bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the abnormal thermal behavior of nanofluids through infrared thermography and thermo-physical characterization
Authors: Svobodova-Sedlackova Adela , Calderón Alejandro , Barreneche Camila , Gamallo Pablo , Fernández A. Inés
Published: March 2021

Nanofluids (NFs) are colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles (NPs) within a base fluid. Unlike conventional mixtures, NFs exhibit dramatically enhanced properties, such as an abnormal increase in heat capacity at low concentration of NPs (e.g., Cp values 30% higher than the base material value). Understanding the thermo-physical behavior of NFs is essential for their application as thermal energy storage systems. In this study, we analyze a sodium nitrate ionic system containing 1 wt%, 3 wt% and 7 wt% of SiO2 NPs with different techniques like infrared thermography, infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in order to shed light on the mechanism behind the increase of Cp. The themographies reveal the presence of a colder layer on top of the NF with 1 wt% of NPs whereas this layer does not appear at higher concentrations of NPs. The IR spectrum of this foamy top layer evidences the high amount of SiO2 bonds suggesting the clustering of the NPs into this layer linked by the nitrate ions. The linking is enhanced by the presence of hydroxyls in the NPs’ surface (i.e., hydroxilated NPs) that once mixed in the NF suffer ionic exchange between OH− and NO3− species, leading to O2–Si–O–NO2 species at the interface where a thermal boundary resistance or Kapitza resistance appears (RT = 2.2 m2 K kW−1). Moreover, the presence of an exothermic reactive processes in the calorimetry of the mixture with 1 wt% of NPs evidences a reactive process (ionic exchange). These factors contribute to the heat capacity increase and thus, they explain the anomalous behavior of the heat capacity in nanofluids.
Wavelength of a Turing-type mechanism regulates the morphogenesis of meshwork patterns
Authors: Guo Shan , Sun Ming-zhu , Zhao Xin
Published: March 2021

The meshwork pattern is a significant pattern in the development of biological tissues and organs. It is necessary to explore the mathematical mechanism of meshwork pattern formation. In this paper, we found that the meshwork pattern is formed by four kinds of stalk behaviours: stalk extension, tip bifurcation, side branching and tip fusion. The Turing-type pattern underlying the meshwork pattern is a Turing spot pattern, which indicates that the Turing instability of the spot pattern promotes activator peak formation and then guides the formation of meshwork patterns. Then, we found that the Turing wavelength decreased in turn from tip bifurcation to side branching to tip fusion via statistical evaluation. Through the functional relationship between the Turing wavelength and model parameters ($$\upvarepsilon ,{ \rho }_{A}$$

ε
,

ρ
A

and $${\rho }_{H}$$

ρ
H

), we found that parameters $$\upvarepsilon $$
ε
and $${\rho }_{H}$$

ρ
H

had monotonic effects on the Turing wavelength and that parameter $${\rho }_{A}$$

ρ
A

had nonmonotonic effects. Furthermore, we performed simulations of local meshwork pattern formation under variable model parameter values. The simulation results verified the corresponding relationship between the Turing wavelength and stalk behaviours and the functional relationship between the Turing wavelength and model parameters. The simulation results showed that the Turing wavelength regulated the meshwork pattern and that the small Turing wavelength facilitated dense meshwork pattern formation. Our work provides novel insight into and understanding of the formation of meshwork patterns. We believe that studies associated with network morphogenesis can benefit from our work.
Biglycan expression and its function in human ligamentum flavum
Authors: Salimi Hamidullah , Suzuki Akinobu , Habibi Hasibullah , Orita Kumi , Hori Yusuke , Yabu Akito , Terai Hidetomi , Tamai Koji , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: March 2021

Hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum (LF) is a major cause of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), and the pathology involves disruption of elastic fibers, fibrosis with increased cellularity and collagens, and/or calcification. Previous studies have implicated the increased expression of the proteoglycan family in hypertrophied LF. Furthermore, the gene expression profile in a rabbit experimental model of LF hypertrophy revealed that biglycan (BGN) is upregulated in hypertrophied LF by mechanical stress. However, the expression and function of BGN in human LF has not been well elucidated. To investigate the involvement of BGN in the pathomechanism of human ligamentum hypertrophy, first we confirmed increased expression of BGN by immunohistochemistry in the extracellular matrix of hypertrophied LF of LSS patients compared to LF without hypertrophy. Experiments using primary cell cultures revealed that BGN promoted cell proliferation. Furthermore, BGN induces changes in cell morphology and promotes myofibroblastic differentiation and cell migration. These effects are observed for both cells from hypertrophied and non-hypertrophied LF. The present study revealed hyper-expression of BGN in hypertrophied LF and function of increased proteoglycan in LF cells. BGN may play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of LF hypertrophy through cell proliferation, myofibroblastic differentiation, and cell migration.
Exploration in the mechanism of fucosterol for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking
Authors: Li Xiaoling , Lin Baixin , Lin Zhiping , Ma Yucui , Wang Qu , Zheng Yushi , Cui Liao , Luo Hui , Luo Lianxiang
Published: March 2021

Fucosterol, a sterol isolated from brown algae, has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties. However, the effects and underlying molecular mechanism of fucosterol on non-small cell lung cancer remain to be elucidated. In this study, the corresponding targets of fucosterol were obtained from PharmMapper, and NSCLC related targets were gathered from the GeneCards database, and the candidate targets of fucosterol-treated NSCLC were predicted. The mechanism of fucosterol against NSCLC was identified in DAVID6.8 by enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG, and protein–protein interaction data were collected from STRING database. The hub gene GRB2 was further screened out and verified by molecular docking. Moreover, the relationship of GRB2 expression and immune infiltrates were analyzed by the TIMER database. The results of network pharmacology suggest that fucosterol acts against candidate targets, such as MAPK1, EGFR, GRB2, IGF2, MAPK8, and SRC, which regulate biological processes including negative regulation of the apoptotic process, peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation, positive regulation of cell proliferation. The Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway initiated by GRB2 showed to be significant in treating NSCLC. In conclusion, our study indicates that fucosterol may suppress NSCLC progression by targeting GRB2 activated the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, which laying a theoretical foundation for further research and providing scientific support for the development of new drugs.
Localization accuracy of multiple magnets in a myokinetic control interface
Authors: Gherardini Marta , Clemente Francesco , Milici Stefano , Cipriani Christian
Published: March 2021

Magnetic localizers have been widely investigated in the biomedical field, especially for intra-body applications, because they don’t require a free line-of-sight between the implanted magnets and the magnetic field sensors. However, while researchers have focused on narrow and specific aspects of the localization problem, no one has comprehensively searched for general design rules for accurately localizing multiple magnetic objectives. In this study, we sought to systematically analyse the effects of remanent magnetization, number of sensors, and geometrical configuration (i.e. distance among magnets—Linter-MM—and between magnets and sensors—LMM-sensor) on the accuracy of the localizer in order to unveil the basic principles of the localization problem. Specifically, through simulations validated with a physical system, we observed that the accuracy of the localization was mainly affected by a specific angle ($$\theta$$
θ
 = tan−1(Linter-MM / LMM-sensor)), descriptive of the system geometry. In particular, while tracking nine magnets, errors below ~ 1 mm (10% of the length of the simulated trajectory) and around 9° were obtained if θ ≥  ~ 31°. The latter proved a general rule across all tested conditions, also when the number of magnets was doubled. Our results are interesting for a whole range of biomedical engineering applications exploiting multiple-magnets tracking, such as human–machine interfaces, capsule endoscopy, ventriculostomy interventions, and endovascular catheter navigation.
Absence of X-chromosome dosage compensation in the primordial germ cells of Drosophila embryos
Authors: Ota Ryoma , Hayashi Makoto , Morita Shumpei , Miura Hiroki , Kobayashi Satoru
Published: March 2021

Dosage compensation is a mechanism that equalizes sex chromosome gene expression between the sexes. In Drosophila, individuals with two X chromosomes (XX) become female, whereas males have one X chromosome (XY). In males, dosage compensation of the X chromosome in the soma is achieved by five proteins and two non-coding RNAs, which assemble into the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex to upregulate X-linked genes twofold. By contrast, it remains unclear whether dosage compensation occurs in the germline. To address this issue, we performed transcriptome analysis of male and female primordial germ cells (PGCs). We found that the expression levels of X-linked genes were approximately twofold higher in female PGCs than in male PGCs. Acetylation of lysine residue 16 on histone H4 (H4K16ac), which is catalyzed by the MSL complex, was undetectable in these cells. In male PGCs, hyperactivation of X-linked genes and H4K16ac were induced by overexpression of the essential components of the MSL complex, which were expressed at very low levels in PGCs. Together, these findings indicate that failure of MSL complex formation results in the absence of X-chromosome dosage compensation in male PGCs.
Frequency-dependent interactions determine outcome of competition between two breast cancer cell lines
Authors: Freischel Audrey R. , Damaghi Mehdi , Cunningham Jessica J. , Ibrahim-Hashim Arig , Gillies Robert J. , Gatenby Robert A. , Brown Joel S.
Published: March 2021

Tumors are highly dynamic ecosystems in which diverse cancer cell subpopulations compete for space and resources. These complex, often non-linear interactions govern continuous spatial and temporal changes in the size and phenotypic properties of these subpopulations. Because intra-tumoral blood flow is often chaotic, competition for resources may be a critical selection factor in progression and prognosis. Here, we quantify resource competition using 3D spheroid cultures with MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. We hypothesized that MCF-7 cells, which primarily rely on efficient aerobic glucose metabolism, would dominate the population under normal pH and low glucose conditions; and MDA-MB-231 cells, which exhibit high levels of glycolytic metabolism, would dominate under low pH and high glucose conditions. In spheroids with single populations, MCF-7 cells exhibited equal or superior intrinsic growth rates (density-independent measure of success) and carrying capacities (density-dependent measure of success) when compared to MDA-MB-231 cells under all pH and nutrient conditions. Despite these advantages, when grown together, MCF-7 cells do not always outcompete MDA-MB-231 cells. MDA-MB-231 cells outcompete MCF-7 cells in low glucose conditions and coexistence is achieved in low pH conditions. Under all conditions, MDA-MB-231 has a stronger competitive effect (frequency-dependent interaction) on MCF-7 cells than vice-versa. This, and the inability of growth rate or carrying capacity when grown individually to predict the outcome of competition, suggests a reliance on frequency-dependent interactions and the need for competition assays. We frame these results in a game-theoretic (frequency-dependent) model of cancer cell interactions and conclude that competition assays can demonstrate critical density-independent, density-dependent and frequency-dependent interactions that likely contribute to in vivo outcomes.
The histone replacement gene His4r is involved in heat stress induced chromatin rearrangement
Authors: Faragó Anikó , Ürmösi Adél , Farkas Anita , Bodai László
Published: March 2021

His4r is the only known variant of histone H4 in Drosophila. It is encoded by the His4r single-copy gene that is located outside of the histone gene cluster and expressed in a different pattern than H4, although the encoded polypeptides are identical. We generated a null mutant (His4rΔ42) which is homozygous viable and fertile without any apparent morphological defects. Heterozygous His4rΔ42 is a mild suppressor of position-effect variegation, suggesting that His4r has a role in the formation or maintenance of condensed chromatin. Under standard conditions loss of His4r has a modest effect on gene expression. Upon heat-stress the induction of the Heat shock protein (HSP) genes Hsp27 and Hsp68 is stronger in His4rΔ42 mutants with concordantly increased survival rate. Analysis of chromatin accessibility after heat shock at a Hsp27 regulatory region showed less condensed chromatin in the absence of His4r while there was no difference at the gene body. Interestingly, preconditioning before heat shock led to increased chromatin accessibility, HSP gene transcription and survival rate in control flies while it did not cause notable changes in His4rΔ42. Thus, our results suggest that His4r might play a role in fine tuning chromatin structure at inducible gene promoters upon environmental stress conditions.
Cerebral functional networks during sleep in young and older individuals
Authors: Daneault Véronique , Orban Pierre , Martin Nicolas , Dansereau Christian , Godbout Jonathan , Pouliot Philippe , Dickinson Philip , Gosselin Nadia , Vandewalle Gilles , Maquet Pierre , Lina Jean-Marc , Doyon Julien , Bellec Pierre , Carrier Julie
Published: March 2021

Even though sleep modification is a hallmark of the aging process, age-related changes in functional connectivity using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) during sleep, remain unknown. Here, we combined electroencephalography and fMRI to examine functional connectivity differences between wakefulness and light sleep stages (N1 and N2 stages) in 16 young (23.1 ± 3.3y; 7 women), and 14 older individuals (59.6 ± 5.7y; 8 women). Results revealed extended, distributed (inter-between) and local (intra-within) decreases in network connectivity during sleep both in young and older individuals. However, compared to the young participants, older individuals showed lower decreases in connectivity or even increases in connectivity between thalamus/basal ganglia and several cerebral regions as well as between frontal regions of various networks. These findings reflect a reduced ability of the older brain to disconnect during sleep that may impede optimal disengagement for loss of responsiveness, enhanced lighter and fragmented sleep, and contribute to age effects on sleep-dependent brain plasticity.
Betweenness centrality for temporal multiplexes
Authors: Zaoli Silvia , Mazzarisi Piero , Lillo Fabrizio
Published: March 2021

Betweenness centrality quantifies the importance of a vertex for the information flow in a network. The standard betweenness centrality applies to static single-layer networks, but many real world networks are both dynamic and made of several layers. We propose a definition of betweenness centrality for temporal multiplexes. This definition accounts for the topological and temporal structure and for the duration of paths in the determination of the shortest paths. We propose an algorithm to compute the new metric using a mapping to a static graph. We apply the metric to a dataset of $$\sim 20$$

∼
20

k European flights and compare the results with those obtained with static or single-layer metrics. The differences in the airports rankings highlight the importance of considering the temporal multiplex structure and an appropriate distance metric.
Repair of segmental bone defect using tissue engineered heterogeneous deproteinized bone doped with lithium
Authors: Li Jun , Wang Wenzhao , Li Mingxin , Liu Lei
Published: March 2021

Lithium have been shown to play an important role in improving the osteogenic properties of biomaterials. This study aims to explore the osteogenic improvement effect of tissue engineered heterogeneous deproteinized bone (HDPB) doped with lithium, and evaluate their effectiveness in the healing of bone defects. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were co-cultured with different concentration of lithium chloride. Cell proliferation in each group was analyzed by 3-(4, 5-dimetyl-2-thiazoly-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. BMSCs were then co-cultured in osteogenic induction medium with different concentration of lithium chloride, and the expression of related mRNA was detected. The role of lithium in promoting BMSCs osteogenic differentiation and inhibiting BMSCs lipogenic differentiation was also investigated. Biomechanical properties of the tibia were evaluated at 8 weeks after operation. The tibial specimens of each group were collected at 4 and 8 weeks after surgery for histological examination and histological analysis. Micro-computed tomography (CT) scanning and 3D reconstruction were performed at 8 weeks. The results demonstrate that lithium can induce the osteogenic differentiation inhibit of adipogenic differentiation of BMSCs by regulating the Wnt signaling pathway. The histological evaluation further certified that average bone formation area in the group of tissue engineered HDPB doped with lithium was also significantly better than that of HDPB alone group. Based on the above evaluation, tissue engineered HDPB doped with lithium can effectively promote the regeneration of segmental bone defect, which can be used as a tissue engineering scaffold for clinical trials.
Marine cyanobacterium Spirulina maxima as an alternate to the animal cell culture medium supplement
Authors: Jeong Younsik , Choi Woon-Yong , Park Areumi , Lee Yeon-Ji , Lee Youngdeuk , Park Gun-Hoo , Lee Su-Jin , Lee Won-Kyu , Ryu Yong-Kyun , Kang Do-Hyung
Published: March 2021

Serum is a stable medium supplement for in vitro cell culture. Live cells are used in stem cell research, drug toxicity and safety testing, disease diagnosis and prevention, and development of antibiotics, drugs, and vaccines. However, use of serum in culture involves concerns such as an ethical debate regarding the collection process, lack of standardized ingredients, and high cost. Herein, therefore, we evaluated the possibility of using edible cyanobacterium (Spirulina maxima), which is a nutrient-rich, sustainable, and ethically acceptable source, as a novel substitute for fetal bovine serum (FBS). H460 cells were cultured to the 10th generation by adding a mixture of spirulina animal cell culture solution (SACCS) and FBS to the culture medium. Cell morphology and viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, proteomes, and transcriptomes were assessed. We observed that SACCS had better growth-promoting capabilities than FBS. Cell proliferation was promoted even when FBS was replaced by 50–70% SACCS; there was no significant difference in cell shape or viability. There were only slight differences in the cell cycle, apoptosis, proteomes, and transcriptomes of the cells grown in presence of SACCS. Therefore, SACCS has the potential to be an effective, low-cost, and eco-friendly alternative to FBS in in vitro culture.
Differential effect of anesthetics on mucociliary clearance in vivo in mice
Authors: Feldman Kyle S. , Kim Eunwon , Czachowski Michael J. , Wu Yijen , Lo Cecilia W. , Zahid Maliha
Published: March 2021

Respiratory mucociliary clearance (MCC) is a key defense mechanism that functions to entrap and transport inhaled pollutants, particulates, and pathogens away from the lungs. Previous work has identified a number of anesthetics to have cilia depressive effects in vitro. Wild-type C57BL/6 J mice received intra-tracheal installation of 99mTc-Sulfur colloid, and were imaged using a dual-modality SPECT/CT system at 0 and 6 h to measure baseline MCC (n = 8). Mice were challenged for one hour with inhalational 1.5% isoflurane, or intraperitoneal ketamine (100 mg/kg)/xylazine (20 mg/kg), ketamine (0.5 mg/kg)/dexmedetomidine (50 mg/kg), fentanyl (0.2 mg/kg)/1.5% isoflurane, propofol (120 mg/Kg), or fentanyl/midazolam/dexmedetomidine (0.025 mg/kg/2.5 mg/kg/0.25 mg/kg) prior to MCC assessment. The baseline MCC was 6.4%, and was significantly reduced to 3.7% (p = 0.04) and 3.0% (p = 0.01) by ketamine/xylazine and ketamine/dexmedetomidine challenge respectively. Importantly, combinations of drugs containing fentanyl, and propofol in isolation did not significantly depress MCC. Although no change in cilia length or percent ciliation was expected, we tried to correlate ex-vivo tracheal cilia ciliary beat frequency and cilia-generated flow velocities with MCC and found no correlation. Our results indicate that anesthetics containing ketamine (ketamine/xylazine and ketamine/dexmedetomidine) significantly depress MCC, while combinations containing fentanyl (fentanyl/isoflurane, fentanyl/midazolam/dexmedetomidine) and propofol do not. Our method for assessing MCC is reproducible and has utility for studying the effects of other drug combinations.
Code-free deep learning for multi-modality medical image classification
Authors: Korot Edward , Guan Zeyu , Ferraz Daniel , Wagner Siegfried K. , Zhang Gongyu , Liu Xiaoxuan , Faes Livia , Pontikos Nikolas , Finlayson Samuel G. , Khalid Hagar , Moraes Gabriella , Balaskas Konstantinos , Denniston Alastair K. , Keane Pearse A.
Published: March 2021

A number of large technology companies have created code-free cloud-based platforms that allow researchers and clinicians without coding experience to create deep learning algorithms. In this study, we comprehensively analyse the performance and featureset of six platforms, using four representative cross-sectional and en-face medical imaging datasets to create image classification models. The mean (s.d.) F1 scores across platforms for all model–dataset pairs were as follows: Amazon, 93.9 (5.4); Apple, 72.0 (13.6); Clarifai, 74.2 (7.1); Google, 92.0 (5.4); MedicMind, 90.7 (9.6); Microsoft, 88.6 (5.3). The platforms demonstrated uniformly higher classification performance with the optical coherence tomography modality. Potential use cases given proper validation include research dataset curation, mobile ‘edge models’ for regions without internet access, and baseline models against which to compare and iterate bespoke deep learning approaches.
Self-healing elastomers based on conjugated diolefins: a review
Authors: Behera Prasanta Kumar , Mohanty Subhra , Gupta Virendra Kumar
Published: March 2021

The introduction of dynamic covalent and physical crosslinks into diolefin-based elastomers improves mechanical and self-healing properties. The presence of dynamic crosslinks also helps in the reprocessing of elastomers.
Structure and activity relationship studies of N-heterocyclic olefin and thiourea/urea catalytic systems: application in ring-opening polymerization of lactones
Authors: Zhou Li , Wang Zhenyu , Xu Guangqiang , Lv Chengdong , Wang Qinggang
Published: March 2021

Structure–activity relationship studies of N-heterocyclic olefin and thiourea/urea catalytic systems were performed and applied to ROP of lactones.
Synthesis and characterization of novel protein nanodots as drug delivery carriers with an enhanced biological efficacy of melatonin in breast cancer cells
Authors: Yadav Kanchan , Das Megha , Hassan Nurul , Mishra Archana , Lahiri Jayeeta , Dubey Ashutosh Kumar , Yadav Sanjeev Kumar , Parmar Avanish Singh
Published: March 2021

A novel nanodot-using protein has been synthesized for the live cell imaging and drug delivery of melatonin in breast cancer cells. Its unique properties hold potential for various biomedical applications in the field of bioimaging and drug delivery.
Monoallylation and benzylation of dicarbonyl compounds with alcohols catalysed by a cationic cobalt(iii) compound
Authors: Chandra Sau Mohan , Mandal Smita , Bhattacharjee Manish
Published: March 2021

Monoallylation and monoalkylation of diketones and β-keto esters with allylic and benzylic alcohols catalysed by [Cp*Co(CH3CN)3][SbF6]2 (I) are reported.
Considering both small and large scale motions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is crucial for reliably predicting its binding affinities to DNA aptamers
Authors: Lee Wook , Park Jae Whee , Go Yeon Ju , Kim Won Jong , Rhee Young Min
Published: March 2021

Considering both small and large scale motions of VEGF is crucial to predict its relative binding affinities to DNA aptamer variants with docking.
A catalytic mechanism investigation of TiF3 on hydriding/dehydriding properties of Mg85Cu5Ni10 alloy
Authors: Yin Yi , Qi Yuanhong , Li Bo , Gu Hu , Zhao Jinghui , Ji Liqiang , Zhang Bo , Yuan Zeming , Zhang Yanghuan
Published: March 2021

The dehydrogenation activation energy Ea(de) of Mg85Cu5Ni10 is reduced to 81.462 from 116.767 kJ mol−1 by adding 6 wt% TiF3.
Supercritical CO2extraction ofMarrubium vulgare: intensification of marrubiin
Authors: Gavarić Aleksandra , Vidović Senka , Aladić Krunoslav , Jokić Stela , Vladić Jelena
Published: March 2021

Supercritical CO2extraction is adequate for efficient exploitation of white horehound.
pH-triggered degradation and release of doxorubicin from zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF8) decorated with polyacrylic acid
Authors: Tran Vy Anh , Lee Sang-Wha
Published: March 2021

The ZIF8–Dox@PAA nanocarrier demonstrated pH-triggered drug release through the detachment of the PAA layer along with the destruction of ZIF8 framework in acidic pH environment.
Synthesis of ZnIn2S4@Co3S4 particles derived from ZIF-67 for photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Wang Ganyu , Chen Wenqian , Zhang Yu , Xu Qinshang , Li Yirui , Foo Maw Lin , Tang Liang
Published: March 2021

Appropriate morphology and structure can provide more charge adsorption sites which contribute to high catalytic activity, ZnIn2S4 with the coupling amount of 5% Co3S4 displays superior performance in the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions.
Solvate sponge crystals of (DMF)3NaClO4: reversible pressure/temperature controlled juicing in a melt/press-castable sodium-ion conductor
Authors: Prakash Prabhat , Ardhra Shylendran , Fall Birane , Zdilla Michael J. , Wunder Stephanie L. , Venkatnathan Arun
Published: March 2021

Stimuli-responsive “solvate-sponge”-(DMF)3NaClO4 exhibits linear chains of DMF–Na+ ions with ClO4− anions in the interstitial space. At increased pressure or temperature, DMF is expelled (reversibly), resulting in a new stoichiometry-(DMF)2NaClO4.
The parameter optimization of lasers' energy ratio of the double-pulse laser induced breakdown spectrometry for heavy metal elements in the soil
Authors: Chen Guanyu , Yang Guang , Ling Zhenbao , Yang Yunrui , Zhan Ye , Jin Xueying
Published: March 2021

Schematic setup of a double-pulse LIBS experimental system applied to parameter optimization for quantitative analysis of soil heavy metal elements.
Improved ethanol dehydration catalysis by the superior acid properties of Cs-impregnated silicotungstic acid supported on silica
Authors: Himmelmann Robin , Klemm Elias , Dyballa Michael
Published: March 2021

TOS until deactivation and selectivity in ethanol dehydration can be improved by CsOH impregnation and adjusting surface acid sites of supported silicotungstic acid.
Dependence of the intrinsic phase structure of Bi2O3 catalysts on photocatalytic CO2 reduction
Authors: Wei Liujin , Huang Guan , Zhang Yajun
Published: March 2021

The combination of time-resolved transient photoluminescence with in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been conducted to investigate the intrinsic phase structure-dependent activity of Bi2O3 catalyst for CO2 reduction.
Effect of ligand substituents and tuning the spin-state switching in manganese(iii) complexes
Authors: Ghosh Subrata , Bagchi Sukanya , Kamilya Sujit , Mondal Abhishake
Published: March 2021

This work unravels the magneto-structural behavior of mononuclear manganese(iii) complexes with judiciously chosen substituted Schiff-base ligands, showcasing the role of ligand substitutions in spin-state switching.
Enrichment of the field emission properties of NiCo2O4 nanostructures by UV/ozone treatment
Authors: Pathak Mansi , Mutadak Pallavi , Mane Pratap , More Mahendra A. , Chakraborty Brahmananda , Late Dattatray J. , Rout Chandra Sekhar
Published: March 2021

Herein, UV/O3 treatment was imposed on the hydrothermally synthesized spinel NiCo2O4 urchin like structure to study its enhancement effect in the field electron emission properties.
Direct and straightforward transfer of C1 functionalized synthons to phosphorous electrophiles for accessing gem-P-containing methanes
Authors: Touqeer Saad , Ielo Laura , Miele Margherita , Urban Ernst , Holzer Wolfgang , Pace Vittorio
Published: March 2021

A modular strategy for preparing α-functionalized phosphorous-containing methyl-units.
Hydrophilic and organophilic pervaporation of industrially important α,β and α,ω-diols
Authors: Chaudhari Shivshankar , Shin HyeonTae , Choi SeoungYong , Cho KieYong , Shon MinYoung , Nam SeungEun , Park YouIn
Published: March 2021

The distillation-based purification of α,β and α,ω-diols is energy and resource intensive, as well as time consuming.
Bimetallic zeolite-imidazole framework-based heterostructure with enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production activity
Authors: Arif Nayab , Lin Ye-Zhan , Wang Kai , Dou Yi-Chuan , Zhang Yu , Li Kui , Liu Shiquan , Liu Fu-Tian
Published: March 2021

The g-C3N4-MoS2 could facilitate the separation as well as utilization efficiency of the photo-generated charge carriers in the ZnM-ZIFs, and hence improved the photocatalytic H2 production with and without sacrificial agent.
Electrochemical investigation and amperometry determination iodate based on ionic liquid/polyoxotungstate/P-doped electrochemically reduced graphene oxide multi-component nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode
Authors: Sharifi Minoo , Dianat Somayeh , Hosseinian Amin
Published: March 2021

Constructing a sensitive electrochemical sensor based on (bdpy)SiW11Ni/P-ERGO/GCE for IO3− detection at the nanomolar level with noticeable selectivity.
Theoretical and experimental study of solar cells based on nanostructured films of TiO2 sensitized with natural dyes extracted from Zea mays and Bixa orellana
Authors: Huamán Arnold A. , Celestino Michael R. , Quintana María E.
Published: March 2021

Natural dyes were extracted from Zea mays and Bixa orellana, products from Peru, for the sensitization of nanoporous titanium dioxide (TiO2) films.
Self-assembled metallasupramolecular cages towards light harvesting systems for oxidative cyclization
Authors: Kumar Atul , Saha Rupak , Mukherjee Partha Sarathi
Published: March 2021

Synthesis of Pt(ii) based metallacages as aggregation induced emissive supramolecular architectures for fabricating artificial light harvesting systems for cross coupling cyclization under visible light is achieved.
Exploiting host–guest chemistry to manipulate magnetic interactions in metallosupramolecular M4L6 tetrahedral cages
Authors: Scott Aaron J. , Vallejo Julia , Sarkar Arup , Smythe Lucy , Regincós Martí E. , Nichol Gary S. , Klooster Wim T. , Coles Simon J. , Murrie Mark , Rajaraman Gopalan , Piligkos Stergios , Lusby Paul J. , Brechin Euan K.
Published: March 2021

The tetrahedral [NiII4L6]8+ cage can reversibly bind paramagnetic MX41/2− guests, inducing magnetic exchange interactions between host and guest.
Heterostructured graphene oxide membranes with tunable water-capture coatings for highly selective water permeation
Authors: Zhang Zhiming , Wu Hong , Li Ying , Liu Yue , Cao Chenliang , Wang Hongjian , Wang Meidi , Pan Fusheng , Jiang Zhongyi
Published: March 2021

Heterostructured graphene oxide membranes with water-capture tannic acid coatings were constructed for highly selective water permeation.
PtRu nanocubes as bifunctional electrocatalysts for ammonia electrolysis
Authors: Xue Qi , Zhao Yue , Zhu Jingyi , Ding Yu , Wang Tiaojiao , Sun Huiying , Li Fumin , Chen Pei , Jin Pujun , Yin Shibin , Chen Yu
Published: March 2021

Co-regulation of the crystal plane and composition is a powerful strategy to effectively enhance the catalytic properties of nanomaterials.
Hybrid access and adaptive duty cycle clustering protocol for ultra‐low power wireless sensor networks
Authors: Al‐Sulaifanie Adnan Ismail , Al‐Sulaifanie Bayez Khorsheed
Published: March 2021

This paper investigates many drawbacks and limitations of current clustering algorithms designed for wireless sensor networks. These limitations include high resource requirements, significant overhead, tight synchronization requirements, and TDMA limitations. A new clustering algorithm called hybrid access and an adaptive duty cycle clustering (HADC) protocol is introduced, aiming to address the previous limitations. HADC protocol is based on several concepts, including static clusters, adaptive duty cycling, hybrid scheme channel access, minimum node's functionality, and pseudo synchronization. The resulting network's important features are energy efficiency, robustness, low latency, scalability, and self‐healing. The functionality of HADC is validated by both simulation and laboratory experiments. Simulation results show significant improvement of HADC over the well‐known LEACH protocol in terms of energy, latency, and packet delivery ratio. The experiment results show that the node's lifetime with two 3000 mAh batteries and transmitting four packets per minute is about 16 years. The lifetime of the cluster head supported by the same energy sources ranges from 110 to 472 days. HADC is the first clustering algorithm designed for sporadic and low rate WSN applications to the best of authors' knowledge.
Das Tablet als Standard in der Klinik – mobile digitale Patientenakten und mobiler Workflow
Authors: Lohmann Rüdiger , Schrage Talitha , Rußow Gabriele
Published: March 2021

Die Digitalisierung hat auch in der Medizin zunehmenden Einzug gefunden. Eine Vielzahl an digitalen Patientenakten sind auf dem Markt verfügbar, unter anderem auch App-basierte Lösungen auf handelsüblichen Tablet-Computern. Der Tablet-Computer eignet sich dank hoher Leistungsfähigkeit und guter Mobilität besonders um eine digitale mobile Patientenakte zu realisieren. Die Etablierung dieser Tablets in den klinischen Alltag stellt Voraussetzungen an Technik, Datenschutz, Hygiene, Mitarbeiter und die erweiterte Infrastruktur; ermöglicht jedoch eine Erleichterung der interdisziplinären und interprofessionellen Kommunikation, eine sicherere Dokumentation und eine optimierte Patientenversorgung. Auf die essenziellen Schritte und Voraussetzungen, sowie die Vor- und Nachteile zur Umsetzung der Tablets in den klinischen Alltag wird in diesem Artikel anhand der App Checkpad MED eingegangen.
Erfahrungsbericht: Veränderte Logistik zur Krisenbewältigung
Authors: Brandstetter Jacqueline
Published: March 2021

In der Logistik stehen Herausforderungen und Flexibilität an der Tagesordnung. Dennoch wurden durch die Corona-Pandemie sämtliche Prozesse durcheinandergewirbelt und der Stellenwert der Logistik noch einmal auf ganz neue Art und Weise deutlich.
Hygienemassnahmen: Reinigung in der Pandemie
Authors: Weißmantel Udo
Published: March 2021

Reinigung und Desinfektion haben in der Corona-Pandemie an Ansehen gewonnen. Erhöhter Schulungs- und Personalaufwand sowie Preisschwankungen für Material stellen auch in Zukunft die Herausforderungen dar.
Delayed Craniospinal Metastasis of Aggressive Nonfunctioning Pituitary Adenomas as Pituitary Carcinomas
Authors: Raghu Ashley L. B. , Everson Megan C. , Helal Ahmed , Kiyofuji Satoshi , Clarke Michelle J. , Link Michael J.
Published: March 2021

Background Clinical behavior of pituitary neoplasms is peculiar and notoriously difficult to predict. While aggressive tumors are common, metastasis is very rare, can be highly delayed, and there are no histological or clinical features to meaningfully predict this happening. Endocrinologically silent tumors are particularly difficult, as there is less opportunity to detect early metastasis. Together, this amounts to a situation of uncertainty over the appropriate management of such tumors before and after metastasis.

Case Description The authors report two cases of nonfunctioning aggressive pituitary adenoma (APA) each requiring two transsphenoidal surgeries, a transcranial resection and radiotherapy. Both these tumors subsequently metastasized caudally along the neuraxis, years later, as a null cell carcinoma associated with a germline CHEK2 mutation and a silent Crooke's cell carcinoma. The former represents a novel oncogenetic association.

Conclusion Delayed drop dural metastasis of pituitary carcinoma is becoming increasingly recognized. Surgical resection of the distant disease to confirm the diagnosis and relieve the mass effect, followed by temozolomide chemotherapy, is the current treatment of choice. The need for both long-term follow-up in patients with APA, and a high degree of suspicion toward dural-based radiographic findings is emphasized.
Long-Term Outcomes of the Electrically Unresponsive, Anatomically Intact Facial Nerve Following Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery
Authors: Shoakazemi Alireza , Feria Alejandro , Kanakis Constantine E. , Stapleton Emma , Pathmanaban Omar N. , Freeman Simon R. , Lloyd Simon , Rutherford Scott A. , King Andrew Thomas , Hammerbeck-Ward Charlotte L.
Published: March 2021

Objective The study aimed to determine long-term outcomes in patients with intraoperative electrical conduction block in an anatomically intact facial nerve (FN).

Methods Single center retrospective review of prospectively collected database of all vestibular schwannoma surgeries between January 1, 2008 and August 25, 2015. Operative notes were reviewed and patients with anatomically intact FNs, but complete conduction block at the end of surgery were included for analysis.

Results In total, 371 patients had vestibular schwannoma surgery of which 18 met inclusion criteria. Mean follow-up was 34.28 months and average tumor size was 28.00 mm. Seventeen patients had House-Brackmann Grade VI facial palsy immediately postoperatively and one patient was grade V. At 1 year, three patients remained grade VI (17%), two improved to grade V (11%), seven to grade IV (39%), six to grade III (33%), and one patient to grade II (6%). On extended follow-up, five patients (28%) had additional 1 to 2 score improvement in facial function. Subset analysis revealed no correlation of tumor size, vascularity, adherence to nerve, operative approach, extent of resection, splaying of FN, and recurrent tumor or sporadic tumors to the extent of FN recovery.

Conclusion Intraoperative conduction block does not condemn a patient to permanent FN palsy. There is potential for a degree of recovery comparable with those undergoing nerve grafting. Our data do not clearly support a policy of same-surgery or early-postoperative primary nerve grafting in the event of a complete conduction block, and instead we favor monitoring for recovery in an anatomically intact nerve.
Prevention of Superior Petrosal Vein Injury during Microvascular Decompression for Trigeminal Neuralgia: Operative Nuances
Authors: Kim Minsoo , Park Sang-Ku , Lee Seunghoon , Lee Jeong-A , Park Kwan
Published: March 2021

Background The superior petrosal vein (SPV) often obscures the surgical field or bleeds during microvascular decompression (MVD) for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Although SPV sacrifice has been proposed, it is associated with multiple complications. We have performed more than 4,500 MVDs, including approximately 400 cases involving trigeminal neuralgia. We aimed to describe our operative technique and nuances to avoid SPV injury.

Methods We have provided a detailed description of our institutional protocol, including the anesthesia technique, neurophysiologic monitoring, patient positioning, surgical approach, and SPV management. The surgical outcomes and treatment-related complications were retrospectively analyzed.

Results No SPVs were sacrificed intentionally or accidentally during our MVD protocol for trigeminal neuralgia. In the 344 operations performed during 2006 to 2020, 269 (78.2%) patients did not require medication postoperatively, 58 (16.9%) tolerated the procedure with adequate medication, and 17 (4.9%) did not respond to MVD. Postoperatively, 35 (10.2%), 1 (0.3%), and 0 patients showed permanent trigeminal, facial, or vestibulocochlear nerve dysfunction, respectively. Wound infection occurred in five (1.5%) patients, while cerebrospinal fluid leaks occurred in three (0.9%) patients. Hemorrhagic complications appeared in four (1.2%) patients but these were unrelated to SPV injury. No surgery-related mortalities were reported.

Conclusion MVD for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia can be achieved safely without sacrificing the SPV. A key step is positioning the patient's vertex at a 10-degree elevation from the floor, which can ease venous return and loosen the SPV, making it less fragile to manipulation and providing a wider surgical corridor.
Asymptotic velocity of relativistic E × B drift
Authors: Nakamura Tatsufumi
Published: March 2021

We have obtained the asymptotic velocity of a relativistic charged particle in static and uniform electric and magnetic fields with arbitrary orientations of the fields and with an arbitrary ratio of a = |E|/|B|, where the particle is assumed highly relativistic and has a constant velocity. The obtained solution corresponds to the relativistic E × B drift velocity of the guiding-center, which has features different from those of the non-relativistic drift velocity. The latter is given by vD/c = E × B/|B|2, but in the relativistic case, an additional drift motion exists in the direction that is perpendicular to both B and vD. The dependence of drift velocity on the angle between B and E is also modified substantially.
Using junction temperature to adjust the simulation of temperature effects on the current–voltage characteristics of two-layer organic light emitting diodes
Authors: Liao Teh-Chao , Chang Chia-Hsiu , Juang Fuh-Shyang , Tsai Yu-Sheng
Published: March 2021

In this study, the space charge limited current transport model was applied to simulate the current density–voltage characteristics of two-layer NPB/Alq3 organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). Several parameters for simulations were moderately adjusted, and the best set of parameters were obtained. Upon increasing the applied voltage, the junction temperature of the OLED increased, further influencing the transport of the carriers. When the junction temperature was used as the reference temperature in analysis of the relationship between voltage and temperature, the simulated current density–voltage characteristics were found to be very consistent with the experimental data.
Quantitative prediction of aging state of oil-paper insulation based on Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Chen Xingang , Chen Shuting , Yang Dingkun , Luo Hao , Yang Ping , Cui Weikang
Published: March 2021

Accurate monitoring of insulation aging of oil-paper insulation power equipment such as oil-immersed transformers is a key and difficult point in the field of high voltage research. In this paper, a method based on Raman spectroscopy to diagnose the aging degree of oil-paper insulation is discussed. Raman detections of the samples were carried out on a self-built Raman detection platform. The partial least squares method was used to extract and analyze the spectral features. The aging time of the sample was used to supervise the feature extraction of oil-paper insulation Raman data, and the intrinsic mathematical relationship between the Raman features of oil-paper insulation and the aging was excavated. Finally, a quantitative aging diagnostic model based on Raman spectral features of oil-paper insulation to predict its aging state was built with the assistance of the support vector regression method. The results of aging time prediction for 30 test samples show that the mean square error is 0.0123 and the square of correlation coefficient is 0.987. The proposed method provides a new idea for Raman aging diagnosis of oil-paper insulation.
Laminated magnetic film for micro magnetic flux concentrators
Authors: Yang Yi , Liou Sy-Hwang
Published: March 2021

The effect of a laminated structure on Conetic films made with sputtering deposition is investigated for application in micro magnetic flux concentrators. It is demonstrated that even with the total magnetic thickness being several micrometers, laminated magnetic films can exhibit significantly reduced coercivity and saturation field compared to single-layer films with the same total magnetic thickness. On the micrometer level, reduction of stress and magnetostriction should be the major reason for significantly improved softness of laminated Conetic films, while cross-layer magnetostatic coupling is also helpful. The improved softness is available not only at room temperature but also at low temperatures. Therefore, with laminated micro magnetic flux concentrators applied in magnetic sensors, the improved softness due to the laminated structure should yield improved reversibility and sensitivity of magnetic sensors at room temperature or low temperatures.
Enhancement of infrared emissivity by the hierarchical microstructures from the wing scales of butterfly Rapala dioetas
Authors: Lou Chenhua , An Shun , Yang Runheng , Zhu Hanrui , Shen Qingchen , Jiang Modi , Fu Benwei , Tao Peng , Song Chengyi , Deng Tao , Shang Wen
Published: March 2021

Radiative cooling, which normally requires relatively high infrared (IR) emissivity, is one of the insects’ effective thermoregulatory strategies to maintain their appropriate body temperature. Recently, the physical correlation between the delicate biological microstructures and IR emissivity for thermal radiation draws increased attention. Here, a scent patch region on the hindwing of Rapala dioetas butterfly is found to exhibit enhanced IR emissivity compared with the non-scent patch regions. A series of optical simulations are conducted to differentiate the effect of biological structures and material composition on the high IR emissivity. Besides the intrinsic IR absorption (emission) of chitin (the main composition of butterfly wings), the hierarchical microstructures of the scent patch scale further improve the IR absorption (emission) through the increased inner surface area and multi-scattering effect. This enhancement of IR emissivity enables the butterfly to efficiently radiate heat from the scent patch region to the environment with a limited volume of chitin. This study of the correlation between IR emissivity and microstructural designs may offer additional pathways to engineer bioinspired materials and systems for radiative cooling applications.
Photonic band structure design using persistent homology
Authors: Leykam Daniel , Angelakis Dimitris G.
Published: March 2021

The machine learning technique of persistent homology classifies complex systems or datasets by computing their topological features over a range of characteristic scales. There is growing interest in applying persistent homology to characterize physical systems such as spin models and multiqubit entangled states. Here, we propose persistent homology as a tool for characterizing and optimizing band structures of periodic photonic media. Using the honeycomb photonic lattice Haldane model as an example, we show how persistent homology is able to reliably classify a variety of band structures falling outside the usual paradigms of topological band theory, including “moat band” and multi-valley dispersion relations, and thereby control the properties of quantum emitters embedded in the lattice. The method is promising for the automated design of more complex systems such as photonic crystals and Moiré superlattices.