bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cryoextraction via flexible bronchoscopy in children with tracheobronchial obstruction
Authors: Truitt Brittany A. , Kasi Ajay S. , Kamat Pradip P. , Fundora Michael P. , Simon Dawn M. , Guglani Lokesh
Published: June 2023

Background

Cryoextraction via flexible bronchoscopy (FB) can be used to alleviate airway obstruction due to blood clots, casts, mucus, and foreign bodies. There is limited literature regarding the utility of cryoextraction to restore airway patency in critically ill children, especially on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The aims of this study were to describe the clinical course and outcomes of children who underwent cryoextraction via FB.

Methods

A singlecenter retrospective review of children who underwent cryoextraction via FB between 2017 and 2021 was conducted. The analyzed data included diagnoses, indications for cryoextraction, respiratory support modalities, FB and chest imaging results, and outcomes.

Results

Eleven patients aged 3–17 years underwent a total of 33 cryoextraction sessions via FB. Patients required ECMO (n = 9) or conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) for pneumonia, pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary embolism, asthma exacerbation, and cardiorespiratory failure following cardiac surgery. One patient underwent elective FB and cryoextraction for plastic bronchitis. Indications for cryoextraction included airway obstruction due to tracheobronchial thrombi (n = 8), mucus plugs (n = 1), or plastic bronchitis (n = 2). Cryoextraction via FB was performed on patients on ECMO (n = 9) and CMV (n = 2) with 6 patients requiring ≥3 cryoextraction sessions for airway obstruction. There were no complications related to cryoextraction. Patient outcomes included partial (n = 5) or complete (n = 6) restoration of airway patency with ECMO decannulation (n = 5) and death (n = 4) due to critical illness.

Conclusions

Cryoextraction via FB is an effective intervention that can be utilized in critically ill children with refractory tracheobronchial obstruction to restore airway patency and to facilitate liberation from ECMO.
Investigating the inhibitory property of DM hCT on hCT fibrillization via its relevant peptide fragments
Authors: Chuang Ya‐Ping , Chang Yu‐Pei , Tu Ling‐Hsien
Published: June 2023

The irreversible aggregation of proteins or peptides greatly limits their bioavailability; therefore, effective inhibition using small molecules or biocompatible materials is very difficult. Human calcitonin (hCT), a hormone polypeptide with 32 residues, is secreted by the C‐cells of the thyroid gland. The biological function of this hormone is to regulate calcium and phosphate concentrations in the blood via several different pathways. One of these is to inhibit the activity of osteoclasts; thus, calcitonin could be used to treat osteoporosis and Paget's disease of the bone. However, hCT is prone to aggregation in aqueous solution and forms amyloid fibrils. Salmon and eel calcitonin are currently used as clinical substitutes for hCT. In a previous study, we found that the replacement of two residues at positions 12 and 17 of hCT with amino acids that appear in the salmon sequence can greatly suppress peptide aggregation. The double mutations of hCT (DM hCT) also act as good inhibitors by disrupting wild‐type hCT fibrillization, although the inhibition mechanism is not clear. More importantly, we demonstrated that DM hCT is biologically active in interacting with the calcitonin receptor. To further understand the inhibitory effect of DM hCT on hCT fibrillization, we created four relevant peptide fragments based on the DM hCT sequence. Our examination revealed that the formation of a helix of DM hCT was possibly a key component contributing to its inhibitory effect. This finding could help in the development of peptide‐based inhibitors and in understanding the aggregation mechanism of hCT.
Whole‐breast irradiation with lumpectomy cavity boost and regional nodal irradiation: Dosimetric comparison of 3D‐CRT using sequential boost and dual partial‐arc VMAT using simultaneous integrated boost
Authors: Poojari Avinash , Sapru Shantanu , Khurana Rohini , Rastogi Madhup , Hadi Rahat , Gandhi Ajeet Kumar , Mishra Surendra , Srivastava Anoop , Bharati Avinav
Published: June 2023

Objective

To compare volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with simultaneous tumor bed boost (dpSIB‐VMAT) to the whole breast and regional nodal irradiation (RNI) against standard three‐dimensional conformal radiotherapy plus RNI with sequential tumor bed boost (3D‐CRT‐seqB).

Methods

Thirty patients who underwent breast cancer surgery (BCS) with axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) were enrolled. Two plans were generated for each case: (1) dpSIB‐VMAT, and (2) 3D‐CRT‐seqB plans. Planning target volume (PTV)‐Breast and PTV‐Nodes were prescribed at a dose of 50 Gy in 25 fractions in both plans. PTV‐Boost was prescribed at a dose of 60 Gy in 25 fractions simultaneously in the dpSIB‐VMAT plans, whereas it was planned sequentially in the 3D‐CRT‐seqB plans at 10 Gy in 5 fractions. Dosimetric parameters were compared between the two plans.

Results

Both plans achieved the target coverage. Dmeanof the heart was lower with dpSIB‐VMAT in left‐sided cases (7.17 ± 0.66 Gy vs. 10.12 ± 2.91 Gy;t= 4.02;p= 0.001). Ipsilateral mean lung dose (15.87 ± 1.40 Gy vs. 19.82 ± 3.20 Gy;t= 6.30;p<0.001) was significantly lower but mean doses of the contralateral breast (4.30 ± 1.76 Gy vs. 1.48 ± 0.76 Gy;t= ‐7.84;p<0.001), contralateral lung (3.86 ± 1.21 Gy vs. 0.96 ± 0.25 Gy;t= ‐13.13;p<0.001) and esophagus (13.11 ± 2.63 Gy vs. 10.32 ± 3.56 Gy;t= ‐6.65;p<0.001) were relatively higher with dpSIB‐VMAT.

Conclusion

Dosimetrically, dpSIB‐VMAT reduced doses to the ipsilateral lung and heart (in left breast but not right breast cases) compared to 3D‐CRT‐seqB plans for adequate target coverage.
Compact Bardeen Stars in f(R,T)$f(\mathcal {R}, T)$ Theory with Conformal Motion
Authors: Rashid Aisha , Shamir M. Farasat , Fayyaz Iffat
Published: June 2023

A set of exact spherically symmetric solutions for describing the interior of a relativistic star in the context of modified theory of gravity is presented. The existence of a Conformal Killing Vectors (CKV) and Bardeen's model to find the boundary conditions as an exterior space‐time geometry to achieve the metric potentials for current study is used. Moreover, matching conditions have been employed to obtain a set of free parameters for the physical analysis. Furthermore, some physically valid attributes like the behavior of energy density, pressure, equilibrium conditions, the adiabatic index, mass‐radius relation, surface red‐shifts, and compactness factor for the realistic stars such as , , , , and are investigated. It is observed that for the current investigation, the derived compact star solutions are physically acceptable and authentic in the presence of charge with conformal motion.
Computational Screening of Highly Stable Semiconducting MXenes with Ultrahigh Carrier Mobilities for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: Yang Xue , Cao Dan , Yan Jie , Wang Jianfeng , Jiang Zhouting , Jiao Zhiwei , Shu Haibo
Published: June 2023

Two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides known as MXenes are a new family of 2D materials. Most of the previous studies mainly focus on the metallic MXenes, there are few studies on semiconducting MXenes. Based on first‐principles calculations within density functional theory, 480 ground‐state structures including 444 metals and 36 semiconductors have been screened from 2256 MXenes using the energy and electronic parameters as the descriptors. The bandgap, carrier mobility, and optical absorption of the semiconducting MXenes show a strong dependence on the surface functional groups. By tuning the surface functional groups, the bandgaps can be changed from 0.2 to 3 eV. Moreover, the semiconducting MXenes exhibit high carrier mobilities up to 104 cm2 v−1s−1 and high optical absorption coefficients (>105 cm−1). This work demonstrates that Sc‐based and Y‐based MXenes present high stability, moderate bandgaps, ultrahigh carrier mobility, and high optical absorption, which make them large potential for electronics, optoelectronics, and photocatalysts.
A New Strategy for Preparing Advanced Aluminum/Steel Joint Using Low‐Temperature Explosive Welding Technology
Authors: Yang Ming , Wang Jinxiang , Cao Chao , Xu Junfeng
Published: June 2023

Obtaining a high‐quality Al/Fe joint remains a challenging task, due to formation of the various defects associated with melting phenomenon. Herein, a new strategy, lowering of initial temperature of the welded plates, is proposed to suppress the undesirable melting zone. Contrast experiments are conducted at low temperature (−50 °C) and room temperature (25 °C), respectively, and the microstructures and mechanical properties of the achieved joints are carefully investigated. It is found that this strategy is an effective way to improve the quality of Al/Fe joint, where the melting‐related defects are significantly reduced, and the bonding strength is increased by 18% when compared to the traditional method. In addition, the lowering of initial temperature enables to preserve the original properties of the parent metals by mitigating the impact‐induced grain structure evolution. This phenomenon is first demonstrated in this work and can be employed as a processing strategy to develop an advanced Al/Fe joint.
Hybridised multigrid preconditioners for a compatible finite‐element dynamical core
Authors: Betteridge Jack D. , Cotter Colin J. , Gibson Thomas H. , Griffith Matthew J. , Melvin Thomas , Müller Eike H.
Published: June 2023

Compatible finite‐element discretisations for the atmospheric equations of motion have recently attracted considerable interest. Semi‐implicit timestepping methods require the repeated solution of a large saddle‐point system of linear equations. Preconditioning this system is challenging, since the velocity mass matrix is nondiagonal, leading to a dense Schur complement. Hybridisable discretisations overcome this issue: weakly enforcing continuity of the velocity field with Lagrange multipliers leads to a sparse system of equations, which has a similar structure to the pressure Schur complement in traditional approaches. We describe how the hybridised sparse system can be preconditioned with a non‐nested two‐level preconditioner. To solve the coarse system, we use the multigrid pressure solver that is employed in the approximate Schur complement method previously proposed by the some of the authors. Our approach significantly reduces the number of solver iterations. The method shows excellent performance and scales to large numbers of cores in the Met Office next‐generation climate and weather prediction model LFRic.
All‐sky infrared radiance assimilation of a geostationary satellite in the Japan Meteorological Agency's global system
Authors: Okamoto Kozo , Ishibashi Toshiyuki , Okabe Izumi
Published: June 2023

All‐sky assimilation of infrared (IR) radiances has been developed for water vapor bands of the geostationary satellite Himawari‐8 in the operational global data assimilation system. Cloud‐dependent quality control, bias correction, and observation error modeling are essential developments to effectively utilize the all‐sky radiances (ASRs). ASR assimilation increases the assimilated number of observations by 2.8 times and improves the coverage relative to the traditional clear‐sky radiance (CSR) assimilation. The additional observations better alleviate model dry biases in the middle and upper tropospheric humidity. ASR assimilation brings statistically significant improvements in the background (first guess) in humidity, temperature, and wind over the CSR assimilation. It also better improves short‐range forecasts of the middle and upper tropospheric temperature and humidity up to day 3 in the Tropics. A mixed impact in the stratospheric temperature is under investigation. The impacts of various aspects of the ASR assimilation configuration are evaluated with sensitivity assimilation experiments. The interband correlation and cloud‐dependent standard deviation of the observation error are crucial, whereas the cloud dependency of the correlation is not so important. Although ASRs at a single band were assimilated in many previous studies targeting severe weather using research‐based regional assimilation systems due to decreasing independent information in the presence of clouds, they are distinctly inferior to not only ASRs at multiple bands but also CSRs at multiple bands in a global data assimilation system that contains fewer cloud‐affected scenes. The cloud‐dependent bias correction predictors are essential in the presence of observation‐minus‐background bias that increases with cloud effects.
Is Amazon deforestation decreasing the number of thunderstorms over South America?
Authors: Bekenshtein Raam , Price Colin , Mareev Eugene
Published: June 2023

Lightning activity has been predicted to increase with global warming, though estimates of lightning sensitivity to a change of temperature vary widely. Since lightning is a small‐scale process, it must be represented by parametrizations in climate models. This article uses large‐scale meteorological parameters tied to thunderstorm generation to improve existing empirical models that simulate regional thunderstorm behaviour. The response of the number of thunderstorms (as presented here) to climate change is rarely analysed in global studies. This study focuses on Tropical America, and uses the ERA5 higher‐resolution reanalysis data (ERA5) to develop our empirical model. Thunderstorm data were taken from the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) and processed using the clustering algorithm developed by Mezuman et al. (2014). The two meteorological parameters that correlated best with thunderstorm clusters in Tropical America were specific humidity (SH) and convective available potential energy (CAPE). The resulting empirical model was run from 1979 to 2019 using ERA5 reanalysis data as input. This approach approximates the long‐term trends in the behaviour of thunderstorms in the regions, in the absence of a complete historical lightning record. To our surprise, Tropical American thunderstorms exhibited a negative trend over this period, with an 8% decrease in thunderstorm clusters since the 1980s even with a rise of 1 K in temperature over the same period. The regions of largest decreases in thunderstorm activity align well with estimates of deforestation. We estimate that for every 1 Tg C lost due to deforestation, there is a 10% decrease in thunderstorm number.
Research on status‐driven hybrid evaluation method for mission success probability
Authors: Liu Peiyi , Luo Xu , Zhang Shigang , Chen Mengqiao
Published: June 2023

Mission Success Probability is a top‐level indicator that integrates reliability, maintainability, and spare parts security during the system's mission. Numerical simulation is used for mission success evaluation of complex system because it can consider any form of system structure and component failure distribution model. In actual engineering, system components usually deteriorate or fail with the extension of service time and need to be repaired or replaced, so there are dynamic changes in component status during the life cycle. To evaluate the mission success in such dynamic scenarios, it is necessary to repeat the simulation based on the whole system once the local parameters are adjusted. Despite the continuous improvement in computational performance, traditional numerical simulations are not well matched for rapid evaluation and timely decision making in dynamic scenarios. Therefore, an evaluation method that mixes proxy model and simulation sampling is proposed in this paper. The method uses the simulation to complete the data acquisition, and then analyzes the data by inverse function sampling and Copula function to obtain the model training samples, and finally realizes the approximate description of the local unit simulation process by proxy model. The experimental results show that the method can reduce the repetitive simulation scale from the whole system to local unit while ensuring high accuracy, avoiding many repeated calculations in variable scenarios.
In‐droplet hydrogen–deuterium exchange to examine protein/peptide solution conformer heterogeneity
Authors: Sharif Daud , Rahman Mohammad , Mahmud Sultan , Sultana Mst Nigar , Attanayake Kushani , DeBastiani Anthony , Foroushani Samira Hajian , Li Peng , Valentine Stephen J.
Published: June 2023

Rationale

Many different structure analysis techniques are not capable of probing the heterogeneity of solution conformations. Here, we examine the ability of in‐droplet hydrogen–deuterium exchange (HDX) to directly probe solution conformer heterogeneity of a protein with mass spectrometry (MS) detection.

Methods

Two vibrating capillary vibrating sharp‐edge spray ionization (cVSSI) devices have been arranged such that they generate microdroplet plumes of the analyte and D2O reagent, which coalesce to form reaction droplets where HDX takes place in the solution environment. The native HDX–MS setup has been first explored for two model peptides that have distinct structural compositions in solution. The effectiveness of the multidevice cVSSI–HDX in illustrating structural details has been further exploited to investigate coexisting solution‐phase conformations of the protein ubiquitin.

Results

In‐droplet HDX reveals decreased backbone exchange for a model peptide that has a greater helix‐forming propensity. Differences in intrinsic rates of the alanine and serine residues may account for much of the observed protection. The data allow the first estimates of backbone exchange rates for peptides undergoing in‐droplet HDX. That said, the approach may hold greater potential for investigating the tertiary structure and structural transitions of proteins. For ubiquitin protein, HDX reactivity differences suggest that multiple conformers are present in native solutions. The addition of methanol to buffered aqueous solutions of ubiquitin results in increased populations of solution conformers of higher reactivity. Data analysis suggests that partially folded conformers such as the A‐state of ubiquitin increase with methanol content; the native state may be preserved to a limited degree even under stronger denaturation conditions.

Conclusion

The deuterium uptake after in‐droplet HDX has been observed to correspond to some degree with peptide backbone hydrogen protection based on differences in intrinsic rates of exchange. The presence of coexisting protein solution structures under native and denaturing solution conditions has been distinguished by the isotopic distributions of deuterated ubiquitin ions.
Guidelines to reduce the effects of urban heat in a changing climate: Green infrastructures and design measures
Authors: Pereira Clara , Flores‐Colen Inês , Mendes Maria Paula
Published: June 2023

The co‐occurrence of more frequent, intense and prolonged heat and drought events can lead to severe socio‐economic impacts. The integration of different types of urban green infrastructures (GIs; e.g., urban parks and building greens), and urban and building design measures (DMs; e.g., a network of cool urban spaces and passive cooling), at various scales, can help reduce outdoor air temperature, energy use and heat stress. Numerous accessible or emerging GI and DM solutions exist, highlighting the need for guidelines that evaluate their suitability in enhancing resilience to extreme heat. Those should consider broader aspects such as geographical conditions, urban morphology and development, social‐economic background, governance and sustainability, as well as more specific considerations like maintenance, adaptability and soil and water resources. To facilitate decision‐making, this study proposes guidelines based on a narrative literature review, discussing the potential impact of GIs and DMs and their role in enhancing the city's climate resilience.
Highly‐Exposed Co‐CoO Derived from Nanosized ZIF‐67 on N‐Doped Porous Carbon Foam as Efficient Electrocatalyst for Zinc‐Air Battery
Authors: Luo Yixing , Wen Ming , Zhou Jian , Wu Qingsheng , Wei Guangfeng , Fu Yongqing
Published: June 2023

Non‐precious‐metal based electrocatalysts with highly‐exposed and well‐dispersed active sites are crucially needed to achieve superior electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) toward zinc‐air battery (ZAB). Herein, Co‐CoO heterostructures derived from nanosized ZIF‐67 are densely‐exposed and strongly‐immobilized onto N‐doped porous carbon foam (NPCF) through a self‐sacrificial pyrolysis strategy. Benefited from the high exposure of Co‐CoO heterostructures and the favorable mass and electron transfer ability of NPCF, the Co‐CoO/NPCF electrocatalyst exhibits remarkable performance for both ORR (E1/2 = 0.843 V vs RHE) and OER (Ej = 10 mA cm‐2 = 1.586 V vs RHE). Further application of Co‐CoO/NPCF as the air‐cathode in rechargeable ZAB achieves superior performance for liquid‐state ZAB (214.1 mW cm−2 and 600 cycles) and flexible all‐solid‐state ZAB (93.1 mW cm−2 and 140 cycles). Results from DFT calculations demonstrate that the electronic metal‐support interactions between Co‐CoO and NPCF via abundant C‐Nx sites is favorable for electronic structure modulation, accounting for the remarkable performance.
Water/Vapor Assisted Fabrication of Large‐Area Superprotonic Conductive Covalent Organic Framework Membranes
Authors: Khan Niaz Ali , Luo Mengying , Zha Xinlin , Azad Chandra S. , Lu Jing , Chen Jiahui , Fan Chunyang , Rahman Ata Ur , Olson Mark A. , Jiang Zhongyi , Wang Dong
Published: June 2023

Fabrication of large‐area ionic covalent organic framework membranes (iCOMs) remains a grand challenge. Herein, the authors report the liquid water and water vapor‐assisted fabrication of large‐area superprotonic conductive iCOMs. A mixed monomer solution containing 1,3,5‐triformylphloroglucinol (TFP) in 1,4‐dioxane and p‐diaminobenzenesulfonic acid (DABA) in water is first polymerized to obtain a pristine membrane which subsequently underwent crystallization process in mixed vapors containing water vapor. During the polymerization stage, water played a role of a diluting agent, weakening the Coulombic repulsion between sulfonic acid groups. During the crystallization stage, water vapor played a role of a structure‐directing agent to facilitate the formation of highly crystalline, large‐area iCOMs. The resulting membranes achieved a proton conductivity value of 0.76 S cm−1 at 90 °C under 100% relative humidity, which is among the highest ever reported. Using liquid water and water vapor as versatile additives open a novel avenue to the fabrication of large‐area membranes from covalent organic frameworks and other kinds of crystalline organic framework materials.
Utilizing Ultra‐homogeneous SiOx and Defects to Achieve Interlayer Protection for Lithium Metal Anodes
Authors: Jiang Zhijie , Yuan Renlu , Jiang Zipeng , Zhang Jiapeng , Liu Lantao , Li Ang , Chen Xiaohong , Song Huaihe
Published: June 2023

The uncontrollable growth and uneven nucleation of lithium metal can be addressed by utilizing spatial confinement structures in conjunction with lithiophilic sites. However, their complex fabrication technique and the inhomogeneous dispersion of lithiophilic sites make the application ineffective. In this work, ultra‐uniformly dispersed SiOx seeds and defects are produced in situ to achieve the spatially restricted protection within the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer. The in situ formed SiOx and defects during annealing double constrain lithium nucleation and growth behaviors thanks to the superlithiophilic characteristic, while both provide the fast Li+ transport channel to utilize the interlayer protection of rGO in limiting lithium dendrite growth. Furthermore, XANES and XPS analyze the SiOx seeds that are dominated by various valence states, and theoretical calculations further verify the control on the nucleation of lithium atoms. Benefiting from the optimum average valence of three for the “control site”, the host realizes steady circulation. In asymmetric cells, the host demonstrates excellent coulombic efficiency of 99.1% and stable lifespans over 1250 h at 1 mA cm−2. When assembled in LiFePO4 full cells, it retains a favorable capacity of 116.2 mA h g−1 after 170 cycles.
Photoinduced Phase Transition in Infinite‐Layer Nickelates
Authors: Yang Zhen , Jin Kui‐juan , Gan Yulin , Ma Cheng , Zhong Zhicheng , Yuan Ye , Ge Chen , Guo Er‐Jia , Wang Can , Xu Xiulai , He Meng , Zhang Dongxiang , Yang Guozhen
Published: June 2023

The quantum phase transition caused by regulating the electronic correlation in strongly correlated quantum materials has been a research hotspot in condensed matter science. Herein, a photon‐induced quantum phase transition from the Kondo‐Mott insulating state to the low temperature metallic one accompanying with the magnetoresistance changing from negative to positive in the infinite‐layer NdNiO2 films is reported, where the antiferromagnetic coupling among the Ni1+ localized spins and the Kondo effect are effectively suppressed by manipulating the correlation of Ni‐3d and Nd‐5d electrons under the photoirradiation. Moreover, the critical temperature Tc of the superconducting‐like transition exhibits a dome‐shaped evolution with the maximum up to ≈42 K, and the electrons dominate the transport process proved by the Hall effect measurements. These findings not only make the photoinduction a promising way to control the quantum phase transition by manipulating the electronic correlation in Mott‐like insulators, but also shed some light on the possibility of the superconducting in electron‐doped nickelates.
Amplified Performance of Charge Accumulation and Trapping Induced by Enhancing the Dielectric Constant via the Cyano Group of 3D‐Structured Textile for a Triboelectric Multi‐Modal Sensor
Authors: Sun Jingzhe , Ren Bingqi , Han Seunghye , Shin Hyungsub , Cha Seokjun , Lee Jiwoo , Bae Jihyun , Park Jong‐Jin
Published: June 2023

To further improve the output performance of triboelectric devices, reducing charge attenuation and loss has become a hot research topic. Particularly, textiles have emerged as one of the promising research directions for triboelectric devices owing to their special internal structure and large specific surface area. In the present work, polyacrylonitrile fibers are fabricated with two distinct structures to provide a higher dielectric constant due to the strong polar properties brought about by higher dipole moment of the CN group. In addition, the complex and closely connected structure of the textile increases specific internal surface area. As a friction layer, the output voltage is shown to increase to 625% of the initial value (from 8 to 60 V) after the application of friction for a short time due to accumulation property. When acting as a trapping layer, the charge loss after injection is effectively prevented due to excellent charge trapping effect. After 24 h, the triboelectric output performance remains at ≈70% of the initial value (decreasing from 320 to 220 V), which is more than 20 times that of the polytetrafluoroethylene film, which decreases from 125 to 19 V. The device is realized for the advanced application of multi‐modal sensors.
Seamlessly Adhesive Bionic Periosteum Patches Via Filling Microcracks for Defective Bone Healing
Authors: Yang Shu , Chen Zhijie , Zhuang Pengzhen , Tang Yunkai , Chen Zehao , Wang Fei , Cai Zhengwei , Wei Jie , Cui Wenguo
Published: June 2023

Current artificial designs of the periosteum focus on osteogenic or angiogenic properties, while ignoring the filling and integration with bone microcracks, which trigger a prolonged excessive inflammatory reaction and lead to failure of bone regeneration. In this study, seamless adhesive biomimetic periosteum patches (HABP/Sr‐PLA) were prepared to fill microcracks in defective bone via interfacial self‐assembly induced by Sr ions mediated metal‐ligand interactions among pamidronate disodium‐modified hyaluronic acid (HAPD), black phosphorus (BP), and hydrophilic polylactic acid (PLA). In vitro, HABP/Sr‐PLA exhibited excellent self‐healing properties, seamlessly filled bone microcracks, and significantly enhanced osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Furthermore, in a rat cranial defect model, HABP/Sr‐PLA was demonstrated to significantly promote the formation of blood vessels and new bone under mild 808 nm photothermal stimulation (42.8 °C), and the highest protein expression of CD31 and OPN was five times higher than that of the control group and other groups. Therefore, the proposed seamless microcrack‐filled bionic periosteum patch is a promising clinical strategy for promoting bone repair.
Tuning the Electrode/Electrolyte Interface Enabled by a Trifunctional Inorganic Oligomer Electrolyte Additive for Highly Stable and High‐Rate Zn Anodes
Authors: Yu Yuanze , Zhang Pengfei , Wang Weiyu , Liu Jie
Published: June 2023

The practical application of aqueous Zn‐ion batteries is still greatly hindered by the unstable Zn anode with severe Zn dendrites growth and side reactions. As it is accessible and economical, the exploitation of electrolyte additives is one of the most promising strategies to stabilize the Zn electrode/electrolyte interface. Herein, the penta‐potassium triphosphate (KTPP) as a novel trifunctional electrolyte additive is introduced to tune the electrode/electrolyte interface. First, the KTPP additive can induce an ion‐conducting and mechanically robust solid electrolyte interphase film to stabilize the Zn anode. Second, the KTPP can complex with Zn2+ ions to reconstitute the dissolution sheath structure of the Zn2+ ion. Finally, the K+ cations in KTPP adsorb on the tips of the Zn anode surface as a shielding film to regulate Zn2+ ion flux. As a result, Zn//Zn symmetric cells can achieve significantly prolonged cycling stability (e.g., from 1077 to 3800 h at 1 mA cm−2/1 mAh cm−2, from 256 to 2500 h at 2 mA cm−2/2 mAh cm−2), and ultrahigh cumulative capacity of 6400/7200 mAh cm−2 at high current density (40/20 mA cm−2). A four‐layer Zn–MnO2 pouch full cell with a high capacity of 9 mAh can be constructed, showing impressive practical application potential.
Integrated Micro‐Scale Concentrating Photovoltaics: A Scalable Path Toward High‐Efficiency, Low‐Cost Solar Power
Authors: Jost Norman , Gu Tian , Hu Juejun , Domínguez César , Antón Ignacio
Published: June 2023

The global energy market is seeing increases in the electricity demand of a couple of percentage points annually. The photovoltaic (PV) industry is also growing rapidly every year. One of the PV technologies is concentrator photovoltaics (CPV). CPV uses high‐efficiency multijunction solar cells and optics to concentrate sunlight, thereby significantly reducing the amount of semiconductor material needed. Yet, due to the high upfont manufacturing cost of CPV, it currently does not offer a competitive price against silicon PV. With this a new branch is introduced to the industry, micro‐CPV, which can be broadly explained as the miniaturization of the solar cells and optical components. The motivation for micro‐CPV is lowering the cost by decreasing the material volume and enabling new system architectures and high‐throughput manufacturing methods, while still maintaining high electrical efficiencies, taking advantage of a lower thermal load, shorter optical paths, lower resistive losses, and lower material volumes. Herein, a comprehensive review of the technological advances is presented, key synergies between micro‐CPV and other industries sharing similar challenges are identified, exemplified by micro‐light emitting diodes display manufacturing. New assembly process development in these industries will facilitate commercial adoption of micro‐CPV with continued miniaturization while driving down the cost.
Normalized power priors always discount historical data
Authors: Pawel Samuel , Aust Frederik , Held Leonhard , Wagenmakers Eric‐Jan
Published: June 2023

Power priors are used for incorporating historical data in Bayesian analyses by taking the likelihood of the historical data raised to the power as the prior distribution for the model parameters. The power parameter is typically unknown and assigned a prior distribution, most commonly a beta distribution. Here, we give a novel theoretical result on the resulting marginal posterior distribution of in case of the normal and binomial model. Counterintuitively, when the current data perfectly mirror the historical data and the sample sizes from both data sets become arbitrarily large, the marginal posterior of does not converge to a point mass at but approaches a distribution that hardly differs from the prior. The result implies that a complete pooling of historical and current data is impossible if a power prior with beta prior for is used.
Recent Development of Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells and Performance Optimization Strategies: A Review
Authors: Li Fangju , Chan Siew Hwa , Tu Zhengkai
Published: June 2023

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are the most promising low‐temperature fuel cells and have received extensive attention. Compared to PEMFCs, the cost per unit of power can be significantly reduced for AEMFCs because, in theory, they allow the usage of non‐precious metal catalysts and low‐cost cell components. Owing to the development of advanced materials and performance improvement strategies, AEMFCs have achieved new records in both initial performance and durability. However, the high performance currently achieved is contingent on certain conditions, e. g., high Pt loading, large gas flowrates, and operation in pure O2, which are far from practical applications. Therefore, the transition to commercially relevant performance and durability is the next goal of AEMFCs. This paper reviews the performance data of H2‐fueled AEMFCs since 2010 and summarizes possible performance optimization schemes, which can provide useful insights for developing next‐generation AEMFCs.
Successful management of a persistent pneumothorax in a cat using an autologous blood patch pleurodesis
Authors: Satmary Sherrie B. , Hnatusko Aubrey , Gicking John
Published: June 2023

A 16‐year‐old, neutered, male cat presented to an emergency and specialty care facility for persistent pneumothorax. Bilateral thoracocentesis, biochemical and hematological evaluation, thoracic radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, heartworm antigen test and computed tomography scan were performed. No definitive cause of the pneumothorax was identified, making a diagnosis of spontaneous (idiopathic) pneumothorax most likely.  Surgical exploration of the thorax was declined. Evacuation of the pleural space was performed for 4 days, without resolution of air accumulation. An autologous blood patch pleurodesis was performed on the fifth day. The pneumothorax resolved, and the patient was discharged from the hospital the following day. Recheck radiographs were performed 17 days after discharge, which confirmed resolution of pneumothorax. The patient was alive 1200 days after discharge, with no recurrent clinical signs. This case report demonstrates successful use of an autologous blood patch pleurodesis in a feline patient.
Imperialism, colonialism, and climate change science
Authors: Mercer Harriet , Simpson Thomas
Published: June 2023

Historical studies of the influence of imperialism and colonialism on climate science have yet to be brought together into a critical synthesis. This advanced review offers a critical overview of the key themes of this literature with the primary intention of enabling historians and other scholars to recognize, specify, and acknowledge the roles of imperial and colonial processes in shaping scientific framings of climate. Following a brief overview of debates in older literature over the significance of imperialism and colonialism in climate sciences, the article investigates the wealth of recent scholarship that demonstrates specific and diverse connections between empires and climate science. Major features of this scholarship include: the role and the erasure of Indigenous and local knowledge; imperial climate infrastructures and visions; and climate data and theories in land empires as well as in informal empires and neocolonial settings. Through critically engaging these themes, the article seeks to help historians identify avenues for future research.

This article is categorized under:

Climate, History, Society, Culture > World Historical Perspectives

Climate, History, Society, Culture > Ideas and Knowledge

The Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Sociology/Anthropology of Climate Knowledge
The Potential of Dental Calculus as a Novel Source of Biological Isotopic Data
Authors: Salazar-García Domingo C. , Warinner Christina , Eerkens Jelmer W. , Henry Amanda G.
Published: June 2023

Stable isotope analysis has become an essential tool in investigations of ancient migration and paleodietary reconstruction. Because the biogeochemistry of bone collagen and apatite is well known, current methods rely almost exclusively on analyses of bones and teeth; however, dental calculus represents a potentially additional biological source of isotopic data from ancient skeletons. Dental calculus is a mineralized bacterial biofilm that forms on the surfaces of teeth. Sampling dental calculus does not damage the dentition and thus can be used in cases where it is not possible to perform destructive analyses of conventional mineralized tissues. Like bone and dentine, dental calculus contains both inorganic and organic components, allowing measurement of C, N, O, H, and Sr isotopes. Additionally, dental calculus forms as serial, non-remodeling laminar accretions on the tooth surface, opening up the possibility of analyzing discrete time points during the lifetime of an individual. However, as a microbial biofilm and not a human tissue, the biochemistry of dental calculus is complex, containing multiple calcium phosphate mineral phases, organic and inorganic food remains, hundreds of human and bacterial proteins, and diverse biomolecules from thousands of endogenous bacterial taxa. Isotopic investigation of dental calculus is still in its infancy, and many questions remain regarding its formation and processes of diagenesis. This chapter (1) reviews the unique advantages presented by dental calculus as a novel source of biological isotopic data, (2) critically evaluates published isotopic studies of dental calculus, and (3) explores the current challenges of dental calculus stable isotope analysis through a case study of an Ancient Puebloan Basketmaker II population from the American Southwest.
PARP2 promotes inflammation in psoriasis by modulating estradiol biosynthesis in keratinocytes
Authors: Antal Dóra , Pór Ágnes , Kovács Ilona , Dull Katalin , Póliska Szilárd , Ujlaki Gyula , Demény Máté Ágoston , Szöllősi Attila Gábor , Kiss Borbála , Szegedi Andrea , Bai Péter , Szántó Magdolna
Published: June 2023

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 2 (PARP2) alongside PARP1 are responsible for the bulk of cellular PARP activity, and they were first described as DNA repair factors. However, research in past decades implicated PARPs in biological functions as diverse as the regulation of cellular energetics, lipid homeostasis, cell death, and inflammation. PARP activation was described in Th2-mediated inflammatory processes, but studies focused on the role of PARP1, while we have little information on PARP2 in inflammatory regulation. In this study, we assessed the role of PARP2 in a Th17-mediated inflammatory skin condition, psoriasis. We found that PARP2 mRNA expression is increased in human psoriatic lesions. Therefore, we studied the functional consequence of decreased PARP2 expression in murine and cellular human models of psoriasis. We observed that the deletion of PARP2 attenuated the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis in mice. Silencing of PARP2 in human keratinocytes prevented their hyperproliferation, maintained their terminal differentiation, and reduced their production of inflammatory mediators after treatment with psoriasis-mimicking cytokines IL17A and TNFα. Underlying these observations, we found that aromatase was induced in the epidermis of PARP2 knock-out mice and in PARP2-deficient human keratinocytes, and the resulting higher estradiol production suppressed NF-κB activation, and hence, inflammation in keratinocytes. Steroidogenic alterations have previously been described in psoriasis, and we extend these observations by showing that aromatase expression is reduced in psoriatic lesions. Collectively, our data identify PARP2 as a modulator of estrogen biosynthesis by epidermal keratinocytes that may be relevant in Th17 type inflammation.

Key messages

PARP2 mRNA expression is increased in lesional skin of psoriasis patients.

PARP2 deletion in mice attenuated IMQ-induced psoriasis-like dermatitis.

NF-κB activation is suppressed in PARP2-deficient human keratinocytes.

Higher estradiol in PARP2-deficient keratinocytes conveys anti-inflammatory effect.
Disruption of cortical cell type composition and function underlies diabetes-associated cognitive decline
Authors: Little Karis , Singh Aditi , Del Marco Angel , Llorián-Salvador María , Vargas-Soria Maria , Turch-Anguera Mireia , Solé Montse , Bakker Noëlle , Scullion Sarah , Comella Joan X. , Klaassen Ingeborg , Simó Rafael , Garcia-Alloza Monica , Tiwari Vijay K. , Stitt Alan W. ,   on behalf of the RECOGNISED consortium
Published: June 2023

Aims/hypothesis

Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline although the pathogenic basis for this remains obscure. Deciphering diabetes-linked molecular mechanisms in cells of the cerebral cortex could uncover novel therapeutic targets.

Methods

Single-cell transcriptomic sequencing (scRNA-seq) was conducted on the cerebral cortex in a mouse model of type 2 diabetes (db/db mice) and in non-diabetic control mice in order to identify gene expression changes in distinct cell subpopulations and alterations in cell type composition. Immunohistochemistry and metabolic assessment were used to validate the findings from scRNA-seq and to investigate whether these cell-specific dysfunctions impact the neurovascular unit (NVU). Furthermore, the behavioural and cognitive alterations related to these dysfunctions in db/db mice were assessed via Morris water maze and novel object discrimination tests. Finally, results were validated in post-mortem sections and protein isolates from individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Results

Compared with non-diabetic control mice, the db/db mice demonstrated disrupted brain function as revealed by losses in episodic and spatial memory and this occurred concomitantly with dysfunctional NVU, neuronal circuitry and cerebral atrophy. scRNA-seq of db/db mouse cerebral cortex revealed cell population changes in neurons, glia and microglia linked to functional regulatory disruption including neuronal maturation and altered metabolism. These changes were validated through immunohistochemistry and protein expression analysis not just in the db/db mouse cerebral cortex but also in post-mortem sections and protein isolates from individuals with type 2 diabetes (74.3 ± 5.5 years) compared with non-diabetic control individuals (87.0 ± 8.5 years). Furthermore, metabolic and synaptic gene disruptions were evident in cortical NVU cell populations and associated with a decrease in vascular density.

Conclusions/interpretation

Taken together, our data reveal disruption in the cellular and molecular architecture of the cerebral cortex induced by diabetes, which can explain, at least in part, the basis for progressive cognitive decline in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Data availability

The single-cell sequencing data that supports this study are available at GEO accession GSE217665 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE217665).

Graphical Abstract
Adaptive learning in human–android
interactions: an anthropological analysis of play and ritual
Authors: Mazuz Keren , Yamazaki Ryuji
Published: June 2023

Using anthropological theory, this paper examines human–android
interactions (HAI) as an emerging aspect of android science. These interactions are
described in terms of adaptive learning (which is largely subconscious). This article is
based on the observations reported and supplementary data from two studies that took
place in Japan with a teleoperated android robot called Telenoid in the socialization of school children and older adults. We
argue that interacting with androids brings about a special context, an interval, and a
space/time for reflection and imagination that was not there before. During the
interaction something happens. There is adaptive learning and as a result, both children
and older adults accepted Telenoid, and the children and older adults accepted each
other. Using frames of play and ritual, we make sense and ‘capture’ moments of adaptive
learning, and the feedback that elicits a social response from all study participants
that results in self-efficacy and socialization. While “ritual” refers to the
application of what has been learned and “play” means that there are no obvious
consequences of what has been learned. This analysis illuminates new understanding about
the uncanny valley, cultural robotics and the therapeutic potential of HAI. This has
implications for the acceptance of androids in ‘socialized roles’ and gives us insight
into the subconscious adaptive learning processes that must take place within humans to
accept androids into our society. This approach aims to provides a clearer conceptual
basis and vocabulary for further research of android and humanoid development.
On the thermal stresses in chiral porous elastic beams
Authors: Cicco Simona De , Ieşan Dorin
Published: June 2023

This paper is concerned with the strain gradient theory of porous thermoelastic solids. We study the deformation of isotropic chiral cylinders subjected to a temperature field that is linear in the axial coordinate. It is shown that the solution can be reduced to the study of two-dimensional problems. The results are used to investigate the deformation of a circular cylinder subjected to a uniform temperature variation. In contrast to the case of achiral materials, the thermal field in chiral cylinders produces torsional effects.
Analysis of hydrogen diffusion in the three stage electro-permeation test
Authors: Raina Arun , Deshpande Vikram S. , Martínez-Pañeda Emilio , Fleck Norman A.
Published: June 2023

The presence of hydrogen traps within a metallic alloy influences the rate of hydrogen diffusion. The electro-permeation (EP) test can be used to assess this: the permeation of hydrogen through a thin metallic sheet is measured by suitable control of hydrogen concentration on the front face and by recording the flux of hydrogen that exits the rear face. Additional insight is achieved by the more sophisticated three stage EP test: the concentration of free lattice hydrogen on the front face is set to an initial level, is then dropped to a lower intermediate value and is then restored to the initial level. The flux of hydrogen exiting the rear face is measured in all three stages of the test. In the present study, a transient analysis is performed of hydrogen permeation in a three stage EP test, assuming that lattice diffusion is accompanied by trapping and de-trapping. The sensitivity of the three stage EP response to the depth and density of hydrogen traps is quantified. A significant difference in permeation response can exist between the first and third stages of the EP test when the alloy contains a high number density of deep traps.