bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Citizen's Guide to Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Zerilli John , Danaher John , Maclaurin James , Gavaghan Colin , Knott Alistair , Liddicoat Joy , Noorman Merel
Published: February 2021

A concise but informative overview of AI ethics and policy.

Artificial intelligence, or AI for short, has generated a staggering amount of hype in the past several years. Is it the game-changer it's been cracked up to be? If so, how is it changing the game? How is it likely to affect us as customers, tenants, aspiring homeowners, students, educators, patients, clients, prison inmates, members of ethnic and sexual minorities, and voters in liberal democracies? Authored by experts in fields ranging from computer science and law to philosophy and cognitive science, this book offers a concise overview of moral, political, legal and economic implications of AI. It covers the basics of AI's latest permutation, machine learning, and considers issues such as transparency, bias, liability, privacy, and regulation.

Both business and government have integrated algorithmic decision support systems into their daily operations, and the book explores the implications for our lives as citizens. For example, do we take it on faith that a machine knows best in approving a patient's health insurance claim or a defendant's request for bail? What is the potential for manipulation by targeted political ads? How can the processes behind these technically sophisticated tools ever be transparent? The book discusses such issues as statistical definitions of fairness, legal and moral responsibility, the role of humans in machine learning decision systems, “nudging” algorithms and anonymized data, the effect of automation on the workplace, and AI as both regulatory tool and target.
A single-chain and fast-responding light-inducible Cre recombinase as a novel optogenetic switch
Authors: Duplus-Bottin Hélène , Spichty Martin , Triqueneaux Gérard , Place Christophe , Mangeot Philippe Emmanuel , Ohlmann Théophile , Vittoz Franck , Yvert Gaël
Published: February 2021

Optogenetics enables genome manipulations with high spatiotemporal resolution, opening exciting possibilities for fundamental and applied biological research. Here, we report the development of LiCre, a novel light-inducible Cre recombinase. LiCre is made of a single flavin-containing protein comprising the AsLOV2 photoreceptor domain of Avena sativa fused to a Cre variant carrying destabilizing mutations in its N-terminal and C-terminal domains. LiCre can be activated within minutes of illumination with blue light without the need of additional chemicals. When compared to existing photoactivatable Cre recombinases based on two split units, LiCre displayed faster and stronger activation by light as well as a lower residual activity in the dark. LiCre was efficient both in yeast, where it allowed us to control the production of β-carotene with light, and human cells. Given its simplicity and performances, LiCre is particularly suited for fundamental and biomedical research, as well as for controlling industrial bioprocesses.
Molecular basis for functional connectivity between the voltage sensor and the selectivity filter gate in Shaker K+ channels
Authors: Bassetto Carlos AZ , Carvalho-de-Souza João Luis , Bezanilla Francisco
Published: February 2021

In Shaker K+ channels, the S4-S5 linker couples the voltage sensor (VSD) and pore domain (PD). Another coupling mechanism is revealed using two W434F-containing channels: L361R:W434F and L366H:W434F. In L361R:W434F, W434F affects the L361R VSD seen as a shallower charge-voltage (Q-V) curve that crosses the conductance-voltage (G-V) curve. In L366H:W434F, L366H relieves the W434F effect converting a non-conductive channel in a conductive one. We report a chain of residues connecting the VSD (S4) to the selectivity filter (SF) in the PD of an adjacent subunit as the molecular basis for voltage sensor selectivity filter gate (VS-SF) coupling. Single alanine substitutions in this region (L409A, S411A, S412A, or F433A) are enough to disrupt the VS-SF coupling, shown by the absence of Q-V and G-V crossing in L361R:W434F mutant and by the lack of ionic conduction in the L366H:W434F mutant. This residue chain defines a new coupling between the VSD and the PD in voltage-gated channels.
Dissecting phenotypic transitions in metastatic disease via photoconversion-based isolation
Authors: Sela Yogev , Li Jinyang , Kuri Paola , Merrell Allyson J , Li Ning , Lengner Chris , Rompolas Pantelis , Stanger Ben Z
Published: February 2021

Cancer patients often harbor occult metastases, a potential source of relapse that is targetable only through systemic therapy. Studies of this occult fraction have been limited by a lack of tools with which to isolate discrete cells on spatial grounds. We developed PIC-IT, a photoconversion-based isolation technique allowing efficient recovery of cell clusters of any size – including single-metastatic cells – which are largely inaccessible otherwise. In a murine pancreatic cancer model, transcriptional profiling of spontaneously arising microcolonies revealed phenotypic heterogeneity, functionally reduced propensity to proliferate and enrichment for an inflammatory-response phenotype associated with NF-κB/AP-1 signaling. Pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB depleted microcolonies but had no effect on macrometastases, suggesting microcolonies are particularly dependent on this pathway. PIC-IT thus enables systematic investigation of metastatic heterogeneity. Moreover, the technique can be applied to other biological systems in which isolation and characterization of spatially distinct cell populations is not currently feasible.
Exocyst-mediated membrane trafficking of the lissencephaly-associated ECM receptor dystroglycan is required for proper brain compartmentalization
Authors: Yatsenko Andriy S , Kucherenko Mariya M , Xie Yuanbin , Urlaub Henning , Shcherbata Halyna R
Published: February 2021

To assemble a brain, differentiating neurons must make proper connections and establish specialized brain compartments. Abnormal levels of cell adhesion molecules disrupt these processes. Dystroglycan (Dg) is a major non-integrin cell adhesion receptor, deregulation of which is associated with dramatic neuroanatomical defects such as lissencephaly type II or cobblestone brain. The previously establishedDrosophilamodel for cobblestone lissencephaly was used to understand how Dg is regulated in the brain. During development, Dg has a spatiotemporally dynamic expression pattern, fine-tuning of which is crucial for accurate brain assembly. In addition, mass spectrometry analyses identified numerous components associated with Dg in neurons, including several proteins of the exocyst complex. Data show that exocyst-based membrane trafficking of Dg allows its distinct expression pattern, essential for proper brain morphogenesis. Further studies of the Dg neuronal interactome will allow identification of new factors involved in the development of dystroglycanopathies and advance disease diagnostics in humans.
Shape deformation analysis reveals the temporal dynamics of cell-type-specific homeostatic and pathogenic responses to mutant huntingtin
Authors: Megret Lucile , Gris Barbara , Sasidharan Nair Satish , Cevost Jasmin , Wertz Mary , Aaronson Jeff , Rosinski Jim , Vogt Thomas F , Wilkinson Hilary , Heiman Myriam , Neri Christian
Published: February 2021

Loss of cellular homeostasis has been implicated in the etiology of several neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie this loss remain poorly understood on a systems level in each case. Here, using a novel computational approach to integrate dimensional RNA-seq and in vivo neuron survival data, we map the temporal dynamics of homeostatic and pathogenic responses in four striatal cell types of Huntington’s disease (HD) model mice. This map shows that most pathogenic responses are mitigated and most homeostatic responses are decreased over time, suggesting that neuronal death in HD is primarily driven by the loss of homeostatic responses. Moreover, different cell types may lose similar homeostatic processes, for example, endosome biogenesis and mitochondrial quality control in Drd1-expressing neurons and astrocytes. HD relevance is validated by human stem cell, genome-wide association study, and post-mortem brain data. These findings provide a new paradigm and framework for therapeutic discovery in HD and other NDs.
A nuclease- and bisulfite-based strategy captures strand-specific R-loops genome-wide
Authors: Wulfridge Phillip , Sarma Kavitha
Published: February 2021

R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures with essential roles in many nuclear processes. However, their unchecked accumulation is associated with genome instability and is observed in neurodevelopmental diseases and cancers. Genome-wide profiling of R-loops in normal and diseased cells can help identify locations of pathogenic R-loops and advance efforts to attenuate them. We present an antibody-independent R-loop detection strategy, BisMapR, that combines nuclease-based R-loop isolation with non-denaturing bisulfite chemistry to produce genome-wide profiles that retain strand information. BisMapR achieves greater resolution and is faster than existing strand-specific R-loop profiling strategies. In mouse embryonic stem cells, we apply BisMapR to find that gene promoters form R-loops in both directions and uncover a subset of active enhancers that, despite being bidirectionally transcribed, form R-loops exclusively on one strand. BisMapR reveals a previously unnoticed feature of active enhancers and provides a tool to systematically examine their mechanisms in gene expression.
Fat mass prediction equations and reference ranges for Saudi Arabian Children aged 8–12 years using machine technique method
Authors: Alkutbe Rabab B. , Alruban Abdulrahman , Alturki Hmidan , Sattar Anas , Al-Hazzaa Hazzaa , Rees Gail
Published: February 2021

Background

The number of children with obesity has increased in Saudi Arabia, which is a significant public health concern. Early diagnosis of childhood obesity and screening of the prevalence is needed using a simple in situ method. This study aims to generate statistical equations to predict body fat percentage (BF%) for Saudi children by employing machine learning technology and to establish gender and age-specific body fat reference range.

Methods

Data was combined from two cross-sectional studies conducted in Saudi Arabia for 1,292 boys and girls aged 8–12 years. Body fat was measured in both studies using bio-electrical impedance analysis devices. Height and weight were measured and body mass index was calculated and classified according to CDC 2,000 charts. A total of 603 girls and 374 boys were randomly selected for the learning phase, and 153 girls and 93 boys were employed in the validation set. Analyses of different machine learning methods showed that an accurate, sensitive model could be created. Two regression models were trained and fitted with the construction samples and validated. Gradient boosting algorithm was employed to achieve a better estimation and produce the equations, then the root means squared error (RMSE) equation was performed to decrease the error. Body fat reference ranges were derived for children aged 8–12 years.

Results

For the gradient boosting models, the predicted fat percentage values were more aligned with the true value than those in regression models. Gradient boosting achieved better performance than the regression equation as it combined multiple simple models into a single composite model to take advantage of that weak classifier. The developed predictive model archived RMSE of 3.12 for girls and 2.48 boys. BF% and Fat mass index charts were presented in which cut-offs for 5th, 75th and 95th centiles are used to define ‘under-fat’, ‘normal’, ‘overfat’ and ‘subject with obesity’.

Conclusion

Machine learning models could represent a significant advancement for investigators studying adiposity-related issues in children. These models and newly developed centile charts could be useful tools for the estimation and classification of BF%.
Functional analysis of CgWRKY57 from Cymbidium goeringii in ABA response
Authors: Liu Huanhuan , Wang Lianping , Jing Xijun , Chen Yue , Hu Fengrong
Published: February 2021

Background

The orchid is one of the top ten Chinese flowers and has high ornamental value and elegant color. However, orchids are vulnerable to abiotic stresses during their growth and development, and the molecular mechanism of the abiotic stress response in orchids is unclear. WRKY proteins belong to a transcription factor family that plays important roles in biotic stress, abiotic stress, growth and development in plants, but little is known about the WRKY family in Cymbidium goeringii.

Methods

The specific fragment of the CgWRKY57 gene of C. goeringii was analyzed by bioinformatics. The expression of the CgWRKY57 gene of C. goeringii under 4 °C, 42 °C water and ABA stress as well as different tissues was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. CgWRKY57 gene was overexpressed in wild type Arabidopsis thaliana by inflorescence infection method, and the function of transgenic lines under ABA stress was analyzed.

Results

CgWRKY57 was cloned from C. goeringii and found to encode 303 amino acids. The CgWRKY57 protein is an acidic, nonsecreted hydrophilic protein without a signal peptide or transmembrane domain. The CgWRKY57 protein is located to the nucleus and may function intracellularly according to its predicted subcellular localization. A domain analysis and homology comparison showed that the CgWRKY57 protein has a “WRKYGQK” domain and belongs to Group III of the WRKY family, and a phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that CgWRKY57 is closely related to OsWRKY47. CgWRKY57 was expressed in the roots, stems, leaves and floral organs of C. goeringii, and its expression level was highest in the roots according to real-time qPCR analysis. There were significant differences in CgWRKY57 expression under 4 °C, 42 °C ABA and water stress treatments, and its expression changed greatly under ABA stress. The expression of CgWRKY57 in transgenic plants was significantly higher than that in wild type plants under ABA stress, and the root length and germination rate were reduced in transgenic plants compared to wild type plants.

Conclusions

These results indicate that CgWRKY57 overexpression is responsive to ABA stress, and they provide a foundation for future analyses of the biological functions of the WRKY family in C. goeringii.
Evaluation of Effectiveness of COVID-19 Training and Assessment of Anxiety among Nurses of a Tertiary Health Care Centre during the Corona Virus Pandemic- An Experimental Study
Authors: Thakre Sushama Subhash , Jadhao Ashok Rupraoji , Dhoble Manjusha Ashwinkumar , Dass Ruhi , Thakre Subhash Bapuraoji , Somani Abhishekh
Published: February 2021

Introduction: The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is spreading rapidly and has become a source of various challenges and pressure for the healthcare workers specially the nursing staff. As the nurses are exposed to environments with huge amount of physical as well as psychological stress, their anxiety issues have been on the rise. Thus, an elaborate knowledge about the COVID-19 is essential for the staff nurses to manage this situation. Aim: To assess the anxiety levels in nurses and to find out the effectiveness of training provided to the nurses regarding information on COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was conducted in the Department of Community Medicine of a medical college in Central India from 21st May to 30th May 2020. In all, 232 nurses were present during the training, organised to provide the information on COVID-19. Corona virus Anxiety scale (CAS) was used to calculate anxiety score of all the participants. Mean scores of pre-test and post-test were calculated. Significance was found out using Mann-Whitney’s U-test. Results: The mean age (±SD) of the study participants was found to be 38.95 (±4.5) years. The mean pre-test and post-test scores of all the participants were found to be 6.7586 (±3.08SD) and 13.5517 (±3.27 SD) respectively. The difference between the means was observed to be (p-value <0.001). Around 38.3% of the nurses had dysfunctional anxiety (CAS score more than 9), 52.1% were found to be working on the frontline (outpatient departments, wards and laboratory services specifically dedicated to COVID-19). Conclusion: This study was found to be effective in gaining knowledge and practice pertaining to COVID-19 training. This study also revealed the level of anxiety among the nurses during the ongoing pandemic. Thus, a proper counselling of the nurses is required for their mental stability and for an efficient execution of healthcare duties.
Commissioning of a Versa HDTM linear accelerator for three commercial treatment planning systems
Authors: Laub Wolfram U. , Merz Brandon , Kishore Monica
Published: February 2021

In a mixed‐vendor radiation oncology environment, it is advantageous if the department's treatment planning system (TPS) supports the linear accelerators of different vendors. In this publication beam data collection and modeling for the Versa HD linear accelerator in Monaco, Pinnacle, and Eclipse are discussed. In each TPS static field, Intensity‐Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) step and shoot, and Volumetric‐Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) plans for flattened and flattening‐filter free photon beams of all available energies were evaluated for field sizes >3 × 3. To compare passing rates, identical beam model validation plans were calculated in each TPS. Eclipse, Monaco, and Pinnacle beam models passed validation measurements in homogeneous materials for a variety of treatment fields, including static, IMRT, and VMAT. In the case of Eclipse, the “dosimetric leaf gap” parameter was found to be critical for passing rates of VMAT plans. The source size parameter plays an important role as well for small fields. In the case of Pinnacle the multileaf collimator offset table needed to be optimized for better VMAT QA results. Each of the investigated treatment planning systems met the criteria to be used clinically in conjunction with Elekta Versa HD linear accelerators. It can be of great advantage to have the option to operate a TPS and linear accelerator from different vendors, as decisions surrounding linear accelerator or TPS purchases are very complicated and not just limited to technical considerations.
gAChR antibodies in children and adolescents with acquired autoimmune dysautonomia in Japan
Authors: Yamakawa Makoto , Watari Mari , Torii Ken‐Ichi , Kuki Ichiro , Miharu Masashi , Kawazu Momoko , Mukaino Akihiro , Higuchi Osamu , Maeda Yasuhiro , Ikeda Tokunori , Takamatsu Koutaro , Tawara Nozomu , Nakahara Keiichi , Matsuo Hidenori , Ueda Mitsuharu , Takahashi Takao , Nakane Shunya
Published: February 2021

Objective

Patients with acquired autonomic dysfunction may have antibodies specific to the ganglionic nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (gAChR). However, the clinical features of children and adolescents with acquired autonomic dysfunction (AAD) remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the clinical features of pediatric patients with acquired autonomic dysfunction.

Methods

This study retrospectively examined a series of patients of AAD with serum gAChR antibodies who were referred to our laboratory for antibody testing between January 2012 and April 2019. The study included 200 patients (<20 years, 20 cases; ≥20 years, 175 cases) with clinical features of AAD.

Results

Upon comparing pediatric and adult patients, we found that antecedent infection and autonomic symptoms at onset with gastrointestinal symptoms occurred more frequently in children with AAD. We confirmed that four children (20.0%) met the diagnostic criteria for postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). A significantly higher number of children than adults had POTS (P = 0.002). In addition, upper GI dysfunction was more prevalent in children than in adults (P = 0.042). In particular, nausea and vomiting occurred in 60.0% of children with AAD and in 21.1% of adults (P < 0.001). The frequency of paralytic ileus was significantly higher in children with AAD (20.0%) relative to adults (6.3%) (P = 0.030). Regarding extra‐autonomic manifestations, encephalopathy was more frequent in children (15.0%) than in adults (1.1%) (P < 0.001).

Interpretation

Pediatric AAD patients have their own clinical characteristics, and these features may be unique to children and adolescents.
Validation of Self‐Reported Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Medicare Claims: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study of Older Adults
Authors: Booth Michael J. , Clauw Daniel , Janevic Mary R. , Kobayashi Lindsay C. , Piette John D.
Published: February 2021

Objective

To determine the validity of self‐reported physician diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using multiple gold‐standard measures based on Medicare claims in a nationally representative sample of older adults and to verify whether additional questions about taking medication and having seen a physician in the past two years for arthritis can improve the positive predictive value (PPV) and other measures of the validity of self‐reported RA.

Methods

A total of 3768 Medicare‐eligible respondents with and without incident self‐reported RA were identified from the 2004, 2008, and 2012 waves of the United States Health and Retirement Study. Self‐reported RA was validated using the following three claims‐based algorithms:1) a single International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition, Clinical Modification claim for RA,2) two or more claims no greater than 2 years apart, and3) two or more claims with at least one diagnosis by a rheumatologist. Additional self‐report questions of medication use and having seen a doctor for arthritis in the past two years were validated against the same criteria.

Results

A total of 345 respondents self‐reported a physician diagnosis of RA. Across all three RA algorithms, the PPV of self‐report ranged from 0.05 to 0.16., the sensitivity ranged from 0.23 to 0.55., and the κ statistic ranged from 0.07 to 0.15. Additional self‐report data regarding arthritis care improved the PPV and other validity measures of self‐report; however, the values remained low.

Conclusion

Most older adults who self‐report RA do not have a Medicare claims history consistent with that diagnosis. Revisions to current self‐reported RA questions may yield more valid identification of RA in national health surveys.
Ultrathin and Non‐Flammable Dual‐Salt Polymer Electrolyte for High‐Energy‐Density Lithium‐Metal Battery
Authors: Lin Xidong , Yu Jing , Effat Mohammed B. , Zhou Guodong , Robson Matthew J. , Kwok Stephen C. T. , Li Haijun , Zhan Shiying , Shang Yongliang , Ciucci Francesco
Published: February 2021

Rechargeable batteries with Li‐metal anodes and Ni‐rich LiNixMnyCozO2 (x + y + z = 1, NMC) cathodes promise high‐energy‐density storage solutions. However, commercial carbonate‐based electrolytes (CBEs) induce deteriorative interfacial reactions to both Li‐metal and NMC, leading to Li dendrite formation and NMC degradation. Moreover, CBEs are thermally unstable and flammable, demonstrating severe safety risks. In this study, an ultrathin and non‐flammable dual‐salt polymer electrolyte (DSPE) is proposed via lightweight polytetrafluoroethylene scaffold, poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) polymeric matrix, dual‐salt, and adiponitrile/fluoroethylene carbonate functional plasticizers. The as‐obtained DSPE exhibits an ultralow thickness of 20 µm, high room temperature ionic conductivity of 0.45 mS cm−1, and a large electrochemical window (4.91 V versus Li/Li+). The dual‐salt synergized with functional plasticizers is used to fabricate a stable interface layer on both anode and cathode. In‐depth experimental and theoretical analyses have revealed the formation of stable interfaces between the DSPE and the anode/cathodes. As a result, the DSPE effectively prevents Li/DSPE/Li symmetric cell from short‐circuiting after 1200 h, indicating effective suppression of Li dendrites. Moreover, the Li/DSPE/NMC cell delivers outstanding cyclic stability at 2 C, maintaining a high capacity of 112 mAh g−1 over 1000 cycles.
Conductive Cellulose Bio‐Nanosheets Assembled Biostable Hydrogel for Reliable Bioelectronics
Authors: Yan Liwei , Zhou Ting , Han Lu , Zhu Mingyu , Cheng Zhuo , Li Da , Ren Fuzeng , Wang Kefeng , Lu Xiong
Published: February 2021

Biostable electronic materials that can maintain their super mechanical and conductive properties, even when exposed to biofluids, are the fundamental basis for designing reliable bioelectronic devices. Herein, cellulose‐derived conductive 2D bio‐nanosheets as electronic base materials are developed and assembled into a conductive hydrogel with ultra‐high biostability, capable of surviving in harsh physiological environments. The bio‐nanosheets are synthesized by guiding the in situ regeneration of cellulose crystal into a 2D planar structure using the polydopamine‐reduced‐graphene oxide as supporting templates. The nanosheet‐assembled hydrogel exhibits stable electrical and mechanical performances after undergoing aqueous immersion and in vivo implantation. Thus, the hydrogel‐based bioelectronic devices are able to conformally integrate with the human body and stably record electrophysiological signals. Owing to its tissue affinity, the hydrogel further serves as an “E‐skin,” which employs electrotherapy to aid in the faster healing of chronic wounds in diabetic mice through transcutaneous electrical stimulation. The nanosheet‐assembled biostable, conductive, flexible, and cell/tissue affinitive hydrogel lays a foundation for designing electronically and mechanically reliable bioelectronic devices.
Manipulating Complementarity of Binary White Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Systems for 100% Exciton Harvesting in OLEDs
Authors: Li Ying , Li Zhe , Zhang Jing , Han Chunmiao , Duan Chunbo , Xu Hui
Published: February 2021

Different to fluorescent and phosphorescent counterparts, white thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) involves in multiple reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), leading to the correlation but competition between blue and other color components in both singlet and triplet allocations. Herein, three blue TADF emitters SSFAPO, DSFAPO, and TSFAPO, collectively named xSFAPO are developed, featuring a moderately electron‐withdrawing phosphine oxide (PO) acceptor respectively linked 1‐3 donors. Despite nearly identical blue emissions, photoluminescence quantum yields of xSFAPO are proportional to donor number. But, their RISC efficiencies are below 70%, markedly less than 85% of a conventional yellow TADF emitter 2,3,5,6‐tetrakis(3,6‐di‐(tert‐butyl)carbazol‐9‐yl)‐1,4‐dicyanobenzene (4CzTPNBu). Furthermore, sp3 hybrid configuration of PO enlarges steric hindrance of peripheral donor groups. So, Dexter energy transfer is impeded by increasing donor numbers. Among xSFAPO and 4CzTPNBu dually doped white‐emitting films, yellow emission from SSFAPO‐based film is the strongest, reflecting the predominance of fast Dexter energy transfer in triplet allocation. Therefore, SSFAPO endowed its warm‐white organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs) with an external quantum efficiency of 25.1%, corresponding to 100% internal quantum efficiency, which are 1.25 and 1.60 folds of those of DSFAPO and TSFAPO‐based WOLEDs. These results suggest advantage complementarity of different components is crucial for developing white‐emitting systems with 100% exciton utilization.
High‐Capacity and Stable Sodium‐Sulfur Battery Enabled by Confined Electrocatalytic Polysulfides Full Conversion
Authors: Huang Zhanpeng , Song Bin , Zhang Hong , Feng Fan , Zhang Wenli , Lu Ke , Chen Qianwang
Published: February 2021

The efficient polysulfide capture and reversible sulfur recovery during reverse charging process are critical to exploiting the full potential of room temperature NaS batteries. Here, based on a core‐shell design strategy, the structural and chemical synergistic manipulation of sodium polysulfides quasi‐solid‐state reversible conversion is proposed. The sulfur is encapsulated in the multi‐pores of 3D interconnected carbon fiber as the core structure. The Fe(CN)64−‐doped polypyrrole film serves as a redox‐active polar shell to lock up polysulfides and promote complete polysulfide conversion. Importantly, the short‐chain Na2S4 polysulfides are reduced to Na2S directly leaving with a small fraction of soluble intermediates as the cation‐transfer medium at the core/shell interface, and freeing up formation of solid Na2S2 incomplete product. Further, the redox mediator with open Fe species electrocatalytically lowers the Na2S oxidation energy barrier and renders the high reversibility of electrodeposited Na2S. The tunable quasi‐solid‐state reversible sulfur conversion under versatile polymer sheath greatly enhances sulfur utilization, affording a remarkable capacity of 1071 mAh g−1 and a stable high capacity of 700 mAh g−1 at 200 mA g−1 after 200 cycles. The confined electrocatalytic effect provides a strategy for tuning electrochemical pathway of sulfur species and guarantees high‐efficiency sulfur electrochemistry.
[3+1+1] Annulation Reaction of Benzo‐1,2‐Quinones, Aldehydes and Hydroxylamine Hydrochloride: Access to Benzoxazoles with Inorganic Nitrogen Source
Authors: Chen Fulin , Zhu Chuanle , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: February 2021

A synthesis of benzoxazoles with an inorganic nitrogen source is reported. By employing large‐tonnage industrial feedstock inorganic hydroxylamine hydrochloride as the nitrogen source, its [3+1+1] annulation reaction with benzo‐1,2‐quinones and aldehydes delivers various useful benzoxazoles in high yields. Preliminary mechanistic studies prove that the quinone oxime rather than the aldehyde oxime is the reaction intermediate.

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(−)‐Isoscopariusin A, a Naturally Occurring Immunosuppressive Meroditerpenoid: Structure Elucidation and Scalable Chemical Synthesis
Authors: Yan Bing‐Chao , Zhou Min , Li Jian , Li Xiao‐Nian , He Shi‐Jun , Zuo Jian‐Ping , Sun Han‐Dong , Li Ang , Puno Pema‐Tenzin
Published: February 2021

(−)‐Isoscopariusin A was isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon scoparius. Chemical synthesis and spectroscopic analysis established its structure as an unsymmetrical meroditerpenoid bearing a sterically congested 6/6/4 tricyclic carbon skeleton with seven continuous stereocenters. A gram‐scale synthesis was achieved in 12 steps from commercially available (+)‐sclareolide. A cobalt catalyzed, hydrogen atom transfer‐based olefin isomerization was used to prepare a trisubstituted alkene, which underwent stereoselective [2+2] cycloaddition with a substituted keteniminium ion generated in situ from the corresponding amide. The cyclobutanone product was further elaborated into the fully substituted cyclobutane core through face‐selective homologation, and the two side chains were installed by using nickel‐catalyzed cross‐electrophile coupling and carbodiimide‐mediated esterification, respectively. (−)‐Isoscopariusin A displayed selective inhibition of T‐cell proliferation.
Titanium‐Catalyzed Intermolecular Hydroaminoalkylation of Alkenes with Tertiary Amines
Authors: Geik Dennis , Rosien Michael , Bielefeld Jens , Schmidtmann Marc , Doye Sven
Published: February 2021

The first cationic titanium catalyst system for the intermolecular hydroaminoalkylation of alkenes with various tertiary alkylamines is presented. Corresponding reactions which involve the addition of the α‐C−H bond of a tertiary amine across the C−C double bond of an alkene take place at temperatures close to room temperature with excellent regioselectivity to deliver the branched products exclusively. Interestingly, for selected amines, α‐C−H bond activation occurs not only at N‐methyl but also at N‐methylene groups.
The challenge of predicting spinnability: Investigating benefits of adding lignin to cellulose solutions in air‐gap spinning
Authors: Bengtsson Jenny , Jedvert Kerstin , Köhnke Tobias , Theliander Hans
Published: February 2021

In this study, the underlying mechanism for improved spinnability when mixing lignin and cellulose in solution was investigated. Co‐processing of lignin and cellulose has previously been identified as a potential route for production of inexpensive and bio‐based carbon fibers. The molecular order of cellulose contributes to the strength of the fibers and the high carbon content of lignin improves the yield during conversion to carbon fibers. The current work presents an additional benefit of combining lignin and cellulose; solutions that contain both lignin and cellulose could be air‐gap spun at substantially higher draw ratios than pure cellulose solutions, that is, lignin improved the spinnability. Fibers were spun from solutions containing different ratios of lignin, from 0 to 70 wt%, and the critical draw ratio was determined at various temperatures of solution. The observations were followed by characterization of the solutions with shear and elongational viscosity and surface tension, but none of these methods could explain the beneficial effect of lignin on the spinnability. However, by measuring the take‐up force it was found that lignin seems to stabilize against diameter fluctuations during spinning, and plausible explanations are discussed.
Three‐dimensional printing of high‐performance polyimide by direct ink writing of hydrogel precursor
Authors: Qin Shiyu , Jiang Yu , Ji Zhongying , Yang Chang , Guo Yuxiong , Zhang Xiaoqin , Qin Hongling , Jia Xin , Wang Xiaolong
Published: February 2021

Three‐dimensional (3D) printing of all‐aromatic polyimides (PIs) is attracting extensive attention due to the advantages of excellent comprehensive performances and complex structures. It still remains challenges because of some drawbacks, such as poor solubility and infusibility, and the environmental unfriendly preparation. Here, polyamide acid salt (PAAS) hydrogels were prepared by the reaction of polyamide acid (PAA) with organic amines in water. PAAS hydrogels had remarkable rheological properties, which made it applied in direct ink writing 3D printing. The printed objects were finally converted into high‐performances PI objects with prominent mechanical properties and thermal stability. Not only so, the advantages also include simple preparation, less organic solvent, low thermal imidization temperature (250°C), controllable macrostructure and porous microstructure, and the present 3D printed PI by PAAS was expected to significantly promote the application potentials. In this study, thermal conductivity (100°C) of the PI objects after structure design and 3D printing was reduced from 0.102 W m−1 K−1 to 0.061 W m−1 K−1, and density was reduced from 0.4562 g cm−3 to 0.2731 g cm−3.
Development of the chicken skull: A complement to the external staging table of Hamburger and Hamilton
Authors: Arnaout Bassel , Lantigua Kayla E. , MacKenzie Erin M. , McKinnell Iain W. , Maddin Hillary C.
Published: February 2021

Embryonic staging tables provide a standard of developmental stages that can be used by individual investigators and provide approximate time points for the study of developmental phenomena. Surprisingly, despite the presence of a plethora of studies on the chicken skull and its role as a model species in developmental research, a staging table of the development of the chicken skull remains lacking. A detailed photographic staging table of the osseous portion of the chicken skull is thus presented here based on cleared and stained HH stages spanning HH 35 (first appearance of skull ossification) to the final stage before hatching (HH 45). This table documents the development of most of the cranial elements in the skull from the start of ossification until the element takes its final shape. The table shows that the elements of the lower jaw and ventral side of the skull begin ossifying before the skull roof and that most elements take roughly 5 days to reach their final shape, whereas others take up to 9 days (e.g., the frontal). The obtained results lead to several hypotheses about chicken skull development and provide a timeframe for future studies on chicken skull development.
Development, structure, and protein composition of the corneous beak in turtles
Authors: Alibardi Lorenzo
Published: February 2021

The beak or rhamphotheca in turtles is a horny lamina that replaces the teeth. Its origin, development, structure, and protein composition are here presented. At mid‐development stages, the epidermis of the maxilla and mandible gives rise to placodes that enlarge and merge into laminae through an intense cell proliferation. In these expanding laminae, the epidermis gives rise to 5–8 layers of embryonic epidermis where coarse filaments accumulate for the initial keratinization of cells destined to be sloughed before hatching. Underneath the embryonic epidermis of the beak numerous layers of spindle‐shaped beta‐cells are produced while they are absent in other skin regions. Beta‐cells contain hard corneous material and give rise to the corneous layer of the beak whose external layers desquamate due to wearing and mechanical abrasion. Beta‐catenin is present in nuclei of proliferating keratinocytes of the germinal layer likely responding to a wnt signal, but also is part of the adhesive junctions located among beak keratinocytes. The thick corneous layer is made of mature corneocytes connected one to another along their irregular perimeter by an unknown cementing material and junctional remnants. Immunolabeling shows that the main components of the horny beak are Corneous Beta Proteins (CBPs) of 10–15 kDa which genes are located in the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC) of the turtle genome. Specific CBPs, in addition to a lower amount of Intermediate Filament Keratins, accumulate in the horny beak. Compaction of the main proteins with other unknown, minor proteins give rise to the hard corneous material of the beak.
Identification of long noncoding RNAs in silkworm larvae infected with Bombyx mori cypovirus
Authors: Zhang Zhendong , Zhao Ze , Lin Su , Wu Wanming , Tang Weiming , Dong Youfu , Shen Manman , Wu Ping , Guo Xijie
Published: February 2021

Bombyx mori cypovirus (BmCPV) is one of the most important pathogens causing severe disease to silkworm. Emerging evidence indicates that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play importantly regulatory roles in virus infection and host immune response. To better understand the interaction between silkworm, Bombyx mori and BmCPV, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis on lncRNAs and mRNAs between the virus‐infected and noninfected silkworm larvae midgut at two time points postinoculation. A total of 16,753 genes and 1845 candidate lncRNAs were identified, among which 356 messenger RNA (mRNAs) and 41 lncRNAs were differentially expressed (DE). Target gene prediction revealed that most of DEmRNAs (123) were coexpressed with 28 DElncRNAs, suggesting that the expression of mRNA is mainly affected through trans‐ regulation by BmCPV‐induced lncRNAs, and a regulatory network of DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs was then constructed. According to the network, many genes involved in apoptosis, autophagy, and antiviral response, such as ATG3, PDCD6, IBP2, and MFB1, could be targeted by different DElncRNAs, implying the essential roles of these genes and lncRNAs in BmCPV infection. In all, our studies revealed for the first time the alteration of lncRNA expression in BmCPV‐infected larvae and its potential influence on BmCPV replication, providing a new perspective for host–cypovirus interaction studies.
Green growth versus economic growth: Do sustainable technology transfer and innovations lead to an imperfect choice?
Authors: Fernandes Cristina I. , Veiga Pedro Mota , Ferreira João J.M. , Hughes Mathew
Published: February 2021

A concern with the mitigation of climate change cuts a transversal line across economic agents, epitomized by two contradictory viewpoints. Some defend that green growth can be achieved without harming economic growth; others argue that it is not possible to respect sustainability if intensive consumption of goods continues to foster economic growth. Our research aims to analyze the role that sustainable technology transfer and sustainable innovations play in green growth and ascertain the impact of green growth on economic growth. We use aggregated country‐level data provided by the OECD, including national accounts, population, and environment statistics (including patents) between 1990 and 2013 for 32 countries, corresponding to an unbalanced panel of 591 observations. We estimate econometric models based on dynamic panel methodologies to capture differences that exist over time. The results show that sustainable technology transfer and sustainable innovation promote green growth, which in turn positively impacts economic growth. We contribute new insight to the green growth versus economic growth debate and provide several political and management implications.
A multidisciplinary minimally invasive approach for the esthetics of the smile
Authors: Pallotta Graziano , Amenta Francesco , Salaris Stefano , Santaniello Sabrina , Guida Antonio , Triestino Gilberto , Illuzzi Nicola , Nittari Giulio
Published: February 2021

The aim of this work is to define a new multidisciplinary pathway for dental and gingival problems. The method consists of three different instruments that can resolve dental, labial, and periodontal imperfections with minimal invasiveness.
Presentation and Treatment of cholinergic Crisis in the setting of Carbamate poisoning
Authors: Nguyen Hiep H. , Kidron Ariel , Liu Tianyi , Nguyen Nghi , Nguyen Hoang , Vo An
Published: February 2021

The case details the acute onset of muscarinic poisoning with associated symptoms and long‐term complications, as a new readily available suicide tool that clinicians should be keen to, combined with the appropriate treatment so lifesaving therapy may be urgently administered along with future mental health therapy.
Rectovaginal fistula in a cervical cancer patient treated with sequential radiotherapy and bevacizumab: A dose‐volume analysis
Authors: Tomizawa Kento , Ando Ken , Shimada Hirofumi , Kaminuma Takuya , Murata Kazutoshi , Oike Takahiro , Ohno Tatsuya
Published: February 2021

Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody against vascular endothelial growth factor that exerts antitumor effect by preventing tumor angiogenesis. Gastrointestinal fistula is a common side effect of bevacizumab in combination with radiotherapy. This case of rectovaginal fistula indicates that the side effect may be unpredictable by the conventional dose‐volume parameters for the rectum.
CFD Modeling of Reactor Concepts to Avoid Carbon Deposition in Pyrolysis Reactions
Authors: Becker Tobias , Keuchel Florian , Agar David W.
Published: February 2021

Methane pyrolysis in an externally heated tubular reactor inevitably ends with clogging of the reactor. Thin molten metal wall films protect the walls from carbon depositions. A falling film reactor and a rotating film reactor are investigated by CFD simulation. The results show the considerable advantages of a rotating film reactor compared to the vertical film reactor. An alternative route for carbon production from methane is the implementation of an exothermic chlorination reaction. The tubular reactor concept involves the inflow of inert gas at the reactant inlet and through porous walls to ensure that the reaction takes place in the center, thus, largely reducing carbon deposits.
A novel one‐dimensional convolutional neural network architecture for chemical process fault diagnosis
Authors: Niu Xin , Yang Xia
Published: February 2021

In recent years, industrial production has become increasingly automated, with the widespread application of informational and digital technology. Fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) technology is also playing an increasingly important role in the chemical process industry. However, owing to the weak generalization ability of prior models, or prior methods not being suitable for industrial sensor signal data, the fault detection rate is not satisfactory, which is a significant limitation of many fault diagnosis methods in practical applications. In response to this problem, the one‐dimensional convolutional neural network (1D‐CNN) model can directly process signal samples without changing the one‐dimensional characteristics of the data, which may be more suitable for processing such signal data. Therefore, a new 1D‐CNN architecture is proposed for FDD. The network architectures, including convolutional layers, pooling layers, fully connected layers, and various parameters, are optimized in the proposed method. The Tennessee Eastman process (TE process) is employed to assess prominent performance of the method. To comprehensively reflect the performance of the model, three evaluation indexes are selected in this study: accuracy, F1‐score, and fault detection rate. The experimental results indicate that compared with other diagnostic methods, the 1D‐CNN model has excellent feature extraction ability, which can remarkably improve diagnostic capability in the TE process.
Immunotherapy and radiation therapy sequencing: State of the data on timing, efficacy, and safety
Authors: Williamson Casey W. , Sherer Michael V. , Zamarin Dmitriy , Sharabi Andrew B. , Dyer Brandon A. , Mell Loren K. , Mayadev Jyoti S.
Published: February 2021

Radiation therapy exerts a tumoricidal local effect as well as both local and systemic immunomodulation. Immune checkpoint blockade has become a widely used treatment modality across cancer types with a rapidly growing list of agents and US Food and Drug Administration‐approved indications. Moreover, there may be synergy between radiation therapy and immune checkpoint blockade. Various strategies have been used, but the optimal sequencing of these therapies is unclear. In this review, the authors discuss the major mechanisms of available immune checkpoint inhibitors and explore the available preclinical and clinical evidence regarding treatment sequencing. They also review safety considerations and conclude with possible future directions.