bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetron Sputtered Thin Films Based on Transition Metal Nitride: Structure and Properties
Authors: Ghantasala Sri Bharani , Sharma Sumitra
Published: November 2022

Transition metal nitride (TMN) thin films exhibit outstanding physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, making them best suitable for a wide variety of applications. The most commonly used technique to produce metal nitride thin films with specific properties at optimum conditions is magnetron sputtering. Considering this, this review begins with advancements in the sputtering process from basic diode sputtering to the most commonly used pulsed magnetron sputtering. Further, the literature on several TMNs deposited via magnetron sputtering is summarized, referring to several articles that have been published during the last decades. The main emphasis lies on nitride‐based thin films’ structural, morphological, and mechanical aspects for various applications. In addition, the influence of reactive gas flow rate, substrate temperature, layer thickness, postannealing temperature, substrate bias voltage, protective layers, the sputtering technique adopted, etc. on the quality and performance of the thin films is also focused. The overall review work can be beneficial for the students and researchers in understanding the basic sputtering phenomenon with its advancements, the relationship between deposition parameters and surface properties, and to know the current research trend for exploring several research gaps in the literature.
Comparison of SiNx‐Based Surface Passivation Between Germanium and Silicon
Authors: Liu Hanchen , Pasanen Toni P. , Fung Tsun Hang , Isometsä Joonas , Leiviskä Oskari , Vähänissi Ville , Savin Hele
Published: November 2022

Germanium (Ge) has attracted much attention as a promising channel material in nanoscale metal–oxide–semiconductor devices and near‐infrared sensing because of its high carrier mobilities and narrow bandgap, respectively. However, efficient passivation of Ge surfaces has remained challenging. Herein, silicon nitride (SiNx)‐based passivation schemes on Ge surfaces are studied and the observations are compared to Si counterparts. These results show that instead of a high positive charge density (Qtot) that is found in SiNx‐passivated Si samples, similar Ge samples contain a high amount of negative Qtot (in the range of 1012 cm−2). The maximum surface recombination velocity of the samples is shown to reduce by a factor of three in both Si and Ge samples by a post‐deposition anneal at 400 °C. The SiNx‐coated samples are capped with an atomic‐layer‐deposited aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, which reduces the midgap interface defect density (Dit) after annealing to 7 × 1010 and 4 × 1011 cm−2 eV−1 in Si and Ge, respectively. Interestingly, while the Al2O3 capping seems to have no impact on Qtot of the Si samples, it turns the stack virtually neutral (∼−1.6 × 1011 cm−2) on Ge. The presented SiNx‐based passivation schemes are promising for optoelectronic devices, where a low Dit and/or a low charge are favored.
Contribution of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19): A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Jin Di , Wang Jing , Xue Jiaojiao , Zhao Yunyun , Yan Guanchi , Li Xiangyan , Wang Xiuge
Published: November 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has become a global epidemic, and there is no specific treatment for anti‐COVID‐19 drugs. However, treatment of COVID‐19 using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been widely practiced in China. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang and VIP databases were searched to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM in the treatment of COVID‐19. Twenty‐six studies were included in this meta‐analysis. The included cases were all patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 according to the “New Coronary Virus Pneumonia Diagnosis and Treatment Program,” with a total of 2,407 cases. Patients were treated with CHM, including 36 prescriptions, and 105 flavors of CHM were included. The results of the meta‐analysis showed that the CHM group improved in lung CT, clinical cure rate, clinical symptom score and time to negative for viral nucleic acid. However, this study still has many limitations due to the limited number of included studies. Therefore, high‐quality RCT studies are needed to provide more reliable evidence for CHM treatment of COVID‐19. In conclusion, CHM may significantly improve the clinical manifestations and laboratory indicators of patients with COVID‐19. In addition, no serious adverse reactions were found after CHM treatment. Therefore, CHM may be used as a potential candidate for COVID‐19.

Highlights

COVID‐19 has become a global epidemic, and there is no specific treatment for anti‐COVID‐19 drugs.

CHM has made a new breakthrough in the treatment of COVID‐19.

CHM may relieve lung CT images of COVID‐19 patients.

CHM may improve clinical symptoms of COVID‐19 patients.

CHM may inhibit the expression of inflammatory factors in patients with COVID‐19.
Molecular stacking pattern effects in heterojunction of D18:Y6 organic solar cell
Authors: Zhao Miao , Zhang Cai‐Rong , Zhang Mei‐Ling , Liu Xiao‐Meng , Gong Ji‐Jun , Liu Zi‐Jiang , Chen Yu‐Hong , Chen Hong‐Shan
Published: November 2022

Molecular stacking modes that determine morphology of bulk‐heterojunctions are important because of their effects on photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells (OSCs). Here, in order to investigate how molecular stacking pattern in OSCs heterojunction impact on electronic structures and properties, and then influence photovoltaic performance, this work selected D18:Y6 OSC as a representative system. On the basis of semi‐empirical quantum chemistry and density functional theory calculations, we studied the geometries, electronic structures and excitation properties, as well as electron and hole couplings of D18 and Y6 molecules, Y6 dimers, D18/Y6 and D18/Y6‐dimer complexes which are heterojunction interface models. The results indicate that the molecular stacking effects on open‐circuit voltage (VOC) can be attributed to the influences on charge transfer (CT) excitation energies because molecular stacking modes at donor/acceptor heterojunction interface can significantly change excitation energies. Furthermore, the molecular stacking modes can cause drastically different electron and hole couplings, and then affect charge transfer/transport rates. Hence, the molecular stacking effects on short‐circuit current density (JSC) can be understood from the effects on electron and hole couplings. The molecular stacking modes that are favorable to improving VOC and JSC of D18:Y6 OSC were also discussed.
1,4‐Naphthoquinone Analogs and Their Application as Antibacterial Agents
Authors: Wang Weiding , Chang Cheng‐Wei Tom , Zhang Qian
Published: November 2022

Antimicrobial resistance threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever‐increasing range of infections caused by different types of bacteria. Addressing antibacterial resistance and protecting human health requires multi‐sectoral, long‐acting, and professional administration. Sustainable investment in the R&D of antimicrobial drugs is one of the critical strategies for solving the current problem. Specifically, the development of novel effective drug candidates with a unique mode of action is essential for overcoming antibacterial resistance. 1,4‐Naphthoquinone is a quinone derivative from naphthalene, one of the most important subclasses of quinone. 1,4‐Naphthoquinones have been studied as potential candidates against various diseases, including cancer and malaria, and are a promising new compound that can treat bacterial infections. This review focuses on 1,4‐naphthoquinone analogs for their activity against bacteria.
Water Quenched and Acceptor‐Doped Textured Piezoelectric Ceramics for Off‐Resonance and On‐Resonance Devices
Authors: Leng Haoyang , Wang Yu U. , Yan Yongke , Karan Sumanta Kumar , Wang Ke , Li Xiaotian , Fanton Mark , Fox Joshua J. , Priya Shashank
Published: November 2022

Piezoelectric materials should simultaneously possess the soft properties (high piezoelectric coefficient, d33; high voltage coefficient, g33; high electromechanical coupling factor, k) and hard properties (high mechanical quality factor, Qm; low dielectric loss, tan δ) along with wide operation temperature (e.g., high rhombohedral–tetragonal phase transition temperature Tr–t) for covering off‐resonance (figure of merit (FOM), d33 × g33) and on‐resonance (FOM, Qm × k2) applications. However, achieving hard and soft piezoelectric properties simultaneously along with high transition temperature is quite challenging since these properties are inversely related to each other. Here, through a synergistic design strategy of combining composition/phase selection, crystallographic texturing, defect engineering, and water quenching technique, <001> textured 2 mol% MnO2 doped 0.19PIN‐0.445PSN‐0.365PT ceramics exhibiting giant FOM values of Qm × (227–261) along with high d33 × g33 (28–35 × 10−12 m2 N−1), low tan δ (0.3–0.39%) and high Tr–t of 140–190 °C, which is far beyond the performance of the state‐of‐the‐art piezoelectric materials, are fabricated. Further, a novel water quenching (WQ) room temperature poling technique, which results in enhanced piezoelectricity of textured MnO2 doped PIN‐PSN‐PT ceramics, is reported. Based upon the experiments and phase‐field modeling, the enhanced piezoelectricity is explained in terms of the quenching‐induced rhombohedral phase formation. These findings will have tremendous impact on development of high performance off‐resonance and on‐resonance piezoelectric devices with high stability.
Enabling Donor: Acceptor Bicontinuous Networks via Short Contacts in Double‐Cable Polymers with Pendant Rylene Diimides
Authors: Zheng Wenyu , Han Guangchao , Yi Yuanping
Published: November 2022

Double‐cable polymers (DCPs) with donors and acceptors in the same molecular matrix exhibit excellent stability and have great potential in the practical application of organic solar cells (OSCs). However, such chemical structures of DCPs make the morphology and charge transport very complicated. Here, the packing structures and charge transport channels are revealed for the DCPs with pendant acceptors of rylene diimides. Because of strong π–π overlap, the number of neighboring acceptors is limited and the acceptors cannot form a percolation network for electron transport. Importantly, introducing twisted dimeric rylene diimides can significantly increase the number of neighbors and connectivity for the acceptors via short contacts. Moreover, donor:acceptor bicontinuous networks can be achieved by tuning the dimerization ratio. This opens an avenue toward independent, efficient hole, and electron transport for efficient DCP‐based OSCs.
18.66% Efficiency of Polymer Solar Cells Employing Two Nonfullerene Acceptors with Fluorine or Chlorine Substitution
Authors: Zhang Shuping , Ma Xiaoling , Niu Lianbin , Jeong Sang Young , Woo Han Young , Zhou Zhengji , Zhang Fujun
Published: November 2022

Organic semiconducting materials with fluorine or chlorine substitution are commonly designed to prepare efficient polymer solar cells (PSCs) through finely modulating the energy levels and absorption spectra. Herein, two small molecular acceptors with fluorine substitution L8‐BO or chlorine substitution eC9‐2Cl are selected to prepare ternary PSCs with PM6 as polymer donor. The optimal ternary PSCs exhibit a power conversion efficiency of 18.66%, benefiting from the simultaneously increased open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 0.89 V, short‐circuit current density (JSC) of 26.63 mA cm−2, and fill factor of 78.74% when the content of chlorine substitution eC9‐2Cl is about 20 wt% in acceptors. Fluorinated and chlorinated substitutions can improve the VOC or JSC of the corresponding binary PSCs, which can be recombined into efficient ternary PSCs through optimizing their content in acceptors. Chlorinated materials have special crystalline conditions due to the specific features of the chlorine atoms with large atomic radius and the empty 3d orbits compared to the corresponding fluorinated materials. Adding an appropriate amount of the chlorine substitution eC9‐2Cl further enhances the crystallization and intermolecular interaction of the ternary PSCs, which is beneficial for charge transport in the active layer and for device performance improvement.
Long‐Lived Second Near‐Infrared Luminescent Probes: An Emerging Role in Time‐Resolved Luminescence Bioimaging and Biosensing
Authors: Feng Ruibing , Li Guodong , Ko Chung-Nga , Zhang Zhang , Wan Jian-Bo , Zhang Qing-Wen
Published: November 2022

Luminescence bioimaging and biosensing in the second near‐infrared (NIR‐II) spectral window (1,000–1,700 nm wavelengths) is a newly emerging technique that is extensively used in fundamental research and clinical practice. Owing to its advantages, including deep tissue penetration and excellent temporal resolution, this technique has shown tremendous promise for target‐specific imaging and noninvasive monitoring. However, developing bioimaging modalities that enable target‐specific imaging with high resolution and sensitivity remains a great challenge today. Compared with NIR‐II fluorescence imaging, NIR‐II luminescence lifetime imaging with advantages such as lower background noises, higher sensitivity, and higher spatial resolution has opened up new avenues for deep tissue imaging and biomedical applications. Herein, various types of long‐lived NIR‐II luminescent probes, including complex dyes, rare‐earth‐doped nanoparticles, organic compound‐loaded nanoparticles, inorganic‐based dots and nanotubes, as well as the main types of time‐resolved luminescence techniques including time‐domain (e.g., time‐correlated single‐photon counting, time‐gated detection, pulse sampling, etc.) and frequency‐domain systems are first summarized. The unique advantages of long‐lived NIR‐II luminescent probes and their critical roles in bioimaging and biosensing are also highlighted. Finally, the present challenges and future directions of long‐lived NIR‐II luminescent probes in biomedical research, translational research, and (pre‐)clinical studies are discussed.
Big milestones in the study of steel corrosion in concrete
Authors: Bolzoni Fabio , Ormellese Marco , Pedeferri Mariapia , Proverbio Edoardo
Published: November 2022

Rebar corrosion in concrete has been neglected for a long time in the scientific and technical literature, as reinforced concrete was considered an “eternal” material. Only during the 60s, and more during the 70s and the 80s, several research groups and many corrosion schools gave important contributions. An important impact was also achieved by Italian researchers thanks to the Universities of Roma, Napoli, Ancona, Ferrara, Bergamo, and Politecnico di Milano, where professor Pietro Pedeferri and his school contributed to the study of stainless steel reinforcement, corrosion inhibitors, service life modeling, cathodic protection and cathodic prevention, the latter proposed by Pedeferri in the early 90s. The paper is dedicated to the memory of Pietro Pedeferri (1938–2008) and Luca Bertolini (1966–2017).
Benders‐Decomposition‐Based Voltage‐Stability‐Constrained Unit‐Commitment Taking Reactive Power Limit into Account
Authors: Omi Shota , Shirai Yasuyuki
Published: November 2022

To determine economic‐efficient and secure generation schedules, unit commitment (UC) with network and stability constraints will play an important role in the electricity market. We define a voltage‐stability‐constrained unit commitment problem taking reactive power limit into account (VSCUC‐QLIM) since the decreasing of synchronous generators may threat the voltage stability of electricity systems. This VSCUC‐QLIM problem is modeled as a mixed‐integer nonlinear programming with equilibrium constraints, which is too complex to be solved directly. Therefore, we apply Benders decomposition to solve this complex problem: the master problem consists of the UC problem to determine the commitment states for generators, and the subproblem consists of the voltage‐stability‐constrained optimal power flow with complementarity constraints problem. However, the subproblem calculation may not converge depending on the commitment states due to the following reasons: (i) any power‐flow solution cannot be obtained or (ii) the voltage stability requirement cannot be satisfied on the commitment state given by the master problem. To deal with these difficulties, two partial problems of the subproblem are added as a pre‐subproblem and post‐subproblem in the proposed method. The combination of these subproblems generate different types of Benders cut depending on the condition. The proposed method was implemented on MATPOWER, and evaluated for daily scheduling on an IEEE six‐bus test system and IEEJ standard WEST10 system. The evaluation results validated the effectiveness of the proposed method from the perspective of economic efficiency and voltage stability. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
A Study on Thickness Estimation of Human Soft Tissue in a Sitting Position Using a Pressure Mapping System
Authors: Murakami Chisato , Kaneda Yasuaki , Nagata Kohki , Ohara Mamoru , Takahashi Makoto
Published: November 2022

To predict the risk of pressure injuries in home‐care, it is important to quantify deformation of internal tissue. However, it is difficult for users in home‐care to use conventional modalities such as MRI because the modalities are expensive and not portable for the trunk. Therefore, we have developed a deformation estimation method in a sitting position with the use of machine learning and a low‐cost portable pressure mapping system. We defined the deformation as estimated soft tissue thickness values on each cell of pressure distribution. The thickness on a cell was estimated from measured pressure distribution and no‐load thickness. A no‐load thickness was prepared before estimation using a model. In this article, the estimation method was applied to two single‐layered phantoms which were constructed from wood as an ischial tuberosity and two gels as muscle and fat. The estimation errors were only 1.03% and 2.56% in the muscle and fat phantoms, respectively. We confirmed the estimation errors were adequately small values. © 2022 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Partnership Models for R &D in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Iazzolino Gianpaolo , Bozzo Rita
Published: November 2022

Over the last decades the complexity of R &D processes in the pharmaceutical industry have resulted in a decline in the efficiency of those processes. Despite financial resources used in R &D have increased over time the number of drugs developed has remained almost constant. The phenomenon is known as “Eroom’s Law”. In order to start growing R &D efficiency again, the business models of companies were reviewed by mainly implementing open innovation models that can simplify and shorten the drug development process. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly outsourcing activities from the external environment. The R &D tasks that firms choose to outsource include a wide spectrum of activities from basic research to late-stage development: genetic engineering, target validation, assay development, hit exploration and lead optimization (hit candidates-as-a-service), safety and efficacy tests in animal models, and clinical trials involving humans. Terms such as crowdsourcing, innovation centers, R &D collaboration, and open source are becoming more and more common in the sector. Almost all the Big Pharma are striving to create collaborative networks that might allow them to be more efficient. Pharmaceutical companies are called upon to make a “make or buy” decision to determine whether it is more convenient to outsource these activities rather than exploiting internal resources for generating innovation. In a global context in which the stochastic view has become more suitable for interpreting phenomena the aim of this kind of decision is mainly related to decrease uncertainty. The aim of the chapter is to explore this topic by also providing data and examples.
Compressible Navier–Stokes Equations with Potential Temperature Transport: Stability of the Strong Solution and Numerical Error Estimates
Authors: Lukáčová-Medvid’ová Mária , Schömer Andreas
Published: November 2022

We present a dissipative measure-valued (DMV)-strong uniqueness result for the compressible Navier–Stokes system with potential temperature transport. We show that strong solutions are stable in the class of DMV solutions. More precisely, we prove that a DMV solution coincides with a strong solution emanating from the same initial data as long as the strong solution exists. As an application of the DMV-strong uniqueness principle we derive a priori error estimates for a mixed finite element-finite volume method. The numerical solutions are computed on polyhedral domains that approximate a sufficiently a smooth bounded domain, where the exact solution exists.
Machining GLARE fibre metal laminates: a comparative study on drilling effect between conventional and ultrasonic-assisted drilling
Authors: Giasin Khaled , Atif Muhammad , Ma Yuan , Jiang Chulin , Koklu Ugur , Sinke Jos
Published: November 2022

GLARE laminates are multi-layered metal-composite materials created from bonding sheets of metallic alloys with carbon or glass fibre layers. The application of hybrid-conventional machining processes such as ultrasonic-assisted drilling (UAD) is becoming of great interest to the aerospace industry due to its capability in reducing the cutting forces and tool wear which are directly responsible for drilling-induced delamination. There is rich literature on the conventional drilling (CD) of GLARE, but no work reported using UAD process. This study will fill this gap and investigate the UAD of GLARE laminates using an indigenously developed UAD system. The influence of spindle speed and feed rate on thrust force and surface roughness metrics (Ra and Rz) were investigated under CD and UAD regimes. The quality of the borehole and damage mechanisms in the laminate constituents was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The contribution of the drilling parameters on the measured outputs was further evaluated using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical analysis. It was found that UAD resulted in a significant reduction in thrust force by up to 65% while surface roughness metrics Ra and Rz were unaffected by the type of drilling process used. SEM analysis showed irregular and fuzzier surfaces in glass fibre layers in holes machined using UAD due to the longitudinal vibration of the tool.
Goal-oriented adaptive finite element methods with optimal computational complexity
Authors: Becker Roland , Gantner Gregor , Innerberger Michael , Praetorius Dirk
Published: November 2022

We consider a linear symmetric and elliptic PDE and a linear goal functional. We design and analyze a goal-oriented adaptive finite element method, which steers the adaptive mesh-refinement as well as the approximate solution of the arising linear systems by means of a contractive iterative solver like the optimally preconditioned conjugate gradient method or geometric multigrid. We prove linear convergence of the proposed adaptive algorithm with optimal algebraic rates. Unlike prior work, we do not only consider rates with respect to the number of degrees of freedom but even prove optimal complexity, i.e., optimal convergence rates with respect to the total computational cost.
Gelatinous cephalopods as important prey for a deep-sea fish predator
Authors: Chen Rachel S. , Portner Elan J. , Choy C. Anela
Published: November 2022

We quantified cephalopods consumed by longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox, n = 1267 stomachs containing cephalopod remains) from 2009 to 2018 in the central North Pacific Ocean (between 0–35° N and 135–175° W). When cephalopods identified from beak remains in the stomach contents were included in diet analyses, clear increases in the abundance of gelatinous taxa and the inferred foraging depths of lancetfish were evident. Ontogeny in cephalopod consumption was evident for lancetfish, corroborating past diet studies. Small lancetfish (fork length < 97 cm) fed on smaller, muscular cephalopods from shallow habitats (0–500 m, e.g., Ommastrephidae, Onychoteuthidae), while large lancetfish (fork length ≥ 97 cm) consumed larger, gelatinous cephalopods from deeper waters (depths greater than 500 m, e.g., Amphitretidae, Cranchiidae). Cephalopod beaks were more abundant in the diets of large lancetfish, representing 37.8% of identified cephalopods, numerically. Although beaks likely remain in stomachs longer than soft tissues, they did not simply accumulate with increasing predator size. Cephalopods identified from beaks were also significantly larger than those identified from soft tissues. Despite having low average energy densities, large gelatinous cephalopods are important prey for lancetfish in deep habitats, with energetic values that are comparable to smaller, more muscular cephalopods (95.3 ± 125.8 kJ and 120.2 ± 169.4 kJ, respectively). Holistic consideration of cephalopod beaks in diet analyses will help to elucidate predator foraging behaviors and the trophic and ecological roles of gelatinous cephalopods in deep pelagic food webs.
Elevated Urbanization-Driven Plant Accumulation of Metal(loid)s Including Arsenic Species and Assessment of the Kłodnica River Sediment Contamination
Authors: Jabłońska-Czapla Magdalena , Grygoyć Katarzyna
Published: November 2022

The impact of water and bottom sediment pollution of a river subjected to a strong industrial anthropogenic pressure of metal(loid) (including arsenic and its species) accumulation in riverbank plants such as Solidago virgaurea L., Phragmites L. and Urtica dioica L. was investigated. The high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) technique was used to study organic and inorganic arsenic species in selected plants and their response to heavy metal and arsenic contamination. The modified BCR extraction results showed that arsenic was mainly bound to the mobile reducible and organic-sulfide fractions in the Kłodnica River bottom sediments. Research has shown that the bottom sediments of the Kłodnica River are contaminated with metals, including Pb, Zn, Ni, As, and among arsenic species, the As(V) form dominated quantitatively, with its highest concentration being 49.3 mg kg−1 and the organic species occurred extremely rarely. The highest concentration of arsenic, among the tested plants, occurred in Phragmites communis L. The evaluation of the bottom sediment pollution was performed using Sb/As factor, geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI). The ability of the plant to assimilate metals from the substrate was studied by calculation of the bioaccumulation factor (BAF). Values of the Igeo change in a wide range from class 1 (uncontaminated to moderately polluted for Cu and Zn) at the first sampling point, to 5 (highly to extremely polluted for Ba and Fe) at the K4 sampling point. The Igeo results show an increase in the contamination with elements toward the runoff of the Kłodnica River.
Expanded natural killer cells potentiate the antimyeloma activity of daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone in a myeloma xenograft model
Authors: Thangaraj Jaya Lakshmi , Jung Sung-Hoon , Vo Manh-Cuong , Chu Tan-Huy , Phan Minh-Trang Thi , Lee Kyung-Hwa , Ahn Seo-Yeon , Kim Mihee , Song Ga-Young , Ahn Jae-Sook , Yang Deok-Hwan , Kim Hyeoung-Joon , Cho Duck , Lee Je-Jung
Published: November 2022

The development of new treatment agents in recent decades has significantly improved the survival of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Nonetheless, MM remains an incurable disease; therefore, novel combination therapies are required. Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the safest immunotherapeutic options. In this study, we found that the anti-myeloma activity of expanded NK cells (eNKs) was improved by daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (DRd) in an MM xenograft mouse model. NK cells expanded from peripheral blood mononuclear cells collected from MM patients were highly cytotoxic against DRd pretreated tumor cells in vitro. To mimic the clinical protocol, a human MM xenograft model was developed using human RPMI8226-RFP-FLuc cells in NOD/SCID IL-2Rγnull (NSG) mice. MM bearing mice were randomly divided into six groups: no treatment, eNK, Rd, Rd + eNKs, DRd, and DRd + eNKs. DRd significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of eNKs by upregulating NK cell activation ligands and effector function. DRd in combination with eNKs significantly reduced the serum M-protein level and prolonged mouse survival. In addition, DRd significantly increased the persistence of eNK and homing to MM sites. These results show that the anti-myeloma activity of ex vivo-expanded and activated NK cells is augmented by the immunomodulatory effect of DRd in MM-bearing mice, suggesting the therapeutic potential of this combination for MM patients.
Effects of Thallium fluoride substitution on the flux pinning energies of (Cu0.5, Tl0.5)Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ superconductors
Authors: Hassan M. S. , Khalaf A. , Kamar A. , Awad R. , Matar M.
Published: November 2022

In the present work, the magnetoresistance behavior of (TlF)x-substituted (Cu0.5,Tl0.5)Ba2Ca2Cu3O10−δ superconducting samples, with x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4, was investigated. According to the thermally activated flux creep (TAFC) model, the flux pinning energies U(H, T) were calculated from the resistivity temperature (ρ–T) curves at applied DC magnetic fields ranging from 0.29 to 4.44 kOe. The results indicated that flux pinning energy was increased with increasing the F-substituting up to x = 0.1 and then decreased with increasing the applied field up to 4.44 kOe. Moreover, significant resistive broadening (ΔT) was observed with increasing the values of the applied magnetic fields. Furthermore, the (TlF)x substitution, boosting the transport critical current density Jc(0) and irreversibility magnetic field Hirr(0) up to x = 0.1 and then decreasing for x > 0.1 at various applied magnetic fields, demonstrates strong flux pinning for x = 0.1.
Von der Extrasystole zur anhaltenden Kammertachykardie
Authors: Könemann Hilke , Eckardt Lars
Published: November 2022

Die aktuelle Leitlinie der europäischen Gesellschaft für Kardiologie 2022 zum Management von Patienten mit ventrikulären Arrhythmien und zur Prävention des plötzlichen Herztods aktualisiert die Leitlinie aus dem Jahr 2015. Mit zahlreichen Übersichtstabellen, Algorithmen und einer umfangreichen Einbeziehung der zugrundeliegenden Studiendaten liegt ein anwenderbezogenes Nachschlagewerk für die klinische Praxis vor, das auch besondere klinische Situationen wie Herzrhythmusstörungen in der Schwangerschaft oder im Zusammenhang mit Sport umfasst. In der Akuttherapie ventrikulärer Arrhythmien ist die Kardioversion auch bei hämodynamisch tolerierter Arrhythmie aufgewertet, zudem liegt ein besonderer Schwerpunkt der Leitlinie auf dem Management des elektrischen Sturms. In der Langzeittherapie sind die Empfehlungen zur medikamentösen Therapie an aktuelle Herzinsuffizienzleitlinien angeglichen. Katheterinterventionelle Verfahren gewinnen nicht nur bei rezidivierenden ventrikulären Tachykardien unter Amiodarontherapie und als Alternative zur ICD-Implantation bei ausgewählten Patienten mit koronarer Herzerkrankung, sondern insbesondere bei der Behandlung idiopathischer ventrikulärer Extrasystolen und Tachykardien an Bedeutung. Die Risikostratifikation bzw. Kriterien zur primärprophylaktischen ICD-Implantation sind unverändert kontroverse Themen, die in der aktuellen Leitlinie anhand der spezifischen Krankheitsbilder ausführlich diskutiert werden.
Male aggressiveness during the female fertile phase in relation to extra-pair paternity, plumage ornaments and female traits
Authors: Beccardi Matteo , Plaza Mireia , Moreno Juan , Cantarero Alejandro
Published: November 2022

In many bird species, physical aggression between males become more frequent during the female’s fertile period, as female encounters with extra-pair males are more frequent and can entail paternity losses. Male aggressiveness during this stage has been proposed as crucial for ensuring male reproductive success. Thus, plumage ornaments could represent honest signals of individual quality that could reflect the aggressiveness of paired territorial males. Furthermore, male aggressiveness could be related to mate quality or defensive capacity. We quantified extra-pair paternity in the broods and investigated the association of male and female traits with the aggressive behaviour of territorial paired males in a Spanish population of Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca), where territorial intrusions were simulated during the female fertile period by placing a taxidermic male mount close to the nest. We predicted that (1) more aggressive males should better protect their mates from intruding males and thereby reduce their paternity losses, (2) males with larger white patches and higher UV reflectance of wing patches should respond more strongly to intrusions, and (3) that males should be more aggressive when mated with higher quality females. We found evidence that males that responded less intensely to a territorial intrusion suffered a higher paternity loss, which offers strong support to the basic tenet of the theory of territoriality as paternity defence. Moreover, both the level of male aggressiveness and control of the territory increased with male UV reflectance of wing patches. Finally, we found, contrary to our prediction, that males were less aggressive when mated with more ornamented females.
Rectangular eigenvalue problems
Authors: Hashemi Behnam , Nakatsukasa Yuji , Trefethen Lloyd N.
Published: November 2022

Often the easiest way to discretize an ordinary or partial differential equation is by a rectangular numerical method, in which n basis functions are sampled at m ≫ n collocation points. We show how eigenvalue problems can be solved in this setting by QR reduction to square matrix generalized eigenvalue problems. The method applies equally in the limit “$m=\infty $
m
=
∞
” of eigenvalue problems for quasimatrices. Numerical examples are presented as well as pointers to related literature.
A survey on physarum polycephalum intelligent foraging behaviour and bio-inspired applications
Authors: Awad Abubakr , Pang Wei , Lusseau David , Coghill George M.
Published: November 2022

In recent years, research on Physarum polycephalum has become more popular after Nakagaki (AIR 407: 6803-470, 2000) performed their famous experiment showing that Physarum was able to find the shortest route through a maze. Subsequent researches have confirmed the ability of Physarum-inspired algorithms to solve a wide range of real-world applications. In contrast to previous reviews that either focus on biological aspects or bio-inspired applications, here we present a comprehensive review that highlights recent Physarum polycephalum biological aspects, mathematical models, and Physarum bio-inspired algorithms and their applications. The novelty of this review stems from our exploration of Physarum intelligent behaviour in competition settings. Further, we have presented our new model to simulate Physarum in competition, where multiple Physarum interact with each other and with their environments. The bio-inspired Physarum in competition algorithms proved to have great potentials for future research.
Sustained release system of paclitaxel based on composite nanofibers for inhibiting renal clear cell carcinoma
Authors: Cai Zhiduan , Zhuang Haoquan , Li Xiezhao , Liang Siyang , Luo Wenjun , Yuan Yaoji , Xu Yuyu , Jin Lin , Xu Guibin
Published: November 2022

The recurrence and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma aresevere challenges in clinical treatment. At present, it is urgent to find a strategy to solve this problem and improve the therapeutic effect. In this study, we designed a programmed release system of anticancer drugs by preparing a nanofiber system with two kinds of diameters and biomaterials (polylactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA) and silk protein) as drug carriers (paclitaxel), which inspired the occurrence and pathological microenvironment of renal cell carcinoma. The controlled degradation of PLGA nanofibers as a drug carrier achieved the short-term release of paclitaxel, which could rapidly inhibit the spread and metastasis of renal cancer, while the silk protein nanofibers as a drug carrier with slow degradation could provide the long time and continuous release of paclitaxel to prevent the proliferation of renal cancer cells and inhibit recurrence. The synergistic effect of the sustained release system of paclitaxel successfully achieved inhibition of the recurrence and metastasis of renal cell carcinoma and improve the therapeutic effect of renal cell carcinoma. The paclitaxel release profile showed that the PLGA nanofiber drug system provided controlled release of paclitaxel in the first 14 days, while the silk protein nanofiber system provided a relatively stable and long-duration release of paclitaxel (1 month). In vitro experiments showed that the sustained release system of paclitaxel had a lasting inhibitory effect on the proliferation of renal clear cell carcinoma cells. These results indicated that the sustained release system of paclitaxel could be used as a promising drug delivery system with highly efficient implementations to reduce the frequency of systemic administration and inhibit tumor growth and recurrence, which could provide a new strategy for the clinical applications in renal cell carcinoma microenvironment.
Science of the Van Allen Probes Science Operations Centers
Authors: Manweiler Jerry W. , Breneman Aaron , Niehof Jonathan , Larsen Brian , Romeo Giuseppe , Stephens Grant , Halford Alexa , Kletzing Craig , Brown Lawrence E. , Spence Harlan , Reeves Geoff , Friedel Reiner , Smith Sonya , Skoug Ruth , Blake Bern , Baker Dan , Kanekal Shri , Hoxie Vaughn , Jaynes Allison , Wygant John , Bonnell John , Crawford Danielle , Gkioulidou Matina , Lanzerotti Louis J. , Mitchell Donald G. , Gerrard Andrew , Ukhorskiy Aleksandr , Sotirelis Thomas , Barnes Robin J. , Millan Robyn , Harris Blaine
Published: November 2022

The Van Allen Probes mission operations materialized through a distributed model in which operational responsibility was divided between the Mission Operations Center (MOC) and separate instrument specific SOCs. The sole MOC handled all aspects of telemetering and receiving tasks as well as certain scientifically relevant ancillary tasks. Each instrument science team developed individual instrument specific SOCs proficient in unique capabilities in support of science data acquisition, data processing, instrument performance, and tools for the instrument team scientists. In parallel activities, project scientists took on the task of providing a significant modeling tool base usable by the instrument science teams and the larger scientific community. With a mission as complex as Van Allen Probes, scientific inquiry occurred due to constant and significant collaboration between the SOCs and in concert with the project science team. Planned cross-instrument coordinated observations resulted in critical discoveries during the seven-year mission. Instrument cross-calibration activities elucidated a more seamless set of data products. Specific topics include post-launch changes and enhancements to the SOCs, discussion of coordination activities between the SOCs, SOC specific analysis software, modeling software provided by the Van Allen Probes project, and a section on lessons learned. One of the most significant lessons learned was the importance of the original decision to implement individual team SOCs providing timely and well-documented instrument data for the NASA Van Allen Probes Mission scientists and the larger magnetospheric and radiation belt scientific community.
Scope of heuristics and digitalization: the case of marketing automation
Authors: Guercini Simone
Published: November 2022

This paper focuses on the impact of digitalization and marketing automation on the “scope” of the heuristics adopted in the marketers’ decision-making processes. The “scope” refers to the decision-making contexts in which the use of the heuristic rules is diffuse and is effective. More precisely, “scope" is (the extension of) the field in which a heuristic can be applied (successfully). The article is based on evidence collected through ethnographic interviews with twenty-three experienced marketers to discuss the impact of marketing automation on the scope of heuristic rules in decision-making. The marketers interviewed make extensive use of heuristics to manage their tasks as emerged from previous exploratory research. The paper discusses how the field of application of marketing experts' heuristics evolves as result of the digitalization and in particular of the use of automatic marketing systems. The adoption of the new automatic marketing tools modifies the task environment and the field of use of the traditional heuristic rules, but heuristics remain fundamental in the definition phase of the inputs for the automatic marketing systems, or for the interpretation of the output and therefore for the control of the marketing automation. The paper clarifies the concept of scope of heuristics and offers a rich description of the impact of marketing automation on scope.
Biochemical responses, feeding and survival in the solitary bee Osmia bicornis following exposure to an insecticide and a fungicide alone and in combination
Authors: Martins Cátia Ariana Henriques , Caliani Ilaria , D’Agostino Antonella , Di Noi Agata , Casini Silvia , Parrilli Martina , Azpiazu Celeste , Bosch Jordi , Sgolastra Fabio
Published: November 2022

In agricultural ecosystems, bees are exposed to combinations of pesticides that may have been applied at different times. For example, bees visiting a flowering crop may be chronically exposed to low concentrations of systemic insecticides applied before bloom and then to a pulse of fungicide, considered safe for bees, applied during bloom. In this study, we simulate this scenario under laboratory conditions with females of the solitary bee, Osmia bicornis L. We studied the effects of chronic exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide, Confidor® (imidacloprid) at a realistic concentration, and of a pulse (1 day) exposure of the fungicide Folicur® SE (tebuconazole) at field application rate. Syrup consumption, survival, and four biomarkers: acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carboxylesterase (CaE), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were evaluated at two different time points. An integrated biological response (IBRv2) index was elaborated with the biomarker results. The fungicide pulse had no impact on survival but temporarily reduced syrup consumption and increased the IBRv2 index, indicating potential molecular alterations. The neonicotinoid significantly reduced syrup consumption, survival, and the neurological activity of the enzymes. The co-exposure neonicotinoid-fungicide did not increase toxicity at the tested concentrations. AChE proved to be an efficient biomarker for the detection of early effects for both the insecticide and the fungicide. Our results highlight the importance of assessing individual and sub-individual endpoints to better understand pesticide effects on bees.
The Diabetes Health Plan and Healthcare Utilization Among Beneficiaries with Low Incomes
Authors: Narain Kimberly Danae Cauley , Turk Norman , Duru O. Kenrik , Moin Tannaz , Mangione Carol M.
Published: November 2022

Background

The socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in hospital and emergency room utilization among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is partially driven by cost-related non-adherence.

Objective

To test the impact of the Diabetes Health Plan (DHP), a diabetes-specific health plan incorporating value-based insurance design principles on healthcare utilization among low-income adults with T2DM.

Design

To examine the impact of the DHP on healthcare utilization, we employed a difference-in-differences (DID) study design with a propensity-matched comparison group. We modeled count and dichotomous outcomes using Poisson and logit models, respectively.

Participants

Cohort of adults (18–64) with T2DM, with an annual household income <$ 30,000, and who were continuously enrolled in an employer-sponsored UnitedHealthcare plan for at least 2 years between 2009 and 2014.

Interventions

The DHP reduces or eliminates out-of-pocket costs for disease management visits, diabetes-related medicines, and diabetes self-monitoring supplies. The DHP also provides access to diabetes-specific telephone case management as well as other online resources.

Main Measures

Number of disease management visits (N = 1732), any emergency room utilization (N = 1758), and any hospitalization (N = 1733), within the year.

Key Results

DID models predicting disease management visits suggested that DHP-exposed beneficiaries had 1.7 fewer in-person disease management visits per year (− 1.70 [95% CI: − 2.19, − 1.20], p < 0.001), on average, than comparison beneficiaries. Models for emergency room (0.00 [95% CI: − 0.06, 0.06], p = 0.966) and hospital utilization (− 0.03 [95% CI: − 0.08, − 0.01], p = 0.164) did not demonstrate statistically significant changes associated with DHP exposure.

Conclusions

While no relationship between DHP exposure and high-cost utilization was observed in the short term, fewer in-person disease management visits were observed. Future studies are needed to determine the clinical implications of these findings.
Capillary penetration for the development of a method for the assessment of shelf-life of foods
Authors: Georgiou D. , Kalogianni E. P. , Dimitreli G. , Ftouli E. , Parisi S.
Published: November 2022

Temperature sensitive foods require monitoring of their time–temperature history in order to assure their safety and high quality. The same holds for other perishable products such as medical and pharmaceutical. The best means to have information on the time–temperature history of a product is by having measurement of these variables along the whole product shelf-life. As an answer to this need several time–temperature indicators have been developed and commercialized for monitoring the quality of food products. In this work a full history time–temperature indicator (TTI) has been designed and developed based on capillary penetration of safe and low surface tension liquids in micro porous polyethylene porous media. For the development of the indicator the appropriate porous media and penetration liquids were selected and capillary penetration of the selected liquids took place at two different temperatures. Based on the results of the capillary penetration experiments the TTI was developed and a prototype was evaluated in a food product in order to assess its capability to be used in food packaging. The results showed that the TTI is simple in use and could provide a quantitative and easy-to-read response. Moreover, the response of the TTI could be calibrated by changing several design parameters, in order to match the quality deterioration kinetics of the specific food product to be monitored.