bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Una revisión sistemática sobre las relaciones entre el guanxi y el capital social en el contexto chino
Authors: Haowen Li , Úcar Xavier
Published: July 2021

El guanxi se confunde fácilmente con el capital social. Muchos estudios sobre ambos fenómenos han aplicado en China los conceptos, métodos y teorías de la sociología occidental ignorando la importancia de las influencias socioculturales de las culturas respectivas. Este artículo realiza un análisis sistemático de las investigaciones realizadas sobre el guanxi y el capital social en la última década. Se analizan los resultados de 39 artículos seleccionados a través del método PRISMA. De dicho análisis se desprenden los límites y contradicciones existentes en relación con el guanxi tanto desde la perspectiva del confucianismo como de la del propio concepto occidental de capital social. Se desvela, también, el significado esencial del guanxi en la sociedad china y las relaciones que puede establecer con el capital social, dado que, aunque son dos conceptos diferentes, pueden conectarse e influirse recíprocamente. Por último, se sintetizan las conclusiones del estudio.
Joaquín costa como sociólogo histórico
Authors: Gómez Benito Cristóbal
Published: July 2021

La mejor y más ajustada caracterización intelectual de Costa es como pensador y reformador social. Ese perfil está presente prácticamente en todos sus escritos, aún en los más (aparentemente) distantes de sus preocupaciones intelectuales principales, pero sobre todo se manifiesta en sus estudios más relevantes. En ellos se pone en evidencia la unidad, coherencia y sistematicidad de la obra y el pensamiento de Costa, como los mejores conocedores de su obra han puesto de manifiesto 3y como Ortí y Gómez Benito han venido sosteniendo desde hace tiempo y acreditándolo al exponer el conjunto de su pensamiento a partir de su núcleo y clave agrarista (Gómez Benito y Ortí, 1996; 1998; 2010)  Como pensador social, Costa trata de explicar, estructuralmente, la génesis y el desarrollo de la formación social española contemporánea 5 y los problemas para constituirse en una nación moderna y de fundamentar científicamente sus programas de desarrollo político, económico y social nacional. En esta línea hay que considerar la opinión de José Ortega y Gasset cuando en 1911, con ocasión de la muerte del sociólogo altoaragonés, escribe: «lo científico en la obra de Costa es su concepción del problema español y sus sistemática respuesta»
Research Committee: Research in Mathematics Education: Multiple Methods for Multiple Uses
Authors: Battista Michael , Boerst Timothy , Confrey Jere , Knuth Eric , Smith Margaret S. , Sutton John , White Dorothy , Quander Judith (Reed)
Published: July 2021

I do not think any thoughtful researcher today believes that experiments or randomized field trials are the “gold standard” for addressing all the important questions in educational research. Yet, because these designs are now required by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and are being strongly encouraged in other federal legislation and funding initiatives, scholars, practitioners, parents, and researchers must devote time and energy to fighting these designs when they are inappropriate or irrelevant, which is often the case. Despite long-standing objections from prominent methodologists and reservations expressed by national groups and committees, key policymakers in the federal government are encouraging the pursuit of experimental designs primarily or exclusively (Eisenhart, 2005, p. 246).
Book Review: An Ambitious Undertaking: Countering Mathematics and Science Teachers' Resistance to Teaching for Diversity: A Review of Preparing Mathematics and Science Teachers for Diverse Classrooms: Promising Strategies for Transformative Pedagogy
Authors: Olson Jo Clay
Published: July 2021

Inspirational stories about teachers who are able to transform students' lives pepper the literature (e.g., Ladson-Billings, 1994). Ladson-Billings described characteristics of culturally relevant teaching and then explored the stories of three teachers who enacted a personal pedagogy that led to high achievement among African American students. Stories such as these provide insights and can lead teachers to change aspects of their teaching practice. At times, teachers may be transformed by these success stories and radically change their actions. However, when teachers enact a new practice without an ideological shift in beliefs, the change is often superficial and may not result in the desired vision (Ball, 1992; Cohen, 1990; Fennema & Nelson, 1997). The question arises, how can teacher educators and professional developers help both practicing and prospective science and mathematics teachers recognize the need for culturally relevant pedagogy when science and mathematics are often considered devoid of culture?
The National Shipbuilding Research Program Improved Methods for the Generation of Full-Ship Simulation/Analysis Models
Authors: Boday A. , Moore Stewart
Published: July 2021

Large full-ship engineering analyses and simulations are performed today in various disciplines. Such analysis models are almost always "hand-crafted" by skilled and experienced analysts. There is a need to improve upon the time, cost, and skill mix required to create such large-scale ship models. In order to perform a full ship computational analysis, the engineering analyst must have or create an analysis-ready model. Following current work practices, a computer-aided design (CAD) database of the vessel is created, primarily for design disclosure and manufacturing rather than for analysis. Consequently, the model may not be suitable or easily modified to create an analysis-ready model. Several thousand man hours are required to obtain data and prepare a model that is usable for analyses. Furthermore, solely expanding use of modeling and simulation tools, without accompanying changes in the model generation approach, will not deliver significant savings. Model generation is a complex effort and often is the major cost of full ship analysis.

The authors present a summary of several National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) efforts which support ship design and analysis automation from the early concept to the detailed stages. These unique approaches focus on supporting multilevel modeling fidelity within a flexible design environment at the earliest stages of ship concept formulation by implementing a more computer-aided engineering (CAE) centric approach, in which data is captured at the beginning of the ship design cycle, thus having the most cost effective impact as ship design progresses through the ship’s lifecycle.
An Introduction to NOAA’s Ship Acquisition Program (2010)
Authors: Bailey Jonathan W.
Published: July 2021

This paper presents a brief introduction to NOAA’s Ship Acquisition Program. The paper touches on the history and current state of NOA’s Fleet Recapitalization Plan. The challenges of acquiring small numbers of ships with unique requirements are also discussed.
Investigating the compliance of existing regulation with the Goal Based Standards regarding the residual strength of a damaged ship
Authors: Nikolopoulos Lampros , Samuelides Manolis , Zaraphonitis George
Published: July 2021

With the introduction of Goal Based Standards by IMO, there is a flexible approach for alternative designs in order to obtain the same results as the designs subjected to prescriptive regulation. The aim of this paper is to investigate the compliance of the existing prescriptive or risk based regulation with GBS regarding the residual strength of a ship (the strength of the ship after damage). Furthermore, suggestions for improvement are made both for the existing regulation in order to integrate this important factor, as well as for the GBS themselves in order to be more realistic and practically applicable.
Maintaining Marine Diesel Emissions Using Performance Monitoring
Authors: Roeser Herbert , Kalyankar Dilip
Published: July 2021

Ships are an integral part of modern commercial transport, leisure travel, and military system. A diesel engine was used for the first time for the propulsion of a ship sometime in the 1910s and has been the choice for propulsion and power generation, ever since. Since the first model used in ship propulsion, the diesel engine has come a long way with several technological advances. A diesel engine has a particularly high thermal efficiency. Added to it, the higher energy density of the diesel fuel compared to gasoline fuel makes it inherently, the most efficient internal combustion engine. The modern diesel engine also has a very unique ability to work with a variety of fuels like diesel, heavy fuel oil, biodiesel, vegetable oils, and several other crude oil distillates which is very important considering the shortage of petroleum fuels that we face today.

In spite of being highly efficient and popular and in spite of all the technological advances, the issue of exhaust gas emissions has plagued a diesel engine. This issue has gained a lot of importance since 1990s when IMO, EU, and the EPA came up with the Tier I exhaust gas emission norms for the existing engine in order to reduce the NOx and SOx. Harsher Tier II and Tier III norms were later announced for newer engines. Diesel fuels commonly used in marine engines are a form of residual fuel, also know as Dregs or Heavy Fuel Oil and are essentially the by products of crude oil distillation process used to produce lighter petroleum fuels like marine distillate fuel and gasoline. They are cheaper than marine distillate fuels but are also high in nitrogen, sulfur and ash content. This greatly increases the NOx and SOx in the exhaust gas emission. Ship owners are trapped between the need to use residual fuels, due to cost of the large volume of fuel consumed, in order to keep the operation of their ships to a competitive level on one hand and on the other hand the need to satisfy the stringent pollution norms as established by the pollution control agencies worldwide.

Newer marine diesel engines are being designed to meet the Tier II and Tier III norms wherever applicable but the existing diesel engine owners are still operating their engines with the danger of not meeting the applicable pollution norms worldwide. Here we make an effort to look at some of the measure that the existing marine diesel engine owners can take to reduce emissions and achieve at least levels prescribed in Tier I. Proper maintenance and upkeep of the engine components can be effectively used to reduce the exhaust gas emission. We introduced a pilot program on diesel engine performance monitoring in North America about two years ago and it has yielded quite satisfying results for several shipping companies and more and more ship owners are looking at the option of implementing this program on their ships.
Zero Emissions Vessels
Authors: Boylston John W. , Smart Bret S. , Wise John P.
Published: July 2021

This paper proposes a LNG-fueled coastal RO/RO for the East Coast of the US trade to meet upcoming Emission Control Area (ECA) requirements. The exhaust system for this vessel is proposed to be a wet system so there is no airborne emission. The CO2 remaining in the exhaust system is removed in the exhaust stream, and remaining exhaust components are combined with cooling water to provide a cooling effluent that meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requirements. The concept design is carried to the point of determining operating economics, and the environmental effect of operating such ships is assessed as compared to conventional truck traffic. It was found that each ship will reduce East Coast highway truck traffic by over 1900 trucks per week. Since there are no emissions from the ship, each ship will also bring environmental advantages. It appears the ship would be economically competitive with conventional truck transport: the cost for transporting a single 53’ trailer via ship is roughly $996, compared to $1245 via truck. Furthermore, the proposed three vessel shipping service could potential-ly remove nearly 300,000 vehicles from the road annually.
Prediction and verification of the maneuverability of naval surface ships
Authors: Quadvlieg F.H.H.A. , Armaoglu E. , Eggers R. , van Coevorden P.
Published: July 2021

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Specialist Team for Seaway Mobility (ST/SM) has progressed significantly in the development of new mission-oriented maneuvering criteria in the format of a NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG). This work was finalized in July 2010, and the STANAG has now been submitted for ratification to all NATO member countries. Navies can now include maneuverability requirements in their vessel specifications more comprehensively and accurately. Obviously, this will have implications for prospective ship designers and builders, who will be obliged to meet these requirements. The objective of this paper is to create awareness that these criteria are approaching soon. Tools and methods are to be prepared and validated to assist in the design of the vessel in accordance with the criteria. The paper explains the prediction and verification procedures of vessel compliance. First, the philosophy and approach of the criteria is explained and discussed. Discussing all criteria is a task too detailed for this paper, as there are up to 240 criteria, depending on missions and capabilities. A selected subset of criteria is discussed in this paper. An example of the verification process is carried out for one ship: the naval combatant benchmark vessel 5415M. The reader will be guided through the steps of: selection of criteria, selection of tools, and the verification itself. The contents of the steps will be different in each loop of the design spiral. This paper shows methods to predict and verify compliance with each requirement in both the conceptual and detailed design stage. In the conceptual design stage the verification is done by performing numerical simulations. In the detailed design stage, these simulations are augmented by a smart selection of scaled model tests.
Boosting Ship Efficiency
Authors: Levander Oskar
Published: July 2021

Ship efficiency has become an increasingly important subject for ship designers and owners. Both the predicted high cost of fuel in the future and the need to reduce emissions is driving this strive for improved efficiency. IMO is also seeking measures to reduce the CO2 emissions from ships and their proposed Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) aims at ensuring that future vessels will be more efficient. Two ship concepts, a large RoRo vessel and a Cruise ferry, have been developed to highlight different technologies that can be used to improve efficiency. The designs show that the power demand can be reduced significantly with already basic naval architecture methods. Optimization of main dimensions for life cycle cost rather than building cost alone can give large savings. Also new propulsion concepts, such as triple shaft lines or Wing thrusters yield clear propulsion power savings. Other measures to reduce fuel consumption, such as waste heat recovery and wind power also show big gains.
Seismic behavior and design of deep, slender wide-flange structural steel beam-columns
Authors: Chansuk Piyachai , Ozkula Gulen , Uang Chia-Ming , Harris III John L
Published: July 2021

Twenty-one W24 hot-rolled columns of ASTM A992 steel with five different sections were tested in Phase 1 of this research program to investigate the effects of slenderness parameters, constant axial load levels, lateral drift loading sequences, and weak-axis bending on the column base responses. It was observed that the webs of these sections with much larger ℎ/ �������� ratios were not as effective in restraining and delaying flange local buckling as those of shallow and stocky (e.g., W12 or W14) columns. Specimens with sections that satisfied the highly ductile requirement in the AISC Seismic Provisions still experienced significant damage and axial shortening due to the interactive flange and web local buckling. An unusual failure mode with local buckling coupled with lateral-torsional buckling was also observed for the first time. Based on these tests results, observed buckling modes were classified, and a simplified procedure to predict the governing buckling mode was proposed. Additional 23 columns including W14, W18, W24, and W30 sections were tested to further evaluate the effects of section depths, boundary conditions, and varying axial loads. Test results revealed that findings from Phase 1 testing could be extrapolated to deeper and shallower sections; the proposed procedure predicted very well the buckling mode of Phase 2 specimens. Allowing the column top end to rotate increased the story drift capacity but did not change the buckling mode. Results from varying axial load tests showed that first-story exterior columns behave very differently from the interior ones. W14 column test results showed that classifying a column as deep or shallow based on the nominal section depth may be inappropriate; the deep column phenomenon with significant interactive local buckling could develop in W14 columns with relatively slender web and flanges.
Distribution and abundance of the land snail Pollicaria elephas (Gastropoda: Pupinidae) in limestone habitats in Perak, Malaysia
Authors: Liew Thor-Seng , Phung Chee-Chean , Mat Said Mohamad Afandi , Hoo Pui Kiat
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to reveal the habitat variables that determine the distribution and abundance of the land snail Pollicaria elephas in limestone habitats in Perak, Malaysia. Seventeen plots were selected on a limestone hill to determine the effect of environmental variables on the abundance of this land snail. The environmental variables we considered included habitat (canopy cover and leaf litter thickness), topography (elevation, aspect, ruggedness, and slope), microclimate (soil temperature, air temperature, and humidity), and vegetation (abundance of respective vascular plant species). The correlation analyses suggested that the snails’ abundance was positively correlated with the abundance of the four vascular plant species: Diospyros toposia var. toposoides, Croton cascarilloides, Kibatalia laurifolia, and Mallotus peltatus. Plots with lower soil temperatures had more snails than plots with higher soil temperatures. Our results show that plots in the southern part of the limestone hill, in which P. elephas were absent, were similar in habitat, topography, microclimate, and vegetation to the plots in the northern part of the limestone hill, where specimens were mostly present. The absence of this species in suitable habitats may be due to their low dispersal ability rather than adverse environmental conditions.
Teoría del intermezzo: formas intersticiales de leer Material rodante, de Gonzalo Maier
Authors: Ríos Felipe
Published: July 2021

Empleando nociones del enfoque poscolonial y posmoderno, este trabajo propone realizar una lectura más atenta de la novela Material rodante (Minúscula, 2015), del escritor chileno Gonzalo Maier (Talcahuano, 1981), construyendo una particular conceptualización para ello: la teoría del intermezzo (o intermedio, intersticio), al presentarse en este libro cierta analogía con la estructura del drama. En Material rodante esa intermedialidad cruza también la pregunta por la identidad (aunque paródica y finalmente desestimada), la espacialidad (un tren que va de Bélgica a Holanda y viceversa) y el argumento mismo. Aunque parece que se realiza un viaje reiterado, insustancial, que emerge como bucle poco significativo entre las ciudades de Lovaina y Nijmegen, Maier no solamente consigue, como ha comentado la crítica anterior, una novela digresiva, sino una esquematización de sus propias formas narrativas, asunto que ya venía articulándose en algunas zonas de Leyendo a Vila-Matas (2011), y que permeará, también, su obra posterior. Es por ello que, en un momento del ensayo, resulta importante el análisis comparatista que establecemos entre Material rodante y ciertas zonas de la obra del mencionado Enrique Vila-Matas, pues permitirá comprender mejor de dónde germinan y hacia dónde avanzan las búsquedas formales del propio Maier.
Presencia y archivo: estrategias documentales en dos montajes teatrales chilenos
Authors: Donoso Catalina
Published: July 2021

El presente trabajo examina dos montajes chilenos estrenados en 2017: Ñuke dirigido por Paula González Seguel y Mateluna dirigido por Guillermo Calderón: la primera aborda la violencia en las comunidades mapuche y la segunda se enfoca en colectivos organizados de resistencia radical a la dictadura cívico-militar. El análisis de las obras se centra en reconocer ciertas estrategias que cada una utiliza y que interrogan las relaciones entre el espacio de la puesta en escena y el terreno extradiegético. En el caso de Ñuke a través de la inclusión de elementos de carácter documental; en Mateluna, por su reapropiación del material de archivo.
Experiences and perspectives of chiropractic students graduating from an alternate admission track plan
Authors: Strutin Norman B. , Ray Suzanne L. , Straub David , Odierna Donna , Smith Monica
Published: July 2021

Objective

This study explored self-reported experiences of alternate admission track plan (AATP) students who completed a chiropractic training program at a US chiropractic college.

Methods

Our institution conducted semistructured exit interviews with 16 graduating AATP students. Our consensus-drafted open-ended interview questions probed in-depth for these students' experience throughout the training program, with national board exams, their personal characteristics, their satisfaction with the training program generally, and with the AATP program specifically. We employed a content analysis to identify themes and patterns of responses across the blinded deidentified interview transcripts. We used a combination of deductive coding based on our interview guides, and inductive coding to identify newly emerging subthemes.

Results

Perceived facilitators of student success were strong commitment to chiropractic, cooperative, and supportive environment (eg, student study groups and a highly committed faculty), work ethic, and time management skills. Although many recommended that AATP entrants without science backgrounds take prerequisite courses in biology and chemistry, they also observed that a capable student could dedicate the time and effort to obtain the needed information via available college resources.

Conclusion

Graduating AATP students were positive about the AATP program overall, and their preparation for national board exams and for clinical practice. They greatly valued the opportunity to accelerate their entrance into chiropractic college. A major limitation of this study is that the perspectives of AATP students who did not complete the doctor of chiropractic program are not represented in these interviews of graduating students.
Evaluation of Synthetic Insecticides for the Management of Helicoverpa Armigera Mill in Tomato Production
Authors: Manu John , Afun J.V.K
Published: July 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of synthetic insecticides in managing Helicoverpa armigera Mill in tomato production. The experiment was conducted during the major and minor tomato growing seasons at the Sekyere Kumawu and Asante Akim North districts in Ghana. The experimental design was a 3 x 5 factorial randomized complete block with four replications. Four insect pest control regimes were evaluated for their effectiveness in controlling the tomato fruit borer. Three tomato varieties were used in this experiment. The results showed that, significantly, higher marketable fruit yields were obtained on the sprayed plots than the control plots. In general, the variety “pectomec” suffered the highest yield loss on the water sprayed field, followed by UC 82 and lastly, power rhino, although all the varieties suffered losses greater than 50%. This shows that none of the varieties used for this study is completely resistant to Helicoverpa armigera. Yields were generally higher in the major season (March-July) than in the minor season (September-December) for pectomec and power rhino. The best insecticides are Oxymatrin (2.4%), Lambda-cyhalothrin (2.5%) and Dimethoate (400g/l) +Cypermethrin (36g/l) in descending order. Contrarily, UC 82 had low yields in the major season than in the minor season. The study recommends that Helicoverpa armigera Mill should be controlled with pesticides to improve yields of tomato.
Study of Preferred Level of Biscuits Fortified With Nilem Fish Egg Protein Concentrate
Authors: Muslihudin Ustman Sidik , Liviawaty Evi , Rochima Emma , Junianto .
Published: July 2021

Fish eggs are an essential source of protein to increase nutritional value because of their excellent quality protein content but have not been widely used, especially in food processing. Biscuits are one of the most consumed products globally, made from cereal flour such as wheat flour or other flour. Four different formulations containing nilem fish egg protein concentrate (NFEPC) were used in this study to produce biscuit samples with better sensory characteristics and higher protein content. This study aimed to determine the level of addition of nilem fish egg protein concentrate in the biscuits making, which panelists preferred based on their organoleptic assessment. In this study, the method used was an experimental method with four levels of treatment of nilem fish egg protein concentrate with concentrations of 0%, 2.5%, 5.0%, and 7.5% (w/w) carried out on the organoleptic characteristics, which include the appearance, aroma, texture, and taste of biscuits. The results showed that the optimum addition of nilem FEPC was at a 2.5% level preferred by consumers regarding all characteristics (appearance, aroma, texture, and flavor), with the average score ranging from 5.7 to 6.2 on average.
Plant type I metacaspases are proteolytically active proteases despite their hydrophobic nature
Authors: van Midden Katarina Petra , Peric Tanja , Klemenčič Marina
Published: July 2021

Plant metacaspases type I (MCA‐Is), the closest structural homologs of caspases, are key proteases in stress‐induced regulated cell death processes in plants. However, no plant MCA‐Is have been characterized in vitro to date. Here, we show that only plant MCA‐Is contain a highly hydrophobic loop within the C terminus of their p10 domain. When removed, soluble and proteolytically active plant MCA‐Is can be designed and recombinantly produced. We show that the activity of MCA‐I depends on calcium ions and that removal of the hydrophobic loop does not affect cleavage and covalent binding to its inhibitor SERPIN. This novel approach will finally allow the development of tools to detect and manipulate the activity of these cysteine proteases in vivo and in planta.
Therapeutic potential of the human endogenous retroviral envelope protein HEMO: a pan‐cancer analysis
Authors: Kasperek Amélie , Béguin Anthony , Bawa Olivia , De Azevedo Kévin , Job Bastien , Massard Christophe , Scoazec Jean‐Yves , Heidmann Thierry , Heidmann Odile
Published: July 2021

Human endogenous retroviruses represent approximately 8% of our genome. Most of these sequences are defective except for a few genes such as the ancestral retroviral HEMO envelope gene (Human Endogenous MER34 ORF), recently characterized by our group. In this study, we characterized transcriptional activation of HEMO in primary tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and in metastatic tumors from a Gustave Roussy cohort. Pan‐cancer detection of the HEMO protein in a series of patient samples validated these results. Differential gene expression analysis in various TCGA datasets revealed a link between HEMO expression and activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling, in particular in endometrial cancer. Studies on cell models led us to propose that the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway could act as an upstream regulator of this retroviral endogenous sequence in tumor condition. Characterization of transcriptomic profiles of both HEMOLow and HEMOHigh tumors suggested that activation of HEMO is negatively associated with immune response signatures. Taken together, these results highlight that HEMO, as an endogenous retroviral envelope protein specifically expressed in tumors, represents a promising tumor biomarker and therapeutic target.
MRI‐TRUS registration methodology for TRUS‐guided HDR prostate brachytherapy
Authors: McGeachy Philip , Watt Elizabeth , Husain Siraj , Martell Kevin , Martinez Pedro , Sawhney Summit , Thind Kundan
Published: July 2021

Purpose

High‐dose‐rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy is an established technique for whole‐gland treatment. For transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)‐guided HDR prostate brachytherapy, image fusion with a magnetic resonance image (MRI) can be performed to make use of its soft‐tissue contrast. The MIM treatment planning system has recently introduced image registration specifically for HDR prostate brachytherapy and has incorporated a Predictive Fusion workflow, which allows clinicians to attempt to compensate for differences in patient positioning between imaging modalities. In this study, we investigate the accuracy of the MIM algorithms for MRI‐TRUS fusion, including the Predictive Fusion workflow.

Materials and Methods

A radiation oncologist contoured the prostate gland on both TRUS and MRI. Four registration methodologies to fuse the MRI and the TRUS images were considered: rigid registration (RR), contour‐based (CB) deformable registration, Predictive Fusion followed by RR (pfRR), and Predictive Fusion followed by CB deformable registration (pfCB). Registrations were compared using the mean distance to agreement and the Dice similarity coefficient for the prostate as contoured on TRUS and the registered MRI prostate contour.

Results

Twenty patients treated with HDR prostate brachytherapy at our center were included in this retrospective evaluation. For the cohort, mean distance to agreement was 2.1 ± 0.8 mm, 0.60 ± 0.08 mm, 2.0 ± 0.5 mm, and 0.59 ± 0.06 mm for RR, CB, pfRR, and pfCB, respectively. Dice similarity coefficients were 0.80 ± 0.05, 0.93 ± 0.02, 0.81 ± 0.03, and 0.93 ± 0.01 for RR, CB, pfRR, and pfCB, respectively. The inclusion of the Predictive Fusion workflow did not significantly improve the quality of the registration.

Conclusions

The CB deformable registration algorithm in the MIM treatment planning system yielded the best geometric registration indices. MIM offers a commercial platform allowing for easier access and integration into clinical departments with the potential to play an integral role in future focal therapy applications for prostate cancer.
Designing Semipermeable Hydrogel Shells with Controlled Thickness through Internal Osmosis in Triple‐Emulsion Droplets
Authors: Lee Sangmin , Che Biao , Tai Meiling , Li Wanzhao , Kim Shin‐Hyun
Published: July 2021

Hydrogel shells that compartmentalize the water core from the aqueous surrounding provide molecular selectivity on size and charge in transmembrane transport. It is highly demanding to produce thin hydrogel shells to minimize diffusion length and maximize core volume. Here, internal osmosis in water‐in‐oil‐in‐water‐in‐oil (W/O/W/O) triple‐emulsion droplets is used to produce thin hydrogel shells enclosing a large water core. The triple‐emulsion droplets are prepared to have an ultrathin middle oil layer using a capillary microfluidic device. The innermost water droplet has a higher osmolarity than the outer water layer containing photopolymerizable hydrogel precursors, which pumps water from the outer layer to the core through the ultrathin oil layer by the osmosis. Therefore, the outer layer gets thinner and hydrogel precursors are enriched while the size of the triple‐emulsion droplets remains unchanged. Through photopolymerization of precursors and phase transfer from oil to water, hydrogel shells enclosing water core are produced in the water environment; the oil layer is ruptured for molecular exchange through the shells. The thickness and composition of the hydrogel shells are precisely controllable by the osmotic conditions. The shells show a high permeation rate due to the thinness as well as controlled cut‐off threshold of permeation for neutral and charged molecules.
Reproducible and Sensitive Plasmonic Sensing Platforms Based on Au‐Nanoparticle‐Internalized Nanodimpled Substrates
Authors: Dang Hajun , Park Sung‐Gyu , Wu Yixuan , Choi Namhyun , Yang Jun‐Yeong , Lee Seunghun , Joo Sang‐Woo , Chen Lingxin , Choo Jaebum
Published: July 2021

Electromagnetic enhancement effects through localized surface plasmon resonance considerably amplify the intensity of incident light when molecules are positioned in the vicinity of miniscule nanogaps. The aggregation of plasmonic nanoparticles synthesized using bottom‐up methods has been extensively used to generate hot spots in solutions. These methods assist in obtaining non‐periodic plasmonic signals, because the realization of uniform nanogaps through particle aggregation is difficult. Nanostructured substrates with gaps of 20–100 nm have also been fabricated using the top‐down approach. However, the fabrication of smaller nanogap templates using these methods is difficult owing to high costs and low throughput. Therefore, a nanodimple array internalized with AuNPs is developed in this study to mitigate the challenges encountered in the bottom‐up and top‐down approaches. Precise nanogaps are generated by regularly internalizing AuNPs in the cavities of nanodimples through DNA hybridization. Simulations of the electric field distribution indicate that the incorporation of 80 nm‐sized AuNPs into a curved nanodimpled Au substrate generate high‐density volumetric hot spots within a detection volume, and result in a high plasmonic enhancement factor of 8.25 × 107. The tremendous potential of the proposed plasmonic platform as an SERS‐based biomedical diagnostic device is also verified.
17.6%‐Efficient Quasiplanar Heterojunction Organic Solar Cells from a Chlorinated 3D Network Acceptor
Authors: Chen Hui , Zhao Tingxing , Li Long , Tan Pu , Lai Hanjian , Zhu Yulin , Lai Xue , Han Liang , Zheng Nan , Guo Liang , He Feng
Published: July 2021

Bulk heterojunction (BHJ) organic solar cells (OSCs) have achieved great success because they overcome the shortcomings of short exciton diffusion distances. With the progress in material innovation and device technology, the efficiency of BHJ devices is continually being improved. For some special photovoltaic material systems, it is difficult to manipulate the miscibility and morphology of blend films, and this results in moderate, even poor device performance. Quasiplanar heterojunction (Q‐PHJ) OSCs have been proposed to exploit the excellent photovoltaic properties of these materials. An OSC with BTIC‐BO‐4Cl has a 3D interpenetrating network structure with multiple channels that can facilitate the exciton diffusion and charge transport, and BTIC‐BO‐4Cl is therefore a good candidate for Q‐PHJ OSCs. In this work, a D18:BTIC‐BO‐4Cl‐based Q‐PHJ device is fabricated. The exciton diffusion lengths of D18 and BTIC‐BO‐4Cl are in accord with the requirements of the Q‐PHJ device and the efficiency of Q‐PHJ device is as high as 17.60%. This study indicates that the Q‐PHJ architecture can replace the BHJ architecture to produce excellent OSCs for certain unique donors and acceptors, providing an alternative approach to photovoltaic material design and device fabrication.
Photochemical Synthesis of Nonplanar Small Molecules with Ultrafast Nonradiative Decay for Highly Efficient Phototheranostics
Authors: Li Xiaozhen , Zhang Di , Lu Guihong , He Tingchao , Wan Yingpeng , Tse Man‐Kit , Ren Can , Wang Pengfei , Li Shengliang , Luo Jingdong , Lee Chun‐Sing
Published: July 2021

There has been much recent progress in the development of photothermal agents (PTAs) for biomedical and energy applications. Synthesis of organic PTAs typically involves noble metal catalysts and high temperatures. On the other hand, photochemical synthesis, as an alternative and green chemical technology, has obvious merits such as low cost, energy efficiency, and high yields. However, photochemical reactions have rarely been employed for the synthesis of PTAs. Herein, a facile and high‐yield photochemical reaction is exploited for synthesizing nonplanar small molecules (NSMs) containing strong Michler's base donors and a tricyanoquinodimethane acceptor as high‐performance PTAs. The synthesized NSMs show interesting photophysical properties including good absorption for photons of over 1000 nm wavelength, high near‐infrared extinction coefficients, and excellent photothermal performance. Upon assembling the NSMs into nanoparticles (NSMN), they exhibit good biocompatibility, high photostability, and excellent photothermal conversion efficiency of 75%. Excited‐state dynamic studies reveal that the NSMN has ultrafast nonradiative decay after photoexcitation. With these unique properties, the NSMN achieves efficient in vivo photoacoustic imaging and photothermal tumor ablation. This work demonstrates the superior potential of photochemical reactions for the synthesis of high‐performance molecular PTAs.
Spray‐Pyrolyzed High‐k Zirconium‐Aluminum‐Oxide Dielectric for High Performance Metal‐Oxide Thin‐Film Transistors for Low Power Displays
Authors: Islam Md Mobaidul , Saha Jewel Kumer , Hasan Md. Mehedi , Kim Junyeong , Bukke Ravindra Naik , Ali Arqum , Jang Jin
Published: July 2021

A high‐k, zirconium‐aluminum‐oxide (ZAO) gate insulator (GI) using low‐cost spray pyrolysis technique for large area and low power electronics is demonstrated. The high‐quality spray‐pyrolyzed ZAO GI is obtained with subsequent oxidation by eco‐friendly Ar/O2 plasma treatment. Analyses reveal that only one cycle Ar/O2 plasma treatment significantly enhances the thin‐film and dielectric properties of ZAO, exhibiting improved mass density (4.16 g cm−3), smooth surface roughness (0.32 nm), low leakage current density (2.26 × 10−6 A cm−2), high breakdown electric field (5.15 MV cm−1), and negligible frequency‐dependent capacitance. Hysteresis free, amorphous indium‐gallium‐zinc‐oxide (a‐IGZO) thin‐film transistors (TFTs) with ZAO GI exhibit a field‐effect mobility of 15.04 cm2 V−1 s−1, threshold voltage of 1.46 V, subthreshold swing of 115 mV dec−1, ION/IOFF ratio of 7.54 × 108, and negligible positive bias stress. The highly reliable a‐IGZO TFTs performances are achieved due to the significant reduction of oxygen‐related defects at the dielectric/semiconductor interface. The TFT inverter and an eleven‐stage ring oscillator have been demonstrated with ZAO/a‐IGZO TFTs, exhibiting a high voltage gain of 58, oscillation frequency of 2.43 MHz, and signal propagation delay of 18.7 ns at a supply voltage of 6 V, confirming the benefit of spray‐pyrolyzed high‐k ZAO dielectric for low power displays.
Improved Treatment on Ocular Inflammation with Rationally Designed Thermoresponsive Nanocomposite Formulation
Authors: Zhang Shaohua , Fang Yanwen , Sun Jianguo , Deng Yonghui , Lu Yi
Published: July 2021

Cataract is the principal cause of preventable blindness in older people globally. Intraocular surgeries stimulate multiple postoperative inflammatory responses. The current clinical treatment by dropping prednisolone acetate (PA) and levofloxacin (LF) suffers from drawbacks, such as low bioavailability and poor patient compliance. This study aims to develop a rationally designed thermoresponsive formulation combining PA and LF using nancomposites of mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) and thermo‐nanogel (thermogel) (PA@MSN‐LF@Thermogel). The in vitro release profiles of PA and LF from PA@MSN‐LF@Thermogel are tailor‐made to adapt to wound healing by a sustained release of 28 days. PA@MSN‐LF@Thermogel exhibits little cytotoxicity to human Tenon's fibroblasts and human corneal epithelial cells, while presents excellent in vitro antibacterial effectiveness to Staphylococcus bacteria. After implanted into the rabbit eye by a subconjunctival injection, PA@MSN‐LF@Thermogel displays overwhelming anti‐inflammatory and antibacterial effectiveness up to 21 days using only one‐eighth of the total dose, compared with PA and LF eye drops. The formulation does not cause any ocular hypertension and noticeable histopathological abnormality which indicate good biosafety. This thermoresponsive nanocomposite formulation is thus a promising drug delivery alternative for treatment of postoperative inflammation after intraocular surgeries.
RRM2 Regulates Sensitivity to Sunitinib and PD‐1 Blockade in Renal Cancer by Stabilizing ANXA1 and Activating the AKT Pathway
Authors: Xiong Wei , Zhang Bin , Yu Haixin , Zhu Liang , Yi Lu , Jin Xin
Published: July 2021

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor of the kidneys. Approximately 70% of RCC cases are clear cell renal cell carcinoma with von Hippel–Lindau (VHL) gene mutation and activation of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting VEGF have emerged as promising agents for RCC treatment. Apart from primary resistance, acquired resistance to TKIs after initial tumor regression is common in RCC. Recently, immune checkpoint inhibition, including PD‐1/PD‐L1 blockade, alone or in combination with TKIs has improved the overall survival of patients with RCC. Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M2 (RRM2) has been reported in many types of cancer and has been implicated in tumor progression. However, the role of RRM2 in TKIs resistance in RCC remains unclear. In this study, the authors have demonstrated that RRM2 is upregulated in sunitinib‐resistant RCC cells and patient tissues. They also find that RRM2 stabilizes ANXA1 and activates the AKT pathway independent of its ribonucleotide reductase activity, promoting sunitinib resistance in RCC. Moreover, RRM2 regulated antitumor immune responses, and knockdown of RRM2 enhance the anti‐tumor efficiency of PD‐1 blockade in renal cancer. Collectively, these results suggest that aberrantly expressed RRM2 may be a promising therapeutic target for RCC.
Response of potato to fertilizers applied on different soil types in Kenyan Highlands
Authors: Mugo James Njeru , Karanja Nancy , Gachene Charles , Dittert Klaus , Schulte‐Geldermann Elmar
Published: July 2021

Declining soil fertility in Nitisols and Planosols, which dominate major potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) growing areas of Kenya, is a hindrance to sustainable production of the crop. A study was conducted in Nyandarua County, Kenya, to assess performance of potato and the agronomic efficiencies of three fertilizer types: diammonium phosphate (DAP) (N–P2O5–K2O: 18–46–0), Mavuno Peas, Beans and Root Vegetables (MRV) (15N:8 P2O5:15 K2O plus S, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, B, Mn, Mo), and new Mavuno blend (18N:24 P2O5:10 K2O plus 5S, 0.04B, 0.02 Zn). The experiments were established on Nitisol and Planosol soil types in farmers’ fields. Two potato varieties were evaluated in a split plot layout design. Diammonium phosphate had the highest and significant influence on potato haulm, giving 16.5 and 15.5 g plant–1 on variety Sherekea growing on Nitisol and Planosol, respectively. Fertilizer type significantly influenced potato yield, which was recorded at 29.2 t ha–1 with DAP and 26.6 t ha–1 with new Mavuno on variety Sherekea grown on Nitisol. A significant positive interaction (P < .05) of fertilizer type and soil type was observed. Fertilizers also gave significant effect on agronomic efficiency of N, P, and K. Potato yield and agronomic nutrient use efficiency were dependent on the fertilizer types used as well as soil type. Diammonium phosphate and new Mavuno were the best fertilizer types.
The COLTRIMS Reaction Microscope—The Spyhole into the Ultrafast Entangled Dynamics of Atomic and Molecular Systems
Authors: Schmidt‐Böcking Horst , Ullrich Joachim , Dörner Reinhard , Cocke Charles Lewis
Published: July 2021

The COLTRIMS Reaction Microscope C‐REMI can image the momentum vectors of all emitted charged fragments in an atomic or molecular reactions similar to the bubble chamber in high energy particle physics. C‐REMI can detect fragments with “zero” kinetic energy in an ultrahigh vacuum environment by projecting them with weak electromagnetic fields onto position‐sensitive detectors. Geometrically a nearly 4π collection solid angle and a nearly 50% efficiency for a fivefold multi‐coincidence can be achieved. Measuring time‐of‐flight and detector position the momenta of the fragments can be measured with excellent resolution (<0.01 a.u.; see A1 in the Appendix). Thus, multivector correlations in momentum space are measured, which provide insight into the entangled dynamics of atomic and molecular quantum systems. From these vector‐correlations phases and energies can be deduced which allow for relative time measurements even in the zeptosecond range. C‐REMI provides a “spyhole” into the secrets of ultrafast dynamics of atomic and molecular processes. It is applied today around the globe in numerous research projects in physics and chemistry. The purpose for writing this article is to demonstrate the universal application possibilities of C‐REMI, and its high multi‐coincidence efficiency and high momentum resolution. This paper will not give a review on all milestone experiments performed with C‐REMI.
Highly Efficient Oxidative Cyanation of Aldehydes to Nitriles over Se,S,N‐tri‐Doped Hierarchically Porous Carbon Nanosheets
Authors: Hua Manli , Song Jinliang , Huang Xin , Liu Huizhen , Fan Honglei , Wang Weitao , He Zhenhong , Liu Zhaotie , Han Buxing
Published: July 2021

Oxidative cyanation of aldehydes provides a promising strategy for the cyanide‐free synthesis of organic nitriles. Design of robust and cost‐effective catalysts is the key for this route. Herein, we designed a series of Se,S,N‐tri‐doped carbon nanosheets with a hierarchical porous structure (denoted as Se,S,N‐CNs‐x, x represents the pyrolysis temperature). It was found that the obtained Se,S,N‐CNs‐1000 was very selective and efficient for oxidative cyanation of various aldehydes including those containing other oxidizable groups into the corresponding nitriles using ammonia as the nitrogen resource below 100 °C. Detailed investigations revealed that the excellent performance of Se,S,N‐CNs‐1000 originated mainly from the graphitic‐N species with lower electron density and synergistic effect between the Se, S, N, and C in the catalyst. Besides, the hierarchically porous structure could also promote the reaction. Notably, the unique feature of this metal‐free catalyst is that it tolerated other oxidizable groups, and showed no activity on further reaction of the products, thereby resulting in high selectivity. As far as we know, this is the first work for the synthesis of nitriles via oxidative cyanation of aldehydes over heterogeneous metal‐free catalysts.
Tuning the Circular Dichroism and Circular Polarized Luminescence Intensities of Chiral 2D Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Perovskites through Halogenation of the Organic Ions
Authors: Lin Jin‐Tai , Chen Deng‐Gao , Yang Lan‐Sheng , Lin Tai‐Chun , Liu Yi‐Hung , Chao Yu‐Chiang , Chou Pi‐Tai , Chiu Ching‐Wen
Published: July 2021

Through the incorporation of various halogen‐substituted chiral organic cations, the effects of chiral molecules on the chiroptical properties of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites (HOIPs) are investigated. Among them, the HOIP having a Cl‐substituted chiral cation exhibits the highest circular dichroism (CD) and circular polarized luminescence (CPL) intensities, indicating the existence of the largest rotatory strength, whereas the F‐substituted HIOP shows the weakest intensities. The observed modulation can be correlated to the varied magnetic transition dipole of HOIPs, which is sensitive to the d‐spacing between inorganic layers and the halogen–halogen interaction between organic cations and the inorganic sheets. These counteracting effects meet the optimal CD and CPL intensity with chlorine substitution, rendering the rotatory strength of HOIPs arranged in the order of (ClMBA)2PbI4>(BrMBA)2PbI4>(IMBA)2PbI4>(MBA)2PbI4>(FMBA)2PbI4.