bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Fabrication and characterization of alginate/chitosan hydrogel combined with honey and aloe vera for wound dressing applications
Authors: Saberian Mostafa , Seyedjafari Ehsan , Zargar Seyed Jalal , Mahdavi Fatemeh Sadat , Sanaei‐rad Parisa 
Published: July 2021

AbstractHydrogels can be one of the best polymeric wound dressings due to the desirable properties of wound healing. In this study, emphasizing the use of natural biomaterials such as Aloe vera and honey in the structure of cross‐linked polymers, a novel hydrogel was produced that might be applied to healing wounds. In the beginning, four hydrogel groups were made from a combination of Sodium Alginate and Chitosan with Aloe vera extract and honey in optimum concentrations. Then the structure of those was evaluated by SEM and FTIR. After confirming hydrogels' structural properties, their physical properties, including swelling, porosity, density, mass loss, stability, and WVTR, were examined. Besides, the hydrogel biocompatibility was assessed by analyzing the cell viability and hemolytic activity. Adhesion of the cells to the hydrogel was also observed by SEM imaging. The results showed that the designed hydrogel has a porous structure with interconnected cavities, which their size can provide suitable conditions for cell adhesion, migration, and proliferation. Also, their physical and structural properties can be a strong suit to wound healing. Although honey's application can weaken the hydrogel structure, honey has beneficial properties due to its complex biomolecules. In contrast, Aloe vera in hydrogel generally improved the hydrogel's specificity for wound healing. According to the results of this study, taking advantage of hydrogels containing honey and Aloe vera based on alginate and chitosan polymers led to the formation of an acceptable structure and biocompatibility that can be used in future researches to repair tissues, especially wounds.
Safe approaching control for spacecraft rendezvous with disturbances: A positive system approach
Authors: Xu Yuhan , Wang Chenliang , Qiao Jianzhong , Guo Lei 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThis paper concerns about the safe approaching in rendezvous with spherical envelops of spacecraft. Based on the nonnegative characteristic of positive systems, a novel strategy of controlling the relative distance positive and convergent is proposed to guarantee no‐collision approaching. The dynamics of the relative distance is decoupled from that of the relative angles. A nonlinear disturbance observer is designed, and two anti‐disturbance controllers are constructed to reject the effect of disturbances for the subsystems of relative distance and angles. Under the controllers, the closed‐loop subsystem of relative distance is a positive and stable system, while that of relative angles is a general stable system satisfying the given time‐varying constraints. Particularly, a theorem is proposed to present the conditions of controllers to ensure the system positivity under a class of external inputs without nonnegativity default. Finally, simulation results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of proposed methods.
Functional connectivity within an anxiety network and associations with anxiety symptom severity in middle‐aged adults with and without autism
Authors: Tung Ryan , Reiter Maya A. , Linke Annika , Kohli Jiwandeep S. , Kinnear Mikaela K. , Müller Ralph‐Axel , Carper Ruth A. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractAnxiety is highly prevalent in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). However, few functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of ASDs have focused on anxiety (and fewer still on anxiety in middle‐aged adults). Thus, relationships between atypical connectivity and anxiety in this population are poorly understood. The current study contrasted functional connectivity within anxiety network regions across adults (40–64 years) with and without autism, and tested for group by functional connectivity interactions on anxiety. Twenty‐two adults with ASDs (16 males) and 26 typical control (TC) adults (22 males) completed the Beck Anxiety Inventory and a resting‐state fMRI scan. An anxiety network consisting of 12 regions of interest was defined, based on a meta‐analysis in TC individuals and two studies on anxiety in ASDs. We tested for main effects of group and group by anxiety interactions on connectivity within this anxiety network, controlling for head motion using ANCOVA. Results are reported at an FDR adjusted threshold of q < 0.1 (corrected) and p < 0.05 (uncorrected). Adults with ASDs showed higher anxiety and underconnectivity within the anxiety network, mostly involving bilateral insula. Connectivity within the anxiety network in the ASD group showed distinct relationships with anxiety symptoms that did not relate to ASD symptom severity. Functional connectivity involving the bilateral posterior insula was positively correlated with anxiety in the ASD (but not the TC) group. Increased anxiety in middle‐aged adults with ASD is associated with atypical functional connectivity, predominantly involving bilateral insula. Results were not related to ASD symptom severity suggesting independence of anxiety‐related effects.Lay SummaryAnxiety is very common in adults with autism but the brain basis of this difference is not well understood. We compared functional connectivity between anxiety‐related brain regions in middle‐aged adults with and without autism. Adults with autism were more anxious and showed weaker functional connections between these regions. Some relationships between functional connectivity and higher anxiety were specific to the autism group. Results suggest that anxiety functions differently in autism.
Gutachten, Experimentalunterricht und Aufklärung ‐ Etablierungsstrategien der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften
Authors: Splinter Susan 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe paper discusses what lay behind the successes of the Bavarian Academy of Science, which was established in 1759. To this end the academic day‐to‐day operations during the first five decades of its existence are being analyzed in four different fields of activity (academia, popularization, distribution of natural knowledge, expertise). It is shown that the academy with its skills und competences operated in several geographical areas and social spaces and acted as advisor for governmental institutions. The Academy established itself as an important institution for collecting, popularizing, and distributing natural knowledge in the residential city of Munich as well in the Bavarian state and took part in the modernization process in Bavaria. It was a transformative institution.
Automatic classification of autism spectrum disorder in children using cortical thickness and support vector machine
Authors: Squarcina Letizia , Nosari Guido , Marin Riccardo , Castellani Umberto , Bellani Marcella , Bonivento Carolina , Fabbro Franco , Molteni Massimo , Brambilla Paolo 
Published: July 2021

AbstractObjectiveAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition with a heterogeneous phenotype. The role of biomarkers in ASD diagnosis has been highlighted; cortical thickness has proved to be involved in the etiopathogenesis of ASD core symptoms. We apply support vector machine, a supervised machine learning method, in order to identify specific cortical thickness alterations in ASD subjects.MethodsA sample of 76 subjects (9.5 ± 3.4 years old) has been selected, 40 diagnosed with ASD and 36 typically developed subjects. All children underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination; T1‐MPRAGE sequences were analyzed to extract features for the characterization and parcellation of regions of interests (ROI); average cortical thickness (CT) has been measured for each ROI. For the classification process, the extracted features were used as input for a classifier to identify ASD subjects through a “learning by example” procedure; the features with best performance was then selected by “greedy forward‐feature selection.” Finally, this model underwent a leave‐one‐out cross‐validation approach.ResultsFrom the training set of 68 ROIs, five ROIs reached accuracies of over 70%. After this phase, we used a recursive feature selection process in order to identify the eight features with the best accuracy (84.2%). CT resulted higher in ASD compared to controls in all the ROIs identified at the end of the process.ConclusionWe found increased CT in various brain regions in ASD subjects, confirming their role in the pathogenesis of this condition. Considering the brain development curve during ages, these changes in CT may normalize during development. Further validation on a larger sample is required.
One‐year mortality in NSTEMI patients is unaffected by timing of PCI within the first week of admission: Results of a real‐world cohort analysis
Authors: Fagel Nick D. , Amoroso Giovanni , Rabbering Tanja , Gescher Froukje , Vink Maarten A. , Slagboom Ton , van der Schaaf René J. , Herrman Jean‐Paul R. , Patterson Mark S. , Vos Nicola S. , Verbeek Eva C. , de Winter Robbert J. , Riezebos Robert K. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractObjectivesWe aimed to explore the impact of time to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (T2P) on 1‐year mortality in non‐ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patients.BackgroundThe current guidelines recommend an early invasive strategy for NSTEMI patients. However, impact of an early invasive strategy on mortality is a matter of debate. For that reason, real world data are of great value to determine the optimal treatment window.MethodsThis retrospective single center cohort study was performed in a high‐volume PCI center in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Intermediate‐ and high‐risk NSTEMI patients undergoing PCI were included. The main discriminant was timing of PCI after admission (T2P), stratified according to different time windows (<24 h, 24–72 h, 72 h–7 days or >7 days). We analyzed 1‐year mortality and the time distribution of overall survival.ResultsIn total, 848 patients treated between January 1, 2016 and January 1, 2018 were included in the analysis. T2P was <24 h in 145 patients, 24–72 h in 192 patients, 72 h–7 days in 275 patients, and >7 days in 236 patients. The mean GRACE‐risk score was 127.1 (SD 28.7), 130.0 (33.1), 133.8 (32.1), and 148.7 (34.6) respectively, p = <0.001. After adjusting for confounders, 1‐year mortality in patients with T2P <24 h did not significantly differ when compared with T2P 24–72 h (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.33–3.51) and T2P 72 h–7 days (OR 1.72; 95% CI = 0.57–5.21) but was significantly higher in T2P >7 days (OR = 3.20; 95% CI = 1.06–9.68).ConclusionsIn an unselected cohort of patients with NSTEMI, treatment by PCI <24 h did not lead to improved survival as compared to aT2P <7 days strategy. Delay in PCI >7 days after admission resulted in worse outcome.
Rational Design of Semiconductor Heterojunctions for Photocatalysis
Authors: Di Liberto Giovanni , Cipriano Luis A. , Tosoni Sergio , Pacchioni Gianfranco 
Published: July 2021

AbstractElectronic structure calculations provide a useful complement to experimental characterization tools in the atomic‐scale design of semiconductor heterojunctions for photocatalysis. The band alignment of the heterojunction is of fundamental importance to achieve an efficient charge carrier separation, so as to reduce electron/hole recombination and improve photoactivity. The accurate prediction of the offsets of valence and conduction bands in the constituent units is thus of key importance but poses several methodological and practical problems. In this Minireview we address some of these problems by considering selected examples of binary and ternary semiconductor heterojunctions and how these are determined at the level of density functional theory (DFT). The atomically precise description of the interface, the consequent charge polarization, the role of quantum confinement, the possibility to use facet engineering to determine a specific band alignment, are among the effects discussed, with particular attention to pros and cons of each one of these aspects. This analysis shows the increasingly important role of accurate electronic structure calculations to drive the design and the preparation of new interfaces with desired properties.
[2.2]Paracyclophane‐Based TCN‐201 Analogs as GluN2A‐Selective NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Authors: Rajan Remya , Schepmann Dirk , Steigerwald Ruben , Schreiber Julian A. , El‐Awaad Ehab , Jose Joachim , Seebohm Guiscard , Wünsch Bernhard 
Published: July 2021

AbstractRecent studies have shown the involvement of GluN2A subunit‐containing NMDA receptors in various neurological and pathological disorders. In the X‐ray crystal structure, TCN‐201 (1) and analogous pyrazine derivatives 2 and 3 adopt a U‐shape (hairpin) conformation within the binding site formed by the ligand binding domains of the GluN1 and GluN2A subunits. In order to mimic the resulting π/π‐interactions of two aromatic rings in the binding site, a [2.2]paracyclophane system was designed to lock these aromatic rings in a parallel orientation. Acylation of [2.2]paracyclophane (5) with oxalyl chloride and chloroacetyl chloride and subsequent transformations led to the oxalamide 7, triazole 10 and benzamides 12. The GluN2A inhibitory activities of the paracyclophane derivatives were tested with two‐electrode voltage clamp electrophysiology using Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing selectively functional NMDA receptors with GluN2A subunit. The o‐iodobenzamide 12 b with the highest similarity to TCN‐201 showed the highest GuN2A inhibitory activity of this series of compounds. At a concentration of 10 μM, 12 b reached 36 % of the inhibitory activity of TCN‐201 (1). This result indicates that the [2.2]paracyclophane system is well accepted by the TCN‐201 binding site.
Emergence of Ring‐Shaped Microstructures in Restricted Geometries Containing Self‐Propelled, Catalytic Janus Spheres
Authors: Pariente Jose Ángel , Blanco Álvaro , López Cefe , Gibbs John G. 
Published: July 2021

AbstractThe evaporation of liquid droplets containing colloids is an omnipresent natural phenomenon that has received much attention due to the fundamental effects it entails, as well as the multitudes of fields in which it can be applied. The deposition of particulates onto a solid surface during evaporation tends to form ring‐like stains, which are a hallmark of the “coffee‐ring effect.” A wide variety of systems has already been employed to suppress or enable this effect, however, little attention has been focused on particles in restricted geometries that are driven far from equilibrium. Here, we investigate how self‐propelled, “active” catalytic Janus microspheres affect the ring stains left behind during the drying of a geometrically confined suspension containing such particles. Self‐propulsion results indirectly from the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the catalytically active hemispherical shell, while the diametrically opposite face is inert; this is how the system is driven out of equilibrium. The magnitude of activity can be controlled by adjusting the volume concentration of aqueous H2O2 within the suspension. This parameter strongly influences the ring‐shaped microstructures obtained, especially when the concentration is sufficiently high to produce oxygen bubbles that take over the motion as opposed to auto‐phoresis.
Active and Passive Motion in Complex pH‐Fields
Authors: Möller Nadir , Seiffert Sebastian , Palberg Thomas , Niu Ran 
Published: July 2021

AbstractWe create pH landscapes of increasing spatial complexity by placing ion exchange resin beads of different types and sizes in a closed cell featuring a negatively charged bottom substrate. We thus extend previous measurements in a chemically homogeneous background to investigations in chemically structured backgrounds, which evolve in time. We determine local pH gradients by photometry and study the resulting solvent flows along the substrate by tracking passive tracer particles. Analytical modelling of the dispersion of chemicals is possible for situations with dominantly diffusive transport. We then release phoretic swimmers in differently shaped pH fields and study their motion for selected examples. Catalytic Janus swimmers assembled in the wake of a mobile pH source form a modular swimmer showing a noise‐dominated trajectory. For standard modular swimmers with passive cargo, we identify well‐defined and reproducible swimming trajectory types at and around single pH sources. These include swimmer deflection and swing‐by maneuvers, swimmer trapping and escape, as well as circular orbits. More complicated paths result from combining the pH fields of multiple pH sources. Finally, we address swimmer‐swimmer interactions resulting from the superposition of their own pH fields. Our findings clearly demonstrate the high potential of chemically structured environments for swimmer steering. They can further be rationalized in a simple heuristic model considering the interplay of phoretic flows on different length and time scales and its influence on swimmer speed, orientation and emerging propulsion direction. In view of the vast range of possible combinations, our study has to remain preliminary. We anticipate, however, that it will aid the general understanding of transport experiments in pH‐driven systems and other types of phoresis and thus also help design novel and useful strategies for directed transport on the micro‐scale.
Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Ketamine Enantiomers and Their Metabolites After Administration of Prolonged‐Release Ketamine With Emphasis on 2,6‐Hydroxynorketamines
Authors: Weiss Michael , Siegmund Werner 
Published: July 2021

AbstractModeling of metabolite kinetics after oral administration of ketamine is of special interest because of the higher concentrations of active metabolites because of the hepatic first‐pass effect. This holds especially in view of the potential analgesic and antidepressant effects of 2R,6R‐ and 2S,6S‐hydroxynorketamine at low doses of ketamine. Therefore, a 9‐compartment model was developed to analyze the pharmacokinetics of ketamine enantiomers and their metabolites after racemic ketamine administered intravenously (5 mg) and as 4 doses (10, 20, 40, and 80 mg) of a prolonged‐release formulation (PR‐ketamine). Using a population approach, the serum concentration‐time data of the enantiomers of ketamine, norketamine, dehydronorketamine, and 2,6‐hydroxynorketamine obtained in 15 healthy volunteers could be adequately fitted. The estimated model parameters were used to simulate serum concentration‐time profiles; after multiple dosing of PR‐ketamine (2 daily doses of 20 mg), the steady‐state concentrations of R‐ and S‐ketamine were 1.4 and 1.3 ng/mL, respectively. The steady‐state concentration of 2R,6R‐hydroxynorketamine exceeded those of R‐norketamine (4‐fold), R‐dehydonorketamine (8‐fold), and R‐ketamine (46‐fold), whereas that of 2S,6S‐hydroxynorketamine exceeded that of S‐ketamine by 14‐fold. The model may be useful for identifying dosing regimens aiming at optimal plasma concentrations of 2,6‐hydroxynorketamines.
Constitutional Dynamic Inhibition/Activation of Carbonic Anhydrases
Authors: Su Dandan , Zhang Yan , Ulrich Sébastien , Barboiu Mihail 
Published: July 2021

AbstractIn this review we consider one important member of the metalloenzymes family, the carbonic anhydrase (CA), involved in the treatment of several common diseases. Different approaches have emerged to regulate the activity of CA, mostly acting on the inner catalytic active site or outer microenvironment of the enzyme, leading to inhibition or activation of CA. In recent years, gradually increased attention has focused on the adoption of constitutional dynamic chemistry (CDC) strategies for the screening and discovery of potent inhibitors or activators. The participation of reversible covalent bonds enabled the enzyme itself to select the optimal ligands obtained from diverse building blocks with comparatively higher degree of variety, resulting in the fittest recognition of enzyme ligands from complex dynamic systems. With the increasing implementation of CDC for enzyme targets, it shows great potential for drug discovery or CO2 capture applications.
Molecular Design of 3D Porous Carbon Framework via One‐Step Organic Synthesis
Authors: Wang Jinquan , Fu Xinpu , Yan Ning , Zhang Yugen 
Published: July 2021

AbstractA new practical method for construction of 3D porous carbon was developed through molecular design via one‐step synthesis from commercially available carbon tetrabromide and bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene on a gram‐scale, and the obtained porous carbon has a well‐defined sp1‐sp3 all‐carbon structure (C13), high stability, and high surface area.
An evolving α‐dependent mobility model for a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Ghosh Ramkrishna , Mohanty Suneeta , Pattnaik Prasant Kumar 
Published: July 2021

SummaryIn this paper, we represent an innovative α‐based mobility model for a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using Sugeno type‐2 fuzzy inference system (T2FIS) in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Specifically, the spotlight is on the deployment of suchlike energy level, neighbor count, and hop count to base station (BS) solution to critical applications, like monitoring applications for public security, border control enforcement, and so on. A type‐2 fuzzy logic (T2FL)‐dependent α mobility controller is introduced to support on the variation of a followship weighting metric α to select that close by UAV is the relevant to be pursued. Modification the proper values for the followship weight α is somewhat a demanding function. We have selected T2FL app for variation the values of the followship metric α choosing appropriate type‐2 fuzzy signifiers essentially energy level, neighbor count, and hop count to BS. T2FIS is utilized to pick the appropriate followship weight computation. Efficacy of the suggested framework is made by way of analysis of the statistics and multiple linear regressions (MLRs).
The effects of host plant species and larval density on immune function in the polyphagous moth Spodoptera littoralis
Authors: Karlsson Green Kristina 
Published: July 2021

AbstractImmune functions are costly, and immune investment is usually dependent on the individual's condition and resource availability. For phytophagous insects, host plant quality has large effects on performance, for example growth and survival, and may also affect their immune function. Polyphagous insects often experience a large variation in quality among different host plant species, and their immune investment may thus vary depending on which host plant species they develop on. Larvae of the polyphagous moth Spodoptera littoralis have previously been found to exhibit density‐dependent prophylaxis as they invest more in certain immune responses in high population densities. In addition, the immune response of S. littoralis has been shown to depend on nutrient quality in experiments with artificial diet. Here, I studied the effects of natural host plant diet and larval density on a number of immune responses to understand how host plant species affects immune investment in generalist insects, and whether the density‐dependent prophylaxis could be mediated by host plant species. While host plant species in general did not mediate the density‐dependent immune expression, particular host plant species was found to increase larval investment in certain functions of the immune system. Interestingly, these results indicate that different host plants may provide a polyphagous species with protection against different kinds of antagonisms. This insight may contribute to our understanding of the relationship between preference and performance in generalists, as well as having applied consequences for sustainable pest management.