bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discussion club of the journal "Historical Informatics": discussion of the book "Information. Historical Companion"
Authors: Volodin Andrey
Published: May 2022

This article describes the continuation of the initiative of the editorial board of the journal "Historical Informatics" вЂ“ a discussion club in which researchers can make reviews of current publications related to the field of interests of historical informatics. The article considers the "main character" of the next online meeting of the discussion club - the collective monograph "Information. Historical Companion" ("Information. A Historical CompanionвЂќ). Recently, there has been an obvious interest in the interpretation of the concept of "information" in historiography, including in the historical context. Various dictionaries, anthologies and monographs on the "history of information" are becoming frequent novelties of leading international publishers. В  The authors of the book "Information. Historical Companion" call their work the first in which such issues are considered comprehensively and in detail, with an attempt to trace global changes in information practices and technologies, although such an optimistic author's self-assessment can be doubted. The main structural elements of the collective monograph-dictionary are considered. The approach chosen by the authors is analyzed in the context of current historiography and various, sometimes competing definitions of the concept of information. L.I.Borodkin, I.M.Garskova, Yu.Yu.Yumasheva, D.S.Voronkova took part in the discussion club meeting, A.Y.Volodin moderated the discussion.
Urban History in academic dissertation researches in Russia (1991-2021)
Authors: Bakanov Sergey Alekseevich , Khamitova Kamilya Alikovna
Published: May 2022

The database "Dissertations on Urban History" was created in order to study the trends in the development of Russian historiography in the field of historical urban studies in 1991-2021. The source of information for the database is the electronic catalog of academic researches (dissertations) of the Russian State Library, posted on the official website of the organization www.rsl.ru. More than 25 thousand dissertation researches were made during this period. 523 dissertations were selected by expert means, whose topics corresponded to the field of urban history. For further work, an electronic database was created, including 6 bibliographic and 7 analytical attributes. To analyze the database, an approach was applied based on calculating the frequency of occurrence of individual keywords characterizing each of the following attributes: author, title of the work, year, code of scientific specialty, academic degree, chronological period, territorial scope, scale of research optics, thematic direction. According to the results of the work carried out, it was possible to establish that despite some conjunctural similarities with the Western tradition, Russian authors are distinguished by increased attention to the historical period of the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries, academic research focus on the problems of social history.
GSK3 inhibition rescues growth and telomere dysfunction in dyskeratosis congenita iPSC-derived type II alveolar epithelial cells
Authors: Fernandez Rafael Jesus , Gardner Zachary JG , Slovik Katherine J , Liberti Derek C , Estep Katrina N , Yang Wenli , Chen Qijun , Santini Garrett T , Perez Javier V , Root Sarah , Bhatia Ranvir , Tobias John W , Babu Apoorva , Morley Michael P , Frank David B , Morrisey Edward E , Lengner Christopher J , Johnson F Brad
Published: May 2022

Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by deficiencies in telomere maintenance leading to very short telomeres and the premature onset of certain age-related diseases, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF). PF is thought to derive from epithelial failure, particularly that of type II alveolar epithelial (AT2) cells, which are highly dependent on Wnt signaling during development and adult regeneration. We use human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived AT2 (iAT2) cells to model how short telomeres affect AT2 cells. Cultured DC mutant iAT2 cells accumulate shortened, uncapped telomeres and manifest defects in the growth of alveolospheres, hallmarks of senescence, and apparent defects in Wnt signaling. The GSK3 inhibitor, CHIR99021, which mimics the output of canonical Wnt signaling, enhances telomerase activity and rescues the defects. These findings support further investigation of Wnt agonists as potential therapies for DC-related pathologies.
Exploring the spatiotemporal changes in carbon storage under different development scenarios in Jiangsu Province, China
Authors: Zhang Xiaomian , Wang Jun , Yue Chunlei , Ma Shuai , Wang Liang-Jie
Published: May 2022

Carbon storage (CS) is closely linked to the global challenge of climate change. Land use/cover (LULC) change is the main factor driving changes in CS, and evaluating the impact of LULC changes on CS is important for carbon balance. Taking Jiangsu Province as an example, we used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs model to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in CS during 2000–2015. Then we coupled it with the patch-generating land use simulation model to simulate and predict LULC and CS in 2050 under four different development plans. The results showed that LULC change in Jiangsu Province was manifested mainly as transformation of cropland to construction land (3,485 km2) and cropland to water body (470 km2). The high value area for CS was concentrated mainly in forest land, water body and grassland, whereas the low value area was concentrated mainly in construction land. During 2000–2015, CS decreased by 0.23 Tg, and during 2015–2050, CS was predicted to decrease by 0.16, 1.69, 0.02, and 0.10 Tg under the baseline, fast, slow and harmonious development scenarios. The conversion of a large amount of cropland to construction land was the main cause of CS loss. In all scenarios, the carbon loss was the largest in southern Jiangsu and lowest in central Jiangsu. It is necessary to balance the conflict between economic development and ecological protection during the process of urbanization. This study can provide an important reference for decision makers during the formulation of regional development models and ecological management strategies.
Towards Automated Web Functional Testing Using Predefined Templates
Authors: Ștefan Iulia , Stan Ovidiu , Miclea Liviu
Published: May 2022

The paper describes the characteristics of a new experimental automated web testing approach and component that allows the users to test functionalities of a web-based software under test (SUT) using a succession of parametrizable predefined test templates. The parametrizable templates usage supports a minimal validation of a finalized work without automated testing skills development because these are provided by default. The independent web developers without the required resources to automatically test the functionality of their applications could successfully integrate solutions based on the presented approach into their practice. The tactic allows the configuration of the test cases with the specific values required by the desired SUT characteristics through a novel graphic-based policy for the definition of test cases.
The Evaluating of Teachers's ideas related to Values which take part in the texts of Turkish Coursebooks for the graders from 1st to 4th in Primary Schools (Bingol City Example)
Authors: KETENALP Bilal , BULUT İlhami
Published: May 2022

Karakter gelişimi açısından kritik öneme sahip olduğu düşünülen ilkokul yıllarında, belirli plan ve program dâhilinde bireylere verilecek olan değerler eğitimi, ideal bir toplum inşa etme açısından başat bir role sahiptir. Bu amaca
hizmet etmesi açısından Türkçe dersi son derece önemli olarak görülmektedir. Ders kitaplarının, bir dersin temel materyali olma gerçeğinden hareketle, içeriğinde bulunan edebi metinlerin çeşitli olması bireylere farklı değerlerin
kazandırılması için etkili bir araçtır. Dolayısıyla kitaplardaki okuma metinleri ve bu metinlere dayalı sorular aracılığıyla kazanımlara ulaşılmasını sağlayan etkinlikler, değerlerin kazandırılması bağlamında son derece öenmli
bir role sahiptir. Bu araştırma, ilkokul 1- 4. sınıf Türkçe ders kitaplarında yer alan okuma metinlerdeki değerlere ilişkin öğretmen görüşlerinin değerlendirmesine yöneliktir. Araştırma nitel bir çalışma olup olgubilim (fenımenoloji)
deseninde tasarlanmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu, Bingöl Merkezinde bulunan ilkokullarda, görev yapan ve kolay ulaşılabilinir örnekleme yöntemiyle belirlenen 70 gönüllü sınıf öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Araştırma verileri,
araştırmacı tarafından uzman görşlerine başvurularak hazırlanmış ve açık uçlu 5 sorudan oluşan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme görüşme formu aracılıyla toplanmıştır. Görüşmeler 2018-2019 eğitim öğretim yılının bahar yarıyılında (1
Mart- 24 Mayıs 2019) gerçekleştirilerek veriler toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizindenbetimsel ve içerik anlizi kullanılmıştır. Bu analizlerden elde edilen sonuçlara göre; tüm sınıf düzeylerindeki metinlerde yer alan değerlerin, öğrencilerin
yaşına ve sınıf seviyelerine uygun olduğu, Türkçe ders kitaplarında yer alan metinlerdeki değerlerin, anlaşılabilir ve kullanılabilir niteliklerde olduğu, değerlere yönelik hazırlanan etkinliklerin yeterli görülmediği, metinlerdeki
değerlerin kişilik haline getirilebilecek türden olduğu, Türkçe ders kitabında yer alan metinlerdeki değerlerin yeterli olmadığı, bu değerler dışında ilkokul yıllarında kazandırılması gereken başka değerlerin de olması gerektiği
sonuçlarına ulaşılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar alanyazınıdaki araştırmalarla birlikte tartışılmış, yorumlanmış ve önerilerde bulunulmuştur.
An Economic Analysis of Okra Marketing in Siddipet District of Telangana
Authors: Sai K. Sruthi , Baba Md. Ali , Kumari R. Vijaya
Published: May 2022

Aim: The present study aims to analyse the marketing pattern of okra in Siddipet district of Telangana state.

Study Design: Only primary data was used for carrying out the study and it pertained to the kharif season of the agricultural year 2019-20. 3 mandals were purposively selected from Siddipet district and from each mandal 2 villages were selected, thus making a total of 6 villages. From each village, 9 okra growers were randomly chosen to collect the primary data through personal interview. In addition, a sample of 7 wholesalers, 7 commission agents, 13 retailers were also chosen randomly for obtaining the data required for carrying out the present study.

Methodology: Marketing costs, margins, producer’s net price, producer’s share in consumer’s rupee, price spread and marketing efficiency were computed to analyze the data.

Results: Three channels were found for the marketing of the produce viz., Channel 1 (Producer – Consumer), Channel 2 (Producer – Retailer – Consumer) and Channel 3 (Producer – Commission agent – Wholesaler – Retailer – Consumer). Among the various identified channels, Channel 1 was found to be the efficient one with the highest marketing efficiency index of 21.22 followed by channel 2 and channel 3 with indices of 3.18 and 1.08 respectively.

Conclusion: Reduction in the number of market intermediaries between producer and consumer could improve the efficiency of marketing of okra.
Status of Genomic Research in Non-basmati Aromatic Joha Rice of Assam
Authors: Borah Nayanmoni , Sarma Ramendra Nath , Borah Vedant Vikrom , Behera Partha Pratim
Published: May 2022

Many natively adapted, aromatic, and high-quality rice landraces can be found in NE India. Among the different classes of cultivated rice varieties, Assam has a distinctive scented rice variety known locally as 'joha,' which is particularly popular among the region's farmers. The aroma of joha rice is also thought to differ markedly from that of basmati rice. Genotype stability can be established through genetic variation. Thus, new disease resistant joha rice varieties are necessary to meet both domestic and worldwide demand. There is a need for conservation of this traditional aromatic joha rice germplasm which could be used in the future breeding programme for multiple disease resistance and grain and aroma quality traits improvement. The recent advancements in marker and genomics assisted breeding coupled with high-throughput genotyping and phenotyping enable the discovery of novel alleles and gene targets for the implementation of sustainable rice cultivars with improved grain aroma quality.
Geospatial Assessment of Land Cover Dynamics in the Guinea Savannah Ecological Zone
Authors: Ideki O. , Weli V. E.
Published: May 2022

An attempt is made in this study to examine the geospatial analysis of land cover/ land use changes between 2000- 2016 in the North Central region including the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. Multispectral satellite images of Landsat 7 ETM and 8 OLI/TIRS of 2000, 2008 and 2016 with three land-use types were identified and analysed using Geographic Information System  ArcGIS 10.5 software. The land-use types are Urban representing the built-up area, Vegetation and water bodies. The area of each land use type per year was calculated and the result was used to compute land-use change and percentage change in square kilometres. The outcome of the analysis reveals that built-up area (Urban) land use increase from 10.64% in 2000 to 22.44% in 2008 and later 29.01% in 2016 while Vegetation reduced from 84.99% in 2000 to 73.24.% in  2008 and 62 .74% in 2016. In the same vein, water bodies which stood at 4.37% in 2000 reduced to 4.32% in 2008 before declining again in 2016 to 4.27% respectively. The results have  therefore highlighted the nexus between climate change and resource depletion and further provided valuable information for a robust assessment of the changes in vegetal resources of the study area over time. The study recommends sustainable forest resource management, vegetation monitoring and promulgation of vegetation control laws to improve the vegetation cover of the study area.
A Comparative Study in Hematological Parameters between First Wave Vs Second wave in ICU and non- ICU COVID-19 Patients in India
Authors: Chander U. Sunderesh Kamal , Vanishree M. , Sulochana Sonti , Yogalakshmi E.
Published: May 2022

Aim: This study aims to determine similarities and differences in haematological                            parameters between the patients from two waves of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection at the time of hospital admission and identify risk biomarkers of COVID19 severity.

Study Design: A retrospective study.

Place of Study: The study was carried out in Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Tamil Nadu, India.

Methodology: A total of 300 patients with COVID-19 infection, consisting of 150 patients from the first wave (April to June 2020) and 150 patients from the second wave (March to May, 20) were considered for this study. The hematological parameters of the patients were examined. Of the sample population from the first wave, 131 were admitted to the non-intensive care unit, and 19 were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Of the sample population selected from the second wave, 101 were admitted to the non-intensive care unit and 49 were admitted to the intensive care unit. Statistical analysis of the data for both waves was carried out, and relevant findings were presented.

Results: Haematological parameters data were compared between the COVID19 positive patients admitted to ICU and non- ICU across both infection waves. On gender distribution, males were more than females in both waves. Degree of freedom analyses revealed an association of hematological parameters with the subsequent illness progression and severity in both the waves.

Conclusion: Our study showed that the severity of the disease was more in the second wave, especially among ICU patients than in the first wave. The majority of the infected patients were males in both waves. However, the presence of comorbidities, immune response, the severity of the infection, and other risk factors determines the progression of the disease.
Electronically Conductive Hydrogels by in Situ Polymerization of a Water‐Soluble EDOT‐Derived Monomer
Authors: Nguyen Dan My , Wu Yuhang , Nolin Abigail , Lo Chun-Yuan , Guo Tianzheng , Dhong Charles , Martin David C. , Kayser Laure V.
Published: May 2022

Electronically conductive hydrogels have gained popularity in bioelectronic interfaces because their mechanical properties are similar to biological tissues, potentially preventing scaring in implanted electronics. Hydrogels have low elastic moduli, due to their high water content, which facilitates their integration with biological tissues. To achieve electronically conductive hydrogels, however, requires the integration of conducting polymers or nanoparticles. These “hard” components increase the elastic modulus of the hydrogel, removing their desirable compatibility with biological tissues, or lead to the heterogeneous distribution of the conductive material in the hydrogel scaffold. A general strategy to transform hydrogels into electronically conductive hydrogels without affecting the mechanical properties of the parent hydrogel is still lacking. Herein, a two‐step method is reported for imparting conductivity to a range of different hydrogels by in‐situ polymerization of a water‐soluble and neutral conducting polymer precursor: 3,4–ethylenedioxythiophene diethylene glycol (EDOT‐DEG). The resulting conductive hydrogels are homogenous, have conductivities around 0.3 S m−1, low impedance, and maintain an elastic modulus of 5–15 kPa, which is similar to the preformed hydrogel. The simple preparation and desirable properties of the conductive hydrogels are likely to lead to new materials and applications in tissue engineering, neural interfaces, biosensors, and electrostimulation.
Nanofiber Topographies Enhance Platelet‐Fibrinogen Scaffold Interactions
Authors: Kenny Martin , Stamboroski Stephani , Taher Reem , Brüggemann Dorothea , Schoen Ingmar
Published: May 2022

The initial contact with blood and its components, including plasma proteins and platelets, directs the body's response to foreign materials. Natural scaffolds of extracellular matrix or fibrin contain fibrils with nanoscale dimensions, but how platelets specifically respond to the topography and architecture of fibrous materials is still incompletely understood. Here, planar and nanofiber scaffolds are fabricated from native fibrinogen to characterize the morphology of adherent platelets and activation markers for phosphatidylserine exposure and α‐granule secretion by confocal fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Different fibrinogen topographies equally support the spreading and α‐granule secretion of washed platelets. In contrast, preincubation of the scaffolds with plasma diminishes platelet spreading on planar fibrinogen surfaces but not on nanofibers. The data show that the enhanced interactions of platelets with nanofibers result from a higher locally accessible surface area, effectively increasing the ligand density for integrin‐mediated responses. Overall, fibrinogen nanofibers direct platelets toward robust adhesion formation and α‐granule secretion while minimizing their procoagulant activity. Similar results on fibrinogen‐coated polydimethylsiloxane substrates with micrometer‐sized 3D features suggest that surface topography could be used more generally to steer blood‐materials interactions on different length scales for enhancing the initial wound healing steps.
High‐Performance Organic Solar Modules via Bilayer‐Merged‐Annealing Assisted Blade Coating
Authors: Fan Jing‐Yuan , Liu Zhi‐Xi , Rao Jack , Yan Kangrong , Chen Zeng , Ran Yixin , Yan Buyi , Yao Jizhong , Lu Guanghao , Zhu Haiming , Li Chang‐Zhi , Chen Hongzheng
Published: May 2022

Although encouraging progress is being made on spin‐coated prototype cells, organic solar cells (OSCs) still face significant challenges, yet to be explored, for upscaling the multi‐stacked photoactive layers in the construction of large‐area modules. Herein, high‐performance opaque and semitransparent organic solar modules are developed via a bilayer‐merged‐annealing (BMA)‐assisted blade‐coating strategy, achieving impressive efficiencies of 14.79% and 12.01% with respect to active area of 18.73 cm2, which represent the best organic solar minimodules so far. It is revealed that the BMA strategy effectively resolves the de‐wetting issues between polar charge transport layer solution and non‐polar bulk heterojunction blends, hence improving the film coverage, along with electronic and electric contacts of multi‐stacked photoactive layers. As result, organic solar modules coated under ambient conditions successfully retain the high‐efficiency of small‐area cells upon 312 times area scaling‐up. Overall, this work provides a facile and effective method to fabricate high‐performance organic solar modules under ambient conditions.
Coalescent‐based species delimitation in North American pinyon pines using low‐copy nuclear genes and plastomes
Authors: Montes José‐Rubén , Peláez Pablo , Moreno‐Letelier Alejandra , Gernandt David S.
Published: May 2022

Premise

Accurate species delimitation is essential for evolutionary biology, conservation, and biodiversity management. We studied species delimitation in North American pinyon pines,PinussubsectionCembroides,a natural group with high levels of incomplete lineage sorting.

Methods

We used coalescent‐based methods and multivariate analyses of low‐copy number nuclear genes and nearly complete high‐copy number plastomes generated with the Hyb‐Seq method. The three coalescent‐based species delimitation methods evaluated were the Generalized Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC), Poisson Tree Process (PTP), and Trinomial Distribution of Triplets (Tr2). We also measured admixture in populations with possible introgression.

Results

Our results show inconsistencies among GMYC, PTP, and Tr2. The single‐locus based GMYC analysis of plastid DNA recovered a higher number of species (up to 24 entities, including singleton lineages and clusters) than PTP and the multi‐locus coalescent approach. The PTP analysis identified 10 species whereas Tr2 recovered 13, which agreed closely with taxonomic treatments.

Conclusions

We found that PTP and GMYC identified species with low levels of ILS and high morphological divergence (P.maximartinezii,P.pinceana, andP.rzedowskii). However, GMYC method oversplit species by identification of more divergent samples as singletons. Moreover, both PTP and GMYC were incapable of identifying some species that are readily identified morphologically. We suggest that the divergence times between lineages within North American pinyon pines are so disparate that GMYC results are unreliable. Results of the Tr2 method coincided well with previous delimitations based on morphology, DNA, geography, and secondary chemistry.
A comparison of full model specification and backward elimination of potential confounders when estimating marginal and conditional causal effects on binary outcomes from observational data
Authors: Luijken Kim , Groenwold Rolf H. H. , van Smeden Maarten , Strohmaier Susanne , Heinze Georg
Published: May 2022

A common view in epidemiology is that automated confounder selection methods, such as backward elimination, should be avoided as they can lead to biased effect estimates and underestimation of their variance. Nevertheless, backward elimination remains regularly applied. We investigated if and under which conditions causal effect estimation in observational studies can improve by using backward elimination on a prespecified set of potential confounders. An expression was derived that quantifies how variable omission relates to bias and variance of effect estimators. Additionally, 3960 scenarios were defined and investigated by simulations comparing bias and mean squared error (MSE) of the conditional log odds ratio, log(cOR), and the marginal log risk ratio, log(mRR), between full models including all prespecified covariates and backward elimination of these covariates. Applying backward elimination resulted in a mean bias of 0.03 for log(cOR) and 0.02 for log(mRR), compared to 0.56 and 0.52 for log(cOR) and log(mRR), respectively, for a model without any covariate adjustment, and no bias for the full model. In less than 3% of the scenarios considered, the MSE of the log(cOR) or log(mRR) was slightly lower (max 3%) when backward elimination was used compared to the full model. When an initial set of potential confounders can be specified based on background knowledge, there is minimal added value of backward elimination. We advise not to use it and otherwise to provide ample arguments supporting its use.
Improving learning experiences in software engineering capstone courses using artificial intelligence virtual assistants
Authors: González Luis A. , Neyem Andrés , Contreras‐McKay Ignacio , Molina Danilo
Published: May 2022

Students of Software Engineering Capstone Courses face situations and challenges that grant them valuable experiences. However, as this knowledge is acquired through real‐life exposure, it is difficult to transmit it across different generations. To deal with this problem, it has been proposed that students record their learnings through a lesson learned model. But the question of how future students can best benefit from these records remains unanswered. This study addresses this problem through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Virtual Assistant combined with a recommender system. Artificial Intelligence Virtual Assistants, as conversational chatbots, are a manifestation of AI via the simulation of conversation with human users. The technology has the potential to provide personalized service to a range of stakeholders. Thus, we seek to move this trend forward by now pushing these capabilities into the field of higher education. Consequently, we aim to assist software engineering students by leveraging collective knowledge to enhance learning experiences.
Molecular and clinical characteristics of IDH mutations in Chinese NSCLC patients and potential treatment strategies
Authors: Chen Shuchen , Zhu Honglin , Jin Meizi , Yuan Hongling , Liu Zhenzhen , Li Jielin , Zhang Xiang , Meng Lihui , Li Ting , Diao Yuzhu , Gao Hong , Hong Chengyu , Zhu Xinjiang , Zheng Jian , Li Fei , Niu Yanling , Ma Tonghui , Li Xiaoling
Published: May 2022

Background

Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) is an appealing target for anticancer therapy, and IDH (IDH1/2) inhibitors have been approved for targeted therapy of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and Cholangiocarcinoma. The therapeutic potential of IDH inhibitors for non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is under active clinical investigation. Thus, it would be necessary and meaningful to study the molecular and clinical characteristics of IDH mutation in NSCLC patients, especially in the Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 17,978 Chinese patients with NSCLC who underwent next ‐generation sequencing (NGS) testing were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

We identified 161 unique IDH mutations in 361 of 17,978 patients (2.01%). Common active‐site mutations, including IDH1R100, IDH1R132, IDH2R140, and IDH2R172, were detected in 154 patients (0.86%) and were associated with male sex (p = 0.004) and older age (p = 0.02). The IDH mutation spectra observed in NSCLC were quite different from those in glioma or AML. Patients with IDH active‐site mutations exhibited significantly higher coalterations in KRAS (p. G12/13/61, 22.1% vs. 8.2%, p < 0.001) or BRAF (p. V600E, 6.5% vs. 1.0%, p < 0.001), but significantly lower coalterations in activating EGFR (e18–e20, 22.7 vs. 37.9%, p < 0.001) than IDH wild‐type patients. Furthermore, we found that active‐site IDH mutations were correlated with a short PFS (2–5.6 months) and short OS (2–9.5 months), which may arise as a resistance mechanism against common targeted drugs. In vitro, we experimentally observed that the combination of an IDH inhibitor and EGFR TKI could better inhibit lung cancer cell proliferation than an EGFR TKI alone.

Conclusions

Taken together, this study reveals the molecular and clinical characteristics of IDH mutations in Chinese NSCLC patients and provides a theoretical basis for IDH‐directed treatment. The potential of IDH mutations as response markers for targeted therapy warrants further investigation.
Installing Reduction Responsiveness into Biomolecules by Introducing Nitroaryl Groups
Authors: Higashi Sayuri L. , Shintani Yuki , Ikeda Masato
Published: May 2022

Artificially synthesized stimuli‐responsive biomolecules are attractive as molecular tools for monitoring and modulating biological systems. In biological systems, redox stimuli are common, and their dysregulation is typically linked to various abnormal or disease states. In this Concept article, the molecular design of reduction‐responsive biomolecules, such as peptides, nucleic acids, and saccharides, which are produced by introducing nitroaryl groups into them, is reviewed with a special emphasis on simple 4‐nitrobenzene‐based motifs.
Covalent functionalization of boron nitride nanotubes through photo‐initiated chemical vapour deposition
Authors: Torres‐Castillo Cristina S. , Tavares Jason R.
Published: May 2022

Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) are analogous nanostructures to carbon nanotubes (CNTs), possessing similar properties such as Young's modulus and thermal conductivity, but superior resistance to oxidation and thermal stability. In addition, BNNTs are insulating materials, whereas CNTs are electrically conductive. They could be used as reinforcements in polymeric matrices as heat dissipators or as protective coatings in harsh environments. However, when incorporating them into polymers, one main drawback is their tendency to agglomerate. To improve their dispersion, covalent surface modification can be applied, with solvent‐free approaches being preferred. Herein, we used syngas photo‐initiated chemical vapour deposition (PICVD) to incorporate oxygen functionalities on the surface of BNNT. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis showed a highly oxidized BNNT surface after treatment. In addition, a decrease in water contact angle and an increase in surface energy were observed for the treated material. These results open new possibilities to incorporate hydrophilic BNNTs surfaces into polar polymers or other matrices of interest.
Morphology‐Dependent Catalysis of CeO2‐Based Nanocrystal Model Catalysts
Authors: Wen Yang , Huang Qiuyu , Zhang Zhenhua , Huang Weixin
Published: May 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Recent progress in colloidal synthesis has realized the preparations of uniform nanocrystal (NC) model catalysts with rich and well‐controlled morphologies that were employed to explore structure‐activity relationships of powder catalysts, similar to single‐crystal‐based model catalysts under ultrahigh vacuum conditions but can work at the same conditions as powder catalysts without the “materials gap” and “pressure gap”. In this perspective, the CeO2‐based NC model catalysts with various morphologies are included and their relevant progresses are critically reviewed. The detailed descriptions of morphology‐controlled synthesis and characterizations of uniform CeO2 NCs, and morphology‐dependent catalysis of CeO2‐based NC model catalysts containing pure CeO2 NCs, CeO2‐supported oxide catalysts, and CeO2‐supported metal catalysts, provide us a comprehensive cognition in CeO2‐involved catalytic reactions and also open up a new approach for the fundamental studies of complex heterogeneous catalysis. Finally, a concept of oxide‐based NC model catalysts and outlook of oxide NCs acting not only as model catalysts for the fundamental study but also as the support in tailoring structures and optimizing performance of oxide‐involved catalysts are discussed.
Synthesis of Bimodal Distributed Cyclic Olefin Copolymers with Improved Tensile Properties
Authors: Wang Feng , Huang Dong , Gao Huan , Wang Fei , Pan Li , Li Yuesheng
Published: May 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Ethylene/norbornene(NBE) copolymers are the most representative and widely‐used cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs). Higher NBE content in COCs leads to higher transparency, glass transition temperature and mechanical strength, but also makes the COC more brittle and therefore hampers its end uses. In this study, to improve the brittleness of COCs while maintaining their high strength, heat‐resistant and transparency, bimodal distributed COCs have been prepared via two selective catalysts reactive blending in one pot. The shape of the molecular weight distribution curves of the obtained COCs could be easily controlled by adjusting the proportion of the two catalysts. These COCs maintained high glass transition temperature, balanced tensile performance, high transparency. Roles of the molecular weight and NBE incorporation in physical properties of the COC blends were studied. As we proved, the bimodal distribution COCs, which were composed of COC with high NBE incorporation, high molecular weight and COC with low NBE incorporation, low molecular weight, showed evident improvement in tensile properties (elongation at break up to 9.6%, tensile strength beyond 50.5 MPa), which were more flexible than the neat ethylene/NBE copolymer, while their glass transition temperatures were almost equally high (beyond 130°C).
Chlorinated Conjugated Polymer Based on Chlorine‐ and Cyano‐substituted (E)‐1,2‐Di(thiophen‐2‐yl)ethane for Ambipolar and n‐Type Organic Thin‐film Transistors
Authors: Zhang Yulong , Zhang Chan , Su Yunran , Dong Weijia , Li Yanru , Liu Zhongwei , Yao Xiang , Han Yang , Fei Zhuping
Published: May 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Chlorinated conjugated polymers are rarely reported in ambipolar and n‐type organic thin‐film transistors (OTFTs), mainly due to the lack of chlorinated strong electron‐deficient building blocks. Herein, we report three new chlorine (Cl)‐ and cyano (CN)‐ substituted (E)‐1,2‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)ethane building blocks and their copolymers P2Cl1CNTVT‐DPP, P4Cl1CNTVT‐DPP and P2Cl2CNTVT‐DPP. P2Cl1CNTVT‐DPP and P2Cl2CNTVT‐DPP had nearly planar backbone geometries, mixture of edge‐on and face‐on orientation and deeper energy levels, while P4Cl1CNTVT‐DPP had a twist backbone geometry, face‐on orientation and shallower energy levels. As a result, P2Cl1CNTVT‐DPP exhibited ambipolar characteristic with hole mobility (μh) of 0.70 cm2·V–1·s–1 and electron mobility (μe) of 0.84 cm2·V–1·s–1 and P2Cl2CNTVT‐DPP exhibited n‐type characteristic with μe of 0.64 cm2·V–1·s–1, while P4Cl1CNTVT‐DPP exhibited the lowest μe of 0.36 cm2·V–1·s–1. The devices based on P2Cl2CNTVT‐DPP exhibited good stability after being stored for 10 d in air. The results demonstrate that by rational molecular design, chlorinated polymers with low cost can be applied to high‐performance ambipolar and n‐type OTFTs.
Using a multi‐model ensemble approach to determine biodiversity hotspots with limited occurrence data in understudied areas: An example using freshwater mussels in México
Authors: Kiser Alexander H. , Cummings Kevin S. , Tiemann Jeremy S. , Smith Chase H. , Johnson Nathan A. , Lopez Roel R. , Randklev Charles R.
Published: May 2022

Species distribution models (SDMs) are an increasingly important tool for conservation particularly for difficult‐to‐study locations and with understudied fauna. Our aims were to (1) use SDMs and ensemble SDMs to predict the distribution of freshwater mussels in the Pánuco River Basin in Central México; (2) determine habitat factors shaping freshwater mussel occurrence; and (3) use predicted occupancy across a range of taxa to identify freshwater mussel biodiversity hotspots to guide conservation and management. In the Pánuco River Basin, we modeled the distributions of 11 freshwater mussel species using an ensemble approach, wherein multiple SDM methodologies were combined to create a single ensemble map of predicted occupancy. A total of 621 species‐specific observations at 87 sites were used to create species‐specific ensembles. These predictive species ensembles were then combined to create local diversity hotspot maps. Precipitation during the warmest quarter, elevation, and mean temperature were consistently the most important discriminatory environmental variables among species, whereas land use had limited influence across all taxa. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first freshwater mussel‐focused research to use an ensemble approach to determine species distribution and predict biodiversity hotspots. Our study can be used to guide not only current conservation efforts but also prioritize areas for future conservation and study.
Community dynamics of estuarine forage fishes are associated with a latitudinal basal resource regime
Authors: Peake Jonathan A. , MacDonald Timothy C. , Thompson Kevin A. , Stallings Christopher D.
Published: May 2022

Forage fishes are an important component of marine, estuarine, and aquatic food webs that facilitate the transfer of energy and nutrients from primary producers to upper trophic levels. Previous studies of forage fishes have focused primarily on pelagic planktivorous species in pelagic environments. However, benthically associated taxa can be just as important as planktivorous species, particularly in highly productive estuarine environments that provide critical habitat for many predators. In this study, we analyzed a 20‐year forage fish community composition and abundance dataset across four eastern Gulf of Mexico estuaries spanning a broad latitudinal gradient to investigate spatiotemporal variability in community structure and quantify associations with habitat. Our analyses revealed significant regional structuring of forage fish communities, coupled with a strong association with habitat characteristics related to latitudinal effects and basal resource regime. Communities in the two northern estuaries and two southern estuaries were associated primarily with planktonically reliant and benthically reliant taxa, respectively. Despite regional differences, we uncovered a coherent annual cycle in forage fish communities across all estuaries related to seasonal shifts in abundances of several abundant and ubiquitous species. We additionally revealed significant subdecadal periodicity potentially associated with bottom‐up effects of global climatic cycles. The significant association of forage fish communities with habitat regime shown in this study underlies the importance of continued monitoring of these communities. This study represents a novel approach to assess this critical ecosystem component in diverse estuarine systems globally.
Sphingosine 1‐Phosphate Prevents Human Embryonic Stem Cell Death Following Ischemic Injury
Authors: Assis Juliane L. de , Fernandes Aline M. , Aniceto Bárbara S. , Pompeu Pedro , Banchio Claudia , Girardini Javier , Vieyra Adalberto , Valverde Rafael H. F. , Einicker‐Lamas Marcelo
Published: May 2022

Cell therapy based on humanembryonic stem cells (hESCs) is a potential treatment for several human diseases caused by ischemic processes. Efficiency and feasibility of these therapies rely on understanding stem cell biology and the interaction and survival of these cells within the injured tissue. hESCs are an important source of diffusible bioactive paracrine modulators and the targets for different signaling molecules that prime cellular tissue repair. Notably, sphingosine 1‐phosphate (S1P) is an emerging bioactive lipid that activates G protein‐coupled receptors, known as S1P receptors (S1PR1–5), promoting cell survival, differentiation, and migration. It is shown that S1P increases cell viability and prevents death in about 50% after the ischemic insult. S1P‐mediated protectiveeffect is attributed to the modulation of S1PR3 and S1PR4 expression, which have been associated with the reperfusion injury salvage kinase/survivoractivating factor enhancement (RISK/SAFE) pathway. Involvement of the SAFE pathway is further verified by applying Janus Kinase (JAK2) and signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 pathway inhibitors, which prevents the S1P protective effect. An increase in sphingosine kinase (SphK) activity is also observed after S1P pretreatment. These results provide evidence for an S1P‐dependent, SphK positive feedback that stimulates hESCs to deliver large amounts of S1P. Thus, S1P protects hESC under ischemic conditions through the different receptors.

Practical Applications: It is considered that S1P can be used as an adjuvant to pretreat hESCs prior to the administration in cell therapy‐based protocols for different diseases.
A meta‐analytic investigation of grey matter differences in anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Sader Michelle , Williams Justin H. G. , Waiter Gordon D.
Published: May 2022

Recent research reports Anorexia Nervosa (AN) to be highly dependent upon neurobiological function. Some behaviours, particularly concerning food selectivity are found in populations with both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and AN, and there is a proportionally elevated number of anorexic patients exhibiting symptoms of ASD. We performed a systematic review of structural MRI literature with the aim of identifying common structural neural correlates common to both AN and ASD. Across 46 ASD publications, a meta‐analysis of volumetric differences between ASD and healthy controls revealed no consistently affected brain regions. Meta‐analysis of 23 AN publications revealed increased volume within the orbitofrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe, and adult‐only AN literature revealed differences within the genu of the anterior cingulate cortex. The changes are consistent with alterations in flexible reward‐related learning and episodic memory reported in neuropsychological studies. There was no structural overlap between ASD and AN. Findings suggest no consistent neuroanatomical abnormality associated with ASD, and evidence is lacking to suggest that reported behavioural similarities between those with AN and ASD are due to neuroanatomical structural similarities.
Using titanite to constrain geochronology and physicochemical conditions of hydrothermal mineralization events: A case study of the Duotoushan Fe–Cu deposit, Eastern Tianshan, NW China
Authors: Zhang Weifeng , Zhang Yu , Chen Huayong , Yu Yushuai
Published: May 2022

As a common Ca‐ and Ti‐ bearing silicate mineral in many types of hydrothermal deposits, titanite usually contains high concentrations of trace elements. Its mineral chemistry and U–Pb isotope can reveal the physicochemical conditions and geochronology of the ore‐forming systems. In this contribution, we present a detailed study on titanite which precipitated during the Fe mineralization in the Duotoushan deposit. Due to coexistence with hydrothermal minerals, low Th/U ratios (0.02–0.3), and depletion in rare earth elements (REE), all the studied titanites are classified into a hydrothermal group. The negative correlation between [REE3+ + (Al, Fe)3+] and [Ca2+ + Ti4+] indicates that REE mainly entered the lattice of titanite via the mechanism of substitution. In addition, titanite grains are characterized by HREE, Zr, and Nb enrichments with LREE depletion, suggesting that the complexation of F− at neutral to alkaline pH conditions may have caused the fractionation of REE. At Duotoushan, the titanite grains coexist with quartz, epidote, amphibole, and magnetite, and exhibit positive Eu anomalies (δEu = 1.04–1.31) but lack Ce anomalies, indicating that ore‐forming fluids may have been derived from a relatively low oxygen fugacity and high fH2O environment. Titanite yielded an in‐situ U–Pb lower‐intercept age of 307.2 ± 4.8 Ma (MSWD = 0.97), consistent with the syn‐ore amphibole 40Ar‐39Ar plateau age (305 ± 6 Ma). Since the mineralization ages are obviously younger than country rocks, the previous syn‐sedimentary ore‐forming model for Duotoushan Fe–Cu mineralization can be excluded. Integrating the characteristics from ore deposit geology, periods of mineralization events, and spatial–temporal distribution of magmatism, we proposed that the Duotoushan Fe–Cu mineralization event may be linked with a hidden granite in its orefield.
Making obstetrics more environmentally sustainable during and beyond the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Eleftheriades Anna , Tsagkaris Christos , Gozderesi Yakup , Panagopoulos Periklis
Published: May 2022

The climate crisis has increased the burden of obstetrical care due to the negative impact of environmental disruption on the health of pregnant women, new mothers, foetuses and neonates. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the ecological footprint of obstetrical care has significantly increased due to the use of personal protective equipment and the provision of large‐scale testing and vaccination of pregnant women and healthcare personnel against COVID‐19. The situation calls for coordinated action to make obstetrics more resource efficient. To achieve this goal, obstetricians need to rationalise the use of electricity, water, paper and plastic, adopt green surgical practices and integrate environmental sustainability in their working culture and personal life at large. The present article discusses the main sources of environmental pollution in obstetrical care and proposes evidence‐based solutions.
Audit committee voluntary disclosure describing external auditor oversight: Does it reflect higher audit quality?
Authors: O'Shaughnessy Denise , Sahyoun Najib , Tervo Wayne
Published: May 2022

This study examines the association between audit committee voluntary disclosures related to external auditor oversight and audit quality of the top US bank holding companies for a period of 10 years. Using manual coding of the voluntary disclosures that target audit committee oversight of the external auditor, we find that audit committees with a higher level of voluntary disclosures delineating activities of external auditor oversight tend to have a higher audit quality. These results are consistent with the view that audit committees play a major role in overseeing the external audit process as was emphasized by the Sarbanes‐Oxley (SOX) Act. In the case of negligence or wrongdoing, audit committees can be sued for breaching due care; thus, voluntary disclosure is a reliable indicator of the audit committee effectiveness and oversight of the audit process. Using voluntary disclosures in the audit committee report, this research provides useful information to shareholders to evaluate the effectiveness of audit committees in monitoring the external audit process while answering previous calls to investigate the audit committee oversight process (and corresponding effect on audit quality) and not just focusing on audit committee characteristics such as size, expertise, experience, meeting frequency, and audit fees.
NF‐κB as a regulator of cancer metastasis and therapy response: A focus on epithelial–mesenchymal transition
Authors: Mirzaei Sepideh , Saghari Sam , Bassiri Farzaneh , Raesi Rasoul , Zarrabi Ali , Hushmandi Kiavash , Sethi Gautam , Tergaonkar Vinay
Published: May 2022

Metastasis of tumor cells is a complex challenge and significantly diminishes the overall survival and prognosis of cancer patients. The epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a well‐known mechanism responsible for the invasiveness of tumor cells. A number of molecular pathways can regulate the EMT mechanism in cancer cells and nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB) is one of them. The nuclear translocation of NF‐κB p65 can induce the transcription of several genes involved in EMT induction. The present review describes NF‐κB and EMT interaction in cancer cells and their association in cancer progression. Due to the oncogenic role NF‐κB signaling, its activation enhances metastasis of tumor cells via EMT induction. This has been confirmed in various cancers including brain, breast, lung and gastric cancers, among others. The ZEB1/2, transforming growth factor‐β, and Slug as inducers of EMT undergo upregulation by NF‐κB to promote metastasis of tumor cells. After EMT induction driven by NF‐κB, a significant decrease occurs in E‐cadherin levels, while N‐cadherin and vimentin levels undergo an increase. The noncoding RNAs can potentially also function as upstream mediators and modulate NF‐κB/EMT axis in cancers. Moreover, NF‐κB/EMT axis is involved in mediating drug resistance in tumor cells. Thus, suppressing NF‐κB/EMT axis can also promote the sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents.