bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proteomic study of apheresis platelets made HLA class I deficient for transfusion of refractory patients
Authors: Mirlashari Mohammad Reza , Vetlesen Annette , Nissen‐Meyer Lise Sofie H. , Stensland Maria Ekman , Singh Sachin Kumar , Nyman Tuula Anneli , Hetland Geir
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Refractoriness can occur after repeated platelet (PLT) transfusions because of alloimmunization to HLA class I antigens on transfused PLTs and generation of anti‐HLA antibodies that bind to the foreign PLTs and initiate their destruction. Such refractoriness can be overcome by provision of HLA‐matched PLTs from HLA typed donors. However, since the procedure is both expensive and time‐consuming, an alternative approach is to deplete PLTs of HLA class I molecules by a brief treatment with citric acid, on ice. This is shown to be feasible without damaging PLT function. We used label free quantitative mass spectrometry (MS)‐based proteomics to investigate the effect of acid treatment on apheresis PLTs for combatting immunologic PLT refractoriness.

Experimental Design

Proteomic analyses are undertaken using PLTs from seven apheresis concentrates, which were split in two with or without acid treatment.

Results

In total 1717 proteins in apheresis PLTs were quantified using proteomics. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD027893 . Of these, the amount of 80 proteins changed significantly after acid treatment, but overall there were not any major differences in proteomes between samples with and without acid treatment.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

In general, the changes of PLT proteins after treatment with citric acid were quite small and functionally safe. Hence, this result taken together with our previously published data indicates that acid treated PLTs can be used for treatment of patients with PLT refractoriness and opens up for a clinical trial.
Influences of the Random Stacking and Charge's Diameter on Compression and Fracture Process of Propellant Charge
Authors: Li Chao , Rui Xiaoting , Gu Junjie , Gu Jian , Wang Yan
Published: September 2021

After decades of unremitting research on the launch safety of propellant charge at home and abroad, it is gradually recognized that the fractured propellant charge generated by the compression process of propellant particles is the leading cause of chamber explosion. The large numbers of particles in propellant charge inevitably bring out the complexity in describing the fracture process under impact load in description. The discrete element method is applied to study the influences of the random stacking configurations of propellant charge and the charge diameter on the compression and fracture process of propellant charge in this paper. The results show that the random stacking of propellant bed influences little on the fracture process under the same impact load. When the diameter of propellant charge is larger than a certain value, the charge's diameter has little influence on the fracture process.
Experimental Investigation on Combustion Characteristics and Agglomeration of Al/NEPE Propellants
Authors: Zhang Beichen , Xu Jinsheng , Feng Yaya , Zhang Anjie , Chen Xiong , Cai Wengxiang , Yingkun Li , Zhu Min
Published: September 2021

In order to understand the ignition and combustion characteristics of NEPE propellants under different pressure conditions and the agglomeration behavior of aluminum particles on the burning surface, the Al/NEPE propellant was tested on a sealed high‐pressure laser ignition platform. Laser ignition experiments show that both ignition delay time and combustion time are inversely proportional to ambient pressure. With the increase of pressure, the reduction of ignition delay time and self‐sustaining combustion time is reduced. The impact of pressure on ignition and combustion is very complex. We then analyze the effect of pressure on ignition delay time using a theoretical mechanism. High‐speed microscopic images display the agglomeration of aluminum particles in propellants mainly through the following three processes: accumulation, aggregation, and agglomeration. It is also found that many aluminum particles are agglomerated on the surface, the aluminum droplet agglomerates formed on the combustion surface are separated from the combustion surface, and the agglomerates rupture and flow out of the liquid alumina during the combustion process. The phenomenon of secondary agglomeration is also observed. The microstructure and elemental composition of combustion products of aluminum particles in NEPE propellant were obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The detection results confirmed some agglomeration phenomena. At 3.0 MPa, the combustion of the propellant sample is sufficient, and the aluminum particles are smooth spherical alumina particles. At 1.0 MPa, the combustion of the propellant sample is insufficient, and the aluminum particles are rough. The particle size under different pressure was analyzed by a laser particle size analyzer. The results show that increasing the pressure can reduce the average agglomeration size of aluminum particles and improve combustion efficiency. The number of large particle aggregates is more at 3 MPa. From the perspective of overall particle size results, within the same diameter interval, the percentage of particle number does not increase or decrease significantly with the increase of pressure.
CKD subpopulations defined by risk‐factors: A longitudinal analysis of electronic health records
Authors: Ramaswamy Rajagopalan , Wee Soon Nan , George Kavya , Ghosh Abhijit , Sarkar Joydeep , Burghaus Rolf , Lippert Jörg
Published: September 2021

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive disease that evades early detection and is associated with various comorbidities. Although clinical comprehension and control of these comorbidities is crucial for CKD management, complex pathophysiological interactions and feedback loops make this a formidable task. We have developed a hybrid semimechanistic modeling methodology to investigate CKD progression. The model is represented as a system of ordinary differential equations with embedded neural networks and takes into account complex disease progression pathways, feedback loops, and effects of 53 medications to generate time trajectories of eight clinical biomarkers that capture CKD progression due to various risk factors. The model was applied to real world data of US patients with CKD to map the available longitudinal information onto a set of time‐invariant patient‐specific parameters with a clear biological interpretation. These parameters describing individual patients were used to segment the cohort using a clustering approach. Model‐based simulations were conducted to investigate cluster‐specific treatment strategies. The model was able to reliably reproduce the variability in biomarkers across the cohort. The clustering procedure segmented the cohort into five subpopulations – four with enhanced sensitivity to a specific risk factor (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, or impaired kidney) and one that is largely insensitive to any of the risk factors. Simulation studies were used to identify patient‐specific strategies to restrain or prevent CKD progression through management of specific risk factors. The semimechanistic model enables identification of disease progression phenotypes using longitudinal data that aid in prioritizing treatment strategies at individual patient level.
Impact of Interface Recombination on Quantum Efficiency of a‐Si:H/c‐Si Solar Cells Based on Si Wires
Authors: Gudovskikh Alexander , Kudryashov Dmitry , Baranov Artem , Uvarov Alexander , Morozov Ivan , Maksimova Alina , Vyacheslavova Ekaterina , Kirilenko Demid , Mozharov Alexey
Published: September 2021

The impact of interface states on the quantum efficiency of a‐Si:H/c‐Si solar cells based on Si wires is studied using simulation and experimental measurements. The key role of the Si wire geometry for sensitivity of quantum efficiency to interface states on the sidewall is demonstrated. A decrease in Si wire diameter leads to enhanced recombination at the radial interface due to full inversion of the wire. Structures based on n‐Si wires with diameter of 0.5 and 1.5 μm and doping level of 2 × 1015 cm−3 fabricated using a combination of latex sphere lithography and cryogenic dry etching exhibit similar values of open‐circuit voltage (0.5 V) and strong differences for quantum efficiency spectra. For the structures based on Si wires with a radius (0.25 μm) smaller than the space‐charge region (0.6 μm) losses related to interface recombination leads to decrease in the quantum efficiency in the short‐wavelength region. The recombination losses may be reduced for Si wires with a radius exceeding the space charge region in silicon. In case of Si with a doping level of 1015–1016 cm−3, which is used for solar cells, the diameter of the wires should be above 1 μm.
La1−xSrxMnO3 Thin Films on Silicon Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering: Optimization of the Film Structure and Magnetic Properties by Postdeposition Annealing
Authors: Monecke Manuel , Richter Peter , Bülz Daniel , Robaschik Peter , Zahn Dietrich R.T. , Salvan Georgeta
Published: September 2021

Herein, a systematic study of postdeposition annealing for La1−xSrxMnO3 (LSMO) films regarding their structural, electronic, (magneto‐)optical, and magnetic properties is presented. The samples are prepared by magnetron sputtering at room temperature on silicon (111) substrates with native oxide and are annealed in ambient atmosphere for 12 h in a temperature range from 600 to 875 °C. The stoichiometry of the films is investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy is utilized to investigate the vibrational modes of the films. The diagonal and off‐diagonal components of the dielectric tensor are investigated by variable‐angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and magneto‐optic Kerr effect (MOKE) spectroscopy, respectively. The remanence and the coercive field of the layers are characterized by superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry. The magnetic properties are found to improve with increasing annealing temperature up to 850 °C, whereas the resistivity remains within a range between 0.5 and 2 Ωcm. The highest suitable annealing temperature for applications is, however, 775 °C due to the formation of a diffusion layer between LSMO and silicon oxide at higher temperatures.
Partial Auxeticity of Laterally Compressed Carbon Nanotube Bundles
Authors: Korznikova Elena A. , Zhou Kun , Galiakhmetova Leysan Kh. , Soboleva Elvira G. , Kudreyko Aleksey A. , Dmitriev Sergey V.
Published: September 2021

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted increasing attention because of their enormous potential in various technologies. Herein, the evolution of the structure and elastic properties of a CNT bundle under compression in uniaxial and biaxial regimes is analyzed using a chain model with a reduced number of degrees of freedom. The compression stress–strain curves consist of four stages, each of which is characterized by a specific structure and deformation mechanism. In the first stage, all CNTs have the same cross section; in the second stage, the translational symmetry is preserved in the system, but with a doubled translational cell; in the third stage, CNT collapse takes place, leading to the loss of the translational symmetry; the fourth stage begins when all CNTs collapse. Elastic constants are calculated for the CNT bundle under uniaxial and biaxial compression during the first two stages. In all loading schemes, during the second stage of deformation, the CNT bundle exhibits partial auxetic properties. The results obtained contribute to the fundamental knowledge for the design of carbon nanomaterials with enhanced properties.
The effect of anthocyanins supplementation on liver enzymes among patients with metabolic disorders: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Zhou Fengling , She Wei , He Lin , Zhu Jiuqun , Gu Lu
Published: September 2021

The present study aims to summarize and quantitatively examine the available evidence on the effectiveness of anthocyanin supplementation on liver enzymes among patients with metabolic disorders, by employing a systematic review and meta‐analytic approach. Online databases including PubMed/Medline, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched up to June 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effect of anthocyanin supplementation on serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) among patients with metabolic disorders. To estimate the overall effect of anthocyanin supplementation, we employed the random‐effects model. In total, 12 RCTs were included in the systematic review. Pooled analysis did not show any significant changes in ALT (WMD: ‐0.92 U/L, 95% CI: −4.19 to 2.35, p = .58; I2 = 91.3%) and AST (WMD: −1.22 U/L, 95% CI: −3.43 to 0.99, p = .28; I2 = 87.0) concentrations after supplementation with anthocyanin. The dose and duration of supplementation were the potential sources of heterogeneity among most of the trials. However, subgroup analysis showed that the effect is not statistically significant in all subgroups. Overall, in our study, anthocyanin does not have any effect on liver enzyme levels significantly. However, future high‐quality studies are still needed to confirm the results.
Exploring the hole mobility of oligothiophene based donors with different spatial symmetry and conjugation length of backbone: A theoretical insight
Authors: Zhu Guojia , Zheng Shaohui
Published: September 2021

Novel oligothiophene based donors have been synthesized and modified. However, how molecular modifications influence their molecular stacking and charge carrier mobility is not clear. In this work, we have selected two high‐performance oligothiophene based donors DRCN5T and DRCN6T to understand why the hole mobility of DRCN5T/PC71BM is much faster than that of DRCN6T/PC71BM in the experiment (Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2015). The computed data indicate that the maximum hole mobility of DRCN5T is about 20 times faster than that of DRCN6T. Moreover, DRCN5T has faster hole mobility than DRCN6T in almost every similar configuration. These mobility differences can be explained with the different positions and sparsity of side alkyl chains on the backbones. The work here gives a deep insight into the hole mobility in oligothiophene based OSCs and thereby may provide a guideline for future oligothiophene‐based donor material design and morphology control.
Incorporating survival data into case‐control studies with incident and prevalent cases
Authors: Mandal Soutrik , Qin Jing , Pfeiffer Ruth M.
Published: September 2021

Typically, case‐control studies to estimate odds‐ratios associating risk factors with disease incidence only include newly diagnosed cases. Recently proposed methods allow incorporating information on prevalent cases, individuals who survived from disease diagnosis to sampling, into cross‐sectionally sampled case‐control studies under parametric assumptions for the survival time after diagnosis. Here we propose and study methods to additionally use prospectively observed survival times from prevalent and incident cases to adjust logistic models for the time between diagnosis and sampling, the backward time, for prevalent cases. This adjustment yields unbiased odds‐ratio estimates from case‐control studies that include prevalent cases. We propose a computationally simple two‐step generalized method‐of‐moments estimation procedure. First, we estimate the survival distribution assuming a semiparametric Cox model using an expectation‐maximization algorithm that yields fully efficient estimates and accommodates left truncation for prevalent cases and right censoring. Then, we use the estimated survival distribution in an extension of the logistic model to three groups (controls, incident, and prevalent cases), to adjust for the survival bias in prevalent cases. In simulations, under modest amounts of censoring, odds‐ratios from the two‐step procedure were equally efficient as those estimated from a joint logistic and survival data likelihood under parametric assumptions. This indicates that utilizing the cases' prospective survival data lessens model dependencies and improves precision of association estimates for case‐control studies with prevalent cases. We illustrate the methods by estimating associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms and breast cancer risk using controls, and incident and prevalent cases sampled from the US Radiologic Technologists Study cohort.
Nano Ni/g‐C3N4 Photocatalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Coupling Reaction toward Alkyl Aryl Ketones Derivatives under Visible Light Irradiation
Authors: Hosseini‐Sarvari Mona , Akrami Zahra
Published: September 2021

In the present study, the synthesis of a group of carbonyl compounds that are widely used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries was prepared under mild and safe conditions. We developed a new method based on the nickel/carbon nitride (Ni/g‐C3N4) dual photocatalytic system to synthesize ketones without using expensive oxidants and heating. This article describes the oxidative coupling reactions between tertiary amines and aryl halides resulting in the production of natural aryl alkyl ketones. It should be noted that all these reactions were carried out using visible light, green solvents under eco‐friendly, one‐pot conditions, an air atmosphere, at room temperature, without the use of any oxidant.
Exploitation of Soybean Oil Acid Degumming Waste: Biocatalytic Synthesis of High Value Phospholipids
Authors: Allegretti Chiara , Bono Andrea , D'Arrigo Paola , Gatti Francesco G. , Marzorati Stefano , Rossato Letizia A. M. , Serra Stefano , Strini Alberto , Tessaro Davide
Published: September 2021

The acid degumming waste of the seeds oil refining industry is currently disposed of, but, instead, it could be exploited as an important source for the preparation of many products. In this work, the waste coming from the soybean oil refining step was first recovered and treated, allowing the isolation of a fraction enriched of phospholipids (PLs). Then, the latter was transformed, via an enzymatic reaction catalysed by phospholipase D (from Streptomyces netropsis), into more valuable products: polar head modified PLs‐enriched mixtures containing phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylhydroxybutyrate (PB). In the following we show how biocatalysis can be exploited for the production of value‐added PLs, to be used as functional food and nutraceutical ingredients, from a renewable feedstock. This alternative to the industrial usual disposal procedures should impart to the whole process a greater value in terms of carbon recycling, in agreement with the paradigms of bioeconomy for a wiser reuse of renewable resources in a circular economy perspective.
Designing and Understanding the Outstanding Tri‐Iodide Reduction of N‐Coordinated Magnetic Metal Modified Defect‐Rich Carbon Dodecahedrons in Photovoltaics
Authors: Sun Menglong , Yun Sining , Shi Jing , Zhang Yongwei , Arshad Asim , Dang Jiaoe , Zhang Lishan , Wang Xi , Liu Zhuolei
Published: September 2021

Nitrogen‐coordinated metal‐modified carbon is regarded as a novel frontier electrocatalyst in energy conversion devices. However, the construction of intrinsic defects in a carbon matrix remains a great challenge. Herein, N‐coordinated magnetic metal (Fe, Co) modified porous carbon dodecahedrons (Fe/Co‐NPCD) with a large surface area, rich intrinsic defects, and evenly distributed metal‐Nx species are successfully synthesized via the rational design of iron precursor and the bimetallic‐organic frameworks. Because of a synergistic effect between N‐coordinated dual magnetic metal active sites, the Fe/Co‐NPCD exhibits exceptional electrocatalytic activity and electrochemical stability. A solar cell fabricates with the Fe/Co‐NPCD yields an impressive power conversion efficiency of 8.35% in dye‐sensitized solar cells, superior to that of mono‐metal‐doped carbon‐based cells and conventional Pt‐based cells. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations illustrate that Fe, Co, and N doping are in favor of improving the adsorption capacity of the catalyst for I3− species by optimizing the magnetic momentum between the magnetic metal atoms, thereby upgrading its catalytic activity. This work develops a general strategy for synthesizing a high‐performance defect‐rich carbon‐based catalyst, and offers valuable insight into the role of magnetic metals in catalysis, which can be used to guide the design of high‐performance catalysts in the energy field.
Strong Electron Coupling of Ru and Vacancy‐Rich Carbon Dots for Synergistically Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Liu Zonglin , Li Baoqiang , Feng Yujie , Jia Dechang , Li Caicai , Sun Qingfeng , Zhou Yu
Published: September 2021

The exploitation of ingenious strategies to improve the activity and stability of ruthenium (Ru) is crucial for the advancement of Ru‐based electrocatalysts. Vacancy engineering is a typical strategy for modulating the catalytic activity of electrocatalysts. However, creating vacancies directly into pure metallic Ru is difficult because of the extremely stringent conditions required and will result in instability because the integrity of the crystal structure is destroyed. In response, a compromise tactic by introducing vacancies in a Ru composite structure is proposed, and vacancy‐rich carbon dots coupled with Ru (Ru@CDs) are elaborately constructed. Specifically, the vacancy‐rich carbon dots (CDs) serve as an excellent platform for anchoring and trapping Ru nanoparticles, thus restraining their agglomeration and growth. As expected, Ru@CDs exhibited excellent catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 30 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 m KOH, a small Tafel slope of 22 mV decade−1, and robust stability even after 10 000 cycles. The low overpotential is comparable to those of most previously reported Ru‐based electrocatalysts. Additionally, spectroscopic characterizations and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the rich vacancies and the electron interactions between Ru and CDs synergistically lower the intermediate energy barrier and thereby maximize the activity of the Ru@CDs electrocatalyst.
3D Printed Electrochromic Supercapacitors with Ultrahigh Mechanical Strength and Energy Density
Authors: Chang Peng , Mei Hui , Zhang Minggang , Zhao Yu , Wang Xiao , Cheng Laifei , Zhang Litong
Published: September 2021

With the accelerating update of advanced electronic gadgets, a great deal of attention is being paid today to the function integration and intelligent design of electronic devices. Herein, a novel kind of multitasking 3D oxygen‐deficient WO3–x ∙ 2H2O/Ag/ceramic microscaffolds, possessing simultaneous giant energy density, ultrahigh mechanical strength, and reversible electrochromic performance is proposed, and fabricated by a 3D printing technique. The ceramic microscaffolds ensure outstanding mechanical strength and stability, the topology optimized porous lattice structure provides developed surface area for coloration as well as abundant easily accessible channels for rapid ion transportation, and the bifunctional oxygen‐defective pseudomaterials enable the large areal capacity and impressive electrochromic performance. As a result, this 3D‐printed multitasking microscaffolds simultaneously perform structure‐designable, electrochromic, compression resistant, and energy storage functions, behaving with true 3D structure with tailorable curvatures, excellent compressive strength (61.9 MPa), large color variations (>145% in b* value), good aesthetic visual quality as well as exciting electrochemical performances for energy storage including ultrahigh areal capacitance (10.05 F cm−2 at 5 mA cm−2), record‐high energy density (0.60 mWh cm−2), and superior long‐term cycling stability (88.6% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles). This work opens up the possibility for high‐performance multi‐functional coupling structural materials and integrated systems.
Versatile Design of Functional Organic–Inorganic 3D‐Printed (Opto)Electronic Interfaces with Custom Catalytic Activity
Authors: Muñoz Jose , Redondo Edurne , Pumera Martin
Published: September 2021

The ability to combine organic and inorganic components in a single material represents a great step toward the development of advanced (opto)electronic systems. Nowadays, 3D‐printing technology has generated a revolution in the rapid prototyping and low‐cost fabrication of 3D‐printed electronic devices. However, a main drawback when using 3D‐printed transducers is the lack of robust functionalization methods for tuning their capabilities. Herein, a simple, general and robust in situ functionalization approach is reported to tailor the capabilities of 3D‐printed nanocomposite carbon/polymer electrode (3D‐nCE) surfaces with a battery of functional inorganic nanoparticles (FINPs), which are appealing active units for electronic, optical and catalytic applications. The versatility of the resulting functional organic–inorganic 3D‐printed electronic interfaces is provided in different pivotal areas of electrochemistry, including i) electrocatalysis, ii) bio‐electroanalysis, iii) energy (storage and conversion), and iv) photoelectrochemical applications. Overall, the synergism of combining the transducing characteristics of 3D‐nCEs with the implanted tuning surface capabilities of FINPs leads to new/enhanced electrochemical performances when compared to their bare 3D‐nCE counterparts. Accordingly, this work elucidates that FINPs have much to offer in the field of 3D‐printing technology and provides the bases toward the green fabrication of functional organic–inorganic 3D‐printed (opto)electronic interfaces with custom catalytic activity.
In situ Irradiated XPS Investigation on S‐Scheme TiO2@ZnIn2S4 Photocatalyst for Efficient Photocatalytic CO2 Reduction
Authors: Wang Libo , Cheng Bei , Zhang Liuyang , Yu Jiaguo
Published: September 2021

Reasonable design of efficient hierarchical photocatalysts has gained significant attention. Herein, a step‐scheme (S‐scheme) core‐shell TiO2@ZnIn2S4 heterojunction is designed for photocatalytic CO2 reduction. The optimized sample exhibits much higher CO2 photoreduction conversion rates (the sum yield of CO, CH3OH, and CH4) than the blank control, i.e., ZnIn2S4 and TiO2. The improved photocatalytic performance can be attributed to the inhibited recombination of photogenerated charge carriers induced by S‐scheme heterojunction. The improvement is also attributed to the large specific surface areas and abundant active sites. Meanwhile, S‐scheme photogenerated charge transfer mechanism is testified by in situ irradiated X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, work function calculation, and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. This work provides an effective strategy for designing highly efficient heterojunction photocatalysts for conversion of solar fuels.
Extremely Uniform Graphene Oxide Thin Film as a Universal Platform for One‐Step Biomaterial Patterning
Authors: Kim Cheol‐Hwi , Han Yoojoong , Choi Yoon , Kwon Minkyeong , Son Hyungbin , Luo Zhengtang , Kim Tae‐Hyung
Published: September 2021

Graphene oxide (GO) has proven to be a highly promising material across various biomedical research avenues, including cancer therapy and stem cell‐based regenerative medicine. However, creating a uniform GO coating as a thin layer on desired substrates has been considered challenging owing to the intrinsic variability of the size and shape of GO. Herein, a new method is introduced that enables highly uniform GO thin film (UGTF) fabrication on various biocompatible substrates. By optimizing the composition of the GO suspension and preheating process to the substrates, the “coffee‐ring effect” is significantly suppressed. After applying a special postsmoothing process referred to as the low‐oxygen concentration and low electrical energy plasma (LOLP) treatment, GO is converted to small fragments with a film thickness of up to several nanometers (≈5.1 nm) and a height variation of only 0.6 nm, based on atomic force microscopy images. The uniform GO thin film can also be generated as periodic micropatterns on glass and polymer substrates, which are effective in one‐step micropatterning of both antibodies and mouse melanoma cells (B16‐F10). Therefore, it can be concluded that the developed UGTF is useful for various graphene‐based biological applications.
Single Cobalt Atoms Decorated N‐doped Carbon Polyhedron Enabled Dendrite‐Free Sodium Metal Anode
Authors: Li Yijuan , Xu Pan , Mou Jirong , Xue Shoufeng , Huang Shaoming , Hu Junhua , Dong Quanfeng , Yang Chenghao , Liu Meilin
Published: September 2021

Uncontrollable growth of sodium dendrites during the sodium deposition and stripping processes remains a huge challenge for achieving high‐performance sodium metal batteries (SMBs), which results in ineffective utilization of metallic Na, low Coulombic efficiency, and inferior cycling life. Here, a single Co atom uniformly decorated porous nitrogen‐doped carbon polyhedron (CoSA@NC) matrix has been fabricated and introduced to control the Na growth and achieve uniform Na nucleation/deposition. Cryo‐electron microscopy and in situ optical microscopy techniques have been utilized to analyze the morphology change of metallic Na during plating/stripping processes. The single Co atoms evenly embedded in NC electrodes can provide stable Na‐philic sites for Na ions adsorption, which is helpful to guide the uniform sodium deposition and prevent Na dendrites growth. This work thus provides an effective solution to inhibit Na dendrite growth and control Na nucleation behavior from the perspective of atomic level, towards the fabrication of high‐safety and long‐cycling SMBs.
Macroeconomic shocks and racial labor market differences
Authors: De Kuhelika , Compton Ryan A. , Giedeman Daniel C. , Hoover Gary A.
Published: September 2021

We investigate the effects of three structural macroeconomic shocks (monetary, demand, and supply) on the labor market outcomes of black and white Americans using a factor‐augmented vector autoregression (FAVAR) framework with 136 U.S. macroeconomic indicators from 1973 to 2017. Our results indicate that adverse macroeconomic shocks have differential effects on labor market outcomes for blacks and whites, hurting blacks disproportionately more than whites. Black Americans' labor market outcomes appear to be significantly more sensitive to macroeconomic shocks than are the outcomes for white Americans. Our findings indicate that business‐cycle costs are disproportionately borne by black Americans and that racial inequality in the labor market rises in recessions. The strongest effects occur in recessions caused by supply side disturbances. Our results suggest policymakers should take these heterogeneous effects into account when designing policy.
Unraveling the Mystery of Ternary Organic Solar Cells: A Review on the Influence of Third Component on Structure–Morphology–Performance Relationships
Authors: Tan Christopher A.‐W. , Wong Basil T.
Published: September 2021

The addition of a third component to a binary bulk heterojunction configuration in organic solar cells is called ternary organic solar cells (TOSCs), which is trending as a solar cell configuration that strikes balance between tandem and binary bulk heterojunction organic solar cells by increasing spectral absorption without laborious processing methods. Apart from increasing the spectral range, the third component is also able to tune the morphology and electronic properties for enhanced performance. Existing reviews on TOSCs thus far mainly focus on reporting related research progresses and their respective performances. Instead, a thorough review on understanding the influence of the third component in terms of morphology and electronic properties via a computational chemistry perspective (structure–morphology–performance) is presented here. This bottom‐up approach reviews the influence of the third component originating from intermolecular interactions to crystallization and phase properties, and finally to electronic properties such as charge transfer and energy transfer. Herein, new theoretical insights opening up potential research opportunities to propel organic solar cells to one day surpass 20% power conversion efficiency are revealed.
A pH‐Neutral Polyelectrolyte Hole Transport Layer for Improved Energy Band Structure at the Anode/PTB7 Junction and Improved Solar Cell Performance
Authors: Kang Ju Hwan , Harit Amit Kumar , Jeong Ji-Eun , Woo Han Young , Seo Jung Hwa , Walker Bright
Published: September 2021

In organic solar cells (OSCs), interfacial properties between the donor phase and hole transport layers (HTLs) are critical factors which govern charge extraction efficiency. Many ionic and polar materials are known to function as effective interfacial layers; however, an understanding of how ionic moieties affect the electronic band structure and characteristics of OSCs is lacking. Herein, a new, pH‐neutral polyelectrolyte is introduced that resolves several problems which are encountered with the commonly used HTL, poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiopene):polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS). An effective p‐type polyelectrolyte dopant is designed, comprising an anionically charged PSS backbone with easily reduced Cu2+ counterions (Cu:PSS), and interfacial properties for HTL/donor interfaces by photoelectron spectroscopy are analyzed. The effects of the polyelectrolyte on interfacial energy levels and charge extraction efficiency between the active layer and HTL are quantified. Using optimized processing conditions, the efficiency can be improved from 8.31% to 9.28% in conventional OSCs compared with a standard PEDOT:PSS HTL. The energy‐level alignment at the HTLs/donor interface determined by UV photoelectron spectroscopy measurements reveals the origin of distinct differences in device performances. The reduced ionization potential (IP) and hole injections barrier (Φh) at the HTL/donor interface play a crucial role in efficient charge extraction in conventional OSCs.
SDFunc: Modular spreadsheet design with sheet‐defined functions in Microsoft Excel
Authors: Turk Tomaž
Published: September 2021

The goal of the SDFunc tool is to enable spreadsheet developers to build their model computations in Microsoft Excel according to the modular design approach, that is, the separation of the functionalities into independent, interchangeable modules with interfaces that provide input and output elements. This concept has been theoretically developed in recent years and is known as sheet‐defined functions in the literature. In this article, we are presenting our implementation of the tool and the evaluation steps that we took to make the tool interesting and suitable for the assessment of the modular approach in spreadsheet development by the industry, specifically within organizational and companies' settings where the spreadsheet developers and end‐users involved in experiments expect to use a well‐established spreadsheet platform. We also demonstrated that sheet‐defined functions can be implemented by development tools already present in Microsoft Excel.
Effect of Rare‐Earth La on Inclusion Evolution in High‐Al Steel
Authors: Li Bin , Zhu Hangyu , Zhao Jixuan , Song Mingming , Li Jianli , Xue Zhengliang
Published: September 2021

To investigate the evolution of inclusions in high‐Al steel with addition of La, a series of laboratory experiments and thermodynamic calculations are performed, considering the reaction time and amount of La added. The main inclusions in the high‐Al steel without the addition of La are Al2O3, MnS, and Al2O3–MnS. The La treatment can efficiently modify Al2O3 to La–Al–O or La–O–S inclusions. For La additions less than 0.0041 wt%, the evolution route for the inclusion in high‐Al steel is Al2O3 → LaAl11O18 → LaAlO3 with an increase in reaction time. For high La additions, the evolution route for the Al2O3 inclusion is Al2O3 → LaAl11O18 → LaAlO3 → La2O2S → La2S3. The experimental results correlate with those of the thermodynamic analysis. Notably, excess La in high‐Al molten steel may consume O and S to form La oxysulfide and sulfide, respectively, which prevents the precipitation of MnS inclusion and promotes the formation of AlN inclusion during solidification.
Atriumüberdachung und Stahlwendeltreppe für das Laborgebäude D‐BSSE der ETH Zürich in Basel
Authors: Poorbiazar Sascha , Naeff Andreas , Kusch Oliver , Lünser Katrin
Published: September 2021

Im Zeitraum von 2013, der Veröffentlichung des Wettbewerbs, über die Grundsteinlegung in 2018 bis zur Fertigstellung voraussichtlich Anfang des Jahres 2022 entstand auf dem Campus der Universität Basel ein Labor‐ und Forschungsgebäude für das Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D‐BSSE) der ETH Zürich. Zentrales gestalterisches Element des Neubaus ist ein lichtdurchflutetes Atrium, welches mit einem äußerst transparenten Glasdach abschließt. Die gewünschte Leichtigkeit des Tragwerks konnte nur mit einer Gitternetzschale erreicht werden, deren Geometrie in einem Formfindungsprozess optimiert worden ist. Die maximalen Abmessungen des Atriums, dessen Grundriss an ein „Dreieck mit ausgerundeten Ecken“ erinnert, betragen etwa 20 m × 35 m. In zwei gegenüberliegenden Ecken des Atriums setzt je eine skulpturale Wendeltreppe einen weiteren architektonischen Akzent. Die beiden Treppen sind freitragend und verbinden zwei bzw. drei Geschosse. Diese drei raumprägenden Stahlobjekte entstanden in intensiver Zusammenarbeit zwischen Architekten und Tragwerksplanern. Auf den Entwurfsprozess und die technischen Herausforderungen bei Planung und Montage der Stahltragwerke wird im Folgenden näher eingegangen.
Evaluation of Enzymatic and Chemical Treatments to Produce Oxalate Depleted Starch from a Novel Variety of Colocasia esculenta Grown in Joida, India
Authors: Kizhakedathil Moni Philip Jacob , Belur Prasanna D. , Wongsagonsup Rungtiwa , Suphantharika Manop , Agoo Esperanza Maribel G. , Janairo Jose Isagani B.
Published: September 2021

This research aimed to study granular and molecular structures, physicochemical, and functional properties of the starch extracted from a novel, dasheen type of taro conserved, and cultivated by several generations of Kunabi tribes of Joida, Karnataka, India. Further, an enzymatic (oxalate oxidase) and chemical (phosphoric acid) treatment processes are evaluated for reducing total oxalate content in the starch extracted from the taro flour. The total oxalate content of the taro flour is found to be 2344 mg 100 g−1, and the starch yield is about 45% in all the methods. The oxalate oxidase (OxO) and phosphoric acid treatment reduced the total oxalate content by 98.37% and 98.03%, respectively. The residual oxalate content in the resultant starch is within the threshold limit (71 mg 100 g−1). The study of characteristic properties of enzyme‐treated (ET), phosphoric acid‐treated (PT), and native starch (NT) revealed minor changes in ET and PT compared to NT.
Fixing stray traditions in gingers: The identity and nomenclatural history of Zingiber neesanum and other entwined names
Authors: Patil Sameer , Shinde Rajendra D. , Leong‐Škorničková Jana , Chaudhari Rushabh
Published: September 2021

The identities of two historical names, Zingiber neesanum (≡ Alpinia neesana) and Z. macrostachyum are re‐investigated. Both have been considered to represent the same taxonomic entity by various workers in the past 160 years. Yet, based on traditional usage, they were applied to two distinct taxa occurring in the Western Ghats (India), both superficially similar by having long‐stalked inflorescences, but much distinct in flower colour and overall morphology. Alpinia neesana was originally described only from fruiting material, while Z. macrostachyum was described from flowering material of a species with white flowers. Dalzell's presumption that his taxon was identical to Graham's, and unambiguous inclusion of A. neesana in his description made his name nomenclaturally superfluous and illegitimate. After realising the illegitimacy of Dalzell's name, a new combination was created in Zingiber for A. neesana. The name Z. neesanum continued to be applied sensu Dalzell to the white‐flowered species mainly in the central and southern Western Ghats, but it was also applied to a yellow‐flowered species in the northern Western Ghats, for which another name, Z. diwakarianum, was proposed recently. Despite the absence of any original material relating to Graham's or Dalzell's descriptions, re‐collections from the type localities prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the yellow‐flowered species is the true Z. neesanum, making Z. diwakarianum a synonym, and that the existing name Z. anamalayanum has to be applied to the white‐flowered species, originally described by Dalzell as Z. macrostachyum. The significance of authentic primary data sources concerning botanical history such as correspondence and manuscripts of collectors and botanists, and the importance of making these resources widely accessible through digitisation are highlighted.
Botanical history and typification in the Tillandsia ionantha complex
Authors: Ancona Juan José , Pinzón Juan Pablo , Ortiz Díaz Juan Javier , Morillo Ivón Ramírez , Tun‐Garrido Juan , Palma‐Silva Clarisse , Till Walter
Published: September 2021

A historical compilation of the routes and botanists of the 19th century was made about the holotype of Tillandsia ionantha. This species was described by J.E. Planchon in 1855 from an illustration of a plant grown in L. Van Houtte's greenhouses. After a thorough revision of the main works we concluded that the specimen that served as a model for the T. ionantha illustration is of Mexican origin and was collected by the A. Ghiesbreght team between 1836 and 1845 in the Huatusco region, Veracruz, in northeastern Mexico. Moreover, T. rubentifolia is here lectotypified, and T. scopus is considered a name not validly published.
Chemical imaging and machine learning for sub‐classification of oesophageal tissue histology
Authors: Keogan Abigail , Nguyen Thi Nguyet Que , Phelan James J. , O'Farrell Naoimh , Lynam‐Lennon Niamh , Doyle Brendan , O'Toole Dermot , Reynolds John V. , O'Sullivan Jacintha , Meade Aidan D.
Published: September 2021

Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) based chemical imaging is a powerful, non‐destructive and label‐free biophotonic technique, which spatially acquires bio‐molecularly relevant information in histopathology. Cancer detection with objective chemical imaging techniques is relatively well established, though detection of pre‐cancer stages within a continuum from normal tissue to cancer remains challenging. Here machine learning with chemical imaging was used to provide an objective classification pipeline for oesophageal tissues pathologically classified as normal, oesophagitis, dysplasia, Barrett's disease and cancer. Spectral images were segmented using a k‐means cluster validity indices approach and clustered spectra were classified using partial least squares discriminant analysis. Classification performances approached a receiver operator characteristic area‐under‐the‐curve (ROC‐AUC) of 0.90 for binary classification tasks (eg, normal vs Barrett's). Isolated histopathological substructures were identified which delivered a ROC‐AUC in of ~0.69 in classifying into each of the five‐classes. This work may provide the means to assist pathologist diagnoses of intermediate pre‐cancer stages.
Genetic and phenotypic characterization of rice grain quality traits to define research strategies for improving rice milling, appearance, and cooking qualities in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Cruz Maribel , Arbelaez Juan David , Loaiza Katherine , Cuasquer Juan , Rosas Juan , Graterol Eduardo
Published: September 2021

Rice (Oryza sativa L.)grain quality is a set of complex interrelated traits that include grain milling, appearance, cooking, and edible properties. As consumer preferences in Latin America and the Caribbean evolve, determining what traits best capture regional grain quality preferences is fundamental for breeding and cultivar release. In this study, a genome‐wide association study (GWAS), marker‐assisted selection (MAS), and genomic selection (GS) were evaluated to help guide the development of new breeding strategies for rice grain quality improvement. For this purpose, 284 rice lines representing over 20 yr of breeding in Latin America and the Caribbean were genotyped and phenotyped for 10 different traits including grain milling, appearance, cooking, and edible quality traits. Genetic correlations among the 10 traits ranged from −0.83 to 0.85. A GWAS identified 19 significant marker/trait combinations associated with eight grain quality traits. Four functional markers, three located in the Waxy and one in the starch synthase IIa genes, were significantly associated with six grain‐quality traits. These markers individually explained 51–75% of the phenotypic variance depending on the trait, clearly indicating their potential utility for MAS. Cross‐validation studies to evaluate predictive abilities of four different GS models for each of the 10 quality traits were conducted and predictive abilities ranged from 0.3 to 0.72. Overall, the machine learning model random forest had the highest predictive abilities and was especially effective for traits where large effect quantitative trait loci were identified. This study provides the foundation for deploying effective molecular breeding strategies for grain quality in Latin American rice breeding programs.
Genome‐enabled prediction for sparse testing in multi‐environmental wheat trials
Authors: Crespo‐Herrera Leonardo , Howard Reka , Piepho Hans‐Peter , Pérez‐Rodríguez Paulino , Montesinos‐Lopez Osval , Burgueño Juan , Singh Ravi , Mondal Suchismita , Jarquín Diego , Crossa Jose
Published: September 2021

Sparse testing in genome‐enabled prediction in plant breeding can be emulated throughout different line allocations where some lines are observed in all environments (overlap) and others are observed in only one environment (nonoverlap). We studied three general cases of the composition of the sparse testing allocation design for genome‐enabled prediction of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding: (a) completely nonoverlapping wheat lines in environments, (b) completely overlapping wheat lines in all environments, and (c) a proportion of nonoverlapping/overlapping wheat lines allocated in the environments. We also studied several cases in which the size of the testing population was systematically decreased. The study used three extensive wheat data sets (W1, W2, and W3). Three different genome‐enabled prediction models (M1–M3) were used to study the effect of the sparse testing in terms of the genomic prediction accuracy. Model M1 included only main effects of environments and lines; M2 included main effects of environments, lines, and genomic effects; whereas the remaining model (M3) also incorporated the genomic × environment interaction (GE). The results show that the GE component of the genome‐based model M3 captures a larger genetic variability than the main genomic effects term from models M1 and M2. In addition, model M3 provides higher prediction accuracy than models M1 and M2 for the same allocation designs (different combinations of nonoverlapping/overlapping lines in environments and training set sizes). Overlapped sets of 30–50 lines in all the environments provided stable genomic‐enabled prediction accuracy. Reducing the size of the testing populations under all allocation designs decreases the prediction accuracy, which recovers when more lines are tested in all environments. Model M3 offers the possibility of maintaining the prediction accuracy throughout both extreme situations of all nonoverlapping lines and all overlapping lines.