bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practice of Traditional Uvulectomy and Associated Factors Among Mothers of Under Five Years Children in Sokoto State, Nigeria.
Authors: A Adamu , K.J. Awosan , U.M. Ango , M.T. Umar , M.M. Bello , M. Ali , K.O. Isezuo , F.B. Jiya , B.I Garba
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Traditional uvulectomy (TU) is one of the common negative cultural practices in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern Nigeria. The procedure persists in developing countries probably due to low socio-economic status and non-formal level of education. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, reasons, complications and factors associated with the practice of traditional uvulectomy among mothers of under five-year children (0-59 months) in Sokoto state, Nigeria. Methods: A community based cross sectional study that was conducted in Sokoto st State, Nigeria on 320 mothers with their under-five year children from 1 January st to 31 March 2021. The study participants were selected using multi stage sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information and throat examination was done for the children to confirm the practice of TU. Data was analysed using IBM SPSS version 22. The level of significance for Chi square was set at a p value of < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of TU is 59.1% among children under five years of age. The major reason for the practice of TU in most 93(29.1%) of the respondents for their U5 was because of tradition. The main complication after TU was fever 24(35.2%), followed by bleeding 18(26.5%). The respondent's educational status (p = 0.004) and occupation (p = 0.001) were associated with the practice of TU. Conclusion: Practice of traditional uvulectomy is high and is odue to traditional beliefs. Fever was the most common complication, educational status and occupation were associated with the practice.
A Comparative Study of Serum Cystatin C, Serum Electrolytes, Urea and Creatinine in Early Detection of Kidney Injuries in Albino Rats Exposed to Formaldehyde
Authors:   Deparment of medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University,  Uli., Olisah Michael Chinedu , Meludu Samuel C. ,   Department of Human Biochemistry, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus.
Published: October 2021

Aim: To ascertain early detection of possible kidney injuries in albino rats exposed to formaldehyde by assessing cystatin C, serum electrolytes, urea and creatinine. Materials/Methods: Thirty healthy adult male albino rats, weighing between 100 to 120 grams were randomly divided into three groups A, B and C. Group A served as control. Group B was exposed to low dose (100ppm of Formaldehyde), 3 hrs per day for four weeks, while group C was exposed to high Dose-200ppm of formaldehyde 3 hrs per day for four weeks. At the end of the exposure period, the rats were sacrificed by decapitation under chloroform anesthesia, and 4 ml of blood samples was collected from each rat into a plain bottle. The whole blood was allowed to clot, retracted and centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes and serum separated. The serum was stored at -20˚C until analyses for serum electrolytes, creatinine and cystatin C. Serum electrolytes were determined using Ion selective electrode, urea and creatinine were determined using spectrophotometric methods while cystatin C was analyzed using Eliza. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS. Results: The concentrations of the serum electrolytes, sodium. Potassium, bicarbonate and chloride were compared across the three group, they were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Urea was significantly higher in group C when compared with low dose B and control group A (P<0.05). Also, when the low dose group B was compared with the high dose group C, it was statistically significant. Creatinine concentrations were significantly higher in group C when compared with the control group A, while group B was not significant when compared with group A. Finally, the cystatin C concentrations were also significant when groups B, C were compared with the control group. Conclusion: Formaldehyde exposures may induce a gradual deterioration of renal functions in chronically exposed albino rats. Serum electrolytes, urea and creatinine may not be sufficient to indicate an early signs of kidney damage. From the study, serum cystatin C may be a better marker of renal impairment in early stages.
Coverage and Utilization of Janani Suraksha Yojana Scheme Services in Urban Poor Locality, Bengaluru
Authors: Manchegowda Ramya , Hulugappa Lakshmi , Hanumanthaiah Ashwath N Doddabele
Published: October 2021

Background: Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) was launched on 12th April 2005, with the aim of reducing maternal and neo-natal mortality by promoting institutional delivery among the poor pregnant women. Hence this study was undertaken to describe socio-demographic profile of study subjects and to assess coverage of Janani Suraksha Yojana in the study area.

Subjects & Methods: This is a cross sectional study done in 8 urban poor locality of UHTC, KIMS, Bangalore. A total of 2540 women were surveyed, using probability proportional to population size and among them 391 were the lactating women. Data was collected using a pretested semi structured proforma from women including pregnant or lactating mothers. Information was obtained regarding problems/hurdles faced by the women in accessing JSY benefits. Data was analyzed using descriptive & inferential statistics.

Results: Around 31% of women received JSY incentives. Among those who did not receive JSY incentives, 49 % of women were not aware of the reason for not getting incentives and 39% said fund was not released from the government.

Conclusion:Coverage of JSY scheme was very low in the area. A sustained and focused IEC campaign has to be conducted among urban poor to improve the awareness.
Seed Germination and Seedling Growth Responses to Different Sources and Application Rates of Hydrothermal Carbonization Processed Liquid
Authors: He Yuhang , He Quan , Pruski Kris , Acharya Bishnu , Abbey Lord
Published: October 2021

Hydrothermal carbonization processed liquid (HTCPL) is a by-product of hydrothermal carbonization of biomass, which is used sparingly as natural fertilizer. A study was performed in the Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University (Canada) between June 2019 and April 2020 to evaluate the elemental composition of HTCPL derived from three different biomass feedstock; namely, seafood compost; buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), and willow (Salix babylonica). Different HTCPL application rates (0-10%) were tested on seed germination and seedling growth of pea (Pisum sativum), sunflower (Helianthus annuus), pac choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis), kale (Brassica oleracea var. sabellica) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Elemental composition was higher in the HTCPLs compared to their respective feedstocks except for nitrogen. The 5% and 10% willow HTCPL with a pH between 3.8-4.0 inhibited seed germination and seedling growth compared to the other treatments with a pH range between 4.6-5.8. Kale, lettuce and sunflower radicle and hypocotyl growth were promoted following treatments of their respective seeds with seafood compost HTCPL while pea radicle and hypocotyl lengths were best promoted by 5% buckwheat and 10% seafood compost HTCPLs. Comparatively, 0.5% willow HTCPL increased surface area of seedling radicles while 1% willow and 0.5% buckwheat HTCPLs increased surface area of hypocotyls, irrespective of plant species. The distinction among the treatments was demonstrated on a 2-dimensional principal component analysis biplot that explained 89% of the variations in dataset. Overall, buckwheat HTCPL proved to be more effective at increasing seed germination and seedling growth compared to the other HTCPLs. The inhibitory effect of willow HTCPL at high application rate (5-10%) were obvious for all plant species. A comprehensive non-targeted chemical profile of HTCPL will help to explain mechanisms.
Reuse of polyester-glass laminate waste in polymer composites
Authors: Chomiak M.
Published: October 2021

Purpose: of this paper is to develop a new generation of polymer composite materials that
would ensure the use of residual and serious environmental problems of polyester-glass
laminate waste.
Design/methodology/approach: The glass reinforced polyester waste was ground and
added to produce new composites. Thermoplastic - high impact polystyrene was selected
for the composite matrix. Composites containing 10, 20, 30% by weight of the filler of
polyester-glass laminate powder were made. The process of extrusion and subsequent
injection was used to prepare the test samples. The influence of the filler on selected
properties of composites was evaluated. The physical properties of the filler as well as the
processing properties of the mixture as well as the mechanical properties - impact strength
and tensile strength of the obtained composites were investigated.
Findings: A decrease in tensile strength and impact strength was observed along with an
increase in the amount of filler.
Research limitations/implications: It would be interesting to carry out further
analyzes, in particular with a higher volume fraction of the filler or with a different composite
structure, e.g. using PVC as a matrix. The developed research topic is a good material for
the preparation of publications of a practical and scientific nature, especially useful in the
research and industrial environment.
Practical implications: The shredded glass-polyester waste can be used as a filler of
polystyrene, however, the resulting composite could be used to produce parts with slightly
less responsible functions such as artificial jewelery or toy elements.
Originality/value: Obtained results are a new solution a global waste management solution
for glass reinforced polyester waste, which may contribute to the sustainable development
of the composite materials industry through the partial utilization of waste composites with
a duroplastic matrix.
Occupational Violence and Its Association with the Quality of Working Life of Nurses in Intensive Care Units of Educational-Medical Centers in 2019
Authors: Charati Fahimeh Ghasemi , Esmaeili Ravanbakhsh , Mousavi Nasab Noraddin , Jafari Hedayat
Published: October 2021

Background: Violence is a critical phenomenon in clinical settings, which negatively affects the nurses’ quality of working life (QoWL). Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine occupational violence and its association with nurses’ QoWL in intensive care units. Methods: This was a descriptive, analytical, correlational study, the participants of which were 220 nurses working in the intensive care units of Mazandaran educational-medical centers. The participants were selected by using the stratified random sampling method in 2019. Data collection instruments were three questionnaires, namely Dumont Occupational Violence, Walton QoWL, and Demographic Information. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 24, and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Overall, 63.2% of the participants rated their QoWL as average, and 68.3% of the nurses stated that they had experienced violent behaviors from their nursing colleagues. Also, people with higher incomes had significantly higher QoWL (P = 0.003). In general, there was a significant negative correlation between occupational violence and QoWL (P = 0.01, r = -0.173). Conclusions: By taking into account the various aspects of QoWL, nurse managers should adopt effective strategies to create favorable working conditions to improve the QoWL of nurses and reduce the incidence of violent behaviors.
Successful Treatment of Severely Hypotensive Pediatric Patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) with the Guidance of Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring: A Report of Three Cases
Authors: Saeed Amir , Mehdizadegan Nima
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Since the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, it was assumed that infection rate in pediatric patients is lower than in adults and that infection is less severe in children than adult patients. Recently, there have been several reports and case series presenting critically-ill children with COVID-19, but still, severe hypotension is rare in pediatric patients with COVID-19. Case Presentation: We describe three pediatric cases with COVID-19 who presented with multi-system organ failure and severe hypotension treated with the guidance of the parameters of an invasive continuous hemodynamic monitoring device. We also compare their parameters with few articles on pediatric sepsis parameters. Conclusions: Although we usually start the treatment of hypotensive pediatric patients with hydration and epinephrine as an inotrope, in our cases, we required a different treatment plan according to the hemodynamic monitoring parameters, which indicates the value of the utilization of these devices in pediatric intensive care units
ŠTA JE ZAPRAVO KREATIVNOST?
Authors: Marinkovic Nelá́
Published: October 2021

U junu 2020. godine je objavljena knjiga pod nazivom „Šta je zapravo kreativnost?“, autorke doc. dr Milice Drobac Pavićević, u saizdavaštvu Impri- matur d.o.o. i Filozofskog fakulteta Univerziteta u Banjoj Luci, a koja za cilj ima da podigne svijest o psihološkim fenomenima koji se veoma često koriste u svakodnevnom govoru – stvaralaštvo i kreativnost iako je njihova upotreba praćena nerazumijevanjem njihovih suštinskih odrednica. Edukativnim, filo- zofskim, istorijskim, naučnim i psihološkim pristupom autorka nas poziva na preispitivanje onoga što poznajemo uz vođenje do određenih spoznaja i činje- nica.
IN MEMORIAM
Authors: Drljac Miroslav D.̌a
Published: October 2021

Petog oktobra, na Dan učitelja, napustio nas је Milan Matijević, profesor emeritus, redovni profesor na Učiteljskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. Učitelj i pedagog.
The Impact of Inter-City Traffic Restriction on COVID-19 Transmission from Spatial Econometric Perspective
Authors: Lu Xijin , Ma Changxi
Published: October 2021

The aim of this paper is to conduct a spatial correlation study of virus transmission in the Hubei province, China. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases released by the National Health and Construction Commission, the traffic flow data provided by Baidu migration, and the current situation of Wuhan intercity traffic were collected. The Moran’s I test shows that there is a positive spatial correlation between the 17 cities in the Hubei province. The result of Moran’s I test also shows that four different policies to restrict inter-city traffic can be issued for the four types of cities. The ordinary least squares regression, spatial lag model, spatial error model, and spatial lag error model were built. Based on the analysis of the spatial lag error model, whose goodness of fit is the highest among the four models, it can be concluded that the speed of COVID-19 spread within a certain region is not only related to the current infection itself but also associated with the scale of the infection in the surrounding area. Thus, the spill-over effect of the COVID-19 is also presented. This paper bridges inter-city traffic and spatial economics, provides a theoretical contribution, and verifies the necessity of a lockdown from an empirical point of view.
Vehicle Lane-Changes Trajectory Prediction Model Considering External Parameters
Authors: Li Xuchuan , Fan Lingkun , Chen Tao , Guo Shuaicong
Published: October 2021

The ability to predict the motion of vehicles is essential for autonomous vehicles. Aiming at the problem that existing models cannot make full use of the external parameters including the outline of vehicles and the lane, we proposed a model to use the external parameters thoroughly when predicting the trajectory in the straight-line and non-free flow state. Meanwhile, dynamic sensitive area is proposed to filter out inconsequential surrounding vehicles. The historical trajectory of the vehicles and their external parameters are used as inputs. A shared Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) cell is proposed to encode the explicit states obtained by mapping historical trajectory and external parameters. The hidden states of vehicles obtained from the last step are used to extract latent driving intent. Then, a convolution layer is designed to fuse hidden states to feed into the next prediction circle and a decoder is used to decode the hidden states of the vehicles to predict trajectory. The experiment result shows that the dynamic sensitive area can shorten the training time to 75.86% of the state-of-the-art work. Compared with other models, the accuracy of our model is improved by 23.7%. Meanwhile, the model's ability of anti-interference of external parameters is also improved.
Evolutionary transcriptomics implicates new genes and pathways in human pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Mika Katelyn , Marinić Mirna , Singh Manvendra , Muter Joanne , Brosens Jan Joris , Lynch Vincent J
Published: October 2021

Evolutionary changes in the anatomy and physiology of the female reproductive system underlie the origins and diversification of pregnancy in Eutherian (‘placental’) mammals. This developmental and evolutionary history constrains normal physiological functions and biases the ways in which dysfunction contributes to reproductive trait diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Here, we show that gene expression changes in the human endometrium during pregnancy are associated with the evolution of human-specific traits and pathologies of pregnancy. We found that hundreds of genes gained or lost endometrial expression in the human lineage. Among these are genes that may contribute to human-specific maternal–fetal communication (HTR2B) and maternal–fetal immunotolerance (PDCD1LG2) systems, as well as vascular remodeling and deep placental invasion (CORIN). These data suggest that explicit evolutionary studies of anatomical systems complement traditional methods for characterizing the genetic architecture of disease. We also anticipate our results will advance the emerging synthesis of evolution and medicine (‘evolutionary medicine’) and be a starting point for more sophisticated studies of the maternal–fetal interface. Furthermore, the gene expression changes we identified may contribute to the development of diagnostics and interventions for adverse pregnancy outcomes.
O USO DE VLOGUEIROS NO ENDOSSO DE MARCAS
Authors: Cardoso Moisés , Prado Junior Tarcis , Iacomini Junior Franco , De Souza Michelle Alves
Published: October 2021

O endosso por celebridade é uma ferramenta importante do marketing e, usada da forma correta, pode influenciar o consumidor, aumentando a visibilidade da marca e até os seus lucros. O presente artigo tem como objetivo analisar a atitude da audiência de um vlogueiro diante da estratégia de endosso de celebridade em programas de intercâmbio. Utilizou-se o método de pesquisa quantitativa e as teorias de Lu, Chang e Chang (2014), com levantamento de entrevistas entre o público de 150 mil inscritos em um canal do YouTube. O instrumento de coleta de dados abordou cinco dimensões relacionadas ao tema: expertise do produto, conhecimento de marca, atitude através do endosso por celebridade, intenção de compra e credibilidade. Os resultados apontaram que o público está mais conectado à uma imagem de um influenciador do que à uma marca endossada.
MODOS DE ORGANIZAÇÃO E ACESSO À INFORMAÇÃO EM PERIÓDICOS ELETRÔNICOS DE CIÊNCIA DA INFORMAÇÃO NO BRASIL
Authors: Pereira Felipe Caldonazzo de Almeida , Rodrigues Maria Rosemary , Cervantes Brígida Maria Nogueira
Published: October 2021

Uma nova forma de comunicação científica se iniciou com o surgimento dos periódicos científicos, tais como Journal des Sçavans e Philosophical Transactions. Com o advento da internet e do periódico científico eletrônico, aumentou-se o número de periódicos científicos e publicações, acarretando uma maior preocupação com o tratamento da informação. Este estudo teve como objetivo a análise das formas de organização da informação nos websites dos periódicos científicos eletrônicos na área da Ciência da Informação brasileira, com ênfase na recuperação e acesso à informação. A metodologia foi a pesquisa descritiva, com levantamento bibliográfico e documental, com coleta de dados nas páginas dos websites dos periódicos científicos eletrônicos classificados no Qualis A1 e A2. O resultado alcançado foi de que 83% dos periódicos analisados utilizam softwares livre para editoração científica, 33% dos periódicos apresentam um índice de termos e o uso de tesauro para a seleção destes termos. Concluiu-se que os periódicos científicos podem explorar mais todos os recursos disponíveis para a organização, recuperação e o acesso à informação do conteúdo publicado.
LEITURA LITERÁRIA PARA CRIANÇAS
Authors: Rodrigues Carlos Alberto , Caldin Clarice Fortkamp , Jacintho Eliana Maria dos Santos Bahia
Published: October 2021

O presente estudo tem como objetivo refletir sobre a responsabilidade social do profissional da informação bibliotecário no fomento e disseminação da leitura literária para crianças em bibliotecas escolares no Brasil. Problema de pesquisa: como a leitura literária para crianças se vincula à responsabilidade social e competência profissional do bibliotecário no Brasil? Aborda o papel da leitura literária para crianças no desenvolvimento humano individual e social. Reforça a leitura literária para crianças como campo de atuação do bibliotecário contemporâneo. Evidencia a necessidade do desenvolvimento de variados perfis de competência do bibliotecário para que possa atuar nos múltiplos contextos das bibliotecas escolares brasileiras. Caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa de natureza qualitativa, exploratória e bibliográfica que posiciona a leitura literária para crianças no escopo de competência do bibliotecário que atua em bibliotecas escolares, sob a égide da responsabilidade social enquanto demanda do mercado de trabalho na sociedade contemporânea. Conclui que o bibliotecário possui a responsabilidade social de comprometer-se com a difusão da leitura literária para a infância, seja atuando em bibliotecas escolares, seja contribuindo com a produção científica brasileira em Ciência da Informação.
Isoform‐specific effects of transcription factor TCFL5 on the pluripotency‐related genes SOX2 and KLF4 in colorectal cancer development
Authors: Galán‐Martínez Javier , Stamatakis Konstantinos , Sánchez‐Gómez Inés , Vázquez‐Cuesta Silvia , Gironés Núria , Fresno Manuel
Published: October 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a very common life‐threatening malignancy. Transcription factor‐like 5 (TCFL5) has been suggested to be involved in CRC. Here, we describe the expression of four alternative transcripts of TCFL5 and their relevance in CRC. Complete deletion of all isoforms drastically decreased pro‐tumoural properties such as spheroids formation and in vivo tumour growth, although increased migration in CRC cell lines. Overexpression of the two main isoforms, TCFL5_E8 and CHA, had opposite effects: TCFL5_E8 reduced proliferation and spheroids formation, while CHA increased them. TCFL5_E8 reduced in vivo tumour formation, while CHA had no effect. In addition, TCFL5_E8 and CHA have different roles in the regulation of the pluripotency‐related genes SOX2 and KLF4. Both isoforms bind directly to their promoters; however, TCFL5_E8 induced SOX2 and reduced KLF4 mRNA levels, whereas CHA did the opposite. Together, our results show that TCFL5 plays an important role in the development of CRC, being however isoform‐specific. This work also points to the need to analyse separately TCFL5 isoforms in cancer, due to their different and opposite functions.
Association Between Inflammation, Incident Heart Failure, and Heart Failure Subtypes in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Huang Sicong , Cai Tianrun , Weber Brittany N. , He Zeling , Dahal Kumar P. , Hong Chuan , Hou Jue , Seyok Thany , Cagan Andrew , DiCarli Marcelo F. , Joseph Jacob , Kim Seoyoung C. , Solomon Daniel H. , Cai Tianxi , Liao Katherine P.
Published: October 2021

Objective

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), there are limited data on risk factors for the clinical heart failure (HF) subtypes of HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). This study examined the association between inflammation and incident HF subtypes in RA. Because inflammation changes over time with disease activity, we hypothesized that the effect of inflammation may be stronger at the 5‐year follow‐up than at the standard 10‐year follow‐up from general population studies of cardiovascular risk.

Methods

We studied an electronic health record (EHR)–based RA cohort with data pre‐ and post‐RA incidence. We applied a validated approach to identify HF and extract ejection fraction to classify HFrEF and HFpEF. Follow‐up started from the RA incidence date (index date) to the earliest occurrence of incident HF, death, last EHR encounter, or 10 years. Baseline inflammation was assessed using erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C‐reactive protein values. Covariates included demographic characteristics, established HF risk factors, and RA‐related factors. We tested the association between baseline inflammation with incident HF and its subtypes using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

We studied 9,087 patients with RA; 8.2% developed HF during 10 years of follow‐up. Elevated inflammation was associated with increased risk for HF at both 5‐ and 10‐year follow‐ups (hazard ratio [HR] 1.66, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.12–2.46 and HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.13–1.90, respectively), which is also seen for HFpEF at 5 years (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.09–2.70) and 10 years (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.07–1.94). HFrEF was not associated with inflammation for either follow‐up time.

Conclusion

Elevated inflammation early in RA diagnosis was associated with HF; this association was driven by HFpEF and not HFrEF, suggesting a window of opportunity for prevention of HFpEF in RA.
SAMHSA moves toward allowing funds to go to for‐profit OTPs
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: October 2021

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in recent weeks has moved toward allowing private for‐profit opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to access the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant. First, in an Aug. 4 letter, SAMHSA directed states to allow the block grant to be used to help for‐profit OTPs procure methadone vans (see “SAMHSA says SAPT BG can be used to procure methadone vans,” ADAW, Aug. 23; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adaw.33174).
AMA pain task force calls for increasing access to SUD treatment
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: October 2021

Last month, the American Medical Association (AMA) released new recommendations to help end the nation's drug‐related overdose and death epidemic.
SUDs increase risk for breakthrough COVID‐19 infections
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: October 2021

Breakthrough COVID‐19 infections — those that occur even if fully vaccinated — are higher for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) than people without. While the risk even for patients with SUDs for breakthrough infections was low overall, a study published by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Case Western Reserve University last week found that it was relatively higher compared to people without SUDs, mainly when considering marijuana. Using electronic health records of almost 580,000 fully vaccinated people in the United States, the researchers found that the actual risk for breakthrough infections was highest for people with co‐occurring health conditions and adverse socioeconomic determinants of health (lack of adequate housing, for example). These co‐occurring problems are more common in people with SUDs and are primarily responsible for increasing the risk of breakthrough infections, except for cannabis, which, when other factors were controlled for, still added to the risk.
Resolving the Molecular Origin of Mechanical Relaxations in Donor–Acceptor Polymer Semiconductors
Authors: Balar Nrup , Rech Jeromy James , Siddika Salma , Song Runqiao , Schrickx Harry M. , Sheikh Nadeem , Ye Long , Megret Bonilla Anthony , Awartani Omar , Ade Harald , You Wei , O'Connor Brendan T.
Published: October 2021

The thermomechanical behavior of polymer semiconductors plays an important role in the processing, morphology, and stability of organic electronic devices. However, donor–acceptor‐based copolymers exhibit complex thermal relaxation behavior that is not well understood. This study uses dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) to probe thermal relaxations of a systematic set of polymers based around the benzodithiophene (BDT) moiety. The loss tangent curves are resolved by fitting Gaussian functions to assign and distinguish different relaxations. Three prominent transitions are observed that correspond to: i) localized relaxations driven primarily by the side chains (γ ), ii) relaxations along the polymer backbone (β  ), and iii) relaxations associated with aggregates (α  ). The side chains are found to play a clear role in dictating Tγ, and that mixing the side chain chemistry of the monomer to include alkyl and oligo(ethylene glycol) moieties results in splitting the γ ‐relaxation. The β relaxations are shown to be associated with backbone elements along with the monomer. In addition, through processing, it is shown that the α‐relaxation is due to aggregate formation. Finally, it is demonstrated that the thermal relaxation behavior correlates well with the stress–strain behavior of the polymers, including hysteresis and permanent set in cyclically stretched films.
Monolithic Ni‐Mo‐B Bifunctional Electrode for Large Current Water Splitting
Authors: Liu Huixiang , Li Xuanyang , Chen Lulu , Zhu Xiaodong , Dong Pei , Chee Mason Oliver Lam , Ye Mingxin , Guo Yanhui , Shen Jianfeng
Published: October 2021

Screening and developing highly efficient electrodes is key to large‐scale water electrolysis. The practical industrial electrode should fulfill several criteria of high activity, structural stability, and fast bubble evolution at a large current density. In this study, a novel monolithic 3D hollow foam electrode that can achieve the requirements of large current density water electrolysis is developed and fabricated through a simple electroless plating‐calcination strategy. This strong 3D Ni‐Mo‐B hollow foam electrode can withstand a pressure of 2.37 MPa and exhibits high electrochemical surface area, high conductivity, and low gas transfer resistance, drastically boosting its catalytic performance. It affords 50 mA cm–2 at overpotentials of only 68 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction and 293 mV for oxygen evolution reaction and can survive at a large current density of 5 A cm–2 while maintaining its structure and performance in 1.0 m KOH. The advantages of facile preparation, high mechanical strength, high gas mass transfer ability, and excellent performance enable this structure to be a potential electrode, active substrate, or 3D catalyst in many fields.
A Critical Outlook for the Pursuit of Lower Contact Resistance in Organic Transistors
Authors: Borchert James W. , Weitz R. Thomas , Ludwigs Sabine , Klauk Hagen
Published: October 2021

To take full advantage of recent and anticipated improvements in the performance of organic semiconductors employed in organic transistors, the high contact resistance arising at the interfaces between the organic semiconductor and the source and drain contacts must be reduced significantly. To date, only a small portion of the accumulated research on organic thin‐film transistors (TFTs) has reported channel‐width‐normalized contact resistances below 100 Ωcm, well above what is regularly demonstrated in transistors based on inorganic semiconductors. A closer look at these cases and the relevant literature strongly suggests that the most significant factor leading to the lowest contact resistances in organic TFTs so far has been the control of the thin‐film morphology of the organic semiconductor. By contrast, approaches aimed at increasing the charge‐carrier density and/or reducing the intrinsic Schottky barrier height have so far played a relatively minor role in achieving the lowest contact resistances. Herein, the possible explanations for these observations are explored, including the prevalence of Fermi‐level pinning and the difficulties in forming optimized interfaces with organic semiconductors. An overview of the research on these topics is provided, and potential device‐engineering solutions are discussed based on recent advancements in the theoretical and experimental work on both organic and inorganic semiconductors.
Multifunctional Macroassembled Graphene Nanofilms with High Crystallinity
Authors: Peng Li , Han Ying , Wang Meihui , Cao Xiaoxue , Gao Junfeng , Liu Yingjun , Chen Xianjue , Wang Bin , Wang Bo , Zhu Chongyang , Wang Xiao , Cao Ke , Huang Ming , Cunning Benjamin V. , Pang Jintao , Xu Wendao , Ying Yibin , Xu Zhen , Fang Wenzhang , Lu Yang , Ruoff Rodney S. , Gao Chao
Published: October 2021

A “cooling–contraction” method to separate large‐area (up to 4.2 cm in lateral size) graphene oxide (GO)‐assembled films (of nanoscale thickness) from substrates is reported. Heat treatment at 3000 °C of such free‐standing macroscale films yields highly crystalline “macroassembled graphene nanofilms” (nMAGs) with 16–48 nm thickness. These nMAGs present tensile strength of 5.5–11.3 GPa (with ≈3 µm gauge length), electrical conductivity of 1.8–2.1 MS m−1, thermal conductivity of 2027–2820 W m−1 K−1, and carrier relaxation time up to ≈23 ps. As a demonstration application, an nMAG‐based sound‐generator shows a 30 µs response and sound pressure level of 89 dB at 1 W cm−2. A THz metasurface fabricated from nMAG has a light response of 8.2% for 0.159 W mm−2 and can detect down to 0.01 ppm of glucose. The approach provides a straightforward way to form highly crystallized graphene nanofilms from low‐cost GO sheets.
N‐Type Surface Design for p‐Type CZTSSe Thin Film to Attain High Efficiency
Authors: Sun Yali , Qiu Pengfei , Yu Wei , Li Jianjun , Guo Hongling , Wu Li , Luo Hao , Meng Rutao , Zhang Yi , Liu Shengzhong (Frank)
Published: October 2021

As a low‐cost substitute that uses no expensive rare‐earth elements for the high‐efficiency Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 solar cell, the Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cell has borrowed optimization strategies used for its predecessor to improve its device performance, including a profiled band gap and surface inversion. Indeed, there have been few reports of constructing CZTSSe absorber layers with surface inversion to improve efficiency. Here, a strategy that designs the CZTSSe absorber to attain surface modification by using n‐type Ag2ZnSnS4 is demonstrated. It has been discovered that Ag plays two major roles in the kesterite thin film devices: surface inversion and front gradient distribution. It has not only an excellent carrier transport effect and reduced probability of electron‐hole recombination but also results in increased carrier separation by increasing the width of the depletion region, leading to much improved VOC and JSC. Finally, a champion CZTSSe solar cell renders efficiency as high as 12.55%, one of the highest for its type, with the open‐circuit voltage deficit reduced to as low as 0.306 V (63.2% Shockley‐Queisser limit). The band engineering for surface modification of the absorber and high efficiency achieved here shine a new light on the future of the CZTSSe solar cell.
Fe‐Ion Bolted VOPO4∙2H2O as an Aqueous Fe‐Ion Battery Electrode
Authors: Xu Yunkai , Wu Xianyong , Sandstrom Sean K. , Hong Jessica J. , Jiang Heng , Chen Xin , Ji Xiulei
Published: October 2021

Iron ion batteries using Fe2+ as a charge carrier have yet to be widely explored, and they lack high‐performing Fe2+ hosting cathode materials to couple with the iron metal anode. Here, it is demonstrated that VOPO4∙2H2O can reversibly host Fe2+ with a high specific capacity of 100 mAh g−1 and stable cycling performance, where 68% of the initial capacity is retained over 800 cycles. In sharp contrast, VOPO4∙2H2O's capacity of hosting Zn2+ fades precipitously over tens of cycles. VOPO4∙2H2O stores Fe2+ with a unique mechanism, where upon contacting the electrolyte by the VOPO4∙2H2O electrode, Fe2+ ions from the electrolyte get oxidized to Fe3+ ions that are inserted and trapped in the VOPO4∙2H2O structure in an electroless redox reaction. The trapped Fe3+ ions, thus, bolt the layered structure of VOPO4∙2H2O, which prevents it from dissolution into the electrolyte during (de)insertion of Fe2+. The findings offer a new strategy to use a redox‐active ion charge carrier to stabilize the layered electrode materials.
Titanium Nitride and Yttrium Titanate Nanocomposites, Endowed with Renewable Self‐Healing Ability
Authors: Nguyen Son Thanh , Okawa Ayahisa , Iwasawa Hirokazu , Nakayama Tadachika , Hashimoto Hideki , Sekino Tohru , Suematsu Hisayuki , Niihara Koichi
Published: October 2021

The environmental barrier coating (EBC) has been studied to protect the silicon carbide blades of the next‐generation gas turbine engine of aircraft from superheated water vapor. The upper ceramic layer of EBC is brittle, therefore, cracks can occur under the impact of foreign debris and spread toward the lower layers, which leads to the destruction of this structure. Therefore, self‐healing structural ceramics is a promising solution to this problem, but they still have some critical drawbacks. First, a healing agent such as SiC is highly volatile in water vapor. Second, the uniform distribution of the healing agent in the matrix can cause internal stress, which can break the composite. Finally, in most cases, the self‐healing function can only be used once. Here, functionally graded Y2Ti2O7–Y2TiO5–TiN composites are produced by hot pressing and nitriding and then their self‐healing function is demonstrated. The oxidation of TiN to TiO2, associated with volumetric expansion, can heal surface cracks. In addition, the bending strength of the composite can be restored. The self‐healing ability is renewable at least until the second heating cycle. These optimistic results can pave the way for the development of a new class of materials with permanent self‐healing ability.
Flexible and High‐Performance MXene/MnO2 Film Electrodes Fabricated by Inkjet Printing: Toward a New Generation Supercapacitive Application
Authors: Wen Dong , Ying Guobing , Liu Lu , Sun Cheng , Li Yuexia , Zhao Yinlong , Ji Ziying , Wu Yiran , Zhang Jianxin , Zhang Jianfeng , Wang Xiang
Published: October 2021

With the deepening of the commercialization of flexible electronic products, it is urgently needed to develop a handleable solution for the applications of printing high‐performance and wearable energy storage devices. Herein, flexible, low‐cost, and high‐performance MXene/manganese dioxide (MnO2) composite film electrodes are reported to meet this urgent expectation. The MXene‐based composite film electrodes with different MnO2 content are prepared by inkjet printing using MXene/MnO2 ink. Characterization and test results show that there is a synergistic effect between MXene and MnO2, which can effectively achieve faster electron transfer and shorter diffusion path, thus improving the overall electrochemical performance of the composite. The inkjet‐printed MXene/10 wt% MnO2 composite film electrode, with an excellent conductivity of 3400 S m−1, exhibits an ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of 312 F cm−3 and retains 130.8% of the initial capacitance after 5000 charge/discharge cycles. Moreover, the fabricated flexible symmetrical supercapacitor shows a superior areal energy density of 0.51 μWh cm−2 at a power density of 12.5 μW cm−2. Taken together, inkjet printing technology provides a low‐cost, large‐area manufacturing route for different MXene‐based composites, which are expected to promote the development of novel energy storage technologies that exploit the attractions of MXene.
Stretchable Transparent Supercapacitors for Wearable and Implantable Medical Devices
Authors: Su Yi , Li Ning , Wang Lang , Lin Rui , Zheng Yuqiao , Rong Guoguang , Sawan Mohamad
Published: October 2021

Recent advances in wearable bioelectronics have driven various healthcare applications, such as the monitoring, sensing, and treating of various diseases. However, unsustainable batteries and toxic power solutions hinder their use at the skin interface or in vivo. As a promising power solution, supercapacitors have attracted the attention of researchers. However, there are still several drawbacks, such as the transparency, stretchability, biocompatibility, and flexibility of these materials, when these energy reservoirs are used as power supplies for skin‐interfaced electronics. In this work, a novel microfabrication approach for fabricating supercapacitors using anodic aluminum oxide templates is presented. In this work, a large capacitance value of 15.02 mF cm−2, as well as good transparency, stretchability, and biocompatibility are obtained. Thus, it is verified that the proposed supercapacitors are suitable as skin‐interfaced power solutions.
Bioinspired Construction of Artificial Cardiac Muscles Based on Liquid Crystal Elastomer Fibers
Authors: Wang Yunpeng , Liao Wei , Sun Jiahao , Nandi Rajib , Yang Zhongqiang
Published: October 2021

Human muscles, including skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscles, are able to perform diverse deformations and execute complex biofunctions stimulated by nerve signals. Similarly, liquid crystal elastomer (LCE), which can respond to external stimuli with large and reversible deformations, demonstrates superior advantages to mimic nature muscles to fabricate artificial muscles. Till now, LCE has been utilized to simulate deformations and related functions of skeletal and smooth muscles. However, limited by the existing fabrication strategy, employing LCE to mimic the motion of cardiac muscles and further realizing the structure‐determined pumping functions, is still an open challenge. Learning from the specific spatial arrangements and synergistic actuation of cardiac muscle fibers within human heart, a simple and general strategy to construct artificial cardiac muscles with LCE fibers is proposed. In this work, LCE fibers with similar modulus and actuation behavior to muscle fibers are fabricated and spatially arranged in biological architectures as cardiac muscle fibers. As a result, artificial cardiac muscles are constructed and are able to perform simultaneous contraction and torsion motions, realizing heart‐pumping functions. This general strategy should be also applicable for other smart materials to conduct challenging tasks.
Renewable Water Harvesting by Amyloid Aerogels and Sun
Authors: Peydayesh Mohammad , Greber Tiara , Haechler Iwan , Armanious Antonius , Jia Xiangze , Usuelli Mattia , Bagnani Massimo , Mezzenga Raffaele
Published: October 2021

Solar distillation is an appealing and facile technology for seawater desalination and water purification, but constructing stable, environmentally‐friendly, and cost‐effective solar evaporators often remain unfeasible. Here, amyloid hybrid aerogels are introduced for universal and renewable freshwater production by relying on the combination of sustainable materials and solar energy, thus making the process highly ecological and virtually costless. Amyloid fibrils obtained from whey, a byproduct of the dairy industry, are used as the main scaffold for the aerogels, whose solar energy harvesting properties of the top surface are enhanced by bioinspired dark polymers, such as polydopamine. Due to the fast water transport throughout the porous aerogels, the high‐yielding photothermal conversion ability of the top surface, and efficient heat insulation at the bottom, the hybrid amyloid fibrils aerogel exhibits a water evaporation rate of 1.61 kg·m−2 h−1 with a solar‐thermal conversion efficiency as high as 91.3% under 1 sun illumination. The process allows desalinating various seawater sources with different salinities to levels below the drinking water threshold recommended by the World Health Organization. Moreover, the same hybrid amyloid evaporator is highly efficient in removing heavy metals, organic pollutants, bacteria, and viruses from water, introducing a general, sustainable and energy‐efficient solution for desalination and water purification.
Nanoparticle‐Mediated Delivery of Micheliolide Analogs to Eliminate Leukemic Stem Cells in the Bone Marrow
Authors: Ackun‐Farmmer Marian A. , Alwaseem Hanan , Counts Michele , Bortz Andrew , Giovani Simone , Frisch Benjamin J. , Fasan Rudi , Benoit Danielle S. W.
Published: October 2021

Micheliolide (MCL) is a naturally occurring sesquiterpene lactone that selectively targets leukemic stem cells (LSCs), which persist after conventional chemotherapy for myeloid leukemias, leading to disease relapse. To overcome modest MCL cytotoxicity, analogs with ≈two–threefold greater cytotoxicity against LSCs are synthesized via late‐stage chemoenzymatic C─H functionalization. To enhance bone marrow delivery, MCL analogs are entrapped within bone‐targeted polymeric nanoparticles (NPs). Robust drug loading capacities of up to 20% (mg drug mg−1 NP) are obtained, with release dominated by analog hydrophobicity. NPs loaded with a hydrolytically stable analog are tested in a leukemic mouse model. Median survival improved by 13% and bone marrow LSCs are decreased 34‐fold following NPMCL treatments versus controls. Additionally, selective leukemic cell and LSC cytotoxicity of the treatment versus normal hematopoietic cells is observed. Overall, these studies demonstrate that MCL‐based antileukemic agents combined with bone‐targeted NPs offer a promising strategy for eradicating LSCs.
An Embedding 2D/3D Heterostructure Enables High‐Performance FA‐Alloyed Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency over 20%
Authors: Wang Zhen , Lu Yuanlin , Xu Zhenhua , Hu Jinlong , Chen Yijun , Zhang Cuiling , Wang Yousheng , Guo Fei , Mai Yaohua
Published: October 2021

Flexible perovskite solar cells (f‐PSCs) have attracted increasing attention because of their enormous potential for use in consumer electronic devices. The key to achieve high device performance is to deposit pinhole‐free, uniform and defect‐less perovskite films on the rough surface of polymeric substrates. Here, a solvent engineering to tailor the crystal morphology of FA‐alloyed perovskite films prepared by one‐step blade coating is first deployed. It is found that the use of binary solvents DMF:NMP, rather than the conventional DMF:DMSO, enables to deposit dense and uniform FA‐alloyed perovskite films on both the rigid and flexible substrates. As a decisive step, an embedding 2D/3D perovskite heterostructure is in situ formed by incorporating a small amount of 4‐guanidinobutanoic acid (GBA). Accordingly, photovoltage increases up to 100 mV are realized due to the markedly suppressed nonradiative recombination, leading to high efficiencies of 21.45% and 20.16% on the rigid and flexible substrates, respectively. In parallel, improved mechanical robustness of the flexible devices is achieved due to the presence of the embedded 2D phases. The results underpin the importance of morphology control and defect passivation in delivering high‐performance flexible FA‐alloyed flexible perovskite devices.