bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pretreatment of human retinal pigment epithelial cells with sterculic acid forestalls fenretinide-induced apoptosis
Authors: William Samuel , Duncan Todd , Redmond T. Michael
Published: December 2022

The ratio of saturated to monounsaturated fatty acids, thought to play a critical role in many cellular functions, is regulated by stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), a rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids. Previously, we observed a decrease in both SCD protein and enzymatic activity in apoptosis induced by fenretinide, a synthetic analog of retinoic acid, in the human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell line ARPE-19. Here, we investigated the effect of pretreating ARPE-19 with sterculic acid, a cyclopropenoic fatty acid inhibitor of SCD, on preventing fenretinide-induced apoptosis, given the role of SCD in cell proliferation and apoptosis. We show that sterculic acid pretreatment prevents the effects of fenretinide-induced apoptosis shown by changes in cell morphology, viability, and caspase-3 activation. Analysis of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated proteins shows that sterculic acid pretreatment reduced the fenretinide-induced upregulation of heme oxygenase-1, ATF3 and GADD153 expression that are in response to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Sterculic acid is as effective as allopurinol in inhibition of xanthine oxidase (XDH), and this may play a role in reducing the potential role of XDH in fenretinide-induced ROS generation. Sterculic acid pretreatment also results in a reduction in SOD2 mRNA expression. Dihydroceramide accumulation, compared to ceramide, and ROS generation indicate that a ceramide-independent pathway mediates fenretinide-induced apoptosis, and ROS mediation is borne out by activation of the NF-κBp50 and NF-κBp65 downstream signaling cascade. Its prevention by sterculic acid pretreatment further indicates the latter’s antioxidant/anti-inflammatory effect. Taken together, our results suggest that sterculic acid pretreatment can mitigate ROS-mediated fenretinide-induced apoptosis. Thus, sterculic acid may serve as a potential antioxidant and therapeutic agent. These effects may be independent of its effects on SCD activity.
Effects of age and sex on vasomotor activity and baroreflex sensitivity during the sleep–wake cycle
Authors: Yeh Chia-Hsin , Kuo Terry B. J. , Li Jia-Yi , Kuo Kuan-Liang , Chern Chang-Ming , Yang Cheryl C. H. , Huang Hsin-Yi
Published: December 2022

Cardiovascular function is related to age, sex, and state of consciousness. We hypothesized that cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) demonstrates different patterns in both sexes before and after 50 years of age and that these patterns are associated with patterned changes during the sleep–wake cycle. We recruited 67 healthy participants (aged 20–79 years; 41 women) and divided them into four age groups: 20–29, 30–49, 50–69, and 70–79 years. All the participants underwent polysomnography and blood pressure measurements. For each participant, we used the average of the arterial pressure variability, heart rate variability (HRV), and BRS parameters during the sleep–wake stages. BRS and HRV parameters were significantly negatively correlated with age. The BRS indexes were significantly lower in the participants aged ≥ 50 years than in those aged < 50 years, and these age-related declines were more apparent during non-rapid eye movement sleep than during wakefulness. Only BRS demonstrated a significantly negative correlation with age in participants ≥ 50 years old. Women exhibited a stronger association than men between BRS and age and an earlier decline in BRS. Changes in BRS varied with age, sex, and consciousness state, each demonstrating a specific pattern. The age of 50 years appeared to be a crucial turning point for sexual dimorphism in BRS. Baroreflex modulation of the cardiovascular system during sleep sensitively delineated the age- and sex-dependent BRS patterns, highlighting the clinical importance of our results. Our findings may aid in screening for neurocardiac abnormalities in apparently healthy individuals.
Modified moving average methodology applied to the treadmill stress testing analysis of microvolt T-wave alternans
Authors: Pereira Filho Horacio Gomes , Samesima Nelson , Madaloso Bruna Affonso , de Oliveira Tobias Nancy Maria Martins , Facin Mirella , Pastore Carlos Alberto
Published: December 2022

Sudden cardiac death is impactful. There has been an increase in the search for tools capable of identifying individuals who are most susceptible, such as the microvolt T-wave alternans. This study aims to analyze the applicability of the modified moving average methodology to obtain the microvolt T-wave alternans using treadmill specific protocols. Medical records of patients during the period August 2006–December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Five hundred and thirty nine exams were then included, divided into groups according to the protocol and updating factor used: Ellestad factor 8 or 32, Naughton factor 8 or 32. The topics for analysis were the alternans behavior, noise and confirmation according to the groups of leads analyzed (frontal, transversal and orthogonal planes). The greater microvolt T-wave alternans was found during the stress phase in most of the tests. Group Naughton 8 presented lower noise in this phase for the transverse and orthogonal planes (p = 0.0082 and p < 0.0001), with greater confirmation of frontal and orthogonal planes in comparison with group Ellestad 8 (p = 0.0002 and 0.0008). The results indicate the viability of simultaneous performance of the stress test and measurement of the T wave alternans with Naughton protocol with 1/8 updating factor.
Rapid yield optimization of miniaturized microwave passives by response features and variable-fidelity EM simulations
Authors: Pietrenko-Dabrowska Anna , Koziel Slawomir
Published: December 2022

The operation of high-frequency devices, including microwave passive components, can be impaired by fabrication tolerances but also incomplete knowledge concerning operating conditions (temperature, input power levels) and material parameters (e.g., substrate permittivity). Although the accuracy of manufacturing processes is always limited, the effects of parameter deviations can be accounted for in advance at the design phase through optimization of suitably selected statistical performance figures. Perhaps the most popular one is the yield, which provides a straightforward assessment of the likelihood of fulfilling performance conditions imposed upon the system given the assumed deviations of designable parameters. The latter are typically quantified by means of probability distributions pertinent to the fabrication process. The fundamental obstacle of the yield-driven design is its high computational cost. The primary mitigation approach nowadays is the employment of surrogate modeling methods. Yet, a construction of reliable metamodels becomes problematic for systems featuring a large number of degrees of freedom. Our work proposes a technique for fast yield optimization of microwave passives, which relies on response feature technology as well as variable-fidelity simulation models. Utilization of response features enables efficient handling of issues related to the system response nonlinearities. Meanwhile, the incorporation of variable-resolution simulations allows for accelerating the yield estimation process, which translates into remarkably low overall cost of the optimizing the yield. Our approach is verified with the use of three microstrip couplers. Comprehensive benchmarking demonstrates its superiority in terms of computational efficiency over the state-of-the-art algorithms, whereas reliability is corroborated by electromagnetic-driven Monte Carlo simulations.
Reaction of the carbonate Sibillini Mountains Basal aquifer (Central Italy) to the extensional 2016–2017 seismic sequence
Authors: Cambi Costanza , Mirabella Francesco , Petitta Marco , Banzato Francesca , Beddini Giulio , Cardellini Carlo , Fronzi Davide , Mastrorillo Lucia , Tazioli Alberto , Valigi Daniela
Published: December 2022

Hydrogeological perturbations in response to earthquakes are widely described worldwide. In carbonate aquifers, a post-seismic discharge increase is often attributed to an increase of bulk permeability due to co-seismic fracturing and the attention on the role of faults to explain the diversion of groundwater is increasing. We focus on the reaction of carbonate hydrogeological basins to extensional seismicity, taking as an example the effects of the Central Italy 2016–2017 seismic sequence, on the Basal aquifer of the Sibillini Mountains area. Geo-structural, seismological and ground deformation data were collected and merged with artificial tracer tests results and with a 4-years discharge and geochemical monitoring campaign. The main NNW-directed groundwater flow was diverted to the west and a discharge deficit was observed at the foot-wall of the activated fault system with a relevant discharge increase, accompanied by geochemical variations, at the fault system hanging-wall. The observed variations are consistent with the combined action of a permeability increase along the activated fault systems, which modified the predominant pre-seismic along-strike regional flow, and with hydraulic conductivity increase due to fracturing, determining a fast aquifers emptying. We show that the prevailing mechanism depends on the aquifer systems position with respect to the activated faults.
Electrostatic regulation of the cis- and trans-membrane interactions of synaptotagmin-1
Authors: Ali Moussa Houda Yasmine , Park Yongsoo
Published: December 2022

Synaptotagmin-1 is a vesicular protein and Ca2+ sensor for Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. Ca2+ induces synaptotagmin-1 binding to its own vesicle membrane, called the cis-interaction, thus preventing the trans-interaction of synaptotagmin-1 to the plasma membrane. However, the electrostatic regulation of the cis- and trans-membrane interaction of synaptotagmin-1 was poorly understood in different Ca2+-buffering conditions. Here we provide an assay to monitor the cis- and trans-membrane interactions of synaptotagmin-1 by using native purified vesicles and the plasma membrane-mimicking liposomes (PM-liposomes). Both ATP and EGTA similarly reverse the cis-membrane interaction of synaptotagmin-1 in free [Ca2+] of 10–100 μM. High PIP2 concentrations in the PM-liposomes reduce the Hill coefficient of vesicle fusion and synaptotagmin-1 membrane binding; this observation suggests that local PIP2 concentrations control the Ca2+-cooperativity of synaptotagmin-1. Our data provide evidence that Ca2+ chelators, including EGTA and polyphosphate anions such as ATP, ADP, and AMP, electrostatically reverse the cis-interaction of synaptotagmin-1.
Elevated ITGA2 expression promotes collagen type I-induced clonogenic growth of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Rattanasinchai Chotirat , Navasumrit Panida , Ruchirawat Mathuros
Published: December 2022

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) arises along the peripheral bile ducts and is often accompanied by a tumor microenvironment (TME) high in extracellular matrices (ECMs). In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether an ECM-rich TME favors iCCA progression. We identified ITGA2, which encodes collagen-binding integrin α2, to be differentially-expressed in iCCA tumors compared with adjacent normal tissues. Elevated ITGA2 is also positively-correlated with its ligand, collagen type I. Increased ITGA2 expression and its role in collagen type I binding was validated in vitro using four iCCA cell lines, compared with a non-cancerous, cholangiocyte cell line. Robust interaction of iCCA cells with collagen type I was abolished by either ITGA2 depletion or integrin α2β1-selective inhibitor treatment. In a phenotypic study, collagen type I significantly enhances clonogenic growth of HuCCA-1 and HuCCT-1 cells by three and sixfold, respectively. Inhibition of integrin α2 expression or its activity significantly blocks collagen type I-induced colony growth in both cell lines. Taken together, our data provide mechanistic evidence that collagen type I promotes growth of iCCA colonies through integrin α2 suggesting that the collagen type I—integrin α2 axis could be a promising target for cancer prevention and a therapeutic opportunity for this cancer.
Executive function during exercise is diminished by prolonged cognitive effort in men
Authors: Tsukamoto Hayato , Dora Kento , Stacey Benjamin S. , Tsumura Hibiki , Murakami Yoshino , Marley Christopher J. , Bailey Damian M. , Hashimoto Takeshi
Published: December 2022

The speed and accuracy of decision-making (i.e., executive function (EF) domains) is an integral factor in many sports. At rest, prolonged cognitive load (pCL) impairs reaction time (RT). In contrast, exercise improves RT and EF. We hypothesized that RT and EF during exercise would be diminished by prolonged ‘dual tasking’ as a consequence of pCL. To test the hypothesis, twenty healthy male participants performed four conditions [resting control (Rest), pCL only (pCLRest), exercise only (EX), and pCL + exercise (pCLEX)] in a randomized-crossover design. Both exercise conditions utilized a 50-min cycling exercise protocol (60% VO2 peak) and the pCL was achieved via a 50-min colour-word Stroop task (CWST). Compared with Rest, pCLRest caused a slowed CWST RT (P < 0.05) and a large SD (i.e., intraindividual variability) of CWST RT (P < 0.01). Similarly, compared with EX, the slowed CWST RT (P < 0.05) and large SD of CWST RT (P < 0.01) were also observed in pCLEX. Whereas the reverse-Stroop interference was not affected in pCLRest (P = 0.46), it was larger (i.e., declined EF) in pCLEX than EX condition (P < 0.05). These observations provide evidence that the effort of pCL impairs RT and EF even during exercise.
Microbial rewilding in the gut microbiomes of captive ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) in Madagascar
Authors: Bornbusch Sally L. , Clarke Tara A. , Hobilalaina Sylvia , Reseva Honore Soatata , LaFleur Marni , Drea Christine M.
Published: December 2022

Microbial rewilding, whereby exposure to naturalistic environments can modulate or augment gut microbiomes and improve host-microbe symbiosis, is being harnessed as an innovative approach to human health, one that may also have significant value to animal care and conservation. To test for microbial rewilding in animal microbiomes, we used a unique population of wild-born ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) that were initially held as illegal pets in unnatural settings and, subsequently, relocated to a rescue center in Madagascar where they live in naturalistic environments. Using amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing of lemur and environmental microbiomes, we found multiple lines of evidence for microbial rewilding in lemurs that were transitioned from unnatural to naturalistic environments: A lemur’s duration of exposure to naturalistic settings significantly correlated with (a) increased compositional similarly to the gut communities of wild lemurs, (b) decreased proportions of antibiotic resistance genes that were likely acquired via human contact during pethood, and (c) greater covariation with soil microbiomes from natural habitats. Beyond the inherent psychosocial value of naturalistic environments, we find that actions, such as providing appropriate diets, minimizing contact with humans, and increasing exposure to natural environmental consortia, may assist in maximizing host-microbe symbiosis in animals under human care.
Climate influences the genetic structure and niche differentiation among populations of the olive field mouse Abrothrix olivacea (Cricetidae: Abrotrichini)
Authors: Quiroga-Carmona Marcial , D’Elía Guillermo
Published: December 2022

Even when environmental variation over time and space is commonly considered as an important driver of population divergence, few evaluations of intraspecific genetic variation explicitly assess whether observed structure has been caused by or is correlated with landscape heterogeneity. Several phylogeographic studies have characterized the mitochondrial diversity ofAbrothrix olivacea, but none has incorporated landscape genetics analyses and ecological niche modeling, leaving a gap in the understanding of the species evolutionary history. Here, these aspects were addressed based on 186 single nucleotide polymorphisms, extracted from sequences of 801 bp of Cytb gene, gathered from 416 individuals collected at 103 localities in Argentina and Chile. Employing multivariate statistical analyses (gPCA, Mantel and Partial Mantel Tests, Procrustes Analysis, and RDA), associations between genetic differences and geographic and climatic distances were evaluated. Presence data was employed to estimate the potential geographic distribution of this species during historical and contemporary climatic scenarios, and to address differences among the climatic niches of their main mitochondrial lineages. The significant influence of landscape features in structuring mitochondrial variability was evidenced at different spatial scales, as well as the role of past climatic dynamics in driving geographic range shifts, mostly associated to Quaternary glaciations. Overall, these results suggest that throughout geographic range gene flow is unevenly influenced by climatic dissimilarity and the geographic distancing, and that studied lineages do not exhibit distributional signals of climatic niche conservatism. Additionally, genetic differentiation occurred by more complex evolutionary processes than mere disruption of gene flow or drift.
Develop an efficient and specific AAV-based labeling system for Muller glia in mice
Authors: Gao Yanxia , Fang Kailun , Yan Zixiang , Zhang Haiwei , Geng Guannan , Wu Weiwei , Xu Ding , Zhang Heng , Zhong Na , Wang Qifang , Cai Minqing , Zuo Erwei , Yang Hui
Published: December 2022

Reprogramming Müller glia (MG) into functional cells is considered a promising therapeutic strategy to treat ocular diseases and vision loss. However, current AAV-based system for MG-tracing was reported to have high leakage in recent studies. Here, we focused on reducing the leakage of AAV-based labeling systems and found that different AAV serotypes showed a range of efficiency and specificity in labeling MG, leading us to optimize a human GFAP-Cre reporter system packaged in the AAV9 serotype with the woodchuck hepatitis virus post-transcriptional regulatory element (WPRE) removed. The leakage ratio of the AAV9-hGFAP-Cre-ΔWPRE decreased by an approximate 40-fold compared with the AAV9-hGFAP-Cre-WPRE labeling system. In addition, we validated the specificity of the AAV-ΔWPRE system for tracing MG reprogramming under Ptbp1-suppression and observed strict non-MG-conversion, similar to previous studies using genetic lineage tracking mouse models. Thus, the AAV9-hGFAP-Cre-ΔWPRE system showed high efficiency and specificity for MG labeling, providing a promising tool for tracing cell fate in vivo.
Phase Ib/II study of nivolumab combined with palliative radiation therapy for bone metastasis in patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Takada Masahiro , Yoshimura Michio , Kotake Takeshi , Kawaguchi Kosuke , Uozumi Ryuji , Kataoka Masako , Kato Hironori , Yoshibayashi Hiroshi , Suwa Hirofumi , Tsuji Wakako , Yamashiro Hiroyasu , Suzuki Eiji , Torii Masae , Yamada Yosuke , Kataoka Tatsuki , Ishiguro Hiroshi , Morita Satoshi , Toi Masakazu
Published: December 2022

Radiation therapy (RT) can enhance the abscopal effect of immune checkpoint blockade. This phase I/II study investigated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus RT in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer requiring palliative RT for bone metastases. Cohort A included luminal-like disease, and cohort B included both luminal-like and triple-negative disease refractory to standard systemic therapy. Patients received 8 Gy single fraction RT for bone metastasis on day 0. Nivolumab was administered on day 1 for each 14-day cycle. In cohort A, endocrine therapy was administered. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR) of the unirradiated lesions. Cohorts A and B consisted of 18 and 10 patients, respectively. The ORR was 11% (90% CI 4–29%) in cohort A and 0% in cohort B. Disease control rates were 39% (90% CI 23–58%) and 0%. Median progression-free survival was 4.1 months (95% CI 2.1–6.1 months) and 2.0 months (95% CI 1.2–3.7 months). One patient in cohort B experienced a grade 3 adverse event. Palliative RT combined with nivolumab was safe and showed modest anti-tumor activity in cohort A. Further investigations to enhance the anti-tumor effect of endocrine therapy combined with RT plus immune checkpoint blockade are warranted.

Trial registration number and date of registration UMIN: UMIN000026046, February 8, 2017; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03430479, February 13, 2018; Date of the first registration: June 22, 2017.
Pregnancy outcomes after living kidney donation from a nationwide population-based cohort study from Korea
Authors: Lee Juhan , Huh Kyu Ha , Yoon So Ra , Lee Soo Yeun , Lee Hyung Soon
Published: December 2022

While most living kidney donors experience good outcomes and high rates of satisfaction, kidney donation can increase the risk of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. However, pregnancy outcomes in non-white donors are limited. We conducted a nationwide cohort study of 112 living kidney donors and 672 matched healthy non-donors using the Korean National Health Insurance Claims Database. Donors and healthy non-donors were matched according to age, year of cohort entry, residency, income, number of pregnancies, and the time to the first pregnancy after cohort entry. We assessed pregnancy outcomes of live kidney donors compared with matched healthy non-donors using the nationwide database. Gestational hypertension or preeclampsia was more common in kidney donors than in non-donors (8.9% vs. 1.8%; adjusted odds ratio, 2.68; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–6.50). However, the incidence of severe gestational hypertension or preeclampsia that required antihypertensive medication was comparable (2.7% vs. 0.9%; P = 0.121). The time from donation to delivery within 5 years and primiparity were risk factors for preeclampsia in donors. Low birth weight, stillbirth, and ectopic pregnancy were not significantly different between the two groups. Maternal death occurred in two non-donor cases, but none occurred in donors compared to non-donors. Our findings indicate that kidney donors are associated with an increased risk of gestational hypertension or preeclampsia than matched healthy non-donors. However, the probabilities of serious maternal and fetal outcomes remained low and are not increased significantly after kidney donation.
Carbon sinks and carbon emissions balance of land use transition in Xinjiang, China: differences and compensation
Authors: Luo Kui , Wang Hongwei , Ma Chen , Wu Changrui , Zheng Xudong , Xie Ling
Published: December 2022

With the continuous enhancement of human activities, the contradiction between regional development and ecological protection is prominent in the ecologically fragile arid areas. It is of great significance for regional sustainable development to understand the ecological supply and demand problems caused by transformation of land using and formulate ecological compensation scheme scientifically. This study takes Xinjiang in China as the research area. It explores the land use transition characteristics and the changes in carbon supply and demand of Xinjiang using methods such as GIS spatial analysis and modified comparative ecological radiation forcing. Finally, the ecological compensation scheme is studied based on the theory of ecological radiation. The research shows that (I) in the study chronology, most of the areas produced only one change in land use. Land use is gradually developing towards the direction of ecological protection. After 2000, grassland recovered well, and 14,298 km2 of other ecological land was transformed into grassland. (II) The change in the carbon sink of the Xinjiang ecosystem first decreased and then increased, and the ecological deficit area started to appear after 2010. The growth of grassland and cropland areas is essential to enhance the carbon sink capacity of arid zones. (III) The amount of ecological compensation in Xinjiang is 31.47 * 108 yuan, and the proportion of the amount received by ecological compensation areas is related to the distance between the supply and demand areas, the amount of carbon sequestration, and the area of the region. This study provides a reference for achieving the healthy development of sustainable land use ecosystems in arid zones.
Developing an improved UHPLC method for impurity profile analysis of ceftriaxone using analytical quality by design
Authors: Xiao Chaoqiang , Zhang Xia , Wang Wei , Yang Xiuyun , Sun Ying , Zhang Weifeng , He Shuwang , Yang Jie , Lv Zhihua , Hu Changqin
Published: December 2022

A new UHPLC method was developed based on the quality-by-design principle which could serve as a reference for developing future versions of the pharmacopoeia standards.
Enhanced film quality of PbS QD solid by eliminating the oxide traps through an in situ surface etching and passivation
Authors: Jia Lianjun , Wang Liangliang , Lin Yuan , Zhou Xiaowen , Jia Jianguang
Published: December 2022

A surface etching and passivation is proposed to improve the film quality of PbS QD solid, by simultaneous removal of the surface Pb oxides and formation of PbI2 passivation layer on PbS QDs, leading to the elimination of traps in PbS QDs.
Chiral Se@CeO2 superparticles for ameliorating Parkinson's disease
Authors: Liu Ximing , Zhang Hongyu , Hao Changlong , Kuang Hua , Xu Chuanlai , Xu Liguang
Published: December 2022

In this study, we prepare chiral d-/l-type Se@CeO2 superparticles (d-/l-SPs) with a g-factor of 0.018 using d-/l-cysteine as chiral ligands.
Programmed pH-responsive core–shell nanoparticles for precisely targeted therapy of ulcerative colitis
Authors: Zhang Guangshuai , Han Wen , Zhao Peixu , Wang Zijun , Li Mo , Sui Xiaofan , Liu Yanhua , Tian Baocheng , He Zhonggui , Fu Qiang
Published: December 2022

The nanoparticles were prepared by coating CNs with EPO and L100. After oral, the undesired dissolution of CNs in the stomach and small intestine was reduced due to the L100 and EPO layers, resulting in enhanced availability of CUR at the UC site.
Recent progress in emergent two-dimensional silicene
Authors: Shan Guangcun , Tan Haoyi , Ma Ruguang , Zhao Hongbin , Huang Wei
Published: December 2022

The family of silicene materials has emerged with various fascinating properties and applications.
Interplay of Purcell effect and extraction efficiency in CsPbBr3 quantum dots coupled to Mie resonators
Authors: He Ruihua , Meunier Max , Dong Zhaogang , Cai Hongbing , Gao Weibo , Zuniga-Perez Jesus , Liu Xiaogang
Published: December 2022

Perovskites quantum dots coupled to Mie resonators display an 18-fold luminescence enhancement. Spatially- and time-resolved measurements, coupled to numerical simulations, confirm increased absorption, Purcell factor and extraction efficiency.
Single-atom engineering of hemicyanine and its amphiphilic derivative for optimized near infrared phototheranostics
Authors: Yao Shankun , Chen Yuncong , Ding Weizhong , Xu Fengwu , Liu Zhipeng , Li Yaheng , Wu Yanping , Li Shumeng , He Weijiang , Guo Zijian
Published: December 2022

A selenium-substituted hemicyanine dye and its amphiphilic derivative were constructed as potent NIR phototheranostic agents with multi-mode imaging-guided combination therapeutic ability.
Abiotic microcompartments form when neighbouring droplets fuse: an electrochemiluminescence investigation
Authors: Voci Silvia , Clarke Thomas B. , Dick Jeffrey E.
Published: December 2022

The collision of two or more water microdroplets adsorbed on an electrified surface has been tracked by ECL imaging, uncovering the dynamic complexity of the resulting water microdroplet.
Self-assembled cathode induced by polarization for high-performance solid oxide fuel cell
Authors: Zhou Xin , Yang Chenghao , Yang Caichen , Li Jin , Chi Bo
Published: December 2022

Herein, we developed an unsintered LaCo0.6Ni0.4O3−δ-Er0.4Bi1.6O3 cathode for IT-SOFC. The cathode/electrolyte interface is induced via polarization, and competitive performance is achieved.
Adaptive training‐feedback scheme for FDD in massive MIMO systems
Authors: Huang Yi , Wang Haiquan , Gao Danbei , Zhao Zhijin
Published: December 2022

Accurate acquisition of channel state information (CSI) is crucial but difficult in frequency division duplex (FDD) massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) systems. To improve the estimation accuracy and to minimize the training consumption, an adaptive training‐feedback scheme based on spatial reciprocity in FDD is proposed. The main idea of this scheme is to construct a reference frame that matches the channel structure. Reference vectors with the strongest correlation with the uplink channel are selected to design the pilots. The pilots can adapt to channel changes in this proposed scheme, which lead to substantial reduction of the training and feedback overheads. The simulation results show that under full feedback, the throughput of proposed adaptive training‐feedback scheme can approach to the optimal performance, and under finite‐bit feedback, the channel utilization is also significantly high with less training.
A novel Newton‐like method with high convergence rate for efficient power‐flow solution in isolated microgrids
Authors: Tostado‐Véliz Marcos , Bayat Mohammad , Ghadimi Ali Asghar , Jurado Francisco
Published: December 2022

Power‐Flow (PF) solution in isolated microgrids has attracted notable attention recently, because these systems present various particularities compared with the traditional PF solution in large meshed transmission networks. In this sense, this paper develops a novel Newton‐like PF solver for isolated microgrids. The new proposal is based on the Modified Midpoint method and shows high convergence order with relatively low computational burden. These characteristics bring superior theoretical performance compared with the standard Newton–Raphson (NR) method and other high order techniques, which has been conventionally used. Extensive simulations are performed on various small‐, and large‐scale benchmark Microgrids under different loading conditions and R/X ratios. Results provided serve to confirm the theoretical features of the developed solver, outperforming the NR technique as well as other recently developed solvers in all the studied systems with acceptable reliability even under high stressed conditions.
Effect of solid particle type, concentration and size on DC breakdown voltage of short needle‐plate air gap: An experiment and simulation study
Authors: Yang Guolin , Jiang Xingliang , Hu Jianlin , Ren Xiaodong , Li Tao , Wu Jianguo , Zhang Zhijin , Hu Qin , Zheng Hualong
Published: December 2022

Unclean air discharge refers to the discharge phenomenon of a large number of polluting gases, droplets or solid particles floating in the air, which will cause insulation breakdown and safety accidents for the power transmission equipment that have been left outdoors for a long time. In order to investigate the effects of particle concentration, particle size and dielectric constant on DC breakdown characteristics of unclean air gap, a self‐made discharge chamber was designed in this study. The air was filtered and passed into the discharge chamber to remove the influence of impurities contained in the air on the experimental results. Then, solid particles with different concentration, particle size and particle dielectric constant were added to the discharge chamber to carry out the DC positive polarity breakdown characteristic experiment. The experimental results show that compared with dry clean air, the presence of solid particle increases the breakdown voltage of the gap, and the increase proportion of breakdown voltage is related to the particle concentration, particle size and particle dielectric constant. With the same particle type and particle size, the increase proportion of breakdown voltage increases with the higher concentration, which up to 10.49%. For further investigating, the fluid mechanics model was selected to simulate the process of streamer discharge in unclean air. The results show that compared with dry clean air, the presence of particles enhances the gap discharge ionisation process, but also enhances the adsorption of particles, and the latter has stronger effect than the former, thus increases the gap breakdown voltage. At the same time, the enhancement of adsorption effect increases the electric field intensity of the gap and speeds up the development process of streamer discharge.
Quantitative feature classification for breast ultrasound images using improved naive bayes
Authors: Li Xiaofeng , Sang Yupeng , Ma Xianmin , Cai Yingjie
Published: December 2022

The quantitative feature classification of breast ultrasound images can explore the intrinsic connection between image features and lesions, and become an important basis for the diagnosis of tumor nature in clinical medicine. However, the tumor features extracted from breast ultrasound images are generally based on the overall situation, which has an impact on the classification of features in ultrasound images. Therefore, a quantitative feature classification algorithm for breast ultrasound images using improved Naive Bayes (NB) is proposed. First, histogram features, grayscale co‐generation matrix and other texture features are extracted from the ultrasound image. Second, NB is combined with decision tree calculation to improve the traditional NB algorithm. Finally, feature classification is optimized using improved NB algorithm to achieve high accuracy in the classification of ultrasound images. The results show that the contour of the lesion recognition results obtained by the proposed algorithm is the most complete, and the other regions can maximize the retention of the texture features of the original image. The classification accuracy is high, and the classification time of quantitative features of breast ultrasound images is short. It has application value in the field of breast ultrasound diagnosis.
Techno‐enviro‐economic feasibility assessment of an off‐grid hybrid energy system with/without solar tracker considering pumped hydro storage and battery
Authors: Makhdoomi Sina , Askarzadeh Alireza
Published: December 2022

This research focuses on the design optimization of an off‐grid hybrid energy system including photovoltaic (PV) and diesel generator considering energy storage system (ESS). For this aim, the techno‐enviro‐economic feasibility assessment of PV/diesel, PV/diesel/battery, and PV/diesel/pumped hydro storage (PHS) hybrid energy systems is investigated in a multi‐objective framework. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and total pollutant emission (TPE) are defined as the problem objectives and the design problem is solved for determination of the components size. The impact of PV tracking is also investigated on the system sizing. Over the case study, simulation results reveal that the most cost‐effective hybrid energy system is PV/diesel/PHS with fixed panels in which LCOE and TPE are 0.198$/kWh and 208120 kg/year, respectively. Moreover, the most environmentally friendly hybrid energy system is PV/diesel/battery with double‐axis tracker in which LCOE and TPE are 0.2816$/kWh and 112760 kg/year, respectively.
Multi‐stage attention network for monaural speech enhancement
Authors: Wang Kunpeng , Lu Wenjing , Liu Peng , Yao Juan , Li Huafeng
Published: December 2022

Although current attention‐based speech enhancement methods have been proven to be capable of significantly improving the noise reduction performance, a bottleneck has arisen in juggling both detailed features and high‐level features: The more attention paid to such performance indicators as speech intelligibility index and articulation index will lead to the loss of subtle features such as syllable continuity and timbre distortion. To tackle such a problem, we divide the speech enhancement model into multiple stages, with a special attention mechanism introduced in each stage so that the detailed speech information is retained and the features of high levels are captured. In this research, a Multi‐Stage Attention Network (MSANet) is implemented in cascade by using three different attention modules: Self Attention, Channel Attention and Spatial Attention. The attention module in each stage needs only to focus on the features of its corresponding stage, thus giving full play to their respective advantages without affecting or damaging the features of other stages, helping decouple the feature extraction process and obtaining the features capable of complementing one another. The comparisons and ablation experiments show that the performance of MSANet is superior to those of current mainstream time domain or time‐frequency domain state‐of‐the‐art methods. Compared to the baseline, PESQ score of their model (3.11) has increased by 5%, CSIG (4.44) has increased by 2.5%, CBAK (3.63) has increased by 2.8% and COVL (3.81) has increased by 3.8%, which demonstrates the potential of MSANet as speech feature extraction backbones. An implementation of the PyTorch version is available here: http://www.msp‐lab.cn:1436/msp/MSANet.
A Blinded Comparative Study of Four Commercially Available LEDs and a Laser Light Curing Device
Authors: Comisi John C. , Maucoski Cristiane , Beller Jonathan P. , Dennis Kyle S. , Price Richard B.
Published: December 2022

Objective This study determined the effectiveness of five light-curing units (LCUs; four light-emitting diode [LED] and one laser) used on different settings to photo-activate four conventional resin-based composites (RBCs).

Materials and Methods A total of 108 RBC specimens were photo-activated in a white Delrin mold representing a mesial-occlusal-distal (MOD) class II restoration in a molar tooth. The proximal boxes were 5 mm deep, and the mesial-distal length was 12 mm. Immediately after photo-curing, the RBC specimens were immersed in a solvent to remove the uncured materials, after which they were photographed and deidentified. A Research Electronic Data Capture survey was created using these images and sent to respondents who blindly assessed the ability of the various LCUs to photo-cure the MOD restorations.

Results There were significant differences in how the five curing lights had cured RBCs. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), pairwise t-test, Welch's one-way ANOVA, and Kruskal–Wallis rank test in the blinded survey data showed significant differences between the LED curing lights used for two 10-second cures and the laser curing light used for 1 second, and LED lights at lower settings.

Conclusion There was a significant difference in how the curing lights could photo-cure the RBCs used in this study. The laser curing light used for 1 second produced the worst results in all four RBCs.
Molecular Docking, Drug-Likeness Analysis, In Silico Pharmacokinetics, and Toxicity Studies of p-Nitrophenyl Hydrazones as Anti-inflammatory Compounds against COX-2, 5-LOX, and H+/K+ ATPase
Authors: Babalola Sodeeq , Igie Nosakhare , Odeyemi Isaiah
Published: December 2022

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and coxibs are traditional medicines for the treatment of inflammation, yet associated with serious side effects. Hence, the need for discovering novel compounds with valuable clinical benefits is of great importance. In this study, 18 derivatives of p-nitrophenyl hydrazones were docked against COX-2, 5-LOX, and H+/K+ ATPase, followed by predicting their drug-likeness and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties. From the docking analysis, 1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-[(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)methylidene]hydrazine (3), 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-6-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]thiochroman-1,1-dioxide (6), 4-methoxy-2-methyl-6-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]thiochroman-1,1-dioxide (8), 2-methyl-6-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]-4-(trifluoromethyl)thiochroman-1,1-dioxide (11), 4-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]benzenesulfonamide (13), 4-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzenesulfonamide (14), 5-methyl-6-{4-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]phenyl}-2,3,4,5-tetrahydropyridazin-3-ol (16), and 5-methyl-6-{4-[(2-(4-nitrophenyl)hydraz-1-ylidene)methyl]phenyl}-4,5-dihydropyridazin-3(2H)-one (17) showed promise as potent multi-target inhibitors of COX-2, 5-LOX, and H+/K+ ATPase. These compounds are less COX-2 selective than the control (celecoxib). “Drug-likeness” analysis passed Lipinski's, Egan's, Veber's, Muegge's, and Ghose's rules. The compounds also passed Pfizer and GSK rules, as well as golden triangle's rule for identification of potent and metabolically stable drugs. The pharmacokinetic profiles of the compounds were excellent, safe, and compliant with their potential anti-inflammatory activity. The results of the study can be used for future optimization of those derivatives for better molecular interactions against COX-2, 5-LOX, and H+/K+ ATPase, and inflammation-effective inhibition.
A Case of Quadrigeminal Variant of Perimesencephalic Nonaneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Dobhal Heena , Chandana Sanjog Lalsinbhai , Singh A.K. , Pathak H.C. , Thakur A.M. , Saraswat K.B.
Published: December 2022

The incidence of perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage (PMSAH) is rare, 0.5 in 100,000 adults. It comprises 5 to 10% of all SAHs and approximately 33% of all nonaneurysmal SAH. Quadrigeminal SAH is a variant of perimesencephalic nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (PMNASAH) that is not well described in the literature. It may comprise up to one-fifth of PMNASAH cases and carries a similar benign prognosis. This variant of PMSAH is characterized by blood centered in the quadrigeminal cistern and limited to the superior vermian and posterior perimesencephalic cisterns. Noncontrast computed tomography of the brain is the initial investigation of choice, while four-vessel cerebral angiogram is the gold standard for the diagnosis of SAH.

We report a case at our institute.
First demonstration of a fiber optic bolometer on a tokamak plasma (invited)
Authors: Lee S. , Shafer M. , Reinke M. , Uddin N. , Sheng Q. , Han M. , Donovan D. , O’Neill R.
Published: December 2022

A fiber optic bolometer (FOB) was demonstrated observing a fusion plasma for the first time at the DIII-D tokamak. A FOB uses a fiber optics-based interferometric technique that is designed to have a high sensitivity to temperature changes [75 mK/(W/m2) responsivity in high vacuum with 0.38 mK noise level] with a negligible susceptibility to electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can be problematic for resistive bolometers in a tokamak environment. A single-channel test apparatus was installed on DIII-D consisting of a measurement FOB and shielded reference FOB. The single-channel FOB showed a negligible increase in the noise level during typical plasma operations (0.39 mK) compared to the benchtop results (0.38 mK), confirming an insignificant EMI impact to the FOB. Comparisons to DIII-D resistive bolometers showed good agreement with the single-channel FOB, indicating that the FOB is comparable to a resistive bolometer when the impulse calibration is applied. The noise-equivalent power density of the calibrated FOB during a plasma operation was 0.55 W/m2 with an average sampling time of 20 ms. The major potential effect of ionizing radiation on the FOB would be the radiation-induced attenuation, which can be efficiently compensated for by adjusting the probing light power.
Assessment of nonlinear-low Reynolds number/detached eddy simulation turbulence model for wake flow field simulation of a realistic automotive model
Authors: Yang Yi , Zheng Ledian
Published: December 2022

Since the results of wake flow simulation with commonly used turbulence models are unsatisfactory, by introducing a nonlinear Reynolds stress term and combining the DES (Detached Eddy Simulation) model, this paper further validates the nonlinear-LRN (Low Reynolds Number)/DES turbulence model which can predict the flow separation and the reattachment phenomenon more accurately. This model was verified by a wall-mounted hump flow case and was applied to the time-averaged and transient flow field structure analysis of a realistic automotive model with several widely used turbulence models. These simulation results were compared with experimental data, indicating that the nonlinear-LRN/DES model gives better agreement with the experiment and can predict the automobile wake flow structures and aerodynamic characteristics more accurately. Furthermore, the performance of the nonlinear-LRN/DES model in mesh with different refinements is compared, concluding that the new proposed model can obtain high accuracy in the coarse mesh.
2022 Update for the Differences Between Thermodynamic Temperature and ITS-90 Below 335 K
Authors: Gaiser Christof , Fellmuth Bernd , Gavioso Roberto M. , Kalemci Murat , Kytin Vladimir , Nakano Tohru , Pokhodun Anatolii , Rourke Patrick M. C. , Rusby Richard , Sparasci Fernando , Steur Peter P. M. , Tew Weston L. , Underwood Robin , White Rod , Yang Inseok , Zhang Jintao
Published: December 2022

In 2011, a working group of the Consultative Committee for Thermometry published their best estimates of the differences between the thermodynamic temperature T and its approximation (T90), the temperature according to the International Temperature Scale of 1990, ITS-90. These consensus estimates, in combination with measurements made in accordance with ITS-90, are an important alternative to primary thermometry for those requiring accurate measurements of thermodynamic temperature. Since 2011, there has been a change in the definition of the kelvin and significant improvements in primary thermometry. This paper updates the (T − T90) estimates by combining and analyzing the data used for the 2011 estimates and data from more recent primary thermometry. The results of the analysis are presented as a 12th-order polynomial representing the updated consensus values for the differences and a sixth-order polynomial for their uncertainty estimates.
Nonlinear generation of sound and mean pressure drop in shock–shear interaction
Authors: Thakare Pranav , Sinha Krishnendu , Nair Vineeth
Published: December 2022

Interactions of shear fluctuations with shock waves are ubiquitous in high-speed flow applications from scramjet propulsion to cosmic events like supernova explosions. They also serve as fundamental building blocks for the study of shock–turbulence interaction. In this work, we study the nonlinear effects in pressure arising due to the interaction of a normal shock with a two-dimensional shear wave. It employs the weakly nonlinear framework (WNLF) developed recently for vorticity amplification by Thakare et al. [“A weakly nonlinear framework to study shock–vorticity interaction,” J. Fluid Mech. 933, A48 (2022)]. The analysis includes the effect of intermodal interactions that is neglected in the widely used linear interaction analysis (LIA) of shock–turbulence interaction. It is found that the deformation of the shock wave and the fluctuation mass flux normal to the shock contribute to the dominant physical mechanisms responsible for the observed nonlinearities. Interestingly, the WNLF predicts a drop in mean pressure behind the shock due to a second-order intermodal interaction, which is consistent with the well-established results by Lele [“Shock-jump relations in a turbulent flow,” Phys. Fluids A 4, 2900–2905 (1992)] at low Mach numbers and brings out additional effects of shock deformation that are important at higher Mach numbers. We extend the WNLF to three-dimensional interaction of homogeneous isotropic turbulence with a normal shock. Comparison with existing direct numerical simulation data shows good agreement for low turbulent Mach numbers, which is a significant improvement over the prediction capability of LIA. We also compute the dilatation fields from WNLF and use them to distinguish between the acoustic and non-acoustic components of the second-order pressure fluctuations generated by the shock wave.