bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interdisciplinary simulation for nursing and medical students about final conversations: Catalyzing relationships at the end of life (CAREol)
Authors: Hansen Dana M. , Motter Tracey , Keeley Maureen P. , Shanholtzer Jennifer , Aultman Julie , Woodward Caitlin
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Final conversations (FCs) go beyond how patients want to be cared for at the end of life (EOL) and focus on messages of love, identity specific, and unique to an individual and relationship that requires self-examination, everyday talk that normalizes a difficult situation, religious/spiritual messages, and if needed, difficult relationship talk to heal broken relationships. The purpose of the Catalyzing Relationships at the End of Life (CAREol) program was to provide interdisciplinary education to nursing and medical students and clinical faculty about facilitating FCs among patients and families.

Method

This two-part, quasi-experimental program consisted of a cognitive (online) and experiential (live simulation) curriculum experience. Program curriculum, including video vignettes, readings, and live simulation (utilizing actors), was developed by the study team. Reflective journaling and researcher designed pre- and post-tests were used to assess comfort, confidence, importance, and distress regarding FCs and collaboration with other disciplines.

Results

The pre-/post-test questions demonstrate statistical significance based on a paired t-test with effect sizes supporting the practical importance of the findings for effect size. Preliminary content and thematic analysis of qualitative responses describe categories of the mock team meeting experience and interaction with the actors to change patient and family outcomes.

Significance of results

Early intervention with the CAREol program provides a framework to help students and clinical faculty facilitate FCs that may result in peace and comfort for patients and families during a difficult time.
Unbiased estimator for the ultimate claim prediction error in the chain-ladder model of Mack
Authors: Siegenthaler Filippo
Published: August 2022

We propose a new estimator for the ultimate prediction uncertainty within the famous Mack’s distribution-free chain-ladder model, which can be proved to be unbiased (conditionally given the first triangle column) under some additional technical assumptions. A peculiar behaviour of the unbiased estimator is given by its possible negativity. This is a drawback which might be worth trading off for the unbiasedness property, since there is empirical evidence that the likelihood of a negative realisation is extremely low. This offers an alternative to the well-known Mack and BBMW formulas since the latters can be proved to be biased. However, we also show that this novel estimator, as well as the Mack and BBMW formulas, can (with non-negligible probability) materially fail to estimate the true uncertainty.
A compact ultrawideband slotted patch antenna for early stage breast tumor detection applications
Authors: Salimitorkamani Mahdi , Mehranpour Mehdi , Odabasi Hayrettin
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a compact ultrawideband slotted patch antenna for early stage tumor detection applications using microwave breast imaging systems. In order to reduce any reflections between the antenna and breast, the antenna is designed and optimized inside a coupling medium with electrical properties similar to that of normal breast tissue as a coupling medium. The wideband performance of the antenna is obtained by adding a rectangular slit and L-shaped sleeves on the ground plane. While the added rectangular slit mainly improves the matching, the L-shaped sleeves improve both the matching and the bandwidth. The antenna operates from 0.9 to 9.6 GHz with a fractional bandwidth of ~165$\%$, providing a good penetration and resolution. In addition, the proposed antenna has a very compact size of 16 × 16 mm2. Furthermore, an antenna array consisting of 31 antennas is formed around a realistic breast phantom in the simulation environment to demonstrate the imaging of a spherical tumor with a diameter of 5 mm inside the breast. The results confirm that the proposed antenna can be used for early stage breast tumor detection purposes.
MeCP2 inhibits ischemic neuronal injury by enhancing methylation of the FOXO3a promoter to repress the SPRY2-ZEB1 axis
Authors: Meng Lei , Feng Bin , Luan Liming , Fang Zhihao , Zhao Guangyu
Published: August 2022

Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is involved in nerve regeneration following ischemic stroke, but the related mechanism remains unclear. Here, we found low MeCP2 expression in hippocampal tissues. Using functional analysis, we demonstrated that MeCP2 accelerated FOXO3a methylation and subsequently inhibited its expression, thus repressing the apoptosis of neuronal cells. Mechanistically, FOXO3a could bind to the promoter region of SPRY2, consequently inducing its transcription and promoting the expression of the downstream target gene ZEB1. Altogether, our study revealed that overexpression of MeCP2 can protect mice against ischemic brain injury via disruption of the FOXO3a/SPRY2/ZEB1 signaling axis. Our results identify ectopic expression of MeCP2 as a therapeutic target in ischemic stroke.
Intelligent metasurfaces: digitalized, programmable, and intelligent platforms
Authors: Zhang Shuang
Published: August 2022

Distinguished from conventional ones, intelligent metasurfaces are endowed with three important characteristics: digitalization, programmability, and intelligence, which can be further integrated with detection, artificial neural networks, and feedback systems into a smart platform. Metasurface-based smart systems are expected to play an important role in wireless communications, advanced sensing technologies and artificial intelligence.
Determining the performance of a temperature sensor embedded into a mouthguard
Authors: de Almeida e Bueno Leonardo , Milnthorpe William , Bergmann Jeroen H. M.
Published: August 2022

Objective

This study aimed to determine the steady-state errors of oral-based temperature sensors, that are embedded in mouthguards, using a robust assessment process.

Materials and methods

Four electronic boards with temperature sensors were encapsulated in mouthguards made from ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). The error and time to reach steady-state temperature were determined using a thermostatic water bath during three different conditions (34, 38.5 and 43 °C). Subsequently, a case study of one volunteer wearing the instrumented mouthguard is presented.

Results

The water bath tests showed that a mean absolute error of 0.2 °C was reached after a maximum of 690 s across all test conditions. The case study yielded an absolute error was 0.2 °C after 1110 s.

Conclusion

These results show that an instrumented mouthguard with temperature sensing capabilities can yield a consistent steady-state error that is close to the clinical requirements across a range of temperatures. However, the time it takes to reach steady-state temperature needs to be considered for these systems to correctly interpret the outcomes.
Targeting the androgen receptor to enhance NK cell killing efficacy in bladder cancer by modulating ADAR2/circ_0001005/PD-L1 signaling
Authors: Liu Qing , You Bosen , Meng Jialin , Huang Chi-Ping , Dong Guanglu , Wang Ronghao , Chou Fuju , Gao Shan , Chang Chawnshang , Yeh Shuyuan , Xu Wanhai
Published: August 2022

Although androgen receptor (AR) can influence bladder cancer (BCa) initiation and progression, its impact on tumor immune escape remains unclear. Here, we found that targeting AR could enhance natural killer (NK) cell tumor-killing efficacy by decreasing PD-L1 expression. Both antiandrogen treatment and AR knockdown effectively reduced membrane PD-LI expression to facilitate NK cell-mediated BCa cell killing by downregulating circ_0001005. Mechanistically, AR upregulated circRNA circ_0001005 expression via the RNA-editing gene ADAR2. circ_0001005 competitively sponged the miRNA miR-200a-3p to promote PD-L1 expression. A preclinical BCa xenograft mouse model further confirmed this newly identified signaling using the small molecule circ_0001005-shRNA to improve NK cell killing of BCa tumor cells. Collectively, these results suggest that targeting the newly identified ADAR2/circ_0001005/miR-200a-3p/PD-L1 pathway to impact antitumor immunity may suppress progression and boost immunotherapeutic efficacy in BCa.
Classically verifiable quantum advantage from a computational Bell test
Authors: Kahanamoku-Meyer Gregory D. , Choi Soonwon , Vazirani Umesh V. , Yao Norman Y.
Published: August 2022

Existing experimental demonstrations of quantum computational advantage have had the limitation that verifying the correctness of the quantum device requires exponentially costly classical computations. Here we propose and analyse an interactive protocol for demonstrating quantum computational advantage, which is efficiently classically verifiable. Our protocol relies on a class of cryptographic tools called trapdoor claw-free functions. Although this type of function has been applied to quantum advantage protocols before, our protocol employs a surprising connection to Bell’s inequality to avoid the need for a demanding cryptographic property called the adaptive hardcore bit, while maintaining essentially no increase in the quantum circuit complexity and no extra assumptions. Leveraging the relaxed cryptographic requirements of the protocol, we present two trapdoor claw-free function constructions, based on Rabin’s function and the Diffie–Hellman problem, which have not been used in this context before. We also present two independent innovations that improve the efficiency of our implementation and can be applied to other quantum cryptographic protocols. First, we give a scheme to discard so-called garbage bits, removing the need for reversibility in the quantum circuits. Second, we show a natural way of performing postselection that reduces the fidelity needed to demonstrate quantum advantage. Combining these results, we describe a blueprint for implementing our protocol on Rydberg atom-based quantum devices, using hardware-native operations that have already been demonstrated experimentally.
Circulating tumor DNA to guide rechallenge with panitumumab in metastatic colorectal cancer: the phase 2 CHRONOS trial
Authors: Sartore-Bianchi Andrea , Pietrantonio Filippo , Lonardi Sara , Mussolin Benedetta , Rua Francesco , Crisafulli Giovanni , Bartolini Alice , Fenocchio Elisabetta , Amatu Alessio , Manca Paolo , Bergamo Francesca , Tosi Federica , Mauri Gianluca , Ambrosini Margherita , Daniel Francesca , Torri Valter , Vanzulli Angelo , Regge Daniele , Cappello Giovanni , Marchiò Caterina , Berrino Enrico , Sapino Anna , Marsoni Silvia , Siena Salvatore , Bardelli Alberto
Published: August 2022

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies are approved for the treatment of RAS wild-type (WT) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), but the emergence of resistance mutations restricts their efficacy. We previously showed that RAS, BRAF and EGFR mutant alleles, which appear in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) during EGFR blockade, decline upon therapy withdrawal. We hypothesized that monitoring resistance mutations in blood could rationally guide subsequent therapy with anti-EGFR antibodies. We report here the results of CHRONOS, an open-label, single-arm phase 2 clinical trial exploiting blood-based identification of RAS/BRAF/EGFR mutations levels to tailor a chemotherapy-free anti-EGFR rechallenge with panitumumab (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03227926; EudraCT 2016-002597-12). The primary endpoint was objective response rate. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival, overall survival, safety and tolerability of this strategy. In CHRONOS, patients with tissue-RAS WT tumors after a previous treatment with anti-EGFR-based regimens underwent an interventional ctDNA-based screening. Of 52 patients, 16 (31%) carried at least one mutation conferring resistance to anti-EGFR therapy and were excluded. The primary endpoint of the trial was met; and, of 27 enrolled patients, eight (30%) achieved partial response and 17 (63%) disease control, including two unconfirmed responses. These clinical results favorably compare with standard third-line treatments and show that interventional liquid biopsies can be effectively and safely exploited in a timely manner to guide anti-EGFR rechallenge therapy with panitumumab in patients with mCRC. Further larger and randomized trials are warranted to formally compare panitumumab rechallenge with standard-of-care therapies in this patient setting.
Dataset of identified scholars mentioned in acknowledgement statements
Authors: Kusumegi Keigo , Sano Yukie
Published: August 2022

Acknowledgements represent scholars’ relationships as part of the research contribution. While co-authors and citations are often provided as a well-formatted bibliometric database, acknowledged individuals are difficult to identify because they appear as part of the statements in the paper. We identify acknowledged scholars who appeared in papers published in open-access journals by referring to the co-author and citation relationships stored in the Microsoft Academic Graph (MAG). Therefore, the constructed dataset is compatible with MAG, which accelerates and expands the acknowledgements as a data source of scholarly relationships similar to collaboration and citation analysis. Moreover, the implemented code is publicly available; thus, it can be applied in other studies.
A new quantum-safe multivariate polynomial public key digital signature algorithm
Authors: Kuang Randy , Perepechaenko Maria , Barbeau Michel
Published: August 2022

We propose a new quantum-safe digital signature algorithm called Multivariate Polynomial Public Key Digital Signature (MPPK/DS). The core of the algorithm is based on the modular arithmetic property that for a given element g, greater than equal to two, in a prime Galois field GF(p) and two multivariate polynomials P and Q, if P is equal to Q modulo p-1, then g to the power of P is equal to g to the power of Q modulo p. MPPK/DS is designed to withstand the key-only, chosen-message, and known-message attacks. Most importantly, making secret the element g disfavors quantum computers’ capability to solve the discrete logarithm problem. The security of the MPPK/DS algorithm stems from choosing a prime p associated with the field GF(p), such that p is a sum of a product of an odd prime number q multiplied with a power x of two and one. Given such a choice of a prime, choosing even coefficients of the publicly available polynomials makes it hard to find any private information modulo p-1. Moreover, it makes it exponentially hard to lift the solutions found modulo q to the ring of integers modulo p-1 by properly arranging x and q. However, finding private information modulo the components q and power x of two is an NP-hard problem since it involves solving multivariate equations over the chosen finite field. The time complexity of searching a private key from a public key or signatures is exponential over GF(p). The time complexity of perpetrating a spoofing attack is also exponential for a field GF(p). MPPK/DS can achieve all three NIST security levels with optimized choices of multivariate polynomials and the generalized safe prime p.
Predicting habitat suitability and niche dynamics of Dactylorhiza hatagirea and Rheum webbianum in the Himalaya under projected climate change
Authors: Wani Ishfaq Ahmad , Khan Sajid , Verma Susheel , Al-Misned Fahad A. , Shafik Hesham M. , El-Serehy Hamed A.
Published: August 2022

In the era of anthropocene, global warming tends to alter the distribution range of the plant species. Highly fragile to such changes are the species that are endemic, inhabit higher elevations and show narrow distribution ranges. Predicting and plotting the appropriate suitable habitats and keeping knowledge of how climate change will affect future distribution become imperative for designing effective conservation strategies. In the current study we have used BIOMOD ensemble forecasting to study the current and predict the future potential distribution of Dactylorhiza hatagirea and Rheum webbianum and describe their niche dynamics in Himalayan biodiversity hotspots under climate change scenarios using ecospat R package. Results reveal sufficient internal evaluation metrics with area under curve (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS) values greater than 0.8 i.e. 0.93 and 0.98 and 0.82 and 0.90 for D. hatageria and R. webbianum respectively, which signifies robustness of the model. Among different bioclimatic variables, bio_1, bio_3, bio_8, bio_14 and bio_15 were the most influential, showing greater impact on the potential distribution of these plant species. Range change analysis showed that both the studied species will show significant contraction of their suitable habitats under future climatic scenarios. Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 for the year 2070, indicate that the suitable habitats could be reduced by about 51.41% and 70.57% for D. hatagirea and R. webbianum respectively. The results of the niche comparisons between the current and future climatic scenarios showed moderate level of niche overlap for all the pairs with D. hatageria showing 61% overlap for current vs. RCP4.5 2050 and R. webbianum reflects 68% overlap for current vs. RCP4.5 2050. Furthermore, the PCA analysis revealed that climatic conditions for both the species vary significantly between current and future scenarios. The similarity and equivalence test showed that the niche between present and future climate change scenarios is comparable but not identical. From the current study we concluded that the influence of climate change on the habitat distribution of these plant species in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspots can be considered very severe. Drastic reduction in overall habitat suitability poses a high risk of species extinction and thereby threatens to alter the functions and services of these fragile ecosystems. Present results can be used by conservationists for mitigating the biodiversity decline and exploring undocumented populations on one hand and by policymakers in implementing the policy of conservation of species by launching species recovery programmes in future on the other. The outcomes of this study can contribute substantially to understand the consequences of climate change in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspots.
The E3 ubiquitin ligase HECTD1 contributes to cell proliferation through an effect on mitosis
Authors: Vaughan Natalie , Scholz Nico , Lindon Catherine , Licchesi Julien D. F.
Published: August 2022

The cell cycle is tightly regulated by protein phosphorylation and ubiquitylation events. During mitosis, the multi-subunit cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligase APC/c functions as a molecular switch which signals for one cell to divide into two daughter cells, through the ubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation of mitotic cyclins. The contributions of other E3 ligase families during cell cycle progression remain less well understood. Similarly, the roles of ubiquitin chain types beyond homotypic K48 chains in S-phase or branched K11/K48 chains during mitosis, also remain to be fully determined. Our recent findings that HECTD1 ubiquitin ligase activity assembles branched K29/K48 ubiquitin linkages prompted us to evaluate HECTD1 function during the cell cycle. We used transient knockdown and genetic knockout to show that HECTD1 depletion in HEK293T and HeLa cells decreases cell number and we established that this is mediated through loss of ubiquitin ligase activity. Interestingly, we found that HECTD1 depletion increases the proportion of cells with aligned chromosomes (Prometa/Metaphase) and we confirmed this molecularly using phospho-Histone H3 (Ser28) as a marker of mitosis. Time-lapse microscopy of NEBD to anaphase onset established that HECTD1-depleted cells take on average longer to go through mitosis. In line with this data, HECTD1 depletion reduced the activity of the Spindle Assembly Checkpoint, and BUB3, a component of the Mitosis Checkpoint Complex, was identified as novel HECTD1 interactor. BUB3, BUBR1 or MAD2 protein levels remained unchanged in HECTD1-depleted cells. Overall, this study reveals a novel putative role for HECTD1 during mitosis and warrants further work to elucidate the mechanisms involved.
Midguts of Culex pipiens L. (Diptera: Culicidae) as a potential source of raw milk contamination with pathogens
Authors: Adly Eslam , Hegazy Aml A. , Kamal Mahmoud , Abu-Hussien Samah H.
Published: August 2022

Despite their importance, only few studies focused on the mosquitoes borne microbial diseases, especially bacterial and fungal diseases, their vectorial capacity toward microorganisms, and their important role in raw milk contamination with pathogens in some unsanitary dairy farms. In Egypt, whereCulex pipiensis the historical main vector of lymphatic filariasis, only few studies discussed the isolation of pathogens from the midguts of different stages ofC. pipiens. This study aims to isolate and identify the pathogenic symbiotic microorganisms inside the midgut of adult femaleC. pipiensas well as investigate its ability to transmit their midgut pathogens to raw milk. A total of 750 field strain C. pipiens larvae of the second and third larval instars were collected from ponds water around the livestock farms in Mariotteya, Giza, Egypt, for microbial pathogen isolation and identification. All collected larval instars were transported to the laboratory at the Research and Training Center on Vectors of Diseases (RTC), Ain Shams University, where they were maintained for further studies. Six groups ofC. pipienswere tested for the incidence of various pathogenic microorganisms in their midguts and their possibility to contaminate commercial sterilized milk. Traditional PCR assays and sequencing method detected and identified 16srRNA genes of the predominant hemolytic isolates from milk and midguts of femaleC. pipiens. The phylogenetic analyses of the obtained isolates were performed based on NCBI data. Three strains ofBacillus anthracisstrain CPMESA 2021,Staphylococcus warneristrain CPSAME 2021, andBacillus cereusstrain CPSEMA 2021, which represent most food pathogens, were found in the midguts ofC. pipiensand were submitted to the GenBank database with the accession numbers OK585071, OK576651, and OK585052, respectively. The isolation of these strains from mosquitoes raises contemporary issues concerning milk safety, such as bacterial isolates, the degree of the vectorial capacity of mosquitoes, milk production and processing conditions, and human pathogenicity. Such serious issues need further investigation.
Probing spin fluctuations of the quantum phase transition in Ce3Al by muon spin rotation
Authors: Pregelj Matej , Guguchia Zurab , de Weerd Marie-Cécile , Boulet Pascal , Vrtnik Stanislav , Dolinšek Janez
Published: August 2022

We report on the dynamics of a magnetic-field-driven antiferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic quantum phase transition in monocrystalline Ce3Al via transverse-field muon spin rotation (TF-µSR) experiments down to low temperature of $$\sim$$
∼
80 mK. The quantum phase transition is of a spin-flip type and takes place on the Ce–Al magnetic chains as a result of competition between the indirect exchange and the Zeeman interaction of the Ce moments with the external field, applied along the chain direction (also the direction of the antiferromagnetic axis). The Ce moments are not static at $$T \to$$

T
→

0, but fluctuate in their direction due to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Upon applying the magnetic field sweep, the fluctuations exhibit the largest amplitude at the quantum critical point, manifested in a maximum of the muon transverse relaxation rate at the critical field. The quantum nature of fluctuations observed in the TF-µSR experiments is reflected in the temperature independence of the average local magnetic field component along the external magnetic field at the muon stopping site(s) and the muon transverse relaxation rate within the investigated temperature range 1.5 K–80 mK. Quantum fluctuations are fast on the muon Larmor frequency scale, $$\tau_{0} <$$

τ
0

<

10–10 s.
Control of structural redundancy from the head to trunk in the human upright standing revealed using a data-driven approach
Authors: Tanaka Kazuya , Fujiki Soichiro , Atomi Tomoaki , Takano Wataru , Hasegawa Katsuya , Nagano Akinori , Shimizu Miho , Atomi Yoriko
Published: August 2022

The human being dynamically and highly controls the head–trunk with redundant mechanical structures to maintain a stable upright standing position that is inherently unstable. The posture control strategies are also affected by the differences in the conditions of sensory inputs. However, it is unclear how the head–trunk segmental properties are altered to respond to situations that require appropriate changes in standing posture control strategies. We used a data-driven approach to conduct a multipoint measurement of head–trunk sway control in a quiet standing position with differences in the conditions of sensory inputs. Healthy young subjects with 22 accelerometers attached to their backs were evaluated for head–trunk vibration during quiet standing under two conditions: one with open eyes and one with closed eyes. The synchronization of the acceleration and the instantaneous phase was then calculated. The results showed that the synchronization of acceleration and instantaneous phase varied depending on the visual condition, and there were some continuous coherent patterns in each condition. Findings were that the structural redundancy of the head–trunk, which is multi-segmental and has a high mass ratio in the whole body, must be adjusted adaptively according to the conditions to stabilize upright standing in human-specific bipeds.
Evaluating the efficiency of coarser to finer resolution multispectral satellites in mapping paddy rice fields using GEE implementation
Authors: Waleed Mirza , Mubeen Muhammad , Ahmad Ashfaq , Habib-ur-Rahman Muhammad , Amin Asad , Farid Hafiz Umar , Hussain Sajjad , Ali Mazhar , Qaisrani Saeed Ahmad , Nasim Wajid , Javeed Hafiz Muhammad Rashad , Masood Nasir , Aziz Tariq , Mansour Fatma , EL Sabagh Ayman
Published: August 2022

Timely and accurate estimation of rice-growing areas and forecasting of production can provide crucial information for governments, planners, and decision-makers in formulating policies. While there exists studies focusing on paddy rice mapping, only few have compared multi-scale datasets performance in rice classification. Furthermore, rice mapping of large geographical areas with sufficient accuracy for planning purposes has been a challenge in Pakistan, but recent advancements in Google Earth Engine make it possible to analyze spatial and temporal variations within these areas. The study was carried out over southern Punjab (Pakistan)-a region with 380,400 hectares devoted to rice production in year 2020. Previous studies support the individual capabilities of Sentinel-2, Landsat-8, and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for paddy rice classification. However, to our knowledge, no study has compared the efficiencies of these three datasets in rice crop classification. Thus, this study primarily focuses on comparing these satellites’ data by estimating their potential in rice crop classification using accuracy assessment methods and area estimation. The overall accuracies were found to be 96% for Sentinel-2, 91.7% for Landsat-8, and 82.6% for MODIS. The F1-Scores for derived rice class were 83.8%, 75.5%, and 65.5% for Sentinel-2, Landsat-8, and MODIS, respectively. The rice estimated area corresponded relatively well with the crop statistics report provided by the Department of Agriculture, Punjab, with a mean percentage difference of less than 20% for Sentinel-2 and MODIS and 33% for Landsat-8. The outcomes of this study highlight three points; (a) Rice mapping accuracy improves with increase in spatial resolution, (b) Sentinel-2 efficiently differentiated individual farm level paddy fields while Landsat-8 was not able to do so, and lastly (c) Increase in rice cultivated area was observed using satellite images compared to the government provided statistics.
Piezoelectric nanocomposite bioink and ultrasound stimulation modulate early skeletal myogenesis
Authors: Paci Claudia , Iberite Federica , Arrico Lorenzo , Vannozzi Lorenzo , Parlanti Paola , Gemmi Mauro , Ricotti Leonardo
Published: August 2022

A cell-laden alginate/Pluronic-based bioink doped with BaTiO3 piezoelectric nanoparticles (BTNPs) was investigated. BTNPs promoted myogenic differentiation and the synergy with ultrasound boosted the expression of MYOD1, MYOG, and MYH2 genes.
Water-in-salt electrolytes – molecular insights to the high solubility of lithium-ion salts
Authors: Tot Aleksandar , Kloo Lars
Published: August 2022

MD simulations combined with experimental results suggest that the solubility of the most popular WISE salt electrolyte, Li[TFSI], is 18.41 mol kg−1 at 298 K, and that it is directly linked to the level of lithium-ion hydration.
An NHC-catalyzed [3+2] cyclization of β-disubstituted enals with benzoyl cyanides
Authors: Liu Wangsheng , Zhang Linrui , Liao Xiaoyun , Chen Jiean , Huang Yong
Published: August 2022

The NHC-catalyzed asymmetric [3+2] cyclization of benzoyl cyanides to homoenolate generatedin situfrom enals was reported.
Transforming liquid nicotine into a stable solid through crystallization with orotic acid
Authors: Angevine Devin J. , Camacho Kristine Joy , Rzayev Javid , Benedict Jason B.
Published: August 2022

The volatile liquid active pharmaceutical ingredient, nicotine, is stabilized in the solid-state through crystallization with orotic acid. The structure, thermal properties and bonding environment are characterized and compared with previous examples.
Spin and valence variation in cobalt doped barium strontium titanate ceramics
Authors: Kaur Anumeet , Singh Deobrat , Das Arkaprava , K. Asokan , Chen Chi-Liang , Mishra Indu B. , Ahuja Rajiv
Published: August 2022

Spin fluctuation and spin variation phenomena with comparative crystal field energy and Hund energy for Co doped barium strontium titanate.
Sensitive multi-species photoacoustic gas detection based on mid-infrared supercontinuum source and miniature multipass cell
Authors: Mikkonen Tommi , Hieta Tuomas , Genty Goëry , Toivonen Juha
Published: August 2022

We demonstrate ppb-level hydrocarbon detection and the analysis of complex gas mixtures in a small sample volume using Fourier transform spectroscopy with cantilever-enhanced photoacoustic detection, a supercontinuum laser and a multipass cell.
Existence of noble gas-inserted phosphorus fluorides: FNgPF2and FNgPF4with Ng–P covalent bond (Ng = Ar, Kr, Xe and Rn)
Authors: Kuntar Subrahmanya Prasad , Ghosh Ayan , Ghanty Tapan K.
Published: August 2022

Prediction of noble gas-inserted phosphorus fluorides, FNgPF2and FNgPF4(Ng = Ar–Rn), with Ng–P covalent bonding throughab initioquantum chemical calculations.
Nontrivial spectral band progressions in electronic circular dichroism spectra of carbohelicenes revealed by linear response calculations
Authors: Brand Manuel , Norman Patrick
Published: August 2022

We present large-scale first-principles calculations of carbohelicenes up to CH[30]. Novel findings include the system size-dependent emergence and dominance of circular dichroism bands.
Aqueous microsolvation of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone: competition between intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonds
Authors: Li Meng , Zheng Yang , Li Jiayi , Grabow Jens-Uwe , Xu Xuefang , Gou Qian
Published: August 2022

Upon monohydration, water is inserted into the intramolecular hydrogen bond of 4 hydroxy-2-butanone, and its –OH group is pushed away from the CO group.
Cryomicroscopy in situ: what is the smallest molecule that can be directly identified without labels in a cell?
Authors: Russo Christopher J. , Dickerson Joshua L. , Naydenova Katerina
Published: August 2022

Current and future technology for in situ electron cryomicroscopy is considered from theoretical and practical viewpoints.
Micelle effect on the conversion of microporous to mesoporous molecular sieves and biodiesel synthesis
Authors: M. Krishnaveni , Kannan Chellapandian
Published: August 2022

The micelle effect and room temperature conditions produce expanded pores of mesoporous materials and reduce the biodiesel synthesis parameter conditions compared to the conventional method.
A dinuclear dysprosium Schiff base complex showing slow magnetic relaxation in the absence of an external magnetic field
Authors: Gebrezgiabher Mamo , Schlittenhardt Sören , Rajnák Cyril , Kuchár Juraj , Sergawie Assefa , Černák Juraj , Ruben Mario , Thomas Madhu , Boča Roman
Published: August 2022

A dinuclear dysprosium(iii) complex [Dy2(NO3)3(L)3]·nCH3OH (n = 1.20; HL = (2-[(2-hydroxy-propylimino)methyl]phenol)) (1) was isolated when dysprosium nitrate reacted with a solution of salicylaldehyde and 1-amino-2-propanol in a basic medium under in-situ reaction conditions.
Synthesis of indolo- and benzothieno[3,2-c]quinolines via POCl3 mediated tandem cyclization of o-alkynylisocyanobenzenes derived from o-alkynyl-N-phenylformamides
Authors: Uppalabat Thikhamporn , Tapdara Anyawan , Khaikate Onnicha , Worakul Thanapat , Surawatanawong Panida , Leowanawat Pawaret , Soorukram Darunee , Reutrakul Vichai , Meesin Jatuporn , Kuhakarn Chutima
Published: August 2022

Convenient construction of indolo[3,2-c]quinolines and benzothieno[3,2-c]quinolines was described.
Mechanism and regioselectivity in methylation of nitronates [CH2NO2]−: resonance vs. inductive effects
Authors: Mahmood Ayyaz , Akram Tehmina , Kiani Maryam , Akram Tayyaba , Tian Xiaoqing , Sun Yiwen
Published: August 2022

DFT investigations of resonance vs. inductive effect contributions, and solvent effects in the determination of regioselectivity in methylation of nitronates [CH2NO2]−.
Axial ligand engineering for highly efficient oxygen reduction catalysts in transition metal–N4 doped graphene
Authors: She Xuelian , Gao Jinghan , Gao Yan , Tang Hao , Li Kai , Wang Ying , Wu Zhijian
Published: August 2022

Axial ligand engineering is a good strategy for enhancing the ORR activity.
Phosphine-catalysed intermolecular cyclopropanation reaction between benzyl bromides and activated alkenes
Authors: Zhang Jie , Song Xue , Chen Zhi-Chao , Du Wei , Chen Ying-Chun
Published: August 2022

An intermolecular cyclopropanation reaction between benzyl bromides and activated alkenes was reported catalysed by a bifunctional phosphine.
Dark to bright fluorescence state by inter-connecting fluorophores: concentration-dependent blue to NIR emission and live cell imaging applications
Authors: Gayathri Parthasarathy , Subramaniyan Siva Bala , Veerappan Anbazhagan , Anwarhussaini Syed , Jayanty Subbalakshmi , Pannipara Mehboobali , Al-Sehemi Abdullah G. , Moon Dohyun , Anthony Savarimuthu Philip
Published: August 2022

Interconnected AIEgens produced concentration dependent tunable emission from blue to NIR.
Manipulating Ru oxidation within electrospun carbon nanofibers to boost hydrogen and oxygen evolution for electrochemical overall water splitting
Authors: Zhong Mengxiao , Yan Su , Xu Jiaqi , Wang Ce , Lu Xiaofeng
Published: August 2022

1D bifunctional RuO2/Ru-CNFs-350 catalyst is fabricated to show high activity and remarkable durability toward both OER and HER due to the formation of a RuO2/Ru heterostructure and the carbon substrate.
AAg2PS4(A = K, Na/K): the first-type of noncentrosymmetric alkali metal Ag-based thiophosphates exhibiting excellent second-order nonlinear optical performances
Authors: Zhou Wenfeng , Li Bingxuan , Liu Wenlong , Guo Sheng-Ping
Published: August 2022

The first-type of NCS alkali metal Ag-based thiophosphates KAg2PS4(1) and (Na0.30K0.70)Ag2PS4(2) exhibit large SHG responses, originating from the ordered arrangement of AgS4and PS4tetrahedra, and high LIDTs contributed by alkali metals.
Palladium-catalyzed triple coupling of 2-iodoanisoles with aryl iodides to access 6H-dibenzopyrans
Authors: Chen Li-Ping , Cheng Shu-Lin , Fan Xin-Yue , Zhu Ji-Fa , Wang Bi-Qin , Feng Chun , Xiang Shi-Kai
Published: August 2022

A palladium-catalyzed triple coupling of 2-iodoanisoles with aryl iodides has been developed. A variety of 6H-dibenzopyran derivatives can be prepared by this method.
Study on the growth kinetics of methane hydrate in pure water system containing ZIF-8
Authors: Lv Xiaofang , Bai Boyu , Liang Shangbin , Zeng Wenguang , Liu Yang , Ma Qianli , Zhang Haifeng , Wang Chuanshuo , Zhou Shidong
Published: August 2022

The hydrate formation rate is the key to the implementation of solid gas storage and transportation technology by the hydrate method.
Synthesis of flexible Co nanowires from bulk precursors
Authors: Petrova Victoria , Corrao Adam A. , Wang Shen , Xiao Yuxuan , Chapman Karena W. , Fullerton Eric E. , Khalifah Peter G. , Liu Ping
Published: August 2022

This work reports a method of producing flexible cobalt nanowires (NWs) directly from the chemical conversion of bulk precursors at room temperature.
Controllable gelation of coordination nanocages from the physical interactions among surface grafted cholesteryl groups
Authors: Xiao Haiyan , Wang Huihui , Zhang Mingxin , Chen Jiadong , Lai Yuyan , Yang Junsheng , Yin Jia-Fu , Yin Panchao
Published: August 2022

The microscopic mechanism for the gelation of coordination nanocages is revealed from the construction of hairy CNCs with precise structures and the spatio-temporal studies of the gels’ hierarchical structures.
Poly(N,N-dimethyl)acrylamide-based ion-conductive gel with transparency, self-adhesion and rapid self-healing properties for human motion detection
Authors: Wang Ling , Liu Shengjie , Cheng Jingjing , Peng Yao , Meng Fangfei , Wu Zhaoqiang , Chen Hong
Published: August 2022

An poly(N,N-dimethyl)acrylamide (PDMA) ion-conductive gel was prepared by “one-step” UV irradiation polymerization. Such ion gel has excellent electromechanical properties and can be used as a strain sensor to monitor human movements.
ZIF-derived frame-in-cage hybrids of ZnSe–CdSe embedded within a N-doped carbon matrix for efficient photothermal conversion of CO2 into fuel
Authors: Han Wei , Chen Yajie , Jiao Yuzhen , Liang Shumei , Li Wei , Tian Guohui
Published: August 2022

A frame-in-cage hybrid catalyst composed of ZnSe–CdSe embedded within N-doped carbon matrix was prepared and exhibited greatly enhanced photocatalytic CO2 conversion efficiency due to the photo-thermal synergistic reinforcement effect.
Fluidic enabled bioelectronic implants: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Coles Lawrence , Oluwasanya Pelumi W. , Karam Nuzli , Proctor Christopher M.
Published: August 2022

Fluidics are enabling new possibilities in bioelectronic medicine and research.
High-efficiency luminescent organic–inorganic hybrid manganese(ii) halides applied to X-ray imaging
Authors: Meng Haixing , Zhu Wenjuan , Zhou Zijian , Zhou Ruyi , Yan Dong , Zhao Qiang , Liu Shujuan
Published: August 2022

A series of highly efficient manganese(ii) halide scintillators are facilely prepared. CP5 exhibits high light conversion efficiency, a low detection limit and spatial resolution of 4.35 lp mm−1, holding great promise in X-ray detection and imaging.
A highly aligned microgrid structure for wearable nanofibrous sensors with an enhanced sensitivity and detection range
Authors: Wang Mingxu , Wu Jiajia , Dong Li , Shi Jian , Gao Qiang , Zhu Chunhong , Morikawa Hideaki
Published: August 2022

Novel pressure sensing platform that features Ag/Ti3C2Tx (MXene)-modified grid-like polyurethane (PU) nanofibers was prepared sandwiched between the encapsulation layer and interdigital electrodes.
Harnessing adult-plant resistance genes to deploy durable disease resistance in crops
Authors: Dinglasan Eric , Periyannan Sambasivam , Hickey Lee T.
Published: August 2022

Adult-plant resistance (APR) is a type of genetic resistance in cereals that is effective during the later growth stages and can protect plants from a range of disease-causing pathogens. Our understanding of the functions of APR-associated genes stems from the well-studied wheat-rust pathosystem. Genes conferring APR can offer pathogen-specific resistance or multi-pathogen resistance, whereby resistance is activated following a molecular recognition event. The breeding community prefers APR to other types of resistance because it offers broad-spectrum protection that has proven to be more durable. In practice, however, deployment of new cultivars incorporating APR is challenging because there is a lack of well-characterised APRs in elite germplasm and multiple loci must be combined to achieve high levels of resistance. Genebanks provide an excellent source of genetic diversity that can be used to diversify resistance factors, but introgression of novel alleles into elite germplasm is a lengthy and challenging process. To overcome this bottleneck, new tools in breeding for resistance must be integrated to fast-track the discovery, introgression and pyramiding of APR genes. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the functions of APR genes in the well-studied wheat-rust pathosystem, the opportunities to adopt APR genes in other crops and the technology that can speed up the utilisation of new sources of APR in genebank accessions.
The Acoustic Features and Didactic Function of Foreigner-Directed Speech: A Scoping Review
Authors: Piazza Giorgio , Martin Clara D. , Kalashnikova Marina
Published: August 2022

Purpose:

This scoping review considers the acoustic features of a clear speech register directed to nonnative listeners known as foreigner-directed speech (FDS). We identify vowel hyperarticulation and low speech rate as the most representative acoustic features of FDS; other features, including wide pitch range and high intensity, are still under debate. We also discuss factors that may influence the outcomes and characteristics of FDS. We start by examining accommodation theories, outlining the reasons why FDS is likely to serve a didactic function by helping listeners acquire a second language (L2). We examine how this speech register adapts to listeners' identities and linguistic needs, suggesting that FDS also takes listeners' L2 proficiency into account. To confirm the didactic function of FDS, we compare it to other clear speech registers, specifically infant-directed speech and Lombard speech.

Conclusions:

Our review reveals that research has not yet established whether FDS succeeds as a didactic tool that supports L2 acquisition. Moreover, a complex set of factors determines specific realizations of FDS, which need further exploration. We conclude by summarizing open questions and indicating directions and recommendations for future research.
Supporting the Social–Emotional Well-Being of Elementary School Students Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kishida Yuriko , Brennan-Jones Christopher G. , Runions Kevin , Vithiatharan Rena , Hancock Kirsten , Brown Michelle , Eikelboom Robert H. , Coffin Juli , Kickett-Tucker Cheryl , Li Ian W. , Epstein Melanie , Falconer Sarah E. , Cross Donna
Published: August 2022

Purpose:

Children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), their parents, Teachers of the Deaf, and other community stakeholders were involved in co-designing a web-based resource to support students' social–emotional well-being. The resource was designed to provide families and teachers with strategies to enhance the social and emotional well-being of Grade 4–6 students who are DHH. This study reports outcomes of a pilot study of the web-based resource intervention.

Method:

A pre–post pilot study was conducted to quantitatively examine reported anxiety, well-being, social relationships, school experience, student–teacher relationship, and parent and teacher self-efficacy. A total of 37 students, their parents (n= 37), and their classroom teachers (n= 40) participated in the intervention program and were provided access to the resource.

Results:

In total, 19 students, 22 parents, and 17 teachers completed both pre- and postsurvey measures. Pairedttests revealed that there was a statistically significant increase in parents' self-efficacy scores from pre- to posttest. Multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a significant association between parent use of the website and student-reported improved peer support and reduced school loneliness. No other statistically significant differences were found.

Conclusions:

The use of a web-based resource codeveloped with students who are DHH, their parents, and teachers could potentially be beneficial for the well-being of students who are DHH as well as parents' self-efficacy. Further research is needed to confirm the benefits.
Understanding star formation in molecular clouds
Authors: Schneider N. , Ossenkopf-Okada V. , Clarke S. , Klessen R. S. , Kabanovic S. , Veltchev T. , Bontemps S. , Dib S. , Csengeri T. , Federrath C. , Di Francesco J. , Motte F. , André Ph. , Arzoumanian D. , Beattie J. R. , Bonne L. , Didelon P. , Elia D. , Könyves V. , Kritsuk A. , Ladjelate B. , Myers Ph. , Pezzuto S. , Robitaille J. F. , Roy A. , Seifried D. , Simon R. , Soler J. , Ward-Thompson D.
Published: August 2022

Probability distribution functions of the total hydrogen column density (N-PDFs) are a valuable tool for distinguishing between the various processes (turbulence, gravity, radiative feedback, magnetic fields) governing the morphological and dynamical structure of the interstellar medium. We present N-PDFs of 29 Galactic regions obtained from Herschel imaging at high angular resolution (18″), covering diffuse and quiescent clouds, and those showing low-, intermediate-, and high-mass star formation (SF), and characterize the cloud structure using the ∆-variance tool. The N-PDFs show a large variety of morphologies. They are all double-log-normal at low column densities, and display one or two power law tails (PLTs) at higher column densities. For diffuse, quiescent, and low-mass SF clouds, we propose that the two log-normals arise from the atomic and molecular phase, respectively. For massive clouds, we suggest that the first log-normal is built up by turbulently mixed H2 and the second one by compressed (via stellar feedback) molecular gas. Nearly all clouds have two PLTs with slopes consistent with self-gravity, where the second one can be flatter or steeper than the first one. A flatter PLT could be caused by stellar feedback or other physical processes that slow down collapse and reduce the flow of mass toward higher densities. The steeper slope could arise if the magnetic field is oriented perpendicular to the LOS column density distribution. The first deviation point (DP), where the N-PDF turns from log-normal into a PLT, shows a clustering around values of a visual extinction of AV (DP1) ~ 2–5. The second DP, which defines the break between the two PLTs, varies strongly. In contrast, the width of the N-PDFs is the most stable parameter, with values of σ between ~0.5 and 0.6. Using the ∆-variance tool, we observe that the AV value, where the slope changes between the first and second PLT, increases with the characteristic size scale in the ∆-variance spectrum. We conclude that at low column densities, atomic and molecular gas is turbulently mixed, while at high column densities, the gas is fully molecular and dominated by self-gravity. The best fitting model N-PDFs of molecular clouds is thus one with log-normal low column density distributions, followed by one or two PLTs.