bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crítica, cura e curadoria
Authors: Brasileiro Castiel Vitorino , Leal Dodi Tavares Borges
Published: April 2021

Nesta conversa, realizada no quadro da Jornada da Associação Brasileira de Críticos de Arte (ABCA) de 2020, em parceria com a Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia, a performer e psicóloga Castiel Vitorino Brasileiro e a professora e pesquisadora Dodi Leal refletem sobre as interfaces da crítica, da cura e da curadoria. Como performar o invisível? Trata-se nesta conversa das imagens profundas, dos modos existenciais e dos machucados corporais da terra e de como as nossas ritualidades, nossas sabenças encantadas, nossas bruxarias e nossas macumbarias pretas, indígenas e trans são perigos à colonialidade branca e cisgênera da arte. Quais os rasgos da crítica de arte a partir da cura Bantu? Quais as amarras da curadoria de arte que se desfazem a partir da cura anticolonial travesti? A curanderia é o exercício de redirecionamento clínico (crítica cirúrgica de arte) de algumas práticas artísticas institucionais que precisam ser abandonadas, percebendo também as que devem ser reformuladas.
On the legal nature of strategic planning of socioeconomic development in foreign countries
Authors: Ishchenko Alexander Alekseevich
Published: April 2021

The subject of this research is the legal nature and legal mechanisms of strategic planning of socioeconomic development in foreign countries. The goal is to examine the peculiarities of legal nature of the strategy of socioeconomic development in foreign countries. The author sets the following tasks: analyze the current state of legal regulation of the strategy of socioeconomic development in the Russian Federation; examine the peculiarities of legal nature of the strategy of socioeconomic development in certain foreign countries; use the data acquired in comparative legal aspect for outlining the prospects of using positive foreign experience in domestic practice. Analysis is conducted on the experience of strategic planning in the United States, Germany, and Japan as the representatives of different groups of countries with their own specificities. The author describes the peculiarities of various approaches towards legal regulation of strategic planning , which are substantiated by the following factors: the historical path of development of the strategic planning system; affiliation to different legal families and establishment of legislative system; degree of economic and social development; approaches towards settlement of the questions of correlation of public and private interests, and a range of other factors. The strengthening of the role of federal center as the organizing core of the mechanism of strategic planning is substantiated. The conclusion is made on the prospects for the development of legal regulation of the strategy of socioeconomic development in the Russian Federation. Recommendations are formulated on amending the legislation in the sphere of strategic planning.
The impact of digitalization of the economy upon social governance: analysis of current global trends
Authors: Isaeva Kira Vadimovna
Published: April 2021

The subject of this research is the modern system of social governance, which has been transformed in the conditions of digital environment. Particular attention is given to the definition of electronic-digital civilization and its criteria. The concept of “electronic-digital civilization”, with emphasis on the transitional state of society, was introduced into the scientific discourse by the Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences G. V. Osipov. The goal of this article is to determine the criteria of this concept. Description is given the innovative methods and techniques of social governance, namely those that depend on digitalization of the economy. The events of 2020-2021, related to the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrated the increase of digitalization of human life and nonlinearity of social development. The shift of industrial era towards modern electronic-digital era entails qualitative transformations in the lifestyle of the entire humanity, which certainly requires the implementation of innovative methods in social governance. The author outlines the basic criteria of electronic-digital stage in the development of humanity. The analysis of scientific literature indicates a wide range of scientific research in the sphere of humanities are dedicated to examination of the effects of digitalization in the economy. However, the emerging social issues in the conditions of digital environment require expert evaluation of sociologists, psychologists, political scientists, and legal experts. The article determines the modern forms and methods of social governance, which are currently implemented by the industrially developed countries. The fundamental factor of transformation of the style of governance became the process of all-round “digitalization of the economy”. The statistical data on the “effects of digitalization” is provided. The author explores such modern trends in governance, such as “E–government”, transitioning to “Digital government”, “Soft–power” technologies, “Agile methodology”, transition to 5G, etc.
Gap length effect on discharge mode and etching profiles in asymmetric dual frequency capacitive CF4/Ar discharges
Authors: Dong Wan , Xu Hai-Wen , Dai Zhong-Ling , Song Yuan-Hong , Wang You-Nian ,   Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion, and Electron Beams, Ministry of Education, School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
Published: April 2021

The capacitive CF4/Ar discharges driven by a dual frequency source based on the electrical asymmetry effect (EAE) are studied by using a one-dimensional fluid coupled with Monte-Carlo (MC) model and a two-dimensional trench model. The effects, induced by varying the relative gap distance, on self-bias voltage, electronegativity, ion flux, neutral flux and other plasma characteristics are systematically discussed. In this asymmetric discharge, as the gap distance increases, the absolute value of the self-bias voltage and electronegativity decrease. Meanwhile, the plasma density and absorption power increase accordingly because the effective discharge area expands but the boundary loss is still limited. In addition, both \begin{document}$ \mathrm{\alpha } $\end{document} mode and drift-ambipolar (DA) mode can play their important roles in the discharges with different gap distances, though DA mode is weakened in large gap discharge. Owing to the fact that the self-bias is larger and electronegativity is stronger for the case of smaller gap distance, the sheath expansion electric field at the powered electrode and the bulk electric field heat the electrons, leading the ionization rate to greatly increase near the collapse of the sheath at the grounded electrode. Besides, at the larger gap distance, the maximum value of the ionization rate decreases due to the reduction of electrons with relatively high-energy, and the ionization rate near the grounded electrode is reduced evidently. Moreover, with the increase of the gap distance, the maximum ion energy decreases and the ion energy distribution width becomes smaller due to the reduction of the self-bias voltage. Meanwhile, the etching rate increases a lot since the neutral flux increases significantly near the powered electrode. However, as the gap distance increases to 5 cm, the etching rate stops increasing and the trench width at the bottom becomes narrow because the neutral flux increases greatly compared with ion flux, forming a thick layer of polymer. So, besides separately controlling the ion energy and flux, optimizing the synergistic effect of ion flux and neutral group flux to adjust the etching rate and improve the etching morphology is also an interesting topic in the asymmetric CF4/Ar discharges.
Conserved sperm factors are no longer a bone of contention
Authors: Mei Xue , Singson Andrew
Published: April 2021

Proteins related to a molecule involved in the formation of osteoclasts in bone are required for fertilization in worms, flies and mammals.
Tumor Metabolism: Focused on Tumor Glycolysis, Progress, and Prospects in Cancer Therapy
Authors: Kumar Atul , Singh Mamta , Sharma Dolly , Kumar Vinit , Rani Reshma
Published: April 2021

The metabolic reprogramming of cell is a well‐established clinical hallmark of cancer and accordingly has attracted significant attention from researchers in the field of drug discovery. The dependency of cancer cells toward altered “cancer metabolism” (CM) encouraged scientists to work to better understand their metabolic alteration and tumor microenvironment. In fact, the cellular energetics of cancer cells is significantly different from normal cells due to the high demand of energy and metabolites that are required for cancer cell growth and proliferation. A combination of identification of metabolic processes and detailed study of how oncogenic signaling pathways can modulate the metabolic processes might be useful to achieve the selective killing of cancer cells. Recently, several studies have confirmed that cancer metabolism plays a fundamental role in cancer progression and metastasis. Carbohydrate metabolism, particularly glucose metabolism in tumor cells, has received significant attention because rapidly growing cancer cells preferentially rely on the enhanced rate of tumor glycolytic process uncoupled with oxidative phosphorylation. Small molecules targeting tumor glycolysis hold promise for drug discovery and drug development in cancer therapeutics. In addition, it offers the development of new treatment options by synergizing potential glycolytic inhibitors with existing drugs. Therefore, this article includes recent updates on tumor glycolysis and small molecules that counteract tumor glycolysis.
Polymyxins as Antibacterials and Antibiotic Potentiators
Authors: Dawson Mike , Lister Troy
Published: April 2021

Antibiotic resistance in Gram‐negative pathogenic bacteria has reached alarming levels and these drug‐resistant bacteria pose an urgent global threat. All of the major classes of antibiotics with activity against Gram‐negative bacteria, including penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, aminoglycosides, quinolones, and tetracyclines, have over time succumbed to widespread resistance. Fortunately, medicinal chemistry has been very successful at iteratively addressing the emergence of resistance (and other limitations) with second and third (or more) generation products. The polymyxin class has broad Gram‐negative antimicrobial activity, including against bacteria resistant to the antibiotic classes listed above. It is because of such activity that polymyxins have witnessed a resurgence in clinical use, but toxicity is concerning and commonly limits dosing. And, unlike other classes of antibiotics, the polymyxin class has been recalcitrant to clinically meaningful optimization and only the initially discovered, natural polymyxins are available for clinical use. This article explores recent developments in polymyxin‐based drug discovery and development and the extensive effort invested in trying to identify clinically viable second‐generation variants.
Quality Assurance
Authors: Brar Harjinder , Vethanayagam Jude
Published: April 2021

Quality assurance in pharmaceutical manufacturing, quite simply, is the sum total of processes, practices, and systems utilized to ensure the SISPQ (safety, identity, strength, purity, and quality) of a medicinal drug intended for a patient. A robust quality management system (QMS) ensures this by adhering to the regulatory guidance and industry best practices where these practices are occurring, as well as by ensuring drugs meet the regulatory requirements for the different intended markets. The intent of this primer on quality assurance is to provide the interested reader a foundation for appreciating the requirements, complexity, and care that goes into managing the safe delivery of effective medicines to patients.
Social Justice and Health Equity: Core Ethical Values in the Health Sciences
Authors: Smith Maxwell J
Published: April 2021

Social justice and health equity are frequently invoked in the health sciences. They are commonly referred to as ‘core values’ or ‘central aims’ that health research, medicine and other health interventions should seek to realise. Yet, despite their ubiquity and stature in the health sciences, it is rarely made clear exactly what these values mean and how they ought to be reflected in practice. If the ethical commitments of social justice and health equity are not articulated or are unclear when they are invoked, it is unlikely that these ‘core values’ will meaningfully guide work in the health sciences, and it is even less likely that progress will be made towards health equity and social justice. It is therefore imperative to understand the ethical foundations of these concepts, some prominent ways that they might be interpreted in the health sciences and the important differences between health equity and social justice.

Social justice and health equity are frequently identified as ‘core values’ in the health sciences, yet it is often not made clear what these values should mean in practice.

Because health inequities are differences in health that are considered to be ‘unjust’, clarity is required about what makes a difference in health unjust and what a ‘just’ state of population health should look like.

Failing to clearly and explicitly articulate the ethical norms or standards that health equity and social justice should commit health scientists to is likely to lead to ethically dubious, inconsistent and unsound policy and practice decisions, which may in turn contribute to the creation, maintenance or exacerbation of social injustice and health inequities – the very outcomes health equity and social justice are trying to address.

Broadly speaking, conceptions of justice tend to address the following dimensions: distributive justice, relational justice and procedural justice. Each of these dimensions is relevant to considerations of health equity and social justice in the health sciences.

Evidence suggests that explicit consideration of the normative dimensions of health equity is not the norm. As a result, a term that superficially gestures towards ‘fairness’ and ‘social justice’ can be invoked without being forced to meaningfully engage with phenomena that are central to the concerns of social justice: racism, sexism, colonialism and other forms of oppression.
Science and Ethics of One Health
Authors: Lederman Zohar
Published: April 2021

One Health (OH) is now on the agenda of many governments and international health organisations, drawing attention from natural scientists, social scientists, ecologists, public health experts and ethicists. As a biomedical approach and perhaps a social movement, OH brings to the fore novel ethical issues and dilemmas pertaining to any number of these professions or at least adds complexity to old ethical issues and dilemmas.

Key Concepts

One Health is an interdisciplinary effort to better the lives of humans, animals and the environment.

One Health is a burgeoning field of research in public health, clinical medicine and bioethics.

One Health includes various topics including zoonoses, food security and safety, environmental hazards, effects of climate change on health and comparative medicine.

One Health invites a discussion of old and novel issues in bioethics.

Theories of environmental ethics are relevant to the bioethics of One Health.
Functional Constraint and Molecular Evolution
Authors: Forsdyke Donald R
Published: April 2021

While having one or more specific functions, macromolecules also have both collective functions (e.g. Donnan equilibrium and aggregation pressure) and general functions (e.g. contribution to organism weight). Successful molecular evolution requires an appropriate balance between the constraints on these functions, which arise from selective pressures acting at the levels of conventional phenotypes (naturalselection) and genome phenotypes (physiological selection). Genome‐wide constraints include fold pressure (nucleic acid stem–loop extrusion pressure) and GC pressure (the pressure for a certain base composition). When these bring about within‐genomephysiologicalselection (hybrid sterility), there is the potential for new species to emerge (speciation). Local constraints include protein pressure (the pressure to encode a protein) and purine‐loading pressure (purine‐rich messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) synonymous strands), which avoids false antiviral alarms. As more pressures are identified, arguments for neutral evolution weaken.

Molecules have specific, collective and general functions.

Most macromolecules function by virtue of their higher ordered structure.

Nucleic acids have both structural and templating functions.

Each species achieves its own balance between the competing demands (constraints) of external and internal environments.

The organismal phenotype comprises the classical phenotype and the genome phenotype.

Natural selection operates on the classical (conventional) phenotype.

Physiological selection operates on the genome phenotype.

By balancing natural and physiological selection, the ‘hand of nature’ resolves conflicts between functions.

Chargaff's base composition rules are fundamental to understanding nucleic acid‐level functions.

Physiological selection targets oligonucleotide differences that, when in coding regions, may initially favour genes encoding intrinsically disordered proteins.
Post‐Permian Radiation
Authors: Foster William J , Twitchett Richard J
Published: April 2021

The post‐Permian radiation is the diversification of the modern evolutionary fauna in the aftermath of the end‐Permian mass extinction. This radiation was ‘delayed’ due to the magnitude of species loss, persistent environmental stress and subsequent biotic crises associated with the extinction event. Investigating the post‐Permian radiation is, however, confounded by issues with the quality of the Early Triassic fossil record. Since the low level of post‐extinction diversity has not been recorded since the Ordovician, an expectation is that the post‐Permian radiation would record large‐scale adaptations and the evolution of novel body plans. Globally, however, the extinction did not cause a reduction in the number of ecological lifestyles, and the post‐Permian radiation was seeded by an ecological diverse group of survivors. Groups that radiated into vacant ecospace include the bivalves, which diversified to dominate benthic habitats; the Scleractinia, which replaced the Palaeozoic reef‐building metazoans and the reptiles that became top marine predators.

Our understanding of the post‐Permian radiation is hampered by the poor Early Triassic fossil record.

The end‐Permian mass extinction event is the most severe extinction event known from the fossil record.

The post‐Permian radiation was delayed due to ecological and environmental changes associated with the mass extinction event.

The mass extinction did not cause the extinction of ecological lifestyles, and the post‐Permian radiation was at low taxonomic levels.

The post‐Permian radiation caused a marked change in the evolutionary trajectory of almost all animal groups and led to fundamental changes in the functioning of marine ecosystems.
Ecological Character Displacement
Authors: Grant Peter R
Published: April 2021

Some morphological differences between closely related species living in the same environment have been enhanced by natural selection resulting from competition for resources or from negative effects of interbreeding. These evolutionary changes are known as ecological and reproductive character displacement, respectively. Ecological character displacement helps us to understand how complex communities are built up from simpler ones through ecological adjustments of the constituent species. It also may be involved in the late stages in speciation when formerly allopatric populations come together in sympatry. There are few cases of ecological character displacement in nature where the evidence is sufficiently strong to demonstrate evolution by natural selection and to rule out alternative explanations of the causes. These have been supplemented by experiments: there is scope and need for more.

Key Concepts

Character displacement is a process of evolutionary divergence of coexisting species.

Competition for resources, such as food, gives rise to natural selection.

Competition is reduced as a result of character displacement.

Closely related species differ in morphology more in sympatry than in allopatry.

Experiments attempt to recreate conditions that are conducive to character displacement in nature.

Solitary species are released from competition and broaden their ecological niches.

Character displacement helps to explain how complex communities of potential competitors develop from simple ones.

Character displacement is one of several types of evolutionary adjustments made by coexisting species.

Its signature should be seen most clearly in young adaptive radiations.

The main question about character displacement is not whether it occurs but how important it is.
Biotic Recoveries from Mass Extinction Events
Authors: Darroch Simon AF
Published: April 2021

The recoveries following mass extinctions are prolonged (∼10
4
–10
6
 years) intervals characterised by recovering biodiversity and rapid turnover in community composition, along with a more gradual re‐establishment of Earth systems functioning – a process termed ‘Earth systems succession’. Recent data reveal that recovery intervals differ substantially between the ‘Big Five’ mass extinction events and are typically biogeographically complex, with substantial differences in rates of taxonomic and ecological recovery among different biological groups, environments and latitudes. Although there is some suggestion that the duration of recovery intervals is controlled by environmental factors (e.g. local persistence of the extinction triggers themselves), other work instead hints at ecological interactions and community dynamics as dominant influences. The recovery intervals following a small number of mass extinction events lead to permanent macroecological and ‐evolutionary changes, thus profoundly influencing the history of life and leaving a unique signature in the present‐day structure of the biosphere.

Key Concepts

The ‘Big 5’ mass extinctions had unique sets of extinction triggers and drivers, which produced unique patterns of extinction selectivity and thus unique patterns of recovery in the aftermath.

Recovery from mass extinction can be measured either in terms of raw diversity or in terms of ecosystem structure/function. These two facets of recovery can be decoupled.

Recovery intervals are characterised by rapid turnover in community composition; the structure and composition of these communities can, in turn, affect and control recovering Earth systems functioning.

Rates and patterns of recovery are typically highly heterogeneous, with substantial differences between taxonomic groups, environments and geographic location.

Recovery intervals following a few specific mass extinction events coincided with fundamental and permanent changes in macroecological and ‐evolutionary patterns.
Novel Authentic and Ultrafast Organic Photorecorders Enhanced by AIE‐Active Polymer Electrets via Interlayer Charge Recombination
Authors: Ke Chun‐Yao , Chen Mei‐Nung , Chen Mu‐Huai , Li Yen‐Ting , Chiu Yu‐Cheng , Liou Guey‐Sheng
Published: April 2021

Organic photonic memory, featuring a variety of glamorously light‐driven characteristics, is rapidly growing into an indispensable building block for next‐generation optical communication systems. However, the ambiguity of their operating mechanism associated with the limitation of photoadaptive materials as an electronics promoter results in the slow development of photonic transistor‐based devices. In this study, the conjugated polymers composed of donor–acceptor motifs with typical aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) behaviors are designed and successfully discover high‐performance photoprogrammable memory. Moreover, the mechanism of photoboosted recording behavior, attributed to the recombination of the formed interlayer excitons right after simultaneous excitation without applying vertical and parallel electric‐field at the interface in‐between active semiconductor and AIE polymers, is cautiously corroborated by steady‐state PL and pulse PL measurements. The AIE‐polymer memory devices perform ultrafast photoresponse time of 0.1 ms, an outstanding current switch ratio up to 106, and retention stability over 40 000 s without significant dissipation. Furthermore, photoresponsive AIE‐polymer electrets not only modulate the memory performance through the emission wavelength but easily switch storage behavior of nonvolatile memory from flash to WORM by adjusting the torsion‐angle through the motif of the donor and acceptor moieties. These findings open an avenue for designing conjugated polymer electret for ultrafast optical storage devices.
Highly Luminescent and Patternable Block Copolymer Templated 3D Perovskite Films
Authors: Li Chongyuan , Chen Yu , Liu Fengcai , Liu Kai , Li Xiaoguo , Zhang Xin , Zhang Haijuan , Shi Zejiao , Chen Wei , Ahmed Irfan , Arshid Numan , Wang Jiao , Sun Zhengyi , Xiong Shisheng , Zhan Yiqiang
Published: April 2021

The rapid development of lead halide perovskite light emitting diodes (PeLED) provides bright prospects for future lighting and display applications. However, the lack of efficient blue light emission, the insufficient device stability, and the shortage of convenient patterning methods greatly impede the development of PeLED applications. In this work, a feasible two‐step fabrication method combined with a block copolymer (BCP) template is introduced to fabricate high quality CH3NH3PbBrxCl3−x 3D perovskite film. The BCP‐templated CH3NH3PbBr3 film possesses a state‐of‐the‐art photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 62% in the champion sample (58% average PLQY) and an outstanding stability at room temperature. Using halide‐free lead acetate trihydrate as the lead source, the color of the photoluminescence can be tuned easily from green to blue by simply controlling the Cl/Br ratio in the second step. A sky‐blue emission is obtained from a CH3NH3PbBr1.5Cl1.5 perovskite film with a PLQY of 23 ± 2%. The two‐step fabrication approach can also enable straightforward patterning, as demonstrated with inkjet printing and Chinese calligraphy.
Controlled‐release urea improved cotton productivity and nitrogen use efficiency in China: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Tian Xiaofei , Fan Zhen , Zhao Youxin , Sun Shuchen , Li Tingting , Yu Na , Zhai Sheng
Published: April 2021

The use of controlled‐release urea (CRU) is recommended to improve crop productivity without compromising environmental quality, but the overall effects on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth are not well studied. A meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and potential role of CRU in improving cotton productivity in China. The results indicated that CRU increased cotton yield by 9.8% and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by 19.4% relative to urea at equal N rates, although the increase in yield was not statistically significant. Cotton yield increases were greater in sandy‐textured soil than in loam or clay soil, and in experiments sustained for more than 2 yr than in experiments sustained for 1 yr. In addition, the increase in NUE with CRU was enhanced at medium (170 < N ≤ 220 kg N ha−1) and high N rates (>220 kg N ha−1), at high CRU blending ratios (≥70%) and in soils with pH >7.5. These results demonstrate that CRU should be more widely used for cotton production in China, especially in sandy‐textured soil with increased N application.
Paraxial Propagation Properties of Radially Polarized Odd‐Pearcey Gaussian Beams in Free Space
Authors: Fang Mingyue , Liao Xiang , Zhao Jiajia , Xu Chuangjie , Zhang Yixiao , Wu You , Deng Dongmei
Published: April 2021

A new type of radially polarized odd‐Pearcey Gaussian beam (RPOPGB) whose paraxial propagation in free space is studied analytically and numerically, is introduced. Intriguingly, the energy of RPOPGBs is found to auto‐focus several times with the Gaussian beam waist radius increasing to some certain extents. Furthermore, RPOPGBs exhibit a special transversal intensity distribution that has an optical trap in the center. During the propagation, at first the RPOPGBs' two main lobes auto‐focus toward the center with side lobes, and then the two main lobes separate after the end of auto‐focusing. The Poynting vectors prove that the energy variation of the lobes maintains excellent central symmetry throughout the propagation. In addition, the fractional vortices are observed from the angular momentum and phase. These findings will be of potential use to particle capture.
Novel Anthracycline Utorubicin for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Simón‐Gracia Lorena , Sidorenko Valeria , Uustare Ain , Ogibalov Ivan , Tasa Andrus , Tshubrik Olga , Teesalu Tambet
Published: April 2021

Novel anticancer compounds and their precision delivery systems are actively developed to create potent and well‐tolerated anticancer therapeutics. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel anthracycline, Utorubicin (UTO), and its preclinical development as an anticancer payload for nanocarriers. Free UTO was significantly more toxic to cultured tumor cell lines than the clinically used anthracycline, doxorubicin. Nanoformulated UTO, encapsulated in polymeric nanovesicles (polymersomes, PS), reduced the viability of cultured malignant cells and this effect was potentiated by functionalization with a tumor‐penetrating peptide (TPP). Systemic peptide‐guided PS showed preferential accumulation in triple‐negative breast tumor xenografts implanted in mice. At the same systemic UTO dose, the highest UTO accumulation in tumor tissue was seen for the TPP‐targeted PS, followed by nontargeted PS, and free doxorubicin. Our study suggests potential applications for UTO in the treatment of malignant diseases and encourages further preclinical and clinical studies on UTO as a nanocarrier payload for precision cancer therapy.
Mixed‐Valence Compounds as Polarizing Agents for Overhauser Dynamic Nuclear Polarization in Solids**
Authors: Gurinov Andrei , Sieland Benedikt , Kuzhelev Andrey , Elgabarty Hossam , Kühne Thomas D. , Prisner Thomas , Paradies Jan , Baldus Marc , Ivanov Konstantin L. , Pylaeva Svetlana
Published: April 2021

Herein, we investigate a novel set of polarizing agents—mixed‐valence compounds—by theoretical and experimental methods and demonstrate their performance in high‐field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR experiments in the solid state. Mixed‐valence compounds constitute a group of molecules in which molecular mobility persists even in solids. Consequently, such polarizing agents can be used to perform Overhauser‐DNP experiments in the solid state, with favorable conditions for dynamic nuclear polarization formation at ultra‐high magnetic fields.
Molecular Weight Engineering in High‐Performance Ambipolar Emissive Mesopolymers
Authors: Guo Xiaofei , Zhang Yihan , Hu Yongxu , Yang Jiaxin , Li Yang , Ni Zhenjie , Dong Huanli , Hu Wenping
Published: April 2021

Mesopolymers with high solubility, free of structural defects, and negligible batch‐to‐batch variation open a new avenue for organic optoelectronics. Organic light emitting transistors that combine the functions of organic light‐emitting diodes and organic field‐effect transistors. However, charge transport ability and light emitting strength are contradictory within one conjugated polymer. Herein, three low‐molecular‐weight mesopolymers with thienopyrroledione–benzothiadiazole repeating units (meso‐TBTF) were obtained. The mesopolymers show strong solid‐state emission and high ambipolar carrier mobility. The molecular weights of meso‐TBTF can be tuned by polymerization temperature. The mesopolymers have photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) of about 50 % in solution and 10 % in solid state. Polymer light emitting diodes of this material are fabricated to explore its potential use in optoelectronic devices.
Microstructural, mechanical and tribological performances of copper foam modified CFRP composite for pantograph strip
Authors: Wang Pei , Jia Yunchao , Li Yilong , Liu Yanyan , Hao Zhenhua , Deng Guanyu , Wang Long
Published: April 2021

A novel pantograph strip of copper mesh modified carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite was fabricated by impregnating copper foam with the resin mixture of carbon fiber and flaky graphite, following by mold hot‐pressing technology. Microstructure, mechanical strength, electric conductivity, friction, and wear behaviors of the composite were investigated and analyzed to explore the fracture failure and wear mechanisms. The results show that the composite obtains much lower electric resistance than that of the pure carbon strip used in China's high‐speed railway. Adding carbon fiber can improve impact strength and wear resistance considerably, but has little effect on anti‐friction performance. The electric resistance and tribological performances are graphite dependent, reduced electric resistance and friction coefficient can be obtained with the increase of flaky graphite from 0 to 15 wt% while negligible changes of impact strength and wear rate are found. However, further increasing the flaky graphite to 20 wt%, the wear rate reveals a dramatic rise. High content of flaky graphite contributes to the formation of thick tribolayer with unconsolidated structure. And the tribolayer is easy to curl and worn off from the wear surface, leading to severe wear of the composite during the current carrying friction tests.
Air‐breathing ecology ofArapaimasp.: Conservation implications for an imperilled fish
Authors: Stokes Gretchen L. , Castello Leandro , Petersen Thiago A. , Cooke Steven J. , Power Michael , Zuanon Jansen , Martins Eduardo G.
Published: April 2021

Arapaima (Arapaimasp.) are highly overexploited fish endemic to the Amazon basin. Because the fish are obligate air‐breathers, it is possible to use surface‐breathing events to count individuals visually for population censuses important for conservation, yet uncertainties remain about body size and environmental influences on air‐breathing intervals, and thus count accuracy.

This study examined relationships between breathing intervals and environmental parameters (e.g. water temperature and transparency) and body size for radio‐tagged arapaima (n = 12) in an upland river‐floodplain (Lake Ayapuá, Amazonas, Brazil). Generalized additive mixed models were used to evaluate environmental, size, and behavioural correlates of breathing intervals.

Temperature was the most influential predictor of air‐breathing intervals, followed by body size. The shortest breathing intervals were associated with consecutive ‘aggressive’ breaths while the longest breathing intervals had consecutive ‘calm’ breaths. Type of breath, size, and temperature predictors revealed that breathing intervals ranged from 4 to 46 min and were not significantly different among life stages ( = 15.9 min for sub‐adults and adults (>1 m); = 14.8 min for juveniles (<1 m)).

Whereas the current population census method uses fish counts in 20‐min intervals, this study found that 15% of observed breaths, and two thirds of fish, took longer than 20 min to breathe. These findings were obtained in relatively cool‐water environments, so it is recommended that future population census methods consider water temperature (e.g. extend intervals used for counts in cooler waters), which may improve the accuracy of census counts and thus further enhance arapaima conservation efforts.

This study demonstrated an effective method in which fundamental biological information is used to inform and improve population census methods for an imperilled fish in a region where traditional stock assessment is ineffective. Similar approaches for adaptive stock assessments could be applied to improve conservation of other air‐breathing fishes (e.g. lungfishes) globally.
Conversion of five proluciferin esters by human cytochrome P450 enzymes
Authors: Sharma Shishir , Sharma Sangeeta Shrestha , Zhang Xue , Bureik Jan‐Philipp , Sorensen Erik J. , Bureik Matthias
Published: April 2021

Background

Probe substrates are an important tool for activity monitoring of human drug metabolizing enzymes such as cytochromes P450 (CYPs).

Brief Methods

In the present study we have tested human CYPs for metabolization of five proluciferin ester substrates which had previously only been known to be hydroxylated by CYP26A1.

Major Results

It was found that these substrates were converted by another 21 human CYPs, which belong to the CYP families 1 to 4, 7, and 26. Thus, 66 new pairs of enzyme and substrate were identified. Correlation analysis indicated the presence of three distinct sets of enzymes with high similarity in their activity profiles that encompass a total of 16 individual enzymes.

Conclusions

Some of these newly identified correlations may serve as a starting point for further study of those human CYPs whose activities are not yet satisfactorily understood.
Mn3−xFexO4 Hollow Nanostructures for High‐Performance Asymmetric Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Tan Xueling , Wang Ruonan , Liu Xiaofei , Wang Wei , Cao Lixin , Dong Bohua
Published: April 2021

Design of hollow nanostructure and controllable phase of mixed metal oxides for improving performance in supercapacitor applications is highly desirable. Here we demonstrate the rational design and synthesis of Mn3−xFexO4 hollow nanostructures for supercapacitor applications. Owing to high porosity and the specific surface area that provides more active sites for electrochemical reactions, the electrochemical performance of Mn3−xFexO4 hollow nanostructure substantially enhanced comparing with pristine Mn3O4. Particularly, in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, Mn0.16Fe2.84O4 with a typical diameter of 20 nm exhibits excellent specific capacitance of 2675, 2320, 1662, 987 F g−1 at current densities of 1, 2, 5, 10 A g−1, respectively, which is significantly superior to those of other transition metal oxides. Besides, an asymmetric supercapacitor is assembled by using Mn0.16Fe2.84O4 and activated carbon as a positive and a negative electrode, respectively. Electrochemical results indicate a high energy density of 42 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 0.75 kW kg−1, which makes this hollow nanostructure a highly promising electrode for achieving high‐performance next‐generation supercapacitors.
From BN‐Naphthalenes to Benzoborole Dianions
Authors: Zhu Dezhao , Guo Lulu , Li Jianfeng , Cui Chunming
Published: April 2021

The synthesis of benzoborole dianions by alkali metal reduction of BN‐naphthalene derivatives via a ring‐contraction strategy has been developed. Reduction of 1‐alkynyl 2,1‐benzazaborine 1 a in Et2O led to the elimination of alkynyllithium with the formation of 1‐amino‐1‐benzoborole trilithium salt 2 a, whereas reduction of 1‐phenyl 2,1‐benzazaborine 1 c in THF yielded 1‐phenyl‐1‐benzoborole dilithium salt 2 c with the elimination of ArNHLi. The trilithium and dilithium salts 2 a and 2 c have been fully characterized. Treatment of trilithium salt 2 a with Et3NHCl led to the selective protonation of the amino lithium to afford the dilithium salt 2 aH, which could be cleanly oxidized to 1‐amino‐1‐benzoborole 3 in an excellent yield. Reaction of 1‐phenyl‐1‐benzoborole dilithium salt 2 c with MeI yielded the lithium borate 4 c, which is luminescent both in solution and in the solid state.
Surfing the Third Wave of Ionic Liquids: A Brief Review on the Role of Surface‐Active Ionic Liquids in Drug Development and Delivery
Authors: Silva Ana Teresa , Teixeira Cátia , Marques Eduardo F. , Prudêncio Cristina , Gomes Paula , Ferraz Ricardo
Published: April 2021

The relevance of ionic liquids (ILs) is now well established in many fields, as their unique properties make them appealing as 1) greener alternatives to organic solvents (first‐generation ILs), 2) tunable task‐specific materials (second‐generation ILs), and 3) multifunctional players in life and pharmaceutical sciences (third‐generation ILs). This third wave of ILs encompasses a wide range of compounds, from bioactive molecules with single or even dual therapeutic action, to potential ingredient molecules for drug formulation and transport systems. In this context, the focus of this review is the emergent role of surface‐active ionic liquids (SAILs) in drug development and delivery.
Effects of training oncology physicians advising patients on complementary and integrative therapies on patient‐reported outcomes: A multicenter, cluster‐randomized trial
Authors: Rogge Alizé A. , Helmer Stefanie M. , King Ryan , Canella Claudia , Icke Katja , Pach Daniel , Witt Claudia M.
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Many patients with cancer do not disclose complementary medicine use but want their physician's advice on this matter. This study evaluated whether using blended learning (e‐learning plus a workshop) to train oncology physicians in providing advice on complementary and integrative medicine (CIM) therapies to their patients with cancer, in addition to distributing an information leaflet on reputable CIM websites, had different effects on patient‐reported outcomes for the consultation than only distributing the leaflet.

METHODS

In this multicenter, cluster‐randomized trial, patients from private practices/hospital departments, recruited by 48 oncology physicians randomly allocated to an intervention group (CIM consultation plus information leaflet) or a control group (information leaflet), received CIM information. Patient‐reported outcomes included satisfaction (Patient Satisfaction With Information on Cancer Treatment), readiness to make a decision (Preparation for Decision Making), and physician‐patient communication (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire and Communication 26 [EORTC QLQ‐COMU26]) for the consultation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with a physician subsample.

RESULTS

A total of 291 patients (128 in the intervention group and 169 in the control group) advised by 41 physicians participated. Patients in the intervention group rated physician‐patient communication higher on all EORTC QLQ‐COMU26 scales (mean total score, 84.3 [95% CI, 79.5‐89.2] vs 73.6 [95% CI, 69.3‐78.0]; P = .002), were more satisfied with the advice (mean, 4.2 [95% CI, 4.0‐4.4] vs 3.7 [95% CI, 3.5‐3.8]; P < .001), and were readier to make a decision (mean, 63.5 [95% CI, 57.4‐69.6] vs 53.2 [95% CI, 47.8‐58.7]; P = .016) than the control group. Physicians who reported patients in both settings seemed satisfied with the advice given.

CONCLUSIONS

This study evaluated a novel education intervention for training oncology physicians in providing CIM advice in routine care. Providing structured CIM consultations had positive effects on patient satisfaction, readiness to make decisions, and physician‐patient communication.
Operationalizing alliance rupture–repair events using control chart methods
Authors: Lipner Lauren M. , Muran J. Christopher , Eubanks Catherine F. , Gorman Bernard S. , Winston Arnold
Published: April 2021

This study aimed to determine how control charts—a form of time‐series line graphs—can be implemented in psychotherapy research to indirectly identify probable rupture–repair episodes that are associated with psychotherapy outcome. There is no current standard in psychotherapy research with regard to how to use control charts to identify rupture–repair events. Control charts were generated for each patient (N = 73) using patient‐rated Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) scores obtained at the end of every session in a 30‐session therapy protocol of either brief relational therapy (BRT) or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Empirically derived cut‐off points were used to identify rupture and repair based on each dyad's control chart. Coded rupture–repair episodes were correlated with outcome measures to assess for their relationships. The results of these analyses provide preliminary support for the utility of control charts in psychotherapy research for the indirect identification of probable rupture repair events that are associated with psychotherapy outcome.
Chloroplast Transformation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ruf Stephanie , Kroop Xenia , Bock Ralph
Published: April 2021

Plastids (chloroplasts) are the defining organelles of plants and eukaryotic algae. In addition to performing photosynthesis, plastids harbor numerous other metabolic pathways and therefore are often referred to as the biosynthetic center of the plant cell. The chloroplasts of seed plants possess dozens of copies of a circular genome of ∼150 kb that contains a conserved set of 120 to 130 genes. The engineering of this genome by genetic transformation is technically challenging and currently only possible in a small number of species. In this article, we describe the methods involved in generating stable chloroplast‐transformed (transplastomic) plants in the model species Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). The protocols presented here can be applied to (1) target genes in the Arabidopsis chloroplast genome by reverse genetics and (2) express reporter genes or other foreign genes of interest in plastids of Arabidopsis plants. © 2021 The Authors.

Basic Protocol 1: Generation of root‐derived microcallus material for biolistic transformation

Basic Protocol 2: Chloroplast transformation by biolistic bombardment of root‐derived microcalli

Basic Protocol 3: Regeneration of transplastomic lines and seed production
Desiccation of corn allows earlier direct seeding of winter camelina in the northern Corn Belt
Authors: Gesch Russ W. , Wells M. Scott , Hard Alexander
Published: April 2021

In the U.S. Upper Midwest where growing seasons are short, establishing winter annual cover crops following corn (Zea maysL.) is challenging. Winter camelina [Camelina sativa(L.) Crantz] shows promise as a winter annual cover crop that can be dual cropped with soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.] to help diversify the corn–soybean rotation. This 2‐yr field study in southern and western Minnesota evaluated desiccating corn with a preharvest aid to hasten its dry‐down and hence harvest so that camelina could be no‐till drilled in a timely manner. We hypothesized that direct drilling camelina following corn harvest would improve establishment and yields. Sodium chlorate was applied as a desiccant to corn at early (D1) and mid‐R5 (D2) and physiological maturity (D3) stages of development, including an untreated check. The D1 and D2 treatments hastened corn harvest by 1 to 3 wk compared with the check. Corn grain yields were unaffected by the D2 and D3 treatments, but significantly declined by 16% in D1. Camelina seed yield did not differ among desiccation treatments and averaged 815 kg ha−1across both locations with an average oil content of 385 g ka−1. Desiccating corn hastened its harvest allowing more time to drill‐seed camelina, thus improving establishment. However, more work is needed to improve management and genetics of winter camelina for use as a cash cover crop in corn systems.