bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of uncultured adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction on preventing urethral stricture formation in rats
Authors: Zhou Liuhua , Yang Tianli , Zhao Feng , Song Kaiwei , Xu Luwei , Xu Zhongle , Zhou Changcheng , Qin Zhiqiang , Xu Zheng , Wu Ran , Xu Hua , Jia Ruipeng
Published: March 2022

Urethral stricture (US) remains a challenging disease without effective treatment options due to the high recurrence rate. This study aims to evaluate the preventive effect of uncultured adipose derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) on urethral fibrosis in a rat model of US. Results demonstrated that US rats displayed hyperechogenic urethral wall with a narrowed lumen compared with sham rats, while SVF rats exhibited less extensive urethral changes. By histology, US rats showed obvious submucosal fibrosis in the urethral specimens, while SVF rats exhibited mild submucosal fibrosis with less extensive tissue changes. Furthermore, US rats showed increased gene and protein expression of collagen I (2.0 ± 0.2, 2.2 ± 0.2, all were normalized against GAPDH, including the following), collagen III (2.5 ± 0.3, 1.2 ± 0.1), and TGFβ1R (2.8 ± 0.3, 1.9 ± 0.2), while SVF cells administration contributed to decreased gene and protein expression of collagen I (1.6 ± 0.2, 1.6 ± 0.2), collagen III (1.8 ± 0.4, 0.9 ± 0.1), and TGFβ1R (1.8 ± 0.3, 1.3 ± 0.2), in parallel with the improvement of vascularization and increased expression of VEGF (1.7 ± 0.1) and bFGF (3.1 ± 0.3). Additionally, SVF served anti-inflammatory effect through regulation of inflammatory cytokines and cells, accompanied with conversion of the macrophage phenotype. Our findings suggested that uncultured SVF presented an inhibitory effect on stricture formation at an early stage of urethral fibrosis.
Public health emergency decision-making and management system sound research using rough set attribute reduction and blockchain
Authors: Wang Hanyi
Published: March 2022

Public health emergency decisions are explored to ensure the emergency response measures in an environment where various emergencies occur frequently. An emergency decision is essentially a multi-criteria risk decision-making problem. The feasibility of applying prospect theory to emergency decisions is analyzed, and how psychological behaviors of decision-makers impact decision-making results are quantified. On this basis, the cognitive process of public health emergencies is investigated based on the rough set theory. A Decision Rule Extraction Algorithm (denoted as A-DRE) that considers attribute costs is proposed, which is then applied for attribute reduction and rule extraction on emergency datasets. In this way, decision-makers can obtain reduced decision table attributes quickly. Considering that emergency decisions require the participation of multiple departments, a framework is constructed to solve multi-department emergency decisions. The technical characteristics of the blockchain are in line with the requirements of decentralization and multi-party participation in emergency management. The core framework of the public health emergency management system-plan, legal system, mechanism, and system can play an important role. When $$\delta { = }0.10$$

δ
=
0.10

, the classification accuracy under the K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifier reaches 73.5%. When $$\delta { = }0.15$$

δ
=
0.15

, the classification accuracy under the Support Vector Machines (SVM) classifier reaches 86.4%. It can effectively improve China’s public health emergency management system and improve the efficiency of emergency management. By taking Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an example, the weight and prospect value functions of different decision-maker attributes are constructed based on prospect theory. The optimal rescue plan is finally determined. A-DRE can consider the cost of each attribute in the decision table and the ability to classify it correctly; moreover, it can reduce the attributes and extract the rules on the COVID-19 dataset, suitable for decision-makers' situation face once an emergency occurs. The emergency decision approach based on rough set attribute reduction and prospect theory can acquire practical decision-making rules while considering the different risk preferences of decision-makers facing different decision-making results, which is significant for the rapid development of public health emergency assistance and disaster relief.
Extrachromosomal DNA formation enables tumor immune escape potentially through regulating antigen presentation gene expression
Authors: Wu Tao , Wu Chenxu , Zhao Xiangyu , Wang Guangshuai , Ning Wei , Tao Ziyu , Chen Fuxiang , Liu Xue-Song
Published: March 2022

Extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) is a type of circular and tumor specific genetic element. EcDNA has been reported to display open chromatin structure, facilitate oncogene amplification and genetic material unequal segregation, and is associated with poor cancer patients’ prognosis. The ability of immune evasion is a typical feature for cancer progression, however the tumor intrinsic factors that determine immune evasion remain poorly understood. Here we show that the presence of ecDNA is associated with markers of tumor immune evasion, and obtaining ecDNA could be one of the mechanisms employed by tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. Tumors with ecDNA usually have comparable TMB and neoantigen load, however they have lower immune cell infiltration and lower cytotoxic T cell activity. The microenvironment of tumors with ecDNA shows increased immune-depleted, decreased immune-enriched fibrotic types. Both MHC class I and class II antigen presentation genes’ expression are decreased in tumors with ecDNA, and this could be the underlying mechanism for ecDNA associated immune evasion. This study provides evidence that ecDNA formation is an immune escape mechanism for cancer cells.
A muscle synergy-based method to estimate muscle activation patterns of children with cerebral palsy using data collected from typically developing children
Authors: Rabbi Mohammad Fazle , Diamond Laura E. , Carty Chris P. , Lloyd David G. , Davico Giorgio , Pizzolato Claudio
Published: March 2022

Preparing children with cerebral palsy prior to gait analysis may be a challenging and time-intensive task, especially when large number of sensors are involved. Collecting minimum number of electromyograms (EMG) and yet providing adequate information for clinical assessment might improve clinical workflow. The main goal of this study was to develop a method to estimate activation patterns of lower limb muscles from EMG measured from a small set of muscles in children with cerebral palsy. We developed and implemented a muscle synergy extrapolation method able to estimate the full set of lower limbs muscle activation patterns from only three experimentally measured EMG. Specifically, we extracted a set of hybrid muscle synergies from muscle activation patterns of children with cerebral palsy and their healthy counterparts. Next, those muscle synergies were used to estimate activation patterns of muscles, which were not initially measured in children with cerebral palsy. Two best combinations with three (medial gastrocnemius, semi membranous, and vastus lateralis) and four (lateral gastrocnemius, semi membranous, sartorius, and vastus medialis) experimental EMG were able to estimate the full set of 10 muscle activation patterns with mean (± standard deviation) variance accounted for of 79.93 (± 9.64)% and 79.15 (± 6.40)%, respectively, using only three muscle synergies. In conclusion, muscle activation patterns of unmeasured muscles in children with cerebral palsy can be estimated from EMG measured from three to four muscles using our muscle synergy extrapolation method. In the future, the proposed muscle synergy-based method could be employed in gait clinics to minimise the required preparation time.
Mental construction of object symbols from meaningless elements by Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Authors: Liu Nanxi , Iijima Atsuhiko , Iwata Yutaka , Ohashi Kento , Fujisawa Nobuyoshi , Sasaoka Toshikuni , Hasegawa Isao
Published: March 2022

When writing an object’s name, humans mentally construct its spelling. This capacity critically depends on use of the dual-structured linguistic system, in which meaningful words are represented by combinations of meaningless letters. Here we search for the evolutionary origin of this capacity in primates by designing dual-structured bigram symbol systems where different combinations of meaningless elements represent different objects. Initially, we trained Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) in an object-bigram symbolization task and in a visually-guided bigram construction task. Subsequently, we conducted a probe test using a symbolic bigram construction task. From the initial trial of the probe test, the Japanese macaques could sequentially choose the two elements of a bigram that was not actually seen but signified by a visually presented object. Moreover, the animals’ spontaneous choice order bias, developed through the visually-guided bigram construction learning, was immediately generalized to the symbolic bigram construction test. Learning of dual-structured symbols by the macaques possibly indicates pre-linguistic adaptations for the ability of mentally constructing symbols in the common ancestors of humans and Old World monkeys.
Clinical outcomes and a nomogram for de novo metastatic breast cancer with lung metastasis: a population-based study
Authors: Liu Weiming , Han Yiqun
Published: March 2022

To better understand the clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed lung metastatic breast cancer (LMBC) and quantify its prognosis, we retrieved data on patients with LMBC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to training and validation cohorts (ratio 7:3) to establish a nomogram using the Cox proportional hazards regression model. In total, 4310 patients with LMBC were enrolled, including 52.4% (2259/4310) HR+/HER2−, 17.6% (757/4310) HR+/HER2+, 10.8% (467/4310) HR−/HER2+, and 19.2% (827/4310) HR−/HER2− subtype patients. Inclinations of lung and brain involvement in HR−/HER2+ and HR−/HER2− subgroups, liver involvement in the HER2 overexpressing subgroup, and bone involvement in the HR-positive subgroup were detected in the LMBC population. Regarding prognosis, HR+/HER2+ subtype patients presented the most favorable profile (mOS 35.0 months, 95% CI 30.1–39.9), while HR−/HER2− patients exhibited the worst (mOS 11.0 months, 95% CI, 10.0–11.9). A nomogram was developed in the training cohort and validated internally (C-index 0.70) and externally (C-index 0.71), suggestive of decent performance. This study assessed the clinical outcomes associated with molecular subtypes, metastatic patterns, and surgical intervention and provided a robust nomogram for the estimation of survival probabilities, which are promising for the management of LMBC in clinical practice.
Immunogenicity of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine after a two-dose inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination of dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Bruminhent Jackrapong , Setthaudom Chavachol , Kitpermkiat Rungthiwa , Kiertiburanakul Sasisopin , Malathum Kumthorn , Assanatham Montira , Nongnuch Arkom , Phuphuakrat Angsana , Chaumdee Pongsathon , Janphram Chitimaporn , Thotsiri Sansanee , Chuengsaman Piyatida , Boongird Sarinya
Published: March 2022

Vaccination with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus produces suboptimal immune responses among kidney transplant (KT), peritoneal dialyzed (PD), and hemodialyzed (HD) patients. Participants were vaccinated with two-dose inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (V2) and a third dose of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine (V3) at 1–2 months after V2. We enrolled 106 participants: 31 KT, 28 PD, and 31 HD patients and 16 controls. Among KT, PD, and HD groups, median (IQR) of anti-receptor binding domain antibody levels were 1.0 (0.4–26.8), 1092.5 (606.9–1927.2), and 1740.9 (1106–3762.3) BAU/mL, and percent neutralization was 0.9 (0–9.9), 98.8 (95.9–99.5), and 99.4 (98.8–99.7), respectively, at two weeks after V3. Both parameters were significantly increased from V2 across all groups (p < 0.05). Seroconversion and neutralization positivity rates in PD, HD, and control groups were 100% but were impaired in KT patients (39% and 16%, respectively). S1-specific T-cell counts were increased in PD and HD groups (p < 0.05) but not in KT patients. The positive S1-specific T-cell responder rate was > 90% in PD, HD, and control groups, which was higher than that in KT recipients (74%, p < 0.05). The heterologous inactivated virus/ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccination strategy elicited greater immunogenicity among dialysis patients; however, inadequate responses remained among KT recipients (TCTR20210226002).
Expression of Neighbor of Punc E11 (NOPE) in early stage esophageal adenocarcinoma is associated with reduced survival
Authors: Kütting Fabian , Gebauer Florian , Zweerink Susanne , Krämer Laurenz , Schramm Christoph , Quaas Alexander , Bruns Christiane , Goeser Tobias , Nierhoff Dirk
Published: March 2022

Current recommendations suggest neoadjuvant treatment in node-positive esophageal cancer or tumors staged T3 and upwards but some T2 N0 patients might benefit from neoadjuvant therapy. It is of clinical relevance to identify this subgroup. Loss of epithelial apicobasal polarity is a key factor in the development of invasive capabilities of carcinoma. The oncofetal stem/progenitor cell marker NOPE is expressed in adult depolarized murine hepatocytes and in murine/human hepatocellular carcinoma. We analyzed NOPE expression in 363 patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma using an RNA Scope Assay on a tissue microarray and correlated results with clinical data. Median follow-up was 57.7 months with a 5-year survival rate of 26.6%. NOPE was detectable in 32 patients (8.8%). In pT1/2 stages, NOPE expression was associated with a significantly reduced median OS of 6.3 months (95% CI 1.2–19.4 months), the median OS is not reached in the NOPE-negative group (calculated mean OS 117.1 months) (P = 0.012). In advanced tumor stages, a NOPE dependent survival difference was not detected. This is the first report of NOPE expression demonstrating a prognostic value in esophageal cancer. Early stage, NOPE positive patients are at a high risk of tumor progression and may benefit from neoadjuvant treatment analogous to advanced stage cancer.
Density of invasive western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies in fragmented woodlands indicates potential for large impacts on native species
Authors: Cunningham Saul A. , Crane Mason J. , Evans Maldwyn J. , Hingee Kassel L. , Lindenmayer David B.
Published: March 2022

FeralApis melliferacolonies are widespread globally and cause ecological impacts as pollinators and competitors for food and nesting opportunities. The magnitude of impact depends on their population density, but knowledge of this density is poor. We document feralA. melliferacolonies at 69 per km2in fragmentedEucalyptuswoodlands in Australia, exceeding estimates from elsewhere in the world, and matched only by one other Australian study. We surveyed 52.5 ha of woodland patches with 357 nest boxes installed to provide nesting opportunities for threatened vertebrates. Our sites covered a region of more than 140 km across with repeated surveys over 3 to 6 years. We show that nest box use by feralA. melliferacolonies is influenced by box design (p = 0.042), with weak evidence for an interactive effect of type of vegetation at a site (woodland remnants vs. replanting) and woody cover within 500 m (p = 0.091). At 69 colonies per km2, this density is equivalent to the recommended stocking of hives for pollination of some crops and is therefore likely to influence pollination and lead to competition with other flower visitors.Apis melliferais also likely to be competing for hollows with cavity dependent native fauna, especially in landscapes where there has been extensive tree removal.
Hippotherium Datum implies Miocene palaeoecological pattern
Authors: Sun Boyang , Liu Yan , Chen Shanqin , Deng Tao
Published: March 2022

Here, we report well–preserved skulls and postcranial specimens of genus Hippotherium from the Linxia Basin, Gansu, China. Based on morphological comparison, the species of Hippotherium in China, Hippotherium weihoense and Hippotherium chiai, should be ascribed to the same species, H. weihoense. We also reviewe other Old World hipparion species in the very early Late Miocene and figure out two evolutionary routes: the Hippotherium and Cormohipparion lineages. Analysis of locomotive ability indicates that H. weihoense likely lived in an open habitat, whereas other species of Hippotherium likely lived in closed habitats. This result shows a palaeoecological pattern in the early Late Miocene in Eurasia influenced by a series of geological events as aridification of mid–latitude Asia progressed, whereas Europe and North Africa remained relatively humid. As the genus originated from East Asia, hipparion horses divided rapidly into different groups with differing functional morphology to occupy diverse niches.
Chemical vapor deposition-grown nitrogen-doped graphene’s synthesis, characterization and applications
Authors: Deokar Geetanjali , Jin Junjie , Schwingenschlögl Udo , Costa Pedro M. F. J.
Published: March 2022

The physical properties of carbon materials can be altered by doping. For instance, the electronic properties of graphene can be modulated by controlling the substitutional doping of the carbon lattice with N. In addition, C–N bonding configurations with three ring types are recognized: pyridinic-N, pyrrolic-N, and graphitic-N. Controlling the type and relative density of various types of substitutional N is an important objective that requires an extremely high level of precision when the atomic lattice is constructed. This control can be accomplished only via bottom-up methods, such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The number of reports on N-doped graphene (NDG) grown via CVD has increased over the past decade, but a reliable wafer-scale production strategy that can realize the desired atomic-precision growth of NDG is still lacking. To identify the most promising strategies and analyze the consistency of the results published in the literature, we review the CVD growth and characterization of two-dimensional NDG and two of the most popular applications of NDG films: field-effect transistors and energy storage devices.
Formation reaction mechanism and infrared spectra of anti-trans-methacrolein oxide and its associated precursor and adduct radicals
Authors: Cai Jia-Rong , Su Jung-Hsuan , Lee Yuan-Pern
Published: March 2022

Methacrolein oxide (MACRO) is an important carbonyl oxide produced in ozonolysis of isoprene, the most abundantly-emitted non-methane hydrocarbon in the atmosphere. We employed a step-scan Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer to investigate the source reaction of MACRO in laboratories. Upon UV irradiation of precursor CH2IC(CH3)CHI (1), the CH2C(CH3)CHI radical (2) was detected, confirming the fission of the allylic C‒I bond rather than the vinylic C‒I bond. Upon UV irradiation of (1) and O2 near 21 Torr, anti-trans-MACRO (3a) was observed to have an intense OO-stretching band near 917 cm−1, much greater than those of syn-CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO, supporting a stronger O‒O bond in MACRO because of resonance stabilization. At increased pressure (86‒346 Torr), both reaction adducts CH2C(CH3)CHIOO (4) and (CHI)C(CH3)CH2OO (5) radicals were observed, indicating that O2 can add to either carbon of the delocalized propenyl radical moiety of (2). The yield of MACRO is significantly smaller than other carbonyl oxides.
Ligand properties of boryl ligands in bis-boryl rhodium(iii) complexes: a case study
Authors: Drescher Wiebke , Kleeberg Christian
Published: March 2022

A series of symmetrical and unsymmetrical rhodium(iii) bis-boryl complexes [(PMe3)3Rh(boryl)2Cl] and [(PMe3)3Rh(boryl)2L][BArF] (L = PMe3, MeCN, MeNC; boryl = Bcat, Bpin) are synthesised and spectroscopically and structurally characterised.
Effects of location, classroom orientation, and air change rate on potential aerosol exposure: an experimental and computational study
Authors: Dacunto P. , Ng A. , Moser D. , Tovkach A. , Scanlon S. , Benson M.
Published: March 2022

A tracer gas study coupled with numerical modeling inform selection of teaching location to minimize exposure to aerosols.
A modifiable double donor based on bis(N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethyl)aniline for organic optical nonlinear chromophores
Authors: Zeng Qingzhu , Chen Xunyu , Rahman Abdul , Zeng Ziying , Liang Zhiwei , Shi Lei , Huang Zeling , Bo Shuhui , Liu Fenggang , Wang Jiahai
Published: March 2022

A strong modifiable double donor based on a bis(N-ethyl-N-hydroxyethyl)aniline-derived structure was developed and applied to nonlinear optical materials which show a large r33 value of 351 pm V−1 for the first time.
Aldehydes and ketones in pyrolysis oil: analytical determination and their role in the aging process
Authors: Baehr Clarissa , Smith Gavin J. , Sleeman Daniel , Zevaco Thomas A. , Raffelt Klaus , Dahmen Nicolaus
Published: March 2022

A chemical-analytical procedure by 1H-NMR was developed to determine the total concentration of aldehydes in a hardwood-based pyrolysis oil during the process of accelerated aging at 80 °C for 48 h. It is compared to results of carbonyl titration.
Magnetowetting dynamics of sessile ferrofluid droplets: a review
Authors: Deb Rupresha , Sarma Bhaskarjyoti , Dalal Amaresh
Published: March 2022

This article presents a systematic review of the progress made in understanding the fundamental and practical aspects of sessile droplet magnetowetting phenomena in the past decade (2010–2020).
A flexible thin film lithium battery with a chemical vapor deposited organic complex cathode
Authors: Li Zhuo , Hu Fei , Huo Ni , Tenhaeff Wyatt E.
Published: March 2022

Organic cathode materials have attracted significant research attention recently, yet their low electronic conductivity limits their application as solid-state cathodes in lithium batteries.
Photothermal-effect-promoted interfacial OH− filling and the conversion of carrier type in (Co1−xNix)3C during water oxidation
Authors: Ma Xinzhi , Zhang Mingyi , Aza Fahad , Gao Qiong , Xu Zhikun , Li Lin , Wu Lili , Zhang Xitian , Chen Yujin
Published: March 2022

Photothermal effect enhance OH−-filling at the interface between the Co3C and electrolyte during the OER, during which the conductivity, light absorption, and heat conversion abilities can be enhanced by Ni alloying.
Facile construction of an Ag/MoSe2 composite based non-enzymatic amperometric sensor for hydrogen peroxide
Authors: Tian Ran , Li Dong , Zhou Tao , Chu Xue-Qiang , Ge Danhua , Chen Xiaojun
Published: March 2022

A non-enzymatic sensor based on Ag nanoparticle-decorated MoSe2 (Ag/MoSe2-500) hybrid nanostructures exhibited high sensitivity, wide linear range, low detection limit and satisfactory practicality in milk and juice samples.
Synthesis of spirocyclic dihydropyrazoles from tosylhydrazones and electron-deficient alkenes
Authors: Wootton Timothy L. , Allwood Daniel M.
Published: March 2022

Spirocyclic heterocycles are highly three-dimensional scaffolds with significant utility in medicinal chemistry. This report demonstrates a procedurally simple method for the synthesis of a range of medicinally relevant spirocyclic dihydropyrazoles.
Antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of star-shaped quaternary ammonium-functionalized polymers with different pendant groups
Authors: Nam So Young , Lee Jaesung , Shin Seung Su , Yoo Hyun Jung , Yun Myeongji , Kim Seohyun , Kim Ji Hyung , Lee Jung-Hyun
Published: March 2022

Star-shaped, quaternary ammonium-functionalized polymers containing a cyclic pendant group exhibit excellent antibacterial activity and selectivity.
Blocking key mutated hotspot residues in the RBD of the omicron variant (B.1.1.529) with medicinal compounds to disrupt the RBD-hACE2 complex using molecular screening and simulation approaches
Authors: Khan Abbas , Randhawa AsfandYar Waheed , Balouch Ali Raza , Mukhtar Naila , Sayaf Abrar Mohammad , Suleman Muhammad , Khan Taimoor , Ali Shahid , Ali Syed Shujait , Wang Yanjing , Mohammad Anwar , Wei Dong-Qing
Published: March 2022

A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 known as the omicron variant (B.1.1.529) reported in South Africa with 30 mutations in the whole spike protein, among which 15 mutations are in the receptor-binding domain, is continuously spreading exponentially around the world.
Chemoselective and one-pot synthesis of novel coumarin-based cyclopenta[c]pyrans via base-mediated reaction of α,β-unsaturated coumarins and β-ketodinitriles
Authors: Farajpour Behnaz , Alizadeh Abdolali
Published: March 2022

In this paper, the base-mediated cascade reactions of 4-chloro-3-vinyl coumarins with β-ketodinitriles were demonstrated, allowing the efficient synthesis of coumarin-based cyclopenta[c]pyran-7-carbonitriles with interesting chemoselectivity.
Mapping the helix arrangement of the reconstituted ETR1 ethylene receptor transmembrane domain by EPR spectroscopy
Authors: Kugele Anandi , Uzun Buket , Müller Lena , Schott-Verdugo Stephan , Gohlke Holger , Groth Georg , Drescher Malte
Published: March 2022

The ethylene receptor 1 transmembrane domain was site-directedly spin labelled to obtain distance restraints.
A facile fluorescent sensor based on nitrogen-doped carbon dots derived from Listeria monocytogenes for highly selective and visual detection of iodide and pH
Authors: Jie Mingsha , Guo Ruipeng , Zhang Yanan , Huang Jianing , Xu Gaigai , Li Min , Yue Xiaoyue , Ji Baocheng , Bai Yanhong
Published: March 2022

Listeria monocytogenes-derived nitrogen-doped carbon dots served as a facile fluorescent sensor with excellent sensing performances for iodide with low detection limit of 20 nmol L−1 and wide pH range from 1.81 to 11.82.
Iodine-mediated oxythiolation of o-vinylanilides with disulfides for the synthesis of benzoxazines
Authors: Yang Yu , Liu Liyan , Li Kuiliang , Zha Zhenggen , Sun Qi , Wang Zhiyong
Published: March 2022

An efficient iodine-mediated oxythiolation of o-vinylanilides with disulfides was developed. The reaction features high yields, is metal-free, and has a wide substrate scope.
Chemical reduction of Prussian blue nanocubes to obtain alkali ion containing cathodes and their battery applications
Authors: Baji Dona Susan , Nair Shantikumar , Santhanagopalan Dhamodaran
Published: March 2022

A facile process for the preparation of alkali ion containing Prussian blue cathodes by chemical reduction and their battery applications are reported.
A dendrite-suppressed and utilization-improved metallic Li anode enabled by lithiophilic nano-Pb decoration on carbon cloth
Authors: Du Peng , Yuan Chenbo , Cui Xiaoyu , Zhang Kaifu , Yu Yu , Ren Xiaodi , Zhan Xiaowen , Gao Shan
Published: March 2022

A dendrite-suppressed, utilization-improved metallic Li anode was fabricated via a record-fast (1.0 s) infusion of molten Li into Pb-decorated carbon cloth at 250 °C.
Synthesis and self-assembly of an acid/reduction co-triggered degradable amphiphilic copolyprodrug as a tumor-selective drug self-delivery system
Authors: Li Xinming , Liu Peng
Published: March 2022

An acid/reduction co-triggered degradable amphiphilic copolyprodrug was designed, which could selectively degrade into DOX inside the tumor cells, showing enhanced inhibition of tumor growth.
Quality of Life in Caregivers, Spouses, and Partners of Total Laryngectomees: A Scoping Review
Authors: St. Peter Madeleine , Ward Christina , Nancy Naomi , Sykes Kevin J.
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to (a) review methods used to assess quality of life (QOL) in caregivers, partners, and spouses of those who have undergone total laryngectomy (TL); (b) identify patterns in caregiver QOL changes postoperatively; and (c) review previously proposed interventions for caregivers.

Method:

PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL Complete were searched using the Medical Subject Heading terms
laryngectomy
,
spouse
,
caregiver
, and
partner
. Two reviewers independently screened and identified records meeting inclusion criteria. This scoping review adheres to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Results:

Initial search returned 143 results and 12 met inclusion criteria. Eight studies assessed postoperative QOL changes in categories such as psychological health, physical health, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships. Four studies proposed interventions for caregivers perioperatively. There were no consistently used inventories, and only one intervention was formally tested.

Conclusions:

The literature available on TL caregiver QOL contains inconsistent inventories and study design. There are few interventions available, and it would be beneficial to develop a standardized QOL inventory for this population to better target caregiver needs.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19287887
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on PhD Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Authors: Covington Natalie V. , Jordan Larissa M.
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the status quo in higher education, causing rapid and unprecedented instructional, social, and financial changes. The aim of this exploratory study was to characterize doctoral students' experiences during the pandemic and draw insights that may impact the long-term health of the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD).

Method:

One hundred sixty current PhD students in CSD completed an online survey. Student perceptions of the pandemic's impacts on their academic progress, future academic careers, and support from their academic programs were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively.

Results:

A majority of students indicated that the pandemic had negatively impacted progress through their PhD program. A quarter of respondents reported that their caregiving responsibilities had increased. Of these, the majority said that this increase in caregiving would delay their academic progress. A majority of students had concerns about farther-reaching negative impacts on their academic careers. Students' perceived support from their programs during the pandemic was significantly lower compared to perceived support prior to the pandemic. When asked directly what decision-making stakeholders should know, respondents reported increases in stress and anxiety, a desire that stakeholders would recognize the effect of less-rich academic environments on student training, and the potential that students would leave the academic “pipeline” as a result of pandemic-related delays and stressors. Across multiple open-response questions, students expressed concerns that the negative impacts of the pandemic would be unequally distributed across groups, such that existing inequalities in academia would be further exacerbated by the pandemic.

Conclusion:

This study characterizes the lived experiences of PhD students in CSD during the COVID-19 pandemic and provides information that may inform key decision-making stakeholders (advisors, departments, and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) as they continue to make changes and accommodations in response to the pandemic.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19294634
Knowledge Brokering in Communication Sciences and Disorders
Authors: Douglas Natalie , Oshita Jennifer , Schliep Megan , Feuerstein Julie
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

Knowledge brokering is one tool to improve the lines of communication between clinicians and researchers with the ultimate goal of closing the research to practice gap. The following review article outlines definitions of knowledge brokering; describes attributes and activities of knowledge brokering, including domains of knowledge brokering; illustrates data to support the role of knowledge brokering; and provides a tool for teams to reflect upon their own knowledge brokering capabilities.

Conclusions:

Knowledge brokering provides practical tools to decrease the silos between researchers and clinicians with the goal of providing the best care to all the populations that we serve. While we are hopeful that the evidence for knowledge brokering will continue to develop, there are low-risk action items (e.g., active listening, relationship building across boundaries, and appreciation of the diversity of contexts in which clinical services are delivered) that readers could implement immediately.
Intelligent vehicle lateral control based on radial basis function neural network sliding mode controller
Authors: Fan Bailin , Zhang Yi , Chen Ye , Meng Linbei
Published: March 2022

Based on the predigestion of the dynamic model of the intelligent firefighting vehicle, a linear 2‐DOF lateral dynamic model and a preview error model are established. To solve the problems of a highly non‐linear vehicle model, time‐varying parameters, output chattering, and poor robustness, the Radial Basis Function neural network sliding mode controller is designed. Then, different driving speeds are used to conduct simulation tests under standard double‐shifting and smooth curve road conditions, and the simulation results are used to analyse the tracking effect of the lateral motion controller on the desired path. The simulation results reveal that the controller designed has high accuracy in tracking the desired path and has good robustness to the disturbance of intelligent firefighting vehicle speed changes.
Protection framework for microgrids with inverter‐based DGs: A superimposed component and waveform similarity‐based fault detection and classification scheme
Authors: Jarrahi Mohammad Amin , Samet Haidar , Ghanbari Teymoor
Published: March 2022

Since the penetration level of the inverter‐based distributed generations (IBDGs) into microgrids (MGs) is increasing, the protection issues of such networks have become more challenging. The present work aims to design a protection framework for fault detection and classification in IBDG dominated MGs. In the proposed approach, the current waveforms measured from one end of the protected lines are processed using superimposed components. Then, the faults are identified using the Euclidean distance concept. A Pearson correlation coefficient‐based approach is also developed to characterize the faulty phases in the proposed fault classification unit. Furthermore, an auxiliary index is defined to discriminate load change conditions from the faults. In addition to being simple and efficient, the proposed technique is highly capable of functioning in different MG operating modes and configurations without changing its settings. Also, it demonstrates robust performance against IBDG impacts, noises, and stimulating fault scenarios. To assess the scheme proficiency, a modified IEEE 15‐bus system with highly penetrated IBDGs is simulated. The results confirm the quickness and high accuracy of the proposed technique. Moreover, the method is validated in an experimental laboratory test bench. Finally, the superiority of the method is confirmed by a comparative study with other recent methods.
A new online testing technique for reversible circuits
Authors: Mondal Joyati , Das Debesh Kumar
Published: March 2022

Any technology offering zero power dissipation must be reversible. A reversible circuit can be envisaged as a cascade of reversible gates only, such as Toffoli gate, which has two components: k control bits and a target bit (k‐CNOT), k ≥ 1. Analysing testability issues in a reversible circuit is an important phenomenon. A new online design‐for‐testability (DFT) technique for reversible circuits is proposed. The authors’ method yields less overhead in terms of quantum cost as compared to the previous online approaches.
Reduction of carbon rate in blast furnace by using catalyst doped nut coke
Authors: Suresh Asaithambi , Soni Abhinav Kumar , Chandaliya Vimal Kumar , Tiwary Avinash Kumar , Garg Pritesh , Sagar Boina , Choudhary Pawan Kumar , Seal Biswajit , Kumar Dushyant , Dash Pratik Swarup , Singh Ranjan Kumar , Patra Mantu
Published: March 2022

The gasification characteristics of metallurgical coke plays an important role in controlling the thermal balance of blast furnace. In this work, the gasification reaction kinetics of nut coke was enhanced using catalytic materials to improve the reaction efficiency of blast furnace. The starting temperature of nut coke gasification was reduced by 100 °C using the solid waste materials (lime fines and iron oxide dust) that are generated internally from an integrated steel plant. Analysis of catalyst doped nut coke showed that the coke reactivity index (CRI) improved by 5–6 points over the normal nut coke. The catalyst doping facility with catalyst slurry preparation tank, slurry transfer pump, basket filter and spray header fitted with nozzles was developed to produce the catalyst doped nut coke on large scale. The plant trial was conducted in a commercial blast furnace for a month-long duration by replacing the normal nut coke with catalyst doped nut coke. As a result, the reduction of 4 kg carbon rate per ton of hot metal production was achieved through this methodology. Also, slight improvement was observed in the gas utilization efficiency of blast furnace when catalyst doped nut coke was used.
Approche du traitement non chirurgical des supraclusions par la technique des aligneurs : quels protocoles de traitement et comment optimiser les résultats cliniques ?
Authors: Chazalon Jean-François
Published: March 2022

La supraclusie est une malocclusion couramment associée à des problèmes orthodontiques difficiles à corriger sans que celle-ci ne soit également résolue. Par exemple, lors de la correction d'une malocclusion de classe II, l'arcade inférieure peut ne pas être en mesure d'avancer vers la classe I si un recouvrement excessif est également présent. Cet article est destiné à aider les orthodontistes à améliorer leur succès dans le traitement des supraclusions par la technique des aligneurs. Configuration de set-up virtuel, conception des attachements, utilisation des élastiques et des rampes d'occlusion sont ici discutés pour corriger les supraclusies afin qu'une plus grande variété de problèmes orthodontiques puisse être traités avec succès par les aligneurs.
Proximal femur anatomy-implant geometry discrepancies
Authors: Cornelissen Andries Johannes , Ferreira Nando , Burger Marilize Cornelle , Jordaan Jacobus Daniel
Published: March 2022

Objectives: Due to ongoing concern about femur anatomy-implant mismatches, this cross-sectional study aimed to create a geometric femur profile and used it to identify and quantify possible mismatches between femur anatomy and cephalomedullary nail dimensions. The work further aimed to assess whether patient demographics affect anatomy-implant coherence. Methods: One hundred skeletally mature complete femur computer tomography (CT) scans were collected and exported to software enabling landmark placement and measures with multiplanar reconstruction techniques. Results: Clinically relevant anatomy-implant discrepancies included the femur neck and shaft axis offset 6.1 ± 1.7 mm (95% CI [5.7–6.4]), femur radius of curvature 1.2 ± 0.3 m (95% CI [1.1–1.2]), femur anteversion 18.8 ± 9.2 (95% CI [16.9–20.6]). The implants reviewed in this study did not compensate for the femur neck and shaft axis offset and had a larger radius of curvature than the studied population. Clinically significant demographic geometry differences were not identified. Conclusion: There were discrepancies between femur anatomy and cephalomedullary nail implant design; however, no clinically significant femur feature inconsistency was identified among the demographic subgroups. Due to the identified anatomy-implant discrepancies, including the femur neck and shaft axis offset, we suggest that these measurements be considered for future implant design and surgical technique.
Application of Classical Kalman filtering technique in assimilation of multiple data types to NeQuick model
Authors: Mungufeni Patrick , Migoya-Orué Yenca , Matamba Tshimangadzo Merline , Omondi George
Published: March 2022

This study attempts to improve the estimation of ionospheric electron density profiles over Korea and adjacent areas by employing the classical Kalman filtering technique to assimilate Total Electron Content (TEC) data from various sources into the NeQuick model. Successive corrections method was applied to spread the effect of TEC data assimilation at a given location to others that lacked TEC observations. In order to reveal that the assimilation results emulate the complex ionospheric changes during geomagnetic storms, the selected study days included both quiet (Kp ≤ 3) and disturbed geomagnetic conditions in the year 2015. The results showed that assimilation of TEC data derived from ground-based Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers could improve the root mean squared error (RMSE) associated with the NeQuick model estimation of ionospheric parameters by ≥56%. The improvement of RMSE achieved by assimilating TEC data measured using ionosondes was ~50%. The assimilation of TEC observations made by the COSMIC radio occultation technique yielded results that depicted RMSE improvement of >10%. The assimilation of TEC data measured by GPS receiver onboard Low Earth Orbiting satellites yielded results that revealed deterioration of RMSE. This outcome might be due to either the fact that the receivers are on moving platforms, and these dynamics might not have been accounted for during TEC computation or the limitation of the assimilation process. Validation of our assimilation results with global ionosphere TEC data maps as processed at the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) revealed that both depicted similar TEC changes, showing response to a geomagnetic storm.
Resistive switching properties for fluorine doped titania fabricated using atomic layer deposition
Authors: Kim Minjae , Wang Yue , Kim Dong-eun , Shao Qingyi , Lee Hong-Sub , Park Hyung-Ho
Published: March 2022

This study demonstrates a new resistive switching material, F-doped TiO2 (F:TiO2), fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) with an in-house fluorine source for resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices. Controlling oxygen vacancies is required since RRAM uses resistive switching (RS) characteristics by redistributing oxygen ions in oxide, and poor oxygen defect control has been shown to significantly reduce RRAM reliability. Therefore, this study designed an F based RRAM device using fluorine anions rather than oxygen defect for the main agent of RS behavior. We developed the F:TiO2 RRAM material using a novel in situ doping method in ALD and investigated its RS behaviors. The Pt/F:TiO2/Pt device exhibited forming-less bipolar RS and self-rectifying behavior by fluorine anion migration, effectively reducing the sneak current in crossbar array architecture RRAM. The doped fluorine passivated and reduced oxygen related defects in TiO2, confirmed by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Adopting the F-based RS material by ALD provides a viable candidate for high reliability RRAM.
The diamond NV-center transition energies in the vicinity of an intrinsic stacking fault
Authors: Löfgren Robin , Öberg Sven , Larsson J. Andreas
Published: March 2022

The negatively charged nitrogen vacancy (NV−) center in a diamond is a nanometer-sized defect with very sensitive properties that can be manipulated, for example, for single-molecule photoluminescence and nuclear magnetic resonance sensing, as a single photon source for quantum cryptography and as a qubit in room temperature quantum computing. To have a minimal perturbation of its properties, it is important to isolate the NV-center from other defects. One type of the extended defects that can be common in diamonds is the intrinsic stacking fault (ISF) associated with dislocations. In this work, we use density functional theory simulations to investigate how the distance between the NV− center and an ISF affects its properties, including the transition energies, spin density, and energy eigenvalues in the Kohn–Sham bandgap. We have found that the NV-center properties are only slightly perturbed when placed in the vicinity of an ISF. Even for an interdistance of only 3.8 Å between the NV-center and the ISF, the decrease in its zero phonon line (ZPL) energy is less than 6.8%. To more significantly perturb the ZPL, the NV-center has to be placed inside the stacking fault glide plane (11.3% decrease). The changes in ZPL are in the majority of cases lower than the bulk value, which can be used to guide experimental observations. We find that the NV-center is only weakly interacting with ISFs, which in addition to a small bulk conversion depth of 5 Å to a diamond surface is important for their technological use.
Morphological variation in skull shape and size across extinct and extant populations of the greater stick-nest rat (
Authors: Onley Isabelle R. , Moseby Katherine E. , Austin Jeremy J. , Sherratt Emma
Published: March 2022

Within-species morphological variation is often observed across spatial and climatic gradients. Understanding this variation is important to conservation planning, as specialised adaptations may influence a population’s persistence following translocation. However, knowing whether local adaptations are prevalent within a species can be challenging when the species has undergone range contractions. Here, we used museum specimens to study size and shape variation of the greater stick-nest rat (Leporillus conditor). We aimed to determine whether intraspecific size and shape variation previously existed within the species across its historical range, and inform on possible implications for translocations of the remaining extant population. We found significantly larger skull size in the Franklin Islands and arid populations, possibly indicating a historically continuous population experiencing similar selection pressures such as high predation pressure, competition with other large arid zone rodents or climatic extremes. Conversely, skull shape variation within the species adheres to an allometric trajectory, indicating no specific local adaptations of skull shape. This absence of local skull shape adaptation suggests that the Franklin Islands population is likely suitable for mainland translocations. However, further research into the historical phylogeography of the species is recommended to identify whether large size resulted from shared ancestry or convergent evolution.
Recrystallisation kinetics and yield-strength adjustment after annealing of cold-rolled microalloyed steel
Authors: Leão Pablo Bruno Paiva , Medeiros S. L. S. , Saraiva B. R. C. , Neto J. R. Barros , Silva C. C. , Ramirez Antonio J. , de Abreu H. F. G.
Published: March 2022

After continuous annealing process (CAP) at 790°C, 85% of the coils of 50% cold-rolled low carbon microalloyed (LCM) steel did not exhibit yield-strength (YS) on the target range, while the 70% cold-reduced LCM coils did. In this context, the non-isothermal recrystallisation kinetics of ferrite for the above two full-hard LCM steel were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and the Friedman differential isoconversional method. The recrystallisation kinetics of ferrite for the two deformed states showed different behaviour. Regarding a fixed degree of cold-rolling deformation, the soaking temperature was found as the manageable parameter to control YS during CAP. Consequently, a suitable YS of the 50% cold-rolled LCM steel was achieved by setting the soaking temperature at 773°C.