bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Speech intelligibility in Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium
Authors: Kannan Srilatha K.
Published: July 2002

‘‘The most important function of sound in theater is to ensure audience comfort in perceiving audio component of a performance’’ [Bracewell, Sound Design of Theater (1993)]. Background research has unveiled poor speech intelligibility at the Gammage Auditorium. This study aims to map speech intelligibility in different seating areas and measure the factors causing poor speech intelligibility. The instrument used to collect data will be the Techron TEF System 12 analyzer. This instrument uses modulation transfer function (MTF) and speech transmission index (STI) techniques. This is based on RASTI techniques by measuring the reduction of signal modulation in an acoustic transmission path [Keele, Jr. (1988)]. MTF is a measure of how well the amplitude modulation of a signal is preserved when a signal is sent from one point to another. The measurement modulations at different frequencies are converted to a single value that indicates the speech intelligibility in the auditorium. This single value is STI. Measurements are also provided on data for signal-to-noise ratio and RT60. A separate measurement of background noise level would indicate poor speech intelligibility due to excessive reverberation or background noise.
Wide bandwidth and low-frequency target response measurements with a large PVDF sheet source outside the laboratory
Authors: Morse Scot F. , Hefner B. Todd , Marston Philip L. , Williams Kevin L.
Published: July 2002

It is demonstrated that elastic response features in the few kilohertz frequency range and at higher frequencies can be observed using a large, acoustically transparent PVDF sheet source. The source was operated in both the impulse mode [Kaduchak et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 97, 2699–2708 (1995)] and with tone burst excitation. It was used in Lake Union (Seattle) to measure resonances and other elastic features of a stainless steel spherical shell having a radius of 29.8 cm. Both the source and sphere were supported from the APL barge. One especially noteworthy feature of the source is its ability to generate tone bursts that turn on and off abruptly. This is because of the absence of resonances of the source. The potential applications of sheet sources of this type are not limited to laboratory experiments. [Work supported in part by the Office of Naval Research and by APL.]
Vowel articulation training aid for the hearing impaired: An update
Authors: Zimmer A. Matthew , Zahorian Stephen A. , Auberg Stefan
Published: July 2002

A computer-based system which provides real-time feedback for vowel articulation training for the hearing impaired is described. This system is a revised version of the training aid described in previous papers [Zahorian and Correal, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 95, 3014(A) (1994); Beck and Zahorian, ICASSP-92, II–241-244]. Revised feature extraction and classification algorithms improve accuracy and allow processing of vowels spoken in CVC contexts. Cost has been reduced by a new Windows 95/NT-based implementation which requires no specialized DSP or audio hardware. Steady-state vowel and CVC tokens have been collected from 24 adult male, 28 adult female, and 46 child speakers to provide training data for semi-speaker-independent neural network classifiers used in the system. Displays include a two-dimensional F1/F2 style display which provides continuous feedback, and a vowel bar graph display. Each accommodates four speaker groups: adult female, adult male, child, and general. Tests with ten steady-state monophthong vowels produced by speakers outside the training set indicate that typically over 80% of vowels are correctly depicted by the bar graph display and over 75% by the 2-D display. A third display for vowels spoken in CVC contexts is under development. [Work funded by NSF, Grant No. NSF-BES-9411607.]
Relations among three measures of auditory-visual integration
Authors: Grant Ken W.
Published: July 2002

Three measures of auditory-visual (AV) integration using both congruent and discrepant speech stimuli were evaluated in 30 hearing-impaired subjects. The first measure was based on Braida’s model of pre-labeling integration [Q. J. Exp. Psych. 43, 647–677 (1991)] which makes predictions of AV consonant recognition from separate auditory (A) and visual (V) consonant confusion matrices. The ratio of observed-to-predicted AV score was used as an index of integration, with unity representing optimal integration. The second measure used discrepant A and V consonant–vowel stimuli to determine susceptibility to ‘‘McGurk’’ effects. Susceptibility was defined as the difference between A and AV consonant recognition, with greater differences reflecting greater susceptibility. The third measure used temporally misaligned AV speech stimuli in a sentence recognition task to determine individual sensitivity to AV asynchrony. Auditory onset delays between 0-320 ms were studied and individual sensitivity to AV asynchrony was defined in terms of decrements in sentence intelligibility relative to the synchronous condition (0-ms delay). Relations among these three potential measures of AV integration, and between integration measures and a separate measure of relative AV sentence benefit, will be discussed. [Work supported by NIH Grant No. DC00792 and the Department of Clinical Investigation.]
Modeling perceptual confusions to dysarthric speech
Authors: Bunnell H. Timothy , Menendez-Pidal Xavier , Polikoff James B.
Published: July 2002

An HMM labeler has been extended to detect poor correspondence between phonetic labels and underlying acoustic data. This paper will present work extending the labeler to model perceptual confusions of human listeners from a forced-choice word identification experiment which used dysarthric speech. The speech and perception data are from the Nemours Dysarthric Speech database [Menendez et al., Proceedings of ICSLP 96, SaP2P1.19 (1996)]. The perceptual data comprise distributions of listener identification responses over sets of from four to six words (the intended word plus several phonetically similar foils). In all, 37 words were produced twice by each of 10 dysarthric talkers providing a total dataset of 740 items. Each of these items was identified at least 12 times by five naive listeners for a total of at least 60 responses per item. Half of this data set will be used to adapt parameters of the HMM labeler to reproduce the distribution of human responses to the speech. The remaining half of the data set will be used to assess the ability of the labeler to select phonetic responses in a manner reflecting patterns of human perceptual confusions among the response set items. [Work supported by the Nemours Research Programs and NIDRR.]
Automatic phoneme labeler in the TIMIT database
Authors: Menendez-Pidal Xavier , Bunnell H. Tim
Published: July 2002

A phonetic HMM labeler was developed for use in an automatic diphone extraction system. Using the TIMIT database for training, the best HMM labeler performance was obtained when the number of states for a given phoneme model was proportional to the average duration of that phoneme over the TIMIT database, and the HMM topology allowed both repetition of states and skipping of adjacent states. The acoustic feature set was comprised of 30 features per frame (8 Mel cepstral coefficients, the log rms amplitude, and the zero crossing rate of a frame, as well as their first and second time derivatives). Labeling accuracy was tested using all speech files in the TIMIT test set and accuracy was assessed in terms of the degree of separation between labeler-assigned phoneme boundaries and the nominal phoneme boundaries provided in the database. 97.4% of the boundaries assigned by the labeler were within 30 ms of the nominal phoneme boundaries, and 86.8% were within 10 ms (i.e., one analysis frame) of the nominal boundaries.
Boundary spectral method for acoustic scattering and radiation problems
Authors: Hwang W. S.
Published: July 2002

The spectral method is considered in solving boundary integral equations. By subtracting known solutions from the Helmholtz integral equation, the singularities of the Helmholtz integral equation are removed. Therefore, any order of basis functions, used in spectral methods, that times nonsingular kernels in the modified Helmholtz integral equation can be integrated easily and efficiently. Instead of solving the variables at collocation points using conventional methods, the generalized Fourier coefficients are solved by the spectral method which reduces the number of unknowns and the storage of matrix elements in computation. Scattering and radiation problems from a sphere are used to illustrate the technique in the present paper.
Acoustics, perception, and production of legato articulation on a computer-controlled grand piano
Authors: Repp Bruno H.
Published: July 2002

In an attempt to replicate and extend previous results obtained on a digital piano [B. H. Repp, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 97, 3862–3874 (1995)], the present study analyzed piano tone decay characteristics, musically trained listeners’ interactive adjustments of key overlap times (KOTs) in tone sequences, and samples of pianists’ legato playing in scales and arpeggi on a computer-controlled Yamaha Disklavier. On the whole, the results resembled the earlier findings: In both perception and production, KOTs tended to be longer for high rather than for low tones and for relatively consonant rather than for dissonant successive tones. KOTs also increased as tempo decreased in production, but there was no corresponding effect in perception (where a smaller range of tempi was used). Even though the decay times of the natural piano tones were about twice as long as those of the digital piano used earlier, the average KOTs were not shorter; on the contrary, they were longer in the perception task, while there was little difference in production. Perception of optimal legato does not seem to rest on an invariant criterion of acoustic tone overlap, and pianists do not seem to adjust their KOTs substantially when playing on different instruments. However, there were large individual differences in KOTs.
A modal reduction technique for the finite element formulation of Biot’s poroelasticity equations in acoustics applied to multilayered structures
Authors: Sgard Franck C. , Atalla Noureddine , Panneton Raymond
Published: July 2002

Lately, the authors have presented a general technique, referred to as selective modal analysis allowing for a reduction of setup time, computer storage, and solution time of large finite element models involving poroelastic structures. This method uses a dual basis associated with the skeleton in vacuo and the fluid phase in the rigid skeleton limit, respectively. A compact system in terms of modal unknowns is obtained by projecting the coupled system over the dual basis. This technique has been previously tested in the case of the determination of surface impedances and quadratic velocities of single porous materials excited both mechanically and acoustically. It is proposed in this talk to investigate the efficiency of the selective modal analysis technique in the case of multilayered structures made up from a combination of elastic, poroelastic, and acoustic media under various boundary and loading conditions. The theory behind the technique will be recalled together with numerical examples illustrating its performance.
Active control of sound transmission using structural error sensing
Authors: Cazzolato Ben S. , Hansen Colin H.
Published: July 2002

The active minimization of harmonic sound transmission into an arbitrarily shaped enclosure using error signals derived from structural vibration sensors is investigated numerically. It is shown that by considering the dynamics of the coupled system, it is possible to derive a set of “structural radiation” modes which are orthogonal with respect to the global potential energy of the coupled acoustic space and which can be sensed by structural vibration sensors. Minimization of the amplitudes of the “radiation modes” is thus guaranteed to minimize the interior acoustic potential energy. The coupled vibro-acoustic system under investigation is modelled using finite element analysis which allows systems with complex geometries to be investigated rather than limiting the analysis to simple analytically tractable systems. Issues regarding the practical implementation of sensing the orthonormal sets of structural radiation modes are discussed. Specific examples relating to the minimization of the total acoustic potential energy within a longitudinally stiffened cylinder are given, comparing the performance offered using error sensing of the radiation modes on the structure against the more traditional error criteria; namely, the discrete sensing of the structural kinetic energy on the boundary and the acoustic potential energy in the enclosed space.
A Gaussian finite-element method for description of sound diffraction
Authors: Huang Dehua , Breazeale M. A.
Published: July 2002

A new method for solving diffraction problems is presented. It is based on the use of Gaussian diffraction theory. Comparison of the Gaussian beam expansion and Fourier series expansion reveals that the Gaussian expansion is a more general and more powerful technique. The new method combines the Gaussian beam superposition technique [Wen and Breazeale, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 83, 1752–1756 (1988)] and the numerical (finite-element) solution to the parabolic equation [Huang, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 84, 1405–1413 (1988)]. The new method is capable of solving for the sound field even in an inhomogeneous medium or in the presence of reflection, as shown by computer modeling. The source may be a Gaussian source or a distributed source. Calculated results are compared with experimental results in a laboratory water tank.
Experimental investigations of perforated liners with bias flow
Authors: Jing Xiaodong , Sun Xiaofeng
Published: July 2002

It has been found that the presence of a bias flow can enhance the low-frequency sound absorption of a perforated liner. Therefore it is important to understand the acoustic characteristics of a liner with bias flow for practical applications. This paper presents experimental investigations of the acoustic properties of a perforated liner with bias flow. First, the experimental results show that the presence of a bias flow markedly increases both the absorption coefficient and effective bandwidth of a perforated liner. Second, it is shown in the present experiment that plate thickness has a major influence on the acoustic properties of a liner with bias flow. A simple model is presented to consider this behavior; the model gives good agreement with the measured data. Considering that blowing and suction will have a different effect on the mean shear flow over the surface of a perforated liner, comparative experimental results between blowing and suction are also included in the present investigation.
The Cox–Merz rule extended: A rheological model for concentrated suspensions and other materials with a yield stress
Authors: Doraiswamy D. , Mujumdar A. N. , Tsao I. , Beris A. N. , Danforth S. C. , Metzner A. B.
Published: July 2002

A nonlinear rheological model combining elastic, viscous, and yielding phenomena is developed in order to describe the rheological behavior of materials which exhibit a yield stress. A key feature of the formulation is the incorporation of a recoverable strain; it has a maximum value equal to the critical strain at which the transition from an elastic solid-like response to a viscous shear thinning response occurs. An analysis is presented to enable determination of all the model parameters solely from dynamic measurements which are easily accessible experimentally. A rigorous correlation, analogous in form to the Cox–Merz rule, is shown to exist between the steady shear viscosity and the complex dynamic viscosity in terms of a newly defined ‘‘effective shear rate.’’ Experimental data obtained for a 70 vol % suspension of silicon particles in polyethylene indicate agreement with theoretical predictions for both the dynamic and steady shear behavior.
Finitely extensible bead–spring chain macromolecules in steady elongational flows
Authors: Kobe J. M. , Wiest J. M.
Published: July 2002

Infinitely dilute polymer solutions undergoing elongational flows are studied by modeling the polymer molecules as bead-spring chains. Monte Carlo integration is used to calculate the properties of chains of finitely extensible nonlinear elastic springs in steady uniaxial elongational flow from the exact solution for the distribution of configurations. The properties calculated include the mean square end-to-end distance of the chains and the elongational viscosity and intrinsic birefringence of the solution. These properties are compared to the predictions of the model under the Peterlin approximation. Whereas the models with and without the approximation show qualitatively similar results, there are substantial quantitative differences.
A Man With Asymptomatic Ulcerated White Plaques on the Soft Palate
Authors: Ying Shuni , Li Sheng , Qiao Jianjun
Published: February 2023

A man in his 60s had irregular gray-white ulcers with a surrounding erythema on the soft palate, uvula, and tonsils that did not improve with oral cefuroxime. He reported sexual contact with 1 male partner over the prior 6 months; history and physical examination findings were otherwise unremarkable. What is the diagnosis and what would you do next?
HIF2α‐induced upregulation of RNASET2 promotes triglyceride synthesis and enhances cell migration in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Quan Yanmei , Dai Jun , Zhou Sian , Zhao Lingyi , Jin Lixing , Long Yijing , Liu Siwei , Hu Yanqin , Liu Yue , Zhao Juping , Ding Zhide
Published: February 2023

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common malignant subtype of renal cell carcinoma, is characterized by the accumulation of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm. RNASET2 is a protein coding gene with a low expression level in ovarian cancers, but it is overexpressed in poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. There is a correlation between RNASET2 upregulation and triglyceride expression levels in human serum but is unknown whether such an association is a factor contributing to lipid accumulation in ccRCC. Herein, we show that RNASET2 expression levels in ccRCC tissues and cell lines are significantly higher than those in both normal adjacent tissues and renal tubular epithelial cells. Furthermore, its upregulation is associated with increases in ccRCC malignancy and declines in patient survival. We also show that an association exists between increases in both cytoplasmic lipid accumulation and HIF‐2α transcription factor upregulation, and increases in both RNASET2 and triglyceride expression levels in ccRCC tissues. In addition, DGAT1 and DGAT2, two key enzymes involved in triglyceride synthesis, are highly expressed in ccRCC tissues. By contrast, RNASET2 knockdown inhibited their expression levels and lowered lipid droplet accumulation, as well as suppressing in vitro cell proliferation, cell invasion, and migration. In conclusion, our data suggest HIF2α upregulates RNASET2 transcription in ccRCC cells, which promotes both the synthesis of triglycerides and ccRCC migration. As such, RNASET2 may have the potential as a biomarker or target for the diagnosis and treatment of ccRCC.
Pushing the Limits of Metasurface Cloak Using Global Inverse Design
Authors: Wu Nanxuan , Jia Yuetian , Qian Chao , Chen Hongsheng
Published: February 2023

The breakthroughs of transformation optics and metamaterials have kick‐started the study of modern invisibility cloak since the beginning of this century. Many cloaking methodologies have been progressively proposed for specific application scenarios, among which metasurface cloak is largely welcomed owing to its salient features of negligible thickness, easy fabrication, and low loss. Similar to other cloaking methodologies, however, metasurface cloak suffers from inherent limits that impair it to a convex shape, narrow bandwidth, and small incident angle. Here, a global inverse design is reported to push the limits of metasurface cloak to free form, complementary to conventional physics‐informed approaches. A tandem neural network to build up a bidirectional channel between the metasurface cloak and its electromagnetic response is formulated, in which an ineluctable nonuniqueness issue is mitigated to improve the output accuracy >93%. Compared with conventional metasurface cloak, the foveated cloak underscores intricate coupling and nonlocal effect and widens the bandwidth to 8.5–10.5 GHz and the incident angle to ±45°. These results provide an important step forward to generalizing metasurface cloak and enable a high‐speed surrogate solver required in emerging intelligent meta‐devices.
Neuronal C‐Reactive Protein/FcγRI Positive Feedback Proinflammatory Signaling Contributes to Nerve Injury Induced Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Liu Fan , Zhang Li , Su Si , Fang Yehong , Yin Xiang‐sha , Cui Huan , Sun Jianru , Xie Yikuan , Ma Chao
Published: February 2023

Neuropathic pain is difficult to treat in clinical practice, and the underlying mechanisms are insufficiently elucidated. Previous studies have demonstrated that the neuronal Fc‐gamma‐receptor type I (FcγRI) of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) mediates antigen‐specific pain. However, the mechanisms of neuronal FcγRI in neuropathic pain remain to be explored. Here, it is found that the activation of FcγRI‐related signals in primary neurons induces neuropathic pain in a rat model. This work first reveals that sciatic nerve injury persistently activates neuronal FcγRI‐related signaling in the DRG, and conditional knockout (CKO) of the FcγRI‐encoding gene Fcgr1 in rat DRG neurons significantly alleviates neuropathic pain after nerve injury. C‐reactive protein (CRP) is increased in the DRG after nerve injury, and CRP protein of the DRG evokes pain by activating neuronal FcγRI‐related signals. Furthermore, microinjection of naive IgG into the DRG alleviates neuropathic pain by suppressing the activation of neuronal FcγRI. These results indicate that the activation of neuronal CRP/FcγRI‐related signaling plays an important role in the development of neuropathic pain in chronic constriction injury (CCI) rats. The findings may provide novel insights into the neuroimmune responses after peripheral nerve injury and suggest potential therapeutic targets for neuropathic pain.
Engineered Extracellular Vesicle‐Delivered CRISPR/CasRx as a Novel RNA Editing Tool
Authors: Li Tianwen , Zhang Liansheng , Lu Tao , Zhu Tongming , Feng Canbin , Gao Ni , Liu Fei , Yu Jingyu , Chen Kezhu , Zhong Junjie , Tang Qisheng , Zhang Quan , Deng Xiangyang , Ren Junwei , Zeng Jun , Zhou Haibo , Zhu Jianhong
Published: February 2023

Engineered extracellular vesicles (EVs) are considered excellent delivery vehicles for a variety of therapeutic agents, including nucleic acids, proteins, drugs, and nanomaterials. Recently, several studies have indicated that clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated 9 (Cas9) delivered by EVs enable efficient DNA editing. However, an RNA editing tool delivered by EVs is still unavailable. Here, a signal peptide‐optimized and EVs‐delivered guide RNA (gRNA) and CRISPR/CasRx (Cas13d) system capable of rapidly inhibiting the expression of targeted genes with quick catabolism after performing their functions is developed. EVs with CRISPR/CasRx and tandem gRNAs targeting pivotal cytokines are further packed whose levels increase substantially over the course of acute inflammatory diseases and find that these engineered EVs inhibit macrophage activation in vitro. More importantly, this system attenuates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐triggered acute lung injury and sepsis in the acute phase, mitigating organ damage and improving the prognosis in vivo. In summary, a potent tool is provided for short‐acting RNA editing, which could be a powerful therapeutic platform for the treatment of acute diseases.
Dual‐Cascade Activatable Nanopotentiators Reshaping Adenosine Metabolism for Sono‐Chemodynamic‐Immunotherapy of Deep Tumors
Authors: Zhan Meixiao , Wang Fengshuo , Liu Yao , Zhou Jianhui , Zhao Wei , Lu Ligong , Li Jingchao , He Xu
Published: February 2023

Immunotherapy is an attractive treatment strategy for cancer, while its efficiency and safety need to be improved. A dual‐cascade activatable nanopotentiator for sonodynamic therapy (SDT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT)‐cooperated immunotherapy of deep tumors via reshaping adenosine metabolism is herein reported. This nanopotentiator (NPMCA) is constructed through crosslinking adenosine deaminase (ADA) with chlorin e6 (Ce6)‐conjugated manganese dioxide (MnO2) nanoparticles via a reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐cleavable linker. In the tumor microenvironment with ultrasound (US) irradiation, NPMCA mediates CDT and SDT concurrently in deep tumors covered with 2‐cm tissues to produce abundant ROS, which results in dual‐cascade scissoring of ROS‐cleavable linkers to activate ADA within NCMCA to block adenosine metabolism. Moreover, immunogenic cell death (ICD) of dying tumor cells and upregulation of the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is triggered by the generated ROS and Mn2+ from NPMCA, respectively, leading to activation of antitumor immune response. The potency of immune response is further reinforced by reducing the accumulation of adenosine in tumor microenvironment by the activated ADA. As a result, NPMCA enables CDT and SDT‐cooperated immunotherapy, showing an obviously improved therapeutic efficacy to inhibit the growths of bilateral tumors, in which the primary tumors are covered with 2‐cm tissues.
Ultrafast Control of Interfacial Exchange Coupling in Ferromagnetic Bilayer
Authors: Liu Xiao , Yuan Haochen , Liu Peiwen , Shi Jingyu , Wang Hailong , Nie Shuaihua , Jin Feng , Zheng Zhe , Yu Xuezhe , Zhao Jianhua , Zhao Haibin , Lüpke Gunter
Published: February 2023

Fast spin manipulation in magnetic heterostructures, where magnetic interactions between different materials often define the functionality of devices, is a key issue in the development of ultrafast spintronics. Although recently developed optical approaches such as ultrafast spin‐transfer and spin–orbit torques open new pathways to fast spin manipulation, these processes do not fully utilize the unique possibilities offered by interfacial magnetic coupling effects in ferromagnetic multilayer systems. Here, ultrafast optically controlled interfacial exchange interactions in the ferromagnetic Co2FeAl/(Ga,Mn)As system at low laser fluence levels are experimentally demonstrated. The excitation efficiency of Co2FeAl with the (Ga,Mn)As layer is 30–40 times higher than the case with the GaAs layer at 5 K due to the modification of exchange coupling interaction via photoexcited charge transfer between the two ferromagnetic layers. In addition, the coherent spin precessions persist to room temperature, excluding the drive of pump‐modulated magnetization in the (Ga,Mn)As layer and indicating a proximity‐effect‐related optical excitation mechanism. The results highlight the importance of interfacial exchange interactions in ferromagnetic heterostructures and how these magnetic coupling effects can be utilized for ultrafast, low‐power spin manipulation.
Structural Stability and Electronic Transport Properties of Nb2C‐MXenes under High Pressure
Authors: Jin Haolin , Wang Kai , Mao Zhongquan , Tang Lingyun , Zhang Jiang
Published: February 2023

The extraordinary electronic properties of MXenes are closely associated with their surface terminations and external strain. Herein, by applying pressure, the structural and electronic properties of Nb2C‐MXenes with two different terminations F (Nb2CFx) and Cl (Nb2CClx) are reported. Through high‐pressure X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, it is observed that Nb2CFx loses its layered structure and becomes disordered above 20 GPa, while Nb2CClx remains as layered structures up to 42.5 GPa. Surprisingly, the stable Nb2CClx shows the axial compression coefficients with 1174.5 ± 39.2 GPa along the c axis and 1234.8 ± 25.8 GPa along the a axis, even larger than that of its precursor Nb2AlC MAX phase. It is also found that the resistance of Nb2CFx exhibits a drop of two orders of magnitude from the ambient pressure. Accompanied by a slight increment of the superconducting transition temperature, the superconductivity of Nb2CClx survives up to 50.5 GPa. The results uncover the effects of surface terminations on structural stability and electronic properties of Nb2C‐MXenes under high pressure.
C8‐BTBT‐C8Thin‐Film Transistors Based on Micro‐Contact Printed PEDOT:PSS/MWCNT Electrodes
Authors: Gubanov Kirill , Johnson Manuel , Akay Melda , Wolz Benedikt C. , Shen Dan , Cheng Xing , Christiansen Silke , Fink Rainer H.
Published: February 2023

Advances in organic materials manufacturing have enabled the creation of electronic devices using solution‐processing techniques by employing soluble materials with high conductivity grade. In this exploratory study, the use of micro‐contact for poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) polymer ink deposition as high‐quality structured electrodes for organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) in top‐contact geometry is demonstrated. The optimized OFET's solution‐processed fabrication is a promising strategy to be realized in the simple, cost‐effective roll‐to‐roll manufacturing processes. The electrical performance of the fabricated devices is comparable to transistors with gold electrodes prepared via vacuum deposition, and even exceeding the values of the charge carriers’ mobilities and featuring lower contact resistance (Rc), due to lower charge‐carrier injection barrier for carbon‐based organic electrodes. An addition of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes to the PEDOT:PSS decreasesRceven further, changing the work function for better energy alignment with semiconductor materials.
Addressing the feasibility of people of African descent finding living African relatives using direct‐to‐consumer genetic testing
Authors: David LaKisha T.
Published: February 2023

People of African descent use direct‐to‐consumer genomics services such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA for various family histories and health reasons, including identifying and interacting with the previously unknown living African genetic relatives. In this commentary, I argue that it is reasonable to consider that cousin pairs consisting of an African person and a descendant of an African person enslaved in the Americans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade (i.e., a person of African descent) have genealogical ancestors recent enough to be detected using autosomal DNA testing where the pair has shared ancestors in the range of 20–6 generations ago from the present.
Effect of silane coupling agent‐TiO2 on the sustained release performance of quaternary ammonium salt of chitosan shell fragrance microcapsules
Authors: Fei Xuening , Yang Tingyu , Liu Sijia , Zhang Baolian , Zhao Hongbin , Liu Dan , Wu Xinyi , Xu Danyang
Published: February 2023

The preparation technology of sustained release is a significant value of fragrance microcapsules. This article used quaternary ammonium chitosan (HACC) with antibacterial properties as the shell material. To research the factors affecting the density, encapsulation ratio and sustained‐release of the shell material of the coated fragrance microcapsules. According to the in‐situ polymerization method, fragrance microcapsules were prepared with aldehyde fragrance 7328 as the core material, TiO2 modified HACC as the shell material and glutaraldehyde as the crosslinking agent. During preparation, the effects of emulsification speed, pH and core‐shell ratio on the encapsulation ratio were explored. The results showed that under the conditions of the core‐shell ratio of 3:1 and emulsification speed of 1000 rad/min, when the shell material is modified with TiO2 and kh550, the encapsulation ratio can be reached 71.74%, which was increased by 41.5% compared with the unmodified microcapsules. And the sustained‐release time can last as long as 29 days, which was 18 days higher than that of unmodified microcapsules.
A pesticide sustained‐release microcapsule from cellulose nanocrystal stabilized Pickering emulsion template
Authors: Yang Cai‐xia , Li Jun , Zhang Yu‐qing , Wu Chao , Li De‐qiang
Published: February 2023

Efficient utilization of pesticides has presented various advantages in the ecological environment, food safety, and agricultural sustainability. Pesticide microcapsule could significantly improve the pesticide utilization ratio, and thus, we prepared a sustained‐release microcapsule from cellulose nanocrystal (CNCs) stabilized Pickering emulsion template. The NaCl was added to overcome the strong electrostatic repulsion among CNCs for forming a stable oil‐in‐water (O/W) CNCs‐based Pickering emulsion template, followed by crosslinking with hexamethylene diisocyanate on the interface. UV–vis and zeta‐potential were used to characterize the as‐prepared Pickering emulsion, and the stability and emulsion fraction were calculated. Results indicated that NaCl contributed to the stability of Pickering emulsion, even at a low concentration. The obtained CNCs‐based microcapsule was characterized by FT‐IR, XRD, SEM, TG‐DTG, and three‐phase contact angles. The microcapsule presented an encapsulation efficiency of 96.76% and sustained release of the imidacloprid for more than 82 h. Results indicated the potential for loading and sustained release of imidacloprid, which is beneficial to the environment, food, and agriculture.
Describing the evolution and perturbations to biodiversity using a simple dynamical model
Authors: Barão L. G. , de Sá L. M. , Bernardo A. , Horvath J. E.
Published: February 2023

In this work, we outline a mathematical description of biodiversity evolution throughout the Phanerozoic based on a simple coupled system of two differential equations and on the division of genera in two classes—Short‐lived and Long‐lived types, as used by Rohde and Muller. We show that while the division in only two classes cannot capture the complexity of biodiversity evolution in short scales, broad trends can be described well. We also compute the systems' Green functions as a way to qualitatively describe the possible effects of intense perturbations of astrophysical origin on the subsequent biodiversity evolution.
Emotion recognition in autism spectrum disorder across age groups: A cross‐sectional investigation of various visual and auditory communicative domains
Authors: Leung Florence Y. N. , Stojanovik Vesna , Micai Martina , Jiang Cunmei , Liu Fang
Published: February 2023

Previous research on emotion processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has predominantly focused on human faces and speech prosody, with little attention paid to other domains such as nonhuman faces and music. In addition, emotion processing in different domains was often examined in separate studies, making it challenging to evaluate whether emotion recognition difficulties in ASD generalize across domains and age cohorts. The present study investigated: (i) the recognition of basic emotions (angry, scared, happy, and sad) across four domains (human faces, face‐like objects, speech prosody, and song) in 38 autistic and 38 neurotypical (NT) children, adolescents, and adults in a forced‐choice labeling task, and (ii) the impact of pitch and visual processing profiles on this ability. Results showed similar recognition accuracy between the ASD and NT groups across age groups for all domains and emotion types, although processing speed was slower in the ASD compared to the NT group. Age‐related differences were seen in both groups, which varied by emotion, domain, and performance index. Visual processing style was associated with facial emotion recognition speed and pitch perception ability with auditory emotion recognition in the NT group but not in the ASD group. These findings suggest that autistic individuals may employ different emotion processing strategies compared to NT individuals, and that emotion recognition difficulties as manifested by slower response times may result from a generalized, rather than a domain‐specific underlying mechanism that governs emotion recognition processes across domains in ASD.
Socioeconomic determinants are associated with the utilization and outcomes of active surveillance or watchful waiting in favorable‐risk prostate cancer
Authors: Huang Da , Ruan Xiaohao , Huang Jingyi , Zhang Ning , Jiang Guangliang , Gao Yi , Xu Danfeng , Na Rong
Published: February 2023

Background

Active surveillance/watchful waiting (AS/WW) is feasible and effective for favorable‐risk prostate cancer (PCa). Understanding socioeconomic determinants of AS/WW may help determine the target population for social support and improve cancer‐related survival.

Methods

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Prostate with Watchful Waiting Database 18 Registries identified 229,428 adult men diagnosed with primary localized PCa (clinical T1‐T2c, N0M0) during a median follow‐up of 45 months between 2010 and 2016. Socioeconomic determinants included socioeconomic status (SES) tertiles, marital status (unmarried vs married), and residency (urban vs rural). Multivariable logistic regression and Cox models determined the adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for AS/WW utilization, and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for cancer‐specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). The extent of missing data was evaluated by multiple imputation. Sensitivity analyses were performed in multiple imputation datasets.

Results

Unmarried patients were more likely to receive AS/WW in low‐risk group (aOR, 1.20 [95%CI, 1.12–1.28]; p < 0.001) and favorable intermediate‐risk group (aOR, 1.41 [95%CI, 1.26–1.59]; p < 0.001) than married patients. Urban patients had 0.77‐fold lower likelihood of AS/WW than rural patients in low‐risk group (95% CI, 0.68–0.87; p < 0.001), but not in favorable intermediate‐risk groups. Among patients undertaking AS/WW, a significantly worse OS was observed among unmarried patients comparing to married group (aHR, 1.98 [95% CI, 1.50–2.60]; p < 0.001), and patients with high SES had better CSS than low group (aHR, 0.08 [95%CI, 0.01–0.69]; p = 0.02). No significant survival difference was found between urban and rural patients.

Conclusions and Relevance

Unmarried or urban patients had significantly higher rates of AS/WW. The utilization and efficacy of conservative management were affected by socioeconomic factors, which might serve as a barrier of treatment decision‐making and targeted a population in need of social support.
Association between PD‐1 inhibitor‐related adverse events and frailty assessed by frailty index in lung cancer patients
Authors: Li Jun , Zhang Xiaolin , Zhou Shuang , Zhou Ying , Liu Xinmin
Published: February 2023

Background

The programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) inhibitor, as one of the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), is the standard treatment for advanced lung cancer. However, immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) remain poorly understood toxicities. It is unclear whether frailty plays a role in the occurrence of irAEs. Thus, we assess whether irAEs occur more often in frail patients than in non‐frail patients according to the Frailty Index (FI).

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted. Medical records from lung cancer patients treated with PD‐1 inhibitors (Sintilimab, Camrelizumab, Tislelizumab, and Pembrolizumab) at Peking University First Hospital (May 2018–June 2022). Patients were categorized into non‐frail and frail groups according to a cut‐point of 0.25 by FI. The FI calculation included 28 baseline variables, all of which were health deficits measured by questionnaires and body measurements.

Results

The statistical analysis included 114 advanced lung cancer patients. The median age was 66 years, and the male/female ratio was 4.7:1 (94/20). Approximately 39 (34%) were classified as frail. PD‐1 inhibitor‐related adverse events occurred in 17.5% of patients, and 6.1% experienced irAEs of grade ≥3. There was no significant difference in the occurrence of irAEs (14.7% vs. 23.1%, p = 0.26), grade ≥ 3 irAEs (5.3% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.93), and treatment discontinuation due to irAEs (12.0% vs. 17.9%, p = 0.39) between non‐frail and frail patients. However, frail patients are more likely to have more than one type of irAEs and are more possibly to have checkpoint inhibitor pneumonitis (CIP) than non‐frail patients when they use PD‐1 inhibitors (p < 0.05). Frail patients had a longer hospital stay (6 vs. 3 days, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Frailty is not associated with severe irAEs, but is related to CIP. Meanwhile, it predicts more than one type of irAEs and a longer hospital stay. Frailty screening has added value to the decision‐making process for frail patients eligible for PD‐1 inhibitors.
Five New C21‐Steroidal Sapogenins from the Acid Hydrolysate of Cynanchum otophyllum Roots
Authors: Li Xiao‐San , Liang Xiao‐Yan , Liu Ming‐Shang , Wang Qi‐Lin , Zhan He‐Hui , Xu Zhi‐Peng , Liu Li , Huang Yong‐Mei , Yang Mao‐Xun , Luo Hui
Published: February 2023

Five new C21‐steroidal sapogenins (1–5) named cynotogenins J−N, were isolated from the acid hydrolysate of Cynanchum otophyllum roots. Their structures were established by extensive spectroscopic analysis (UV, IR, HR‐ESI‐MS, and NMR). Most notably, compounds 1–3 harboring a rare 5β,6β‐epoxy group in the C21‐steroidal skeleton of Cynanchum plants. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicities against multiple cancer cell lines, in which compounds 5 showed weak cytotoxicity against HepG2 cancer cells with IC50 values of 44.90 μM.
Symptom control and health‐related quality of life in allergic rhinitis with and without comorbid asthma: A multicentre European study
Authors: Moitra Subhabrata , Simoni Marzia , Baldacci Sandra , Maio Sara , Angino Anna , Silvi Patrizia , Viegi Giovanni , La Grutta Stefania , Ruggiero Franco , Bedini Gianni , Natali Francesca , Cecchi Lorenzo , Berger Uwe , Prentovic Maria , Gamil Amir , Baïz Nour , Thibaudon Michel , Monnier Samuel , Caimmi Davide , Tanno Luciana K. , Demoly Pascal , Orlandini Simone , Annesi‐Maesano Isabella
Published: February 2023

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a major non‐communicable disease that affects the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. However, data on HRQoL and symptom control in AR patients with comorbid asthma (AR + asthma) are lacking.

Methods

In this multicentre, cross‐sectional study, patients with AR were screened and administered questionnaires of demographic characteristics and health conditions (symptoms/diagnosis of AR and asthma, disease severity level, and allergic conditions). HRQoL was assessed using a modified version of the RHINASTHMA questionnaire (30, ‘not at all bothered’ ‐ 150 ‘very much bothered’) and symptom control was evaluated by a modified version of the Control of Allergic Rhinitis/Asthma Test (CARAT) (0, ‘no control’ ‐ 30, ‘very high control’).

Results

Out of 643 patients with AR, 500 (78%) had asthma as a comorbidity, and 54% had moderate‐severe intermittent AR, followed by moderate‐severe persistent AR (34%). Compared to the patients with AR alone, patients with AR + asthma had significantly higher RHINASTHMA (e.g., median RHINASTHMA‐total score 48.5 vs. 84, respectively) and a significantly lower CARAT score (median CARAT‐total score 23 vs. 16.5, respectively). Upon stratifying asthma based on severity, AR patients with severe persistent asthma had worse HRQoL and control than those with mild persistent asthma. The association was significantly higher among non‐obese participants compared to obese ones, with RHINASTHMA‐upper symptoms score but not with CARAT.

Conclusions

Our observation of poorer HRQoL and symptoms control in AR patients with comorbid asthma supports the importance of a comprehensive approach for the management of AR in case of a comorbid allergic condition.
Evaluation of pollination traits important for hybrid wheat development in Great Plains germplasm
Authors: Garst Nicholas , Belamkar Vikas , Easterly Amanda , Guttieri Mary J. , Stoll Hannah , Ibrahim Amir M. H. , Baenziger P. Stephen
Published: February 2023

Hybrid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) offers potential yield advantages over conventional inbred cultivars. For hybrid wheat to be a commercial success, the cost to produce the hybrid seed needs to be minimized. Although wheat is naturally self‐pollinated, hybrid wheat seed production can be improved by increasing the amount and availability of pollen for cross‐pollination. This research examined 19 pollination traits using the Hard Winter Wheat Association Mapping Panel for 3 years. Anther extrusion, pollen 50 date (date at which a genotype has 50% of spikes pollinating), plant height, and pollination duration (last spike pollen 50 date minus first spike pollen 50 date) were identified as the most important traits for hybrid seed production. Anther extrusion, plant height, and pollen 50 date varied widely among genotypes, while pollination duration had significant genotypic differences in one year of testing. These traits also had significant genotype × year interactions, but better and poorer performers were consistent among years. Anther extrusion was weakly, negatively correlated with plant height, and high anther extrusion semi‐dwarf genotypes were identified. Pollination duration was reduced in a high temperature (>30°C) environment, and genotypic differences in pollination duration were identified only in a milder temperature (24°C) environment. Hierarchical clustering suggested that excellent pollinator genotypes with high anther extrusion and longer pollination duration tended to pollinate early and were of short to moderate stature. Pollination traits were higher when temperatures were mild, which benefited early genotypes because they pollinated before higher temperatures limited their pollination duration.
Progress of Actinidia chinensis Planch. root extract (acRoots) in cancer immunity
Authors: Wang Lingyan , Li Zheng , Zhang Miaomiao , Shen Qi , Zhang Xuemei
Published: February 2023

Actinidia chinensis Planch. root extract (acRoots) is a famous Chinese traditional medicine used in the treatment of a variety of diseases, such as tumours and cardiovascular diseases, etc. However, its therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. In this review, the biological features of acRoots and its chemical compositions are explored, including polysaccharides, triterpenes, phenols, flavonoids and so on. The pathogenesis of cancer involves not only genetic factors but also the microenvironment. Different types of immune cells, such as T cells, macrophages and neutrophils, play an essential role in cancer development, and acRoots was found to take part in modulating cancer immunity. Therefore, this article summarises its role in cancer immunity and unmasks the potential underlying mechanisms by incorporating our research on cancer immunity.