bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Road infrastructure requirements to accommodate autonomous vehicles
Authors: Čudina Ivančev Ana , Dragčević Vesna , Džambas Tamara
Published: June 2022

In the last few years, an increasing amount of research has been dealing with the development of autonomous vehicles (AVs). With the increasing deployment of the AVs on the roads over the years it is necessary to adapt road infrastructure to accommodate them. This paper gives an insight into the impact of AVs on the road infrastructure such as horizontal and vertical alignment, and dimensions of cross section elements. The implementation of the AVs into the road network will not depend just on the preparation of road infrastructure but also on the future development of vehicle automation and the proportion of AVs according to conventional vehicles (CVs) into the vehicle fleet. Therefore, according to AVs proportion into the fleet, three different scenarios for road infrastructure upgrades are given. Finally, the advantages and disadvantages of the introduction of AVs regarding the requirements for existing and future road infrastructure are discussed.
Pavement management system for local governments: case study in the Republic of San Marino
Authors: Grilli Andrea , Balzi Alex , Ciotti Arianna , Tura Paolo , Casali Matteo
Published: June 2022

Local governments manage large and heterogeneous road networks with limited budgets, human resources and often they cannot easily access or apply technology and methodologic innovations. For these reasons local governments need a tailored pavement management system (PMS) to plan activities, investments and to achieve efficient solution in a multi-year prospective. The PMS must identify a rational and cost-effective maintenance planning through a systematic process that considers technical, economical, social and environmental impacts. Tools and procedures have to be specifically determined taking into consideration the real potentialities of the local governments. The adopted PMS in the Republic of San Marino has been based on a tight coordination among national institutions and stakeholders operating in the territory. This paper shows the principles, procedures and tools developed and used in the Republic of San Marino.
MEASURING EFFICIENCY – THE INPUT-OUTPUT RATIO
Authors:   Redovni profesor na Ekonomskom fakultetu u Nišu, Bonić Ljiljana
Published: June 2022

This paper points out the importance of assessing and measuring the efficiency of management process in order to improve and develop the overall business activity.
O potencial da rede social Facebook no apoio e mediação das aulas de Biologia do 1º ano do Ensino Médio Politécnico da Escola Estadual de Educação Básica Leopoldo
Authors: Ramiro Adriane Ziegler , Medeiros Liziany Muller , Lima Andréia Lucimar Silva de , Silva Juliana Santos da
Published: June 2022

Este artigo tem como objetivo avaliar o potencial de uso da rede social Facebook no apoio e mediação das aulas de Biologia do 1º Ano do Ensino Médio Politécnico da Escola Estadual de Educação Básica Leopoldo Ost, localizada no município de Santo Cristo, RS. Além disso, busca analisar a participação dos alunos em um grupo, 1º Ano Biologando, através do uso de diferentes Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação na construção de conhecimentos de forma colaborativa. O trabalho foi realizado no período de março a junho de 2014, utilizando a metodologia qualitativa, pesquisa-ação, através da observação da interação e participação dos alunos no grupo e questionário de avaliação. Constatou-se que a rede social Facebook apresenta grande potencial para mediação do processo de ensino e aprendizagem, tanto no apoio quanto na construção de novos conhecimentos em Biologia. A rede social atraiu os alunos favorecendo a participação e compartilhamento de informações, motivando e despertando-os para os estudos.
Caracterização da bacia do Maxixe com auxílio de sistemas de informações geográficas
Authors: Oliveira Bruno Rodrigues , Antônio Gabriela Branquinho
Published: June 2022

As geotecnologias são ferramentas fundamentais e amplamente utilizadas no planejamento urbano, na gestão de recursos hídricos e em estudos de susceptibilidade erosiva, como deslizamentos e inundação por serem capazes obter informações confiáveis e de baixo custo sejam elas qualitativas e/ou quantitativas. Dessa forma, tendo a bacia hidrográfica como delimitador da área de estudo por ser um unidade de planejamento reconhecida legalmente, o objetivo do presente trabalho é utilizar Sistema de Informações Geográficas (SIG) na elaboração do mapeamento temático e a obtenção de parâmetros físicos, como a área, perímetro, dentre outros visando caracterizar a bacia hidrográfica do rio Maxixe. Como resultado, foi possível realizar uma análise qualitativa e quantitativa das características da bacia em estudo e caracteriza-la com uma forma alongada com relevo predominantemente suave e com uma baixa susceptibilidade a grandes inundações e demonstrar algumas aplicações do geoprocessamento na obtenção de informações relevantes para o planejamento e manejo dos recursos naturais de regiões específicas como as bacias hidrográficas.
Criminal law and criminological aspect of protection life and body in the Republic of Serbia at the last two decades
Authors: Božić Vanda , Đukić Mirjana
Published: June 2022

The criminal justice and criminological aspects of the study includes an analysis of the system of protection of life and physical integrity of the Republic of Serbia in the last two decades. The research of criminal law protection of life and body was conducted on the basis of legal-dogmatic, comparative and statistical methods, with a comprehensive analysis of the type and amount of sentences imposed on adult perpetrators of crimes against life and body in the last twenty years. The paper starts from two key hypotheses: the first - that today the number of punishable behaviors by which the protective object is human life and body is significantly higher than twenty years ago, and the second - that two decades ago crimes against life and body were more severe penalties compared to today. Although the punishments were stricter at the end of the 1990s (the death penalty was also prescribed), the RS Criminal Code prescribed a much smaller number of crimes against life and body compared to today. However, it should be concluded that a larger number of prescribed criminal offenses does not lead to more penalties nor to the imposition of heavier sentences. The study and comparison criminal and criminological sources has led to results - a significantly increased number of new incriminations of illegal behavior in the past two decades (murder with reckless violence, murder of a child or pregnant woman, murder of a family member he previously abused, female genital mutilation, etc.). The legislator is making a big step forward in 2019 when he introduces a life sentence in the RS Criminal Code, which has caused a lot of controversy. Statistical analysis of reports, charges and convictions for crimes against life and body indicates a rapid decline in the number of convictions in relation to the number of reports. In the segment of repressive measures, the death penalty was imposed in only one case in the period from 1998 to 2002, while the sentence of imprisonment for 40 years in the same period was imposed in only 62 cases. It should be noted that the short-term prison sentence of 3 (three) to 6 (six) months (a total of 2692 sentences in the observed period) was most often imposed. Mild penal policy and too many crimes against life and body lead to inefficiencies in the judiciary.
Diagnostic performance of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes levels for the severity of COVID-19
Authors: Ergenc Ilkay , Capar Emre , Erturk Sengel , Bahramzade Gunel , Atalah Fatih , Kocakaya Derya , Karakurt Sait , Haklar Goncagul , Odabasi Zekaver
Published: June 2022

Background: Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels predict coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity. We investigated LDH isoenzyme levels to identify the tissue responsible for serum LDH elevation in patients with COVID-19. Methods: Hospitalised COVID-19 patients with serum LDH levels exceeding the upper reference limit included. LDH isoenzymes were detected quantitatively on agarose gels. The radiological severity of lung involvement on computed tomography was scored as 0-5 for each lobe (total possible score, 0-25). Disease severity was determined using the World Health Organization (WHO) clinical progression scale. Results: In total, 111 patients (mean age, 59.96 ± 16.14), including 43 females (38.7%), were enrolled. The serum levels of total LDH and all five LDH isoenzymes were significantly higher in the severe group. The levels of all LDH isoenzymes excluding LDH5 positively correlated with the WHO score. LDH3 levels correlated with chest computed tomography findings (r2 = 0.267, p = 0.005). On multivariate analysis, LDH3 was an independent risk factor for the deterioration of COVID-19. Conclusions: LDH3 appears to be an independent risk factor for deterioration in patients with COVID-19. LDH elevation in patients with COVID-19 predominantly resulted from lung, liver and muscle damage.
Alcohol-related liver disease and liver transplantation
Authors: Shafqat Musheer , Jo Ji Hoon , Moon Hyung Hwan , Choi Young Il , Shin Dong Hoon
Published: June 2022

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) has become the major cause of liver transplantation (LT) in Korea, and is currently the most common cause of LT in Europe and the United States. Although, ALD is one of the most common indications for LT, it is traditionally not considered as an option for patients with ALD due to organ shortages and concerns about relapse. To select patients with terminal liver disease due to ALD for transplants, most LT centers in the United States and European countries require a 6-month sober period before transplantation. However, Korea has a different social and cultural background than Western countries, and most organ transplants are made from living donors, who account for approximately twice as many procedures as deceased donors. Most LT centers in Korea do not require a specific period of sobriety before transplantation in patients with ALD. As per the literature, 8%–20% of patients resume alcohol consumption 1 year after LT, and this proportion increases to 30%–40% at 5 years post-LT, among which 10%–15% of patients resume heavy drinking. According to previous studies, the risk factors for alcohol relapse after LT are as follows: young age, poor familial and social support, family history of alcohol use disorder, previous history of alcohol-related treatment, shorter abstinence before LT, smoking, psychiatric disorders, irregular follow-up, and unemployment. Recognition of the risk factors, early detection of alcohol consumption after LT, and regular follow-up by a multidisciplinary team are important for improving the short- and long-term outcomes of LT patients with ALD.
The Potential Contribution of Earth Observation Data Cubes for the Production of Information for Sustainable Development in Emerging Countries
Authors: Merodio Gómez Paloma , Ramírez Santiago Andrea , Juárez Carrillo Olivia Jimena , Jiménez Nava Francisco Javier
Published: June 2022

One of the great challenges of achieving the shared vision of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is having high-quality, timely, comparable, and accessible data that allows to measure and report progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Hence, in many countries, geospatial information (including Earth observation) and algorithms implemented in cloud computing platforms have become important tools to monitor indicators of the SDG thanks to their broad accessibility and global coverage. However, emerging countries still face barriers to the implementation of technologies to manage the large amounts of EO data. This article aims to show the advantages of satellite-based EO in the measurement of SDG indicators, as well as challenges emerging countries face in the use of these technological tools. It addresses why the open-source tool Open Data Cube (ODC) should be seen as a response to the said challenges. Finally, there is a description regarding the experience of Mexico with the use and application of this tool for the measurement of SDG indicators, from the development and implementation of the Mexican Geospatial Data Cube (MGDC) to the results obtained from its application in the support for the measurement of SDG indicators 6.6.1 Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time and 15.1.1 Forest area as a proportion of total land area.
Transferrin receptor 1-mediated iron uptake regulates bone mass in mice via osteoclast mitochondria and cytoskeleton
Authors: Das Bhaba K , Wang Lei , Fujiwara Toshifumi , Zhou Jian , Aykin-Burns Nukhet , Krager Kimberly J , Lan Renny , Mackintosh Samuel G , Edmondson Ricky , Jennings Michael L , Wang Xiaofang , Feng Jian Q , Barrientos Tomasa , Gogoi Jyoti , Kannan Aarthi , Gao Ling , Xing Weirong , Mohan Subburaman , Zhao Haibo
Published: June 2022

Increased intracellular iron spurs mitochondrial biogenesis and respiration to satisfy high-energy demand during osteoclast differentiation and bone-resorbing activities. Transferrin receptor 1 (Tfr1) mediates cellular iron uptake through endocytosis of iron-loaded transferrin, and its expression increases during osteoclast differentiation. Nonetheless, the precise functions of Tfr1 and Tfr1-mediated iron uptake in osteoclast biology and skeletal homeostasis remain incompletely understood. To investigate the role of Tfr1 in osteoclast lineage cells in vivo and in vitro, we crossed Tfrc (encoding Tfr1)-floxed mice with Lyz2 (LysM)-Cre and Cathepsin K (Ctsk)-Cre mice to generate Tfrc conditional knockout mice in myeloid osteoclast precursors (Tfr1ΔLysM) or differentiated osteoclasts (Tfr1ΔCtsk), respectively. Skeletal phenotyping by µCT and histology unveiled a significant increase in trabecular bone mass with normal osteoclast number in long bones of 10-week-old young and 6-month-old adult female but not male Tfr1ΔLysM mice. Although high trabecular bone volume in long bones was observed in both male and female Tfr1ΔCtsk mice, this phenotype was more pronounced in female knockout mice. Consistent with this gender-dependent phenomena, estrogen deficiency induced by ovariectomy decreased trabecular bone mass in Tfr1ΔLysM mice. Mechanistically, disruption of Tfr1 expression attenuated mitochondrial metabolism and cytoskeletal organization in mature osteoclasts in vitro by attenuating mitochondrial respiration and activation of the Src-Rac1-WAVE regulatory complex axis, respectively, leading to decreased bone resorption with little impact on osteoclast differentiation. These results indicate that Tfr1-mediated iron uptake is specifically required for osteoclast function and is indispensable for bone remodeling in a gender-dependent manner.
The integrated stress response remodels the microtubule-organizing center to clear unfolded proteins following proteotoxic stress
Authors: Hurwitz Brian , Guzzi Nicola , Gola Anita , Fiore Vincent F , Sendoel Ataman , Nikolova Maria , Barrows Douglas , Carroll Thomas S , Pasolli H Amalia , Fuchs Elaine
Published: June 2022

Cells encountering stressful situations activate the integrated stress response (ISR) pathway to limit protein synthesis and redirect translation to better cope. The ISR has also been implicated in cancers, but redundancies in the stress-sensing kinases that trigger the ISR have posed hurdles to dissecting physiological relevance. To overcome this challenge, we targeted the regulatory node of these kinases, namely, the S51 phosphorylation site of eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2α and genetically replaced eIF2α with eIF2α-S51A in mouse squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) stem cells of skin. While inconsequential under normal growth conditions, the vulnerability of this ISR-null state was unveiled when SCC stem cells experienced proteotoxic stress. Seeking mechanistic insights into the protective roles of the ISR, we combined ribosome profiling and functional approaches to identify and probe the functional importance of translational differences between ISR-competent and ISR-null SCC stem cells when exposed to proteotoxic stress. In doing so, we learned that the ISR redirects translation to centrosomal proteins that orchestrate the microtubule dynamics needed to efficiently concentrate unfolded proteins at the microtubule-organizing center so that they can be cleared by the perinuclear degradation machinery. Thus, rather than merely maintaining survival during proteotoxic stress, the ISR also functions in promoting cellular recovery once the stress has subsided. Remarkably, this molecular program is unique to transformed skin stem cells, hence exposing a vulnerability in cancer that could be exploited therapeutically.
Perceived Seasonal Impact of Air Pollution on Health and Properties in Port Harcourt
Authors: Ajiere Susan I. , Diagi Bridget E. , Edokpa David , Nnaemeka Okorondu J. , Victoria Ekweogu C.
Published: June 2022

Air pollution is an environmental menace that has attracted a lot of concern both locally and globally. The Environment is very important to sustainability of life and air pollution has become of great concern to many countries across the world especially its impact on human health and ecosystem. This study thus, assessed perceived seasonal impact of air pollution on health and property of the inhabitants of Port Harcourt. Primary data in form of questionnaire was used to solicit information from the inhabitants of the study area. A cross-sectional research design was adopted using an online survey and a 24-question survey was designed on goggle documents website (doc.goggle.com). The link was active for three months and was strictly monitored, the link was disabled after receiving 400 responses. Data for the study were analyzed using cross-tabulation and bivariate percentage analysis. Results revealed that majority of the respondents were females (53.2%). However, 73.3% of the respondents have lived in Port Harcourt more than 11 years. This is an indication that they have high knowledge of the environment. Majority of the respondents (79.4%) have observed a change in air quality which was rated low and (80.1%) have attributed the source of the air pollution to illegal refining of crude oil within the city. Fifty percent of respondents identified two Climate seasons: raining and dry and (51.2%) observe the impact of air pollution to be more prominent during the dry season. Majority perceived that the associated health risk is very high (56.5%) and attributed health related issues such as difficulty in breathing, asthma, eye problem, heart problem, increase in cancer and headache to poor air quality in the city. It was also noted that the incidence of sooth affected their properties. Hence, there is an urgent need for government at all levels to put in place adequate enforcement institution that will work with community leaders (youth, women and other), health officials and academic researchers to implement the environmental policies and sanction offenders for the overall benefit of the wellbeing of the inhabitant towards achieving a sustainable environment in the state.
Influence of Parents’ Participation on Student Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Daadab Sub County, Kenya
Authors: Baraki Daud Ahmed , Gori Justus Mochama , Adan .
Published: June 2022

Despite Kenya’s education system having adopted measures for seeking to ensure equitable access to quality education for all (EFA), many pupils in Daadab sub-county of Garissa county are still unable to access higher education due to their poor performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. Despite a large body of literature, globally, there really is no definitive evidence on how parent involvement affects academic performance in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams in Dadaab sub county, Kenya, hence this study This study sought to establish whether there existed a relationship between parent participation and academic performance of students among secondary schools in Dadaab sub county, Kenya. The study, which embraced a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods and used pragmatism research paradigm and adopted descriptive research design. Its target population was 1198 stakeholders comprising of. 1140 parents, 50 teachers in addition to the 4 principals of secondary as well as the four chairpersons of PTAs. A sample size of 300 respondents was used in the research. Dara was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. Data from questionnaire was analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson r’ while that from interview guide was analysed using verbatim. The results were presented using tables of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. The study found that parents’ participation in decision-making (r = 0.236, p<0.01), parents’ school financing activity (r = 0.273, p<0.01), parents’ motivation on learners (r = 0.281, p<0.01), and parents’ maintenance of school physical facilities (r = 0.286, p<0.01) statistically low significant and positive relationship witht performance of students among secondary school students in Dadaab sub county.
Characterization and Evaluation of the Effects of Indigofera pulchra, Aristolochia albida and Andrographis paniculata Leaves Extract Phenolics against the Activity of Naja nigricollis and Echis ocellatus Snake Venoms
Authors: Yilwa V. M. , Egbe N. E. , Hassan A. U. , Ozojiofor U. O.
Published: June 2022

With the increased incidence of snake envenomation, high cost of venom antiserum; its adverse side effects and lack of storage facilities for antiserum especially in rural areas, the use of plants as alternatives for treatment of poisonous snakebites is important, especially in remote areas. This research was aimed at characterization and evaluation of the effects of Indigofera pulchra, Aristolochia albida and Andrographis paniculata leaves extract phenolics against the activity of Naja nigricollis and Echis ocellatus snake venoms. The plants samples were extracted using chloroform, after which a qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis was done, followed by characterization analyses (GC-MS and FTIR). Preperatory and analytical tin layer chromatography analyses was carried out on all the extracts, flavonoids and tannins fractions were isolated, using garlic and tannic acids as standards. In-vitro inhibition analyses of the partially purified phenolics was done to ascertain the effects to the isolated phenolic fractions against the two selected crude snake venoms. The plant extracts characterization done revealed that all the three extracts contain phenolics and specifically important compounds like, Benzaldehyde-2-hydro-4-methoxy, rutin and gallocatechin, all which has been reported to have anti-snake venom capability. The inhibition studies carried out revealed that the flavonoid fractions of the extracts has a higher inhibitory effect against the snake venoms than the tannin fractions of all the extracts. Characterization and evaluation studies, done in this research has revealed that these plants’ phenolic fractions have effects on the two snake venoms and can help in the management and treatment of snake bite.
Voluntary Disclosure and Financial Performance of Listed Money Deposit Banks (DMB’S) in Nigeria
Authors: Wisdom Okere , Grace Offiaeli Amarachukwu , Esther Ochuko
Published: June 2022

The study examined the relationship between financial performance and voluntary disclosure of listed deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study made use of an ex-facto research design. The population of the study was the 15 listed DMBs in Nigeria and its sample was 10 banks. It made use of secondary data, which was sourced from the audited annual reports of DMBs. The study made use of panel OLS regression, correlation analysis and descriptive statistics test. The findings show a positive and significant relationship between financial performance and the voluntary disclosure of deposit money banks in Nigeria. This study recommends DMBs not to underestimate the effect of financial performance on voluntary disclosure by ensuring that management work hard enough to faithfully increase their performance levels, as this would serve as a motivation to disclose for information to stakeholders.
Sketching and verbal self‐explanation: Do they help middle school children solve science problems?
Authors: Miller‐Cotto Dana , Booth Julie L. , Newcombe Nora S.
Published: June 2022

Both sketching and self‐explanation are widely believed to be effective for problem‐solving in science learning. However, it is unclear which aspects of these strategies promote learning and how they might interact. Compared to a read‐only baseline, we examined the impact of instructing 11‐year‐old students to solve science problems to sketch, self‐explain, or both. Problems were either high spatial or low spatial. We coded elements and relations in their sketches and think‐alouds. Self‐explanation led to greater accuracy on problems, but only when used alone. Sketching had no effect, although showing more elements and relations in sketches was associated with higher accuracy and occurred more often for high spatial problems. Students may be more comfortable with self‐explanation than with sketching and require encouragement or specific instruction to use sketching routinely for the benefits hypothesized to be associated with sketching to appear.
Self‐Powered Intelligent Buoy Based on Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Water Level Alarming
Authors: Liang Xi , Liu Shijie , Ren Zewei , Jiang Tao , Wang Zhong Lin
Published: June 2022

With increasing global warming, catastrophic floods have threatened people's lives seriously and caused huge economic losses. However, present water hazard alarming systems generally rely on commercial batteries, limiting the intelligent development of disaster prevention planning and maintenance costs. In order to break the limitation, this work applies triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) to water hazard alarming. A spherical TENG device with four spiral units is designed to harvest water wave energy, and charge excitation modules (CEMs) are created and integrated with the TENG to improve its electric output. The output current and output power of the spherical TENG with CEMs can reach 15.09 mA and 24.48 mW, which are increased by 250.5 and 4.0 times, compared to the TENG without CEMs. Based on the charge excitation TENG, a self‐powered intelligent buoy is constructed. Utilizing the buoy to transmit 433 MHz radio frequency signals to 25 meters away, a water level alarm system and a water level information exchange system with a mobile phone are successfully realized. This work extends applications of TENGs toward water wave energy harvesting and provides a new strategy for water hazard alarming, which is conducive to the fields of carbon neutralization, Internet of Things, and disaster prevention.
3D Printed Microstructures Erasable by Darkness
Authors: Gauci Steven C. , Gernhardt Marvin , Frisch Hendrik , Houck Hannes A. , Blinco James P. , Blasco Eva , Tuten Bryan T. , Barner‐Kowollik Christopher
Published: June 2022

To advance the applications of direct laser writing (DLW), adaptability of the printed structure is critical, prompting a shift toward printing structures that are comprised of different materials, and/or can be partially or fully erased on demand. However, most structures that contain these features are often printed by complex processes or require harsh developing techniques. Herein, a unique photoresist for DLW is introduced that is capable of printing 3D microstructures that can be erased by exposure to darkness. Specifically, microstructures based on light‐stabilized dynamic materials are fabricated that remain stable when continously irradiated with green light, but degrade once the light source is switched off. The degradation and light stabilization properties of the printed materials are analyzed in‐depth by time‐lapse scanning electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that these resists can be used to impart responsive behavior onto the printed structure, and –critically– as a temporary locking mechanism to control the release of moving structural features.
Macrocyclic Confined Purely Organic Room‐Temperature Phosphorescence Three‐Photon Targeted Imaging
Authors: Shen Fang‐Fang , Liu Zhixue , Yu Hua‐Jiang , Wang Haoran , Xu Xiufang , Liu Yu
Published: June 2022

A purely organic supramolecular assembly emitting three‐photon room‐temperature phosphorescence (RTP) is constructed from a macrocyclic host, cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]), and 4‐bromophenyl pyridine salt having an alkyl chain length of 6 or 12 carbon atoms (6C and 12C, respectively). Benefiting from macrocyclic host confined guests, the encapsulation of 12C and 6C in the CB[8] cavity results in three‐photon absorption and subsequent near‐infrared (NIR) phosphorescence emission. Notably, secondary assembly with sulfonated β‐cyclodextrin (SCD) further enhances the phosphorescence emission of the multilevel supramolecular assembly. NIR‐delayed fluorescence via a light‐harvesting phosphorescent energy transfer system is achieved by adding Nile blue as a substrate. Comparison of 12C/CB[8]/SCD and 6C/CB[8]/SCD shows that a long hydrophobic layer is more conducive to stabilizing NIR‐delayed fluorescence emission. These findings indicate that multilevel supramolecular assemblies can be used for three‐photon‐excited NIR‐delayed fluorescence and RTP imaging of cancer cells, which greatly expands the biological applications of pure organic RTP materials.
Heat and Temperature Localization via Fabry–Pérot Resonances at the Tip of a Nanofocusing Cone
Authors: Cunha Joao , Alabastri Alessandro , Proietti Zaccaria Remo
Published: June 2022

Nanofocusing of electromagnetic (EM) energy is an emblematic effect that guides EM energy along plasmonic conical structures, effectively focusing it at its nanometer‐sized extremity. However, EM energy nanofocusing could also be accompanied by (often disregarded) heating. Here, rigorous 3D finite element method simulations of a plasmonic conical structure were performed with a finite‐size apex excited by a continuous wave radially polarized beam over visible and near‐infrared wavelengths. Together with broadband nanofocusing the presence of narrowband Fabry–Pérot (FP) like resonances is demonstrated. Importantly, FP‐like resonances yield strong temperature localization that adds to the broadband nanofocusing component, providing an extra degree of freedom in tuning the temperature localization through proper selection of the structure dimensions suitable for applications in Raman, electron emission spectroscopies or sharp‐tip nanofabrication strategies.
Highly Sensitive Thin‐Film Sensing with a Toroidal Dipole Resonance in the Midinfrared Supported by an E‐Shaped Germanium Metasurface
Authors: Sun Min , Wang Guangdong , Shi Yuechun , Han Zhanghua
Published: June 2022

Optical sensing applications based on resonant structures always demand on novel optical resonances with large quality factors to achieve high sensitivities. Herein, it is experimentally demonstrated that a toroidal dipole (TD) response working in the midinfrared, supported by a metasurface structure composed of E‐shaped germanium elements on a CaF2 substrate, can be harnessed to achieve high‐performance optical sensors. By elaborately designing the geometrical parameters of the E‐shaped element, a TD resonance can be supported, which is verified by multipole decomposition of the scattering spectrum. Thin films of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) with different thicknesses coated on top of the metasurface structures are used as an example to demonstrate the sensing characteristics of the TD resonance. Both numerical and experimental results show that the TD spectral position is highly dependent on the PMMA thickness and a minimum measurable thickness below 10 nm can be steadily achieved. The results demonstrate that the use of TD resonances provides an effective and viable approach for thin‐film sensing, which may find broad applications in biological and medical diagnosis.
Observation of Emergent Dirac Physics at the Surfaces of Acoustic Higher‐Order Topological Insulators
Authors: Meng Fei , Lin Zhi‐Kang , Li Weibai , Yan Peiguang , Zheng Yun , Li Xinping , Jiang Jian‐Hua , Jia Baohua , Huang Xiaodong
Published: June 2022

Using 3D sonic crystals as acoustic higher‐order topological insulators (HOTIs), 2D surface states described by spin‐1 Dirac equations at the interfaces between the two sonic crystals with distinct topology but the same crystalline symmetry are discovered. It is found that the Dirac mass can be tuned by the geometry of the two sonic crystals. The sign reversal of the Dirac mass reveals a surface topological transition where the surface states exhibit zero refractive index behavior. When the surface states are gapped, 1D hinge states emerge due to the topology of the gapped surface states. The zero refractive index behavior and the emergent topological hinge states are confirmed experimentally. This study reveals a multidimensional Wannier orbital control that leads to extraordinary properties of surface states and unveils an interesting topological mechanism for the control of surface waves.
Bifunctional Passivation through Fluoride Treatment for Highly Efficient and Stable Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Liu Chang , Zhang Jiyao , Zhang Luozheng , Zhou Xianyong , Liu Yanliang , Wang Xingzhu , Xu Baomin
Published: June 2022

Due to the low formation energy, surface defects are more likely to form on the surface of TiO2 films, resulting in a decline in the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Additionally, defects on the bottom surface of the perovskite layer in contact with TiO2 play a key role in Voc (open circuit voltage) loss and the PSC degradation process. Therefore, to improve the efficiency and stability of PSCs, it is critical to develop a reproducible and low‐cost method for passivating the defects on both the TiO2 surface and on the bottom surface of the perovskite layer. In this work, fluoride is utilized as a bifacial contact passivation agent for decreasing the number of defects on the TiO2 surface and the bottom surface of the perovskite layer. PSC efficiency can be significantly increased from 21.3% to 23.7% with fluoride passivation. In addition, the long‐term stability of PSCs, especially light irradiation stability, can be markedly improved. The passivation effects of fluoride treatment on TiO2 films are studied by theoretical calculation and experimental characterization. This work provides a thorough understanding of the TiO2/perovskite interface and demonstrates an approach for improving the efficiency and stability of PSCs.
Recent Advances of Graphene and Related Materials in Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Huang Meirong , Li Zechen , Zhu Hongwei
Published: June 2022

Biological brains perform real‐time processing of unstructured data with ultralow energy consumption and represent the most efficient computing systems. Emulating the working principles of biological brains brings a revolutionary breakthrough in artificial intelligence (AI), generating two kinds of imitation approaches including machine learning (ML) and neuromorphic computing (NC) with artificial neurons/synapses. Herein this review, a general description of ML methods, the concept, and principle of artificial synapses (ASs) in NC derived from biological synapses, and their relationships, is provided. Graphene, one of the most representative 2D materials, arouses considerable attention due to its unique structure and properties. The application of ML in properties prediction (electronic properties, mechanical properties, thermal properties, cytotoxicity), structure recognition (atomic structure, microscopic dimensions/shapes), inverse design (composition, structure), and task recognition (chemical recognition, motion recognition, 3D imaging) of graphene and its derivatives and composites are summarized, and corresponding methods are discussed in the case studies. Recent progress in the development and application of graphene‐based ASs (synaptic transistors and memristors) is briefly introduced, where graphene‐based materials serve as the channel materials of synaptic transistors, the memristive materials, or back electrodes of synaptic memristors. Finally, the main challenges and prospects of graphene‐incorporated ML and ASs are presented.
Chemical cues of identity and reproductive status in Japanese macaques
Authors: Rigaill Lucie , Vaglio Stefano , Setchell Joanna M. , Suda‐Hashimoto Naoko , Furuichi Takeshi , Garcia Cécile
Published: June 2022

Olfactory communication plays an important role in the regulation of socio‐sexual interactions in mammals. There is growing evidence that both human and nonhuman primates rely on odors to inform their mating decisions. Nevertheless, studies of primate chemical ecology remain scarce due to the difficulty of obtaining and analyzing samples. We analyzed 67 urine samples from five captive female Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) and 30 vaginal swabs from three of these females using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and examined the relationship between odor (compounds identified, richness, intensity, and diversity) and female identity as well as cycle phase. We found a total of 36 urine compounds of which we identified 31, and 68 vaginal compounds of which we identified 37. Our results suggest that urine and vaginal odor varied more between individuals than within cycle phases. However, we found that within a female cycle, urine samples from similar phases may cluster more than samples from different phases. Our results suggest that female odor may encode information about identity (vaginal and urine odor) and reproductive status (urine odor). The question of how conspecifics use female urine and vaginal odor remains open and could be tested using bioassays. Our results and their interpretation are constrained by our limited sample size and our study design. Nonetheless, our study provides insight into the potential signaling role of female odor in sexual communication in Japanese macaques and contributes to our understanding of how odors may influence mating strategies in primates.
Ein adaptiver Rhodiumkatalysator zur Steuerung des Hydrierungsnetzwerks von Nitroarenen
Authors: Chugh Vishal , Chatterjee Basujit , Chang Wei‐Chieh , Cramer Hanna H. , Hindemith Carsten , Randel Helena , Weyhermüller Thomas , Farès Christophe , Werlé Christophe
Published: June 2022

Es wird ein adaptives katalytisches System vorgestellt, das die Kontrolle über das Nitroaren‐Hydrierungsnetzwerk zur Herstellung einer breiten Palette von Anilin‐ und Hydroxylaminderivaten ermöglicht. Dieses System profitiert von einem delikaten Zusammenspiel zwischen einem Rhodium(III)‐Zentrum und einem Lewis‐sauren Boran, das in die sekundäre Koordinationssphäre des Metalls eingeführt wird. Die hohe Chemoselektivität des Katalysators in Anwesenheit verschiedener potenziell angreifbarer funktioneller Gruppen und seine Bereitschaft, im präparativen Maßstab eingesetzt zu werden, veranschaulichen seine Praxistauglichkeit. Mechanistische Studien und Methoden der Dichtefunktionaltheorie (DFT) wurden eingesetzt, um die Funktionsweise des Katalysators zu untersuchen und den Ursprung der Adaptivität zu klären. Die Konkurrenz zwischen einem Lösungsmittelmolekül und einem Substrat um die Wechselwirkung mit Bor erwies sich als entscheidend für die Adaptivität. Bei der Reaktion in THF stoppt das Reduktionsnetzwerk an der Hydroxylamin‐Plattform, während die Reaktion in Toluol auf die Anilin‐Plattform gelenkt werden kann.
Enantioselective Three‐Component Photochemical 1,4‐Bisalkylation of 1,3‐Butadiene with Pd/Cu Catalysis
Authors: Yu Huimin , Zhang Qinglong , Zi Weiwei
Published: June 2022

Catalysis by excited‐state palladium has emerged as an active area of research, but controlling the enantioselectivity remains a challenge. Herein, we report the use of synergistic Pd/Cu catalysis to accomplish the first three‐component photochemical 1,4‐bisalkylation reactions of 1,3‐butadiene. Consequently, α‐amino acid esters bearing quaternary stereocenters were expeditiously synthesized from three simple starting materials: an alkyl bromide, butadiene, and an aldimine ester. Experimental and computational investigation of the reaction mechanism confirmed a radical pathway involving catalysis by an excited‐state palladium species. The stereochemistry is mainly controlled by the chiral Cu catalyst.
Mesityl‐Functionalized Multi‐Resonance Organoboron Delayed Fluorescent Frameworks with Wide‐Range Color Tunability for Narrowband OLEDs
Authors: Wang Xiang , Zhang Yuewei , Dai Hengyi , Li Guomeng , Liu Meihui , Meng Guoyun , Zeng Xuan , Huang Tianyu , Wang Lu , Peng Qian , Yang Dezhi , Ma Dongge , Zhang Dongdong , Duan Lian
Published: June 2022

Polycyclo‐heteraborin multi‐resonance (MR) emitters are promising for high color‐purity organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). Here, unlike the most common heteroatom ternary‐doped (X/B/N) frameworks, a binary‐doped (B/N) skeleton is reported with a large energy band for wide‐range color tunability. Based on this parent‐segment, a “one‐pot” catalyst‐free borylation method is developed which generates deep blue to pure green MR emitters from readily available starting materials, with peaks at 426–532 nm and full‐width‐at‐half‐maxima of 27–38 nm. Impressively, a maximum external quantum efficiency of nearly 40 % is recorded for the corresponding device with Commission Internationale de l′Eclairage coordinates of (0.14, 0.16), representing the state‐of‐the‐art performances. This work presents a new paradigm and synthesis of B/N‐doped MR emitters and will motivate the study of other novel frameworks.
Pathways towards High‐Performance Aqueous Zinc‐Organic Batteries
Authors: Yang Wuhai , Yang Huijun , Zhou Haoshen
Published: June 2022

An increasingly growing market for electricity energy will be projected to double by 2050. Renewable energies, such as solar and wind, can be an effective way to address the challenge. However, the incompatibility between generation and consumption of electricity arises a considerable trouble when a huge amount of electricity coming from renewable sources finds no users, which could result in miserable failure of an aging grid. To secure the grid, the utilization and development of efficient energy storage technologies are highly demanded. Among the energy storage system (ESS), aqueous Zinc (Zn) batteries based organic material cathode have been regarded as an attractive candidate on account of its outstanding superiorities compared with inorganic compounds. Although it has gained huge success in lab‐scale, the long‐standing challenges like inferior energy density, low power density, narrow operation temperature range and poor cycling life still restrict their practical application in aqueous Zn batteries (AZBs). In this minireview, we firstly provide a comprehensive insight into the different storage mechanisms that are proposed in varieties of organic cathodes. Based on the clear understanding on mechanisms, we further summarize the major progress and offer several promising research directions on promoting electrochemical performance of Zn‐organic batteries.
Primum non Nocere: How to ensure continuity of care and prevent cancer patients from being overlooked during the COVID‐ 19 pandemic
Authors: Agostinelli Veronica , De Filippis Chiara , Torniai Mariangela , Rocchi Marco Bruno Luigi , Pagliacci Alessandra , Ricci Giulia , Corsi Rosina , Luzi Paolo , Caporossi Michele , Berardi Rossana
Published: June 2022

Background

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has spread to all countries since December 2019, triggering a pandemic within weeks of the initial outbreak. Doctors were presented with the challenge of having to reimagine the traditional hospital organisation in order to effectively manage patients.

Patients and Methods

During the months of the COVID‐19 pandemic our Institution was assisted by a call‐center (CC) that triaged cancer patients planned for follow‐up in our outpatient clinics: C1 (for female cancers), C2 (for gastrointestinal, urogenital, and thoracic tumours), and D1 (for melanoma and for patients with tumours in over 5 years follow up). Data refers to the period between 15 April and 3 July 2020.

Results

A total of 1054 patients have been included in our study and 1005 (95%) of the contacts were successful. The analysis showed a majority of female patients (74%) and patients affected by breast cancer (56%). Among the options provided 646 patients (92.4%) opted for online consultancy.

Conclusion

This study has shown that cancer patients valued technology‐mediated follow‐up visits mainly during the beginning of the pandemic because patients themselves were afraid to come to the hospital. Although telemedicine has intrinsic limitations, it is important for providing assistance and preventing cancer patients from feeling isolated during an emergency.
Anions Distorting Triggering Ferroelectricity in a Molecular Crystal†
Authors: Ye Si‐Yu , Liu Jing‐Yuan , Tong Liang , Wang Yan‐Ning , Wan Min , Mensah Abraham , Jiang Xiao‐Fan , Li Jun‐Yi , Chen Li‐Zhuang
Published: June 2022

Comprehensive Summary

Recently, molecular ferroelectrics have attracted more and more attention due to their structural diversity, low cost of manufacture, and environmental‐friendly processing. However, most of the design strategies for molecular ferroelectrics have focused on the selection and modification of cations, and the use of anions has been rarely reported. Here, introducing distorted [CuBr4]2– tetrahedra, we obtained a high curie temperature (Tc) ferroelectric, [cyclopentylammonium]2CuBr4, with a Tc as high as 393 K, and exceeding commercial and most of reported molecular ferroelectric BaTiO3 (393 K). Variable‐temperature hysteresis loop shows the nonlinear P‐E loop of the crystal under a wide temperature range. Variable‐temperature single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction revealed that the Aizu expression can be written as mmmFmm2. In short, this work will inspire more creative strategies by exploiting the tunability of the anion module.
The liver X receptors agonist GW3965 attenuates depressive‐like behaviors and suppresses microglial activation and neuroinflammation in hippocampal subregions in a mouse depression model
Authors: Li Jing , Zhu Peilin , Li Yue , Xiao Kai , Tang Jing , Liang Xin , Luo Yanmin , Wang Jin , Deng Yuhui , Jiang Lin , Xiao Qian , Guo Yijing , Tang Yong , Huang Chunxia
Published: June 2022

Liver X receptors (LXRs) have recently been reported to be novel and potential targets for the reversal of depressive‐like behaviors, but the mechanism remains unclear. Hippocampal neuroinflammation and impairment of the normal structure and function of microglia are closely associated with depression. To investigate the effects of LXRs agonist (GW3965) on neuroinflammation and microglia in the hippocampal formation of mice with chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)‐induced depression, depressive‐like behaviors were evaluated by behavioral tests, hippocampal LXRs gene expression were evaluated by qRT‐PCR, the protein expression levels of interleukin‐1β, tumor necrosis factor‐α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, nuclear factor kappa B, and cluster of differentiation 206 were estimated by western blotting, modern stereological methods were used to precisely quantify the total number of microglia in each hippocampal subregion, and immunofluorescence was used to detect the density of activated microglia and the morphology of microglia. We found that GW3965 alleviated the depressive‐like behavior induced by CUS, reversed the decrease in hippocampal LXRα and LXRβ induced by CUS, increased the protein expression of pro‐inflammatory factors, and decreased the protein expression of antiinflammatory factors induced by CUS. Moreover, CUS intervention significantly increased the number of microglia in the CA1 region, CA2/3 region, and dentate gyrus and the density of activated microglia in the CA2/3 region and dentate gyrus and significantly decreased the endpoints of microglial branches and process length of microglia in the dentate gyrus, while 4 weeks of injections with GW3965 reversed these changes. These findings suggest that regulating the number, activated state, and morphology of microglia in hippocampal subregions might be an important basis for the antidepressant effects of LXRs.