bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lack of freedom predicted poor self‐reported health among family caregivers of children with disabilities during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Europe
Authors: Savela Roosa‐Maria , Nykänen Irma , Välimäki Tarja
Published: April 2023

Aim

We aim to assess the effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on self‐reported health and quality of life among family caregivers of children with disabilities across Europe.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Data from the survey by the Eurocarers and IRCCS‐INRCA were used. The data were collected between November 2020 and March 2021 from 16 European countries. Data analysis was done using regression analysis to identify family caregivers' self‐reported health and well‐being predictors.

Results

This study included 289 caregivers. The mean age of children was 12 years. Their family caregiver's mean age was 44, and they were mainly women. Experience of lack of freedom predicted family caregivers' poor self‐reported health and quality of life. Children's interrupted health and social services also predicted family caregivers' poor self‐reported mental well‐being. Longitudinal evidence on the pandemic's effects and a diverse view of family caregivers of children with disabilities are needed to plan effective post‐pandemic health services and nursing practice.

No Patient or Public Contribution.
Successful Early Neovascularization in Composite Tracheal Grafts
Authors: Nyirjesy Sarah C. , Yu Jane , Dharmadhikari Sayali , Liu Lumei , Bergman Maxwell , Tan Zheng Hong , VanKoevering Kyle K. , Chiang Tendy
Published: April 2023

Objective

Long‐segment tracheal defects require tissue replacement for successful reconstruction. Rapid revascularization is imperative to maintain graft function. We previously showed that partially decellularized tracheal grafts (PDTG) and composite tracheal grafts (CTG; PDTG supported by a 3‐dimensionally printed external splint) regenerate respiratory epithelium and may support the regeneration of endothelial cells (CD31+). However, the capability of graft endothelial cells to organize or contribute to tracheal revascularization remains unclear. In this study, we quantified endothelial cells (CD31+) and neovessel formation in PDTG and CTG. We hypothesize that PDTG and CTG support tracheal neovascularization to a similar extent as surgical (syngeneic tracheal graft [STG]) and native trachea (NT) controls.

Study Design

The animal study, a randomized control trial.

Setting

Center for Regenerative Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital.

Methods

PDTG was created via an established decellularization protocol. Segmental tracheal reconstruction was performed with STG, PDTG, or CTG using a mouse microsurgical model. NT was used as a nonsurgical control. At 1 month, mice were euthanized, grafts harvested, sectioned, and stained with CD31 and hematoxylin and eosin. Neovessel formation was quantified by the number of formed blood vessels in the lamina propria and vessel size (vessel/graft area, mm2).

Results

Decellularization eliminated all endothelial cells and there were no perfused vessels at implantation. At 1 month, PDTG and CTG supported neovessel formation with tubular vessels lined with endothelial cells. There was no difference in the number or size of vessels compared to controls.

Conclusion

PDTG and CTG support tracheal endothelial cell regeneration and neovessel formation. Future directions to assess the function, kinetics, and distribution of graft neovessels are needed.
Prevalence of genetic causes of obesity in clinical practice
Authors: Tamaroff Jaclyn , Williamson Dylan , Slaughter James C. , Xu Meng , Srivastava Gitanjali , Shoemaker Ashley H.
Published: April 2023

Background

While obesity is common in the United States, monogenic obesity is rare, accounting for approximately 5% of individuals with obesity. New targeted therapies for genetic forms of obesity are available but there is limited guidance on who requires testing. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of potentially clinically significant variants among individuals in Pediatric Endocrinology or Medical Weight Center clinics at a single center and to identify clinical characteristics that may make genetic obesity more likely.

Methods

Children and adults who had a genetic test for obesity, Uncovering Rare Obesity Gene panel, ordered during routine clinic visits from December 2019 to March 2021 were identified.

Results

Of the 139 patients with testing ordered, 117 had available results and clinical data. Over 40% (52/117, 44%) had at least one positive result (variant) with a variant that is considered pathogenic, likely pathogenic, or a variant of uncertain significance. No association was detected between age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI) or BMI z‐score with a variant. Twenty‐six individuals (22%) had one or more variants in genes associated with Bardet Biedl Syndrome, and 8 (6.8%) of them had pathogenic variants, higher than expected.

Conclusion

Overall, clinical suspicion for genetic obesity is important in determining who requires genetic testing but no clinical factors were found to predict results. While obesity is multifactorial, novel medications for genetic forms of obesity indicate the need for evidence‐based guidelines for who requires genetic testing for obesity.
A randomized controlled trial to examine the effect of the Pediatric Opioid Analgesia Self‐Instruction System (PedOASIS) tool on pediatric hematology/oncology trainee education
Authors: MacDonell‐Yilmaz Rebecca E. , Murillo Anarina , Welch Jennifer G.
Published: April 2023

Background

Many children with hematologic and oncologic diagnoses require opioids for management of pain, yet knowledge gaps persist among pediatric hematology/oncology (PHO) fellows.

Objective

Pediatric Opioid Analgesia Self‐Instruction System (PedOASIS) is an interactive, case‐based education tool designed for independent learning. The goal of this study was to evaluate its efficacy in increasing PHO fellows’ knowledge and comfort with using opioids to manage pain.

Design/method

PHO fellows were recruited from 74 American College of Graduate Medical Education‐accredited US programs during the 2019–2020 academic year and randomized to receive access to PedOASIS (intervention) or usual PHO training (control). Surveys at baseline, immediately after accessing the tool, and 6 months later assessed knowledge and comfort related to prescribing opioids.

Results

A total of 64 PHO fellows completed the study, with 32 in the intervention group and 32 controls. At baseline, mean scores on the 10‐question knowledge assessment were similar between groups (intervention: 5, control: 6; p = .8). Following intervention, mean score was significantly higher in the intervention group (9) versus controls (5; p < .0001). Six months later, scores in both groups decreased but remained significantly higher in the intervention group (7) compared to controls (5, p < .0001) and compared to baseline (p = .0002). Fellows in the intervention group reported significant increases in comfort dosing opioids after exposure to the tool (p = .02).

Conclusion

PHO fellows exposed to the tool had improved scores on validated knowledge questions and greater comfort using opioids for pain management compared to controls. We therefore suggest that PedOASIS warrants further evaluation as a potential tool for PHO fellows.
Closed‐loop recycling of additive manufacturing waste for value‐added automotive foam applications
Authors: Andre Thomas , Couvreur Rachel , Tamrakar Sandeep , Mielewski Deborah , Kiziltas Alper
Published: April 2023

Polyurethane (PU) foams are used in various automotive applications due to their low cost and weight and highly tunable mechanical and physical properties. This article explores the effect of adding recycled thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) powder collected from 3D printing waste as filler material on thermal stability and mechanical, physical, and sound absorption properties of flexible PU foam. The incorporation of TPE powder at low filler content, 2.5 wt%, increased the compression modulus by over 140%, tear resistance by over 25%, and Young's Modulus by 50% compared to the control. The addition of 2.5 wt% TPU powder increased the compression modulus by 61%, tear resistance by 31%, and Young's Modulus by 84%. The addition of TPU powder at 2.5 wt% showed improvement in sound absorption of plane waves (up to 20% at 2500 Hz) for a frequency range of 50–3500 Hz. Adding an additive manufacturing waste stream into PU foam as a filler reduced waste to landfill and created a superior foam product. This article exemplifies the benefits of creating a closed‐loop plastic industry to improve polymer materials and protect the earth.
Prediction of students' COVID‐19 resilience: An artificial neural network based on gender, age, stress intensity, and mindfulness variables
Authors: Nursalim Mochamad , Saroinsong Wulan P. , Boonroungrut Chinun , Wagino  , Costa Augusto da
Published: April 2023

The global health emergency, COVID‐19, significantly influenced schooling in Indonesia. Students employed a variety of coping mechanisms to cope with unusual stress levels during confinement time. Hence, as students' COVID‐19 resilience, investigation, and prevention were required for high and chronic stress connected with various disorders. This study aimed to design a predictive model of students' COVID‐19 resilience based on artificial intelligence that included certain demographic variables, stress intensity, and mindfulness and to study the relationship between them. A total of 6580 Indonesian students were involved in this study (57.9% female and 70.3% aged between 13 and 15 years old). The prediction model was performed by the architecture of artificial neural networks. The results showed that the model's predictive capacity was over 63% in the testing phase, then reached almost 65% in the holdout phase. Students' COVID‐19 resilience was mainly predicted by stress intensity and mindfulness with 100% and 40.9% normalized importance values, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curve assessed and remarked the model as more superior than random. Our research gave some insight into the use of artificial intelligence in educational research to predict psychological variables.
Synthesis and chemical properties of π‐conjugated polyphenylenes bearing o‐diaminobenzene and cis‐platin units
Authors: Yamaguchi Isao , Miyagi Kazunobu , Wang Aohan
Published: April 2023

π‐Conjugated polyphenylenes (PPs) consisting of 2,3‐diaminobenzene‐1,4‐diyl and 9,9‐bis(hexaethylene glycol monomethyl ether)fluorene‐2,7‐diyl (polymer‐1) or 9,9‐bis(6‐N,N,N‐trimethylammoniumhexyl bromide)fluorene‐2,7‐diyl (polymer‐2) units were synthesized via the Suzuki−Miyaura polycondensation. The reactions of polymers 1 and 2 with K2PtCl4 yielded the corresponding PPs polymer‐1(Pt) and polymer‐2(Pt), respectively, bearing cis‐platin skeletons. GPC measurements revealed that the Mn values of polymers 1 and 2 were 21,500 and 4800 and Mw values were 30,600 and 5200, respectively. Polymers 1(Pt) and 2(Pt) exhibited photoluminescence (PL) in solution, whose quantum yields of PL were improved compared to those of polymers 1 and 2. The emission wavelength of polymer‐1 in solution shifted to longer wavelengths with increasing solvent dielectric constants. The solvatochromic behavior of the polymer was investigated by the Lippert−Mataga method using the PL data. Cyclic voltammetry analysis indicated that the amino groups of polymers 1 and 2 underwent electrochemical oxidation in a two‐step process, and the Pt metal centers of polymers 1(Pt) and 2(Pt) were redox active.
Management of neuropsychiatric symptoms in adults treated with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor
Authors: Baroud Evelyne , Chaudhary Nivedita , Georgiopoulos Anna M.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Reports of neuropsychiatric symptoms proximal to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator initiation are emerging, but their prevalence and management remain poorly characterized.

Methods

Retrospective chart review was used to categorize symptom trajectories of all adults at a single CF Center who initiated elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) before March 2022 and subsequently had ≥1 outpatient visit with the consulting CF psychiatrist. For those who developed neuropsychiatric symptoms probably related to ETI and modified treatment in response, the strategy resulting in greatest improvement with acceptable physical course and tolerability was identified. Ratings were made by a psychiatrist not involved in clinical care.

Results

Of 148 adults initiating ETI, 31 were psychiatrically evaluated, 16 of whom developed new/worsening and unexpected neuropsychiatric symptoms probably related to ETI, including neurocognitive (word finding, brain fog, memory, attention/concentration), insomnia, depression, anxiety, fatigue/low energy, mania/hypomania, other distress. This group had higher maximum lifetime Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7 scores (14.42 ± 0.96; p = 0.05) than those with improved, unchanged, or worsening/possibly related symptoms (N = 15; 9.9 ± 1.82). Treatment strategies resulting in much/very much improvement included pharmacologic interventions, psychotherapy, and dose reduction/discontinuing ETI.

Conclusions

Although many people initiating ETI experience improved physical and mental health and quality of life, a subset report worsening neurocognition, mood, and anxiety. As novel therapies are developed, ascertaining and evaluating neuropsychiatric symptoms in clinical and research settings is advisable. Larger studies are needed to characterize prevalence, course, and risk factors (e.g., age, gender, clinical status, pharmacokinetics/pharmacogenomics, drug−drug interactions) for neuropsychiatric adverse events related to CFTR modulators and guide effective management.
Seal materials in flexible plastic food packaging: A review
Authors: Bamps Bram , Buntinx Mieke , Peeters Roos
Published: April 2023

Flexible packaging has many advantages in the food industry, arising from low weight, formability, multilayer complexity and cost. Heat sealing is a very efficient technique to close flexible food packaging. Currently, many thermoplastic materials are used in seal layers. A seal can be formed when these materials are heated and brought into contact; thereafter, polymer chains diffuse across the seal interface and entangle. Hydrogen bonds, polar and ionic interactions are molecular forces that can come into play, depending on the thermoplastic materials that are used in the seal layer. Bonds between identical polymers, referred to as autohesion, are formed in pouch applications (e.g., horizontal and vertical form‐fill‐seal packages). In lidding applications, the flexible film is sealed to a rigid cup, tray or bottle, whereby bonds can be formed between non‐identical polymers because the materials are often provided by different suppliers. All heat seal technologies imply heating of seal layers but differ in the heating principle. In the food industry and in most scientific seal studies, the seals of mono‐ and multilayered packaging are mainly formed by conductive heating. Recently, the use of emerging technologies, such as ultrasonic and laser heating, is increasingly described in recent papers. Applied seals are characterized by strength after a specified cooling time. Immediately after heating, this strength is referred to as hot tack. A good seal performance is crucial to guarantee food safety and quality. Besides strength, tightness is important to prevent food degradation, caused by microorganisms and external gases, and to keep aromatic gases inside the package. This review aims to give a literature overview that can support stakeholders in the food industry to improve and optimize the material selection in flexible packaging, in order to obtain seals with desired tightness and strength. Heat seal studies on materials and seal technology of flexible food packaging, such as pouches and lidding films, are considered. Scientific data are categorized from a materials' perspective, based on chemical structure, which is revealed by chemical and thermal analysis. A majority of the seal studies is categorized in a first section on polyolefins as seal layers. The following sections describe the seal functionality of (i) ethylene copolymers, such as ionomers; and (ii) polyesters, such as poly (ethylene terephthalate), pol (lactic acid) and poly (butylene succinate). The role of plasticizers, fillers and other additives in the seal performance is also described. Finally, material properties, such as chain length and melting temperature (Tm), as underlying causes of seal performance, are summarized.
A near‐optimal CUSUM‐CV chart
Authors: Haq Abdul , Khoo Michael B. C.
Published: April 2023

Monitoring of the process coefficient of variation (CV) with one‐sided CUSUM charts has been considered in the literature. In this short note, we develop a near‐optimal one‐sided CUSUM chart (with an explicit mathematical expression of the reference parameter) for detecting either increases or decreases in the CV of a normally distributed process. It is shown that the run‐length profiles of the existing and proposed one‐sided CUSUM‐CV charts (despite the fact that both charts possess different control‐charting structures) approximately remain the same. However, the proposed one‐sided CUSUM‐CV charts can be easily optimized when detecting a specific upward or downward shift in the in‐control process CV.
Simultaneous hypothesis testing for multiple competing risks in comparative clinical trials
Authors: Wen Jiyang , Wang Mei‐Cheng , Hu Chen
Published: April 2023

Competing risks data are commonly encountered in randomized clinical trials or observational studies. Ignoring competing risks in survival analysis leads to biased risk estimates and improper conclusions. Often, one of the competing events is of primary interest and the rest competing events are handled as nuisances. These approaches can be inadequate when multiple competing events have important clinical interpretations and thus of equal interest. For example, in COVID‐19 in‐patient treatment trials, the outcomes of COVID‐19 related hospitalization are either death or discharge from hospital, which have completely different clinical implications and are of equal interest, especially during the pandemic. In this paper we develop nonparametric estimation and simultaneous inferential methods for multiple cumulative incidence functions (CIFs) and corresponding restricted mean times. Based on Monte Carlo simulations and a data analysis of COVID‐19 in‐patient treatment clinical trial, we demonstrate that the proposed method provides global insights of the treatment effects across multiple endpoints.
Influence of resilience on perceived stress and depression among Taiwanese army military personnel
Authors: Chao En , Chen Sy‐Jou , Hong Yu‐Chia , Chiang Hui‐Hsun
Published: April 2023

Resilience has been reported to attenuate psychological burden and promote mental health. Military personnel constitute a population with a high psychological burden and poor sleep quality and are thus at a high risk of depression. This study is aim to examine the mechanism underlying the effects of resilience on perceived stress, sleep quality, and depression among Taiwanese army military personnel. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted between May 2020 and February 2021. Participants comprised 1505 voluntary army military service personnel aged 20 years or older; they completed self‐reported questionnaires measuring their perceived stress, resilience, sleep quality, and depression. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results indicated that the association between resilience and depression was partially mediated by perceived stress and sleep quality. Perceived stress is a significant mediator on the association between resilience and depression. A high level of sleep disturbance was observed in this population and results found that sleep quality showed a slight partial mediation effect on the association between resilience and depression. Resilience can alleviate the effects of stress, which in turn alleviates depression among military personnel. Promoting resilience‐enhancing education and mitigating environmental barriers to sleep is essential for reducing depressive symptoms among military personnel.
Bioactive Injectable and Self‐Healing Hydrogel Via Cell‐Free Fat Extract for Endometrial Regeneration
Authors: Xu Bufang , Zhou Mingjuan , Liu Mengyu , Wang Zhen , Duan Jingru , Li Wenzhu , Cui Wenguo , Zhang Aijun
Published: April 2023

The damaged endometrium and the formation of fibrosis are key barriers to pregnancy and further lead to infertility. However, how to promote endometrium repair is always a challenge. Here, a bioactive injectable and self‐healing hydrogel is developed by physically combination of thiolated polyethylene (PEG), Cu2+ and cell‐free fat extract (CEFFE, CF) for endometrial regeneration and fertility. By inheriting the advantages of various active proteins contained in CEFFE, it could induce the overall repair of endometrial microenvironment for intrauterine adhesion (IUA). In vitro, CF@Cu‐PEG reduces endometrial cell apoptosis by more than 50%, and increases angiogenesis by 92.8%. In the IUA mouse, injection of CF@Cu‐PEG significantly reduces the rate of uterine hydrometra and prevents the formation of endometrial fibrosis. Remarkably, CF@Cu‐PEG contributes to the repair of endometrial microstructure, especially increases the number of endometrial pinopodes, significantly improves endometrial receptivity, and increases the pregnancy rate of IUA mice from 7.14% to 66.67%. In summary, through the physically combination of CEFFE and Cu‐PEG, the construction of loaded bioactive injectable hydrogel not only inhibits the IUA, but also induces the self‐repair of endometrial cells in situ and improves fertility, providing a new strategy for IUA repair in clinical application.
Engineering the Au‐Cu2O Crystalline Interfaces for Structural and Catalytic Integration
Authors: Xu Wenjia , Xiao Ruixue , An Senyuan , Li Chao , Ding Jie , Chen Hongyu , Yang Hong Bin , Feng Yuhua
Published: April 2023

Precise structural control has attracted tremendous interest in pursuit of the tailoring of physical properties. Here, this work shows that through strong ligand‐mediated interfacial energy control, Au‐Cu2O dumbbell structures where both the Au nanorod (AuNR) and the partially encapsulating Cu2O domains are highly crystalline. The synthetic advance allows physical separation of the Au and Cu2O domains, in addition to the use of long nanorods with tunable absorption wavelength, and the crystalline Cu2O domain with well‐defined facets. The interplay of plasmon and Schottky effects boosts the photocatalytic performance in the model photodegradation of methyl orange, showing superior catalytic efficiency than the AuNR@Cu2O core–shell structures. In addition, compared to the typical core–shell structures, the AuNR‐Cu2O dumbbells can effectively electrochemically catalyze the CO2 to C2+ products (ethanol and ethylene) via a cascade reaction pathway. The excellent dual function of both photo‐ and electrocatalysis can be attributed to the fine physical separation of the crystalline Au and Cu2O domains.
Low Dimensional, Metal‐Free, Hydrazinium Halide Perovskite‐Related Single Crystals and Their Use as X‐Ray Detectors
Authors: Song Xin , Cohen Hagai , Yin Jun , Li Haojin , Wang Jiayi , Yuan Youyou , Huang Renwu , Cui Qingyue , Ma Chuang , Liu Shengzhong (Frank) , Hodes Gary , Zhao Kui
Published: April 2023

Metal‐free halide perovskites (MFHaPs) have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their desirable properties, such as low toxicity, light weight, chemical versatility, and potential for optoelectronics. MFHaPs with the formula A2+B+X−3 (where A is a large organic divalent cation, B+ is typically NH4+, and X is a halide) have been studied extensively, but few studies have examined alternative cations at the B position. This paper reports the synthesis of three MFHaP‐related single crystals, DABCO‐N2H5‐X3 (DABCO = N‐N‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octonium, X = Br and I) and (DABCO)3‐N2H5(NH4)2Cl9, which feature hydrazinium (N2H5) at the B position. The crystals have a perovskite‐like, one‐dimensional, edge‐connected structure and exhibit optical and band structure properties. The crystals were then tested as X‐ray detectors, where they showed excellent photoresponsivity, stability, and low background noise, owing to the large semi‐gap that dictates long lifetimes. The detectors exhibited sensitivity as high as 1143 ± 10 µC Gyair−1 cm−2 and a low detection limit of 2.68 µGy s−1 at 10 V. The researchers suggest that the stronger hydrogen bonding in N2H5+ compounds compared to NH4+ MFHaPs may contribute to the detectors’ enhanced stability.
Synergistic Tuning of CoO/CoP Heterojunction Nanowire Arrays as Efficient Bifunctional Catalysts for Alkaline Overall Water Splitting
Authors: Dong Yan , Deng Zhiping , Xu Zhixiao , Liu Guangyi , Wang Xiaolei
Published: April 2023

Bifunctional electrocatalysts with superior activity and durability are of great importance for electrocatalytic water splitting. Herein, hierarchical structured CoO/CoP heterojunctions are successfully designed as highly efficient and freestanding bifunctional electrocatalysts toward overall water splitting. The unique microstructure combining two‐dimensional nanosheets with one‐dimensional nanowires enables numerous exposed active sites, shortened ion‐diffusion pathways, and enhanced conductivity, significantly improving performance. Such freestanding electrodes achieve high current density over 400 mA cm−2 at low overpotentials and have exceptional electrocatalytic activity as well as long‐term durability for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions under alkaline conditions. Remarkably, a high current density of 20 mA cm−2 is generated at a low cell voltage of 1.56 V in an alkaline water electrolyzer, originating from synergistic interactions between CoO and CoP exposing active sites and facilitating charge transfer and enhancing kinetics. This work provides new insight into designing low‐cost but high‐performance bifunctional electrocatalysts for practical water splitting.
Bioactivated and PEG‐Protected Circa 2 nm Gold Nanoparticles for in Cell Labelling and Cryo‐Electron Microscopy
Authors: Groysbeck Nadja , Hanss Victor , Donzeau Mariel , Strub Jean‐Marc , Cianférani Sarah , Spehner Danièle , Bahri Mounib , Ersen Ovidiu , Eltsov Mikhael , Schultz Patrick , Zuber Guy
Published: April 2023

Advances in cryo‐electron microscopy (EM) enable imaging of protein assemblies within mammalian cells in a near native state when samples are preserved by cryogenic vitrification. To accompany this progress, specialized EM labelling protocols must be developed. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) of 2 nm are synthesized and functionalized to bind selected intracellular targets inside living human cells and to be detected in vitreous sections. As a proof of concept, thioaminobenzoate‐, thionitrobenzoate‐coordinated gold nanoparticles are functionalized on their surface with SV40 Nuclear Localization Signal (NLS)‐containing peptides and 2 kDa polyethyleneglycols (PEG) by thiolate exchange to target the importin‐mediated nuclear machinery and facilitate cytosolic diffusion by shielding the AuNP surface from non‐specific binding to cell components, respectively. After delivery by electroporation into the cytoplasm of living human cells, the PEG‐coated AuNPs diffuse freely in the cytoplasm but do not enter the nucleus. Incorporation of NLS within the PEG coverage promotes a quick nuclear import of the nanoparticles in relation to the density of NLS onto the AuNPs. Cryo‐EM of vitreous cell sections demonstrate the presence of 2 nm AuNPs as single entities in the nucleus. Biofunctionalized AuNPs combined with live‐cell electroporation procedures are thus potent labeling tools for the identification of macromolecules in cellular cryo‐EM.
Challenges and Strategies in the Development of Zinc‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Loh Jiong Rui , Xue Junmin , Lee Wee Siang Vincent
Published: April 2023

Although promising, the practical use of zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) remains plagued with uncontrollable dendrite growth, parasitic side reactions, and the high intercalation energy of divalent Zn2+ions. Hence, much work has been conducted to alleviate these issues to maximize the energy density and cyclic life of the cell. In this holistic review, the mechanisms and rationale for the stated challenges shall be summarized, followed by the corresponding strategies employed to mitigate them. Thereafter, a perspective on present research and the outlook of ZIBs would be put forth in hopes to enhance their electrochemical properties in a multipronged approach.
Highly Reproducible Epitaxial Growth of Wafer‐Scale Single‐Crystal Monolayer MoS2 on Sapphire
Authors: Yang Pengfei , Liu Fachen , Li Xuan , Hu Jingyi , Zhou Fan , Zhu Lijie , Chen Qing , Gao Peng , Zhang Yanfeng
Published: April 2023

2D semiconducting transition‐metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have attracted considerable attention as channel materials for next‐generation transistors. To meet the industry needs, large‐scale production of single‐crystal monolayer TMDs in highly reproducible and energy‐efficient manner is critically significant. Herein, it is reported that the high‐reproducible, high‐efficient epitaxial growth of wafer‐scale monolayer MoS2 single crystals on the industry‐compatible sapphire substrates, by virtue of a deliberately designed “face‐to‐face” metal‐foil‐based precursor supply route, carbon‐cloth‐filter based precursor concentration decay strategy, and the precise optimization of the chalcogenides and metal precursor ratio (i.e., S/Mo ratio). This unique growth design can concurrently guarantee the uniform release, short‐distance transport, and moderate deposition of metal precursor on a wafer‐scale substrate, affording high‐efficient and high‐reproducible growth of wafer‐scale single crystals (over two inches, six times faster than usual). Moreover, the S/Mo precursor ratio is found as a key factor for the epitaxial growth of MoS2 single crystals with rather high crystal quality, as convinced by the relatively high electronic performances of related devices. This work demonstrates a reliable route for the batch production of wafer‐scale single‐crystal 2D materials, thus propelling their practical applications in highly integrated high‐performance nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.
In Situ/Operando Methods for Understanding Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction Reaction
Authors: Wang Huimin , Huang Jingjing , Cai Jinmeng , Wei Yingying , Cao Ang , Liu Baozhong , Lu Siyu
Published: April 2023

With the development of industrial and agricultural, a large amount of nitrate is produced, which not only disrupts the natural nitrogen cycle, but also endangers public health. Among the commonly used nitrate treatment techniques, the electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (eNRR) has attracted extensive attention due to its mild conditions, pollution‐free nature, and other advantages. An in‐depth understanding of the eNRR mechanism is the prerequisite for designing highly efficient electrocatalysts. However, some traditional characterization tools cannot comprehensively and deeply study the reaction process. It is necessary to develop in situ and operando techniques to reveal the reaction mechanism at the time‐resolved and atomic level. This review discusses the eNRR mechanism and summarizes the possible in situ techniques used in eNRR. A detailed introduction of various in situ techniques and their help in understanding the reaction mechanism is provided. Finally, the current challenges and future opportunities in this research area are discussed and highlighted.
Optimal non‐circular designs for interference models
Authors: Kong Xiangshun , Fu Jie , Zheng Wei
Published: April 2023

In many applications of block designs, the responses of plots are affected by treatments in neighbouring plots. What makes it more complicated is the border effect on the two edge plots caused by potential environmental impacts outside the blocks. For the latter, many researchers use two guarding plots next to the edge plots, for which we apply certain treatments to control these impacts. There have been extensive studies of designs under this set‐up; however, we observe that existing literature has been focusing on circular designs where the treatments applied to the border effects are the same as the edge plots on their opposite sides. This structural restriction is unnecessary in most applications. We consider non‐circular designs, where guarding plots are allowed to take any treatments by design. In this paper, optimal non‐circular designs are constructed for direct effects estimations. It is found that optimal non‐circular designs outperform optimal circular designs in many cases, especially for many commonly studied cases in the literature.
Species boundaries within the recently diverged South American monocot‐like Eryngium (Apiaceae, Saniculoideae) based on biogeographic, climatic, morphological, and molecular data: E. cerradense, a new species from Paraguay
Authors: Esquivel Mattos Patricia , Fernández Martina , Calviño Carolina I.
Published: April 2023

The species of Eryngium with a monocot‐like habit are among the most taxonomically complex. They show low phenotypic and molecular differentiation due to their recent, rapid, and reticulate speciation during the Quaternary period. In this study, we evaluate the boundaries of the monocot‐like Eryngium regnellii and a closely related entity from the grasslands in the Cerrado of Paraguay. We integrated evidence from multiple data sources to test species delimitation: we estimated the phylogenetic position of both entities within Eryngium based on ITS nrDNA and cpDNA sequences; we carried out univariate and multivariate morphometric analyses to test statistically significant differences and to recognize morphological diagnostic characters; we also analyzed geographic distribution, habitat, and bioclimatic variables to evaluate divergence in environmental niche, and finally, we used Bayesian coalescent‐based delimitation approaches to test genetic structure. Divergence in morphology, environmental niche, and genetic structure between E. regnellii and the lineage from Paraguay support the hypothesis of evolutionary independence among these two lineages. Therefore, based on an integrative approach, we recognize and describe a new species from Paraguay: Eryngium cerradense.
Causal inference in cognitive neuroscience
Authors: Danks David , Davis Isaac
Published: April 2023

Causal inference is a key step in many research endeavors in cognitive science and neuroscience, and particularly cognitive neuroscience. Statistical knowledge is sufficient for prediction and diagnosis, but causal knowledge is required for action and intervention. Most statistics courses and textbooks emphasize the difficulty of causal inference, focusing on the maxim that “correlation does not mean causation”: there can be multiple causal possibilities, often many of them, consistent with given observed statistics. This paper focuses instead on the conceptual issues and assumptions that confront causal and other kinds of inference, primarily focusing on cognitive neuroscience. We connect inference methods with goals and challenges, and provide concrete guidance about how to select appropriate tools for the scientific task.

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Theory and Methods

Philosophy > Foundations of Cognitive Science
Whey permeate as a phosphorus source for algal cultivation
Authors: Nham Quyen , Mattsson Lina , Legrand Catherine , Lindehoff Elin
Published: April 2023

Microalgal cultivation for biodiesel and feed requires recycled nutrient resources for a sustainable long‐term operation. Whey permeate (WP) from dairy processing contains high organic load (lactose, oils, and proteins) and nitrogen (resources tested for microalgal cultivation) and organic phosphorus (P) that has not yet been tested as a P source for microalgal cultivation. We explored the potential of green algae strains (brackish) and polyculture (freshwater) in exploiting P from WP added to a medium based on either seawater (7 psu) or landfill leachate. Both strains showed a capacity of using organic P in WP with equal growth rates (0.94–1.12 d−1) compared with chemical phosphate treatments (0.88–1.07 d−1). The polyculture had comparable growth rate (0.25–0.57 d−1) and biomass yield (152.1–357.5 mg L−1) and similar or higher nutrient removal rate in the leachate–WP medium (1.3–6.4 mg L−1 day−1 nitrogen, 0.2–1.1 mg L−1 day−1 P) compared with the leachate–chemical phosphate medium (1.2–4.7 mg L−1 day−1 nitrogen, 0.3–1.4 mg L−1 day−1 P). This study showed that WP is a suitable P source for microalgal cultivation over a range of salinities. To date, this is the first study demonstrating that raw WP can replace mineral P fertilizer for algal cultivation.

Practitioners Points

Whey permeate is a comparable phosphorus source to standard fertilizers used in algal cultivation.

Green algae removed phosphorus effectively from whey permeate.

Microalgal cultivation is a good approach for treatment of whey permeate in combination with a nitrogen‐rich wastewater.
Modulating osteoclasts with nanoparticles: A path for osteoporosis management?
Authors: Rouco Helena , García‐García Patricia , Briffault Erik , Diaz‐Rodriguez Patricia
Published: April 2023

Osteoclasts are the cells responsible for the bone resorption process during bone remodeling. In a healthy situation, this process results from an equilibrium between new matrix formation by osteoblast and matrix resorption by osteoclast. Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic bone disease characterized by a decreased bone mass density and alterations in bone microarchitecture, increasing fracture predisposition. Despite the variety of available therapies for OP management there is a growing gap in its treatment associated to the low patients' adherence owing to concerns related with long‐term efficacy or safety. This makes the development of new and safe treatments necessary. Among the newly developed strategies, the use of synthetic and natural nanoparticles to modulate osteoclasts differentiation, activity, apoptosis or crosstalk with osteoblasts have arisen. Synthetic nanoparticles exert their therapeutic effect either by loading antiresorptive drugs or including molecules for osteoclasts gene regulation. Moreover, this control over osteoclasts can be improved by their targeting to bone extracellular matrix or osteoclast membranes. Furthermore, natural nanoparticles, also known as extracellular vesicles, have been identified to play a key role in bone homeostasis. Consequently, these systems have been widely studied to control osteoblasts and osteoclasts under variable environments. Additionally, the ability to bioengineer extracellular vesicles has allowed to obtain biomimetic systems with desirable characteristics as drug carriers for osteoclasts. The analyzed information reveals the possibility of modulating osteoclasts by different mechanisms through nanoparticles decreasing bone resorption. These findings suggest that controlling osteoclast activity using nanoparticles has the potential to improve osteoporosis management.

This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Use of niosomes for the treatment of intracellular pathogens infecting the lungs
Authors: Bach Horacio , Lorenzo‐Leal Ana C.
Published: April 2023

The delivery of drugs in an encapsulated environment is designed to precisely target specific tissues, avoiding a systemic circulation of the drug. Lungs are organs exposed to the environment with multiple defense barriers. However, many pathogens can still colonize and infect the airways bypassing the hostile environment of the lungs. In more complicated situations, some pathogens have developed strategies to multiply and survive within macrophages, one of the first immune cell responses to clearing infections in mammals. Niosomes are artificial vesicles that can be loaded with drugs, offering an alternative strategy to treat intracellular pathogens as nanocarriers. Members of the mycobacteria genus are intracellular pathogens that have evolved to escape the immunological response, specifically in macrophages, the white cells responsible for the clearance of pathogens. This review analyzed the state‐of‐the‐art niosome synthesis aimed at tackling the problem of intracellular pathogen therapy.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Empirische Ergebnisse
Authors: Jähnke Anke
Published: April 2023

Kapitel 4 stellt die empirischen Ergebnisse der Untersuchung ins Zentrum. Zuerst werden die Ergebnisse zur Entstehungsgeschichte sowie den Entwicklungen und Erfahrungen der Interviewpartner*innen im Zeitverlauf dargestellt. Anschließend werden datengestützt ihre verschiedenen Handlungsoptionen im Versorgungssetting verdeutlicht. Abschließend wird das aus den Daten entwickelte paradigmatische Modell zur Positionierung als pflegende Angehörige und zugleich Pflegefachperson ausgeführt.
Resümee und Ausblick
Authors: Jähnke Anke
Published: April 2023

Die Erkenntnisse zur Doppelrolle von Pflegefachpersonen, die zugleich pflegende Angehörige sind, bieten zahlreiche Ansatzpunkte, die Gesundheitsversorgung und ihre Qualität zu reflektieren und Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten kritisch-konstruktiv zu diskutieren.
Industrial assays to evaluate the efficacy of vacuum pressure impregnation with commercial wood preservatives to eliminate the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and other nematodes from Pinus pinaster wood
Authors: Fonseca Luís , Silva Hugo , Abrantes Isabel
Published: April 2023

To demonstrate the efficacy of the vacuum pressure impregnation (VPI) with commercial wood preservative products to eliminate the quarantine organism, pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, and other nematodes from maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) wood, in vitro assays and industrial assays in horizontal industrial autoclave tanks were conducted. In vitro nematicidal activity assays through direct exposure of the PWN 3rd-stage dispersal juveniles, the resistance juvenile stage, extracted from naturally infected P. pinaster revealed 100% nematode mortality with three commercial wood preservatives. Nematode mortality was also assessed in VPI industrial assays with the three commercial wood preservatives using naturally PWN infected P. pinaster experimental units, with various diameters and sizes. After VPI treatment, the nematode mortality ranged from 99.9761 to 100%. After incubation, the mortality of the total number of nematodes increased and, in all sections, the nematode mortality was higher than 99.9981% and in some it was 100% indicating that wood impregnated with preservative products does not constitute an environment favorable to the reproduction and development of nematodes. Overall, our findings demonstrated that the efficiency of the VPI process results from the joint action of the physical effect of pressure and vacuum and of the nematicidal effect of the preservative product. VPI treatment can be considered a valuable approach to eliminate PWN and other nematodes from maritime pine wood avoiding the subsequent application of the heat treatment.
A comparison between the finite element method and a kinematic model derived from robot swarms for first and second gradient continua
Authors: dell’Erba Ramiro , D’Avanzo P. , Rapisarda A. C.
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we consider a deformable continuous medium and its discrete representation realized by a lattice of points. The former is solved using the classical variational formulation with the finite element method. The latter, a 2D discrete “kinematic” model, instead is conceived to determine the displacements of the lattice points depending on interaction rules among them and thus provides the final configuration of the system. The kinematic model assigns the displacements of some points, so-called leaders, by solving Newton’s law; the other points, namely followers, are left to rearrange themselves according to the lattice structure and the flocking rules. These rules are derived from the effort to describe the behaviour of a robot swarm as a single whole organism. The advantage of the kinematic model lies in reducing computational cost and the easiness of managing complicated structures and fracture phenomena. In addition, generalizing the discrete model to non-local interactions, such as for second gradient materials, is easier than solving partial differential equations. This paper aims to compare and discuss the deformed configurations obtained by these two approaches. The comparison between FEM and the kinematic model shows a reasonable agreement even in the case of large deformations for the standard case of the first gradient continuum.
Regularity of Solutions to the Muskat Equation
Authors: Shi Jia
Published: April 2023

In this paper, we show that if a solution to the Muskat problem in the case of different densities and the same viscosity is sufficiently smooth, then it must be analytic except at the points where a turnover of the fluids happens.
A Hamiltonian Approach to Small Time Local Attainability of Manifolds for Nonlinear Control Systems
Authors: Soravia Pierpaolo
Published: April 2023

This paper develops a new approach to small time local attainability of smooth manifolds of any dimension, possibly with boundary and to prove Hölder continuity of the minimum time function. We give explicit pointwise conditions of any order by using higher order hamiltonians which combine derivatives of the controlled vector field and the functions that locally define the target. For the controllability of a point our sufficient conditions extend some classically known results for symmetric or control affine systems, using the Lie algebra instead, but for targets of higher dimension our approach and results are new. We find our sufficient higher order conditions explicit and easy to compute for targets with curvature and general control systems. Some cases of nonsmooth targets are also included.
Anthropogenic heat release due to energy consumption exacerbates European summer extreme high temperature
Authors: Chen Bing , Wu Chenglai , Song Xin , Zheng Yuhao , Lu Mingwei , Yang Huiyi , Wu Xue , Zhao Xiaoqing , Lu Zheng , Luo Tao , Liu Xiaohong
Published: April 2023

Anthropogenic heat release (AHR) is the release of heat generated by anthropogenic energy consumption. The global mean flux of AHR is 0.03 W m−2, while AHR is geographically concentrated and fundamentally correlates with economic activity; furthermore, AHR can reach a level sufficient for impacting regional even large-scale climate. In this study, the impacts of AHR on the summer European heatwaves (EHWs) are examined by using the Community Earth System Model version 1 (CESM1). The results show that in Europe, AHR increases the summer mean 2-m temperature by 0.26 °C and the surface minimum and maximum temperatures by 0.14 °C and 0.41 °C, respectively. AHR exacerbates the extreme high temperatures in the summer in Europe, increasing EHW days by 1–2 days in central and eastern Europe in the summer annually from 1992 to 2013. AHR strengthens the surface wind that flows from the ocean to the land in Europe by increasing the land surface temperatures. AHR decreases the lower-troposphere stability (LTS) and reduces the low-cloud amounts in Europe, which leads to more solar shortwave radiation reaching the surface. AHR affects water vapor and the surface energy balance in Europe, which impacts on European summer heatwaves further. AHR acts as a non-negligible factor for summer extreme high temperature in Europe and a potential factor impacting EHW days.