bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐Performance Stretchable Thermoelectric Generator for Self‐Powered Wearable Electronics
Authors: Fan Wusheng , An Zijian , Liu Feng , Gao Ziheng , Zhang Min , Fu Chenguang , Zhu Tiejun , Liu Qingjun , Zhao Xinbing
Published: February 2023

Wearable thermoelectric generators (TEGs), which can convert human body heat to electricity, provide a promising solution for self‐powered wearable electronics. However, their power densities still need to be improved aiming at broad practical applications. Here, a stretchable TEG that achieves comfortable wearability and outstanding output performance simultaneously is reported. When worn on the forehead at an ambient temperature of 15 °C, the stretchable TEG exhibits excellent power densities with a maximum value of 13.8 µW cm−2 under the breezeless condition, and even as high as 71.8 µW cm−2 at an air speed of 2 m s−1, being one of the highest values for wearable TEGs. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that this stretchable TEG can effectively power a commercial light‐emitting diode and stably drive an electrocardiogram module in real‐time without the assistance of any additional power supply. These results highlight the great potential of these stretchable TEGs for power generation applications.
Intrinsically Nonswellable Multifunctional Hydrogel with Dynamic Nanoconfinement Networks for Robust Tissue‐Adaptable Bioelectronics
Authors: Park Jae , Kim Ju Yeon , Heo Jeong Hyun , Kim Yeonju , Kim Soo A , Park Kijun , Lee Yeontaek , Jin Yoonhee , Shin Su Ryon , Kim Dae Woo , Seo Jungmok
Published: February 2023

Developing bioelectronics that retains their long‐term functionalities in the human body during daily activities is a current critical issue. To accomplish this, robust tissue adaptability and biointerfacing of bioelectronics should be achieved. Hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for bioelectronics that can softly adapt to and interface with tissues. However, hydrogels lack toughness, requisite electrical properties, and fabrication methodologies. Additionally, the water‐swellable property of hydrogels weakens their mechanical properties. In this work, an intrinsically nonswellable multifunctional hydrogel exhibiting tissue‐like moduli ranging from 10 to 100 kPa, toughness (400–873 J m−3), stretchability (≈1000% strain), and rapid self‐healing ability (within 5 min), is developed. The incorporation of carboxyl‐ and hydroxyl‐functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) ensures high conductivity of the hydrogel (≈40 S m−1), which can be maintained and recovered even after stretching or rupture. After a simple chemical modification, the hydrogel shows tissue‐adhesive properties (≈50 kPa) against the target tissues. Moreover, the hydrogel can be 3D printed with a high resolution (≈100 µm) through heat treatment owing to its shear‐thinning capacity, endowing it with fabrication versatility. The hydrogel is successfully applied to underwater electromyography (EMG) detection and ex vivo bladder expansion monitoring, demonstrating its potential for practical bioelectronics.
12 µm‐Thick Sintered Garnet Ceramic Skeleton Enabling High‐Energy‐Density Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Bao Chengshuai , Zheng Chujun , Wu Meifen , Zhang Yan , Jin Jun , Chen Huan , Wen Zhaoyin
Published: February 2023

Ultrathin composite solid‐state electrolytes (CSSEs) demonstrate great promise in high‐energy‐density solid‐state batteries due to their ultrathin thickness and good adaptability to lithium metal anodes. However, uncontrolled dendrite growth and performance deterioration caused by the aggregation of inorganic powder restrict the practical application of ultrathin CSSEs. Herein, a flexible, self‐supporting Li6.5La3Zr1.5Ta0.5O12 (LLZO) ceramic skeleton is prepared by the tape‐casting method. Subsequently, a 12 µm‐thick CSSE with a 3D interconnection structure is achieved through in situ UV curing of ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate (ETPTA) in a ceramic skeleton (CS‐CSSE). This design includes a sintered LLZO ceramic, which can avoid the uneven distribution of the inorganic phase and regulate ion migration. Meanwhile, the cross‐linked ETPTA polymer electrolyte contributes to lower interfacial impedance. In addition, the continuous two‐phase interface can also provide a fast transmission channel for Li+. As a result, CS‐CSSE demonstrates superior Li+ transference number (0.83) and ionic conductivity (1.19 × 10‐3 S cm‐1) at 25 °C. As‐prepared Li|LiNi0.83Co0.12Mn0.05O2 batteries exhibit high discharge specific capacities of 185.4 mAh g‐1 at 0.1 C and average coulombic efficiency greater than 99%. The pouch cells exhibit high energy densities of 376 Wh Kg‐1 and 1186 Wh L‐1. This work provides new insights into the application of ceramics to high‐energy‐density solid‐state batteries.
Farmers' willingness to invest in mechanized maize shelling and potential financial benefits: Evidence from Tanzania
Authors: Kotu Bekele Hundie , Manda Julius , Mutungi Christopher , Fischer Gundula , Gaspar Audifas
Published: February 2023

Sub‐Saharan Africa has the least mechanized agriculture in the world due to various reasons including low effective demand at farm level, low policy attention, and ineffective mechanization strategies. However, the situation has changed since recently in favor of mechanization while limited empirical evidence is available on how mechanization can be enhanced among smallholder farmers. In this study, we explore farmers' willingness to invest in mechanization services by considering the group business model (GBM) and the individual business model (IBM) of mechanized maize shelling in Tanzania. Moreover, we analyze the potential financial benefit for those farmers who would like to invest in mechanized maize shelling. We use data mainly collected through a household survey and apply econometric and mathematical models for analysis. The results show that about 65% of the sample farmers are willing to invest in mechanized maize shelling within the GBM, while about 10% of them would like to do so within the IBM. Moreover, the results show that investment in mechanized maize shelling is profitable considering both small‐scale (4 and 7 HP engine capacity) machines and medium‐scale (16 and 20 HP engine capacity) machines. The results show that expanding agricultural mechanization in Tanzania through investments coming from smallholder farmers, as also experienced elsewhere, is possible while they suggest that policy instruments such as targeted loan programs, entrepreneurial and technical trainings, and smart subsidies or tax exemptions are important to encourage and enable smallholder farmers to participate in the mechanization supply chain. [EconLit Citations: Q120, Q130, D250].
Nepantleras‐in‐training: Using testimonios to unravel the tensions and transformative moments of YPAR
Authors: Silva Janelle M. , Gatas Las
Published: February 2023

Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) classrooms can work to shift the dialog and structure of schools to better fit the needs of students and disrupt dominant narratives that have marginalized students of Color. As scholars have shown, this work is not devoid of tensions. This paper examines the tensions that arose during the first 2 years of a high school PAR class. Written from the perspective of the 23 students in Soy Yo, the students usetestimoniosto narrate their collective experience as they analyze three tensions that could have ended Soy Yo and their YPAR project before it began. As a decolonial method, testimonios allow students to reclaim their stories by shedding light on their struggles, tensions, and transformative moments that adult collaborators might overlook. These testimonios illustrate the potential for YPAR classrooms to becoming athird spacethat allows for campus change and personal transformation. The paper concludes with lessons learned for future scholars and educators to explore.
Deacylative Thiolation by Redox‐Neutral Aromatization‐Driven C−C Fragmentation of Ketones
Authors: Zhou Xukai , Pyle Daniel , Zhang Zining , Dong Guangbin
Published: February 2023

Herein we report the development of deacylative thiolation of diverse methyl ketones. The reaction is redox‐neutral, and heavy‐metal‐free, which provides a new way to introduce thioether groups site‐specifically to unactivated aliphatic positions. It also features excellent functional group tolerance and broad substrate scope, thus allowing late‐stage derivatization. The process benefits from efficient condensation between the activation reagent and ketone substrates, which triggers aromatization‐driven C−C fragmentation and rapid radical coupling with thiosulfonates. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies suggest the involvement of a radical chain pathway.
Mechanical recycling of PLA: Effect of weathering, extrusion cycles, and chain extender
Authors: Ramos‐Hernández Tomás , Robledo‐Ortíz Jorge Ramón , González‐López Martín Esteban , del Campo Alan Salvador Martín , González‐Núñez Rubén , Rodrigue Denis , Pérez Fonseca Aida Alejandra
Published: February 2023

This work evaluated the reprocessing of PLA with a high melt flow index (MFI). PLA samples were prepared by extrusion using a chain extender (Joncryl ADR‐4368) and subjected to two additional extrusion cycles with or without exposure to accelerated weathering. The results showed drastic affectations of PLA properties by weathering. The MFI increased from 65 to 137 g/10 min by reprocessing, while reprocessed and weathered samples reached a MFI of 417 g/10 min after three extrusion cycles. The addition of Joncryl prevented PLA degradation (MFI of 170 g/10 min after three extrusion cycles, even when weathering was performed). Additionally, the tensile strengths of weathered samples were substantially decreased (67%) compared to only reprocessed samples (14%). In this sense, PLA mechanical recycling is a good alternative if it is not exposed to harsh weathering conditions, in which case a chain extender is needed to get reasonable properties. Otherwise, reprocessing accelerated the composting of PLA, and the chain extender addition did not limit it.
Mammalian facial muscles contain muscle spindles
Authors: Omstead K. Madisen , Williams Jade , Weinberg Seth M. , Marazita Mary L. , Burrows Anne M.
Published: February 2023

Muscle spindles are sensory receptors in skeletal muscle that provide information on muscle length and velocity of contraction. Previous studies noted that facial muscles lack muscle spindles, but recent reports indicate that the human platysma muscle and “buccal” muscles contain spindles. Mammalian facial muscles are active in social communication, vibrissa movement, and vocalizations, including human speech. Given these functions, we hypothesized that facial muscles contain muscle spindles, and we predicted that humans would have the greatest number, given the role our lips play in speech. We examined previously sectioned and stained (with H&E and trichrome stains) orbicularis oris (upper fibers) and zygomaticus (major) muscles across a broad phylogenetic range of mammalian species, spanning a wide distribution of body size and ecological niche, to assess the presence of muscle spindles. We also stained several sections with Sirius red to highlight the muscle spindle capsule. Our results indicate that mammalian facial muscles contain muscle spindles, supporting our hypothesis. Contrary to our prediction, though, humans (and other primates) had the lowest number of muscle spindles. We instead found that the carnivoran sample and the horse sample had the greatest number of spindles. Larger body size and nocturnality were also associated with a greater number of spindles. These results must be viewed with caution, though, as our sample size was small and there are critical mammalian taxa missing. Future work should use an expanded phylogenetic range of mammalian species to ascertain the role that phylogeny plays in muscle spindle presence and count.
Effects of neodymium magneto‐priming on seed germination and salinity tolerance in tomato
Authors: Abhary Mohammad K. , Akhkha Abdullah
Published: February 2023

Earth's biosphere is surrounded by magnetic fields that affect all living organisms. A plant's response to magnetic fields is displayed in terms of its seed's vigor, growth, and yield. Examining seed germination in such magnetic fields is the first step in the investigation of how magnetic fields might be used to enhance plant growth and maximize crop performance. In this study, salinity‐sensitive Super Strain‐B tomato seeds were primed with the northern and southern poles of neodymium magnets of 150, 200, and 250 mT. The magneto‐primed seeds showed a significant increase in germination rate and speed, where the orientation of the magnet was identified as being crucial for germination rate and the orientation of seeds towards the magnet was shown to affect the germination speed. The primed plants exhibited enhanced growth characteristics, including longer shoots and roots, larger leaf area, more root hairs, higher water content, and more tolerance to salinity levels, up to 200 mM NaCl. All magneto‐primed plants showed a significant decrease in chlorophyll content, continuous chlorophyll fluorescence yield (Ft), and quantum yield (QY). The salinity treatments decreased all chlorophyll parameters in control plants, significantly, but did not lower such parameters in magneto‐primed tomatoes. The results of this study illustrate the positive effects of neodymium magnet on the growth and development of tomato plants in terms of their germination, growth, and salinity tolerance, and negatively affected the chlorophyll content in tomato leaves. © 2023 Bioelectromagnetics Society.
State‐of‐the‐art improvements and applications of position based dynamics
Authors: Fang Junheng , You Lihua , Chaudhry Ehtzaz , Zhang Jian
Published: February 2023

The emergence of position‐based simulation approaches has quickly developed a group of new topics in the computer graphics community. These approaches are popular due to their advantages, including computational efficiency, controllability, stability and robustness for different scenarios, whilst they also have some weaknesses. In this survey, we will introduce the concept of the baseline position based dynamics (PBD) method and review the improvements and applications of PBD since 2018, including extensions for different materials and integrations with other techniques.
Elemental Profile of Propolis from Different Areas of Serbia
Authors: Ristivojević Petar , Nešić Jelena , Andrić Filip , Nedić Nebojša , Stanisavljević Ljubiša , Milojković Opsenica Dušanka , Trifković Jelena
Published: February 2023

Propolis is a resinous natural substance collected by honeybees from different plant sources. The element content of propolis is influenced by the content of elements in the soil, climatic factors, and the degree of pollution. The aim of the study was to characterize element composition and content of toxic elements in 51 propolis collected from different locations in Serbia and to evaluate the differences among them. Determination of the 21 elements were performed using Inductively coupled plasma ‐ optical emission spectrometry. K was the most abundant element, followed by Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Zn, and Al. The microelements B, Ba, Mn, Na, Pb, and Ti were also present in propolis, while Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Sr, and V were found in trace. Toxic elements such as Pb, As, and Cd were found in the trace. Kruskal‐Wallis tests differentiate groups of samples by geographical origin. The presence of B, Fe, Sr, Ti, Zn, and As demonstrated statistical significance between six regions of Serbia.
Recent Advances in Protein‐Specific Glycan Imaging and Editing
Authors: Zheng Xiaocui , He Boqiang , Meng Liying , Xie Ran
Published: February 2023

Glycosylation in live cell and animal modulate a constellation of biological functions. The advent of Chemical Biology has revolutionized the analysis and tailoring of glycans, by introducing myriads of glycan engineering methods. However, the ideal scenario to achieve glycan monitoring and structural manipulation at any hierarchical levels is unmet yet. Herein we review recent advances in the methodological innovation and the versatile applications of the protein‐specific glycan visualization and editing in deciphering the biological functions of glycans. An outlook for future directions toward specific sugar‐chain editing is also included.
Nucleophilic Substitution Polymerization‐Induced Emission of 1,3‐Dicarbonyl Compounds as a Versatile Approach for Aggregation‐Induced Emission Type Non‐Traditional Intrinsic Luminescence†
Authors: Chen Yu‐Jiao , Pu Meng‐Qin , Wu Liang‐Tao , Sun Xiao‐Li , Wan Wen‐Ming
Published: February 2023

Comprehensive Summary

Nucleophilic substitution reaction and 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds play significant roles in organic chemistry, and non‐traditional intrinsic luminescence (NTIL) has become an emerging research area. Here, we demonstrate the successful nucleophilic substitution polymerization of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds, including acetylacetone, 3,5‐heptanedione, methyl acetoacetate, cyclopentane‐1,3‐dione, 1,3‐indandione, 1‐phenyl‐1,3‐butanedione and dibenzoylmethane, where reactive hydrogens at α position of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds are involved. Through this base catalyzed nucleophilic substitution polycondensation between 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds and α,α’‐dibromo xylene, a series of nonconjugated poly(1,3‐dicarbonyl)s have been successfully prepared with high yield (up to >99%) under mild conditions. Investigations reveal that this nucleophilic substitution polycondensation exhibits self‐accelerating effect and flexible stoichiometry characteristics, which exhibits advantages over traditional polycondensation methods. This polymerization also exhibits intriguing polymerization‐induced emission (PIE) characteristics, where nonconjugated poly(1,3‐dicarbonyl)s exhibit intriguing chemical structure dependent aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) type NTIL. This work therefore expands the monomer, method, chemical structure and property libraries of polymer chemistry, which may cause inspirations to polymerization methodology, PIE, AIE and NTIL.
Modeling Ewing Sarcoma Lung Metastasis
Authors: Dasgupta Atreyi , Kurenbekova Lyazat , Patel Tajhal D. , Rajapakshe Kimal , Ghosal Gargi , Nirala Bikesh , Coarfa Cristian , Yustein Jason
Published: February 2023

Ewing Sarcoma (EwS) is the second most common malignant bone tumor in adolescents and young adults. The single‐most powerful predictor of outcome in EwS is presence of metastatic burden at the time of diagnosis. Patients with metastatic Ewing Sarcoma have an abysmal 5‐year survival rate of 10%‐25%, which has not changed over the past 30‐40 years. Thus, unraveling underlying mechanisms of EwS metastasis are imperative for developing effective therapeutic measures. Investigations towards this goal are limited by the lack of reliable genetically engineered mouse models and specialized metastatic models. Using two established cell lines, A673 and TC71, we generated lung specific metastatic cell lines by serial orthotopic intra‐tibial injection followed by isolation of cells from lung metastases. The lung metastatic lines generated exhibit distinct differential molecular signatures from the parental cells when analyzed using a multi‐omics approach. These signatures overlapped with EwS patient primary bone and metastatic lung specimens supporting the clinical relevance of these preclinical models of EwS. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Intra‐Tibial injection in NSG mice

Basic Protocol 2: Development and characterization of lung metastatic cell line
Covalent Organic Framework‐Semiconductor‐Based Heterostructures for Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Chen Kai , Cai Anqi , Li Ting‐Ting
Published: February 2023

Photocatalysis is a promising and sustainable technology in the fields of energy conversion/storage and environment purification; however, the utilization of individual component as photocatalyst is generally restricted due to the low catalytic activity deriving from the rapid recombination of photogenerated electrons/holes. Covalent organic framework (COF)‐semiconductor‐based composite photocatalysts with synergistic effects provide a feasible route to achieve high‐performance photocatalytic reactions with more active sites, strong light utilization ability, and high stability. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the rational design and preparation of the COF‐semiconductors‐based heterostructures for photocatalytic water splitting, carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction, and dye/pollutant degradation. In this Review, the synthetic strategies of COF‐semiconductor‐based heterostructures are first introduced, which includes the rational design of the morphology, connection modes, and type of heterojunctions. The performance of COF‐semiconductor‐based heterostructures in different photocatalytic reactions are comprehensively reviewed. The structure‐activity relationship and the synergistic effects within the heterostructures are discussed, and the photocatalytic mechanism and the role of COFs during the photocatalytic process are also presented. Finally, an outlook and challenges of realizing COF‐semiconductor‐based heterostructures with simple synthesis methods, diverse functions, high performance, and well‐defined reaction mechanisms are provided.
Coordinated operation of fuzzy‐based TCSC and SMES for low‐frequency oscillation damping in interconnected power systems
Authors: Mushtaq Basit , Mufti Mairaj‐ud‐din
Published: February 2023

Modern power networks are enormously complex and frequently interconnected by weak tie‐lines, which results in a variety of stability issues such as low frequency oscillations (LFOs). LFOs can have a negative impact on power system stability and tie‐line transmission capacity, resulting in catastrophic blackouts if suitable damping control mechanisms are not in situ. This article demonstrates a robust design of damping control for inter‐area LFO damping in an interconnected power system. A new comprehensive approach is presented, which integrates the thyristor controlled series compensator (TCSC) and superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) to improve the damping of critical inter‐area modes. An intelligently designed fuzzy logic control (FLC) employing a global stabilizing feedback signal constitutes the supervisory controller. The stabilizing feedback signal is obtained based on the observability of critical modes using participation factor (PF) analysis. Moreover, a maiden application of a recently proposed optimization algorithm, K‐means optimizer (KO), is employed to simultaneously tune the parameters of FLC employed for coordinated operation of SMES and TCSC. To validate the robustness of the proposed scheme, several case studies are performed on Kundur's two‐area multi‐machine test system. A comparison with a residue‐based damping controller was also done to demonstrate the superior damping efficacy of the proposed KOFLC controller.
Waterfowl recently infected with low pathogenic avian influenza exhibit reduced local movement and delayed migration
Authors: Teitelbaum Claire S. , Casazza Michael L. , McDuie Fiona , De La Cruz Susan E. W. , Overton Cory T. , Hall Laurie A. , Matchett Elliott L. , Ackerman Joshua T. , Sullivan Jeffery D. , Ramey Andrew M. , Prosser Diann J.
Published: February 2023

Understanding relationships between infection and wildlife movement patterns is important for predicting pathogen spread, especially for multispecies pathogens and those that can spread to humans and domestic animals, such as avian influenza viruses (AIVs). Although infection with low pathogenic AIVs is generally considered asymptomatic in wild birds, prior work has shown that influenza‐infected birds occasionally delay migration and/or reduce local movements relative to their uninfected counterparts. However, most observational research to date has focused on a few species in northern Europe; given that influenza viruses are widespread globally and outbreaks of highly pathogenic strains are increasingly common, it is important to explore influenza–movement relationships across more species and regions. Here, we used telemetry data to investigate relationships between influenza infection and movement behavior in 165 individuals from four species of North American waterfowl that overwinter in California, USA. We studied both large‐scale migratory and local overwintering movements and found that relationships between influenza infection and movement patterns varied among species. Northern pintails (Anas acuta) with antibodies to avian influenza, indicating prior infection, made migratory stopovers that averaged 12 days longer than those with no influenza antibodies. In contrast, greater white‐fronted geese (Anser albifrons) with antibodies to avian influenza made migratory stopovers that averaged 15 days shorter than those with no antibodies. Canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) that were actively infected with influenza upon capture in the winter delayed spring migration by an average of 28 days relative to birds that were uninfected at the time of capture. At the local scale, northern pintails and canvasbacks that were actively infected with influenza used areas that were 7.6 and 4.9 times smaller than those of uninfected ducks, respectively, during the period of presumed active influenza infection. We found no evidence for an influence of active influenza infection on local movements of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). These results suggest that avian influenza can influence waterfowl movements and illustrate that the relationships between avian influenza infection and wild bird movements are context‐ and species‐dependent. More generally, understanding and predicting the spread of multihost pathogens requires studying multiple taxa across space and time.
Ammonium Acetate Catalyzed Formation of 1,5‐Benzodiazepines through [4+2+1] Cycloaddition Involving 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural
Authors: Jiang Jingjing , Queneau Yves , Popowycz Florence
Published: February 2023

The use of the renewable platform molecule 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (5‐HMF) in multi‐component reaction with a diamine and an alkynone to generate seven‐membered 1,5‐benzodiazepines is described. Due to the sensitivity of 5‐HMF to strong acidic and basic conditions, the investigation required an in‐depth revisit of reaction parameters as compared to benchmark aldehydes. Among catalysts/solvents couples, ammonium acetate in ethanol proved to be a clean and efficient system. These optimized conditions were subsequently used to investigate the scope of the reaction providing a library of 1,5‐benzodiazepines in moderate to good yields from a wide range of diversely substituted diamines and alkynones or alkyl alkynoates.
Distribution, Risk Assessment, and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Cultivated Soil of a Typical Mining Area in Southwest China
Authors: Li Qihang , Li Xuexian , Bu Chujie , Wu Pan
Published: February 2023

The present study investigates heavy metal pollution and its sources in cultivated soils in Bijie City, Guizhou Province, China. The ground accumulation index method was used to evaluate the associated risks, while correlation, principal component, and positive matrix factor model analyses were used to identify sources. The results show that the overall contamination levels, except for Cd, were not serious. Agricultural materials, industrial activities, transportation, coal combustion and atmospheric deposition, parent rock, and irrigation accounted for 19.66%, 14.11%, 14.54%, 16.33%, 20.70%, and 14.67% of the total accumulation of metals, respectively. Copper, Ni, Zn, and Cr came mainly from parent rocks; Pb was mainly from traffic emissions; Hg was mainly from coal deposition; As was mainly from irrigation; and Cd was mainly from industrial activities. The main sources of soil metals were irrigation, agricultural activities, and coal deposition in the east and industrial activities and soil-forming parent rocks in the west. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:888–900. © 2023 SETAC
Forecasting global stock market volatility: The impact of volatility spillover index in spatial‐temporal graph‐based model
Authors: Son Bumho , Lee Yunyoung , Park Seongwan , Lee Jaewook
Published: February 2023

The shocks on certain market spread to other markets due to the financial linkages of global economy, which is known as volatility spillover effect. In this study, we propose a volatility forecasting model for global market indices using the spatial‐temporal graph neural network (GNN). The volatility spillover between markets are reflected in the model by estimating the linkage between markets, which is the input of GNN, using the volatility spillover index. An empirical analysis is conducted on eight representative global market indices. From the out‐of‐sample results, we found the following features. First, the proposed spatial‐temporal GNN spillover model outperforms the benchmark models in short‐ and mid‐term forecasting. Second, the forecasting accuracy highly depends on the inclusion of the market index with a high volatility spillover effect. Including S&P500, which contains the highest net spillover index, effectively helps to forecast the volatilities of other markets. Third, the investor can gain economic gain by using predicted volatility from proposed model in the mean‐variance framework.
Interactions of glial cells with neuronal synapses, from astrocytes to microglia and oligodendrocyte lineage cells
Authors: Liu Yao , Shen Xi , Zhang Yuhan , Zheng Xiaoli , Cepeda Carlos , Wang Yao , Duan Shumin , Tong Xiaoping
Published: February 2023

The mammalian brain is a complex organ comprising neurons, glia, and more than 1 × 1014 synapses. Neurons are a heterogeneous group of electrically active cells, which form the framework of the complex circuitry of the brain. However, glial cells, which are primarily divided into astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes (OLs), and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), constitute approximately half of all neural cells in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and mainly provide nutrition and tropic support to neurons in the brain. In the last two decades, the concept of “tripartite synapses” has drawn great attention, which emphasizes that astrocytes are an integral part of the synapse and regulate neuronal activity in a feedback manner after receiving neuronal signals. Since then, synaptic modulation by glial cells has been extensively studied and substantially revised. In this review, we summarize the latest significant findings on how glial cells, in particular, microglia and OL lineage cells, impact and remodel the structure and function of synapses in the brain. Our review highlights the cellular and molecular aspects of neuron‐glia crosstalk and provides additional information on how aberrant synaptic communication between neurons and glia may contribute to neural pathologies.
Complement receptor C5aR1 blockade reprograms tumor‐associated macrophages and synergizes with anti‐PD‐1 therapy in gastric cancer
Authors: Zhang Puran , Gu Yun , Wang Jieti , Lv Kunpeng , Lin Chao , Zhang Heng , Li He , He Hongyong , Li Ruochen , Liu Hao , Xu Jiejie
Published: February 2023

In gastric cancer (GC), the therapeutic response of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) remains suboptimal. Targeting myeloid cell checkpoints might be feasible as adjuvant to current ICB regimens. We sought to evaluate the crucial role of C5aR1+ TAMs in regulating antitumor immunity and the efficacy of combinatorial treatment with antiprogrammed cell death protein‐1 (PD‐1) and C5aR1 blockade. Here, we found that C5aR1 was predominantly expressed on macrophages and high level of C5aR1+ TAMs infiltration could predict poor prognosis and inferior chemotherapeutic response. The flow cytometry (FCM) and single‐cell RNA‐seq (scRNA‐seq) data revealed that C5aR1+ TAMs exhibited immunosuppressive property which might contribute to CD8+ T cell dysfunction. Blockade of C5aR1 could diminish the immunosuppressive function of TAMs and led to reinvigorated CD8+ T cells mediated antitumor immunity. Moreover, using in vitro intervention experiment based on fresh GC surgical specimens, we discovered that C5aR1 blockade exert a synergistic effect when combined with PD‐1 inhibitor for tumor clearance. Our study demonstrated that C5aR1 is a critical myeloid checkpoint and plays a crucial role in regulating the immunosuppressive property of TAMs and CD8+ T cell immune tolerance. C5aR1 blockade reprograms TAMs and reinvigorated the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, thus improving the efficacy of anti‐PD‐1 therapy for tumor eradication in GC.
Screening activity matters: Evidence from ESG portfolio performance from an emerging market
Authors: Beloskar Ved Dilip , Nageswara Rao S. V. D.
Published: February 2023

Socially Responsible Investments (SRI) have recently generated much interest among asset owners, managers and academicians. Though the Efficient Market Theory suggests that stock prices fully reflect all available information, few existing studies indicate that Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) portfolios deliver superior risk‐adjusted performance. ESG investing is at a nascent stage in India but is growing rapidly, especially after the COVID‐19 pandemic. Asset managers always face the dilemma of choosing between different screening methods, screening intensities and stock weighting schemes to deliver outperformance. Our study attempts to investigate the impact of these portfolio construction criteria on the risk‐adjusted performance of ESG portfolios in India. Our results show that there exists a trade‐off between superior investment performance and unsystematic risk of ESG portfolios. Investors can benefit from investing in equally‐weighted best‐in‐class portfolios constructed using ESG scores. We highlight the implications of our findings for asset owners, managers, index providers and regulators, and also provide directions for future research in the area of ESG portfolio management.
Online facial expression recognition based on graph convolution and long short memory networks
Authors: Xu Chujie , Zheng Wenjie , Du Yong , Li Tiejun , Yuan Zhansheng
Published: February 2023

Video‐based facial expression recognition (FER) models have achieved higher accuracy with more computation, which is not suitable for online deployment in mobile intelligent terminals. Facial landmarks can model facial expression changes with their spatial location information instead of texture features. But classical convolution operation cannot make full use of landmark information. To this end, in this paper, we propose a novel long short memory network (LSTM) by embedding graph convolution named GELSTM for online video‐based FER in mobile intelligent terminals. Specifically, we construct landmark‐based face graph data from the client. On the server side, we introduce graph convolution which can effectively mine spatial dependencies information in a landmark‐based facial graph. Moreover, the extracted landmark's features are fed to LSTM for temporal feature aggregation. We conduct experiments on the facial expression dataset and the results show our proposed method shows superior performance compared to other deep models.
Impact of nutraceuticals on immunomodulation against viral infections—A review during COVID‐19 pandemic in Indian scenario
Authors: Nathan Jhansi , Shameera Rabiathul , Ramachandran Arunkumar
Published: February 2023

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) originated in Wuhan, China, in early December 2019 is a censorious global emergency after World War II. Research on the coronavirus uncovered essential information that aided in the development of the vaccine, and specific coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) vaccines were later developed and were approved for usage in humans. But then, mutations in the coronavirus gave rise to new variants and questioned the vaccine's efficacy against them. On the other hand, the investigation of traditional medicine was also on its path to find a novel outcome against COVID‐19. On a comparative analysis between India and the United States, India had low death rate and high recovery rate than the latter. The dietary regulation of immunity may be the factor that makes the above difference. The immunity gained from the regular diet of Indian culture nourishes Indian people with essential phytochemicals that support immunity and metabolism. Dietary phytochemicals or nutraceuticals possess antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer properties, out of which our concern will be on immune‐boosting phytochemicals from our daily nutritional supplements. In several case studies, dietary substance like lemon, ginger, and spinach was reported in the recovery of COVID‐19 patients. Thus in this review, we discuss coronavirus and its available variants, vaccines, and the effect of nutraceuticals against the coronavirus. Further, we denote that the immunity of the Indian population may be high because of their diet, which adds natural phytochemicals to boost their immunity and metabolism.
Sunitinib suppresses M2 polarization of macrophages in tumor microenvironment to regulate hepatocellular carcinoma progression
Authors: Kong Yun , Guo Li
Published: February 2023

This work aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of Sunitinib (Sun) in suppressing M2 polarization of macrophages in tumor microenvironment (TME). IL‐4 was applied to induce the M2 polarization of RAW264.7 cells, followed by treatment with Sun at 50 and 100 nM. Flow cytometry (FCM) was conducted to detect the proportion of F4/80 + CD206 + cells. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure the levels of IL‐10, Arg‐1 and VEGF. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining was carried out to detect the expression of CD206 and Arg‐1. Besides, western‐Blot (WB) assay was performed to measure the levels of p‐JAK1 and p‐STAT6 proteins. After polarization, the macrophage culture medium was employed to culture hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Hca‐F cells. Thereafter, Transwell assays were conducted to examine cell invasion and migration, whereas plate clone formation assay was carried out to detect the clone forming capacity. In further experiments, cells were treated with the STAT6 inhibitor, or STAT6 inhibitor + Sun. Then, the polarization levels of RAW264.7 cells were detected. Moreover, this study established the xenograft tumor mouse model. Later, CD206 and Ki67 expression, IL‐10, Arg‐1 and VEGF expression levels in tissues, and p‐JAK1 and p‐STAT6 protein levels were detected by histochemical staining. Sun suppressed the M2 polarization of RAW264.7 cells. Compared with IL‐4 treatment, the proportion of F4/80 + CD206 + cells decreased. Meanwhile, the levels of IL‐10, Arg‐1 and VEGF were downregulated, and the phosphorylation level of JAK1‐STAT6 signaling was suppressed. After being cocultured with Hca‐F, the malignant behaviors of HCC cells were suppressed after Sun treatment. Similarly, STAT6 inhibitor treatment suppressed the M2 polarization, while the combined application of Sun did not further restrain the polarization level. In the mouse model, Sun suppressed the expression of CD206 and Ki67, simultaneously inhibiting the polarization of JAK1‐STAT6 signaling. Sunitinib can suppress the M2 polarization of macrophages to exert the anti‐HCC effect, which is its another anticancer mechanism
Understanding search autocompletes from the perspectives of English and Spanish speakers during the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Valera Pamela , Carmona David , Singh Vivek , Malarkey Sarah , Baquerizo Humberto , Smith Nadia
Published: February 2023

The purpose of the study was to explore differences in Google search autocompletes between English and Spanish‐speaking users during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Twenty‐nine individuals who were in areas with shelter‐in‐place state orders participated in a virtual focus group meeting to understand the algorithm bias of COVID‐19 Google autocompletes. The three focus group meetings lasted for 90–120 minutes. A codebook was created and transcripts were coded using NVivo qualitative software with a 95% intercoder reliability between two coders. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Among the 29 participants, six self‐identified as White, seven as Black/African American, five as American Indian or Alaska Native, four as Asian Indian, and three as Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. In terms of ethnicity, 21 participants identified as Hispanic/Latino. The themes that emerged from the study were: (1) autocompletes evoked fear and stress; (2) skepticism and hesitation towards autocomplete search; (3) familiarity with COVID‐19 information impacts outlook on autocomplete search; (4) autocompletes can promote preselection of searches; and (5) lesser choice of autocomplete results for Spanish‐speaking searchers. Spanish speakers expressed concerns and hesitation due to social factors and lack of information about COVID‐19.
Discharge in the a.m.: A randomized controlled trial of physician rounding styles to improve hospital throughput and length of stay
Authors: Burden Marisha , Keniston Angela , Gundareddy Venkat P. , Kauffman Regina , Keach Joseph W. , McBeth Lauren , Raffel Katie E. , Rice John D. , Washburn Catherine , Kisuule Flora
Published: February 2023

Background

To relieve hospital capacity strain, hospitals often encourage clinicians to prioritize early morning discharges which may have unintended consequences.

Objective

We aimed to test the effects of hospitalist physicians prioritizing discharging patients first compared to usual rounding style.Design, Setting and Participants: Prospective, multi‐center randomized controlled trial. Three large academic hospitals. Participants were Hospital Medicine attending‐level physicians and patients the physicians cared for during the study who were at least 18 years of age, admitted to a Medicine service, and assigned by standard practice to a hospitalist team.Intervention: Physicians were randomized to: (1) prioritizing discharging patients first as care allowed or (2) usual practice. Main Outcome and Measures: Main outcome measure was discharge order time. Secondary outcomes were actual discharge time, length of stay (LOS), and order times for procedures, consults, and imaging.

Results

From February 9, 2021, to July 31, 2021, 4437 patients were discharged by 59 physicians randomized to prioritize discharging patients first or round per usual practice. In primary adjusted analyses (intention‐to‐treat), findings showed no significant difference for discharge order time (13:03 ± 2 h:31 min vs. 13:11 ± 2 h:33 min, p = .11) or discharge time (15:22 ± 2 h:50 min vs. 15:21 ± 2 h:50 min, p = .45), for physicians randomized to prioritize discharging patients first compared to physicians using usual rounding style, respectively, and there was no significant change in LOS or on order times of other physician orders.

Conclusions

Prioritizing discharging patients first did not result in significantly earlier discharges or reduced LOS.
Implementable Deep Learning for Multi‐sequence Proton MRI Lung Segmentation: A Multi‐center, Multi‐vendor, and Multi‐disease Study
Authors: Astley Joshua R. , Biancardi Alberto M. , Hughes Paul J. C. , Marshall Helen , Collier Guilhem J. , Chan Ho‐Fung , Saunders Laura C. , Smith Laurie J. , Brook Martin L. , Thompson Roger , Rowland‐Jones Sarah , Skeoch Sarah , Bianchi Stephen M. , Hatton Matthew Q. , Rahman Najib M. , Ho Ling‐Pei , Brightling Chris E. , Wain Louise V. , Singapuri Amisha , Evans Rachael A. , Moss Alastair J. , McCann Gerry P. , Neubauer Stefan , Raman Betty ,   C‐MORE/PHOSP‐COVID Collaborative Group, Wild Jim M. , Tahir Bilal A.
Published: February 2023

Background

Recently, deep learning via convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has largely superseded conventional methods for proton (1H)‐MRI lung segmentation. However, previous deep learning studies have utilized single‐center data and limited acquisition parameters.

Purpose

Develop a generalizable CNN for lung segmentation in 1H‐MRI, robust to pathology, acquisition protocol, vendor, and center.

Study type

Retrospective.

Population

A total of 809 1H‐MRI scans from 258 participants with various pulmonary pathologies (median age (range): 57 (6–85); 42% females) and 31 healthy participants (median age (range): 34 (23–76); 34% females) that were split into training (593 scans (74%); 157 participants (55%)), testing (50 scans (6%); 50 participants (17%)) and external validation (164 scans (20%); 82 participants (28%)) sets.

Field Strength/Sequence

1.5‐T and 3‐T/3D spoiled‐gradient recalled and ultrashort echo‐time 1H‐MRI.

Assessment

2D and 3D CNNs, trained on single‐center, multi‐sequence data, and the conventional spatial fuzzy c‐means (SFCM) method were compared to manually delineated expert segmentations. Each method was validated on external data originating from several centers. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), average boundary Hausdorff distance (Average HD), and relative error (XOR) metrics to assess segmentation performance.

Statistical Tests

Kruskal–Wallis tests assessed significances of differences between acquisitions in the testing set. Friedman tests with post hoc multiple comparisons assessed differences between the 2D CNN, 3D CNN, and SFCM. Bland–Altman analyses assessed agreement with manually derived lung volumes. A P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The 3D CNN significantly outperformed its 2D analog and SFCM, yielding a median (range) DSC of 0.961 (0.880–0.987), Average HD of 1.63 mm (0.65–5.45) and XOR of 0.079 (0.025–0.240) on the testing set and a DSC of 0.973 (0.866–0.987), Average HD of 1.11 mm (0.47–8.13) and XOR of 0.054 (0.026–0.255) on external validation data.

Data Conclusion

The 3D CNN generated accurate 1H‐MRI lung segmentations on a heterogenous dataset, demonstrating robustness to disease pathology, sequence, vendor, and center.

Evidence Level

4.

Technical Efficacy

Stage 1.
Progression of experimental peri‐implantitis in guided bone regeneration and pristine bone: A preclinical in vivo study
Authors: Ko Young‐Chang , Lee Jungwon , Lee Dongseob , Seol Yang‐Jo , Koo Ki‐Tae , Lee Yong‐Moo
Published: February 2023

Background

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is the most widely used technique for overcoming the deficiency of alveolar bone. However, the progression of peri‐implantitis in regenerative and pristine bone sites has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study is to compare experimental peri‐implantitis around implants placed in pristine bone and GBR sites.

Methods

Bilateral  mandibular first molars were extracted from six beagle dogs, and standardized horizontal ridge defect was simultaneously created at predetermined site in unilateral mandible. After 8 weeks, guided bone regeneration procedure was conducted at the defect site. After 16 weeks, implants (ϕ 3.6×8.0 mm) were placed at both extracted sites. This study included 3 months of active breakdown and another 3 months of spontaneous progression period. Radiographs were taken at each phase and specimens were obtained for histological, immunohistochemical, and polarized light microscopic analysis.

Results

Marginal bone loss around implant did not show the significant differences between pristine bone and GBR sites during spontaneous progression period. In immunohistochemical analysis, inflammatory and immune‐related cells were predominantly detected in peri‐implantitis‒affected area rather than unaffected area. In the polarized light microscopic analysis, substantial reductions in the amount and thickness of collagen fibers were observed in peri‐implantitis‒affected area compared with unaffected tissues. However, there were no significant differences in histological, immunohistochemical, polarized light microscopic outcomes between pristine bone and GBR sites.

Conclusion

Previous hard tissue grafting at the implant sites did not affect experimental peri‐implantitis and exhibited similar radiographic, histological, immunohistochemical, and polarized light microscopic outcomes compared with those of pristine bone sites.