bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Significance of Serum Sodium Levels in Liver Cirrhosis: A Cross-sectional Observational Study
Authors: Nareddy Sandeep Reddy , Aroor Akshatha Rao , Bhat Archana
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Hyponatremia is a dominant feature and is of primary concern in liver cirrhosis. It is an important prognostic factor for the severity and complications of liver cirrhosis associated with poor survival. The issue of hyponatremia in liver cirrhosis has been the subject of intense debate within the scientific community. Aim: To determine the association of serum sodium levels with the severity and complications of liver cirrhosis. Materials and Methods: This observational, cross-sectional study included all adult patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, admitted in single tertiary care centre from December 2016 to April 2018. Their serum sodium levels was estimated on admission and correlated with Child Pugh Score and complications of cirrhosis. Statistical analysis was done by Chi-Square test, Fisher’s-exact test and Odds Ratio (OR) estimation. Results: A total of 95 patients were enrolled in the study. Majority were in the age group of 41-50 years (35.8%) with a mean age of 48.38±11.8 (mean±SD). There was a male preponderance (91 patients, 96.8%). Hyponatremia (≤130 meq/L) was noted in 33 patients (34.7%). Among the patients with hyponatremia, 29 (87.9%) belonged to Child Pugh C. The association of hyponatremia with Child Pugh C was highly significant (OR 3.987; CI 1.240-12.818; p=0.029). A positive correlation was found between low sodium levels (≤130 meq/L) and complications such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (OR 4.667; CI 1.538-14.164; p=0.004) and hepatorenal syndrome (OR 5.357; CI 0.979-29.327; p=0.034). Conclusion: Low sodium levels in cirrhosis has a positive correlation with the disease severity, hepatorenal syndrome and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
The chromatin modifier MORC2 affects glucose metabolism by regulating the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A through a feed forward loop with c‐Myc
Authors: Guddeti Rohith Kumar , Thomas Liz , Kannan Anbarasu , Karyala Prashanthi , Pakala Suresh B.
Published: February 2021

Microrchidia family CW‐type zinc finger 2 (MORC2) is a recently identified chromatin modifier with an emerging role in cancer metastasis. However, its role in glucose metabolism, a hallmark of malignancy, remains to be explored. We found that MORC2 is a glucose‐inducible gene and a target of c‐Myc. Our meta‐analysis revealed that MORC2 expression is positively correlated with the expression of enzymes involved in glucose metabolism in breast cancer patients. Furthermore, overexpression of MORC2 in MCF‐7 and BT‐549 cells augmented the expression and activity of a key glucose metabolism enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). Conversely, selective knockdown of MORC2 by siRNA markedly decreased LDHA expression and activity and in turn reduced cancer cell migration. Collectively, these findings provide evidence that MORC2, a glucose‐inducible gene, modulates the migration of breast cancer cells through the MORC2–c‐Myc–LDHA axis.
High expression of SPP1 in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is correlated with increased risk of lung cancer
Authors: Miao Ti‐wei , Xiao Wei , Du Long‐yi , Mao Bing , Huang Wei , Chen Xue‐mei , Li Cong , Wang Yan , Fu Juan‐juan
Published: February 2021

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airway inflammation and fixed airflow obstruction. Patients with COPD have increased risk of lung cancer (LC), and the coexistence of both diseases is associated with poorer survival. However, the mechanisms predisposing patients with COPD to LC development and poor prognosis remain unclear. Gene expression profiles were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Twenty‐two data sets were included (n = 876). We identified 133 DEGs and 145 DEGs in patients with COPD and LC compared with healthy controls, respectively. There were 1544 DEGs in patients with LC and coexisting COPD compared with COPD, and these DEGs are mainly involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, p53 signalling and insulin signalling. The biological processes primarily associated with these DEGs are oxidation reduction and apoptosis. SPP1 was the only overlapping DEG that was up‐regulated in patients with COPD and/or LC, and this was validated by qPCR in an independent cohort. The area under the curve value for SPP1 was 0.893 (0.822–0.963) for the prediction of LC in patients with COPD. High expression of SPP1 in patients with LC was associated with shorter survival time. Up‐regulation of SPP1 may be associated with increased risk of LC in patients with COPD and therefore may have potential as a therapeutic target for LC in patients with COPD.
Flexible Nonenzymatic Glucose Sensing with One‐Step Laser‐Fabricated Cu2O/Cu Porous Structure
Authors: Zhou Xingwen , Guo Wei , Yao Yu , Peng Ran , Peng Peng
Published: February 2021

Integrated flexible nonenzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors have attracted substantial interest because they enable portable noninvasive glucose detection stably and accurately. Manufacturing of these sensors generally requires complex step‐by‐step processes, including synthesis of noble and functional materials, patterning the as‐synthesized noble materials into electrodes/contacts, and subsequent working electrode functionalizing. Herein, the one‐step fabrication of a working electrode and electrical contacts on a flexible substrate for an integrated sensor is realized through laser writing of a low‐cost Cu ionic precursor. The obtained Cu2O/Cu porous structure not only has a low sheet resistance of 1.3 Ω sq−1 to ensure signal transmission in the sensor, but also provides a remarkable sensing performance for glucose detection, especially at a low detection potential of 0.3 V and a low detection limit of 0.34 μm. Due to its anti‐interference and flexibility, the integrated sensor has the potential to directly detect trace amounts of glucose in body fluids as demonstrated in sweat sensing. This work highlights an efficient route to fabricate low‐cost integrated flexible electrochemical sensors.
Accurate Extraction of Schottky Barrier Height and Universality of Fermi Level De‐Pinning of van der Waals Contacts
Authors: Murali Krishna , Dandu Medha , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Majumdar Kausik
Published: February 2021

Due to Fermi level pinning (FLP), metal‐semiconductor contact interfaces result in a Schottky barrier height (SBH), which is usually difficult to tune. This makes it challenging to efficiently inject both electrons and holes using the same metal—an essential requirement for several applications, including light‐emitting devices and complementary logic. Interestingly, modulating the SBH in the Schottky–Mott limit of de‐pinned van der Waals (vdW) contacts becomes possible. However, accurate extraction of the SBH is essential to exploit such contacts to their full potential. In this study a simple technique is proposed to accurately estimate the SBH at the vdW contact interfaces by circumventing several ambiguities associated with SBH extraction. Using this technique on several vdW contacts, including metallic 2H‐TaSe2, semi‐metallic graphene, and degenerately doped semiconducting SnSe2, it is demonstrated that vdW contacts exhibit a universal de‐pinned nature. Superior ambipolar carrier injection properties of vdW contacts are demonstrated (with Au contact as a reference) in two applications, namely, a) pulsed electroluminescence from monolayer WS2 using few‐layer graphene (FLG) contact, and b) efficient carrier injection to WS2 and WSe2 channels in both n‐type and p‐type field effect transistor modes using 2H‐TaSe2 contact.
Linking Solid Electrolyte Degradation to Charge Carrier Transport in the Thiophosphate‐Based Composite Cathode toward Solid‐State Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Ohno Saneyuki , Rosenbach Carolin , Dewald Georg F. , Janek Jürgen , Zeier Wolfgang G.
Published: February 2021

Solid‐state lithium‐sulfur batteries (SSLSBs) have the potential to cause a paradigm shift in energy storage. The use of emerging highly‐conductive solid electrolytes enables high energy and power densities. However, the need for an intimate mixture of electrolyte and conductive additives to compensate for the insulating nature of cathode active materials S8 and Li2S induces intense electrolyte degradation. Thus, it is paramount to understand better the electrochemical and transport properties of the cathode composite with extremely high interface density among cathode components. Here, by utilizing a ball‐milled composite of the lithium argyrodite Li6PS5Cl and carbon as a model electrode, the stability, reversibility, and transport in the composite as functions of cathode loading, the volume fraction of conducting phase, temperature, and applied potentials are comprehensively investigated. Comparing the onset potentials of electrolyte degradation and the sharp drop in the effective ionic conductivity of the composite determined through transmission‐line model analysis, successful enhancement of the capacity retention of SSLSBs is demonstrated by balancing between the attainable capacity and effective carrier transport, achieving a high areal capacity of 3.68 mAh cm−2 after 100 cycles at room temperature. The here‐observed analysis is applicable to any solid‐state composite with electrically insulating active materials.
Controlling the Pd Metal Contact Polarity to Trigonal Tellurium by Atomic Hydrogen‐Removal of the Native Tellurium Oxide
Authors: Smyth Christopher M. , Zhou Guanyu , Barton Adam T. , Wallace Robert M. , Hinkle Christopher L.
Published: February 2021

Palladium (Pd) electrodes have enabled superior performance in Te‐based devices. Theory predicts strong Fermi level (EF) pinning near the Te valence band, which likely explains the predominant p‐type conduction in Te transistors. The effects of the native TeOx on the contact polarity has not been explored. In this work, X‐ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectra (XPS and UPS, respectively) reveal the native surface oxide de‐pins the EF between Pd and trigonal Te (t‐Te) and can reduce contact resistance of hole and electron contacts to Te for back end of line‐compatible complementary logic circuits. Atomic hydrogen reduces the native t‐Te oxide below the XPS detection limit, after which, the EF resides near the t‐Te conduction band edge. Therefore, an n‐type band alignment is formed between Pd and t‐Te via an atomic hydrogen treatment. Furthermore, UPS shows the EF is pinned near the t‐Te conduction band edge. XPS indicates the formation of a PdTex intermetallic at the Pdt‐Te interface also affects the electrostatics of the interface. The concentration of PdTex is 40% higher when TeOx is removed from the t‐Te surface before Pd metallization, likely the root cause of the low (pinned) work function when the native oxide is absent.
Bottom‐Up Ecofriendly Strategy for Construction of Sustainable Bacterial Cellulose Bioaerogel with Multifunctional Properties
Authors: Cheng Zheng , Duan Chengliang , Zeng Jinsong , Wang Bin , Xu Jun , Gao Wenhua , Li Jinpeng , Chen Kefu
Published: February 2021

The production of sustainable bioaerogel by using renewable biomass via eco‐friendly techniques is a meaningful research topic. This study reports a facile bottom‐up green strategy to construct dimensionally stable bioaerogel derived from bacterial cellulose (BC). Taking advantages of the natural hierarchical and interconnected network structure of BC, the preparation of bioaerogel comprises directional freezing, followed by freeze‐drying approach. Aside from the multifunctional characteristics such as high porosity, low density, and large specific surface area, the resultant BC bioaerogels show superhydrophilic property, excellent water absorption, and swelling characteristics. In addition, the extremely compressed bioaerogel film exhibits flexibility and good mechanical properties. And the BC bioaerogels display a low coefficient of thermal conductivity (25.8 mW m−1 K−1). Moreover, the BC bioaerogels reveal excellent sound absorption at board frequencies from 200 to 6000 Hz with a maximum sound‐absorption coefficient of 0.97. The BC bioaerogel is further used as the green, sustainable, and degradable cigarette filter tip, exhibiting good adsorption effect for the smoke main components. In summary, this study provides a feasible solution to rationally construct lightweight, high porous, heat‐insulating, and highly efficient sound‐adsorption BC bioaerogel, which has potential applications in the future as green advanced functional materials.
Enabling Stable Zn Anode via a Facile Alloying Strategy and 3D Foam Structure
Authors: Fan Xiaoyong , Yang Huan , Wang Xinxin , Han Jiaxing , Wu Yan , Gou Lei , Li Dong‐Lin , Ding Yuan‐Li
Published: February 2021

Aqueous zinc‐ion battery (AZIB) has become a promising candidate in grid energy storage due to its low cost, environmental friendliness, and high safety. However, AZIB usually suffers from uncontrollable zinc deposition and dendrite growth as well as hydrogen evolution and passivation on the surface of zinc anode. To address the above issues, a unique 3D Zn alloy foam anode built from Zn–Sn–Pb alloy in 3D Cu foam is constructed by a facile hot dipping method. The proposed 3D Zn alloy anode, through introducing elements Sn and Pb, enhances the hydrogen evolution overpotential, reduces the corrosion current, greatly mitigates the self‐corrosion in the electrolyte, and efficiently inhibits the growth of Zn dendrite during cycling. Importantly, such Zn alloy engineering together with a 3D Cu foam current collector enables highly stable Zn storage properties. The full cell assembled using the proposed 3D Zn alloy anode and MnO2 nanosheet cathode exhibits superior reversible capacity (103.4 mAh g−1) and excellent cycling stability (capacity retention of 87% over 4000 cycles) at 1.8 A g−1.
Unveiling True 3D Nanoscale Microstructural Evolution in Chalcogenide Nanocomposites: A Roadmap for Advanced Infrared Functionality
Authors: Kang Myungkoo , Martin Isabelle , Sharma Rashi , Blanco Cesar , Antonov Stoichko , Prosa Ty J. , Larson David J. , Francois‐Saint‐Cyr Hugues , Richardson Kathleen A.
Published: February 2021

The design of multiphase optical nanocomposites necessitates the understanding of coexisting phases’ morphology and chemistry which have deterministic impacts on light–matter interaction. A prominent example is gradient refractive index (GRIN) materials proposed to realize an arbitrarily shaped, single optical component with minimal chromatic aberration. Ge‐As‐Pb‐Se materials are promising for GRIN due to their ability to exhibit spatially varying volume fraction of high‐index Pb‐rich phases in low index matrices. These materials are characterized to date, exclusively using transmission electron microscopy to reveal their phase separation and induced crystalline phase(s). It is found in the study that the intrinsic 2D perspective of the technique has hindered the identification of true morphology. To clarify this ambiguity, atom probe tomography (APT) is utilized to gain the first‐ever observation of the nanocomposites’ microstructure and its evolution upon heat treatment in a 3D space. The APT‐quantified geometry and chemistry of coexisting phases are considered to predict the effective media's optical behaviors which closely match experimental data, enabling the establishment of the material's predictive and accurate process–structure–property relationship. Findings in the study demonstrate the robustness and advantage of the APT‐assisted characterization in the design and realization of GRIN materials.
Localized Plasmon Field Effect of Gold Clusters Embedded in Nanoporous Silicon
Authors: Wu Rihan , Mathieu Thibaut , Storey Catherine J. , Jin Qihao , Collins Jack , Canham Leigh T. , Kaplan Andrey
Published: February 2021

Coupling between nanoplasmonics and semiconducting materials can enhance and complement the efficiency of almost all semiconductor technologies. It has been demonstrated that such composites enhance the light coupling to nanowires, increase photocurrent in detectors, enable sub‐gap detection, allow DNA detection, and produce large non‐linearity. Nevertheless, the tailored fabrication using the conventional methods to produce such composites remains a formidable challenge. This work attempts to resolve that deficiency by deploying the immersion‐plating method to spontaneously grown gold clusters inside nano‐porous silicon (np‐Si). This method allows the fabrication of thin films of np‐Si with embedded gold nanoparticles (Au) and creates nanoplasmonic–semiconductor composites, np‐Si/Au, with fractional volume between 0.02 and 0.13 of the metallic component. Optical scattering measurements reveal a distinctive, 200 nm broad, localized surface plasmon (LSP) resonance, centered around 700 nm. Linear and non‐linear properties, and their time evolution are investigated by optically pumping the LSP resonance and probing the optical response with short wavelength infra‐red (2.5 m) light. The ultrafast time‐resolved study demonstrates unambiguously that the non‐linear response is not only directly related to the LSP excitation, but strongly enhanced with respect to bare np‐Si, while its strength can be tuned by varying the metallic component.
Boltzmann Thermometry in Cr3+‐Doped Ga2O3 Polymorphs: The Structure Matters!
Authors: Back Michele , Ueda Jumpei , Nambu Hiroshi , Fujita Masami , Yamamoto Akira , Yoshida Hisao , Tanaka Hiromitsu , Brik Mikhail G. , Tanabe Setsuhisa
Published: February 2021

The performance of luminescent Cr3+‐doped thermometers is strongly influenced by the locally surrounding ligand field. A universal relationship between the thermometric performance and structural/chemical parameters is highly desirable to drive the development of effective Cr3+‐based thermal sensors avoiding trial‐and‐error procedures. In this view, as prototypes, the electronic structure and the thermometric performance of Cr3+‐doped α‐Ga2O3 and β‐Ga2O3 polymorphs are compared. Combining a detailed theoretical and spectroscopic investigation, the electronic configuration and the crystal field (CF) acting on the Cr3+ in α‐Ga2O3 are described for the first time and compared with β‐Ga2O3:Cr3+ polymorph to discuss the thermometric behavior. A linear relationship between the 4T2–2E energy gap (directly linked to the relative sensitivity) and the CF strength Dq is demonstrated for a wide variety of materials. This trend can be considered as a first step to set guiding principles to design effective Cr3+‐based Boltzmann thermometers. In addition, as a proof of concept, particles of β‐Ga2O3:Cr3+ thermometer are used to locally measure in operando thermal variations of Pt catalysts on β‐Ga2O3:Cr3+ support during a catalytic reaction of C2H4 hydrogenation in a contactless and reliable mode, demonstrating their real potentials.
Recent Advances in Polarization‐Encoded Optical Metasurfaces
Authors: Ding Fei , Tang Shiwei , Bozhevolnyi Sergey I.
Published: February 2021

In recent years, optical metasurfaces, i.e., surface‐confined arrays of engineered nanostructured elements (meta‐atoms), have become an emerging research area due to their unprecedented capabilities of manipulating light with subwavelength spatial resolutions. The metasurfaces revolutionize thereby conventional bulky optics with compact planar elements. As the polarization is one of the intrinsic properties of light and of crucial importance for fundamental sciences and practical applications, the polarization‐encoded functional optical metasurfaces featuring compactness, integration compatibility, and multiple functionalities have been in the focus of intensive research and development. Herein, the basic principles and emerging applications of polarization‐encoded functional metasurfaces operating in the optical range are reviewed. Starting with the description of different polarization states, the review proceeds with considerations of how to interconvert and detect the state of polarization. The main achievements in polarization‐multiplexing metasurface components (metadevices) are then summarized. Finally, a personal outlook on potential directions in this fast‐growing research area is provided in the conclusions.
Local Depletion of Immune Checkpoint Ligand CTLA4 Expressing Cells in Tumor Beds Enhances Antitumor Host Immunity
Authors: Okada Ryuhei , Kato Takuya , Furusawa Aki , Inagaki Fuyuki , Wakiyama Hiroaki , Choyke Peter L. , Kobayashi Hisataka
Published: February 2021

Near‐infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR‐PIT) is a cancer treatment that utilizes antibody‐photoabsorber (IR700) conjugates to selectively kill target cells by exposing them to NIR light. Cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) is a major immune checkpoint ligand mediating antitumor immune suppression. Local depletion of CTLA4 expressing cells in the tumor bed with NIR‐PIT could enhance antitumor immune responses by both blocking the CTLA4‐axis and depleting immune suppressive cells. The aim of this study is to evaluate the antitumor efficacy of CTLA4‐targeted NIR‐PIT using four murine tumor models, MC38‐luc, LL/2‐luc, MOC2‐luc, and MOC2. The CTLA4‐targeted NIR‐PIT depletes intratumoral CTLA4 expressing cells which are mostly regulatory T cells. In vivo CTLA4‐targeted NIR‐PIT yields complete responses in 80% of MC38‐luc, 70% of LL/2‐luc, and 40% of MOC2‐luc tumors prolonging survival in all cases. After CTLA4‐targeted NIR‐PIT, activation and infiltration of CD8+ T cells within the tumor microenvironment is observed. In conclusion, CTLA4‐targeted NIR‐PIT can effectively treat tumors by blocking the CTLA4‐axis as well as by eliminating CTLA4‐expressing immune suppressor cells, resulting in T cell mediated antitumor immunity. Local CTLA4‐expressing cell depletion in tumor beds using NIR‐PIT could be a promising new cancer immunotherapy for safely treating a variety of tumor types.
Catalyst‐Free π‐Extended Conjugate Addition of Amines to Various Electron‐Deficient π‐Systems
Authors: Tan Minghan , Chrostowski Robert , Sanematsu Haruki , Takeuchi Masayuki , Takai Atsuro
Published: February 2021

Development of atom‐economical, catalyst‐free, and benign synthetic methods for functionalizing π‐conjugated molecules is of great interest for unconventional organic materials. Here, we report catalyst‐free 1,6‐ or more π‐extended conjugate addition of amines to ethynyl groups directly attached to various electron‐deficient π‐systems. This hydroamination proceeded quantitatively under mild conditions to afford amino‐functionalized π‐systems. A kinetic study of the reaction revealed that the rate‐determining step was the nucleophilic attack of an amine to the π‐system, and the reaction obeyed typical second‐order kinetics. We found that the hydroamination rates of the π‐systems (the logarithm of the second‐order rate constants) showed a good linear correlation with the chemical shifts of the terminal ethynyl proton in 1H NMR spectrum. On the basis of the kinetic study of these π‐systems, an asymmetric amine monoadduct could be obtained from the corresponding two ethynyl‐substituted π‐system in a designed manner, and the other ethynyl group could be functionalized through different reactions such as Glaser coupling reaction. Some of the resultant amino‐functionalized π‐systems exhibited characteristic near‐IR emission, and the emission wavelength can be switched reversibly in response to a Brønsted acid and a base.
Ring‐tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) use olfaction to locate distant fruit
Authors: Cunningham Elena P. , Edmonds Devin , Stalter Laura , Janal Malvin N.
Published: February 2021

Objectives

As many primates live in forests where visibility is limited, the ability to detect the aroma of distant fruit and navigate odor plumes would be highly adaptive. Our study is the first to investigate this ability with strepsirrhine primates.

Materials and Methods

We tested the ability of a group of ring‐tailed lemurs to detect hidden fruit from afar using scent alone. We hid containers in the underbrush of a semi‐natural forest, some baited with real cantaloupe and some with sham cantaloupe, 4–17 m from a path routinely used by the lemurs. Crucially, the containers were not visible from the path. Therefore, the lemurs had to use olfactory cues, but did not have to prioritize them to locate the bait.

Results

The lemurs found the real cantaloupe on days that the wind blew the scent of the fruit toward the trail. They did not find the sham cantaloupe. Upon detecting the odor of the bait, the lemurs sniffed the air at one or more locations as they moved toward the bait, a process of navigation known as klinotaxis.

Discussion

The traditional belief is that primates are unable to track odor plumes. The untrained lemurs in this study were able to detect the odor of the cantaloupe among the complex odors of the forest and navigate the odor plume to the fruit. The results indicate that olfaction may be used to respond to cues from distant sources. The ability to track odor plumes may be a critical foraging skill for strepsirrhines.
Complete Biosynthetic Pathway of Alazopeptin, a Tripeptide Consisting of Two Molecules of 6‐Diazo‐5‐oxo‐l‐norleucine and One Molecule of Alanine
Authors: Kawai Seiji , Sugaya Yuko , Hagihara Ryota , Tomita Hiroya , Katsuyama Yohei , Ohnishi Yasuo
Published: February 2021

DON (6‐diazo‐5‐oxo‐l‐norleucine), a diazo‐containing amino acid, has been studied for more than 60 years as a potent antitumor agent, but its biosynthesis has not been elucidated. Here we reveal the complete biosynthetic pathway of alazopeptin, the tripeptide Ala‐DON‐DON, which has antitumor activity, by gene inactivation and in vitro analysis of recombinant enzymes. We also established heterologous production of N‐acetyl‐DON in Streptomyces albus. DON is synthesized from lysine by three enzymes and converted to alazopeptin by five enzymes and one carrier protein. Most interestingly, transmembrane protein AzpL was indicated to catalyze diazotization using 5‐oxolysine and nitrous acid as substrates. Site‐directed mutagenesis of AzpL indicated that the hydroxy group of Tyr‐93 is important for the diazotization. These findings expand our knowledge of the enzymology of N−N bond formation.
Transition‐Metal‐Free Synthesis of Polyfunctional Triarylmethanes and 1,1‐Diarylalkanes by Sequential Cross‐Coupling of Benzal Diacetates with Organozinc Reagents
Authors: Wei Baosheng , Ren Qianyi , Bein Thomas , Knochel Paul
Published: February 2021

A variety of functionalized triarylmethane and 1,1‐diarylalkane derivatives were prepared via a transition‐metal‐free, one‐pot and two‐step procedure, involving the reaction of various benzal diacetates with organozinc reagents. A sequential cross‐coupling is enabled by changing the solvent from THF to toluene, and a two‐step SN1‐type mechanism was proposed and evidenced by experimental studies. The synthetic utility of the method is further demonstrated by the synthesis of several biologically relevant molecules, such as an anti‐tuberculosis agent, an anti‐breast cancer agent, a precursor of a sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator, and a FLAP inhibitor.
Synthesis, crystal structure, Hirshfeld surface analyses, antimicrobial activity, and thermal behavior of some novel nanostructure hexa‐coordinated Cd(II) complexes: Precursors for CdO nanostructure
Authors: Akbari Zahra , Montazerozohori Morteza , Hoseini Seyed Jafar , Naghiha Reza , Hayati Payam , Bruno Giuseppe , Santoro Antonio , White Jonathan M.
Published: February 2021

A new tetradentate Schiff base ligand entitled as (L = (N2E, N2′E)‐N1, N1′‐(ethane‐1,2‐diyl)bis(N2‐((E)‐3‐(2‐nitrophenyl)allylidene)ethane‐1,2‐diamine) and its six cadmium(II) complexes formulated as CdLX2 in which X is Cl, Br, I, NO3, NCS, or N3 were synthesized under ultrasound irradiation and characterized by various physical and spectral techniques. Moreover, some complexes were also prepared in nanostructured dimensions confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDXA), and X‐ray powder diffraction (XRPD) techniques and then were used as precursor for preparation of CdO nanoparticles via direct calcination at 600°C. As typical, the crystal structure of cadmium(II) nitrate complex was determined using single crystal X‐ray diffraction. Accordingly, it was found that [Cd(L)(NO3)2] complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit with two coordination modes of nitrate anions. This complex has zero‐dimensional (0D) coordination supramolecular structure. Hirshfeld surface analyses suggested that H … O (49.5%), H … H (30.3%), and H … C (11.8%) intermolecular interactions are most considerable in the crystal packing. Computational studies of ligand structure leading to electrostatic potentials of the solid state geometry and some occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO, HOMO‐1, HOMO‐2, and HOMO‐5) prevailing the contribution of nitrogen lone pairs are also reported. Thermal behavior studies of the compounds under nitrogen atmosphere from room temperature to 900°C revealed that the ligand is completely decomposed without any residual whereas the complexes are decomposed via two to four thermal steps with trace amount of metallic cadmium as residue. Moreover, antibacterial and antifungal screening well showed that the complexes inhibit from the growth of the various bacteria and fungi more efficient than free ligand especially against Gram‐positive bacteria. DNA cleavage potentials of the compounds may be one of the reasons for their antimicrobial activity.
The capable Pd complex immobilized on the functionalized polymeric scaffold for the green benzylation reaction
Authors: Ariannezhad Maryam , Habibi Davood , Heydari Somayyeh , Khorramabadi Vahideh
Published: February 2021

The Pd complex immobilized on the functionalized polymeric support was prepared by the functionalization of the 4‐(benzyloxy)benzyl chloride polymer with 5‐phenyl‐1‐H‐tetrazole and the subsequent complexation with PdCl2. Then, it was characterized with different methods and used as catalyst in the green benzylation reaction of various aryl cyanamides with benzyl bromide and K2CO3 in EtOH at 60°C for the appropriate times. Also, the antibacterial properties of the Pd polymer‐supported complex were studied against a number of gram‐positive and gram‐negative bacteria, and in some cases, it has the same effect as a tetracycline standard antibiotic against Bacillus thuringiensis (a gram‐positive bacterium) and Serratia marcescens (a gram‐negative bacterium).
Discrete‐time fractional fuzzy control of electrically driven mechanical systems
Authors: Muñoz Vázquez Aldo Jonathan , Treesatayapun Chidentree
Published: February 2021

This paper proposes a discrete‐time fuzzy control for a general class of electrically driven mechanical systems. Firstly, a discrete‐time model is derived to define an extended error variable, such that asymptotic tracking is assured when the extended error is enforced at zero. Then, a fuzzy inference system is proposed by considering the extended error and its discrete‐time generalized‐order integral. Finally, the controller is proposed as the combination of the fuzzy rules consequences, which are dynamically adapted to produce a precise tracking. The closed‐loop stability is analyzed in the Lyapunov framework, and an experimental assessment is conducted to show the reliability of the proposed approach.
In silico prediction of T‐cell and B‐cell epitopes of human papillomavirus type 16 L1 protein
Authors: Mahmoudvand Shahab , Shokri Somayeh , Makvandi Manoochehr , Taherkhani Reza , Rashno Mohammad , Jalilian Farid Azizi , Angali Kambiz Ahmadi
Published: February 2021

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV‐16) is one of the most important cause of developing cervical cancer. Therefore, effective epitope‐based vaccine design for HPV‐16 would be of major medical benefit. The aim of our study was to identify B‐ and T‐cell epitopes of HPV‐16 L1 protein. In this study, the HPV‐16 L1 gene was isolated from HPV recovered from five vaginal swab samples using specific primers and finally sequenced. The ExPASy translate tool (http://web.expasy.org/translate/) was used to convert nucleotide sequence into amino acid sequence. Bioinformatic analysis was employed to predict suitable B‐ and T‐cell epitopes and immunogenicity, allergenicity, and toxicity of predicted epitopes were then evaluated. Afterward, the selected T‐cell epitopes were docked using Molegro Virtual Docker software. The two epitopes 207AMDFTTLQA215 and 200MVDTGFGAM208 have showed a very strong binding affinity to HLA‐A0201 and HLA‐B3501 molecules, respectively. Outcome of B‐cell epitope prediction showed that epitope 475KAKPKFTLGKRK ATPTTSSTSTTAKRKK502 contained overlapped epitope, which might be the epitope associated with the production of neutralizing antibody response. Based on this finding, the predicted B‐ and T‐cell epitopes are promising targets for epitope‐based vaccine development against HPV‐16. Further in vivo and in vitro experiments are needed to confirm our findings.
Understanding the Electrolytes of Lithium−Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Angulakshmi N. , Dhanalakshmi R. Baby , Sathya S. , Ahn Jou‐Hyeon , Stephan A. Manuel
Published: February 2021

Lithium‐sulfur batteries have been identified as an ultimate successor to lithium‐ion batteries due to their unique properties such as extremely high theoretical specific capacity (1672 mAh g−1), low cost, abundance of elemental sulfur on earth's crust and environmental friendliness. However, the insulating nature and volume expansion (approximately 76 %) of elemental sulfur, shuttling of polysulfides between the two electrodes and poor interfacial properties of lithium metal anode with non‐aqueous liquid electrolytes still hinder the commercialization of this system. In order to mitigate the shuttling of polysulfides between two electrodes, several strategies have been adopted, including optimizing the compositions, lithium salt and additives of non‐aqueous liquid electrolytes, and replacing the non‐aqueous liquid electrolyte with ionic liquids (ILs), solid polymers, superionic conductors, and quasi‐solid‐state electrolytes. This review article comprehensively covers the architecture, working principles of lithium‐sulfur batteries, the state‐of‐the‐art electrolytes, their types, properties, advantages, and limitations. The importance of electrolyte additives in enhancing the safety issues of lithium‐sulfur batteries is also emphasized. Here, we provide an overview of recent developments in different types of electrolytes for lithium‐sulfur batteries, focusing on electrochemical properties, and more specifically discussing issues related to polysulfide shuttles.
Prognostic prediction of hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage using CT radiomics and machine learning
Authors: Xu Xinghua , Zhang Jiashu , Yang Kai , Wang Qun , Chen Xiaolei , Xu Bainan
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage remains a major cause of death and disability throughout the world. We tried to establish accurate long‐term outcome prediction models for hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH) using CT radiomics and machine learning.

Methods

In a retrospective study of 270 patients with HICH between June 2013 and June 2018, CT images and patients' 6‐month outcome based on the modified Rankin Scale were collected. Hematomas on CT images were selected as volumes of interests (VOIs), and 1,029 radiomics features of the VOIs were extracted. Based on correlations with patients' outcome, radiomics features underwent dimensionality reduction analyses. Then, the support vector machine (SVM), k‐nearest neighbor (KNN), logistic regression (LR), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF), and XGBoost algorithms were applied with the screened features to establish prognostic prediction models of HICH. Accuracies of all models were compared.

Results

Eighteen radiomics features were screened as prognosis‐associated radiomics signature of HICH based on the variance threshold, SelectKBest, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models. Patients were randomly allocated into training (n = 215) and validation (n = 55) sets. Accuracies of all 6 machine learning algorithms in the validation set exceeded 80%. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in the validation set were 93.3%, 92.5%, and 92.7% for the RF model and 92.3%, 88.1%, and 89.1% for the XGBoost model, respectively, which were the best two among all models.

Conclusions

Taking advantage of radiomics and machine learning, we established accurate prognostic prediction models of HICH. The RF model and XGBoost model returned the best accuracies.
Correlation of immune infiltration with clinical outcomes in breast cancer patients: The 25‐gene prognostic signatures model
Authors: Liu Yushan , Fu Wenfen , Chen Wei , Lin Yuxiang , Zhang Jie , Song Chuangui
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The aim of this study was to build a prognostic signatures model based on the immune score of the ESTIMATE algorithm to predict survival of breast cancer patients.

Methods

The RNA‐seq expression data and clinical characteristics of patients were derived from TCGA and GSE88770 of GEO. The ESTIMATE algorithm was used to calculate the patients' immune scores and to obtain DEGs. The LASSO Cox regression model was applied to select prognostic genes. Survival analysis and the ROC curve were used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the prognostic signatures model. Independent prognostic factors of breast cancer were assessed using the Cox regression analyses, and a nomogram was constructed to enhance the clinical value.

Results

Based on the immune score, we found that the high‐score group showed better clinical outcomes than the low‐score group. Twenty‐five (25) genes of 616 DEGs were confirmed as prognostic signatures through the LASSO Cox regression. The risk score for each patient was calculated according to the prognostic signatures. Survival analysis showed that the low‐risk group had longer overall survival than the high‐risk group. We also found that the risk score was an independent prognostic factor. To improve the clinical application value, a nomogram combing the risk score according to the 25‐gene prognostic signatures and several clinicopathological prognostic factors was constructed.

Conclusions

This study revealed the significance of immune infiltration and constructed a 25‐gene prognostic signatures model, that has a strong prognostic value for patients with breast cancer.
Creating a cancer genomics curriculum for pediatric hematology‐oncology fellows: A national needs assessment
Authors: Murray Alise K. , McGee Rose B. , Mostafavi Roya M. , Wang Xiaoqing , Lu Zhaohua , Valdez Jessica M. , Terao Michael A. , Nichols Kim E.
Published: February 2021

Background

With the advent of next generation sequencing, tumor and germline genomic testing are increasingly being used in the management of pediatric cancer patients. Despite this increase in testing, many pediatric hematology–oncology (PHO) providers are not confident interpreting or utilizing tumor or germline genomic results to care for their patients.

Methods

We developed and delivered a needs assessment survey to PHO program directors, attendings, and fellows in the United States to understand this deficiency, gather data on existing cancer genomics educational initiatives, and query preferences for creating a future curriculum.

Results

The survey includes 31 (41%) of 74 invited PHO program directors, 110 (11%) of 1032 invited attendings, and 79 fellows. The majority of attending physicians and fellows responding to the survey agree that understanding tumor (95% attending physicians; 95% fellows) and germline (86% attending physicians; 94% fellows) genomic information is essential for their practice. However, only 9 of 31 (29%) responding programs report that they have an existing cancer genomics curriculum. Most program directors indicated that the ideal genomics curriculum would occur during the first year of fellowship and incorporate direct patient care, online modules, and problem‐based learning. Attending physicians and fellows identified that addressing indications for ordering tumor and germline genomic testing, counseling about the risks and benefits of such testing, and interpreting and individualizing clinical management based on tumor and germline results should be included in a future curriculum.

Conclusion

The results of this study reveal a great need to develop a curriculum that can be offered across PHO fellowship programs to expand knowledge in the area of cancer genomics.
Protective Effects of Ginsenosides (20R)‐Rg3 on H2O2‐Induced Myocardial Cell Injury by Activating Keap‐1/Nrf2/HO‐1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhao Yan , Wang Yu , Zhang Min , Gao Yugang , Yan Zhaowei
Published: February 2021

Ginsenosides (20S)‐Rg3 and (20R)‐Rg3 are famous rare ginsenosides from red ginseng, and their configurations in C‐20 are different. This study aimed to investigate the protective mechanism of ginsenosides (20S)‐Rg3 and (20R)‐Rg3 on H2O2‐induced H9C2 cells and compare their activity. The results showed that the ginsenosides (20S)‐Rg3 and (20R)‐Rg3 could increase the cell activity and the levels of GSH‐Px, SOD and CAT, and decrease activities of LDH, MDA and ROS. Further studies showed that ginsenosides (20S)‐Rg3 and (20R)‐Rg3 could prevent oxidative stress injury of H9C2 cells by H2O2 through the Keap‐1/Nrf2/HO‐1 pathway. But the ML385 counteracts these effects. Interestingly, among these results, ginsenoside (20R)‐Rg3 was superior to (20S)‐Rg3, indicating that ginsenoside (20R)‐Rg3 have a stronger effect of antioxidative stress. This study reflected that ginsenoside (20R)‐Rg3 could be used as a potential Nrf2 activator and a safe effective Chinese herbal monomer in the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Erythrocytosis, embolism in a woman with antiphospholipid antibodies: A diagnostic challenge
Authors: Siddiqa Ayesha , Haider Asim , Mehmood Maham , Hanif Ahmad
Published: February 2021

Systemic thromboembolism, along with acute multiorgan failure, should raise clinical suspicion for CAPS. Timely management, even in suspected cases, can have a significant impact on mortality.
Unravelling the Role of Al‐alkyl Cocatalyst for the VOx/SiO2 Ethylene Polymerization Catalyst: Diethylaluminum Chloride Vs. Triethylaluminum
Authors: Deng Shiheng , Liu Zhen , Liu Boping , Jin Yulong
Published: February 2021

Vanadium‐based catalysts for olefin polymerization are unique in their strong preference for Cl containing Al‐alkyl cocatalysts. In this work, we performed theoretical studies on VOx/SiO2/diethylaluminum chloride (DEAC) and VOx/SiO2/triethylaluminum (TEA) with V(III) and V(IV) cluster models to provide comprehensive insight into how this catalyst system is affected by cocatalysts and why DEAC is mostly superior to TEA as activators. It is found that DEAC would hemilabily complex with the catalyst and weaken the bonds between V centers and SiO2, though the overall steric hindrance is enhanced as well. It ensures the faster C2H4 insertion and even turns the inert V(IV) sites into active ones. Similar situation is seen when TEA is added. However, the ethyl in TEA has larger size than Cl in DEAC, and TEA also complexes with the V center more tightly, generating V‐diethyl‐(like) species, which have to experience energy costly reorganizations into the monoethyl configuration for insertion. Hence, the complexed TEA even slows the insertion kinetics down. Furthermore, the V‐diethyl‐(like) species are readily to undergo α‐H elimination, yielding inert V‐alkylidene for subsequent enchainment via the Green‐Rooney mechanism. We also investigated the effect of Al‐alkyls on V(III) site rigidly constrained by an adjacent silanol, finding the grafted DEAC and TEA, though have bigger size than the silanol, just loosely restrict the V center and liberate the sites poisoned by silanol.
Associations between early maladaptive schema domains of parents and their adult children: The role of defence styles
Authors: Karaarslan Cemre , Eldogan Dilay , Yigit Ibrahim
Published: February 2021

Although existing research recognized the associations between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) of parents and their adult children, the mechanisms that underpin these associations were not fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to explore the role of defence styles (DSs) on the associations between two EMS domains (Disconnection/Rejection and Impaired Autonomy) of parents and their adult children. Two hundred and fifteen families (i.e., mother, father, and their adult children) participated in the study. Both parents and their adult children were asked to complete Young Schema Questionnaire‐Short Form (YSQ‐SF) and Defence Style Questionnaire (DSQ) to assess their EMS domains and DSs. According to the results of the current study, there were significant associations between Disconnection/Rejection and Impaired Autonomy EMS domains of parents and their adult children, and these associations were mediated by only immature DS of parents and their adult children in a serial mediation model. These results contributed to our understanding of the associations between EMS domains of parents and their adult children through immature DSs. Moreover, our findings highlighted the importance of synthesizing the concepts of different theories to enhance our understanding of mental representations in families.
Enzymatic and biochemical alterations in relation to lignin deposition at different growth stages of tall fescue
Authors: Singh Siddhartha , Katoch Rajan , Sharma Neelam
Published: February 2021

Lignin is a phenolic biopolymer that limits the intake potential and energy availability of forage crops. In order to understand the lignification process, enzymatic and biochemical studies were conducted at four different growth stages of tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceaSchreb.). An increase in phenylalanine ammonia lyase and tyrosine ammonia lyase activity was observed with advancement of growth from first node palpable stage to third node palpable stage with a decrease at spikelet emergence stage. Cinnamoyl‐CoA reductase and peroxidase exhibited a continuous significant (p < .05) increase and positive correlation with lignin concentration. Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase exhibited a significant (p < .05) positive correlation with lignin concentration, suggesting its probable exclusive role in tall fescue lignification. Cellulose and total phenol exhibited a 13.0 and 71.8% increase, whereas pectin and crude protein exhibited a significant (p < .05,p = .0001) decrease of 65.1 and 15.4%, respectively, with the growth advancement from first node palpable to spikelet emergence stage. Klason lignin also exhibited a dramatic 9.4‐fold increase from vegetative to reproductive stage. The enzymatic and biochemical alterations were closely associated with the lignification process. This study provides an integrated picture of the enzymatic and biochemical alterations that accompany changes in lignin deposition in tall fescue.