bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adipogenesis in triple-negative breast cancer is associated with unfavorable tumor immune microenvironment and with worse survival
Authors: Oshi Masanori , Tokumaru Yoshihisa , Angarita Fernando A. , Lee Lan , Yan Li , Matsuyama Ryusei , Endo Itaru , Takabe Kazuaki
Published: June 2021

Cancer-associated adipocytes are known to cause inflammation; however, the role of adipogenesis, the formation of adipocytes, in breast cancer is unclear. We hypothesized that intra-tumoral adipogenesis reflects a different cancer biology than abundance of intra-tumoral adipocytes. The Molecular Signatures Database Hallmark adipogenesis gene set of gene set variant analysis was used to quantify adipogenesis. Total of 5,098 breast cancer patients in multiple cohorts (training; GSE96058 (n = 3273), validation; TCGA (n = 1069), treatment response; GSE25066 (n = 508) and GSE20194 (n = 248)) were analyzed. Adipogenesis did not correlate with abundance of adipocytes. Adipogenesis was significantly lower in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Elevated adipogenesis was significantly associated with worse survival in TNBC, but not in the other subtypes. High adipogenesis TNBC was significantly associated with low homologous recombination deficiency, but not with mutation load. High adipogenesis TNBC enriched metabolism-related gene sets, but neither of cell proliferation- nor inflammation-related gene sets, which were enriched to adipocytes. High adipogenesis TNBC was infiltrated with low CD8+ T cells and high M2 macrophages. Although adipogenesis was not associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy response, high adipogenesis TNBC was significantly associated with low expression of PD-L1 and PD-L2 genes, and immune checkpoint molecules index. In conclusion, adipogenesis in TNBC was associated with cancer metabolism and unfavorable tumor immune microenvironment, which is different from abundance of adipocytes.
Potential risk of disease modifying therapies on neoplasm development and coadjutant factors in multiple sclerosis outpatients
Authors: Gil-Bernal Rosalía , González-Caballero Juan Luis , Espinosa-Rosso Raúl , Gómez-Gómez Carmen
Published: June 2021

Neoplasm development in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients treated with disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) has been widely discussed. The aim of this work is to determine neoplasm frequency, relationship with the prescription pattern of DMTs, and influence of the patients’ baseline characteristics. Data from 250 MS outpatients were collected during the period 1981–2019 from the medical records of the Neurology Service of the HUPM (Hospital Universitario Puerta del Mar)—in Southern Spain—and analysed using Cox models. Neoplasm prevalence was 24%, mainly located on the skin, with cancer prevalence as expected for MS (6.8%). Latency period from MS onset to neoplasm diagnosis was 10.4 ± 6.9 years (median 9.30 [0.9–30.5]). During the observation period β-IFN (70.4% of patients), glatiramer acetate (30.4%), natalizumab (16.8%), fingolimod (24.8%), dimethyl fumarate (24.0%), alemtuzumab (6.0%), and teriflunomide (4.8%) were administered as monotherapy. Change of pattern in step therapy was significantly different in cancer patients vs unaffected individuals (p = 0.011) (29.4% did not receive DMTs [p = 0.000]). Extended Cox model: Smoking (HR = 3.938, CI 95% 1.392–11.140, p = 0.010), being female (HR = 2.006, 1.070–3.760, p = 0.030), and age at MS diagnosis (AGE-DG) (HR = 1.036, 1.012–1.061, p = 0.004) were risk factors for neoplasm development. Secondary progressive MS (SPMS) phenotype (HR = 0.179, 0.042–0.764, p = 0.020) and treatment-time with IFN (HR = 0.923, 0.873–0.977, p = 0.006) or DMF (HR = 0.725, 0.507–1.036, p = 0.077) were protective factors. Tobacco and IFN lost their negative/positive influence as survival time increased. Cox PH model: Tobacco/AGE-DG interaction was a risk factor for cancer (HR = 1.099, 1.001–1.208, p = 0.049), followed by FLM treatment-time (HR = 1.219, 0.979–1.517). In conclusion, smoking, female sex, and AGE-DG were risk factors, and SPMS and IFN treatment-time were protective factors for neoplasm development; smoking/AGE-DG interaction was the main cancer risk factor.
Optimization of fins arrangements for the square light emitting diode (LED) cooling through nanofluid-filled microchannel
Authors: Hamida Mohamed Bechir Ben , Hatami Mohammad
Published: June 2021

In current paper, a finned micro-channel is designed for the cooling application in Light Emitting Diode (LED), numerically using Galerkin weighted residual Finite Element Method (GFEM). Selected materials for LED-chip is GaN, Die from Si, Die-attach is made by Au-20Sn, substrate is copper and heat sink material is considered to be Al. To make a convection heat transfer for cooling process, Al2O3-water nanofluid is used as the cooling fluid flow through the micro-channel and tried to maximize the heat transfer efficiency by optimized geometry. For this aim, there geometry variables from the microchannel were selected and minimum possible geometry cases (11 cases) were proposed by Central composite design (CCD) and variables were optimized by the Response Surface Method (RSM). As a main result, parameter B, i.e. fin length had the most effect on the Nusselt number and Al2O3 nanoparticles with φ = 0.05 stated greatest heat transfer value. Also, different designs of fins arrangements, caused up to 6.5% increase in the nanofluid temperature which enhanced the LED cooling process.
Lateral migration resistance of screw is essential in evaluating bone screw stability of plate fixation
Authors: Feng Xiaoreng , Qi Weichen , Zhang Teng , Fang Christian , Liang Hongfeng , Chen Bin , Leung Frankie
Published: June 2021

Conventional evaluation of the stability of bone screws focuses on pullout strength, while neglecting lateral migration resistance. We measured pullout strength and lateral migration resistance of bone screws and determined how these characteristics relate to screw stability of locking plate (LP) and dynamic compression plate (DCP) fixation. Pullout strength and lateral migration resistance of individual bone screws with buttress, square, and triangular thread designs were evaluated in polyurethane foam blocks. The screw types with superior performance in each of these characteristics were selected. LP and DCP fixations were constructed using the selected screws and tested under cyclic craniocaudal and torsional loadings. Subsequently, the association between individual screws’ biomechanical characteristics and fixation stability when applied to plates was established. Screws with triangular threads had superior pullout strength, while screws with square threads demonstrated the highest lateral migration resistance; they were selected for LP and DCP fixations. LPs with square-threaded screws required a larger force and more cycles to trigger the same amount of displacement under both craniocaudal and torsional loadings. Screws with triangular and square threads showed no difference in DCP fixation stability under craniocaudal loading. However, under torsional loading, DCP fixation with triangular-threaded screws demonstrated superior fixation stability. Lateral migration resistance is the primary contributor to locking screw fixation stability when applied to an LP in resisting both craniocaudal and torsional loading. For compression screws applied to a DCP, lateral migration resistance and pullout strength work together to resist craniocaudal loading, while pullout strength is the primary contributor to the ability to resist torsional loading.
Realistic high-resolution lateral cephalometric radiography generated by progressive growing generative adversarial network and quality evaluations
Authors: Kim Mingyu , Kim Sungchul , Kim Minjee , Bae Hyun-Jin , Park Jae-Woo , Kim Namkug
Published: June 2021

Realistic image generation is valuable in dental medicine, but still challenging for generative adversarial networks (GANs), which require large amounts of data to overcome the training instability. Thus, we generated lateral cephalogram X-ray images using a deep-learning-based progressive growing GAN (PGGAN). The quality of generated images was evaluated by three methods. First, signal-to-noise ratios of real/synthesized images, evaluated at the posterior arch region of the first cervical vertebra, showed no statistically significant difference (t-test, p = 0.211). Second, the results of an image Turing test, conducted by non-orthodontists and orthodontists for 100 randomly chosen images, indicated that they had difficulty in distinguishing whether the image was real or synthesized. Third, cephalometric tracing with 42 landmark points detection, performed on real and synthesized images by two expert orthodontists, showed consistency with mean difference of 2.08 ± 1.02 mm. Furthermore, convolutional neural network-based classification tasks were used to classify skeletal patterns using a real dataset with class imbalance and a dataset balanced with synthesized images. The classification accuracy for the latter case was increased by 1.5%/3.3% at internal/external test sets, respectively. Thus, the cephalometric images generated by PGGAN are sufficiently realistic and have potential to application in various fields of dental medicine.
Revealing the mystery of the cases where Nd–Fe–B magnetic like poles attract each other
Authors: Meng Hui , Tang Guiping , Shen Abby , Qian Michelle , Wei Qifeng , Mizzell George , Chen Christina H.
Published: June 2021

This investigation reveals the mystery of the cases where magnetic like poles attract each other, and unlike poles repel one another. It is identified that for two unequally sized like poles, the pole with a higherPc(permeance coefficient) causes a localized demagnetization (LD) to the pole with a lowerPc. If theLDis large enough, the polarity of a localized area can be reversed, resulting in an attraction between these two like poles in theLDarea in a small gap. Two unusual behaviors are observed: (1) an inflection pointIPappears on the force vs gap curves of all the unequally sized like poles since they have differentPc. Normally, the like poles’ repelling force increases when the gap decreases, but thisIPresults in nonmonotonic curves, even an attractive force in a small gap; (2) for some NdFeB magnets with a low coercivity and nonlinear B–H curve in the 2nd quadrant, a repulsion can occur for these unequal sized unlike poles, after previously pairing with their like poles that left an unrecoverableLDand reversed polarity area. The relationship of theLD, thePcratio, and the B–H curve are also explored in this paper.
Three-dimensional platinum nanoparticle-based bridges for ammonia gas sensing
Authors: Isaac Nishchay A. , Reiprich Johannes , Schlag Leslie , Moreira Pedro H. O. , Baloochi Mostafa , Raheja Vishal A. , Hess Anna-Lena , Centeno Luis F. , Ecke Gernot , Pezoldt Jörg , Jacobs Heiko O.
Published: June 2021

This study demonstrates the fabrication of self-aligning three-dimensional (3D) platinum bridges for ammonia gas sensing using gas-phase electrodeposition. This deposition scheme can guide charged nanoparticles to predetermined locations on a surface with sub-micrometer resolution. A shutter-free deposition is possible, preventing the use of additional steps for lift-off and improving material yield. This method uses a spark discharge-based platinum nanoparticle source in combination with sequentially biased surface electrodes and charged photoresist patterns on a glass substrate. In this way, the parallel growth of multiple sensing nodes, in this case 3D self-aligning nanoparticle-based bridges, is accomplished. An array containing 360 locally grown bridges made out of 5 nm platinum nanoparticles is fabricated. The high surface-to-volume ratio of the 3D bridge morphology enables fast response and room temperature operated sensing capabilities. The bridges are preconditioned for ~ 24 h in nitrogen gas before being used for performance testing, ensuring drift-free sensor performance. In this study, platinum bridges are demonstrated to detect ammonia (NH3) with concentrations between 1400 and 100 ppm. The sensing mechanism, response times, cross-sensitivity, selectivity, and sensor stability are discussed. The device showed a sensor response of ~ 4% at 100 ppm NH3 with a 70% response time of 8 min at room temperature.
Protective role of ABCA1 in ischemic preconditioning is mediated by downregulation of miR-33-5p and miR-135-5p
Authors: Sung Hye Youn , Choi Eun Nam , Han Jihye , Chae Yun Ju , Im Sun-Wha , Kim Hee-Sun , Park Eun-Mi , Ahn Jung-Hyuck
Published: June 2021

Ischemic preconditioning (IPC) significantly reduces ischemia–reperfusion injury in the brain by inducing ischemic tolerance. Although emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to the pathogenesis of brain ischemia and IPC-induced neuroprotection, the role of miRNAs and their underlying mechanisms are still unclear. IPC was induced in male C57BL/6 mice by brief bilateral common carotid artery occlusion. After 24 h, mice underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion. Expression levels of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and proteins were examined in the ipsilateral cortex, and mimics and inhibitors of selective miRNAs were transfected into Neuro-2a cells before oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). Post-IPC miRNA expression profiling identified neuroprotection-associated changes in miRNA expression in the ipsilateral cortex after ischemic stroke. Among them, miR-33-5p and miR-135b-5p were significantly downregulated by IPC. Inhibition of miR-33-5p and miR-135b-5p expression protected Neuro-2a cells from OGD-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of these two miRNAs significantly increased mRNA and protein levels of ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 (ABCA1), and a binding assay showed that these two miRNAs showed specificity for Abca1 mRNA. Overexpression of ABCA1 decreased the Bax/Bcl2 mRNA ratio and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, whereas knockdown of ABCA1 expression increased the Bax/Bcl2 mRNA ratio and the percentage of Neuro-2a cells with a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential after OGD-treatment. In conclusion, ABCA1 expression is regulated by miR-33-5p and miR-135b-5p. Increased ABCA1 expression following IPC exerts a protective influence against cerebral ischemia via suppression of a mitochondria-dependent apoptosis pathway.
Determining the effect of aging, recovery time, and post-stroke memantine treatment on delayed thalamic gliosis after cortical infarct
Authors: Kim Gab Seok , Stephenson Jessica M. , Al Mamun Abdullah , Wu Ting , Goss Monica G. , Min Jia-Wei , Li Jun , Liu Fudong , Marrelli Sean P.
Published: June 2021

Secondary injury following cortical stroke includes delayed gliosis and eventual neuronal loss in the thalamus. However, the effects of aging and the potential to ameliorate this gliosis with NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonism are not established. We used the permanent distal middle cerebral artery stroke model (pdMCAO) to examine secondary thalamic injury in young and aged mice. At 3 days post-stroke (PSD3), slight microgliosis (IBA-1) and astrogliosis (GFAP) was evident in thalamus, but no infarct. Gliosis increased dramatically through PSD14, at which point degenerating neurons were detected. Flow cytometry demonstrated a significant increase in CD11b+/CD45int microglia (MG) in the ipsilateral thalamus at PSD14. CCR2-RFP reporter mouse further demonstrated that influx of peripheral monocytes contributed to the MG/Mϕ population. Aged mice demonstrated reduced microgliosis and astrogliosis compared with young mice. Interestingly, astrogliosis demonstrated glial scar-like characteristics at two years post-stroke, but not by 6 weeks. Lastly, treatment with memantine (NMDAR antagonist) at 4 and 24 h after stroke significantly reduced gliosis at PSD14. These findings expand our understanding of gliosis in the thalamus following cortical stroke and demonstrate age-dependency of this secondary injury. Additionally, these findings indicate that delayed treatment with memantine (an FDA approved drug) provides significant reduction in thalamic gliosis.
Capitalizing on transcriptome profiling to optimize and identify targets for promoting early murine folliculogenesis in vitro
Authors: Jones Andrea , Bernabé Beatriz Peñalver , Padmanabhan Vasantha , Li Jun , Shikanov Ariella
Published: June 2021

In vitro ovarian follicle culture is an active area of research towards providing fertility options for survivors of childhood cancer. Late-stage murine follicles (multilayer secondary and onwards) can be cultured successfully to maturity to obtain a meiotically competent oocyte for fertilization, but primordial and primary follicles usually die in culture because many key components of early follicle development are still unknown and difficult to mimic in vitro. To engineer a biomimetic three-dimensional culture system with high efficacy and reproducibility for the clinic, detailed mechanisms of early folliculogenesis must be uncovered. Previous studies have shown that primary murine follicles co-cultured in groups, in contrast to single follicles cultured in isolation, can reach preovulatory size and produce competent oocytes, but the factors accounting for the synergy of follicle co-culture are still unknown. To probe the underlying mechanisms of successful follicle co-culture, we conducted a time-course experiment for murine follicles encapsulated in 0.3% alginate hydrogels and compared between two conditions: groups of 5 (5X) versus groups of 10 (10X). For every 2 days during the course of 12 days, follicles were dissociated and somatic cells were isolated for microarray-based gene expression analysis (n = 380 follicles for 5X and n = 430 follicles for 10X). Gene activities in follicles co-cultured in larger groups (10X) had a distinct transcriptomic profile of key genes and pathways such as prolactin signaling and angiogenesis-related genes when compared to cells from follicles co-cultured in the smaller cohort (5X). To benchmark the results for follicles grown in culture, we compared our microarray data to data from murine follicles freshly isolated from the ovary at comparable stages of development previously published by Bernabé et al. Comparison of these datasets identified similarities and differences between folliculogenesis in the native microenvironment and the engineered in vitro system. A more detailed understanding of follicle growth in vitro will not only allow for better culture methods but also advance the field towards providing improved fertility options for survivors of childhood cancer.
Characteristics and adverse outcomes of Chinese adolescent pregnancies between 2012 and 2019
Authors: Xie Yanxia , Wang Xiaodong , Mu Yi , Liu Zheng , Wang Yanping , Li Xiaohong , Dai Li , Li Qi , Li Mingrong , Chen Peiran , Zhu Jun , Liang Juan
Published: June 2021

We aimed to describe the characteristics of adolescent pregnancy, determine its effect on adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes and explore whether that association varies with gestational age with the goal of proposing specific recommendations for adolescent health in China. This study included 2,366,559 women aged 10–24 years who had singleton pregnancies between 2012 and 2019 at 438 hospitals. Adolescent pregnancy was defined as younger than 20 years of age. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the effects. Women aged 20–24 years served as the reference group in all analyses. The proportion of rural girls with adolescent pregnancies rebounded after 2015 even though common-law marriage in rural areas decreased. Higher risks of eclampsia (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57 ~ 2.23), severe anaemia (aOR 1.18, 95% CI 1.09 ~ 1.28), maternal near miss (MNM; aOR 1.24, 95% CI 1.12 ~ 1.37), and small for gestational age (SGA; aOR 1.30, 95% CI 1.28 ~ 1.33) were observed when gestational age was > 37 weeks. Adolescent pregnancy was independently associated with increased risks of other perinatal outcomes. Further implementation of pregnancy prevention strategies and improved health care interventions are needed to reduce adolescent pregnancies and prevent adverse fertility outcomes among adolescent women in China at a time when adolescent fertility rate is rebounding.
Outcomes of 207 totally extraperitoneal hernia repairs using self-fixation mesh
Authors: Girón Felipe , Hernandez Juan David , Linares Juan David , Ricaurte Alberto , García Andres Mauricio , Rueda-Esteban Roberto Javier , Rodríguez Lina , Nassar Ricardo
Published: June 2021

Inguinal hernia (IH) repair is one of the most common procedures in general surgery around the world. Minimizing postoperative acute and chronic pain without increasing recurrence has been a critical point, giving place to different strategies like self-fixation mesh. The current study aimed to describe a group of patients who underwent IH repair by Totally Extraperitoneal (TEP) technique with self-gripping mesh at a fourth level hospital between 2012 and 2019. Retrospective review of a prospectively collected database including patients who underwent laparoscopic TEP approach with self-fixation mesh for IH repair. Follow up data was obtained at 12, 24, 36, 48, and 60 months post surgical intervention. 207 hernia repairs were performed in 142 patients, with a total of 66 patients with bilateral IH. 10.6% required hospitalization due to either concomitant procedure performed or cardiovascular comorbidities, with a mean hospital stay of 1.6 days. Median and late follow up was up to 5 years. 88.9% of patients complete a year, 86% two years, and 36.7% with a 5 year follow-up. IH repair using the TEP technique and self-fixation mesh showed to be an excellent approach, demonstrating satisfactory results in follow up and complications.
Evaluation of the anti-biofilm effect of poloxamer-based thermoreversible gel of silver nanoparticles as a potential medication for root canal therapy
Authors: Liu Ting , Aman Aerdake , Ainiwaer Muniremu , Ding Liang , Zhang Fei , Hu Qingang , Song Yuxian , Ni Yanhong , Tang Xuna
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this study was to design silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) poloxamer thermoreversible gel (AgNPs-PL) and investigate whether this gel could provide sustained antibacterial activity against Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in the root canal. The gels fabricated were characterized in terms of gelatin temperature, particle size, in-vitro Ag+ release, and elemental content. Cytotoxicity of AgNPs-PL on primary human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPDLFs) was examined by CCK-8 assay. Characterization of AgNPs-PL gel revealed that it contained particles existing as large clumps/fused aggregates of different shapes, with a mean diameter of 21.624 ± 14.689 nm, exhibited sustained release of Ag+ for 9 days, and non-toxic to HPDLFs at a low dose (4–32 μg/mL) through 24, 48, and 72 h exposures. The antibacterial effect of 16 and 32 μg/mL concentrations of AgNPs-PL was compared with blank poloxamer gel (PL) and calcium hydroxide (CH) using three methods: (I) agar counting plate, (II) scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations, and (III) confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) analysis. AgNPs-PL at the two doses above was more effective than PL and CH in removing E. faecalis biofilm at 1, 3, 9 days. Thus, AgNPs-PL exhibits strong activity against E. faecalis and is easy to produce, with a continuous release profile of Ag+. AgNPs-PL gel may be a candidate for a new root canal disinfection.
Bioinformatic profiling identifies prognosis-related genes in the immune microenvironment of endometrial carcinoma
Authors: Cheng Pu , Ma Jiong , Zheng Xia , Zhou Chunxia , Chen Xuejun
Published: June 2021

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common malignancy of female genital system which exhibits a unique immune profile. It is a promising strategy to quantify immune patterns of EC for predicting prognosis and therapeutic efficiency. Here, we attempted to identify the possible immune microenvironment-related prognostic markers of EC. We obtained the RNA sequencing and corresponding clinical data of EC from TCGA database. Then, 3 immune scores based on the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm were computed. Correlation between above ESTIMATE scores and other immune-related scores, molecular subtypes, prognosis, and gene mutation status (including BRCA and TP53) were further analyzed. Afterwards, gene modules associated with the ESTIMATE scores were screened out through hierarchical clustering analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Differentially expressed analysis was performed and genes shared by the most relevant modules were found out. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was conducted to explore the biological functions of those genes. Survival analysis was carried out to identify prognostic immune-related genes and GSE17025 database was further used to confirm the correlation between immune-related genes and the ImmuneScore. The immune-related scores based on ESTIMATE algorithm was closely related to the immune microenvironment of EC. 3 gene modules that had the closest correlations with 3 ESTIMATE scores were obtained. 109 immune-related genes were preliminarily found out and 29 pathways were significantly enriched, most of which were associated with immune response. Univariate survival analysis revealed that there were 14 genes positively associated with both OS and PFS. Among which, 11 genes showed marked correlations with ImmuneScore values in GSE17025 database. Our current study profiled the immune status and identified 14 novel immune-related prognostic biomarkers for EC. Our findings may help to investigate the complicated tumor microenvironment and develop novel individualized therapeutic targets for EC.
Syntheses of mono-acylated luteolin derivatives, evaluation of their antiproliferative and radical scavenging activities and implications on their oral bioavailability
Authors: Lo Stephen , Leung Euphemia , Fedrizzi Bruno , Barker David
Published: June 2021

Luteolin is a flavonoid found in a wide range of plant materials, including commonly eaten fruits and vegetables. It displays a wide range of biological activities but is known to have poor bioavailability. In this study, ten different mono-acyl (nine 5-O-acyl and one 7-O-acyl) derivatives of luteolin were synthesised for the purpose of improving bioactivity and bioavailability, and therefore enhance their therapeutic potential. The antiproliferative activity of these derivatives was assessed against the HCT116 colon cancer and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell lines using a 3[H] thymidine incorporation assay. The radical scavenging activity of these derivatives against 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical using Trolox as a standard, was also assessed. Some of these derivatives were found to have improved antiproliferative activity with comparable radical scavenging activity compared to luteolin. Increased lipophilicity has been shown to increase the bioavailability of flavonoids implying these analogues will also have increased bioavailability.
A simple and efficient in situ generated copper nanocatalyst for stereoselective semihydrogenation of alkynes
Authors: Park Byoung Yong , Lim Taeho , Han Min Su
Published: June 2021

A simple and practical method for (Z)-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes was developed using an in situ generated copper nanocatalyst.
Proton conductivities of four low dimensional MOFs: affected by the amount of chelated ligands
Authors: Zhou Chuan-Cong , Liu Hou-Ting , Ding Li , Lu Jing , Wang Su-Na , Li Yun-Wu
Published: June 2021

The smaller the proportion of the chelated ligand, the more water molecules in the compound, which increases the chance of forming continuous hydrogen bonds, enhances the water absorption ability, and improves the proton conductivity of the compound.
An efficient method for generating property-energy consistent basis sets. New pecJ-n (n = 1, 2) basis sets for high-quality calculations of indirect nuclear spin–spin coupling constants involving 1H, 13C, 15N, and 19F nuclei
Authors: Rusakov Yuriy Yu. , Rusakova Irina L.
Published: June 2021

A new method of generating property-energy consistent (PEC) basis sets is presented. New J-oriented basis sets, pecJ-n (n = 1, 2) are obtained with the introduced PEC method.
The interaction between gut microbiota and flavonoid extract from Smilax glabra Roxb. and its potent alleviation of fatty liver
Authors: Zhao Lei , Qi Ziyan , Yi Ling , Li Jingjing , Cui Yadong , Ur Rehman Faiz , Yang Jianhua , Liu Jiangyun , Li Yali , Zhang Jian
Published: June 2021

The flavonoid extract from Smilax glabra Roxb. (FSGR) and its metabolites probably could be used as prebiotic agents to impede gut dysbiosis and fatty liver-related metabolic disorders.
Potential hypoglycemic metabolites in dark tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum based on UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combining global metabolomic and spectrum–effect relationship analyses
Authors: Xiang Xingliang , Su Chao , Shi Qingxin , Wu Jiani , Zeng ZhaoXiang , Zhang Lijun , Jin Shuna , Huang Rongzeng , Gao Tiexiang , Song Chengwu
Published: June 2021

Potential hypoglycemic metabolites of dark tea fermented by Eurotium cristatum were screened and demonstrated using UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS combining global metabolomic and spectrum–effect relationship analyses.
Promotion of feather waste recycling by enhancing the reducing power and keratinase activity of Streptomyces sp. SCUT-3
Authors: Liang Shuang , Deng Jun-Jin , Zhang Ming-Shu , Luo Zi-Yang , Lu Wen-Jun , Lu De-Lin , Mao He-Hua , Li Zhi-Wei , Li Jia-Zhou , Luo Xiao-Chun
Published: June 2021

Solid-state fermentation achieved with cdo1 and sep39 co-overexpression in Streptomyces efficiently recycles feather waste with great economic and ecological benefits.
Electrochemical synthesis of a new Bi(iii) complex by anodic oxidation of Bi in an aqueous solution of 4-toluenesulfonic acid
Authors: Zahariev Alexander , Tzaneva Boriana , Kaloyanov Nikolay , Marcheva Yordanka , Parvanova Veneta , Girginov Christian
Published: June 2021

A new complex with a composition [Bi6O4(OH)4](C7H7SO3)6 is formed on a bismuth plate via electrochemical synthesis at 1.0 V anodic polarization in 0.5 M p-toluenesulfonic acid.
Fluorinated solvent-assisted photocatalytic aerobic oxidative amidation of alcohols via visible-light-mediated HKUST-1/Cs-POMoW catalysis
Authors: Karimi Meghdad , Sadeghi Samira , Mohebali Haleh , Azarkhosh Zahra , Safarifard Vahid , Mahjoub Alireza , Heydari Akbar
Published: June 2021

Successful synthesis and characterization of HKUST-1/Cs-POMoW binary composite, and application in the photocatalytic aerobic oxidative amidation reaction of alcohols under light illuminating in the visible region.
Two-dimensional oxide quasicrystal approximants with tunable electronic and magnetic properties
Authors: Dorini Thiago Trevizam , Brix Florian , Chatelier Corentin , Kokalj Anton , Gaudry Émilie
Published: June 2021

Electronics effects are at play in the stability and properties of two-dimensional oxide quasicrystalline approximants.
Triazine-based porous organic polymers with enhanced electronegativity as multifunctional separator coatings in lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Zhao Jinchen , Yan Gaojie , Hu Zongjie , Zhang Xiaojie , Shi Jingjing , Jiang Xiaoxia
Published: June 2021

The commercialization of lithium–sulfur batteries is seriously affected by the shuttle behavior and slow conversion kinetics of polysulfides.
Boosting cancer therapy efficiency via photoinduced radical production
Authors: Liu Zhiyong , Wu Mengsi , Lan Minbo , Zhang Weian
Published: June 2021

An iodized polymer-based radical nanogenerator, PI/FBC, with strong NIR emission was prepared for NIR-mediated hypoxia-irrelevant tumor therapy.
Coexistence of magnetic and electric orderings in a divalent Cr2+-based multiaxial molecular ferroelectric
Authors: Ai Yong , Sun Rong , Zeng Yu-Ling , Liu Jun-Chao , Tang Yuan-Yuan , Wang Bing-Wu , Wang Zhe-Ming , Gao Song , Xiong Ren-Gen
Published: June 2021

An organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite Trimethylchloromethylammonium chromium(ii) chloride (TMCM–CrCl3) can simultaneously show excellent ferroelectricity and antiferromagnetism, which is the first experimentally confirmed Cr2+-based multiferroic material.
Modulation of amyloid-β aggregation by metal complexes with a dual binding mode and their delivery across the blood–brain barrier using focused ultrasound
Authors: Chan Tiffany G. , Ruehl Carmen L. , Morse Sophie V. , Simon Michelle , Rakers Viktoria , Watts Helena , Aprile Francesco A. , Choi James J. , Vilar Ramon
Published: June 2021

We report a series of non-toxic cobalt(iii) complexes which inhibit Aβ peptide aggregationin vitro; these complexes can be safely delivered across the blood–brain barrier in mice using focused ultrasound.
Non-metal with metal behavior: metal-free coordination-insertion ring-opening polymerization
Authors: Wang Xin , Xu Jiaxi , Li Zhenjiang , Liu Jingjing , Sun Jie , Hadjichristidis Nikos , Guo Kai
Published: June 2021

The first metal-free “coordination-insertion” ROP of cyclic carbonate and lactones mediated by N-trimethylsilyl-bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TMSNTf2) was proposed, which in the past was exclusively the monopoly of metal complex catalysts.
A molecular twist on hydrophobicity
Authors: Gómez Sara , Rojas-Valencia Natalia , Gómez Santiago A. , Cappelli Chiara , Merino Gabriel , Restrepo Albeiro
Published: June 2021

Notwithstanding the very weak nature of individual contacts, it is the cumulative effect of a large number of interactions (green NCI surfaces) which provides macroscopic stability to the interfaces.
A novel and selective silk fibroin fragmentation method
Authors: Agostinacchio Francesca , Maniglio Devid , Callone Emanuela , Migliaresi Claudio , Dirè Sandra , Motta Antonella
Published: June 2021

Silk fibroin precise cleavage on specific amino acid sites using collagenase type G enzyme leads to precise silk fibroin fragmentation and, thus, lower molecular weight materials whose length and properties can be tuned with the enzyme concentration.
Electrophoresis-microwave synthesis of S,N-doped graphene foam for high-performance supercapacitors
Authors: Wang Wenqiang , Zhang Wenyi , Wang Gengchao , Li Chunzhong
Published: June 2021

An integrated method of electrochemical-coagulation-type electrophoretic deposition and microwave treatment is proposed to prepare a customizable graphene foam.
Dual crosslinked metallopolymers using orthogonal metal complexes as rewritable shape-memory polymers
Authors: Meurer Josefine , Bätz Thomas , Hniopek Julian , Zechel Stefan , Schmitt Michael , Popp Jürgen , Hager Martin D. , Schubert Ulrich S.
Published: June 2021

This study presents shape-memory metallopolymers based on weak histidine and strong terpyridine complexes. The use of two different salts results in seperated activation temperatures, allowing the very good shape-memory process and rewriting.
Construction of atomically dispersed Cu sites and S vacancies on CdS for enhanced photocatalytic CO2reduction
Authors: Cao Heng , Xue Jiawei , Wang Zhiyu , Dong Jingjing , Li Wenjie , Wang Ruyang , Sun Song , Gao Chen , Tan Yisheng , Zhu Xiaodi , Bao Jun
Published: June 2021

Cu–Cd cation exchange introduced active sites on CdS, which promoted CO2adsorption and activation.
Formation and operating mechanisms of single-crystalline perovskite NaNbO3 nanocubes/few-layered Nb2CTx MXene hybrids towards Li-ion capacitors
Authors: Qin Li , Liu Yang , Zhu Shuhao , Wu Dongxu , Wang Guangyuan , Zhang Jinyang , Wang Yuyan , Hou Linrui , Yuan Changzhou
Published: June 2021

Single-crystalline perovskite NaNbO3 nanocubes/f-Nb2CTx hybrids are smartly fabricated as high-rate anodes towards advanced lithium-ion capacitors, along with unveiling the formation process and operating mechanisms.
Room-temperature near-infrared whispering-gallery-mode lasing from two-dimensional CdSe microplates
Authors: Kong Lei , Mi Yang , Liang Weizheng , Luo Sheng-Nian
Published: June 2021

Room-temperature WGM lasing is achieved in regular polygonal CdSe microplates with a typical threshold of ~38.4 μJ cm−2 and spectra coherence of ~0.95 nm. Due to stronger light confinement, the hexagonal microplates show better lasing performance.
n-Type organic semiconducting polymers: stability limitations, design considerations and applications
Authors: Griggs Sophie , Marks Adam , Bristow Helen , McCulloch Iain
Published: June 2021

This review summarises high performing n-type polymers for use in organic thin film transistors, organic electrochemical transistors and organic thermoelectric devices with a focus on stability issues arising in these electron transporting materials.
Characteristics of Effective Auditory Training: Implications From Two Training Programs That Successfully Trained Nonnative Cantonese Tone Identification in Monolingual Mandarin and Bilingual Mandarin–Taiwanese Tone Speakers
Authors: Wong Puisan , Lam Ka Yu
Published: June 2021

Purpose

Auditory training is important in pedagogical and clinical settings. In search of a more effective perceptual program for training new suprasegmental categories, this study examined the effect of two auditory programs that incorporated five elements that have previously been identified to be effective for training nonnative segmental and suprasegmental speech sounds on the identification of a complex foreign lexical tone system (Cantonese) that contrasts both pitch shapes and pitch heights. To investigate the training outcomes in learners with different tonal systems, monolingual Mandarin-speaking learners who have a smaller native tonal system that contrasts pitch shapes only and bilingual Mandarin-Taiwanese–speaking learners who have a larger native tonal system that contrasts both pitch shapes and pitch heights were recruited for training.

Method

Thirty Mandarin-speaking monolinguals and 33 Mandarin-Taiwanese–speaking bilinguals in Taiwan were randomly assigned to two training programs, one with different tones and the other with the same tone preceding the target words in the same training block, and received six 90-min training sessions within 2 weeks. They took a Cantonese Tone Identification Test before training and after each training session. Twenty Cantonese native speakers in Hong Kong served as the reference group and took the same Cantonese Tone Identification Test.

Results

The two training programs were equally effective. Before training, the monolinguals performed poorer than the bilinguals. After training, the monolinguals and bilinguals in both training programs identified the six Cantonese tones in new words, new utterances, and novel speakers with comparable results, and their overall accuracy did not differ from that of the Cantonese native speakers.

Conclusions

Though learners with a larger and more complex native tonal system have initial advantage in learning nonnative tones, the intensive high-variability full-set training programs that provide explicit phonetic instruction and contrastive feedback of nonnative tones effectively promote nonnative tone acquisition in learners of different tone languages. The findings revealed factors affecting nonnative tone acquisition in tone speakers. The design of the two programs can be adopted in future programs for effective auditory training of segmental and suprasegmental speech sounds.
Low‐rank nonnegative sparse representation and local preservation‐based matrix regression for supervised image feature selection
Authors: Zhu Xingyu , Chen Xiuhong
Published: June 2021

Matrix regression has attracted much attention due to directly select some meaningful features from matrix data. However, most existing matrix regressions do not consider the global and local structure of the matrix data simultaneously. To this end, we propose a low‐rank nonnegative sparse representation and local preserving matrix regression (LNSRLP‐MR) model for image feature selection. Here, the loss function is defined by the left and right regression matrices. To capture the global structure and discriminative information of the training images and reduce the effect of heterogeneous data and noises, we impose the low‐rank constraint on the self‐representation error matrix and the nonnegative sparse constraint on the coefficient vector. The graph matrix can be learned adaptively through representation coefficients, so that accurate local structure information in samples can be revealed. Feature selection is performed by obtained row sparse transformation matrix. An optimization procedure and its performance are also present. Experimental results on several image datasets show that compared with the‐state‐of‐the‐art method, the average classification accuracy of the proposed method is improved by at least 1.2% and up to 3.3%. For images with noise or occlusion, the accuracy is improved significantly, up to 4%, which indicates that this method has strong robustness.
Quantifying the similarity of planetary system architectures
Authors: Bashi D. , Zucker S.
Published: June 2021

The planetary systems detected so far exhibit a wide diversity of architectures, and various methods have been proposed to quantitatively study this diversity. Straightforward ways to quantify the difference between two systems, and more generally two sets of multi-planetary systems, are helpful for studying this diversity. In this work we present a novel approach, using a weighted extension of the energy distance (WED) metric, to quantify the difference between planetary systems on the logarithmic period-radius plane. We demonstrate the use of this metric and its relation to previously introduced descriptive measures to characterise the arrangements ofKeplerplanetary systems. By applying exploratory machine-learning tools, we attempt to find whether there is some order that can be ascribed to the set of multi-planetKeplersystem architectures. Based on the WED, the ‘Sequencer’, which is such an automatic tool, identifies a progression from small and compact planetary systems to systems with distant giant planets. It is reassuring to see that a WED-based tool does indeed identify this progression. Next, we extend the WED to define the inter-catalogue energy distance – a distance metric between sets of multi-planetary systems. We have made the specific implementation presented in the paper available to the community through a public repository. We suggest using these metrics as complementary tools in attempts to compare different architectures of planetary systems and, in general, different catalogues of planetary systems.
Wind power under the carbon emissions trading scheme
Authors: Xinyu Liu , Na Liu
Published: June 2021

As a market trading mechanism, carbon emission trading plays an important role in effectively reducing the overall cost of carbon emission and achieving the "3060" carbon target.At present, the carbon emission trading mechanism has played a role in the world and become an effective means to promote climate governance.China's energy system has always been a high-carbon, high-coal system. The burning of fossil fuels releases a large amount of CO2, which is the main source of carbon emissions.With the improvement of people's living standards, electricity consumption continues to increase. If we want to achieve a substantial reduction in China's carbon emissions, we need to change the structure of the power generation system, which is dominated by coal.
Application of digital PCR (dPCR) in the detection of Covid-19 in food
Authors: Liu Hua , Lestari Shanti dwita
Published: June 2021

Covid-19 detection in food is an effective solution to ensure the accurate detection rate of Covid-19. The difficulties and detection methods of food virus safety detection and the feasibility of digital PCR detection technology are analyzed. The main parameters and characteristics of dPCR technology and other PCR technologies are compared. The application of dPCR technology in the detection of food viruses and pathogenic bacteria, the application of dPCR technology in the preparation and purity verification of Covid-19 RNA reference material, and the steps and methods of dPCR technology in food testing Covid-19 were expounded. Compared with traditional detection methods, digital PCR technology has great advantages in virus detection limit and stability. dPCR will develop towards high flux and automation, and achieve the absolute quantification of multiple target sequences at low cost. It will help to play a crucial role in the detection of covid-19 in food.
The Emerging Role of Ion Channels in the Pathophysiology and Treatments of Asthma
Authors: Zhu Jingwen
Published: June 2021

Asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases in the world. Although treatments and medications that can control the symptoms of asthma are available, no cure has been developed. Ion channels are transmembrane proteins that facilitate the diffusion of ions across membranes. In the airways, ion channels are involved in signalling between cells and regulation of intracellular ion concentration, which may lead to the activation of airway cells, immune cells, and neurons. This review mainly focuses on discoveries made so far in animal models and clinical trials regarding ion channels and asthma and gives some insight into developing treatments targeting ion channels.
TPH2: A Key Gene Risk Factor and Potential Therapy Target in Depression
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyan , Wang Yiming
Published: June 2021

Depression is a world-wide psychological disease and millions of people suffer from it. The illness is basically characterized by low mood with some other diverse manifestations. The mutation in the gene sequence of Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is one of the several possible causes of the depression, which results in the changed structure and function of TPH2, and then affects the synthetic process of 5- hydroxtrytamine (5-HT), so-called serotonin. The low level of 5-HT contributes to depression eventually, which has been tested by the animal model. This review purports to discuss the emerging relevance between TPH2 and depression as well as signaling pathways mediated by the gene expression, after that some therapeutic methods will be mentioned. It’s an urgency to understand the pathogenesis of depression and find more effective therapies, but there still remains a large amount of efforts to make and many mysteries to explore, thereby it is still a long way to go.
Retracted Article: Effects of Fe2+ on Moisture Resistance of Fluoride Red Phosphors
Authors: Wenting Cai
Published: June 2021

The Guest Editor(s) and the author have retracted this article. Actually, due to an error in analysis, the above-mentioned article has been improperly published in Web of Conferences. The Publisher approved to the retraction.
Pretreatment technology of lignocellulose
Authors: Zeng Guoming , He Sijie , Li Yan , Sun Da , Li Haonan , Wen Xin , Wang Jun
Published: June 2021

Lignocellulose is the most abundant renewable biomass resource in nature. Pretreatment of lignocellulose can improve the accessibility of cellulase to cellulose raw materials, reduce the ineffective adsorption of cellulase, reduce the crystallinity and obtain higher reducing sugar. In this paper, several practical pretreatment technologies of lignocellulose are summarized, and the methods, principles, advantages and disadvantages of each pretreatment technology are summarized, and then the development prospect of lignocellulose pretreatment methods is prospected.
Retracted Article: Highly Stable Mn4+-Activated Red-Emitting Fluoride Phosphors and Enhanced moisture stability for White LEDs
Authors: Cai Wenting
Published: June 2021

The Guest Editor(s) and the author have retracted this article. Actually, due to an error in analysis, the above-mentioned article has been improperly published in Web of Conferences. The Publisher approved to the retraction.