bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mass deprivation of freedom in the conditions of new global crises of a sanitary-epidemiological nature and sociocultural factors for its effective counteraction
Authors: Siiukhova Aminet , Ovsyannikova Tat'yana Anatol'evna
Published: December 2020

  The subject of this research is the deprivation of freedom as a phenomenon on the current context of global and regional communities. The relevance is substantiated by the new challenges faced by humanity as a result of pandemic of a new life-threatening disease. The article provides a brief overview of the socio-philosophical concepts of the concept of freedom, as well as reveals historical peculiarities of interrelation between a person and freedom. Based on the analysis of existing concepts, the authors formulate an understanding of the essence of freedom as quality of a person or a larger structural element of the society associated with capability of the social subject to fulfill their willed intentions in different spheres of life. Deprivation of this quality limits a person or community in their actions and relations, which implies deprivation of freedom. The scientific novelty consists in the statement that conceptualization of the phenomenon of deprivation of freedom expands its boundaries, falls beyond the scope of the theory of social exclusion for particular population categories (criminals, prisoners of war, etc.), and may impact the entire society as a result of new bacteriological and sanitary-epidemiological threats. Leaning on the institutional approach, the author concludes that the state should have excessive resources to counter mass threats. The officially recognized institutions of national security (army, police, ministry of emergency situations) should be complemented with such institutional structures as medicine, science and education, which should also have excessive resources, regardless of the direct economic profit.  
FATF requirements on regulation of cryptocurrencies: problems of implementation into national legislation
Authors: Kinsburskaya Veronika Andreevna
Published: December 2020

The object of this research is the international standards AML/CFT (Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism) for the sphere of virtual assets (cryptocurrencies) developed by FATF (Financial Action Task Force), and possibilities of their effective implementation into the national legislation. The author examines new revision of the Recommendation 15 and Glossary (of October 2018), explanatory note to new revision of the Recommendation 15, and implementation guidance of the risk-oriented approach towards virtual assets and service providers in the sphere of virtual assets (of June 2019); considers provisions of the Federal Law of July 31, 2020 No.259-FZ “On Digital Financial Assets, Digital Currency, and Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation” becoming effective in January 2021. Based on the analysis of most recent international and Russian acts on the questions of legal regulation of cryptocurrencies turnover, the need is underlined for introducing amendments to the Russian legislation with regards to exercising financial monitoring of transactions with cryptocurrencies in Russia. The author indicates certain fundamental aspects related to collection and validation of personally identifying information on the holders of cryptocurrency and tracing of their transactions.
Isolated Dirac string induced by interaction between positive and negative monopoles
Authors: Jiao Jing , Luo Huan-Bo , Li Lu ,   Institute of Theoretical Physics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
Published: December 2020

Based on the three-dimensional spinor Gross-Pitaevskii (GP) equation, the dynamic behavior of the Bose-Einstein condensate under the action of a time-dependent periodic external magnetic field is studied. The results show that the Bose-Einstein condensate with spin-1 in a ferromagnetic state will undergo topological deformation under the action of an external magnetic field periodically varying with time. When the two zero points of the magnetic field enter into the condensate, the density pattern of the spin-up state forms small convexities protruding upward and downward on the z-axis, respectively. As the two zero points of the magnetic field gradually coincide in the condensate, the upward and downward protruding convexities are elongated. Finally, the spin-up state in the shape of a line is distributed on the z-axis, which is consistent with the scenario of the isolated Dirac string predicted by theoretical analysis.

As far as we know, magnetic monopole can be divided into positive monopole and negative monopole. The positive magnetic monopole means that all magnetic induction lines are emitted from the center of the circle. And only the Dirac string points to the center of the circle. The negative monopole is that all the magnetic induction lines point from the outside to the center of the circle, and only the Dirac string emits from the center of the circle. Magnetic monopole is a topological defect in vector field, which accords with both quantum mechanics and gauge invariance of electromagnetic field.

Single magnetic monopole has been studied a lot in theory, and its analogues have been observed in experiment. But multiple monopoles and the interaction between them are still rarely studied. In this paper, multiple monopoles are produced based on the fact that the periodic magnetic field has multiple zeros. We use a new periodic magnetic field to generate a positive and negative magnetic monopole. Due to the strong external magnetic field, the vorticity in the condensate is consistent with the magnetic field of the monopole. Finally, by calculating the superfluid vorticity of the condensate, the characteristic diagram of the magnetic monopole is obtained. The results show that the condensate forms a pair of positive and negative magnetic monopoles at the two zero points of the magnetic field, corresponding to the two small convexities protruding upward and downward on the z-axis of the spin-up state, respectively. As the two zero points of the magnetic field coincide, the two Dirac strings in the positive and negative magnetic monopole gradually approach to each other, and after about 5 ms, they are completely connected, finally forming an isolated Dirac string. This result provides a new idea for further studying the isolated Dirac strings.
Estructura de comunidades en las redes semánticas de la investigación biomédica sobre disparidades en salud y sexismo
Authors: Rivera-Romano Lucero Soledad , Juárez-Cano Gabriela , Hernández-Lemus Enrique , Vallejo Maite , Martínez-García Mireya
Published: December 2020

Introducción. Como una iniciativa para mejorar la calidad de la atención sanitaria, en la investigación biomédica se ha incrementado la tendencia centrada en el estudio de las disparidades en salud y sexismo.Objetivo. Caracterizar la evidencia científica sobre la disparidad en salud definida como la brecha existente entre la distribución de la salud y el posible sesgo por sexo en el acceso a los servicios médicos.Materiales y métodos. Se hizo una búsqueda simultánea de la literatura científica en la base de datos Medline PubMed de dos descriptores fundamentales: Healthcare disparities y Sexism. Posteriormente, se construyó una red semántica principal y se determinaron algunas subunidades estructurales (comunidades) para el análisis de los patrones de organización de la información. Se utilizó el programa de código abierto Cytoscape para el analisis y la visualización de las redes y el MapEquation, para la detección de comunidades. Asimismo, se desarrolló código ex profeso disponible en un repositorio de acceso público.Resultados. El corpus de la red principal mostró que los términos sobre las enfermedades del corazón fueron los descriptores de condiciones médicas más concurrentes. A partir de las subunidades estructurales, se determinaron los patrones de información relacionada con las políticas públicas, los servicios de salud, los factores sociales determinantes y los factores de riesgo, pero con cierta tendencia a mantenerse indirectamente conectados con los nodos relacionados con condiciones médicas.Conclusiones. La evidencia científica indica que la disparidad por sexo sí importa para la calidad de la atención de muchas enfermedades, especialmente aquellas relacionadas con el sistema circulatorio. Sin embargo, aún se percibe un distanciamiento entre los factores médicos y los sociales que dan lugar a las posibles disparidades por sexo.
Optimization of Missing Value Data Imputation Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcasting (ADS-B) Based on K-Nearest Neighbor and Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Hariyanto Didik , Pramono Sholeh Hadi , Yudaningtyas Erni
Published: December 2020

The flight navigation equipments technology use still conventional, namely using radar, now slowly starting to switch to Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B [6]. In this study, using RTL-SDR to detect aircraft and carry out tests through the Monte Carlo alltitude method, latitude, and longitude only [3]. However, in this system there is a problem regarding the missing value in the preprocessed data results / ADS-B flow data. In handling missing values, the KNN method is the most popular, but the weakness in the KNN method, can reduce the performance[9]. So a Genetic Algorithm (GA) is proposed to optimize the k value in the KNN method. The results of this study obtained a better MSE value in the imputation process. Altitude k = 3, with MSE 128668.96, Speed k = 6, with the MSE value = 457.5201, while the k value in the Heading variable k = 61 with MSE = 752.1429. For Lattitude and Longitude, the value of k = 3, MSE 9.16E-05 and k = 2 and MSE 1.68E-05.
Freeze-Thaw Resistance of Fine-Grained Soils Stabilized with Waste Material Mixtures
Authors: Yarba Necmi , Kalkan Ekrem
Published: December 2020

This paper evaluates the use of waste material mixtures including marble dust and scrap tire rubber the stabilization of fine-grained soils in order to remove the effects of freeze-thaw cycles. In this study, a fine-grained soil material was stabilized by using waste material mixtures. Natural and stabilized fine-grained soil samples were subjected to freeze-thaw cycles under different curing periods. After the freeze-thaw cycles, compressive strength tests were performed to investigate effects of waste material mixtures on the freeze-thaw resistance of fine-grained soil samples. The experimental results showed that the samples of fine-grained soil stabilized with waste material mixtures have high freeze-thaw durability as compared to unstabilized fine-grained soil samples. Consequently, we conclude that waste material mixtures including marble dust and scrap tire rubber, can be successfully used as an additive material to enhance the freeze-thaw durability of fine-grained soils for soil stabilization in the geotechnical applications.
Sulfasalazine synergistically enhances the inhibitory effects of imatinib against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by targeting NFκB, BCR/ABL, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway‐related proteins
Authors: Shamaa Marium M.
Published: December 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer‐related fatalities worldwide. Identification of second‐line therapies for patients with progressive HCC is urgently required as the use of sorafenib and/or regorafenib remains unsatisfactory. Imatinib, a small‐molecule kinase inhibitor, is used to treat certain types of cancer, and nuclear factor κB (NFκB) is a positive regulator of cancer cell expansion. The combined use of tyrosine kinase and NFκB inhibitors may have potential for treating HCC. The aim of this work was to assess the potential anticarcinogenic effects of imatinib and sulfasalazine alone or in combination on the human HCC cell lines HEPG2 and Huh‐7. Both drugs were shown to affect the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B, phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of translation (p‐STAT‐3), breakpoint cluster region protein/Abelson proto‐oncogene and NFκB pathways. At the transcriptional level, imatinib and sulfasalazine were found to synergistically down‐regulate c‐MET gene expression. When compared with the activities of either medication alone, combined use of imatinib and sulfasalazine enhanced inhibition of HCC cell proliferation and extended induction of apoptosis. In summary, the presented data suggest that sulfasalazine synergistically potentiates the antitumor effects of imatinib.
Selection and validation of reference genes for qRT‐PCR analysis during fruit ripening of red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus)
Authors: Zheng Qianming , Wang Xiaoke , Qi Yong , Ma Yuhua
Published: December 2020

Red pitaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) is widely cultivated in southern and southwestern China. To provide a basis for studying the molecular mechanisms of the ripening of this fruit, we carried out RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) analysis to identify differentially and stably expressed unigenes. The latter may serve as a resource of potential reference genes for normalization of target gene expression determined using quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR). We selected 11 candidate reference genes from our RNA‐seq analysis of red pitaya fruit ripening (ACT7, EF‐1α, IF‐4α, PTBP, PP2A, EF2, Hsp70, GAPDH, DNAJ, TUB and CYP), as well as β‐ACT, which has been used as a reference gene for pitayas in previous studies. We then comprehensively evaluated their expression stability during fruit ripening using four statistical methods (GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and DeltaCt) and merged the four outputs using the online tool RefFinder for the final ranking. We report that PTBP and DNAJ showed the most stable expression patterns, whereas CYP and ACT7 showed the least stable expression patterns. The relative gene expression of red pitaya sucrose synthase and 4, 5‐dihydroxyphenylalanine‐extradiol‐dioxygenase as determined by quantitative real‐time PCR and normalized to PTBP and DNAJ was consistent with the RNA‐seq results, suggesting that PTBP and DNAJ are suitable reference genes for studies of red pitaya fruit ripening.
Morphology and Crystallinity Amelioration of MAPbI3 Perovskite in Virtue of PbI2 Thermal Absorption Drifted Performance Enhancement in Planer n–i–p Solar Cells
Authors: Dhamaniya Bhanu Pratap , Kumar Amit , N. Ganesh , Chhillar Priyanka , Ghorai Anaranya , Ganesan Krishna Priya , Puthanveettil Suresh E. , K. S. Narayan , Pathak Sandeep Kumar
Published: December 2020

Sequential deposition route is widely investigated in fabricating perovskite thin films for state‐of‐the‐art perovskite photovoltaics. However, concerns such as lower morphological control, phase purity, and remnant unreacted salts methylammonium iodide (MAI and PbI2) are raised, which can significantly deteriorate optoelectronic properties, hence the operational durability of the devices. Herein, a facile two‐step method to prepare high‐quality perovskite thin films with reproducibility is reported, as‐spun PbI2 is annealed at varying thermal input under controlled rate, and a trend in converted perovskite film properties is noted. Specifically, PbI2 thin film annealed at 200 °CC results in 20x intensified crystallinity with pinholes free and a subsequent reduction in the crystal microstrain. In addition, it provides higher surface roughness to load more MAI [in iso‐propyl alcohol (IPA)]; therefore, a higher perovskite conversion is achieved. This method enables a significant efficiency enhancement in the treated sample (Pero@PbI2‐200 °C) as compared with controlled film; it retains around 90% initial efficiency after 384 h of ambient exposure. Furthermore, a facile intermediate solvent treatment method to gain the complete conversion of PbI2 into perovskite is also reported. This study highlights the importance of morphological control in governing optoelectronic properties, hence the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.
Graphene‐Based Ultralight Compartmentalized Isotropic Foams with an Extremely Low Thermal Conductivity of 5.75 mW m−1 K−1
Authors: Oh Min Jun , Lee Je Hyun , Yoo Pil J.
Published: December 2020

The importance of high‐performance thermal insulation materials is rapidly emerging due to energy conservation and the management of temperature‐sensitive device perspectives. Recent thermal insulation materials including complex structures have been developed either by reducing the structural connectivity to mitigate thermal transport through solid conduction or forming directionally aligned confined inner pores to suppress the internal gas convection. In this study, to create a highly efficient thermal insulating material that suppresses thermal transport in all directions, graphene‐based anisotropic closed‐cellular structures (CCS) are devised with a highly ordered assembly of hollow compartments with extremely thin walls (≈50 nm). This uniquely designed CCS made from microfluidically synthesized graphene solid bubbles exhibited a remarkably low thermal conductivity of 5.75 mW m−1 K−1 thanks to effective suppression of both solid conduction and gas conduction/convection. Therefore, the proposed strategy in this work offers a novel toolkit for implementing next‐generation high‐performance insulation materials.
Charge Photogeneration in Non‐Fullerene Organic Solar Cells: Influence of Excess Energy and Electrostatic Interactions
Authors: Saladina Maria , Simón Marqués Pablo , Markina Anastasia , Karuthedath Safakath , Wöpke Christopher , Göhler Clemens , Chen Yue , Allain Magali , Blanchard Philippe , Cabanetos Clément , Andrienko Denis , Laquai Frédéric , Gorenflot Julien , Deibel Carsten
Published: December 2020

In organic solar cells, photogenerated singlet excitons form charge transfer (CT) complexes, which subsequently split into free charge carriers. Here, the contributions of excess energy and molecular quadrupole moments to the charge separation process are considered. The charge photogeneration in two separate bulk heterojunction systems consisting of the polymer donor PTB7‐Th and two non‐fullerene acceptors, ITIC and h‐ITIC, is investigated. CT state dissociation in these donor–acceptor systems is monitored by charge density decay dynamics obtained from transient absorption experiments. The electric field dependence of charge carrier generation is studied at different excitation energies by time delayed collection field (TDCF) and sensitive steady‐state photocurrent measurements. Upon excitation below the optical gap, free charge carrier generation becomes less field dependent with increasing photon energy, which challenges the view of charge photogeneration proceeding through energetically lowest CT states. The average distance between electron–hole pairs at the donor–acceptor interface is determined from empirical fits to the TDCF data. The delocalization of CT states is larger in PTB7‐Th:ITIC, the system with larger molecular quadrupole moment, indicating the sizeable effect of the electrostatic potential at the donor–acceptor interface on the dissociation of CT complexes.
Association between Cell Microenvironment Altered by Gold Nanowire Array and Regulation of Partial Epithelial‐Mesenchymal Transition
Authors: Kim Yu Jin , Ko Min Jun , Park Bum Chul , Moon Jun Hwan , Jeon Yoo Sang , Park Hyeon Su , Kim Myeong Soo , Kim Hee‐Dae , Shin Daiha , Kim Young Keun
Published: December 2020

Cell microenvironment is an essential factor in determining cell growth and cell fate. Many studies have been carried out to understand the functions and mechanisms of small molecules or growth factors/cytokines; however, the effects of the physical environment on cells are relatively unknown. Changes in the cell's physical microenvironment affect cell adhesion and modify intracellular signaling controlled by adhesion properties, resulting in altering the cytoskeletal structure and cellular properties. Herein, it is demonstrated that the changes in cell adhesion can affect the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of epithelial cells by implementing a cell microenvironment with a gold (Au) nanowire array to influence cell adhesion. A forcible decrease in cell adhesion leads to the downregulation of epithelial biomarkers and the upregulation of mesenchymal biomarkers. The results of force‐distance experiments using atomic force microscopy showed that the overall stiffness of epithelial cells declined similarly to the case for mesenchymal‐like cells. With this comprehensive analysis of cellular properties, a physical microenvironment for cell adhesion alteration is suggested, that can induce mesenchymal characteristics in both epithelial and mesenchymal cells through partial EMT.
Simultaneously Crafting Single‐Atomic Fe Sites and Graphitic Layer‐Wrapped Fe3C Nanoparticles Encapsulated within Mesoporous Carbon Tubes for Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Cui Xun , Gao Likun , Lei Sheng , Liang Shuang , Zhang Jiawei , Sewell Christopher D. , Xue Wendan , Liu Qian , Lin Zhiqun , Yang Yingkui
Published: December 2020

The rational design and facile synthesis of 1D hollow tubular carbon‐based materials with highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance remains a challenge. Herein, a simple yet robust route is employed to simultaneously craft single‐atomic Fe sites and graphitic layer‐wrapped Fe3C nanoparticles (Fe3C@GL NPs) encapsulated within 1D N‐doped hollow mesoporous carbon tubes (denoted Fe‐N‐HMCTs). The successional compositional and structural crafting of the hydrothermally self‐templated polyimide tubes (PITs), enabled by Fe species incorporation and acid leaching treatment, respectively, yields Fe‐N‐HMCTs that are subsequently exploited as the ORR electrocatalyst. Remarkably, an alkaline electrolyte capitalizing on Fe‐N‐HMCTs achieves excellent ORR activity (onset potential, 0.992 V; half‐wave potential, 0.872 V), favorable long‐term stability, and strong methanol tolerance, outperforming the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst. Such impressive ORR performances of the Fe‐N‐HMCTs originate from the favorable configuration of active sites (i.e., atomically dispersed Fe‐Nx sites and homogeneously incorporated Fe3C@GL NPs) in conjunction with the advantageous 1D hollow tubular architecture containing adequate mesoporous surface. This work offers a new view to fabricate earth‐abundant 1D Fe‐N‐C electrocatalysts with well‐designed architecture and outstanding performance for electrochemical energy conversion and storage.
Elastic Energy Storage Enabled Magnetically Actuated, Octopus‐Inspired Smart Adhesive
Authors: Wang Suhao , Luo Hongyu , Linghu Changhong , Song Jizhou
Published: December 2020

Octopus suckers offer remarkable adhesion performance against nonporous surfaces and have inspired extensive research to develop artificial adhesives. However, most of existing octopus‐inspired adhesives are either passive without an actuation strategy or active but not energy efficient. Here, a novel design of a magnetically actuated, energy‐efficient smart adhesive with rapidly tunable, great switchable, and highly reversible adhesion strength inspired by the elastic energy storage mechanism in octopus suckers is reported. The smart adhesive features two cavities separated by an elastic membrane with the upper cavity filled with magnetic particles while the lower one empty. The deformation of the elastic membrane can be actively controlled by an external magnetic field to change the cavity volume, thus generating a cavity‐pressure‐induced adhesion. Systematically experimental and theoretical studies reveal the fundamental aspects of design and operation of the smart adhesive and give insights into the underlying adhesion mechanisms. Demonstrations of this smart adhesive in transfer printing and manipulation of various surfaces in both dry and wet environments illustrate the potential for deterministic assembly and industrial or robotic manipulation.
Stable, High‐Efficiency Voltage‐Dependent Color‐Tunable Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes with a Single Tetradentate Platinum(II) Emitter Having Long Operational Lifetime
Authors: Mao Mao , Lam Tsz‐Lung , To Wai‐Pong , Lao Xiangzhou , Liu Weiqiang , Xu Shijie , Cheng Gang , Che Chi‐Ming
Published: December 2020

Voltage‐dependent, color‐tunable organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are appealing tools that can be used for the visualization of electronic output signal of sensors. Nonetheless, the literature‐reported color‐tunable OLEDs that have a simple single‐cell device structure suffer from relatively low efficiency, pronounced efficiency roll‐off, color‐aging, and short operation lifetime, all of which limit their practical applications. Here, a novel co‐host‐in‐double‐emissive‐layer (CHIDEL) device, designed to enhance the performance of color‐tunable OLEDs with the use of a single tetradentate Pt[O^N^C^N] emitter, is described. When Pt‐X‐2 is used as a single emitter in an optimized CHIDEL device, a white OLED with tunable Commission International de I'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates from (0.47, 0.44) at 3 V to (0.36, 0.48) at 11 V, a high color rendering index of 82, and high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of up to 20.75% can be achieved. By using Pt‐X‐4 as a single emitter, the voltage‐dependent color‐tunable CHIDEL device, with CIE coordinates shifted from (0.56, 0.43) at 3 V to (0.42, 0.55) at 11 V, demonstrates a high luminance of beyond 90 000 cd m−2 and a high EQE of 23.23% at a luminance of 1300 cd m−2. A long‐lifetime time to 90% of the initial luminance (LT90) of almost 20 000 h is demonstrated for the color‐tunable OLED with Pt‐X‐4 emitting dopant.
Nanoscale‐Confined Terahertz Polaritons in a van der Waals Crystal
Authors: de Oliveira Thales V. A. G. , Nörenberg Tobias , Álvarez‐Pérez Gonzalo , Wehmeier Lukas , Taboada‐Gutiérrez Javier , Obst Maximilian , Hempel Franz , Lee Eduardo J. H. , Klopf J. Michael , Errea Ion , Nikitin Alexey Y. , Kehr Susanne C. , Alonso‐González Pablo , Eng Lukas M.
Published: December 2020

Electromagnetic field confinement is crucial for nanophotonic technologies, since it allows for enhancing light–matter interactions, thus enabling light manipulation in deep sub‐wavelength scales. In the terahertz (THz) spectral range, radiation confinement is conventionally achieved with specially designed metallic structures—such as antennas or nanoslits—with large footprints due to the rather long wavelengths of THz radiation. In this context, phonon polaritons—light coupled to lattice vibrations—in van der Waals (vdW) crystals have emerged as a promising solution for controlling light beyond the diffraction limit, as they feature extreme field confinements and low optical losses. However, experimental demonstration of nanoscale‐confined phonon polaritons at THz frequencies has so far remained elusive. Here, it is provided by employing scattering‐type scanning near‐field optical microscopy combined with a free‐electron laser to reveal a range of low‐loss polaritonic excitations at frequencies from 8 to 12 THz in the vdW semiconductor α‐MoO3. In this study, THz polaritons are visualized with: i) in‐plane hyperbolic dispersion, ii) extreme nanoscale field confinement (below λo ⁄75), and iii) long polariton lifetimes, with a lower limit of >2 ps.
Ultrasonication‐Assisted Waterborne Synthesis of Self‐Restorable Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Prolonged Lifespan in Oil Collection
Authors: Liu Songyu , Gao Yunshan , Ma Yanling , Meng Tingting , Yi Changfeng , Xu Zushun , Peng Bo , Deng Ziwei
Published: December 2020

Self‐restorable superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted increasing attention due to their important applications. However, great challenges in an easy and rapid way to accomplish superhydrophobic surfaces with tunable self‐restorability are retained. Here, a facile yet fast strategy is presented to endow commercial substrates with self‐restorable superhydrophobic surfaces irrespective of their surface chemistry and geometry. By ultrasonicating an aqueous solution comprising poly(dimethylsiloxane), bis(3‐aminopropyl)‐terminated (H2N‐PDMS‐NH2) and dopamine hydrochloride (DA) with substrates for 30 min, superhydrophobic surfaces are yielded. Under ultrasonication, H2N‐PDMS‐NH2 is dispersed as the microdroplets and produces a weakly alkaline environment to enhance self‐polymerization of DA to polydopamine (PDA). In turn, PDA reacts with microdroplets and simultaneously anchors them to substrates, creating hierarchical morphology. The diffusion of hydrophobic H2N‐PDMS‐NH2 from the interior to the surface of the coating leads to superhydrophobic surface. This superhydrophobicity is self‐restorable after it is destroyed by air‐plasma or amphiphilic molecules, presumably because the H2N‐PDMS‐NH2 diffusion from the interior to the particles’ surface minimizes the overall interfacial‐energy. The self‐restoration is significantly accelerated by heating or rubbing the substrates. This self‐restoration offers superhydrophobic materials with a considerably prolonged life‐span, promising a wide range of applications, e.g., sustainable oil/water separation.
Electroconvection in Zwitterion‐Doped Nematic Liquid Crystals and Application as Smart Windows
Authors: Zhang Yi , Yang Xiulan , Zhan Yuanyuan , Zhang Yang , He Jialin , Lv Pengrong , Yuan Dong , Hu Xiaowen , Liu Danqing , Broer Dirk Jan , Zhou Guofu , Zhao Wei
Published: December 2020

Electroconvection (EC) in liquid crystals (LCs) is extensively studied for the formation of regular nonequilibrium structures, and the applications that require strong light scattering and high haze. Doping the LCs with ionic species has proven to be an effective method to obtain uniform and high‐quality textures. Herein, zwitterion is explored as a new class of ionic dopant that has little problem of ion accumulation as compared to typical organic electrolytes. A rich variety of EC patterns are observed and characterized for both positive and negative LCs doped with a zwitterion Reichardt's dye. The initial homogeneous or homeotropic alignment, as well as the voltage and frequency of the applied electric field, is shown to influence the formation of EC patterns, among which the dynamic scattering mode (DSM) is specially examined for the application as privacy‐protecting smart windows. Using an LC mixture doped with zwitterions, the smart window demonstrates outstanding performance, as well as much improved durability for a wide range of operating conditions. Such a method offers a simple strategy for the fabrication of polymer‐free smart windows.
Fluorinated Aryl Boronates as Building Blocks in Organic Synthesis
Authors: Budiman Yudha P. , Westcott Stephen A. , Radius Udo , Marder Todd B.
Published: December 2020

Organoboron compounds are well known building blocks for many organic reactions. However, under basic conditions, polyfluorinated aryl boronic acid derivatives suffer from instability issues that are accelerated in compounds containing an ortho‐fluorine group, which result in the formation of the corresponding protodeboronation products. Therefore, a considerable amount of research has focused on novel methodologies to synthesize these valuable compounds while avoiding the protodeboronation issue. This review summarizes the latest developments in the synthesis of fluorinated aryl boronic acid derivatives and their applications in cross‐coupling reactions and other transformations.

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Near‐Infrared Organic Phototransistors with p‐Channel Photosensitive Layers of Conjugated Polymer Composed of bis‐Octyldodecyl‐Diketopyrrolopyrrole and Benzothiadiazole Units
Authors: Park Jisu , Lee Chulyeon , Kim Taehoon , Kim Hwajeong , Kim Youngkyoo
Published: December 2020

A near‐infrared (NIR)‐absorbing conjugated polymer, poly[{2,5‐bis‐(2‐octyldodecyl)‐3,6‐bis‐(thien‐2‐yl)‐pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4‐diyl}‐co‐{2,2′‐(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole)‐5,5′‐diyl}] (PODTPPD‐BT), which is synthesized via a Stille coupling reaction, can play a dual role (charge transport and sensing) in NIR‐sensing organic phototransistors (OPTRs). The PODTPPD‐BT films, which feature two strong optical absorption peaks at wavelengths (λ) of 830 and 935 nm, possess a highly ordered crystalline state as evidenced by the synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXD) method. The OPTRs with the PODTPPD‐BT layers show typical p‐channel transistor behaviors in the dark, while their best dark performance is measured at a PODTPPD‐BT thickness (t) of 85 nm. The highest overall photocurrent is measured at t = 85 nm under illumination with three monochromatic NIR lights, while the highest photoresponsivity (RC) is obtained for the thickest PODTPPD‐BT layers (t = 145 nm). The flexible OPTRs with the PODTPPD‐BT layers demonstrate stable sensing characteristics upon optical on/off modulations using a high‐power NIR laser diode (λ = 905 nm) used for actual light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems.
Optically Controlled Ternary Logic Circuits Based on Organic Antiambipolar Transistors
Authors: Panigrahi Debdatta , Hayakawa Ryoma , Fuchii Kota , Yamada Yoichi , Wakayama Yutaka
Published: December 2020

A ternary inverter is demonstrated based on an organic antiambipolar transistor (AAT), in which the output logic states can be precisely controlled with appropriate optical signals. First, the photoresponse of AATs consisting of PTCDI‐C8 and α‐6T layers is systematically investigated. Under visible light, the Λ‐shaped transfer curve of the AATs undergoes a noticeable broadening due to the optically induced threshold voltage shift in both the PTCDI‐C8 and α‐6T controlled ranges. Under ultraviolet light, broadening is observed only on the α‐6T side. These contrasting impacts of the two light signals enable to tune the balance of the ternary logic states in the inverters, including the output voltage levels and the ratio of the respective logic states. Such optically controlled ternary logic circuits possess great potential for their application in next‐generation optoelectronic devices.
Advancing on‐farm research with UAVs: Cover crop effects on crop growth and yield
Authors: Yuan Mingwei , Burjel Juan C. , Martin Nicholas F. , Isermann Jim , Goeser Nicholas , Pittelkow Cameron M.
Published: December 2020

More on‐farm research is necessary to determine the practical benefits and drawbacks of cover crops at the field‐scale. The objective of this study was to advance the use of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms for evaluating the effects of cover crop biomass on crop growth and grain yield in two corn (Zea mays L.) fields and two soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] fields in Illinois. Experiments were 17–29 ha in size with cover crop and non‐cover crop treatment strips replicated four times. Flights were conducted with a multispectral sensor at three early‐ to mid‐season crop growth stages. On the same day, 40 biomass samples were collected to ground‐truth reflectance data. Results indicated that normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) could predict crop biomass (V3–V10 in corn, V5–R1 in soybean) with moderate accuracy (R2 = .40–.64) using an exponential model in corn and a linear regression model in soybean. Cover crops significantly (p < .1) reduced early‐ to mid‐season corn and soybean NDVI at several sampling events, yet no yield penalty was detected across fields. Correlations between cover crops, crop growth, and grain yield were low and inconsistent when using NDVI maps and estimated biomass and N uptake maps. This study highlights an opportunity for utilizing high‐resolution datasets in on‐farm experiments to investigate the impact of cover crops on crop growth and yield on a field‐specific basis.
Simulated climate change effects on soybean production using two crop modules in RZWQM2
Authors: Ma L. , Fang Q. X. , Sima M. W. , Burkey K. O. , Harmel R. D.
Published: December 2020

The ability to predict climate change effects on crop yield through field experiments and crop modeling is essential for developing mitigation strategies. The objective of this study was to compare two different crop modules (CROPGRO and HERMES) in the Root Zone Water Quality Model 2 (RZWQM2) for predicting climate change effects on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production. The modules were previously calibrated for measured temperature responses using data from a 4‐yr open‐top chamber experiment (2015–2018) in North Carolina. Both crop modules simulated similar climate change effects in terms of yield and biomass by the end of Year 2100 (2083–2099) using 40 general circulation model (GCM) projections and two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5), compared with the simulations using current baseline (2002–2018). For both modules, much greater reductions in biomass and seed yield were simulated under RCP8.5 than under RCP4.5 due to higher air temperature. In addition, both modules predicted lower variability of biomass and seed yield across these GCMs under irrigated than under rainfed conditions. CROPGRO predicted a greater positive climate change effect in response to the projected higher precipitation and increased atmospheric CO2 (compared with baseline conditions) than HERMES. Soybean production will likely benefit more from the projected high precipitation and elevated CO2 under rainfed conditions than under irrigated conditions. Due to much higher simulated yield under irrigation than under rainfed conditions, supplementary irrigation may be an effective mitigation strategy to maintain soybean yield; however, adjusting sowing dates appear to have little effect on soybean production.
Flype: Software for enabling personalized medicine
Authors: Helseth Donald L. , Gulukota Kamalakar , Miller Nicholas , Yang Mathew , Werth Tom , Sabatini Linda M. , Bouma Mike , Dunnenberger Henry M. , Wake Dyson T. , Hulick Peter J. , Kaul Karen L. , Khandekar Janaradan D.
Published: December 2020

The advent of next generation DNA sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized clinical medicine by enabling wide‐spread testing for genomic anomalies and polymorphisms. With that explosion in testing, however, come several informatics challenges including managing large amounts of data, interpreting the results and providing clinical decision support. We present Flype, a web‐based bioinformatics platform built by a small group of bioinformaticians working in a community hospital setting, to address these challenges by allowing us to: (a) securely accept data from a variety of sources, (b) send orders to a variety of destinations, (c) perform secondary analysis and annotation of NGS data, (d) provide a central repository for all genomic variants, (e) assist with tertiary analysis and clinical interpretation, (f) send signed out data to our EHR as both PDF and discrete data elements, (g) allow population frequency analysis and (h) update variant annotation when literature knowledge evolves. We discuss the multiple use cases Flype supports such as (a) in‐house NGS tests, (b) in‐house pharmacogenomics (PGX) tests, (c) dramatic scale‐up of genomic testing using an external lab, (d) consumer genomics using two external partners, and (e) a variety of reporting tools. The source code for Flype is available upon request to the authors.
New water‐soluble copolymers of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine for surface modification
Authors: Nazarova Olga , Chernova Eugenia , Dobrodumov Anatoliy , Zolotova Yulia , Bezrukova Marina , Nekrasova Tatyana , Vlasova Elena , Panarin Eugeniy
Published: December 2020

New copolymers of 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine with 2‐Deoxy‐2‐methacrylamido‐D‐glucose, N‐vinylpyrrolidone, and N‐vinyl‐N‐methylacetamide were synthesized and characterized; the obtained copolymers contained 10–50 mol% of phosphorylcholine moieties, and their molecular masses ranged from 1.05 × 105 to 4.40 × 105. Reactivity ratios of the monomers were estimated. Conformational states of the copolymers in aqueous solutions were studied. The synthesized copolymer was grafted onto the surface of carbon fiber biosorbent using γ‐radiation.
Influence of lignin's pH on polyurethane flexible foam formation and how to control it
Authors: Maillard Damien , Osso Esthel , Faye Adrien , Li Hongbo , Ton‐That Minh‐Tan , Stoeffler Karen
Published: December 2020

Low pH of commercial lignins has a catastrophic impact on the polyurethane foaming reactions. Experiments were performed with 10 wt% of lignin with various pHs in polyols. Virgin lignin (pH 2.5, 35% moisture) has the most negative impact as it reduces the initial foam rising rate by 85% and the foam's final height by 35% as compared to the reference foam, lignin free. Drying of this lignin at 80°C for 12 h can reduce this impact while alkaline treatment to bring the lignin's pH to 6.6 almost cancel it. As revealed by in situ dielectric constant measurements, both reactions, gelling via polymerization and blowing via CO2 degassing, are impacted. In situ Fourier transform infrared analysis of the foaming process demonstrated that blowing reaction is the most pH sensitive. Two methods to counter the pH influence by pH modification were tested and provide interesting results but also significant drawbacks limiting their applicability.
Environmentally friendly biological nanofibers based on waste feather keratin by electrospinning with citric acid vapor modification
Authors: Ding Jiao , Lai Ruihao , Chen Wenjie , He Ming , Zhu Guodian , Huang Suqing , Yin Guoqiang
Published: December 2020

Waste feather keratin (FK)‐based nanofibers by electrospinning and citric acid (CA) vapor modification has been successfully prepared and investigated. FK, poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(ethylene oxide) have been used as raw materials and CA vapor as cross‐linker. The structural, thermal, hydrophobicity, and mechanical properties of FK‐based nanofibers by CA vapor modification with various cross‐linking time have been completely explored. In order to investigate the effect of H2O vapor on CA vapor modification, H2O vapor modification was performed on the FK‐based nanofibers at the same conditions. The results show that the average diameter of nanofibers increased from 250.83 ± 29.65 nm to 338.79 ± 31.43 nm by CA vapor modification with 15 h. Similarly, the thermal stability and water resistance of FK‐based nanofibers by CA vapor modification have been significantly improved. The tensile strength (σb) and elongation at breakage point (εb) of FK‐based nanofibers after CA vapor modified for 15 h were about 1.5 and 2 times higher than that of nonmodified nanofibers, respectively. By comparison, scanning electron microscopy results suggest that the FK‐based nanofibers modified by H2O vapor cannot maintain the morphology of the nanofibers, resulting in large‐scale adhesion. The thermal properties of FK‐based nanofibers with H2O vapor modification have no obvious change. The hydrophobicity and mechanical properties of FK‐based nanofibers by H2O vapor modification are not as good as that of CA vapor modification. In summary, these results exhibit that nontoxic and natural CA can be used as cross‐linking agent to enhance the comprehensive performance of FK‐based nanofibers. This study provides a new method to modify FK‐based nanofibers and refined the waste feathers, which not only protected the environment, but also gained benefits, which has a broad application prospect.
SSRgenotyper: A simple sequence repeat genotyping application for whole‐genome resequencing and reduced representational sequencing projects
Authors: Lewis Daniel H. , Jarvis David E. , Maughan Peter J.
Published: December 2020

PREMISE

Many programs can identify simple sequence repeat (SSR) motifs in genomic data. SSRgenotyper extends SSR identification to en masse genotyping from resequencing data for diversity panels and linkage mapping populations.

METHODS AND RESULTS

SSRgenotyper will find and genotype SSRs from SAM files and an SSR reference FASTA. Several outputs are possible, including a simple table with the SSR marker name, position, and SSR alleles, defined by the repeat number of the repeat motif. Specific output files include a GENEPOP‐formatted file for downstream genetic diversity analyses and a traditional A, H, B mapping file output that is phased to the parents of the population for biparental linkage map construction. Linkage maps produced using SSRgenotyper genotypes were highly collinear with physical maps and correctly inferred known phylogenies.

CONCLUSIONS

SSRgenotyper provides an easy‐to‐use, accurate, and scalable SSR genotyping platform for whole‐genome resequencing data. SSRgenotyper is freely available at https://github.com/dlewis27/SSRgenotyper.
Composite modeling of leaf shape along shoots discriminates Vitis species better than individual leaves
Authors: Bryson Abigail E. , Wilson Brown Maya , Mullins Joey , Dong Wei , Bahmani Keivan , Bornowski Nolan , Chiu Christina , Engelgau Philip , Gettings Bethany , Gomezcano Fabio , Gregory Luke M. , Haber Anna C. , Hoh Donghee , Jennings Emily E. , Ji Zhongjie , Kaur Prabhjot , Kenchanmane Raju Sunil K. , Long Yunfei , Lotreck Serena G. , Mathieu Davis T. , Ranaweera Thilanka , Ritter Eleanore J. , Sadohara Rie , Shrote Robert Z. , Smith Kaila E. , Teresi Scott J. , Venegas Julian , Wang Hao , Wilson McKena L. , Tarrant Alyssa R. , Frank Margaret H. , Migicovsky Zoë , Kumar Jyothi , VanBuren Robert , Londo Jason P. , Chitwood Daniel H.
Published: December 2020

Premise

Leaf morphology is dynamic, continuously deforming during leaf expansion and among leaves within a shoot. Here, we measured the leaf morphology of more than 200 grapevines (Vitis spp.) over four years and modeled changes in leaf shape along the shoot to determine whether a composite leaf shape comprising all the leaves from a single shoot can better capture the variation and predict species identity compared with individual leaves.

Methods

Using homologous universal landmarks found in grapevine leaves, we modeled various morphological features as polynomial functions of leaf nodes. The resulting functions were used to reconstruct modeled leaf shapes across the shoots, generating composite leaves that comprehensively capture the spectrum of leaf morphologies present.

Results

We found that composite leaves are better predictors of species identity than individual leaves from the same plant. We were able to use composite leaves to predict the species identity of previously unassigned grapevines, which were verified with genotyping.

Discussion

Observations of individual leaf shape fail to capture the true diversity between species. Composite leaf shape—an assemblage of modeled leaf snapshots across the shoot—is a better representation of the dynamic and essential shapes of leaves, in addition to serving as a better predictor of species identity than individual leaves.
Exploration of the nitrogen heterocyclic periphery around the core of the advanced FFA1 agonist fasiglifam (TAK‐875)
Authors: Lukin Alexey , Bakholdina Anna , Zhurilo Nikolay , Onopchenko Oleksandra , Zhuravel Elena , Zozulya Sergey , Gureev Maxim , Safrygin Alexander , Krasavin Mikhail
Published: December 2020

Three types of heterocyclic moieties—piperidines fused to a heteroaromatic moiety—were explored as potential periphery motifs for the pharmacophoric core of fasiglifam (TAK‐875), with fasiglifam being the most advanced agonist of free fatty acid receptor 1, a promising target for therapeutic intervention in type 2 diabetes. Several observed structure–activity relationship trends were corroborated by in silico docking results. Balanced selection based on potency and Caco‐2 permeability advanced six compounds to cellular efficacy tests (glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion in rat insulinoma INS1E cells). This led to the nomination of compound 16a (LK1408, 3‐[4‐({4‐[(3‐{[(2‐fluorobenzyl)oxy]methyl}‐1‐methyl‐1,4,6,7‐tetrahydro‐5H‐pyrazolo[4,3‐c]pyridin‐5‐yl)methyl]benzyl}oxy)phenyl]propanoic acid hydrochloride) as the lead for further development.