bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Causes of the Rise in Orchestral Pitch
Authors: Stone W. H.
Published: January 2007

It was my pleasant duty to deliver a discourse at the Royal Institution, on Friday week last, on the general subject of musical pitch, and its mode of determination. Our excellent Secretary, who was there, was kind enough to say that he thought a practical application of the scientific principles then laid down might be interesting to this Society, and I propose to do what the short period allowed for lectures at the Royal Institution did not allow me to do, namely, to carry one degree further into the artistic department the principles then enunciated. It is no use, as was remarked to me by more than one distinguished musician present, telling us all this, unless you can give some rules by which to prevent discords and discrepancies. Now I shall endeavour to take up the tail end of that lecture, and fasten on it a still longer tail of a practical character. I have put up, however, the large diagram which served as a resumé in my former lecture, showing the methods of determining musical pitch. For many centuries there was no definite pitch; then the pitch settled down, and for a considerable period remained—during the time of Beethoven and Mozart, and many of our great writers—tolerably steady. With the increase of the orchestra—with the multiplication of the means of producing sound—there came a very rapid rise in pitch, and this rise has been so rapid that since the time of Handel, as has been shown by Mr. Ellis in his learned and valuable papers, it has gone up at least a semitone; nor is there any finality observable in this matter; it might seem as if the pitch would go on rising with the same expeditiousness from causes which are still in operation and which caused the present rise. We cannot go into that part of the subject. We have at last determined a standard. Of the various methods on the diagram, some of the latter seem so satisfactory that we may say that we have a pitch. We have a standard just as the French have their mètre; as the second is the measure of time; as there are now standards of electric measurement; so I think at last in some of the instruments here named, Scheibler's tonometer, Appunn's reed tonmesser, and Koenig's tuning-fork clock, we may be said to have a unit of measure like the British yard or the mètre.
The Tonal Spectra of Wind Instruments
Authors: Hague Bernard
Published: January 2007

Musicians and acousticians have long been interested in that property, variously called timbre, tone-colour or quality, which characterises the sounds of different wind instruments. The musician's concern lies in the utilisation of these differences of tonal quality for their artistic effect. The acoustician's purpose is, however, to establish the physical principles upon which such differences depend, and this he has accomplished by two methods, mathematical theory and experimental investigation. When I was invited to address this Association it was suggested that I might discuss in a non-technical way some of the more recent work on the tonal analysis of wind instruments, and I have, therefore, chosen this as my topic. As qualifications for the task I may claim a life-long interest in the physics of wind instruments and a certain amateur competence as a player.
English Influences in American Church Music
Authors: Ellinwood Leonard
Published: January 2007

Before beginning my paper this afternoon, permit me to express my humble appreciation of the honour you confer upon me by the invitation to thus address you. In the long history of your Association, the second oldest of all of the musicological societies in existence today, but three other Americans have thus confronted you. In 1895, Waldo Selden Pratt spoke on The Isolation of Music. Again, in 1912, Professor Albert Stanley of the University of Michigan read a paper on Graduate Work in Music in America. More recently, Professor Glen Haydon of the University of North Carolina addressed you, in 1945, on Music and Philosophy.
The Madrigal Society
Authors: Craufurd J. G.
Published: January 2007

The History of the Madrigal Society is worthy of record, if only because it has existed for two hundred and fifteen years for the purpose of enabling its members to sing madrigals for their own enjoyment. It only ceased its regular meetings during the whole of this period after April 1940, when meetings were suspended owing to the aerial bombardment of London, till they were resumed in January 1946.
Recent Developments in Electrical Music Production
Authors: Douglas Alan
Published: January 2007

It is nearly ten years since I had the pleasure of addressing this Association, and during that period the present and future uses of electrical methods of music production have resolved themselves into reasonably well-defined fields. Firstly we have the commercial instruments, nearly all of the organ type, which have separated themselves into different ways of doing the same thing. Little progress has been made in the design of these instruments, for no new methods have been discovered, and thus we find instruments for serious music and entertainment making use of superior methods of manufacture and the increasing improvement in electronic components. The result is, to the user, a better made instrument and one which will stand in tune for long periods—certainly far longer than any pipe organ. Advances in methods of tropicalising parts have also improved the sales abroad.
Music in the Provinces: The Elgar-Atkins Letters
Authors: Atkins Wulstan
Published: January 2007

Today London is pre-eminently the centre of the English musical world, but how different was the position at the end of the nineteenth century and at the beginning of the present century.
Elgar's Enigma
Authors: Westrup J. A.
Published: January 2007

The title of this paper is intentionally ambiguous. It is meant to be taken in its most obvious sense as a reference to Elgar's Variations. But it also implies a discussion of the composer's personality. The two topics are inevitably linked, and one throws light on the other. I cannot promise a brilliant illumination, and it is better to say straight away that I offer no startling revelations. But I hope it may be possible to suggest trains of thought which others can work on. In a sense this is an interim report. I have been thinking about this subject now for several years, and I expect to go on thinking about it for a good many years to come. There might be an argument for suspending judgment until my own mind is clearer. But as I still cannot see daylight at the end of the tunnel I thought it would be worth while to set down what ideas I have on paper and subject them to the scrutiny of a critical audience.
Purcell's Harpsichord Music: A Lecture-Recital
Authors: Ferguson Howard
Published: January 2007

At the outset, I should perhaps explain why I'm going to play the illustrations to this talk on the piano rather than on a harpsichord. In the first place, I only play the harpsichord as an amateur, and would feel abashed to display my shortcomings before an audience containing many eminent professionals. And secondly, since harpsichords are still comparatively few and far between, I'm anxious to suggest that students and performers can give great pleasure to themselves, and to others, by playing these works understandingly on whatever keyboard instrument happens to be available.
The Keyboard Music of Giles Farnaby: A Lecture-Recital
Authors: Marlow Richard
Published: January 2007

When the secretary invited me last July to write a synopsis of my paper for inclusion in the Association's Sessional Arrangements, I optimistically assumed that in addition to discussing Giles Farnaby's keyboard music there would be time to include a ‘short account’ of his life and even, perhaps, an opportunity to add a word or two about his vocal compositions. When I eventually came to prepare the paper, I soon realized that it would be difficult enough to deal adequately in the limited time available with either the keyboard music or the biography, much less with both. So, rather than skate around both topics, I have decided, somewhat reluctantly, to abandon the proposed biographical sketch and to concentrate on the keyboard music alone.
Ralph Vaughan Williams and his Choice of Words for Music
Authors: Williams Ursula Vaughan
Published: January 2007

Ralph Vaughan Williams's father died when Ralph was two years old; his mother took her three small children to her own parents' house, Leith Hill Place, near Dorking, and brought them up much as she had been brought up herself. Besides the children, the household consisted of grandparents and a maiden aunt, and a staff of servants, mostly local people. Judging from a photograph of a group of them, none was young, and all were slightly eccentric.
Analysis of the Dynamics of Political Reasoning: A General-Purpose Computer-Assisted Methodology
Authors: Piazza Thomas , Sniderman Paul M. , Tetlock Philip E.
Published: January 2007

The purpose of this article is to present a methodology for better gauging the nature and dynamics of social and political attitudes. Starting from a particular view of attitude assessment, we show how computer-assisted interviewing can help transform the survey interview from a passive to an interactive process. Since the ultimate test of a methodological approach is its substantive yield, we shall present both specific measurement procedures and illustrative substantive results. The methodology itself, however, is quite general and readily applied to other substantive areas, thanks both to the generality of the theory of measurement of which it is a part and to the flexibility of the technology in which it is embedded.
What Goes Around Comes Around: Unit Root Tests and Cointegration
Authors: Williams John T.
Published: January 2007

At one time, the lag time for the implementation of methods from economics and other disciplines in political science was quite long, reflecting the newness of political methodology as well as a lack of statistical training. The articles by Ostrom and Smith and by Durr (in this volume) represent a departure from this longstanding lag time associated with political methodology. These articles, as well as others (e.g., Beck 1992), are using the methodology of unit root econometrics and error correction models with much smaller lag time. The Ostrom and Smith article represents little lag time at all, as some of their results are using methods not as yet printed in econometrics journals!
Prevention of Pediatric Medication Errors by Hospital Pharmacists and the Potential Benefit of Computerized Physician Order Entry
Authors: Wang Jerome K. , Herzog Nicole S. , Kaushal Rainu , Park Christine , Mochizuki Carol , Weingarten Scott R.
Published: January 2007

OBJECTIVES. The purpose of this work was to characterize medication errors and adverse drug events intercepted by a system of pediatric clinical pharmacists and to determine whether the addition of a computerized physician order entry system would improve medication safety.

METHODS. The study included 16938 medication orders for 678 admissions to the pediatric units of a large academic community hospital. Pediatric clinical pharmacists reviewed medication orders and monitored subsequent medication use. Medication errors and adverse drug events were identified by daily review of documentation, voluntary reporting, and solicitation. Each potentially harmful medication error was judged whether or not it was intercepted and, if not, whether it would have been captured by a computerized physician order entry system.

RESULTS. Overall, 865 medication errors occurred, corresponding with a rate of 5.2 per 100 medication orders. A near-miss rate of 0.96% and a preventable adverse drug event rate of 0.09% were observed. Overall, 78% of potentially harmful prescribing errors were intercepted; however, none of the potentially harmful errors occurring at administration was intercepted and accounted for 50% of preventable adverse drug events. A computerized physician order entry system could capture additional potentially harmful prescribing and transcription errors (54%–73%) but not administration errors (0% vs 6%).

CONCLUSIONS. A system of pediatric clinical pharmacists effectively intercepted inpatient prescribing errors but did not capture potentially harmful medication administration errors. The addition of a computerized physician order entry system to pharmacists is unlikely to prevent administration errors, which pose the highest risk of patient injury.
Is Dieting Advice From Magazines Helpful or Harmful? Five-Year Associations With Weight-Control Behaviors and Psychological Outcomes in Adolescents
Authors: van den Berg Patricia , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne , Hannan Peter J. , Haines Jess
Published: January 2007

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between frequent reading of magazine articles about dieting/weight loss and weight-control behaviors and psychological outcomes 5 years later in a sample of adolescents.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS. Data are from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), a 5-year longitudinal study of eating, activity, weight, and related variables in 2516 middle and high school students. In 1999 (time 1), participants completed surveys and had their height and weight measured. In 2004 (time 2), participants were resurveyed.

RESULTS. For female adolescents, the frequency of healthy, unhealthy, and extreme weight-control behaviors increased with increasing magazine reading after adjusting for time 1 weight-control behaviors, weight importance, BMI, and demographic covariates. The odds of engaging in unhealthy weight-control behaviors (such as fasting, skipping meals, and smoking more cigarettes) were twice as high for the most frequent readers compared with those who did not read magazine articles about dieting and weight loss. The odds of using extreme weight-control behaviors (such as vomiting or using laxatives) were 3 times higher in the highest frequency readers compared with those who did not read such magazines. There were no significant associations for either weight-control behaviors or psychological outcomes for male adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS. Frequent reading of magazine articles about dieting/weight loss strongly predicted unhealthy weight-control behaviors in adolescent girls, but not boys, 5 years later. Findings from this study, in conjunction with findings from previous studies, suggest a need for interventions aimed at reducing exposure to, and the importance placed on, media messages regarding dieting and weight loss.
T-Cell–Based Diagnosis of Neonatal Multidrug-Resistant Latent Tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Richeldi Luca , Ewer Katie , Losi Monica , Bergamini Barbara M. , Millington Kerry , Fabbri Leonardo M. , Lalvani Ajit
Published: January 2007

Young children exposed to tuberculosis have a high risk of progression to severe tuberculosis disease, but diagnosis of recent infection is hindered by the poor sensitivity of the tuberculin skin test. Whether new blood tests can detect latent infection in this vulnerable group is unknown because there is no gold standard. We monitored a tuberculin skin test–negative infant whose mother had infectious multidrug-resistant tuberculosis with enzyme-linked immunospot, a blood test that enumerates Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific T cells. The enzyme-linked immunospot test became persistently positive by 6 months, and 18 months later the child developed active tuberculosis despite appropriate chemoprophylaxis. At this point, the magnitude of the enzyme-linked immunospot response increased >10-fold. Our findings demonstrate that this blood test detected latent infection with dormant, yet viable, bacilli and illustrate how enzyme-linked immunospot could improve diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis infection.
Agricultural water productivity and savings: policy lessons from two diverse sites in China
Authors: Molden David , Bin Dong , Loeve Ronald , Barker Randolph , Tuong T. P.
Published: January 2007

Increasing agricultural water productivity will be a key factor in China's ability to maintain food security in the face of rapidly growing water demand from other sectors. This paper highlights how such achievements can be considered and made by examining and contrasting water institutions, policies and management strategies across scales in two irrigation systems in China situated within strikingly different environments, the Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS) in the relatively water-abundant Yangtze River basin and the Liuyuankou Irrigation System (LIS) in the highly water-stressed Yellow River basin. The results show, perhaps surprisingly, that institutional arrangements which have evolved in the water-abundant system are more conducive to water savings. However, the particular conclusions on water productivity and savings also depend in part on definitions of scale and other factors. These findings form part of a changing trend in thinking about irrigation, water productivity and water savings that considers the analysis of scales, multiple uses, and practices of irrigation in the context of water scarcity and has direct implications for China's efforts to better use its scarce water resources.
Teen Pregnancy and Risk of Premature Mortality
Authors: Ray Joel G. , Fu Longdi , Austin Peter C. , Park Alison L. , Brown Hilary K. , Grandi Sonia M. , Vandermorris Ashley , Boblitz Alexa , Cohen Eyal
Published: March 2024

Importance

Unintentional injury, suicide, and homicide are leading causes of death among young females. Teen pregnancy may be a marker of adverse life experiences.

Objective

To evaluate the risk of premature mortality from 12 years of age onward in association with number of teen pregnancies and age at pregnancy.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This population-based cohort study was conducted among all females alive at 12 years of age from April 1, 1991, to March 31, 2021, in Ontario, Canada (the most populous province, which has universal health care and data collection). The study period ended March 31, 2022.

Exposures

The main exposure was number of teen pregnancies between 12 and 19 years of age (0, 1, or ≥2). Secondary exposures included how the teen pregnancy ended (birth or miscarriage vs induced abortion) and age at first teen pregnancy.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was all-cause mortality starting at 12 years of age. Hazard ratios (HRs) were adjusted for year of birth, comorbidities at 9 to 11 years of age, and area-level education, income level, and rurality.

Results

Of 2 242 929 teenagers, 163 124 (7.3%) experienced a pregnancy at a median age of 18 years (IQR, 17-19 years). Of those with a teen pregnancy, 60 037 (36.8%) ended in a birth (of which 59 485 [99.1%] were live births), and 106 135 (65.1%) ended in induced abortion. The median age at the end of follow-up was 25 years (IQR, 18-32 years) for those without a teen pregnancy and 31 years (IQR, 25-36 years) for those with a teen pregnancy. There were 6030 deaths (1.9 per 10 000 person-years [95% CI, 1.9-2.0 per 10 000 person-years]) among those without a teen pregnancy, 701 deaths (4.1 per 10 000 person-years [95% CI, 3.8-4.5 per 10 000 person-years]) among those with 1 teen pregnancy, and 345 deaths (6.1 per 10 000 person-years [95% CI, 5.5-6.8 per 10 000 person-years]) among those with 2 or more teen pregnancies; adjusted HRs (AHRs) were 1.51 (95% CI, 1.39-1.63) for those with 1 pregnancy and 2.14 (95% CI, 1.92-2.39) for those with 2 or more pregnancies. Comparing those with vs without a teen pregnancy, the AHR for premature death was 1.25 (95% CI, 1.12-1.40) from noninjury, 2.06 (95% CI, 1.75-2.43) from unintentional injury, and 2.02 (95% CI, 1.54-2.65) from intentional injury.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this population-based cohort study of 2.2 million female teenagers, teen pregnancy was associated with future premature mortality. It should be assessed whether supports for female teenagers who experience a pregnancy can enhance the prevention of subsequent premature mortality in young and middle adulthood.
Patterns of Undertreatment and Overtreatment in Adjuvant Radiotherapy for Early-Stage Endometrial Cancer Based on Molecular Classification
Authors: Ciobanu Otilia , He Yixuan , Martin Alicia R. , Remick Jill S. , Shelton Joseph W. , Eng Tony Y. , Qian David C.
Published: March 2024

The quality improvement study examines the use of risk-adaptive adjuvant radiotherapy in women with non–mismatch repair deficiency endometrial cancer.
Magnetically‐Programmed Instability‐Driven Pattern Transformations in Soft Materials
Authors: Arora Nitesh , Chen Vincent , Cherkasov Andrei , Xiang Yuhai , Juhl Abigail , Buskohl Philip , Rudykh Stephan
Published: March 2024

A class of transformable materials is introduced with magnetic defect‐defined switchable configurations. The soft material can be magnetically‐programmed to transform into various encoded patterns utilizing the rich interplay of magnetic interactions and instability phenomenon. The strategy allows us to break the limit of admissible configurations of the instability‐induced patterns that dictate the post‐transformation behavior. The phenomenon is experimentally realized in a material system consisting of periodically distributed magnetic inclusions in a soft matrix. The programmable magnetic interactions between the inclusions act as smart defects redirecting the material transformations to targeted geometric configurations. Moreover, the role of magnetic spacing and field strength is systematically investigated to map the transition between mechanically‐dominant and magnetics‐dominant instability patterns. Lastly, the idea of reconfigurable material design is showcased by embedding binary information in magnetic form, which can be read out through the unique repositioning of inclusions via the applied mechanical deformation.
Directional Management Self‐Additive Spacer Cations for Stable 2D Ruddlesden–Popper Perovskite Solar Cells with Efficiency over 21%
Authors: Zheng Haiying , Liu Guozhen , Wang Yange , Chen Feifan , Dong Xinhe , Wang Chao , Wu Chaoyang , Yang Li , Ren Xingang , Yang Lixia , Pan Xu , Huang Zhixiang
Published: March 2024

2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskites are highly regarded materials for improving the stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Wherein, self‐additive 2D perovskites have recently been proposed to provide substantial strategies for managing the crystallization kinetics and bulk defects. For a profound understanding of the formation mechanisms, herein, with selecting three self‐additive 2D perovskites as demonstrations, a comprehensive analysis of the self‐additive behavior combing experimental and theoretical calculations is conducted. Self‐additive 2D perovskites exhibit more suitable formation energies and strong interaction, which is conducive to realize the self‐additive effect to form more stable structure. As demonstrated, glycine (Gly)‐based spacer cations played a pivotal role in the nucleation and growth of 2D perovskites by adjusting the aggregation state of colloids precursor, resulting in excellent‐quality films with large average grain size (≈3 µm). Meanwhile, theoretical analysis of electronic distribution and binding energies (Eb) revealed that glycine ethyl ester (Gly‐E) perovskite possesses highly robust internal interactions, which will effectively mitigate defect formation and enhance device stability. Endowing with the above outstanding feature, Gly‐E devices exhibited an optimized PCE of 21.60%, one of the highest PCEs among all 2D RP PSCs (n ≤ 6). The findings provide a basis for the rational design of self‐additive 2D perovskites and achieving highly‐performance 2D RP PSCs.
Thermal Interface Hydrogel Composites Mechanically Compliant with Curvy Skins and Rigid Electronic Modules
Authors: Ji Donghwan , Liu Paiting , Im Pilseon , Shin Sunmi , Kim Jaeyun
Published: March 2024

The evolution of wearable electronic devices has drawn attention to personal thermal management (PTM) technologies encompassing the sensing and regulation of body temperature and/or harnessing human body heat for energy harvesting. However, solid PTM devices encounter inherent limitations concerning thermal contact and mechanical compatibility with the human body. This study introduces a thermal interface hydrogel exhibiting high thermal conduction and mechanical compatibility with human skin. Employing a strategic design approach, the mechanical and thermal properties of the hydrogel are assessed. This hydrogel is a structured composite incorporating alumina microplatelets embedded layer‐by‐layer within a densified polymer matrix. Incorporating aligned alumina platelets in the layered structure, combined with a densified polymer matrix ensuring close contact and packing of polymer chains, enhances the thermal conductivity of the hydrogel. Simultaneously, it maintains mechanical flexibility and robustness. Subsequently, the resulting hydrogel is showcased as a thermal interface material sandwiched between flexible human skin and a rigid Peltier module for a cooling device affixed to the human skin. Anticipated applications of the hydrogel‐based thermal interface material include advanced bioelectronics with added functionalities in PTM, all without inducing mechanical or physical discomfort.
A Golgi Apparatus‐Targeted Photothermal Agent with Protein Anchoring for Enhanced Cancer Photothermal Therapy
Authors: Shi Mingwan , Fu Zhongliang , Pan Wei , Wang Kaiye , Liu Xiaohan , Li Na , Tang Bo
Published: March 2024

The Golgi apparatus (GA) is central in shuttling proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to different cellular areas. Therefore, targeting the GA to precisely destroy its proteins through local heat could induce apoptosis, offering a potential avenue for effective cancer therapy. Herein, a GA‐targeted photothermal agent based on protein anchoring is introduced for enhanced photothermal therapy of tumor through the modification of near‐infrared molecular dye with maleimide derivative and benzene sulfonamide. The photothermal agent can actively target the GA and covalently anchor to its sulfhydryl proteins, thereby increasing its retention within the GA. Under laser irradiation, the heat generated by the photothermal agent efficiently disrupts sulfhydryl proteins in situ, leading to GA dysfunction and ultimately inducing cell apoptosis. In vivo experiments demonstrate that the photothermal agent can precisely treat tumors and significantly reduce side effects.
Ferried Albumin‐Inspired Bioadhesive With Dynamic Interfacial Bonds for Emergency Rescue
Authors: Chen Yiming , Li Huiying , Xu Renfeng , Fang Yan , Chen Qinhui , Wang Zhengchao , Liu Haiqing , Weng Yunxiang
Published: March 2024

Emergency prehospital wound closure and hemorrhage control are the first priorities for life‐saving. Majority of bioadhesives form bonds with tissues through irreversible cross‐linking, and the remobilization of misalignment may cause severe secondary damage to tissues. Therefore, developing an adhesive that can quickly and tolerably adhere to traumatized dynamic tissue or organ surfaces in emergency situations is a major challenge. Inspired by the structure of human serum albumin (HSA), a branched polymer with multitentacled sulfhydryl is synthesized, then, an instant and fault‐tolerant tough wet‐tissue adhesion (IFA) hydrogel is prepared. Adhesive application time is just 5 s (interfacial toughness of ≈580 J m−2), and favorable tissue‐adhesion is maintained after ten cycles. IFA hydrogel shows unchangeable adhesive performance after 1 month of storage based on the internal oxidation–reduction mechanism. It not only can efficiently seal various organs but also achieves effective hemostasis in models of the rat femoral artery and rabbit‐ear artery. This work also proposes an effective strategy for controllable adhesion, enabling the production of asymmetric adhesives with on‐demand detachment. Importantly, IFA hydrogel has sound antioxidation, antibacterial property, hemocompatibility, and cytocompatibility. Hence, the HSA‐inspired bioadhesive emerges as a promising first‐aid supply for human–machine interface‐based health management and non‐invasive wound closure.
Topologically Protected Quantum Logic Gates with Valley‐Hall Photonic Crystals
Authors: He Lu , Liu Dongning , Zhang Huizhen , Zhang Furong , Zhang Weixuan , Feng Xue , Huang Yidong , Cui Kaiyu , Liu Fang , Zhang Wei , Zhang Xiangdong
Published: March 2024

Topological photonics provide a promising way to realize more robust optical devices against some defects and environmental perturbations. Quantum logic gates are fundamental units of quantum computers, which are widely used in future quantum information processing. Thus, constructing robust universal quantum logic gates is an important way forward to practical quantum computing. However, the most important problem to be solved is how to construct the quantum‐logic‐gate‐required 2 × 2 beam splitter with topological protection. Here, the experimental realization of the topologically protected contradirectional coupler is reported, which can be employed to realize the quantum logic gates, including control‐NOT and Hadamard gates, on the silicon photonic platform. These quantum gates not only have high experimental fidelities but also exhibit a certain degree of tolerances against certain types of defects. This work paves the way for the development of practical optical quantum computations and signal processing.
Photothermal Actuation of Thick 3D‐Printed Liquid Crystalline Elastomer Nanocomposites
Authors: Skillin Nathaniel P. , Bauman Grant E. , Kirkpatrick Bruce E. , McCracken Joselle M. , Park Kyoungweon , Vaia Richard A. , Anseth Kristi S. , White Timothy J.
Published: March 2024

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are stimuli‐responsive materials that transduce an input energy into a mechanical response. LCE composites prepared with photothermal agents, such as nanoinclusions, are a means to realize wireless, remote, and local control of deformation with light. Amongst photothermal agents, gold nanorods (AuNRs) are highly efficient converters when the irradiation wavelength matches the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the AuNRs. However, AuNR aggregation broadens the LSPR which also reduces photothermal efficiency. Here, the surface chemistry of AuNRs is engineered via a well‐controlled two‐step ligand exchange with a monofunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) thiol that greatly improves the dispersion of AuNRs in LCEs. Accordingly, LCE‐AuNR nanocomposites with very low PEG‐AuNR content (0.01 wt%) prepared by 3D printing are shown to be highly efficient photothermal actuators with rapid response (>60% strain s−1) upon irradiation with near‐infrared (NIR; 808 nm) light. Because of the excellent dispersion of PEG‐AuNR within the LCE, unabsorbed NIR light transmits through the nanocomposites and can actuate a series of samples. Further, the dispersion also allows for the optical deformation of millimeter‐thick 3D printed structures without sacrificing actuation speed. The realization of well‐dispersed nanoinclusions to maximize the stimulus‐response of LCEs can benefit functional implementation in soft robotics or medical devices.
Electrical Doping of Metal Halide Perovskites by Co‐Evaporation and Application in PN Junctions
Authors: Schramm Tim , Deconinck Marielle , Ji Ran , Siliavka Elena , Hofstetter Yvonne J. , Löffler Markus , Shilovskikh Vladimir V. , Brunner Julius , Li Yanxiu , Bitton Sapir , Tessler Nir , Vaynzof Yana
Published: March 2024

Electrical doping of semiconductors is a revolutionary development that enabled many electronic and optoelectronic technologies. While doping of many inorganic and organic semiconductors is well‐established, controlled electrical doping of metal halide perovskites (MHPs) is yet to be demonstrated. In this work, efficient n‐ and p‐type electrical doping of MHPs by co‐evaporating the perovskite precursors alongside organic dopant molecules is achieved. It is demonstrated that the Fermi level can be shifted by up to 500 meV toward the conduction band and by up to 400 meV toward the valence band by n‐ and p‐doping, respectively, which increases the conductivity of the films. The doped layers are employed in PN and NP diodes, showing opposing trends in rectification. Demonstrating controlled electrical doping by a scalable, industrially relevant deposition method opens the route to developing perovskite devices beyond solar cells, such as thermoelectrics or complementary logic.
Non‐Hermitian Broadside Coupled Split Ring Resonators with Directional Sensitivity
Authors: Sun Zhenci , Zhao Xiaoguang , Zhang Lingyun , Liang Chao , Li Bingbai , Lu Wenshuai , Zhang Wenqiang , You Rui , Zhao Jiahao , You Zheng
Published: March 2024

Directional radiofrequency (RF) sensing, also known as radio direction finding, is essential in various applications that involve localizing RF sources. However, existing RF sensing technologies face challenges due to their large antenna sizes and complex RF signal processing circuits, which hinder the realization of miniaturized subwavelength direction sensors. In this article, a non‐Hermitian broadside coupled split ring resonators (BC‐SRRs) are presented, which can identify the direction of an incident RF signal with angles ranging from 0° to 180°. The non‐Hermitian Hamiltonian of the system, which can be interpreted by the temporal coupled mode theory, gives rise to asymmetric resonant modes of the BC‐SRRs. The asymmetry allows the direct measurement of RF wave incident angle by probing the resonant strength of the two BC‐SRRs. For the proof of concept, a one‐stage Dickson voltage multiplier is employed to rectify the RF signals and demonstrate angle sensing ability by relating the rectified voltage to the incident angle. The results showcase the potential of the proposed technique using non‐Hermitian BC‐SRRs as a pathway toward subwavelength antenna‐based radio direction finding.
Construction of Circular Polarized Luminescence Molecules for Intense Near Infrared OLEDs
Authors: Liang Ning , Liu Jianxun , Lin Yufan , Xie Zeling , Cui Bin‐Bin , Gong Zhong‐Liang , Gan Qiang , Zhong Yu‐Wu , Feng Yansong , Yao Chang‐Jiang
Published: March 2024

The exploration of organic near‐infrared (NIR) luminescence, along with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), is of vital importance due to its significance in medical and optoelectronic applications. Integrating a chiral unit into a D–A molecular structure in this research realized emission peaks at 744 nm, exhibiting a dissymmetric factor of −1.67 × 10−3. The introduced chiral TPA derivative not only imparts aggregation‐induced emission properties and CPL capabilities but also induces a redshift in the emission spectrum. Consequently, the fabricated NIR organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs), achieve maximum electroluminescent peaks at 748 nm in nondoped devices with the external quantum efficiency of 13.7% in doped devices. This pioneering research provides inspiration for the design of NIR molecules possessing CPL properties in the future, particularly in promoting the application of intense NIR‐OLEDs.
Unveiling All‐Optical Switching Phenomenon in Anthracene Derivatives: A Comprehensive Study on Optical and Nonlinear Optical Multifunctionality
Authors: Szukalski Adam , Zajac Dorota , Pardus Natasza , Karout Houda El , Krawczyk Przemyslaw , Sahraoui Bouchta
Published: March 2024

In this study, it is considered three anthracene derivatives, characterized meticulously in terms of their chemical structure and product purity. Extensive quantum chemical calculations are conducted to elucidate their optical and nonlinear optical properties, shedding light on the mechanism of photoinduced conformational transformation, a pivotal discovery in this research. Experimental analyses encompassed fundamental optical properties and advanced nonlinear optical phenomena, including z‐scan experiments, second harmonic generation (SHG), and third harmonic generation (THG). Remarkably, a groundbreaking all‐optical switching phenomenon in these materials is experimentally validated, marking a significant advancement and contributing to their potential applications.
High‐Efficiency Short‐Wave Infrared Emitter Enabled by Cr3+–Yb3+ Co‐Doped Phosphor
Authors: Shi Ruiqi , Miao Shihai , Lv Xulong , Chen Dongxun , Zhang Yi , Liang Yanjie
Published: March 2024

The utilization of phosphor‐converted light‐emitting diodes (pc‐LEDs) as compact short‐wave infrared (SWIR) emitters has emerged as a promising strategy for miniature SWIR spectrometers in portable devices, enabling diverse applications such as nondestructive identification, bioimaging, night‐vision surveillance, and optical communication. However, discovering phosphors capable of efficiently absorbing blue light and emitting pure SWIR light (>900 nm) remains a significant challenge. Here, highly efficient and thermally stable SWIR luminescence of Yb3+ upon blue LED excitation by employing Cr3+–Yb3+ energy transfer in Y3Ga5O12 garnet is reported. The prepared Y3Ga5O12:Cr3+,Yb3+ phosphor exhibits intense SWIR emission spanning from 900 to 1150 nm at 438 nm excitation, coupled with ultra‐high internal/external quantum efficiency of 80.8%/40.2% and excellent luminescence thermal stability (108%@150 °C). A SWIR pc‐LED prototype fabricated by incorporating the optimized phosphor with a commercial 450 nm blue LED chip, shows exceptional SWIR luminescence performance, delivering a SWIR output power of 92.7 mW at a driving current of 350 mA and a photoelectric efficiency of 21.5% at 10 mA. This work opens up a new avenue for designing SWIR phosphors that exhibit efficient and thermally stable photoluminescence with blue LED excitation, demonstrating significant potential for next‐generation high‐power compact SWIR light sources.
Electron‐Deficient Boron‐Doped g‐C3N4 as an Efficient and Robust Photocatalyst for Visible‐Light Driven Hydrogen Evolution from Water Splitting
Authors: Ullah Ikram , Lu Xiao‐Jie , Chen Shuai , Li Jing‐Han , Habib Sadia , Murtaza Ghulam , Tofaz Tania , Xu An‐Wu
Published: March 2024

Elemental doping is considered to be a promising approach for altering the electronic structure, optical absorbance, and charge separation characteristics of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4, termed as CN), thus boosting its photocatalytic performance for practical applications. Herein, a series of boron (B) doped g‐C3N4 (named as BCN) photocatalysts are developed via one‐step pyrolysis of a mixture of urea and 3‐methoxycarbonyl‐5‐nitriophenylboronic acid (MCNPBA). The results show that B‐atoms have been successfully incorporated into the g‐C3N4 network. The as‐synthesized BCN‐x (x shows the weight content of MCNPBA) photocatalysts are evaluated in photocatalytic hydrogen (H2) evolution from water splitting under visible‐light (λ ≥ 420 nm). The optimized BCN‐10 sample shows a maximum H2 evolution rate of 1789.93 µmol h─1 g─1, which is 6.2 times higher than that of g‐C3N4 (289.73 µmol h─1 g─1). This is attributed to the fact that the electron‐deficient B‐atoms are lewis acids that trap electrons, which in turn expands visible‐light absorption, narrows the bandgap, and prevents the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. Moreover, B‐doping can readily modify the valence and conduction band positions of g‐C3N4, therefore augmenting the photocatalytic H2 evolution activity. This paper presents a unique rational framework for developing other functionalized electron‐deficient elemental‐doping g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts for practical applications in solar‐to‐fuel conversion.
A Bioinspired Immunostimulatory System for Inducing Powerful Antitumor Immune Function by Directly Causing Plasma Membrane Rupture
Authors: Hu Xiaoqu , Yin Hao , Xie Danli , Chen Tanzhou , Li Yida , Zeng Hanqian , Lu Mingdong , Wang Qinyang
Published: March 2024

The Gasdermin protein is a membrane disruptor that can mediate immunogenic pyroptosis and elicit anti‐tumor immune function. However, cancer cells downregulate Gasdermin and develop membrane repair mechanisms to resist pyroptosis. Therefore, an artificial membrane disruptor (AMD) that can directly mediate membrane rupture in pyroptosis‐deficient cells and induce antitumor immune responses in a controllable manner will be valuable in preclinical and clinical research. A micron‐scale Ce6‐based AMD that can directly induce plasma membrane rupture (PMR) in gasdermin‐deficient tumor cells is established. Micron‐scale AMDs localize Ce6 specifically to the plasma membrane without labeling other organelles. Compared to free Ce6 molecules, the use of AMDs results in a higher degree of specificity for the plasma membrane. Due to this specificity, AMDs mediate fast and irreversible PMR under 660 nm red light. Furthermore, the AMDs are capable of inducing programmed cell death and lytic cell death in a catalytic manner, demonstrating that the amount of Ce6 used by AMDs is only one‐fifth of that used by Ce6 alone when inducing 80% of cancer cell death. In vivo, the AMDs show specificity for tumor targeting and penetration, suggesting that light‐driven programmed cell death is specific to tumors. AMDs are applied to antitumor therapy in gasdermin‐deficient tumors, resulting in efficient tumor elimination with minimal damage to major organs when combined with anti‐PD‐1 therapy. Tumor regression is correlated with PMR‐mediated inflammation and T‐cell‐based immune responses. This study provides new insights for designing bioinspired membrane disruptors for PMR and mediating anti‐tumor immunotherapy. Additionally, AMD is a dependable tool for examining the immunogenicity of PMR both in vitro and in vivo.
In Situ Formation of Fibronectin‐Enriched Protein Corona on Epigenetic Nanocarrier for Enhanced Synthetic Lethal Therapy
Authors: Luo Zhangyi , Wan Zhuoya , Ren Pengfei , Zhang Bei , Huang Yixian , West Raymond E. , Huang Haozhe , Chen Yuang , Nolin Thomas D. , Xie Wen , Wang Junmei , Li Song , Sun Jingjing
Published: March 2024

PARP inhibitors (PARPi)‐based synthetic lethal therapy demonstrates limited efficacy for most cancer types that are homologous recombination (HR) proficient. To potentiate the PARPi application, a nanocarrier based on 5‐azacytidine (AZA)‐conjugated polymer (PAZA) for the codelivery of AZA and a PARP inhibitor, BMN673 (BMN) is developed. AZA conjugation significantly decreased the nanoparticle (NP) size and increased BMN loading. Molecular dynamics simulation and experimental validations shed mechanistic insights into the self‐assembly of effective NPs. The small PAZA NPs demonstrated higher efficiency of tumor targeting and penetration than larger NPs, which is mediated by a new mechanism of active targeting that involves the recruitment of fibronectin from serum proteins following systemic administration of PAZA NPs. Furthermore, it is found that PAZA carrier sensitize the HR‐proficient nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to BMN, a combination therapy that is more effective at a lower AZA/BMN dosage. To investigate the underlying mechanism, the tumor immune microenvironment and various gene expressions by RNAseq are explored. Moreover, the BMN/PAZA combination increased the immunogenicity and synergized with PD‐1 antibody in improving the overall therapeutic effect in an orthotopic model of lung cancer (LLC).
Constructing FeNiPt@C Trifunctional Catalyst by High Spin‐Induced Water Oxidation Activity for Zn‐Air Battery and Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer
Authors: Pan Yangdan , Li Yuwen , Nairan Adeela , Khan Usman , Hu Yan , Wu Baoxin , Sun Lu , Zeng Lin , Gao Junkuo
Published: March 2024

Developing cost‐efficient trifunctional catalysts capable of facilitating hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity is essential for the progression of energy devices. Engineering these catalysts to optimize their active sites and integrate them into a cohesive system presents a significant challenge. This study introduces a nanoflower (NFs)‐like carbon‐encapsulated FeNiPt nanoalloy catalyst (FeNiPt@C NFs), synthesized by substituting Co2+ ions with high‐spin Fe2+ ions in Hofmann‐type metal‐organic framework, followed by carbonization and pickling processes. The FeNiPt@C NFs catalyst, characterized by its nitrogen‐doped carbon‐encapsulated metal alloy structure and phase‐segregated FeNiPt alloy with slight surface oxidization, exhibits excellent trifunctional catalytic performance. This is evidenced by its activities in HER (−25 mV at 10 mA cm−2), ORR (half‐wave potential of 0.93 V), and OER (294 mV at 10 mA cm−2), with the enhanced water oxidation activity attributed to the high‐spin state of the Fe element. Consequently, the Zn‐air battery and anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer assembled by FeNiPt@C NFs catalyst demonstrate remarkable power density (168 mW cm−2) and industrial‐scale current density (698 mA cm−2 at 1.85 V), respectively. This innovative integration of multifunctional catalytic sites paves the way for the advancement of sustainable energy systems.
Regio‐ and Chemoselective Palladium‐Catalyzed Additive‐Free Direct C─H Functionalization of Heterocycles with Chloroaryl Triflates Using Pyrazole‐Alkyl Phosphine Ligands
Authors: Gu Changxue , So Chau Ming
Published: March 2024

A series of new pyrazole‐alkyl phosphine ligands with varying cycloalkyl ring sizes that enable additive‐free regio‐ and chemoselective C─H arylation of heterocycles are reported. Excellent α/β selectivity of various heterocycles such as benzo[b]thiophene, thiophene, furan, benzofuran, and thiazole can be achieved using these ligands, along with excellent chemoselectivity of C─Cl over C─OTf of chloroaryl triflates. Mechanistic studies supported by both experimental findings and density functional theory calculations indicate that the pyrazole phosphine ligands with optimal ring sizes allow the reaction to proceed with a lower energy barrier via a concerted metalation–deprotonation pathway.
Discovery of Novel Anti‐Resistance AR Antagonists Guided by Funnel Metadynamics Simulation
Authors: Chen Haiyi , Zhou Yuxin , Wang Xinyue , Chai Xin , Wang Zhe , Wang Ercheng , Xu Lei , Hou Tingjun , Li Dan , Duan Mojie
Published: March 2024

Androgen receptor (AR) antagonists are widely used for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), but their therapeutic efficacy is usually compromised by the rapid emergence of drug resistance. However, the lack of the detailed interaction between AR and its antagonists poses a major obstacle to the design of novel AR antagonists. Here, funnel metadynamics is employed to elucidate the inherent regulation mechanisms of three AR antagonists (hydroxyflutamide, enzalutamide, and darolutamide) on AR. For the first time it is observed that the binding of antagonists significantly disturbed the C‐terminus of AR helix‐11, thereby disrupting the specific internal hydrophobic contacts of AR‐LBD and correspondingly the communication between AR ligand binding pocket (AR‐LBP), activation function 2 (AF2), and binding function 3 (BF3). The subsequent bioassays verified the necessity of the hydrophobic contacts for AR function. Furthermore, it is found that darolutamide, a newly approved AR antagonist capable of fighting almost all reported drug resistant AR mutants, can induce antagonistic binding structure. Subsequently, docking‐based virtual screening toward the dominant binding conformation of AR for darolutamide is conducted, and three novel AR antagonists with favorable binding affinity and strong capability to combat drug resistance are identified by in vitro bioassays. This work provides a novel rational strategy for the development of anti‐resistant AR antagonists.