bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional morphometry: non-invasive estimation of the alveolar surface area in extremely preterm infants
Authors: Williams Emma E. , Gareth Jones J. , McCurnin Donald , Rüdiger Mario , Nanjundappa Mahesh , Greenough Anne , Dassios Theodore
Published: April 2023

Background

The main pathophysiologic characteristic of chronic respiratory disease following extremely premature birth is arrested alveolar growth, which translates to a smaller alveolar surface area (SA). We aimed to use non-invasive measurements to estimate the SA in extremely preterm infants.

Methods

Paired measurements of the fraction of inspired oxygen and transcutaneous oxygen saturation were used to calculate the ventilation/perfusion ratio, which was translated to SA using Fick’s law of diffusion. The SA was then adjusted using volumetric capnography.

Results

Thirty infants with a median (range) gestational age of 26.3 (22.9–27.9) weeks were studied. The median (range) adjusted SA was 647.9 (316.4–902.7) cm2. The adjusted SA was lower in the infants who required home oxygen [637.7 (323.5–837.5) cm2] compared to those who did not [799.1 (444.2–902.7) cm2, p = 0.016]. In predicting the need for supplemental home oxygen, the adjusted SA had an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.815 (p = 0.017). An adjusted SA ≥688.6 cm2 had 86% sensitivity and 77% specificity in predicting the need for supplemental home oxygen.

Conclusions

The alveolar surface area can be estimated non-invasively in extremely preterm infants. The adjusted alveolar surface area has the potential to predict the subsequent need for discharge home on supplemental oxygen.

Impact

We describe a novel biomarker of respiratory disease following extremely preterm birth.

The adjusted alveolar surface area index was derived by non-invasive measurements of the ventilation/perfusion ratio and adjusted by concurrent measurements of volumetric capnography.

The adjusted alveolar surface area was markedly reduced in extremely preterm infants studied at 7 days of life and could predict the need for discharge home on supplemental oxygen.

This method could be used at the bedside to estimate the alveolar surface area and provide an index of the severity of lung disease, and assist in monitoring, clinical management and prognosis.
Tumour budding-based grading as independent prognostic biomarker in HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck cancer
Authors: Stögbauer Fabian , Beck Susanne , Ourailidis Iordanis , Hess Jochen , Poremba Christopher , Lauterbach Maren , Wollenberg Barbara , Buchberger Anna Maria Stefanie , Jesinghaus Moritz , Schirmacher Peter , Stenzinger Albrecht , Weichert Wilko , Boxberg Melanie , Budczies Jan
Published: April 2023

Background

The prognostic significance of tumour budding (TB) and minimal cell nest size (MCNS) was shown in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). However, the optimisation of cutpoints, the prognostic impact in HPV-positive HNSCC, and the comparison with other histopathological grading systems are insufficiently investigated.

Methods

TB and MCNS were analysed digitally in 1 and 10 high-power fields (HPF) of 331 HPV-positive and HPV-negative cases from TCGA. Optimising the cutpoints a new cellular dissociation grading (CDG) system was defined and compared to the WHO grading and the Brandwein–Gensler (BG) risk model.

Results

The two-tiered CDG system based solely on TB yielded optimal prognostic stratification with shortened overall survival for CDG-high cases. Optimal cut-offs were two buds (1 HPF) and six buds (10 HPF), respectively. Analysing MCNS did not add prognostic significance to quantifying TB. CDG was a significant prognostic marker in HPV-negative and HPV-positive tumours and prognostically superior to the WHO and BG systems. High CDG was associated with clinically occult lymph-node metastases.

Conclusions

The most comprehensive study of TB in HNSCC so far confirmed its prognostic impact in HPV-negative tumours and for the first time in HPV-positive tumours. Further studies are warranted to evaluate its applicability for therapy guidance in HNSCC.
A neural network model for high entropy alloy design
Authors: Wang Jaemin , Kwon Hyeonseok , Kim Hyoung Seop , Lee Byeong-Joo
Published: April 2023

A neural network model is developed to search vast compositional space of high entropy alloys (HEAs). The model predicts the mechanical properties of HEAs better than several other models. It’s because the special structure of the model helps the model understand the characteristics of constituent elements of HEAs. In addition, thermodynamics descriptors were utilized as input to the model so that the model predicts better by understanding the thermodynamic properties of HEAs. A conditional random search, which is good at finding local optimal values, was selected as the inverse predictor and designed two HEAs using the model. We experimentally verified that the HEAs have the best combination of strength and ductility and this proves the validity of the model and alloy design method. The strengthening mechanism of the designed HEAs is further discussed based on microstructure and lattice distortion effect. The present alloy design approach, specialized in finding multiple local optima, could help researchers design an infinite number of new alloys with interesting properties.
Dehydration of a crystal hydrate at subglacial temperatures
Authors: Eaby Alan C. , Myburgh Dirkie C. , Kosimov Akmal , Kwit Marcin , Esterhuysen Catharine , Janiak Agnieszka M. , Barbour Leonard J.
Published: April 2023

Water is one of the most important substances on our planet1. It is ubiquitous in its solid, liquid and vaporous states and all known biological systems depend on its unique chemical and physical properties. Moreover, many materials exist as water adducts, chief among which are crystal hydrates (a specific class of inclusion compound), which usually retain water indefinitely at subambient temperatures2. We describe a porous organic crystal that readily and reversibly adsorbs water into 1-nm-wide channels at more than 55% relative humidity. The water uptake/release is chromogenic, thus providing a convenient visual indication of the hydration state of the crystal over a wide temperature range. The complementary techniques of X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and molecular simulations were used to establish that the nanoconfined water is in a state of flux above −70 °C, thus allowing low-temperature dehydration to occur. We were able to determine the kinetics of dehydration over a wide temperature range, including well below 0 °C which, owing to the presence of atmospheric moisture, is usually challenging to accomplish. This discovery unlocks opportunities for designing materials that capture/release water over a range of temperatures that extend well below the freezing point of bulk water.
Ageing-associated changes in transcriptional elongation influence longevity
Authors: Debès Cédric , Papadakis Antonios , Grönke Sebastian , Karalay Özlem , Tain Luke S. , Mizi Athanasia , Nakamura Shuhei , Hahn Oliver , Weigelt Carina , Josipovic Natasa , Zirkel Anne , Brusius Isabell , Sofiadis Konstantinos , Lamprousi Mantha , Lu Yu-Xuan , Huang Wenming , Esmaillie Reza , Kubacki Torsten , Späth Martin R. , Schermer Bernhard , Benzing Thomas , Müller Roman-Ulrich , Antebi Adam , Partridge Linda , Papantonis Argyris , Beyer Andreas
Published: April 2023

Physiological homeostasis becomes compromised during ageing, as a result of impairment of cellular processes, including transcription and RNA splicing1–4. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to the loss of transcriptional fidelity are so far elusive, as are ways of preventing it. Here we profiled and analysed genome-wide, ageing-related changes in transcriptional processes across different organisms: nematodes, fruitflies, mice, rats and humans. The average transcriptional elongation speed (RNA polymerase II speed) increased with age in all five species. Along with these changes in elongation speed, we observed changes in splicing, including a reduction of unspliced transcripts and the formation of more circular RNAs. Two lifespan-extending interventions, dietary restriction and lowered insulin–IGF signalling, both reversed most of these ageing-related changes. Genetic variants in RNA polymerase II that reduced its speed in worms5 and flies6 increased their lifespan. Similarly, reducing the speed of RNA polymerase II by overexpressing histone components, to counter age-associated changes in nucleosome positioning, also extended lifespan in flies and the division potential of human cells. Our findings uncover fundamental molecular mechanisms underlying animal ageing and lifespan-extending interventions, and point to possible preventive measures.
Astrocyte–neuron subproteomes and obsessive–compulsive disorder mechanisms
Authors: Soto Joselyn S. , Jami-Alahmadi Yasaman , Chacon Jakelyn , Moye Stefanie L. , Diaz-Castro Blanca , Wohlschlegel James A. , Khakh Baljit S.
Published: April 2023

Astrocytes and neurons extensively interact in the brain. Identifying astrocyte and neuron proteomes is essential for elucidating the protein networks that dictate their respective contributions to physiology and disease. Here we used cell-specific and subcompartment-specific proximity-dependent biotinylation1 to study the proteomes of striatal astrocytes and neurons in vivo. We evaluated cytosolic and plasma membrane compartments for astrocytes and neurons to discover how these cells differ at the protein level in their signalling machinery. We also assessed subcellular compartments of astrocytes, including end feet and fine processes, to reveal their subproteomes and the molecular basis of essential astrocyte signalling and homeostatic functions. Notably, SAPAP3 (encoded by Dlgap3), which is associated with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and repetitive behaviours2–8, was detected at high levels in striatal astrocytes and was enriched within specific astrocyte subcompartments where it regulated actin cytoskeleton organization. Furthermore, genetic rescue experiments combined with behavioural analyses and molecular assessments in a mouse model of OCD4 lacking SAPAP3 revealed distinct contributions of astrocytic and neuronal SAPAP3 to repetitive and anxiety-related OCD-like phenotypes. Our data define how astrocytes and neurons differ at the protein level and in their major signalling pathways. Moreover, they reveal how astrocyte subproteomes vary between physiological subcompartments and how both astrocyte and neuronal SAPAP3 mechanisms contribute to OCD phenotypes in mice. Our data indicate that therapeutic strategies that target both astrocytes and neurons may be useful to explore in OCD and potentially other brain disorders.
Unified access to up-to-date residue-level annotations from UniProtKB and other biological databases for PDB data
Authors: Choudhary Preeti , Anyango Stephen , Berrisford John , Tolchard James , Varadi Mihaly , Velankar Sameer
Published: April 2023

More than 61,000 proteins have up-to-date correspondence between their amino acid sequence (UniProtKB) and their 3D structures (PDB), enabled by the Structure Integration with Function, Taxonomy and Sequences (SIFTS) resource. SIFTS incorporates residue-level annotations from many other biological resources. SIFTS data is available in various formats like XML, CSV and TSV format or also accessible via the PDBe REST API but always maintained separately from the structure data (PDBx/mmCIF file) in the PDB archive. Here, we extended the wwPDB PDBx/mmCIF data dictionary with additional categories to accommodate SIFTS data and added the UniProtKB, Pfam, SCOP2, and CATH residue-level annotations directly into the PDBx/mmCIF files from the PDB archive. With the integrated UniProtKB annotations, these files now provide consistent numbering of residues in different PDB entries allowing easy comparison of structure models. The extended dictionary yields a more consistent, standardised metadata description without altering the core PDB information. This development enables up-to-date cross-reference information at the residue level resulting in better data interoperability, supporting improved data analysis and visualisation.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Qilongtian ameliorate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice via inhibiting IL-17 signal pathway
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Luo Ting , Yuan Dezheng , Liu Jing , Fu Yi , Yuan Jiali
Published: April 2023

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a special type of pulmonary parenchymal disease, with chronic, progressive, fibrosis, and high mortality. There is a lack of safe, effective, and affordable treatment methods. Qilongtian (QLT) is a traditional Chinese prescription that is composed of Panax notoginseng, Earthworm, and Rhodiola, and shows the remarkable clinical curative effect of PF. However, the mechanism of QLT remains to be clarified. Therefore, we studied the effectivity of QLT in treating Bleomycin (BLM) induced PF mice. 36 C57BL/6 J mice were randomized into the control group, the model group, the low-, medium- and high-dose QLT group, and Pirfenidone group. After establishing a model of pulmonary fibrosis in mice, the control and model groups were infused with a normal saline solution, and the delivery group was infused with QLT. Pulmonary function in the mice from each group was detected. Pulmonary tissue morphologies and collagen deposition were stained by HE and Masson. The content of hydroxyproline (HYP) was detected by alkaline hydrolysis and the mRNA and protein expression of related genes in pulmonary tissues were detected by using q-PCR, ELISA, and Western blot. Our studies have shown that QLT significantly reduced the inflammatory injury, hydroxy-proline content, and collagen deposition of pulmonary tissue in BLM-induced PF mice and down-regulated the cytokine related to inflammation and fibrosis and PF expression on the mRNA and protein level in PF mice. To identify the mechanism of QLT, the Transcriptome was measured and the IL-17 signal pathway was screened out for further research. Further studies indicated that QLT reduced the mRNAs and protein levels of interleukin 17 (IL-17), c–c motif chemokine ligand 12 (CCL12), c-x-c motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5), fos-like antigen 1 (FOSL1), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), and amphiregulin (AREG), which are inflammation and fibrosis-related genes in the IL-17 signal pathway. The results indicated that the potential mechanism for QLT in the prevention of PF progression was by inhibiting inflammation resulting in the IL-17 signal pathway. Our study provides the novel scientific basis of QLT and represents new therapeutics for PF in clinical.
Papaya latex mediated synthesis of prism shaped proteolytic gold nanozymes
Authors: Das Ajoy Kumar , Kalita Jon Jyoti , Borah Maina , Das Suradip , Sharma Manav , Saharia Dhiren , Sarma Kushal Konwar , Bora Samrat , Bora Utpal
Published: April 2023

Beyond natural enzymes, the artificially synthesized nanozymes have attracted a significant interest as it can overcome the limitations of the former. Here, we report synthesis of shape controlled nanozymes showing proteolytic activity using Carica papaya L. (papaya) latex. The nanozymes synthesized under optimized reaction conditions exhibited sharp SPR peak around 550 nm with high abundance (45.85%) of prism shaped particles. FTIR analysis and coagulation test indicated the presence of papaya latex enzymes as capping agents over the gold nanoprisms. The milk clot assay and the inhibition test with egg white confirmed the proteolytic activity of the nanozymes and the presence of cysteine protease on it, respectively. The nanozymes were found to be biocompatible and did not elicit any toxic response in both in-vitro and in-vivo study. Based on our findings, we envisage that these biocompatible, shape-specific nanozymes can have potential theragnostic applications.
Faceting the post-disaster built heritage reconstruction process within the digital twin framework for Notre-Dame de Paris
Authors: Gros Antoine , Guillem Anaïs , De Luca Livio , Baillieul Élise , Duvocelle Benoit , Malavergne Olivier , Leroux Lise , Zimmer Thierry
Published: April 2023

April 15th, 2019: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was burning, the spire collapsed on the nave, vaults crumbled and most of the timber roof was gone. In the post-disaster context, the authenticity and the monitoring of the archaeological remains are crucial for their potential reuse during reconstruction. This paper analyzes the collapsed transverse arch from the nave of Notre-Dame as a case study of reconstruction, using the digital twin framework. We propose four facets for the digital twin experiment—physical anastylosis, reverse engineering, spatio-temporal tracking of assets, and operational research—that are described in detail, while being assembled to support a hybrid reconstruction hypothesis. The digital twin can realize the parallel unfolding of physical-native and digital-native processes, while acquiring and storing heterogeneous information as semantically structured data. The results demonstrate that the proposed modeling method facilitates the formalization and validation of the reconstruction problem and increases solutions performances. As result, we present a digital twin framework application ranging from acquisition to data processing that informs a successful hybrid reconstruction hypothesis.
COPD awareness among the Syrian community: population-based study
Authors: Hadakie Rana , Kakaje Ameer , Al Kwatly Khalil , Haddad Shaden
Published: April 2023

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease and among the top causes of mortality worldwide but can be prevented and treated. This study aims to estimate the awareness of COPD among the Syrian population. A cross-sectional anonymous self-administered online survey was conducted by using Google Forms on Social Media platforms. The questionnaire included demographic, smoke-related and COPD-related questions. This study included 1607 participants with 930 (57.8%) females, 40% aging 21–25 years old, more than 90% being university students/graduates and 67.8% living in cities. Around half were either active smokers or had second-hand smoke exposure. After excluding participants in health-related fields who were 950 participants, only 25.4% of the remaining had ever heard of the term COPD. Knowing about COPD was not associated with reported smoking habits. No significant differences in awareness were seen between city and countryside dwellers, governate groups, genders, or age groups. Being in a health-related field was a major factor of being aware of COPD. COPD awareness in Syria is low, even amongst the well-educated group. Moreover, COPD risk factors of smoking and exposure to indoor and outdoor pollutants are common. Raising awareness is crucial in the Syrian community as COPD is highly prevalence.
Sonification as a reliable alternative to conventional visual surgical navigation
Authors: Matinfar Sasan , Salehi Mehrdad , Suter Daniel , Seibold Matthias , Dehghani Shervin , Navab Navid , Wanivenhaus Florian , Fürnstahl Philipp , Farshad Mazda , Navab Nassir
Published: April 2023

Despite the undeniable advantages of image-guided surgical assistance systems in terms of accuracy, such systems have not yet fully met surgeons’ needs or expectations regarding usability, time efficiency, and their integration into the surgical workflow. On the other hand, perceptual studies have shown that presenting independent but causally correlated information via multimodal feedback involving different sensory modalities can improve task performance. This article investigates an alternative method for computer-assisted surgical navigation, introduces a novel four-DOF sonification methodology for navigated pedicle screw placement, and discusses advanced solutions based on multisensory feedback. The proposed method comprises a novel four-DOF sonification solution for alignment tasks in four degrees of freedom based on frequency modulation synthesis. We compared the resulting accuracy and execution time of the proposed sonification method with visual navigation, which is currently considered the state of the art. We conducted a phantom study in which 17 surgeons executed the pedicle screw placement task in the lumbar spine, guided by either the proposed sonification-based or the traditional visual navigation method. The results demonstrated that the proposed method is as accurate as the state of the art while decreasing the surgeon’s need to focus on visual navigation displays instead of the natural focus on surgical tools and targeted anatomy during task execution.
Periodontal disease does not increase the risk of subsequent psoriasis
Authors: Baek Yoo Sang , Kwak Eun-Jung , Kim Young Chan , Kim Ko Eun , Song Hae Jun , Jeon Jiehyun
Published: April 2023

Previous studies suggested that chronic periodontitis may be a risk factor for psoriasis. However, no study has confirmed this relationship for all stages of periodontal disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). This nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate whether periodontal disease is an independent risk factor for the development of subsequent psoriasis. Patients aged ≥ 20 years who underwent both medical and oral checkups from the National Health Screening Program between 2002 and 2007 were selected from a customized database provided by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS). Then, patients with periodontal disease (n = 3,682,468) and without periodontal disease (control, n = 3,637,128) according to oral examination results were identified. We tracked each patient for subsequent psoriasis diagnosis until the end of 2018 using NHIS database. The incidence rates of psoriasis per 1000 person-years were 0.36 and 0.34 in the periodontal disease group and control groups, respectively. After adjusting for potential cofactors, no significant increase in risk (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.994; 95% confidence interval, 0.974–1.015) was observed. Similar results were observed when analyzing the risk of psoriasis in patients who required scaling or periodontal surgery. In conclusion, periodontal disease is not an independent risk factor of psoriasis.
Differences in learning characteristics between support vector machine and random forest models for compound classification revealed by Shapley value analysis
Authors: Siemers Friederike Maite , Bajorath Jürgen
Published: April 2023

The random forest (RF) and support vector machine (SVM) methods are mainstays in molecular machine learning (ML) and compound property prediction. We have explored in detail how binary classification models derived using these algorithms arrive at their predictions. To these ends, approaches from explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) are applicable such as the Shapley value concept originating from game theory that we adapted and further extended for our analysis. In large-scale activity-based compound classification using models derived from training sets of increasing size, RF and SVM with the Tanimoto kernel produced very similar predictions that could hardly be distinguished. However, Shapley value analysis revealed that their learning characteristics systematically differed and that chemically intuitive explanations of accurate RF and SVM predictions had different origins.
Enhancement of absorption in a CH3NH3PbI3-based photonic crystal in the presence of the monolayer MoS2
Authors: Sattari Farhad , Mirershadi Soghra
Published: April 2023

Using the transfer matrix approach, we investigate theoretically the absorbance, transmittance, and reflectance through one-dimensional CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite-based photonic crystal at room temperature. In our proposed structure, a monolayer MoS2 film is embedded between two CH3NH3PbI3 layers. We found that, the presence of monolayer MoS2 film increases the absorbance in longer wavelengths $$(\lambda > 600\begin{array}{*{20}c} \, \, {\rm nm} \\ \end{array} ).$$

(
λ
>
600

nm

)
.

With increasing the number of periods, absorbance increases in most wavelengths of the incident light. It was shown that, by controlling the number of periods, the absorbance coefficient can be tuned according to the wavelength and angle of incident light. Furthermore, for incident light with longer wavelength, the absorbance, transmittance as well as reflectance versus thickness of the perovskite layer have an oscillatory behavior, and with increasing the number of periods this oscillatory behavior becomes more obvious and prominent. For the incident light in the infrared region, by increasing the number of periods the absorbance as opposed to the transmittance increases for different incidence angles. While, the reflectance coefficient first shows oscillatory behavior by increasing the number of periods, then with a further increase in the number of periods it reaches a constant value. The proposed structure can be useful for optoelectronic and optical devices. Such as improving the efficiency of solar cells based on the hybrid inorganic–organic perovskites and infrared sensor system.
Assessment of quality of life, pain level and disability outcomes after lumbar discectomy
Authors: Staszkiewicz Rafał , Ulasavets Uladzislau , Dobosz Paweł , Drewniak Szymon , Niewiadomska Ewa , Grabarek Beniamin Oskar
Published: April 2023

This study aimed to assess the quality of life of 113 Caucasian patients with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration of the lumbosacral (L/S) spine who qualified for microdiscectomy during a 12-month period after surgery. Based on magnetic resonance imaging before the surgery, the degree of radiological advancement of the degenerative changes was determined according to the Pfirrmann grading scale from 1 to 5. To assess pain intensity, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used; the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) was used to evaluate quality of life; and to assess the degree of ability, the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODI) was employed. The level of pain, assessed using the VAS, significantly changed in the months following the surgery, with the highest values noted before surgery and the lowest a year after. In turn, the results of the SWLS questionnaire revealed a significant increase in satisfaction with life in the subsequent stages of the study. The conducted correlation analysis revealed significant dependencies in terms of quality of life in regard to pain as well as degree of disability. The level of pain and degree of disability were closely related to the degree of radiological advancement of degenerative changes according to the Pfirrmann grading scale.
Remnant cholesterol can identify individuals at higher risk of metabolic syndrome in the general population
Authors: Zou Yang , Kuang Maobin , Zhong Yanjia , Jiang Chunyuan
Published: April 2023

Remnant cholesterol (RC) is a highly atherogenic lipid. Previous studies have shown that RC was closely associated with many metabolism-related diseases. However, the relationship of RC with metabolic syndrome (MetS) remains unclear. This study’s objective is to investigate the relationship of RC with MetS. A total of 60,799 adults who received health assessments were included in this study. RC was calculated by subtracting the directly measured values for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) from total cholesterol (TC) and divided into 5 groups according to its quintile. MetS diagnosis according to National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) definitions. Application of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and multivariate logistic regression to assess the association of RC with MetS. In RC quintile groups, the prevalence of MetS was 0.84, 1.10, 1.92, 3.87 and 37.71%, respectively. Multivariate logical regression analysis showed that RC and MetS maintained a stable independent positive correlation between both sexes. An interaction test further showed that the MetS risk associated with RC was significantly higher in women than in men. Moreover, ROC analysis results showed that RC had high accuracy in identifying MetS, especially among young and middle-aged men [(area under the curve: AUC) < 30 years: 0.9572, 30–39 years: 0.9306, 40–49 years: 0.9067]. The current study provided the first evidence of a positive association between RC and MetS, and that this correlation was stronger in women than in man, which may be due to the relative deficiency of estrogen in women.
Integrated strength of osmotic potential and phosphorus to achieve grain yield of rice under water deficit by arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi
Authors: Yooyongwech Suravoot , Tisarum Rujira , Samphumphuang Thapanee , Phisalaphong Muenduen , Cha-um Suriyan
Published: April 2023

Arbuscular mycorrhizal ecosystem provides sustainability to plant integrity under drought situations. However, host plants that survive in drought frequently lose yield. The potential of Funneliformis mosseae (F), Claroideoglomus etunicatum (C), and Acaulospora fovaeta (A) was assessed to evaluate in indica rice cv. Leum Pua during booting stage under 21-day water withholding. The effects of three inoculation types; (i) F, (ii) F + C (FC), and (iii) F + C + A (FCA), on physiological, biochemical, and yield traits were investigated. The three types showed an induced total chlorophyll content in the host as compared to uninoculated plants. Total soluble sugars and free proline were less regulated by FC and FCA inoculated plants than by F inoculated plants under water deficit conditions. However, the FC and FCA inoculations increased phosphorus content, particularly in the shoots of water-stressed plants. In the three inoculations, the FCA dramatically improved plant osmotic potential adaptability under water deficit stress. Furthermore, even when exposed to the water deficit condition, panicle weight, grain number, and grain maturity were maintained in FCA inoculated plants. According to the findings, the increased osmotic potential and phosphorus content of the FCA-inoculated rice plant provide a protection sign against drought stress and will benefit food security in the future.
Structural, optical and transport properties of layered europium disulfide synthesized under high pressure
Authors: Ekimov E. A. , Nikolaev S. N. , Ivanova A. G. , Sidorov V. A. , Shiryaev A. A. , Usmanov I. I. , Vasiliev A. L. , Artemov V. V. , Kondrin M. V. , Chernopitsskiy M. A. , Krivobok V. S.
Published: April 2023

A novel layered compound — europium disulfide — was synthesized under high-temperature–high-pressure conditions and characterized by complementary methods.
Coverage-dependent adsorption and dissociation of H2O on Al surfaces
Authors: Hai Pengqi , Wu Chao , Ding Xiangdong , Li Yuanjie
Published: April 2023

The adsorption and dissociation of H2O on Al surfaces including crystal planes and nanoparticles (ANPs) are systematically investigated by using density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Optimization of a quantitative protocol for the intermediate metabolites of the glycolysis pathway in human serum using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Authors: Tang Ying-Shu , Zhang Ming-Jia , Zhao Jin-Hui , Liu Li-Yan
Published: April 2023

This protocol refined a methodology for simultaneously testing 10 glycolysis pathway metabolites in serum. The quantification of glycolysis metabolites in serum from gastric cancer patients was carried out to observe changes in glycolysis.
Tuneable defect-curvature coupling and topological transitions in active shells
Authors: Hoffmann Ludwig A. , Carenza Livio Nicola , Giomi Luca
Published: April 2023

Active liquid crystals use topology to create complex structures in curved geometries through mechanical coupling between topological defects and curvature. This links topological defects to morphogenetic events in biological development.
Anion-polarisation-directed short-range-order in antiperovskite Li2FeSO
Authors: Coles Samuel W. , Falkowski Viktoria , Geddes Harry S. , Pérez Gabriel E. , Booth Samuel G. , Squires Alexander G. , O'Rourke Conn , McColl Kit , Goodwin Andrew L. , Cussen Serena A. , Clarke Simon J. , Islam M. Saiful , Morgan Benjamin J.
Published: April 2023

Anion polarisation in heterocationic Li2FeSO stabilises polar anion coordination in opposition to the predictions from simple point-charge electrostatics. This behaviour gives local configurational under-constraint and causes long-range disorder.
The importance of a good solvent of conjugated polymers for preparing dopant solution on the electrical and mechanical properties of sequentially doped conjugated polymer films
Authors: He Jiaxin , Shan Hongtao , Zhu Bingyan , Zhou Jianjun , Huo Hong
Published: April 2023

Electrical conductivity σ of the doped P3HT films is plotted against the volume fraction of a good solvent in the doping solvent blend.
Tumor-targeted nanoflowers regulate glutamine metabolism and amplify oxidative stress for synergistic therapy
Authors: Wang Mengzhen , Wang Kaixian , Liu Xiaohan , Shi Mingwan , Zhang Huiwen , Zhang Xia , Wei Ruyue , Li Na , Pan Wei , Tang Bo
Published: April 2023

Tumor-targeted nanoflowers with glutamine-metabolism inhibition and oxidative-stress amplification have been synthesized to synergistically suppress tumor growth.
Frontiers in19F-MR imaging: nanofluorides and19F-CEST as novel extensions to the19F-MRI toolbox
Authors: Galisova Andrea , Bar-Shir Amnon
Published: April 2023

Fluorine-containing materials have enriched the field of molecular and cellular MRI with unambiguous and quantitative detection capabilities.
Accurate photoactivation monitoring via the construction of an intramolecular synergistic counteracting mechanism of FRET and IFE
Authors: Ma Siyue , Wang Yihan , Wang Chao , Wang Linlin , Miao Qing , Liu Yuxia , Ma Yangmin , Chen Guang
Published: April 2023

We propose an intramolecular synergistic counteracting strategy of fluorescence resonance energy transfer and the inner filter effect for accurate photoactivation monitoring, to eliminate the influence of the biological microenvironment.
Seed-mediated synthesis of monodisperse plasmonic magnesium nanoparticles
Authors: Lomonosov Vladimir , Hopper Elizabeth R. , Ringe Emilie
Published: April 2023

We demonstrate the seed-mediated synthesis of plasmonic, metallic magnesium nanoparticles, leading to controllable and monodisperse nanoparticle size distributions.
Nanomaterials in photocatalysed organic transformations: development, prospects and challenges
Authors: Jaiswal Komal , Mahanta Madhusmita , De Mrinmoy
Published: April 2023

Nanomaterials are sustainable/heterogeneous alternatives as catalysts for various organic transformations. Over the years, they have garnered paramount importance in various fields owing to their structural diversity and unique, tunable properties.
Phenoxazine-based small molecule heterojunction nanoparticles for photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Pavliuk Mariia V. , Wrede Sina , Tian Haining
Published: April 2023

Small molecule heterojunction nanoparticles based on a phenoxazine photosensitizer and a non-fullerene acceptor ITIC have been developed for photocatalytic hydrogen production.
A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe for the imaging of viscosity in cells and tumor-bearing mice
Authors: Liao Qin-Ting , Chao Jing-Jing , Wang Wen-Xin , Liu Ting , Mao Guo-Jiang , Xu Fen , Li Chun-Yan
Published: April 2023

A novel near-infrared probe (IC-V) for detecting viscosity is constructed with NIR fluorescent emission, large Stokes shift and high response signal. IC-V can be used to monitor the level of viscosity in cells and mice.
Profiling the chemistry- and confinement-controlled sensing capability of an octameric aerolysin-like protein
Authors: Wu Xue-Yuan , Jiang Jie , Li Jun-Ge , Li Meng-Yin , Long Yi-Tao
Published: April 2023

Octameric Aep1 shows unique suitability for the gamma-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) adapter with 8 subunits, enabling the discrimination for β-nicotinamide mononucleotide.
Transition metal complexes as self-activating chemical nucleases: proficient DNA cleavage without any exogenous redox agents
Authors: Kumar Pramod , Tomar Sunil , Kumar Krishan , Kumar Sushil
Published: April 2023

This perspective presents DNA cleavage via self-activation based on transition metal complexes employing copper, zinc and iron with their mechanistic investigation.
Flow cytometric printing of double emulsions into open droplet arrays
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Xu Linfeng , Chen Huawei , Abate Adam R.
Published: April 2023

We describe a microfluidic approach to print double emulsions on demand in air, allowing each double emulsion droplet to be printed with the desired inner cores.
Rhombohedral type of LaCoO3 with carbon nanofiber composite as an electrocatalyst enables the amperometry detection of vanillin in food samples
Authors: Vinoth Subramaniyan , Wang Sea-Fue
Published: April 2023

Synthesis of LaCoO3@CNF composite as an electrocatalyst enables electrochemical detection of vanillin in food samples.
Chelation-assisted iridium-catalyzed hydroalkenylation and hydroarylation/cyclization with conjugated trienes
Authors: Liao Yilei , Zhang Cheng , Wang Yini , Hu Yibu , Ding Liyuan , Zhong Liangjun , Zhong Guofu , Zhang Jian
Published: April 2023

While Ir-catalyzed hydroalkenylation of 1,3,5-trienes by alkenyl C–H activation of acrylamides delivers 1,4,6-trienes, benzamides and 1,3,5-trienes undergo tandem hydroarylation and intramolecular 1,2-addition to give tetrahydroisoquinolinones.
Carbene-catalyzed [3 + 2 + 1] annulation via C–N radical coupling of iminyl radicals and ketyl radicals
Authors: Li Wenchang , Zhou Peng , Zhao Qing , Lin Kejun , Zhu Tingshun
Published: April 2023

An NHC-catalyzed [3 + 2 + 1] annulation of vinyl azides, aldehydes, and Togni’s reagents was reported. The cascade involves NHC-catalyzed SET redox transformation, denitrogenated radical migration, C–N radical coupling, and defluorinated cyclization.
[M(OH)2]3(IO3)(SeO4)·H2O (M = Ga and In): metal iodate–selenate nonlinear optical materials with a hexagonal tungsten oxide-type topology
Authors: Chen Qian-Qian , Hu Chun-Li , Li Bing-Xuan , Mao Jiang-Gao
Published: April 2023

The designed [M(OH)2]3(IO3)(SeO4)·H2O (M = Ga and In) feature∞[MO2(OH)2]3−layers composed of M3O6(OH)9trimeric units capped by SeO4and IO3groups from different sides of the layers. They exhibit moderate SHG effects and large LIDT values.
Dynamically tunable lamellar surface structures from magnetoactive elastomers driven by a uniform magnetic field
Authors: Straus Izidor , Kokot Gašper , Kravanja Gaia , Hribar Luka , Kriegl Raphael , Shamonin Mikhail , Jezeršek Matija , Drevenšek-Olenik Irena
Published: April 2023

We study the dynamic response of magnetoactive elastomer lamellar surfaces to rapid changes in an external uniform magnetic field and how they alter the surface optical reflectance. We also present a minimal hybrid model that helps explain the lamellar structure frustration.
Structural control of charge transport in polymer monolayer transistors by a thermodynamically assisted dip-coating strategy
Authors: Ding Chenming , Deng Junyang , Cheng Miao , Li Mengmeng , Li Ling
Published: April 2023

A thermodynamically assisted strategy is developed to precisely control the growth rate of polymer aggregates in solution. The resulting polymer monolayer exhibits improved molecular order and doubled mobility in field-effect transistors.
Efficient segmentation algorithm for complex cellular image analysis system
Authors: Liu Yanyi , Wang Chen , Wen Yingyou , Huo Yixiang , Liu Jun
Published: April 2023

Cellular image analysis system is a complex system that plays a critical role in disease diagnosis and pharmaceutical research. The analysis of image data is one of the most critical aspects of the system. However, there are differences in the distribution of cellular images, including cell morphology, cell density etc. This often requires careful algorithm customization, strict parameter tuning, or even inefficient manual processing, leading to low levels of automation. In this work, an efficient end‐to‐end cell segmentation algorithm, ECS‐Net, is proposed that can handle detection, segmentation, and counting tasks simultaneously. Two modules, proposal focus module (PFM) and enhance mask feature head (EMFH), are introduced to improve the segmentation accuracy. The proposed algorithm achieves better detection and segmentation accuracy with fewer parameters and computational cost, thus improving cellular image analysis systems. Furthermore, considering the medical IoT scenario, the scaled‐down model with only 5.8M parameters has only a small decrease in accuracy which has significant application value.
Full 360° beam steering millimetre‐wave leaky‐wave antennas coupled with bespoke 3D‐printed dielectric lenses for 5G base stations
Authors: Bansal Aakash , Panagamuwa Chinthana J , Whittow William G
Published: April 2023

A fast beam‐steering capability has been demonstrated using an array of high‐gain corrugated substrate integrated waveguide (CSIW) slot antennas coupled with a bespoke dielectric lens. The proposed system prototype has been simulated, fabricated, and measured. The proposed system is shown to have a full 360° beam‐steer in azimuth plane with an angular sensitivity of 9°, half power beamwidth (HPBW) of 18° and a gain of < 20.5 dBi at n257 frequency band of 26 to 29 GHz. Further, the antenna is shown to have a fixed frequency beam steer of ±15° along with a frequency‐controlled beam‐scanning of ±45° in the elevation plane. The antenna setup is shown to be suitable for applications for 5G base‐stations.
Value of distribution system information for DER deployment
Authors: Khan Hafiz Anwar Ullah , Ünel Burçin , Dvorkin Yury
Published: April 2023

Integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in power systems exacerbates the existing information problems between power utilities and regulators. DER policies oblivious to the trilemma of information asymmetry between power utilities, DER aggregators, and regulators result in distorted price signals to DER investors, and socially inefficient DER roll‐out. Therefore, in this paper, a game‐theoretic approach is proposed for modeling information asymmetry in distribution network information and consumer data between the DER aggregators and the power utilities. The proposed framework is based on Single Leader Single Follower (SLSF) games, reformulated as Mathematical Programs with Equilibrium Constraints (MPECs), and solved using the Scholtes's relaxation technique. The results, based on the 7‐bus Manhattan power network, show that unless the DER aggregators have complete information about the distribution network characteristics, the welfare along with the realized installed capacity of DERs in the system decreases. Moreover, progressively decreasing DER investment costs alleviate the effects of information asymmetry, suggesting that early adopters face disproportionately high welfare losses attributed to incomplete information between the DER stakeholders. Hence, policy interventions to alleviate the rampant information problems are imperative to ensure an optimal DER roll‐out.
Nanopillar arrays of mesoporous Bi2Se3 and CuInSe2 in layer‐based perovskite solar cells
Authors: Abdolhay Arezo , Kashaninia Alireza , Banihashemi Mehdi
Published: April 2023

The improvement of light trapping inside the active layer of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) was numerically investigated. The light absorption probability was improved by incorporating periodic arrays of mesoscopic electron‐transporting layer into the absorber layer (CH3NH3PbI3) of the PSCs. Accordingly, chalcopyrite (CuInSe2) and bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) were introduced in the form of hexagonal pillars with an optimum radius of 35 nm and a height of 292 nm. It was found that the proposed PSCs can significantly extend the broadband light absorption from the visible spectrum to the near‐infrared (NIR) region compared to planar PSCs that have an identical active layer thickness. After optimization, the PSCs based on MP‐CuInSe2 and MP‐Bi2Se3 showed the best performance with an enhancement of respectively 32% and 54 % in the photocurrent density, (with values of 29.94 and 34.93 mA.cm−2), as compared to the planar PSC (with a photocurrent density of 22.69 mA.cm−2). This enhancement resulted from a more effective carrier transport due to the mesoscopic structures.
An optimization method for reducing the voltage fluctuation of the floating‐capacitor in ANPC five‐level inverter
Authors: Liu Zhan , Li Peiyuan , Lu Kaier , Shen Xiao , Wu Xiang , Xia Zhenglong
Published: April 2023

The excessive fluctuation of the floating capacitance's (FCs) voltage affects the output performance and output power of the 3P‐5L‐ANPC converter. In order to minimize the fluctuation of the FCs voltage, an optimization control method based on zero‐sequence voltage (ZSV) injection is proposed. The method takes reducing the maximum amplitude of the voltage fluctuation of the three‐phase floating capacitor as the control target. Firstly, the mathematical equation between the modulation voltage and the voltage fluctuation of the FCs are established, and then the maximum fluctuation amplitude of the FCs voltage is obtained by using the established mathematical equations. Secondly, the range of ZSV injection is determined according to the conditions such as the control of neutral point voltage and the limitation of high‐phase voltage leaps. Finally, the equations of the maximum amplitude in the voltage fluctuation of the three‐phase FCs are established, and the ZSV with the minimum voltage amplitude fluctuation of the FCs is obtained within the effective range of the ZSV injection. Compared with the traditional shifted pulse width modulation (SPWM)/space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) method, the proposed method can effectively reduce the fluctuation of the FC voltage by 50%. Simulation and experimental results are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Total electron temperature derived from quasi-thermal noise spectroscopy in the pristine solar wind from Parker Solar Probe observations
Authors: Liu M. , Issautier K. , Moncuquet M. , Meyer-Vernet N. , Maksimovic M. , Huang J. , Martinovic M. M. , Griton L. , Chrysaphi N. , Jagarlamudi V. K. , Bale S. D. , Pulupa M. , Kasper J. C. , Stevens M. L.
Published: April 2023

Aims.We applied the quasi-thermal noise (QTN) method to Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations to derive the total electron temperature (Te). We combined a set of encounters to make up a 12-day period of observations around each perihelion from encounter one (E01) to ten (E10), with E08 not included. Here, the heliocentric distance varies from about 13 to 60 solar radii (R⊙).

Methods.The QTN technique is a reliable tool to yield accurate measurements of the electron parameters in the solar wind. We obtainedTefrom the linear fit of the high-frequency part of the QTN spectra acquired by the RFS/FIELDS instrument. Then, we provided the mean radial electron temperature profile, and examined the electron temperature gradients for different solar wind populations (i.e. classified by the proton bulk speed,Vp, and the solar wind mass flux).

Results.We find that the total electron temperature decreases with the distance as ∼R−0.66, which is much slower than adiabatic. The extrapolatedTebased on PSP observations is consistent with the exospheric solar wind model prediction at ∼10R⊙, Helios observations at ∼0.3 AU, and Wind observations at 1 AU. Also,Te, extrapolated back to 10R⊙, is almost the same as the Strahl electron temperature,Ts(measured by SPAN-E), which is considered to be closely related to or even almost equal to the coronal electron temperature. Furthermore, the radialTeprofiles in the slower solar wind (or flux tube with larger mass flux) are steeper than those in the faster solar wind (or flux tube with smaller mass flux). The more pronounced anticorrelation ofVp–Teis observed when the solar wind is slower and located closer to the Sun.