bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Storytelling – EDU: Educational - Digital – Unlimited?
Authors: Hug Theo
Published: December 2021

It is undisputed that storytelling is one of the oldest practices of humankind and has been ever-present in social life. This traditional role of narrating has gained new and unexpected topicality in the last decades in various fields and in many respects. Today, 'digital storytelling' is widely established as an umbrella term. Related phenomena are being discussed in terms of mediation, mediatization, multimodal forms of narration and others.

As to educational issues, the situation seems to be rather ambivalent. On the one hand, digital storytelling offers enhancements of learning experiences, chances for meaningful learning and democratization, and also for bridging formal and informal contexts. On the other hand, we can observe a persistent adherence of educational institutions to "writing" as the dominant medium in many countries, thus negating media ecologies and the multimedia environment. Especially regular schools are widely conceptualized as "monomedial provinces" (J. Böhme), thus being justified as "literal countercultures" in which it is imperative to defend literality as the foremost achievement in the process of civilization, whereas otherwise calls for "new literacies" cannot go unnoticed.

The contribution reflects on various understandings of 'digital storytelling' and underestimated dimensions in this regard. It aims at pointing out conceptual problems, and it sounds out limitations of the utilization of digital storytelling in educational contexts.
Norwegian Nurses’ Experiences with Blended Learning: An Evaluation Study
Authors: Johansen Edda , Harding Thomas , Ljosaa Tone Marte
Published: December 2021

An increasing number of nurses undertake continuing education via information and communication technologies. Development of best practice, based on students’ own experiences, is vital in order to create the most effective learning environment. This paper describes the challenges to and facilitators of learning for a group of Norwegian nurses enrolled in a postgraduate course in wound management delivered by blended learning, which combines face-to-face and online components. Data was gathered through a focus group interview and inductive content analysis was used to identify themes emerging from the data. A number of both personal and academic facilitators, and challenges impacted on these adult learners. Technical and academic problems combined with a lack of time created a steep learning curve for these adult students. Valuable feedback, IT support at home and an increased competence eventually gave them a foundation for lifelong learning. Blended learning is an important way to offer postgraduate courses to give adults access to continuing educational programmes independent of geographical location. Both academic and personal challenges and facilitators should be taken into account when educators design blended learning courses in order to facilitate an effective learning environment for adults through the best blend of face-to-face and online learning.
Visual Competence, Media Literacy and "New Literacies" – Conceptual Considerations in a Plural Discursive Landscape
Authors: Hug Theo
Published: December 2021

Debates on media competence and media literacy have been going on now for a few decades. Many concepts have been developed in various disciplines. Along with that, discourses on visual literacy have been intensified, too, although visuals have been used in educational contexts throughout history. But only recently, after almost three thousand years of historiography, turns like the iconic turn, pictorial turn or mediatic turn have been claimed. "Competencies of Visuals" (Ratsch et al. 2009) and their epistemological relevance are intensively discussed in arts, architecture and philosophy as well as in educational, communication and media studies. In this situation, we are facing new conceptual challenges for media education and media literacy discourses.   The paper starts (1) with an outline of some points of departures, followed (2) by a discussion of selected concepts of 'visual competence,' 'media competence' and 'media literacy.' In part (3), "new literacies" are questioned. Finally (4), the contribution aims at conceptual clarifications and the relativization of literacy concepts. In this context, medial forms sensu Leschke (2010) are being considered as a fruitful framework not only for future developments in media theory but also in media education and educational theory.
Introducing Virtual Reality Technologies to Design Education
Authors: Häkkilä Jonna , Colley Ashley , Väyrynen Jani , Yliharju Antti-Jussi
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we address the introduction of Virtual Reality (VR) tools to the education of industrial design (ID) university students. We present three cases of how we have introduced VR technology in different courses of the industrial design curriculum at the University of Lapland, Finland. As the first example (Case I), we introduced a VR simulation as an empathetic design tool to simulate visual disabilities. The second example (Case II) is reported from a course where students created concepts for a head mounted display (HMD) AR application in smart buildings, and tried out interaction with a HMD VR application. In the third example (Case III), VR was used as a display environment to exhibit students’ 3D industrial design concept models. We report our experiences and lessons learnt, as well as recorded student feedback from the trials. As salient findings, we report the general positive feedback, successful integration with the taught themes especially when connected to physical 3D models, as well as suggested improvements. Hindering the adoption of the technology from the teaching point of view, we report on the lack of infrastructure for multi-user groups in classrooms, the additional effort required to set up the technical system, and limited features supporting multimodality.
Digital relational competence: Sensitivity and responsivity to needs of distance and co-located students
Authors: Wiklund-Engblom Annika
Published: December 2021

Being relationally competent is an essential skill for teachers. This involves, for example, skills in social interaction, emotional communication, and human connection. Two key factors for relational competence are teachers’ sensitivity and responsivity to learner needs. In a distance-learning environment this can be a challenge because of the technical barriers, which often entail a lack of nonverbal cues that can guide teachers in social interactions and the orchestration of relations. In this study, nine semi-structured interviews capture the experiences of teachers in upper secondary school, in order to explore how they describe their own digital didactical design for distance courses and how they perceive that it supports students’ learning. In the qualitative content analysis of the interview data, the emphasis was placed on teachers’ digital relational competence with regard to their sensitivity and responsivity. These two factors are scrutinized in relation to six categories of student needs: emotional, cognitive-epistemic, metareflective, self-regulatory, social, and practical-logistic needs.
Educational textbooks in digital surroundings
Authors: Fredskild Trine Ungermann , Frederiksen Kirsten
Published: December 2021

The Danish educations, as well as the Danish society, are influenced by technology in many ways. This amongst other influences the student’s choices regarding educational learning material. These issues, however, are not solely issues in relation to Danish educations but can be generalized across contexts.

This article, however, presents a discussion of the findings in a Danish study regarding the use of educational textbooks among students in Denmark. The study examines the use of the traditional educational textbooks in terms of how it is used, to what extent it is used, the students' wishes regarding textbooks vs online books and if there are educational and gender differences in their preferences. The study also investigates the student way of handling the textbooks such as sharing, copying, selling and buying etc. in the discussion section the study will compare themes identified in this study across educational contexts, and will thus not solely focus on Danish education contexts.

Empirically, the study builds on a survey conducted among students in the Bachelor Programmes, the Vocational Educational Programmes regarding the Health Care Educations and in the General Upper Secondary Schools. The study includes a response from 1146 students.

The article discusses the findings with perspectives such as work methods, communication, and interaction, and concludes among others that even though the students still prefer the textbooks, the ebooks in some ways supplement this use in a beneficial manner.

The article argues that the textbook and the ebook should not be seen as each other’s competitors but rather as each other’s supplement in terms of learnings styles.
A quantization assisted U-Net study with ICA and deep features fusion for breast cancer identification using ultrasonic data
Authors: Meraj Talha , Alosaimi Wael , Alouffi Bader , Rauf Hafiz Tayyab , Kumar Swarn Avinash , Damaševičius Robertas , Alyami Hashem
Published: December 2021

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide—the rapid increase in breast cancer has brought about more accessible diagnosis resources. The ultrasonic breast cancer modality for diagnosis is relatively cost-effective and valuable. Lesion isolation in ultrasonic images is a challenging task due to its robustness and intensity similarity. Accurate detection of breast lesions using ultrasonic breast cancer images can reduce death rates. In this research, a quantization-assisted U-Net approach for segmentation of breast lesions is proposed. It contains two step for segmentation: (1) U-Net and (2) quantization. The quantization assists to U-Net-based segmentation in order to isolate exact lesion areas from sonography images. The Independent Component Analysis (ICA) method then uses the isolated lesions to extract features and are then fused with deep automatic features. Public ultrasonic-modality-based datasets such as the Breast Ultrasound Images Dataset (BUSI) and the Open Access Database of Raw Ultrasonic Signals (OASBUD) are used for evaluation comparison. The OASBUD data extracted the same features. However, classification was done after feature regularization using the lasso method. The obtained results allow us to propose a computer-aided design (CAD) system for breast cancer identification using ultrasonic modalities.
Seroprevalence and lethality by SARS-CoV-2 in indigenous populations of Latin America and the Caribbean: a systematic review
Authors: Hernández-Vásquez Akram , Chavez-Ecos Fabian , Barrenechea-Pulache Antonio , Comandé Daniel , Bendezu-Quispe Guido
Published: December 2021

Background

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) has presented some of the highest numbers of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in the world. Even though indigenous communities represent 8% of the total population in this region, the impact of COVID-19 on this historically vulnerable population has only been briefly explored. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and lethality attributable to SARS-CoV-2 in the indigenous population of LAC.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted utilizing multiple databases (registry PROSPERO: CRD42020207862). Studies published in English, Spanish or Portuguese were selected between December 1st, 2019, and April 14th, 2021. The evaluation of the quality of the study was carried out utilizing the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. A qualitative synthesis of the data analyzed was conducted following the MOOSE and PRISMA declarations.

Results

Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies were carried out in a Brazilian population, three in a Mexican population, and one in a Colombian population. Four studies reported data about the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in indigenous populations of Brazil (range: 4.2–81.65%). Twelve studies reported lethality in indigenous people (eight in Brazil, three in Mexico, and one in Colombia). In Brazil, a lethality of 53.30% was described in a hospital setting and between 1.83% and 4.03% in community studies. In Mexico, the lethality of COVID-19 ranged between 16.5% and 19.9%. Meanwhile, in Colombia, a lethality of 3.41% was reported. Most studies were deemed to be of good quality.

Conclusions

Despite COVID-19 affecting indigenous populations of LAC, there is limited evidence of the seroprevalence and lethality of the infection by SARS-CoV-2 in this population. Future investigations should ensure standardized methods that allow comparability among studies and ensure the precision of the results obtained.
Putative fossil blood cells reinterpreted as diagenetic structures
Authors: Korneisel Dana E. , Nesbitt Sterling J. , Werning Sarah , Xiao Shuhai
Published: December 2021

Red to red-orange spheres in the vascular canals of fossil bone thin sections have been repeatedly reported using light microscopy. Some of these have been interpreted as the fossilized remains of blood cells or, alternatively, pyrite framboids. Here, we assess claims of blood cell preservation within bones of the therizinosauroid theropodBeipiaosaurus inexpectusfrom the Jehol Lagerstätte. Using Raman spectroscopy, Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry, and Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy, we found evidence of high taphonomic alteration of the bone. We also found that the vascular canals in the bone, once purported to contain fossil red blood cell, are filled with a mix of clay minerals and carbonaceous compounds. The spheres could not be analyzed in isolation, but we did not find any evidence of pyrite or heme compounds in the vessels, surrounding bone, or matrix. However, we did observe similar spheres under light microscopy in petrified wood found in proximity to the dinosaur. Consequently, we conclude that the red spheres are most likely diagenetic structures replicated by the clay minerals present throughout the vascular canals.
Natural Resource Management to Support Tourism Using Circular Economics Business Model: Case in Jatirejoyoso Village, Malang Regency, Indonesia
Authors: Mukhlis Imam , Hidayah Isnawati , Pratama Andik , Amir Mas’ud Anudiyan , Agustin Grisvia , Seprillina Linda
Published: December 2021

Poverty alleviation and rural development has become one of priority for Indonesian government. It requires the contribution from local government to work hand in hand with various stakeholders in order to develop their local area and people based on their potential resources. The research aims to establish sustainable business model for rural development. One of the example is Jatirejoyoso village, Malang Regency that prepare their self to establish a tourism site which focus on agroecological farming system and circular economy concept. Thus, this research is conducted in Jatirejoyoso Village, Malang Regency. The research uses qualitative approach using DBR (Design Based Research). Moreover, this research uses SWOT analysis and BMC (Business Model Canvas) analysis. The data collected by doing FGD (Focus Group Discussion), in-depth interview, documentation and observation. The research’s informants are farmers, official rural government, leader of local community development program, and youth people. The research’s findings concludes that (1) Jatirejoyoso Village has potential to be developed into tourism area by managing their natural resource in agricultural sector and optimizing the farmer’s involvement, (2) The local communities independently initiate  and develop the tourism spot, (3) The local people and authorities start to manage their natural resource, for instance by establishing  refugia park nearby paddy field, (4) The local people has collective action’s awareness in order to sustainably optimize their potential to improve the livelihoods using circular economy approach.
Anti-Inflammatory and Analgesic Evaluation of Parinari curatellifolia Methanol Leaf Extract on Albino Rats
Authors: Fakai I. M. , Abdulhamid A. , Dada Alhassan Yunusa
Published: December 2021

Aim: This research was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of Parinari curatellifolia methanol leaf extract in albino rats.

Methodology: Phytochemical screening was carried out using standard methods. Anti-inflammatory activity of the extract was done using egg albumin and formalin induced hind paw edema model. Analgesic effect was evaluated using hot plate induced pain and acetic acid induced writhing test. For each model twenty (20) rats were used, divided into five (5) groups of four (4) rats each.

Results: Parinari curatellifolia revealed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins and phenols while steroids, anthraquinone, terpenoids and glycoside were not detected. For the egg albumin induced inflammation, the group treated with the standard drug (indomethacin) and the group that received the highest dose of the extract were significantly lower (P<0.05) than all the other groups with percentage inhibitions at 25.56% and 24.44% respectively there was no significant difference (P>0.05). For the formalin induced anti-inflammatory activity, at the 1st hour, the normal control group had its paw volume significantly different (P<0.05) from the treated groups. This trend was observed at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th hour. The hot plate method results revealed significant increased (P<0.05) in the analgesic activity of PCMLE at 400mg/kg body weight and the drug treated group when the control was compared with the treated groups with percentage inhibition of 34.32% and 52.94% respectively. The acetic acid induced writhing test revealed that the extract at the three doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight, showed a significant (P<0.05) percentage inhibition of 32.31%, 36.92% and 47.69%, respectively compared to negative control.

Conclusion: This justifies the use of Parinari curatellifolia locally in the management of pain and inflammation.
Parents' Stress and Children's Psychological Problems during the COVID-19 Outbreak in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Aljaber Maitham Jaber , Alqadeeb Maria Mahdi , Hijji Alsaleem Jassim , Al Ameen Sadiq Fadhel , Alhashem Ahmad Ibrahim , Alzahrani Safa Ibrahim
Published: December 2021

The first outbreak of (COVID-19) was in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of December 2019 in the form of acute pneumonia. COVID-19 is a serious and highly infectious disease that affected 245,621,992 cases worldwide, leading to a dramatic loss of everyday lifestyle and negatively impacting people's psychological status. This paper shows Parents' Stress and Children's Psychological Problems during this pandemic.

Objectives: This work determined the psychological impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on parents and children.

Methods: Parents who have children aged between 4 and 16 years old (n=424) completed an online questionnaire using QuestionPro and gave written informed consent. The questionnaire was distributed through social media (WhatsApp, Telegram ) from December 6th to January 5th, 2020-2021. We excluded all responses that came from outside Saudi Arabia. Also, we excluded participants who did not have children; if the parent had more than one child, they were asked to report on one child only. Parents described the difficulties they faced, the parent-child dyadic stress, and their children's behavioral and emotional complications during the pandemic. The participants filled the depression Anxiety Stress Scale (Dass21) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) scale.

Results: There were significant impacts on the mental health of the public. Our findings demonstrated that the COVID-19 outbreak had remarkable psycho-social effects on children and their parents.The results showed that younger parents were more affected than older parents,Q6 (r = 0.150, p<0.01), DASS stress (r = -0.266, p<0.01), DASS anxiety (r = -0.201, p<0.01), and DASS depression (r = -0.265, p<0.01),but there was no significant psychological impact of having COVID-19. Those who had relatives who died from COVID were at a higher risk of depression (r=0.006, p<0.05). Having a child diagnosed with mental illness seems to have increased the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress of parents. There was a significant association between parents' mental health and their children's psychological adjustment.

Conclusions: Quarantining is stressful, especially for parents who also have work and school obligations. This circumstance puts parents at a greater risk of distress and might prevent them from being supportive parents. This, in turn, can lead to psychological symptoms in children. Governmental actions should consider the implications of lockdown on families and their mental health.

Recommendation for Future Research: since this study had only focused on one child if parents have more than one with a limited number of participants, we recommended that further research be carried on a larger sample size to see whether there are any similarities in the findings.
LIGHTWEIGHT AND MULTI-PURPOSE PARTITION FOR VERTICAL HOUSING
Authors: Julistiono Eunike Kristi , Arifin Lilianny Siegit , Maer Bisatya Widadya
Published: December 2021

Vertical housings have been developed to solve housing quality degradation due to rapid urbanization. These housings are often lack of privacy and comfort, since the lay-out mostly consists of one open plan space with limited area. This paper presents a lightweight and multi-purpose partition to improve the living quality in vertical housings. The lightweight characteristic is intended to minimize structural loads, while the multi-purpose property allows the partition to be transformed into some furniture for spatial efficiency. A literature review and material surveys were performed prior to material selection and the design process. Then, physical model experiments were carried out to simulate the installation process and the transformation process of the partition modules into some furniture. Result show that the partition’s weight is only 11-36.7% of the common partition wall, and when installed, the transformable property enables an adaptable space which can be adjusted to the occupants’ different conditions.
The Centrality of Brand Awareness
Authors: Adiwijaya Michael , McGuinness Erin , C Cary John , Herjanto Halimin
Published: December 2021

The brand concept, especially brand loyalty, has evolved significantly; however, this phenomenon is still considered far from complete. This study extends a long line of scholars’ efforts by investigating a moderating effect of brand awareness in triangle relationships between product innovation and brand trust and brand loyalty. The hypotheses were tested based on online questionnaire data collected from 100 Indonesian respondents. The Ordinary least square (OLS) regression analysis shows that brand awareness positively and significantly moderates these triangle relationships. Additionally, the direct relationships between product innovation on brand awareness and brand loyalty and brand trust and brand loyalty were found to be significant. This research offers future research direction and implications for business practitioners and academics.
Pain Reduction in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Who Use Opioids: A Post Hoc Analysis of Phase 3 Trials of Baricitinib
Authors: Pope Janet E. , Lee Yvonne C. , Curtis Jeffrey R. , Mo Daojun , Xie Li , Dickson Christina L. , Schlichting Douglas E. , Cardoso Anabela , Simon Lee S. , Taylor Peter C.
Published: December 2021

Objective

Pain reduction with baricitinib was assessed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who either used opioids or did not use opioids during three randomized, double‐blind phase 3 trials.

Methods

Analysis populations were as follows: i) baricitinib 4 mg once daily versus placebo groups integrated from RA‐BEAM (NCT01710358) for patients with inadequate response (IR) to methotrexate, RA‐BUILD (NCT01721057) with IR to conventional disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs, and RA‐BEACON (NCT01721044) with IR to at least one tumor necrosis factor inhibitors; ii) baricitinib 2 mg versus placebo from RA‐BUILD and RA‐BEACON; and iii) adalimumab 40 mg every other week versus placebo from RA‐BEAM. Pain was measured by the Patient Assessment of Pain Visual Analog Scale. Analysis of covariance modeling assessed differences in pain reduction between treatments at each time point through Week 24, with an interaction term to test heterogeneous treatment effects across opioid users and nonusers.

Results

Baricitinib 4 mg had greater pain reduction versus placebo in opioid users and nonusers (P < 0.05) at all time points starting from Week 1; the pain reduction was similar between opioid users and nonusers. Baricitinib 2 mg had greater pain reduction versus placebo in opioid users and nonusers starting at Week 4. A significant difference in pain reduction was not observed for adalimumab versus placebo in the opioid users but was observed in nonusers at all time points.

Conclusion

Pain reduction was observed and was similar between opioid users and nonusers with baricitinib 2 mg and 4 mg but not adalimumab in this post hoc analysis.
3D Printed Ti3C2Tx MXene/Cellulose Nanofiber Architectures for Solid‐State Supercapacitors: Ink Rheology, 3D Printability, and Electrochemical Performance
Authors: Zhou Guoqiang , Li Mei‐Chun , Liu Chaozheng , Wu Qinglin , Mei Changtong
Published: December 2021

Direct ink writing technology is capable of using 2D MXene to construct 3D architectures for electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices that are normally difficult to achieve using conventional techniques. However, to meet specific rheological requirements for 3D printing, a large amount of MXene is needed in the ink, resulting in a severe self‐restacking structure after drying. Herein, a series of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) with different morphologies and surface chemistries are applied to enhance the rheology of the MXene‐based inks with exceptional 3D printability. Various 3D architectures with superior shape fidelity and geometric accuracy are successfully printed using the optimized hybrid ink at a low solid content, generating self‐standing, hierarchically porous structures after being freeze‐dried, which improves surface area accessibility, ion transport efficiency, and ultimately, capacitive performance. A solid‐state interdigitated symmetrical supercapacitor is further 3D printed, which delivers an areal capacitance of 2.02 F cm−2 and an energy density of 101 μWh cm−2 at a power density of 0.299 mW cm−2, and maintains a capacitance retention rate of 85% after 5000 cycles. This work demonstrates the integration of 1D CNFs and 2D MXene in 3D printing technology to prepare customized, multiscale, and multidimensional architectures for the next generation of EES devices.
COCu: A Robust Self‐Regenerative Hydrogel with Applicability as Both Hydrated Gel Dressing and Dry Suture for Seamless Tissue Fixation and Repair
Authors: Hu Tian , Chan Chuncheung , Lin Min‐Zhao , Bu Huaitian , Liu Bin , Jiang Gang‐Biao
Published: December 2021

Self‐regenerative hydrogels have recently been developed, and represent a special type of self‐healing hydrogels with the ability to restore a dehydrated hydrogel with physical damage. In this study, a self‐regenerative hydrogel (COCu) based on two chitosan polymers assembled by slow‐released Cu2+ is developed. The COCu hydrogel displays an excellent regeneration ability after being dehydrated and fractured. By simple hydration at room temperature, the fragments of the dehydrated gel fuse into one seamless whole, thereby preserving the mechanical properties and functionalities of the original hydrogel. The regeneration process can be conducted repeatedly after different methods of dehydration (natural volatilization, heat drying, lyophilization) and various modes of deconstruction (flakes, powder, lumpy sponge, etc.). Furthermore, the COCu hydrogel provides ultra‐stretchability, and it can be stretched into thin (0.01–0.1 mm) filaments, which, when dried (dtCOCu), can be used as suture lines. Moreover, when used as a dry suture, it regenerates into the hydrogel in the presence of the tissue fluid, forming an excellent sealant to immobilize tissues and seamlessly seal wounds. The fast self‐regeneration allows for its facile application as both a hydrated gel dressing and dry suture, and offers customized strategies for fixing and repair of different wounds in soft tissues.
Emerging Type‐II Superlattices of InAs/InAsSb and InAs/GaSb for Mid‐Wavelength Infrared Photodetectors
Authors: Alshahrani Dhafer O. , Kesaria Manoj , Anyebe Ezekiel A. , Srivastava V. , Huffaker Diana L.
Published: December 2021

Mid‐wavelength infrared (MWIR) photodetectors (PDs) are highly essential for environmental sensing of hazardous gases, security, defense, and medical applications. Mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) materials have been the most used detector in the MWIR range. However, it is plagued by several challenges including toxicity concerns, a high rate of Auger nonradiative recombination, a large band‐to‐band (BTB) tunneling current, nonuniformity, and the need for cryogenic cooling. Theoretically, it is predicted that type‐II superlattice (T2SL) materials can emerge as an alternative with the potential to outperform the current state‐of‐the‐art MCT PDs due to suppression of Auger recombination associated with bandgap engineering and reduced BTB tunneling current caused by the larger effective mass. Based on this theoretical prediction, it is believed that T2SL have the potential to operate at high temperatures and overcome the size, weight, and power consumption limitations of MCT. Herein, a detailed review of the fundamental material properties of T2SL PDs is provided while providing a comparison of the optical and electrical performances of Ga‐free (InAs/InAsSb) and Ga‐based (InAs/GaSb) T2SL PDs. Finally, recent advances in IR detection technologies including focal plane arrays and quantum cascade infrared photodetectors are explored.
Tunable Phase Distribution of Liquid Metamaterial
Authors: Lin Jie , Lin Peng , Lin Yu-Sheng
Published: December 2021

A tunable liquid metamaterial (TLM) is proposed and demonstrated to possess phase tunability. TLM is composed of SiO2 nanopillars encapsulated with silicone oil. The phase of incident wavelength of 660 nm can be tuned 2π by elevating the height of SiO2 nanopillars to 1.65 μm. TLM shows high transmission intensity of 0.9. The phase manipulation is based on the liquid morphology, which is different from that by temperature and electrical methods. Herein, a TLM design is proposed to exhibit an actively tunable phase metamaterial and promote its application prospect. It provides the potential possibility of holography with high transmission intensity and shows actively tunable transmission phase to realize the tunable deflection angle, variable image, and varifocal metalens applications. This TLM design, an innovative idea for one kind of liquid metamaterial, is desirable to bring more possibilities to the tunable phase metamaterial. The adoptable electromagnetic spectrum of this design can also extend to the entire electromagnetic spectrum, such as microwave, terahertz (THz), infrared (IR), etc. The proposed TLM design provides an effective approach in tunable optoelectronics applications and a new direction for the future 3D stereoimaging and holographic projection applications.
T7 Phage as an Emerging Nanobiomaterial with Genetically Tunable Target Specificity
Authors: Yue Hui , Li Yan , Yang Mingying , Mao Chuanbin
Published: December 2021

Bacteriophages, also known as phages, are specific antagonists against bacteria. T7 phage has drawn massive attention in precision medicine owing to its distinctive advantages, such as short replication cycle, ease in displaying peptides and proteins, high stability and cloning efficiency, facile manipulation, and convenient storage. By introducing foreign gene into phage DNA, T7 phage can present foreign peptides or proteins site‐specifically on its capsid, enabling it to become a nanoparticle that can be genetically engineered to screen and display a peptide or protein capable of recognizing a specific target with high affinity. This review critically introduces the biomedical use of T7 phage, ranging from the detection of serological biomarkers and bacterial pathogens, recognition of cells or tissues with high affinity, design of gene vectors or vaccines, to targeted therapy of different challenging diseases (e.g., bacterial infection, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, inflammatory disease, and foot–mouth disease). It also discusses perspectives and challenges in exploring T7 phage, including the understanding of its interactions with human body, assembly into scaffolds for tissue regeneration, integration with genome editing, and theranostic use in clinics. As a genetically modifiable biological nanoparticle, T7 phage holds promise as biomedical imaging probes, therapeutic agents, drug and gene carriers, and detection tools.
Workflow Engineering in Materials Design within the BATTERY 2030+ Project
Authors: Schaarschmidt Joerg , Yuan Jie , Strunk Timo , Kondov Ivan , Huber Sebastiaan P. , Pizzi Giovanni , Kahle Leonid , Bölle Felix T. , Castelli Ivano E. , Vegge Tejs , Hanke Felix , Hickel Tilmann , Neugebauer Jörg , Rêgo Celso R. C. , Wenzel Wolfgang
Published: December 2021

In recent years, modeling and simulation of materials have become indispensable to complement experiments in materials design. High‐throughput simulations increasingly aid researchers in selecting the most promising materials for experimental studies or by providing insights inaccessible by experiment. However, this often requires multiple simulation tools to meet the modeling goal. As a result, methods and tools are needed to enable extensive‐scale simulations with streamlined execution of all tasks within a complex simulation protocol, including the transfer and adaptation of data between calculations. These methods should allow rapid prototyping of new protocols and proper documentation of the process. Here an overview of the benefits and challenges of workflow engineering in virtual material design is presented. Furthermore, a selection of prominent scientific workflow frameworks used for the research in the BATTERY 2030+ project is presented. Their strengths and weaknesses as well as a selection of use cases in which workflow frameworks significantly contributed to the respective studies are discussed.
The safety and feasibility of laparoscopic redo surgery for recurrent Crohn’s disease: A comparative clinical study of over 100 consecutive patients
Authors: Ogino Takayuki , Sekido Yuki , Hata Tsuyoshi , Miyoshi Norikatsu , Takahashi Hidekazu , Uemura Mamoru , Yamamoto Hirofumi , Doki Yuichiro , Eguchi Hidetoshi , Mizushima Tsunekazu
Published: December 2021

Background

Despite advances in medical treatments, most patients with Crohn's disease (CD) will still require surgery, with 20%‐50% needing redo surgery within 10 years after the primary procedure. There is no consensus on the application of laparoscopic redo surgery for recurrent CD.

Methods

This study included 107 patients with CD who underwent surgery from 2012 to 2020 at Osaka University Hospital. All procedures were laparoscopic. Patients were grouped based on whether the surgery was redo or primary for evaluation of the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic redo surgery.

Results

The study included 40 patients undergoing redo surgery and 67 having primary surgery. The median age at the time of the procedure was higher for those undergoing redo surgery (43 years vs 34 years, P < 0.0031), as were the duration of CD (16.5 years vs 8.3 years, P < 0.0012) and number of operating minutes (231.0 min vs 169.0 min, P < 0.0001). The remnant bowel length was shorter in the redo surgery group (270.0 cm vs 410.0 cm, P < 0.0001). Rates of open conversion were comparable between the two groups (10.0% vs 3.0%, P = 0.127), as were postoperative complications (32.5% vs 20.9%, P = 0.1812).

Conclusions

These results suggest that laparoscopic redo surgery is safe and feasible, with comparable conversion rates and postoperative complications in experienced institutions.
Use of the Vineland‐3, a measure of adaptive functioning, in CLN3
Authors: Dang Do An N. , Thurm Audrey E. , Farmer Cristan A. , Soldatos Ariane G. , Chlebowski Colby E. , O'Reilly Julie K. , Porter Forbes D.
Published: December 2021

Progressive vision loss and neurocognitive impairment are early and frequent presentations in CLN3 disease. This highlights neurodevelopmental functioning as critical to the disease, but limits the neuropsychological test repertoire. We evaluated the convergent validity of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales as a potential outcome measure. In a prospective observational study of 22 individuals (female:male 11:11; 6–20 years‐old) with a molecular diagnosis of CLN3, we used generalized linear models and Spearman correlations to quantify the relationship of the adaptive behavior composite (ABC) standard score with established outcomes of verbal IQ (VIQ) and disease severity (Unified Batten Disease Rating Scale, UBDRS) scores. We analyzed ABC changes in 1‐year follow‐up data in a subset of the same cohort (n = 17). The ABC and VIQ, both standard scores, exhibited a strong positive correlation in cross‐sectional data (r = 0.81). ABC and UBDRS scores were strongly and positively correlated in cross‐sectional data (rrange = 0.87–0.93). Participants' ABC scores decreased slightly over the 1‐year follow‐up period (mean change, 95% CI: −5.23, −2.16). The convergent validity of the Vineland‐3 for use in CLN3 is supported by its relationships with the established outcomes of VIQ and UBDRS. Future longitudinal research, including replication in other cohorts and evaluation of sensitivity to change, will be important to establish utility of the Vineland‐3 for monitoring change in CLN3.
K‐Chabazite Zeolite Nanocrystal Aggregates for Highly Efficient Methane Separation
Authors: Yang Jiangfeng , Liu Jiaqi , Liu Puxu , Li Libo , Tang Xuan , Shang Hua , Li Jinping , Chen Banglin
Published: December 2021

Methane (CH4) enrichment and purification is of great significance for increasing the heating value of unconventional natural gas sources and curtailing its effect on global warming. For a long time, commercial adsorbents for CH4 separation have been hampered by low adsorption capacities, sub‐optimal adsorption selectivities, or slow diffusion rates, which have significantly restricted separation productivity. Herein, we report a facile and green seed‐passaging method to fabricate donut‐like macro–meso–micro hierarchical zeolite K‐Chabazite nanocrystal aggregates. This consecutive seed‐inducing method requires no organic template. By utilizing this unique nanocrystallization technique, the CH4 adsorption capacity, gas diffusion rate, and separation productivity of the resultant material are dramatically increased compared with those of commercially available adsorbents, thus setting a new benchmark in CH4/N2 separation. More importantly, production of this adsorbent can be easily scaled‐up to the order of 100 kg using readily available raw materials in this environmentally friendly synthetic route, enabling potential industrial implementation.
TMSCF2Br‐Enabled Fluorination–Aminocarbonylation of Aldehydes: Modular Access to α‐Fluoroamides
Authors: Liu An , Ni Chuanfa , Xie Qiqiang , Hu Jinbo
Published: December 2021

A protocol for the modular assembly of the α‐fluoroamide motif has been developed, which provides a practical method for the efficient synthesis of structurally diverse α‐fluoroamides from easily available aldehydes and tertiary amines through a three‐component fluorination–aminocarbonylation process. The key to the success of this process is taking advantage of the multiple roles of the unique difluorocarbene reagent TMSCF2Br (TMS=trimethylsilyl). The mechanism of the process involves the 1,2‐fluorine and oxygen migrations of the in situ formed TMS‐protected α‐aminodifluoromethyl carbinol intermediates, which represents a new type of deoxyfluorination reaction.
Nonlinear Schapery viscoelastic material model for thermoplastic polymers
Authors: Zink Thomas , Kehrer Loredana , Hirschberg Valerian , Wilhelm Manfred , Böhlke Thomas
Published: December 2021

The nonlinear mechanical behavior of viscoelastic materials is modeled based on the Schapery integral model containing internal variables. In this context, a new approach for the strain‐dependent material properties is introduced considering a one‐dimensional formulation with strain‐dependent nonlinear functions for an oscillatory load case. In addition to the viscoelastic storage and loss modulus, the higher order harmonic oscillations in the stress response are computed and compared to experimental data from Fourier transform rheology of Polyamide 6 (PA6). The comparison reveals a good agreement between the predictions of the nonlinear model and the experimental data for the higher harmonic intensity .
Two‐color fluorescent proteins reporting survivin regulation in breast cancer cells for high throughput drug screening
Authors: Li You , Qin Zhen , Zhang Fengli , Yang Shang‐Tian
Published: December 2021

Reporter gene assay is widely used for high throughput drug screening and drug action mechanism evaluation. In this study, we developed a robust dual‐fluorescent reporter assay to detect drugs repressing the transcription of survivin, a cancer biomarker from the inhibitor of apoptosis family, in breast cancer cells cultured in three‐dimensional (3D) microbioreactors. Survivin is overexpressed in numerous malignancies but almost silent in normal tissue cells and is considered a lead target for cancer therapy. Breast cancer MCF‐7 cells were engineered to express enhanced green fluorescent protein driven by a survivin promoter and red fluorescent protein driven by a cytomegalovirus promoter as internal control to detect changes in survivin expression in cells as affected by drugs. This 3D dual‐fluorescent reporter assay was validated with YM155 and doxorubicin, which were known to downregulate survivin in cancer cells, and further evaluated with two widely used anticancer compounds, cisplatin, and epigallocatechin gallate, to evaluate their effects on survivin expression. The results showed that the 3D dual‐fluorescent reporter assay was robust for high throughput screening of drugs targeting survivin in breast cancer cells.
Acceleration of target production in co‐culture by enhancing intermediate consumption through adaptive laboratory evolution
Authors: Kawai Ryutaro , Toya Yoshihiro , Miyoshi Kenta , Murakami Manami , Niide Teppei , Horinouchi Takaaki , Maeda Tomoya , Shibai Atsushi , Furusawa Chikara , Shimizu Hiroshi
Published: December 2021

Co‐culture is a promising way to alleviate metabolic burden by dividing the metabolic pathways into several modules and sharing the conversion processes with multiple strains. Since an intermediate is passed from the donor to the recipient via the extracellular environment, it is inevitably diluted. Therefore, enhancing the intermediate consumption rate is important for increasing target productivity. In the present study, we demonstrated the enhancement of mevalonate consumption in Escherichia coli by adaptive laboratory evolution and applied the evolved strain to isoprenol production in an E. coli (upstream: glucose to mevalonate)–E. coli (downstream: mevalonate to isoprenol) co‐culture. An engineered mevalonate auxotroph strain was repeatedly sub‐cultured in a synthetic medium supplemented with mevalonate, where the mevalonate concentration was decreased stepwise from 100 to 20 µM. In five parallel evolution experiments, all growth rates gradually increased, resulting in five evolved strains. Whole‐genome re‐sequencing and reverse engineering identified three mutations involved in enhancing mevalonate consumption. After introducing nudF gene for producing isoprenol, the isoprenol‐producing parental and evolved strains were respectively co‐cultured with a mevalonate‐producing strain. At an inoculation ratio of 1:3 (upstream:downstream), isoprenol production using the evolved strain was 3.3 times higher than that using the parental strain.
Renewable Activated Carbon Filters Bearing Photocatalytic Particles for Volatile Organic Compound Removal
Authors: Kim Seongjin , Kim Semun , Lee Seungae
Published: December 2021

As interest in improving indoor air quality has increased, the development of long‐lasting adsorbents that effectively and economically remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has become critical. In this study, TiO2‐bearing activated carbon is introduced as a photocatalytic adsorbent in a renewable VOC filter. The activated carbon filter bearing TiO2 particles is prepared using the sol‐gel method, followed by a spraying method. VOC adsorption and photocatalytic activity of the TiO2‐bearing activated carbon are analyzed using a Tedlar bag sampling technique, using toluene and acetaldehyde as sample of VOC gas. Under ultraviolet‐C (UV‐C) irradiation for 22 h, the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 regenerates the VOC filters by 99 %. In addition, under UV‐A and light‐emitting diode, the TiO2‐bearing activated carbon filters are regenerated by 60 % and 58 %, respectively, after 22 h. This result establishes its practical applicability as a renewable indoor VOC filter.
Cross‐Linked Enzyme‐Adhered Nanoparticles (CLEANs) for Continuous‐Flow Bioproduction
Authors: Nagy Flóra , Sánta‐Bell Evelin , Jipa Monica , Hornyánszky Gábor , Szilágyi András , László Krisztina , Katona Gabriel , Paizs Csaba , Poppe László , Balogh‐Weiser Diána
Published: December 2021

Nanostructured but micro‐sized biocatalysts were created by bottom‐up technology using multi‐functionalized silica nanoparticles (NPs) as nano‐sized building blocks to form cross‐linked enzyme‐adhered nanoparticles (CLEANs) as robust micro‐sized particles with beneficial internal structure and good mechanical properties. Systematic surface modification of NPs with a grafting mixture consisting of organosilanes with reactive (aminopropyl) and inert (e. g., vinyl, propyl, phenyl, or octyl) functions resulted in functional NPs enabling cross‐linking agents, such as glutardialdehyde or bisepoxides (glycerol diglycidyl ether, neopentylglycol diglycidyl ether, and poly(propylene glycol) diglycidyl ether), to bind and cross‐link enzymes covalently and to form macroporous microparticles. These CLEANs were able to diminish several weaknesses of traditional cross‐linked enzyme aggregates as biocatalysts, such as poor mechanical resistance, difficult recovery, and storage, strengthening their use for packed‐bed enzyme reactors. Lipase B from Candida antarctica (CaLB) was selected as model enzyme for development of robust CLEANs, which were successfully tested for various industrially relevant applications including a kinetic resolution of a racemic alcohol and the production of various natural fragrance compounds under continuous‐flow conditions.