Choi Cheol Ho , Jhung Sung Hwa
Published: March 2021

In oxidative denitrogenation of neutral nitrogen-containing compounds, it was found that oxygen firstly attacks the nitrogen atom, via electrophilic addition of an active oxygen atom; and oxygen on nitrogen moves to the nearby carbon atom because of the relative stability of the intermediates and products.
Isotopic 18O/16O substitution study on the direct partial oxidation of CH4 to dimethyl ether over a Pt/Y2O3 catalyst using NO/O2 as an oxidant
Authors: Ghampson I. Tyrone , Lundin Sean-Thomas B. , Shishido Tetsuya , Oyama S. Ted
Published: March 2021

Dimethyl ether (DME) is produced by partial oxidation of CH4 with NO/O2 on Pt/Y2O3. Isotopic oxygen (18O2) is used to confirm molecular O2 as the ultimate oxidant and a kinetic isotope effect for 18O/16O is observed.
Laser ablation split stream for in situ sulfur isotope and elemental analysis
Authors: Oelze Marcus , Frick Daniel A. , Gleeson Sarah A.
Published: March 2021

In situ sulfur (S) isotope ratios and trace element chemistry were simultaneously determined in a wide selection of different (natural) sulfides and sulfates using femtosecond laser ablation split stream (fsLASS) inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
Correction: Liquid marble-based digital microfluidics – fundamentals and applications
Authors: Ooi Chin Hong , Vadivelu Raja , Jin Jing , Sreejith Kamalalayam Rajan , Singha Pradip , Nguyen Nhat-Khuong , Nguyen Nam-Trung
Published: March 2021

Correction for ‘Liquid marble-based digital microfluidics – fundamentals and applications’ by Chin Hong Ooi et al., Lab Chip, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01290d.
Incorporation of porous protective layers as a strategy to improve mechanical stability of Tamm plasmon based detectors
Authors: Morrone Josefina , Ramallo Juan Ignacio , Lionello Diego F. , Zelcer Andrés , Auguié Baptiste , Angelomé Paula C. , Fuertes M. Cecilia
Published: March 2021

A strategy to protect Tamm plasmon optical detectors from mechanical stress and handling by adding a sol–gel porous oxide overlayer is demonstrated. The sensing properties of the protected devices are also shown.
Lanthanide-based bis-(3,5-dicarboxy-phenyl)terephthalamide metal–organic frameworks: slow relaxation of magnetization and detection of trace Fe2+ and Fe3+
Authors: Lin Qingfang , Xie Wen , Zong Zhihui , Liu Zicheng , Sun Yuqing , Liang Lili
Published: March 2021

{[Dy2(BDPT)1.5(DMF)4]·H2O}n (1) and [Sm2(BDPT)1.5(DMF)4]n (2) were prepared with highly sensitive fluorescent detection of trace Fe2+ and Fe3+. 1 exhibits weak antiferromagnetic interactions with signature of SMM behavior.
Gold-catalyzed synthesis of 1H-isochromene-4-carbaldehydes via oxidative cascade cyclization
Authors: Emmaniel Raju Chittala , Kadiyala Veerabhushanam , Sreenivasulu Gottam , Kumar Perla Bharath , Sridhar Balasubramanian , Karunakar Galla V.
Published: March 2021

An efficient gold-catalyzed formation of indenylidene-derived 1H-isochromene-4-carbaldehydes from substituted 1,5,10-triyne-O-silanes was developed via selective oxidation, 1,2-migration, nucleophilic addition and regioselective 5-endo-dig cyclization.
RAFT dispersion polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide in a series of n-alkanes using a thermoresponsive poly(tert-octyl acrylamide) steric stabilizer
Authors: Gibson R. R. , Fernyhough A. , Musa O. M. , Armes S. P.
Published: March 2021

Poly(tert-octyl acrylamide)-poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) nanoparticles are prepared by RAFT dispersion polymerization at 70 °C in various n-alkanes. Thermoreversible flocculation occurs in higher n-alkanes on cooling to 20 °C.
Controllable regio- and stereo-selective coupling reactions of homoallenylboronates
Authors: Yang Chao , Dai Dong-Ting , Lu Huan-Xuan , Zhang Feng-Lian , Fu Yao , Xu Yun-He
Published: March 2021

Unprecedented palladium-catalysed regio- and stereo-selective coupling reactions of homoallenylboronates with (hetero)aryl iodides, allyl bromides and alkynyl bromides in aqueous solution were successfully developed.
Peripherical thioester functionalization induces J-aggregation in bithiophene-DPP films and nanoparticles
Authors: Punzi Angela , Blasi Davide , Operamolla Alessandra , Comparelli Roberto , Palazzo Gerardo , Farinola Gianluca M.
Published: March 2021

The peripherical thioacetylation of a bithiophene-DPP molecule can greatly influence the supramolecular aggregation triggering the formation of NIR emitting J-aggregates both in films and nanoparticles with high colloidal stability.
Synthesis of sub-nanometric Cu2O catalysts for Pd-free C–C coupling reactions
Authors: Agrawal Ankit , Goyal Reena , Abraham B. Moses , Singh Omvir , Tripathi Shailendra , Poddar Mukesh K. , Bal Rajaram , Sarkar Bipul
Published: March 2021

The current template route provides Cu2O nanocrystals with various shapes and depends on the homologues of glucose. These morphology-controlled Cu2O nanocrystals show high activity for the external base-free Ullmann homocoupling of aryl halides.
Mutually exclusive hole and electron transfer coupling in cross stacked acenes
Authors: Benny Alfy , Ramakrishnan Remya , Hariharan Mahesh
Published: March 2021

Acenes in the Greek cross (+) stack orientation exhibit selective hole and electron transfer coupling based on gerade symmetry in frontier molecular orbitals.
Porous nanosheets of Cu3P@N,P co-doped carbon hosted on copper foam as an efficient and ultrastable pH-universal hydrogen evolution electrocatalyst
Authors: Jiang Enjun , Jiang Jianhong , Huang Guo , Pan Zhiyi , Chen Xiyong , Wang Guifang , Ma Shaojian , Zhu Jinliang , Shen Pei Kang
Published: March 2021

Porous nanosheets of Cu3P@N,P co-doped carbon hosted on copper foam (Cu3P@NPC-CF) exhibits excellent HER activity and ultrahigh stability in all pH solutions.
All-polymer solar cells with efficiency approaching 16% enabled using a dithieno[3′,2′:3,4;2′′,3′′:5,6]benzo[1,2-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (fDTBT)-based polymer donor
Authors: Jia Tao , Zhang Jiabin , Zhang Kai , Tang Haoran , Dong Sheng , Tan Ching-Hong , Wang Xiaohui , Huang Fei
Published: March 2021

Dithieno[3′,2′:3,4;2′′,3′′:5,6]benzo[1,2-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (fDTBT)-based polymer donors with tunable energy levels by sulfur/fluorine side-chains are designed and enable high-efficiency all-polymer solar cells with a maximum efficiency of 15.8%.
Konjac glucomannan biopolymer as a multifunctional binder to build a solid permeable interface on Na3V2(PO4)3/C cathodes for high-performance sodium ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Yuyao , Zhu Xiaoying , Kai Dan , Jiang Yinzhu , Yan Qingyu , Chen Baoliang
Published: March 2021

Cathode materials for sodium ion batteries are unstable due to oxidation by electrolyte solution at high voltage. Developing novel solid permeable interfaces as passivation layers is critical to avoid side reactions and increase cycling durability.
Single crystal to single crystal transformation of spin-crossover coordination polymers from 3D frameworks to 2D layers
Authors: Gong Yu , Han Wang-Kang , Lu Hui-Shu , Hu Qing-Tao , Tu Huan , Li Pei-Ni , Yan Xiaodong , Gu Zhi-Guo
Published: March 2021

New Hofmann-type metal–organic frameworks display rare and complete ligand exchange induced single crystal to single crystal transformations from 3D frameworks to 2D layers, accompanied by magnetic properties transition from two-step SCO behavior to hysteretic SCO behavior.
High expression of COL5A2, a member of COL5 family, indicates the poor survival and facilitates cell migration in gastric cancer
Authors: Tan Yuen , Chen Qingchuan , Xing Yao , Zhang Chao , Pan Siwei , An Wen , Xu Huimian
Published: March 2021

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) metastasis determines the prognosis of patients, and exploring the molecular mechanism of GC metastasis is expected to provide a theoretical basis for clinical treatment. Recent studies have shown that extracellular matrix protein is closely related to GC metastasis. The present study aimed to explore the expression profile and role of COL5A2, as an extracellular matrix protein, in GC.

Methods: The expression, overall survival, and progression-free survival data of COL5 family members were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, respectively. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis of the GSE62229 database was performed out to identify modules and associated genes.

Results: COL5A2 was selected as our research target in the TCGA database, and was also verified in the GSE62229 and GSE15459 datasets. COL5A2 was up-regulated in GC tissues by paraffin immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR. The prognosis of patients with low COL5A2 expression was better than that of patients with high COL5A2 expression. Scratch and migration experiments showed that knockdown of COL5A2 decreased the migration ability of gastric cancer cells compared with the control group. In vivo, mice with tail vein injection COL5A2 knockdown had fewer and smaller metastatic nodules in liver. GSEA results showed that the TCGA and GSE62229 samples were significantly enriched in several well-known cancer-related pathways, such as the TGF-β, MAPK, and JAK2 signaling pathways.

Conclusion: COL5A2 was most closely related to advanced GC among COL5 family members. High COL5A2 expression is associated with a poor prognosis, and may be a novel therapeutic target for GC.
A spatial attentive and temporal dilated (SATD) GCN for skeleton‐based action recognition
Authors: Zhang Jiaxu , Ye Gaoxiang , Tu Zhigang , Qin Yongtao , Qin Qianqing , Zhang Jinlu , Liu Jun
Published: March 2021

Current studies have shown that the spatial‐temporal graph convolutional network (ST‐GCN) is effective for skeleton‐based action recognition. However, for the existing ST‐GCN‐based methods, their temporal kernel size is usually fixed over all layers, which makes them cannot fully exploit the temporal dependency between discontinuous frames and different sequence lengths. Besides, most of these methods use average pooling to obtain global graph feature from vertex features, resulting in losing much fine‐grained information for action classification. To address these issues, in this work, the authors propose a novel spatial attentive and temporal dilated graph convolutional network (SATD‐GCN). It contains two important components, that is, a spatial attention pooling module (SAP) and a temporal dilated graph convolution module (TDGC). Specifically, the SAP module can select the human body joints which are beneficial for action recognition by a self‐attention mechanism and alleviates the influence of data redundancy and noise. The TDGC module can effectively extract the temporal features at different time scales, which is useful to improve the temporal perception field and enhance the robustness of the model to different motion speed and sequence length. Importantly, both the SAP module and the TDGC module can be easily integrated into the ST‐GCN‐based models, and significantly improve their performance. Extensive experiments on two large‐scale benchmark datasets, that is, NTU‐RGB + D and Kinetics‐Skeleton, demonstrate that the authors’ method achieves the state‐of‐the‐art performance for skeleton‐based action recognition.
Design and voice‐based control of a nasal endoscopic surgical robot
Authors: He Yucheng , Deng Zhen , Zhang Jianwei
Published: March 2021

In traditional nasal surgery, surgeons are prone to fatigue and jitter by holding the endoscope for a long‐time. Some complex operations require assistant surgeon to assist with holding the endoscope. To address the above problems, the authors design a remote centre of motion based nasal robot, and propose a voice‐based robot control method. First, through the operation space analysis of nasal surgery, the design scheme of the robot based on RCM mechanism is proposed. On this basis, the design parameters of the robot are analysed to complete the entire design of robot. Then, considering that the surgeon's hands are occupied by surgical instruments during complex surgical operations, a voice‐based robot control method is proposed. This method obtains direction instructions from surgeons by analysing the movement of the endoscopic image. Afterward, a commercial speech recognition interface is used to realise the offline grammar controlwords lib compatible with both Chinese and English, and the overall strategy of robot control is proposed. Finally, an experimental platform for virtual robot control is established, and the voice‐based robot control experiment is performed. The results show that the proposed voice‐based control method is feasible, and it provides guidance for the subsequent development and control of the actual robot system.
Robust design and evaluation of phase codes for radar performance optimization with a finite alphabet constraint
Authors: Lu Jianhua , Fan Tao , Yu Xianxiang , Li Yunpeng , Cui Wei , Tang Bin
Published: March 2021

This letter considers the robust design of radar waveform with discrete phase codes under constant modulus constraint to enhance target detectability. To solve the resultant max‐min non‐convex optimization problem, a robust discrete phase coding algorithm via iterative technology (R‐DPCA‐IT) is developed which monotonically improves the worst‐case SNR and has an upper bound ensuring to converge a finite value. At each iteration, the original multidimensional quadratic optimization problem is turned into multiple one‐dimensional optimization problems solved globally via line search. Finally, the computational time and objective value of the proposed algorithm are assessed in comparison with the existing methods.
Corner reflector tag with RCS frequency coding by dielectric resonators
Authors: Alhaj Abbas Ali , El‐Absi Mohammed , Abuelhaija Ashraf , Solbach Klaus , Kaiser Thomas
Published: March 2021

For a novel indoor‐localization system, chipless tags with high retro‐directive radar cross‐section (RCS) under wide‐angle incidence are required as fixed landmarks. Tags based on dielectric resonators (DRs) were proposed to provide identification by resonance frequency coding. To achieve a satisfactory read range for the localization system, the low RCS levels of these tags require a major boost. A solution was found by adopting the metallic corner reflector which is known for high RCS levels over a wide bandwidth and over a wide angle of incidence. The study presents a novel corner reflector design where notches in the RCS spectral signature are created by the attachment of arrays of dielectric resonators to the metallic surfaces of corner reflectors. It is shown that notches appear due to the increased scattering of the resonators at resonance and by the power loss due to grating lobes formed in addition to the specular reflection from the arrays and from the metallic surfaces. Results from electromagnetic simulations are verified by measurements of an example dihedral corner reflector of 100 × 100 mm2 plate size with two arrays of 3 × 3 DRs producing a notch signature at about 7 GHz.
Permutation test and bootstrap methods for unsupervised detection and estimation of behind‐the‐meter photovoltaic generation
Authors: Liu Chao , Shi Jing , Chen Hongkun , Chen Lei , Li Guocheng
Published: March 2021

The penetration of unmonitored behind‐the‐meter photovoltaic systems has increased rapidly over the past decade. While unsupervised methods have been proposed to estimate behind‐the‐meter photovoltaic generation, their performance is significantly affected by hyperparameters. Existing methods for choosing hyperparameters require labelled data, which are unavailable to system operators. In this paper, a data‐driven method is proposed to generate labelled data to optimize the hyperparameters for unsupervised estimation of behind‐the‐meter photovoltaic generation. First, a permutation‐test based method is developed to detect photovoltaic installation in an unsupervised way. Second, consumers without PV are combined with limited monitored photovoltaic sites to simulate the original system through the bootstrap method. The simulated system provides labelled data for hyperparameter optimization. Finally, the near‐optimal hyperparameters are searched on the simulated system and applied to the original system's estimation. Through experiments on a smart meter dataset, the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is verified.
Impact of digital time delay on the stable grid‐hosting capacity of large‐scale centralised PV plant
Authors: Liu Jinhong , Molinas Marta
Published: March 2021

Digital control system has been widely used for the inverters in PV plant. However, the effects of digital time delay of digital control system on grid‐connected PV plants have not been fully studied. Therefore, in view of the stable grid‐hosting capacity is a key parameter in the process of designing and operating of a grid‐connected PV plant, this paper investigates in detail the influence of digital time delay on the stable grid‐hosting capacity of large‐scale centralised PV plant. Considering the practical situation of large‐scale centralised PV plants, the stable grid‐hosting capacity of plant is discussed with the conditions of inverters in PV plant have the same and different digital time delays. The analysis results revealed that stable grid‐hosting capacity is varied with the digital time delay of inverter and the combination of the inverter with different digital time delays. Meanwhile, in order to realize a stable grid‐connected PV plant in particular delay case, a procedure on how to determine the exact inverter number that can be used in a specific PV plant is provided. The theoretical analysis is verified by simulation and equivalent experiment results.
Micro‐hydro generator fed frequency adaptive sliding mode controlled air conditioning system for remote and hilly areas
Authors: Kalla Ujjwal Kumar , Rathore Kuldeep Singh , Bhati Nikhil , Palwalia Dheeraj Kumar , Singh Bhim
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a micro‐hydro generator driven frequency adaptive sliding mode (FASM) control‐based improved power quality permanent magnet brushless DC motor (PMBLDCM) driven air conditioning system for remote and hilly areas. In such locations, the grid availability is poor or limited. The self‐excited asynchronous generator (SEAG) is highly suitable for micro‐hydro power generation. The voltage and frequency regulations of SEAG systems are very poor. Therefore, an improved power quality FASM control of a new zeta function based modified CSC (ZFM‐CSC) converter scheme is developed to drive the micro‐hydro power driven SEAG fed air conditioning system. The conventional air‐conditioning schemes are suitable for the grid fed system, where the frequency and voltage remain constant. However, these conventional control schemes are not suitable for a standalone SEAG based micro‐hydro generator driven air conditioners since the frequency and voltage of this system vary frequently at different loadings and dynamic operating conditions. This leads to an incorrect estimation of reference source current in a conventional system, which in turn affects the system stability. The sudden change of loads in a conventional air conditioning system may de‐magnetize and de‐stabilize the micro‐hydro driven SEAG. The experimental and simulated results presented validate the robustness of this system.
Multi‐objective optimization of photovoltaic/wind/biomass/battery‐based grid‐integrated hybrid renewable energy system
Authors: Pavankumar Yadala , Kollu Ravindra , Debnath Sudipta
Published: March 2021

The variable nature of the renewable energy resources (RES) complicates their modelling, operation, and integration to the grid. Therefore, it is difficult to choose optimal RES with a proper energy storage system (ESS) for the economic and reliable operation of the grid‐integrated hybrid renewable energy system (HRES). There is a need to solve this optimal HRES problem using efficient algorithms due to the high cost and model complexity involved. In this study, optimal photovoltaic, wind, biomass, and battery‐based grid‐integrated HRES is proposed using a multi‐objective artificial cooperative search algorithm (MOACS) to minimise annual life cycle costing and loss of power supply probability. ESS is chosen to provide a backup power supply for at least 30 min during peak load condition. A probabilistic approach is used to consider the time‐varying nature of the RES and load while solving optimal HRES design problem by employing MOACS. A comparative analysis is provided at the end, which shows that MOACS can provide a better optimal design of HRES.
A novel hybrid downsampling and optimized random forest approach for islanding detection and non‐islanding power quality events classification in distributed generation integrated system
Authors: Mishra Sairam , Mallick Ranjan Kumar , Gadanayak Debadatta Amaresh , Nayak Pravati
Published: March 2021

The quality of power in modern‐day power system is polluted with increased penetration of converter‐based distributed generations such as wind farm, solar PV system. In such scenarios detection of islanding and power quality disturbances as well as the removal of these from the system is quite crucial for equipment and maintenance personnel safety. Here, a down‐sampling empirical mode decomposition (DEMD) and optimized random forest (RF) machine learning approach are hybridized to detect islanding conditions with reduced non‐detection zone (NDZ) and classify non‐islanding power quality events in a highly wind energy penetrated distribution generation system. DEMD has a special ability to filter out the fundamental signal from the polluted signal and random forest is quite an unbiased non‐linear machine learning approach. Moreover, an improved grey wolf optimization technique is proposed to optimize the parameter of RF. The proposed technique is simulated in MATLAB/Simulink with IEEE 13‐Bus test grid. The efficacy of the proposed method is evaluated through comparative analysis with existing machine learning techniques under normal and noisy environments as well as validated in narrow NDZ with lesser detection time.
On networked Euler–Lagrangian systems consensus under switching topologies
Authors: Liu Kun , Sha Depeng , Sun Liang , Liu Peijie
Published: March 2021

This paper studies the consensus of multiple Euler–Lagrangian systems with dynamic uncertainties and the challenges to be solved lie on weak interaction, time‐varying interaction and parametric uncertainties. The overlapped problem makes the control protocol of the networked Euler–Lagrangian system hard to analyze and design and to resolve the issue, a novel reference, as well as an adaptive protocol, is proposed. In addition, the concept of integral‐ stability is employed. Under the control of the proposed protocol, networking coupled Euler–Lagrange systems achieve synchronization which means inter‐subsystems state errors converge to zero with a mild assumption of the union of switching topologies containing a directed spanning tree. The numerical simulations verify the effectiveness of the proposed protocol.
Fusion protocol for improving coverage and connectivity WSNs
Authors: Rajawat Anand Singh , Jain Sumit , Barhanpurkar Kanishk
Published: March 2021

The authors proposed a fusion protocol using multilevel clustering (FPMC), which is completely dependent on the increased coverage and wireless sensor network (WSN) reliability‐clustering framework to eliminate duplication. Therefore, a static sensor for a point of interest is allocated where possible so that the particular area can be protected. Furthermore, FPMC ensures that only one sensor node is allocated to cover a specific point of interest. The network coverage, energy usage, mean movement of WSNs nodes and sensor nodes are active in each loop due to which efficiency of the proposed protocol was assessed under various densities, and its performance was also analysed. Evaluations have shown that with restricted active nodes and sensor nodes, the FPMC can increase the networking coverage. The FPMC should be stressed as reducing the overlap level. The proposed protocol is based on the fusion protocol using multi‐level clustering for improving coverage and connectivity WSNs.