bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IL-4 Induces In Vivo Production of IFN-γ by NK and NKT Cells
Authors: Morris Suzanne C. , Orekhova Tatyana , Meadows Michelle J. , Heidorn Stephanie M. , Yang Junqi , Finkelman Fred D.
Published: April 2014

Although IL-4 and IFN-γ often have opposite effects and suppress each other’s production by T cells, IL-4 can stimulate IFN-γ production. To characterize this, we injected mice with IL-4 and quantified IFN-γ production with the in vivo cytokine capture assay. IL-4 induced Stat6-dependent IFN-γ production by NK and, to a lesser extent, NKT cells, but not conventional T cells, in 2–4 h. Increased IFN-γ production persisted at a constant rate for >24 h, but eventually declined, even with continuing IL-4 stimulation. This eventual decline in IFN-γ production was accompanied by a decrease in NK and T cell numbers. Consistent with a dominant role for NK cells in IL-4-stimulated IFN-γ secretion, IL-4 induction of IFN-γ was B and T cell-independent; suppressed by an anti-IL-2Rβ mAb that eliminates most NK and NKT cells; reduced in Stat4-deficient mice, which have decreased numbers of NK cells; and absent in Rag2/γc-double-deficient mice, which lack T, B, and NK cells. IL-4-induced IFN-γ production was not affected by neutralizing IL-12p40 and was increased by neutralizing IL-2. IL-13, which signals through the type 2 IL-4R and mimics many IL-4 effects, failed to stimulate IFN-γ production and, in most experiments, suppressed basal IFN-γ production. Thus, IL-4, acting through the type 1 IL-4R, induces Stat6-dependent IFN-γ secretion by NK and NKT cells. This explains how IL-4 can contribute to Th1 cytokine-associated immune effector functions and suggests how IL-13 can have stronger proallergic effects than IL-4.
Induction of CTLA-4-Mediated Anergy Contributes to Persistent Colonization in the Murine Model of GastricHelicobacter pyloriInfection
Authors: Anderson Kathleen M. , Czinn Steven J. , Redline Raymond W. , Blanchard Thomas G.
Published: April 2014

Helicobacter pylori infection induces gastric inflammation but the host fails to generate protective immunity. Therefore, we evaluated the immunologic mechanisms that contribute to the failure of the T cells to promote active immunity to H. pylori in the mouse model of H. pylori infection. Spleen cells from infected C57BL/6 mice underwent significantly less proliferation and cytokine production than cells from immune mice upon in vitro stimulation with H. pylori lysate. Similar results were observed when stimulating with Ag-pulsed macrophages demonstrating that hyporesponsiveness was not due to a direct effect of H. pylori virulence factors on the T cells. Ag-specific hyporesponsiveness could be reversed by the addition of high-dose IL-2 but not by removal of CD4+CD25+ T cells, indicating that hyporesponsiveness was due to anergy and not due to active suppression. Cells from infected mice lacked significant suppressor activity as shown by the failure to reduce the recall response of cells from immune mice in coculture at physiologic ratios. Direct blockade of CTLA-4 using anti-CTLA-4 Fabs or indirect blockade using CTLA-4 Ig plus anti-CD28 Ab resulted in significantly increased T cell activation in vitro. The importance of CTLA-4 in establishing anergy was confirmed in an in vivo model of H. pylori infection in which mice that received anti-CTLA-4 Fabs responded to H. pylori challenge with significantly greater inflammation and significantly reduced bacterial load. These results suggest that CTLA-4 engagement induces and maintains functional inactivation of H. pylori-specific T cells during H. pylori infection resulting in a reduced immune response.
RhoG Regulates the Neutrophil NADPH Oxidase
Authors: Condliffe Alison M. , Webb Louise M. C. , Ferguson G. John , Davidson Keith , Turner Martin , Vigorito Elena , Manifava Maria , Chilvers Edwin R. , Stephens Len R. , Hawkins Phillip T.
Published: April 2014

RhoG is a Rho family small GTPase implicated in cytoskeletal regulation, acting either upstream of or in parallel to Rac1. The precise function(s) of RhoG in vivo has not yet been defined. We have identified a novel role for RhoG in signaling the neutrophil respiratory burst stimulated by G protein-coupled receptor agonists. Bone marrow-derived neutrophils from RhoG knockout (RhoG−/−) mice exhibited a marked impairment of oxidant generation in response to C5a or fMLP, but normal responses to PMA or opsonized zymosan and normal bacterial killing. Activation of Rac1 and Rac2 by fMLP was diminished in RhoG−/− neutrophils only at very early (5 s) time points (by 25 and 32%, respectively), whereas chemotaxis in response to soluble agonists was unaffected by lack of RhoG. Additionally, fMLP-stimulated phosphorylation of protein kinase B and p38MAPK, activation of phospholipase D, and calcium fluxes were equivalent in wild-type and RhoG−/− neutrophils. Our results define RhoG as a critical component of G protein-coupled receptor-stimulated signaling cascades in murine neutrophils, acting either via a subset of total cellular Rac relevant to oxidase activation and/or by a novel and as yet undefined interaction with the neutrophil NADPH oxidase.
Cooperation between TNF Receptor-Associated Factors 1 and 2 in CD40 Signaling
Authors: Xie Ping , Hostager Bruce S. , Munroe Melissa E. , Moore Carissa R. , Bishop Gail A.
Published: April 2014

TNFR-associated factor 1 (TRAF1) is unique among the TRAF family, lacking most zinc-binding features, and showing marked up-regulation following activation signals. However, the biological roles that TRAF1 plays in immune cell signaling have been elusive, with many reports assigning contradictory roles to TRAF1. The overlapping binding site for TRAFs 1, 2, and 3 on many TNFR superfamily molecules, together with the early lethality of mice deficient in TRAFs 2 and 3, has complicated the quest for a clear understanding of the functions of TRAF1. Using a new method for gene targeting by homologous recombination in somatic cells, we produced and studied signaling by CD40 and its viral oncogenic mimic, latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) in mouse B cell lines lacking TRAF1, TRAF2, or both TRAFs. Results indicate that TRAFs 1 and 2 cooperate in CD40-mediated activation of the B cell lines, with a dual deficiency leading to a markedly greater loss of function than that of either TRAF alone. In the absence of TRAF1, an increased amount of TRAF2 was recruited to lipid rafts, and subsequently, more robust degradation of TRAF2 and TRAF3 was induced in response to CD40 signaling. In contrast, LMP1 did not require either TRAFs 1 or 2 to induce activation. Taken together, our findings indicate that TRAF1 and TRAF2 cooperate in CD40 but not LMP1 signaling and suggest that cellular levels of TRAF1 may play an important role in modulating the degradation of TRAF2 and TRAF3 in response to signals from the TNFR superfamily.
Regulation of N-Formyl Peptide Receptor Signaling and Trafficking by Individual Carboxyl-Terminal Serine and Threonine Residues
Authors: Potter Ross M. , Maestas Diane C. , Cimino Daniel F. , Prossnitz Eric R.
Published: April 2014

Adaptation, defined as the diminution of receptor signaling in the presence of continued or repeated stimulation, is critical to cellular function. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) undergo multiple adaptive processes, including desensitization and internalization, through phosphorylation of cytoplasmic serine and threonine residues. However, the relative importance of individual and combined serine and threonine residues to these processes is not well understood. We examined this mechanism in the context of the N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR), a well-characterized member of the chemoattractant/chemokine family of GPCRs critical to neutrophil function. To evaluate the contributions of individual and combinatorial serine and threonine residues to internalization, desensitization, and arrestin2 binding, 30 mutant forms of the FPR, expressed in the human promyelocytic U937 cell line, were characterized. We found that residues Ser328, Ser332, and Ser338 are individually critical, and indeed sufficient, for internalization, desensitization, and arrestin2 binding, but that the presence of neighboring threonine residues can inhibit these processes. Additionally, we observed no absolute correlation between arrestin binding and either internalization or desensitization, suggesting the existence of arrestin-independent mechanisms for these processes. Our results suggest C-terminal serine and threonine residues of the FPR represent a combinatorial code, capable of both positively and negatively regulating signaling and trafficking. This study is among the first detailed analyses of a complex regulatory site in a GPCR, and provides insight into GPCR regulatory mechanisms.
Enhancement of LFA-1-Mediated T Cell Adhesion by Human T Lymphotropic Virus Type 1 p12I1
Authors: Kim Seung-jae , Nair Amrithraj M. , Fernandez Soledad , Mathes Lawrence , Lairmore Michael D.
Published: April 2014

Cell-to-cell transmission of retroviruses, such as human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), is well documented, but the roles of viral regulatory or other nonstructural proteins in the modulation of T cell adhesion are incompletely understood. In this study we tested the role of the HTLV-1 accessory protein, p12I, on LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion. p12I is critical for early HTLV-1 infection by causing the release of calcium from the endoplasmic reticulum to activate NFAT-mediated transcription. We tested the role of this novel viral protein in mediating LFA-1-dependent cell adhesion. Our data indicated that T cells expressing a mutant HTLV-1 provirus that does not produce p12I mRNA (ACH.p12I) exhibited reduced LFA-1-mediated adhesion compared with wild-type HTLV-1-expressing cells (ACH). Furthermore, the expression of p12I in Jurkat T cells using lentiviral vectors enhanced LFA-1-mediated cell adhesion, which was inhibited by the calcium chelator BAPTA-AM, the calcium channel blocker SK&F 96365, and calpeptin, an inhibitor of the calcium-dependent protease calpain. Similar to the intracellular calcium mobilizer, thapsigargin, the expression of p12I in Jurkat T cells induced cell surface clustering of LFA-1 without changing the level of integrin expression. Our data are the first to indicate that HTLV-1 p12I, in addition to enhancing T cell activation, promotes cell-to-cell spread by inducing LFA-1 clustering on T cells via calcium-dependent signaling.
Reduced Nitric Oxide Synthase 2 (NOS2) Promoter Activity in the Syrian Hamster Renders the Animal Functionally Deficient in NOS2 Activity and Unable to Control an Intracellular Pathogen
Authors: Perez Luis E. , Chandrasekar Bysani , Saldarriaga Omar A. , Zhao Weiguo , Arteaga Lourdes T. , Travi Bruno L. , Melby Peter C.
Published: April 2014

Progressive disease in the hamster model of visceral leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania donovani, in contrast to infection in mice, mimics the progressive disease observed in untreated humans. During progressive infection in hamsters, there was a vigorous type 1 cellular immune response, which is typically associated with control of infection, suggesting that there was ineffective IFN-γ-mediated macrophage activation. Indeed, at the site of infection, hamsters did not express NO synthase 2 (NOS2), which is the primary mechanism for control of infection in mice. Furthermore, in striking contrast to mouse macrophages, IFN-γ-activated hamster macrophages did not did not express NOS2 nor generate NO, and were unable to restrict the replication of intracellular L. donovani. The absent hamster NOS2 expression was not the result of NOS2 gene deletion and the NOS2 cDNA had an intact open reading frame. Furthermore, the impaired transcription of NOS2 mRNA was selective and not due to global impairment of IFN-γ signaling (members of the IFN-γ-signaling pathway were expressed and functional and IFN-γ up-regulated several primary and secondary response genes). Strikingly, the proximal hamster NOS2 promoter, like the human ortholog, had >20-fold less basal and IFN-γ/LPS-inducible activity than the corresponding mouse promoter. Thus, reduced basal and IFN-γ-induced activity of the hamster NOS2 transcriptional unit, which is unique to this small animal and similar to the human counterpart, accompanies the inability of the animal to control an intracellular pathogen.
Nitrotyrosine Proteome Survey in Asthma Identifies Oxidative Mechanism of Catalase Inactivation
Authors: Ghosh Sudakshina , Janocha Allison J. , Aronica Mark A. , Swaidani Shadi , Comhair Suzy A. A. , Xu Weiling , Zheng Lemin , Kaveti Suma , Kinter Michael , Hazen Stanley L. , Erzurum Serpil C.
Published: April 2014

Reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species produced by epithelial and inflammatory cells are key mediators of the chronic airway inflammation of asthma. Detection of 3-nitrotyrosine in the asthmatic lung confirms the presence of increased reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, but the lack of identification of modified proteins has hindered an understanding of the potential mechanistic contributions of nitration/oxidation to airway inflammation. In this study, we applied a proteomic approach, using nitrotyrosine as a marker, to evaluate the oxidation of proteins in the allergen-induced murine model of asthma. Over 30 different proteins were targets of nitration following allergen challenge, including the antioxidant enzyme catalase. Oxidative modification and loss of catalase enzyme function were seen in this model. Subsequent investigation of human bronchoalveolar lavage fluid revealed that catalase activity was reduced in asthma by up to 50% relative to healthy controls. Analysis of catalase isolated from asthmatic airway epithelial cells revealed increased amounts of several protein oxidation markers, including chloro- and nitrotyrosine, linking oxidative modification to the reduced activity in vivo. Parallel in vitro studies using reactive chlorinating species revealed that catalase inactivation is accompanied by the oxidation of a specific cysteine (Cys377). Taken together, these studies provide evidence of multiple ongoing and profound oxidative reactions in asthmatic airways, with one early downstream consequence being catalase inactivation. Loss of catalase activity likely amplifies oxidative stress, contributing to the chronic inflammatory state of the asthmatic airway.
Lactobacilli-Expressed Single-Chain Variable Fragment (scFv) Specific for Intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1) Blocks Cell-Associated HIV-1 Transmission across a Cervical Epithelial Monolayer
Authors: Chancey Caren J. , Khanna Kristen V. , Seegers Jos F. M. L. , Zhang Guang Wen , Hildreth James , Langan Abigail , Markham Richard B.
Published: April 2014

The vaginal and cervical epithelia provide an initial barrier to sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in women. To study the interactions between HIV-1-infected cells or cell-free HIV-1 and the reproductive epithelium, the transmission of HIV-1 by infected cells or cell-free virus across human cervical epithelial cells was examined using a Transwell culture system. Cell-associated HIV-1 was transmitted more efficiently than cell-free virus, and monocyte-associated virus was transmitted most efficiently. Abs to ICAM-1 added to the apical side of the epithelium blocked cell-mediated transepithelial HIV-1 transmission in vitro. When used in a previously described model of vaginal HIV-1 transmission in human PBL-SCID mice, anti-murine ICAM-1 Abs (0.4 μg/10 μl) also blocked vaginal transmission of cell-associated HIV-1 in vivo. To evaluate a candidate delivery system for the use of this Ab as an anti-HIV-1 microbicide, anti-ICAM single-chain variable fragment Abs secreted by transformed lactobacilli were evaluated for their protective efficacy in the Transwell model. Like the intact Ab and Fab derived from it, the single-chain variable fragment at a concentration of 6.7 μg/100 μl was able to reduce HIV-1 transmission by 70 ± 5%. These data support the potential efficacy of an anti-ICAM Ab delivered by lactobacilli for use as an anti-HIV-1 microbicide.
Tumor-Derived TGFβ-1 Induces Dendritic Cell Apoptosis in the Sentinel Lymph Node
Authors: Ito Manabu , Minamiya Yoshihiro , Kawai Hideki , Saito Satoshi , Saito Hajime , Nakagawa Taku , Imai Kazuhiro , Hirokawa Makoto , Ogawa Jun-ichi
Published: April 2014

Lymphatic flux from a primary tumor initially flows into a tumor-draining lymph node (LN), the so-called sentinel LN (SLN). Carried by the lymph fluid are a variety of mediators produced by the tumor that can influence immune responses within the SLN, making it a good model with which to investigate tumor-related immunology. For instance, dendritic cell (DC) numbers are reduced in SLNs from melanoma and breast cancer patients. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism by which DC numbers were reduced within SLNs from patients with non-small cell lung cancer. We found that the incidence of apoptosis among DCs was higher in SLNs than in non-SLNs, as were levels of TGFβ-1. In contrast, levels of TGFβ-1 mRNA did not differ between SLNs and non-SLNs, but were 30 times higher in tumors than in either LN type. In vitro, incubation for 2 days with TGFβ-1 induced apoptosis among both cultured DCs and DCs acutely isolated from normal thoracic LNs, effects that were blocked by the TGFβ-1 inhibitor DAN/Fc chimera. Taken together, these results suggest that tumor-derived TGFβ-1 induces immunosuppression within SLNs before the movement of tumor cells into the SLNs, thereby facilitating metastasis within those nodes.
How Plausible Is It That Conscious Control Is Illusory?
Authors: Navon David
Published: April 2014

Findings in a number of neuropsychological studies involving reports of decisions to initiate spontaneous movement (e.g., Fried, Mukamel, and Kreiman, 2011; Libet, Gleason, Wright, and Pearl, 1983; Soon, Brass, Heinze, & Haynes, 2008) are often interpreted as putting in question the reality of conscious control and, by extension, the time-honored concept of free will. I suggest that several problems with the basic paradigm used by most such studies, elaborated on in some recent articles (prominently Miller, Shepherdson, & Trevena, 2011, and Schurger, Sitt, & Dehaene, 2012), as well as some other arguments, raise doubt that conscious control is in fact a gratuitous byproduct of preconscious brain activity.
Más allá de la autoubicación por qué el nacionalismo predice mejor el comportamiento electoral en el País Vasco
Authors: Leonisio Calvo Rafael , Strijbis Oliver
Published: April 2014

La mayoría de analistas piensan que en el País Vasco el cleavagenacionalista es más importante que la división izquierda-derecha para lacompetición partidista. Sin embargo, estudios recientes han mostradoque la autoubicación en la escala izquierda-derecha predice mejor elcomportamiento electoral que la autoubicación en una escala denacionalismo. Tratamos de resolver esa aparente paradoja mostrandoque la autoubicación en el eje izquierda-derecha tiene que ver conmuchas dimensiones y por tanto no tiene por qué coincidir con lainterpretación clásica de los términos «izquierda» y «derecha». Una vezoperacionalizadas las preferencias en determinados temas, la divisiónnacionalismo vasco-españolismo se convierte en un factor másimportante a la hora de decidir el voto que la división izquierda-derecha.
Abstención diferencial en Cataluña y en la Comunidad de Madrid: explicación sociopolítica de un fenómeno urbano
Authors: Vallés Josep Maria , Liñeira Robert
Published: April 2014

La abstención diferencial entre elecciones generales y autonómicas enEspaña presenta dos características recurrentes: es más elevada en lascomunidades autónomas de Cataluña y de Madrid, y tiende a concentrarseen las áreas metropolitanas de las ciudades de Barcelona y Madrid. ¿Quépuede explicar estas dos pautas territoriales? A los intentos de explicacióndel fenómeno, aportamos en este artículo nuevos elementos utilizando datoscensales a nivel de sección. La principal conclusión es que la desmovilizaciónregistrada en estas elecciones se relaciona con algunos rasgos de laestructura sociodemográfica de las áreas metropolitanas de ambascomunidades: mayor presencia de electorado joven, mayor desempleo ymayor porcentaje de electores no nacidos en la comunidad autónoma. Porotro lado, un factor político como es la implantación electoral socialistaaparece también como elemento significativo para explicar los diferencialesde abstención. La combinación de los elementos citados permite dar unaimagen más clara de quién deja de votar en estas elecciones autonómicas yproporciona nuevas pistas para construir una explicación más general delfenómeno de la llamada abstención diferencial.
Nuevo índice de democracia
Authors: De Miguel Rodríguez Jesús Manuel , Martínez Dordella Santiago
Published: April 2014

El presente artículo analiza y reelabora el Democracy Index de TheEconomist Intelligence Unit, elaborado en el Reino Unido. Se analizanlos cambios producidos durante el lustro 2006 a 2011, tanto del índicede democracia como de los cinco factores fundamentales: procesoelectoral y pluralismo, funcionamiento del Gobierno, participaciónpolítica, cultura política democrática, y libertades civiles. El análisis delos factores —medidos con sesenta variables— permite elaborar unnuevo índice basado en los datos de 167 países del mundo, calculandoun ranking revisado. Los países se clasifican en cuatro tipos:democracias, democracias defectuosas, sistemas mixtos, y regímenesautoritarios/totalitarios. El nuevo índice permite un análisis del impactode la crisis mediante variables de crecimiento económico, desarrollohumano, calidad de vida, corrupción, y violencia.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Beef Cow-Calf Grazing Systems in Uruguay
Authors: Becona Gonzalo , Astigarraga Laura , Picasso Valentin D.
Published: April 2014

Evaluating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at farm level is an important tool to mitigate climate change. Livestock account for 80% of the total GHG emissions in Uruguay, and beef cow-calf systems are possibly the largest contributors. In cow-calf grazing systems, optimizing forage allowance and grazing intensity may increase pasture productivity, reproductive performance, beef productivity, and possibly reduce GHG emissions. This study estimated GHG emissions per kg of live weight gain (LWG) and per hectare from 20 cow-calf systems in Uruguay, with different management practices. The GHG emissions were on average 20.8 kg CO2-e.kg LWG-1, ranging from 11.4 to 32.2. Beef productivity and reproductive efficiency were the main determinants of GHG emissions. Five farm clusters were identified with different productive and environmental efficiency by numerical classification of relevant variables. Improving grazing efficiency by optimizing the stocking rate and forage production can increase beef productivity by 22% and reduce GHG emissions per kg LWG by 28% compared to “low performance” management. Further improvements in reproductive efficiency can increase productivity by 41% and reduce GHG emissions per kg LWG by 23%, resulting in a “carbon smart” strategy. However, the most intensified farms with highest stocking rate and beef productivity, did not reduce GHG emissions per kg LWG, while increased GHG emissions per ha compared to the carbon smart. This analysis showed that it is possible to simultaneously reduce carbon footprint per kg and per ha, by optimizing grazing management. This study demonstrated that there is high potential to reduce cow-calf GHG emissions through improved grazing management.
Technology-Enhanced Discovery
Authors: Harrow Chris , Chin Lillian
Published: April 2014

Exploration, innovation, proof: For students, teachers, and others who are curious, keeping your mind open and ready to investigate unusual or unexpected properties will always lead to learning something new. Technology can further this process, allowing various behaviors to be analyzed that were previously memorized or poorly understood. This article shares the adventure of one such discovery of exploration, innovation, and proof that was uncovered when a teacher tried to find a smoother way to model conic sections using dynamic technology. When an unexpected pattern regarding the locus of an ellipse's or hyperbola's foci emerged, he pitched the problem to a ninth grader as a challenge, resulting in a marvelous adventure for both teacher and student. Beginning with the evolution of the ideas that led to the discovery of the focal locus and ending with the significant student-written proof and conclusion, we hope to inspire further classroom use of technology to enhance student learning and discovery.
Multiple Representations and Connections with the Sierpinski Triangle
Authors: Kirwan J. Vince , Tobias Jennifer M.
Published: April 2014

A task using multiple representations helps students write explicit algebraic equations.
A Comparative Study of Production Performance and Egg Quality Parameters of Naked-Neck and Indigenous Aseel Chicken of Pakistan
Authors: Muhammad Usman  , A. Basheer  , M. Akram  , I. Zahoor
Published: April 2014

The present study was conducted to evaluate production performance and egg quality of four different varieties of native Aseel chicken in comparison with naked neck. A total of 105 adult chickens, 21 birds from each of four varieties of Aseel namely Lakha, Mushki, Peshawari and Mianwali, and 21 birds from naked neck, were maintained separately. The data of daily egg production, daily egg weight and weekly egg quality were calculated for up to ten weeks and analyzed under Completely Randomized Design (CRD) through SAS 9.1 software. Comparison among treatment means were made through Duncan’s Multiple Range (DMR) test. The results showed that egg production of Naked-neck (47.42) was significantly higher (P
The social movement concept under debate: from the sixties to the present day
Authors: Nunes Cristina
Published: April 2014

Departing from the notion of social movement advanced by the theories of resource mobilization, political process and new social movements, the article aims to trace different analytical paths traversed by the studies on social movements and collective action. In this discussion it’s considered the hypothesis that over the past few decades, as the macro-structural approaches were giving way to contributions more focused on the micro-social processes and features of social movements, the debate around the concept of social movement may have lost the relevance assumed by earlier analysis developed during the 1960s and 1970s.
Development of an Automated Medical Diagnosis System for Classifying Thyroid Tumor Cells using Multiple Classifier Fusion
Authors: Gopinath B. , Shanthi N.
Published: April 2014

An automated medical diagnosis system has been developed to discriminate benign and malignant thyroid nodules in multi-stained fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) images using multiple classifier fusion and presented in this paper. First, thyroid cell regions are extracted from the auto-cropped sub-image by implementing mathematical morphology segmentation method. Subsequently, statistical features are extracted by two-level wavelet decomposition based on texture characteristics of the thyroid cells. After that, decision tree (DT), k-nearest neighbor ( k-NN), Elman neural network (ENN) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers are used separately to classify thyroid nodules into benign and malignant. The four individual classifier outputs are then fused together using majority voting rule and linear combination rules to improve the performance of the diagnostic system. The classification results of ENN and SVM classifiers show an overall diagnostic accuracy (DA) of 90%, sensitivity (Se) of 85% and 100%, specificity (Sp) of 90% and 90% respectively. However, the best diagnostic accuracy of 96.66% is obtained by multiple classifier fusion with majority voting rule and linear combination rules. The experimental results show that the proposed method is a useful tool for the diagnosis of thyroid cancer and can provide a second opinion for a physician’s decision.
High‐Stability van Der Waals Structures of GeTe/Sb2Te3 Superlattices for 100× Increased Durability Phase‐Change Memory (PCM) by Low‐Temperature Atomic Layer Deposition
Authors: Zhu Rong‐Jiang , Zhao Rui‐Zhe , Gao Ke , Zhang Zhuo‐Ran , He Qiang , Tong Hao , Miao Xiang‐Shui
Published: July 2024

The superlattices phase‐change memory (SL‐PCM), based on GeTe/Sb2Te3 superlattices (SLs), garners considerable attention within the academic community owing to its exceptional electrical properties. While the exact mechanism remains a topic of ongoing debate, researchers widely acknowledge that the presence of van der Waals (vdW) gap structures within SLs plays a pivotal role. However, the formation of vertical nanoparticles (VNPs) from the random orientation of Sb2Te3 and the substantial intermixing between GeTe and Sb2Te3 due to high‐temperature fabrication processes leads to pronounced elemental intermixing during electrical operations, causing a loss of SLs properties. This investigation uses atomic layer deposition techniques, specifically Sb‐atomic seed layer and periodic quintuple layers stacking, to address issues from random orientation Sb2Te3 grains and anomalous VNPs. This approach yields Sb2Te3 crystalline films with a high‐stability vdW gap structures. By leveraging these films, SLs with a preferred crystallographic orientation at a notable low temperature of 90 °C are successfully fabricated. The optimized SLs exhibit remarkable structural stability and mitigate alloy phase emergence during electrical operations, resulting in a 100‐fold enhancement in device durability. This work advances reliable SL‐PCM understanding and implementation, propelling this memory technology into the next generation.
Multi‐Point Collaborative Passivation of Surface Defects for Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Qiao Xiang , Zhu Rui , Yan Dong , Su Zhenhuang , Zhang Zuhong , Wu Hongzhuo , Tan Yasong , Liang Mengnan , Zuo Weiwei , Zhang Junhan , Li Guixiang , Gao Xingyu , Saliba Michael , Li Meng
Published: July 2024

The inherent defects (lead iodide inversion and iodine vacancy) in perovskites cause non‐radiative recombination and there is also ion migration, decreasing the efficiency and stability of perovskite devices. Eliminating these inherent defects is critical for achieving high‐efficiency perovskite solar cells. Herein, an organic molecule with multiple active sites (4,7‐bromo‐5,6‐fluoro‐2,1,3‐phenylpropyl thiadiazole, M4) is introduced to modify the upper interface of perovskites. When M4 interacts with the perovskite surface, the active bromine (Br) site interacts with lead (Pb) at the surface to repair iodine atomic vacancy defects. The fluorine (F) site of M4 interacts with Pb to correct octahedral crystal lattice distortions and eliminate PbI defects. Additionally, sulfur–iodine (S–I) interactions reduce I–I dimerization and eliminate IPb defects. It is also calculated that the energy level of M4 aligns with the band gap, promoting charge transfer. As a result, the perovskite devices achieve an efficiency of 25.1%, a stabilized power output (SPO) of 25.0%, a voltage of 1.19 V, and a fill factor of 85.2%. The device retains 95% of its initial efficiency after 2000 h of ageing in a nitrogen atmosphere. Thus, multi‐point cooperative passivation of surface defects provides an effective method to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.
Tunable Viscoelasticity of Alginate Hydrogels via Serial Autoclaving
Authors: Moheimani Hamidreza , Stealey Samuel , Neal Sydney , Ferchichi Eya , Zhang Jialiang , Foston Marcus , Setton Lori A. , Genin Guy M. , Huebsch Nathaniel , Zustiak Silviya P.
Published: July 2024

Alginate hydrogels are widely used as biomaterials for cell culture and tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. Reducing alginate molecular weight is an effective strategy for modulating hydrogel viscoelasticity and stress relaxation behavior, which can significantly impact cell spreading and fate. However, current methods like gamma irradiation to produce low molecular weight alginates suffer from high cost and limited accessibility. Here, a facile and cost‐effective approach to reduce alginate molecular weight in a highly controlled manner using serial autoclaving is presented. Increasing the number of autoclave cycles results in proportional reductions in intrinsic viscosity, hydrodynamic radius, and molecular weight of the polymer while maintaining its chemical composition. Hydrogels fabricated from mixtures of the autoclaved alginates exhibit tunable mechanical properties, with inclusion of lower molecular weight alginate leading to softer gels with faster stress relaxation behaviors. The method is demonstrated by establishing how viscoelastic relaxation affects the spreading of encapsulated fibroblasts and glioblastoma cells. Results establish repetitive autoclaving as an easily accessible technique to generate alginates with a range of molecular weights and to control the viscoelastic properties of alginate hydrogels, and demonstrate utility across applications in mechanobiology, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.
Copper and Photocatalytic Synergistic Strategies for Radical Cyclization Reactions
Authors: Lu Yue‐Jiao , Dai Nan‐Nan , Li Mu‐Han , Tian Wen‐Chan , Li Qiang , Wang Zheng‐Jun , Tang Keqi , Wei Wen‐Ting
Published: July 2024

The rapid development of photo‐synergistic transition metal catalytic systems has provided a green paradigm to complement thermal transition metal catalytic methods. However, the most commonly used iridium or ruthenium complexes involve expensive in nature, in contrast to the abundant copper elements in the earth's crust, which are highly valued for their unique electronic structure and light‐absorbing properties. Recently, the application of copper and photocatalytic synergistic strategies in radical cyclization reactions has progressed considerably, leading to a renaissance in the synthesis of functional natural products, drugs and their analogues, but summary work addressing this aspect has not been reported. In this review, we briefly analyze the effect of ligand choice on copper complexes and some inorganic copper salts and even on light sources. We then summarize the copper and photocatalytic synergistic strategies in radical cyclization reactions and classify them into three categories, C, N and O radicals, according to the class of the central atom of the radical in each work, and in each category will be elaborated in turn from coordination cyclization via Cu catalysts, direct radical cyclization and other cyclization mode. For individual more complex reactions, the mechanisms are explored and briefly discussed.
The bifunctional and reusable catalyst of cerium/L‐arginine on mesoporous KIT‐6 in the chemoselective oxidation of sulfides and homoselective synthesis of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans
Authors: Darabi Mitra , Nikoorazm Mohsen , Tahmasbi Bahman , Ghorbani‐Choghamarani Arash
Published: July 2024

In this work, KIT‐6@Schiff‐base@Ce nanocatalyst was synthesized by immobilizing the Ce complex on KIT‐6 mesoporous silica framework modified with 3‐iodopropyltrimethoxysilane group. The surface area, total volume, and average diameter of pores, physical properties, functional groups, organic content, and element combination of the obtained nanocatalyst were identified using different techniques including BET, FT‐IR, XRD, WDX, SEM, and EDX. The KIT‐6@Schiff‐base@Ce was investigated as a novel stable and reusable catalyst with excellent performance for the selective synthesizing of sulfoxide and tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans. The designed catalyst successfully oxidized a large number of sulfides using hydrogen peroxide under solvent‐free conditions or in ethanol as a safe, green, and available solvent with good efficiency within short reaction times. Also, KIT‐6@Schiff‐base@Ce catalyzed a number of tetrahydrobenzo[b]pyrans using multicomponent condensation of dimedone, aldehydes, and malononitrile in water/ethanol (1:1) as ideal, safe, green and available solvent.
Preparation of poly(5‐ferrocenyl‐dipyrromethane) as sensor for electrochemical removal of aluminum and barium ions in real water samples
Authors: Cinar Seda , Surucu Ozge
Published: July 2024

In this work, 5‐ferrocenyl‐dipyrromethane (Fc‐DPM) synthesized from the pyrrole and ferrocenecarboxaldehyde condensation was electrochemically deposited on a gold (Au) electrode and used to remove metal ions found in rural waters. The structural analysis of Fc‐DPM was recorded by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The Fc‐DPM was electrochemically coated on an indium tin oxide‐polyethylene terephthalate (ITO‐PET) surface, and the resulting Fc‐DPM/ITO‐PET was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)–energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) analysis. The heavy metal and mineral content of four real water samples from the same rural area were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) before and after electrochemical removal. The proposed Fc‐DPM/Au electrode was successfully applied for aluminum ion (Al3+) and barium ion (Ba2+) removal for the first time, and the limit of detection (LOD) was calculated as 0.003 and 0.217 ppb for Ba2+ and Al3+, respectively.
Recent improvements in quantification of energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectra and maps in electron microscopy of semiconductors
Authors: Walther Thomas
Published: July 2024

This tutorial‐style article describes recent improvements in the quantitative application of energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and mapping in electron microscopes to semiconductors, with a focus on spatial resolution, sensitivity and accuracy obtainable in characterising the chemical composition of thin layers, quantum wells and quantum dots. Various approaches applicable in scanning electron microscopy of bulk and (scanning) transmission electron microscopy of thin film samples are outlined. Applications to semiconductor quantum well systems, mainly based on indium gallium arsenide and silicon germanium studied in the author's laboratory, are provided as examples.
Axion‐Like Interactions and CFT in Topological Matter, Anomaly Sum Rules and the Faraday Effect
Authors: Corianò Claudio , Cretì Mario , Lionetti Stefano , Melle Dario , Tommasi Riccardo
Published: July 2024

Fundamental aspects of chiral anomaly‐driven interactions in conformal field theory (CFT) in four spacetime dimensions are discussed. These interactions find application in very general contexts, from early universe plasma to topological condensed matter. The key shared characteristics of these interactions are outlined, specifically addressing the case of chiral anomalies, both for vector currents and gravitons. In the case of topological materials, the gravitational chiral anomaly is generated by thermal gradients via the (Tolman–Ehrenfest) Luttinger relation. In the CFT framework, a nonlocal effective action, derived through perturbation theory, indicates that the interaction is mediated by excitation in the form of an anomaly pole, which appears in the conformal limit of the vertex. To illustrate this, it is demonstrated how conformal Ward identities (CWIs) in momentum space allow to reconstruct the entire chiral anomaly interaction in its longitudinal and transverse sectors just by inclusion of a pole in the longitudinal sector. Both sectors are coupled in amplitudes with an intermediate chiral fermion or a bilinear Chern–Simons current with intermediate photons. In the presence of fermion mass corrections, the pole transforms into a cut, but the absorption amplitude in the axial‐vector channel satisfies mass‐independent sum rules related to the anomaly in any chiral interaction. The detection of an axion‐like/quasiparticle in these materials may rely on a combined investigation of these sum rules, along with the measurement of the angle of rotation of the plane of polarization of incident light when subjected to a chiral perturbation. This phenomenon serves as an analog of a similar one in ordinary axion physics, in the presence of an axion‐like condensate, which is rederived using axion electrodynamics.
Biphyly of the genus Wendlandia and establishment of a new tribe Clavistigmateae and a new genus Clavistigma of Rubiaceae from Asia
Authors: Tu Tieyao , Cai Jie , Razafimandimbison Sylvain G. , Hu Xiaoying , Xia Qian , Yang Hong , Gu Shiran , Huang Tianyi , Zhao Zhongtao , Shi Miaomiao , Wang Xiangping , Li Shijin , Xie Peiwu , Wen Jun , Zhang Dianxiang
Published: July 2024

Wendlandia, as currently circumscribed, is a genus of Rubiaceae comprising about 90 species mainly in tropical and subtropical Asia. By sampling species from all four series (Clavigerae, Euexsertae, Montigenae, Subinclusae) and all tribes in the subfamily Dialypetalanthoideae, we examined the monophyly of Wendlandia based on phylogenetic reconstruction using the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer and four plastid DNA regions. Wendlandia was resolved as biphyletic, consisting of two distantly related lineages that correspond to the monotypic series Clavigerae (Wendlandia pendula), sister to the Chinese endemic genus Trailliaedoxa, and a clade containing the remainder sampled members of Wendlandia. Based on the isolated phylogenetic position of W. pendula and its unique morphological characteristics compared to the recognized tribes of the Vanguerieae alliance, we herein erect a new monotypic genus, Clavistigma, and a new tribe, Clavistigmateae to accommodate the unique species. The secondary pollen presentation and the unique seed morphology were firstly described for the species. The divergence time between Clavistigma and Trailliaedoxa was dated back to 13.8 mya, coinciding with the climate change in northwestern Yunnan driven by the uplift Tibet Plateau and the river incision in the Hengduan Mountains during the Miocene and Late Pliocene.
Simple modified silicone rubber injection technique in fresh cadaveric pelvis and extremities
Authors: Siriwittayakorn Wuttipong , Buranaphatthana Thanawat , Settakorn Jongkolnee , Apivatthakakul Theerachai , Apivatthakakul Varat , Theppariyapol Bodin
Published: July 2024

The silicone rubber injection technique was first described in 1999 and has been used in the vascular study of neurology and head and neck dissection. Silicone rubber is durable, flexible, and inexpensive. However, the original silicone rubber injection formula perfuses poorly into the pelvis and extremities. We present a simple modification to the silicone rubber injection technique, showcasing its effectiveness in studying the vascular structures in the pelvis and extremities. We used an ordinary mold‐making silicone rubber. The new formula involves mixing the silicone rubber with silicone thinner, acetone, catalyst, and resin color. The mixture is then injected into the artery until the color becomes visible under the skin. The specimen is left at room temperature for 0.5–1 h for the silicone rubber to harden. With our technique, the silicone rubber substance perfuses adequately into small arterial perforators and can penetrate into the subdermal plexus. The smallest subdermal arteries identified under a light microscope measured 6 μm. The modified silicone rubber injection technique has proven to be a valuable tool in anatomical education and surgical training.
Chinese expert consensus on an innovative patient‐centered approach to diagnosis and treatment of cancer
Authors: Mo Hongnan , Zhong Ruiqi , Ma Fei
Published: July 2024

Patient‐centered care (PCC) is an innovative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of malignancy that aims to improve patients' experience during the management of their disease. However, despite growing interest, the concept and specifics of PCC remain unclear. This consensus document addresses this gap by providing a literature review and a clear definition of PCC and outlines its main components as observed in real‐world practice. These components include daytime diagnostic and treatment procedures, in‐hospital and community‐based infusion centers, home‐based diagnostic and treatment services, smart healthcare solutions, and integration of traditional Chinese medicine. This document delves into the implementation of PCC and explores its potential benefits.
Experimental Validation of Stationary and Transient Models of a Methanol Demonstration Plant
Authors: Franza Fabrizio , Dignath Florian , Schlüter Stefan , Geitner Christian , Voß Johannes Michael , Schulzke Tim , Zheng Qinghua
Published: July 2024

The system integration of cross‐industrial networks in the Carbon2Chem® project relies on numerical simulations. Hence, this study validates the methanol synthesis loop models vs. the measurements from a demonstration plant, focusing on the thermodynamic, kinetic, and dynamic aspects. The plant can produce up to 500 L per week of methanol from real blast furnace gases of the thyssenkrupp steel plant in Duisburg. Despite its small size, it comprises a recycle gas loop and an original reactor tube of 6 m in length. After validation, the simulation models are used to analyze the dynamic operation limits of the plant, and they are transferred to the model of an industrial size to analyze the operation of cross‐industrial networks with volatile boundary conditions.
Robust optimization of cascaded MSMPR crystallization unit using unsupervised machine learning
Authors: Inapakurthi Ravi Kiran , Mitra Kishalay
Published: July 2024

The use of mixed suspension mixed product removal (MSMPR) system in the pharmaceutical industry to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients is well known. In industrial settings, the MSMPR system is subject to lot of process uncertainty which, if ignored, might result in poor product quality. In this work, the process uncertainty involved in MSMPR is targeted during the process optimization stage to find robust optimal operating conditions. The temperature and the residence time inside each cascaded MSMPR unit, altogether six, are considered as uncertain parameters. A sampled set of uncertain data points for such six different uncertain parameters are clustered using a novel support vector clustering (SVC) based algorithm. The uniqueness of this algorithm lies in its ability to fine‐tune the hyper‐parameters of SVC while intelligently clustering the uncertain data points into optimal number of clusters. Such identified clusters are helpful to generate more samples from the intended regions rather than generating them randomly to avoid proposing conservative solutions. Both best‐case and worst‐case scenarios for robust oOptimization (RO) are considered with , and samples. As the model has to be evaluated for a large number of samples and the MSMPR models are time‐consuming to evaluate, a surrogate model of the MSMPR process is developed to perform optimization under uncertainty. Performance metrics are used to quantitatively establish the superiority of the SVC based RO over the box‐sampling based RO.
Heteroatom‐Doped Graphene Nanoribbons: Precision Synthesis and Emerging Properties†
Authors: Gao Pei‐Han , Chen Cheng , Wang Xiao‐Ye
Published: July 2024

Comprehensive Summary

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), which can be considered as a special type of conjugated polymers, are quasi‐one‐dimensional graphene cutouts with an opened band gap, revealing great potential as functional materials in optoelectronic, spintronic, and energy‐related applications. An effective strategy to modulate the properties of GNRs is doping heteroatoms into the π‐skeleton. Thanks to the bottom‐up synthetic approach, a number of heteroatom‐doped GNRs with precise structures have been reported, exhibiting intriguing properties. Nevertheless, a comprehensive summary of the progress of this field has remained elusive. In this review, we summarize the history and advances in bottom‐up synthesized heteroatom‐doped GNRs, including their synthetic routes, electronic properties, and promising applications. We hope to establish the reliable structure–property relationship, and provide guidance for the molecular design of heteroatom‐doped GNRs in the future.