bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sustained immunotolerance in multiple sclerosis after stem cell transplant
Authors: Visweswaran Malini , Hendrawan Kevin , Massey Jennifer C. , Khoo Melissa L. , Ford Carole D. , Zaunders John J. , Withers Barbara , Sutton Ian J. , Ma David D. F. , Moore John J. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjectiveAutologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) has the potential to induce sustained periods of disease remission in multiple sclerosis (MS), which is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterised by demyelination and axonal degeneration. However, the mechanisms associated with durable treatment responses in MS require further elucidation.MethodsTo characterise the longer term immune reconstitution effects of AHSCT at 24 and 36 months (M) post‐transplant, high‐dimensional immunophenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 22 MS patients was performed using two custom‐designed 18‐colour flow cytometry panels.ResultsThe higher baseline frequencies of specific pro‐inflammatory immune cells (T‐helper‐17 (Th17) cells, mucosal‐associated invariant T‐cells and CNS‐homing T‐conventional (T‐conv) cells observed in MS patients were decreased post‐AHSCT by 36M. This was accompanied by a post‐AHSCT increase in frequencies and absolute counts of immunoregulatory CD56hi natural killer cells at 24M and terminally differentiated CD8+CD28−CD57+ cells until 36M. A sustained increase in the proportion of naïve B‐cells, with persistent depletion of memory B‐cells and plasmablasts was observed until 36M. Reconstitution of the B‐cell repertoire was accompanied by a reduction in the frequency of circulating T‐follicular helper cells (cTfh) expressing programmed cell death‐1 (PD1+) at 36M. Associations between frequency dynamics and clinical outcomes indicated only responder patients to exhibit a decrease in Th17, CNS‐homing T‐conv and PD1+ cTfh pro‐inflammatory subsets at 36M, and an increase in CD39+ T‐regulatory cells at 24M.InterpretationAHSCT induces substantial recalibration of pro‐inflammatory and immunoregulatory components of the immune system of MS patients for up to 36M post‐transplant.
The Efficient Regeneration of Corneal Nerves via Tunable Transmembrane Signaling Channels Using a Transparent Graphene‐Based Corneal Stimulation Electrode
Authors: Zheng Zheng , Lin Mimi , Lu Weicong , Huang Pingping , Zheng Yaru , Zhang Xincheng , Yan Lu , Wang Wei , Lawson Tom , Shi Bingyang , Chen Shihao , Liu Yong 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe efficient regeneration of corneal nerves is of limited success in the field of ophthalmology. This work reports the use of a non‐invasive electrical stimulation technique that uses a transparent graphene‐based corneal stimulation electrode and that can achieve efficient regeneration of corneal nerves. The corneal stimulation electrode is prepared using electroactive nitrogen‐containing conducting polymers such as polyaniline functionalized graphene (PAG). This composite can carry a high capacitive current. It can be used to tune transmembrane signaling pathways including calcium channels and the MAPK signaling pathway. Tuning can lead to the efficient regeneration of corneal damaged nerves after the surgery of laser in‐situ keratomileusis (LASIK). The composite and its application reported have the potential to provide a new way to treat nerve‐related injuries.
Dynamically Tunable Dry Adhesion through a Subsurface Thin Layer with Tunable Stiffness
Authors: Mohammadi Nasab Amir , Stampfli Patrick , Sharifi Siavash , Luo Aoyi , Turner Kevin T. , Shan Wanliang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractRecently, a novel concept to realize dynamically tunable dry adhesion via subsurface stiffness modulation (SSM) in a composite core–shell structure has been introduced and demonstrated for gripping and release of objects. Here, a variant form of the composite core–shell design is proposed to significantly improve the performance of dynamically tunable dry adhesion in terms of activation time and activation voltage. Specifically, composite pillars with an embedded microfluidic channel filled with a low melting point alloy (LMPA) are fabricated, and the adhesion of the pillars is characterized as a function of LMPA state: either melted or solid. The effects of the thickness and in‐plane pattern of the LMPA channel, as well as the depth at which it is embedded on tunable adhesion are investigated. Experiments show that the effective adhesion strength can be reduced up to 50%, equivalent to a 2× change in dry adhesion when the LMPA is melted. Finite element analysis of the stress distribution change under SSM shows that the experimentally observed tunable adhesion is primarily due to stiffness change close to the interface. In addition, two technology demonstrations of composite pillars picking and releasing objects with fast activation (≈1 s) and low activation voltages (≈1 V) are included.
A Valence Gradient Protective Layer for Dendrite‐Free and Highly Stable Lithium Metal Anodes
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Guan Shundong , Liu Sijie , Hu Bingkun , Xue Chuanjiao , Wu Xinbin , Wen Kaihua , Nan Ce‐Wen , Li Liangliang 
Published: February 2022

AbstractLi metal is the next‐generation anode material for high‐energy‐density Li‐ion batteries. Unfortunately, its practical application is hampered by drawbacks such as an unstable solid electrolyte interphase and undesirable Li dendrites. Herein, an Fe‐based protective layer with a valence gradient is constructed on Li anodes, which consists of an Fe3+/Fe2+‐rich outer layer and an Fe0‐containing inner layer. The protective layer not only isolates the underlying Li metal from the corrosive carbonate electrolyte, but also uniformly stores Li during plating and inhibits the growth of Li dendrites. The Li anode with the Fe‐based protective layer shows dendrite‐free Li plating/stripping behaviors; therefore, Li symmetric cells stably run for 1000 h at 1 mA cm‐2 and 1 mA h cm‐2 and even survive for 380 h at an ultra‐high capacity of 30 mA h cm‐2. With such a highly stable Li anode, LiFePO4 cells operate steadily for 1600 and 1000 cycles at 1 and 5 C, respectively. High‐loading LiCoO2 cells also present excellent cycling stability and rate capability, proving the advantages of the protective layer in Li anode protection.
Characterizing the Geometry and Quantifying the Impact of Nanoscopic Electrocatalyst/Semiconductor Interfaces under Solar Water Splitting Conditions
Authors: Hemmerling John R. , Mathur Aarti , Linic Suljo 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe materials that are receiving the most attention in photoelectrochemical water splitting are metallic nanoparticle electrocatalysts (np‐EC) attached to the surface of a semiconductor (SC) light absorber. In these multicomponent systems, the interface between the semiconductor and electrocatalysts critically affects performance. However, the np‐EC/SC interface remains poorly understood as it is complex on atomic scales, dynamic under reaction conditions, and inaccessible to direct experimental probes. This contribution sheds light on how the electrocatalyst/semiconductor interface evolves under reaction conditions by investigating the behavior of nickel electrocatalysts (as nanoparticles and films) deposited on silicon semiconductors. Rigorous electrochemical experiments, interfacial atomistic characterization, and computational modeling are combined to demonstrate critical links between the atomistic features of the interface and the overall performance. It is shown that electrolyte‐induced atomistic changes to the interface lead to (1) modulation of the charge carrier fluxes and a dramatic decrease in the electron/hole recombination rates and (2) a change in the barrier height of the interface. Furthermore, the critical roles of nonidealities and electrocatalyst coverage due to interfacial geometry are explored. Each of these factors must be considered to optimize the design of metal/semiconductor interfaces which are broadly applicable to photoelectrocatalysis and photovoltaic research.
Abnormal ear development in corn: A field survey
Authors: Ortez Osler A. , McMechan Anthony J. , Hoegemeyer Thomas , Rees Jennifer , Jackson‐Ziems Tamra , Elmore Roger W. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn July of 2016, abnormal ear development in corn (Zea mays L.) (barbell‐ears, multiple ears per node herein termed as multi‐ears, and short‐husks) was reported in several cornfields that extended from the Texas Panhandle to eastern Colorado and East through Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. Field surveys were conducted to study these ear abnormalities. Affected and unaffected plants were sampled from 15 farmer fields located in central and eastern Nebraska. Each plant was evaluated for ear type, ear placement, internode length, and grain yield. Along with plant evaluations, management practices and weather information were collected from the surveyed fields. Of the 15 surveyed fields, nine were grouped as affected (more than 10% abnormalities), and six were grouped as checks (<10% abnormalities). Affected fields averaged 26% of abnormalities, whereas check fields averaged only 4%. Ear abnormalities occurred on ears that seemed to be placed lower on plants relative to normal ears. Plants with abnormal ears had yield reductions between 35 and 91%, compared to plants with normal ears. Findings suggested that ear abnormalities may be a cumulative result from the classic genetic (hybrid‐specific), environmental (stress factors), and management interactions. The study of underlying causes for abnormal ear development in corn is imperative for understanding the likelihood of future events occurring and providing critical information to potentially manage and mitigate these issues.
Review on recent trends and prospects in π‐conjugated luminescent aggregates for biomedical applications
Authors: Barman Debasish , Narang Kavita , Parui Retwik , Zehra Nehal , Khatun Mst Nasima , Adil Laxmi Raman , Iyer Parameswar Krishnan 
Published: February 2022

AbstractMetal‐free organic molecules with structurally diverse aggregation‐induced emission (AIE) behavior and new functional photophysical properties reveal unique structure–property relationships, especially bright luminescence, and have attracted extensive attention in the past few decades. Despite tremendous progress on fluorescent molecules development, the extended π‐conjugated organic AIE probes with their nanorange self‐assembly, coassembly, unique morphology, high biocompatibility, and light‐harvesting capabilities enable them as potential candidates in numerous translational application perspectives. In particular, a few important classes of AIE light up small molecules, supramolecules, oligomers, polymers, including nanoparticles and photosensitizer molecules, with their emerging properties of thermally activated delayed fluorescence, room temperature phosphorescence, including emission switching stimuli‐responsive behavior and multifunctional properties, have been boosted by the rare features of aggregation at their condensed or solid states. This review highlights salient features of AIE‐based emitters, encompassing molecular design strategies, stimulating photophysical properties, mechanistic aspects, and their efficacy in various electronic and biomedical applications, broadly covering properties of small molecules to oligomers, macromolecules to polymers.
Early and Middle Pleistocene hominins from Atapuerca (Spain) show differences in dental developmental patterns
Authors: Modesto‐Mata Mario , García‐González Rebeca , Quintino Yuliet , García‐Campos Cecilia , de Pinillos Marina Martínez , Martín‐Francés Laura , Martinón‐Torres María , Heuzé Yann , Carbonell Eudald , Arsuaga Juan Luis , Dean M. Christopher , Bermúdez de Castro José María 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe Bayesian statistical approach considers teeth as forming a developmental module, as opposed to a tooth‐by‐tooth analysis. This approach has been employed to analyze Upper Pleistocene hominins, including Neandertals and some anatomically modern humans, but never earlier populations. Here, we show its application on five hominins from the TD6.2 level of the Gran Dolina site (Homo antecessor, Early Pleistocene) and the Sima de los Huesos site (Middle Pleistocene) of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, northern Spain). Our results show an advanced development of the third molars in both populations with respect to modern Homo sapiens. In addition, the Sima de los Huesos hominins differ from H. sapiens and H. antecessor in the relatively advanced development of their second molar. The relative mineralization of I1/M1 in H. antecessor appears to be similar to that of modern humans, as opposed to that of Neandertals, which appear to be unique. These observations, combined with reduced enamel formation times and the advanced development of the third molars, appear to indicate a shorter ontogenetic period in the hominins from Gran Dolina and Sima de los Huesos in comparison to modern human average.
Entanglement and Entropic Uncertainty of Two Two‐Level Atoms
Authors: Zidan Nour , Bakry Haytham , Rahman Atta Ur 
Published: February 2022

AbstractIn a system of two two‐level atoms with a cavity field, the dynamics of entropic uncertainty relations, nonlocality, entanglement, and the degree of mixedness are investigated. In addition to the dynamical map, the interaction between two two‐level systems and the Fock state cavity field, the effects of various parameters, such as temperature dependence, Ising interaction, and dipole–dipole interaction are discussed. It is shown that Ising and dipole–dipole interactions promote entanglement and nonlocal correlations while lowering mixedness and entropy. In order to maintain optimal entanglement and nonlocal correlations, numerical values for improving the current cavity fields are also proposed. The cavity field exhibits both Markovian and non‐Markovian behavior, depending on the type of interaction.
Effect of morphology development on the low‐temperature tensile properties ofPP/POEblends
Authors: Wang Kairui , Chen Lei , Gao Yun , Jiang Dengchao , Quan Yiwu , Yan Shanzhi 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe application of polypropylene (PP) is greatly restricted by its poor low‐temperature tensile properties. In this work, a polypropylene random copolymer (rPP) and polypropylene/ethylene‐propylene‐diene monomer graft copolymer (gPP) were used to improve the toughening effect of polyolefin elastomer (POE) on PP. The influences of this addition on the phase morphology, crystallization, and rheological and mechanical properties were investigated. The results revealed thatrPP both reduced the size of PP spherulites and improved the interfacial cohesion of the PP/POE blend, which endowed the material with greater tensile properties and melt flow rate. The elongation at break of PP/POE/rPP at 23, 0, −20, and −40°C was 400%, 221%, 205%, and 106%, respectively. These represented increases of more than 200% compared with those of PP/POE. The tensile strengths of PP/POE/rPP were 15.0, 19.1, 21.5, and 27.4 MPa at 23, 0, −20, and −40°C, respectively, which were comparable to those of PP/POE. Finally, the effects of the injection molding process parameters on the mechanical properties and phase morphology ofrPP‐modified PP/POE blends were studied.
SGK1 mutation status can further stratify patients with germinal center B‐cell‐like diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma into different prognostic subgroups
Authors: Guo Baoping , Huang Yujie , Duan Ying , Liao Chengcheng , Cen Hong 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThere are over a 100 driver gene mutations in patients with diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), but their clinical significance remains unclear. Here, we first analyzed the DLBCL dataset from the UK‐based Haematological Malignancy Research Network. Patients were divided into high‐ and low‐risk groups based on whether lymphoma progressed within 24 months. Genes showing significantly different frequencies between groups were selected. Survival data for patients with the selected mutant genes were analyzed. The results were validated using two other large databases to evaluate the relationship between the selected mutant genes and prognosis. The mutation frequencies of 11 genes (MYD88[L265P], SGK1, MPEG1, TP53, SPEN, NOTCH1, ETV6, TNFRSF14, MGA, CIITA, and PIM1) significantly differed between the high‐ and low‐risk groups. The relationships between these mutant genes and patient survival were analyzed. Patients who harbored SGK1 (serum and glucocorticoid‐inducible kinase 1) mutations exhibited the best prognosis. Most patients with SGK1 mutation are germinal center B‐cell (GCB) subtype. Among patients with GCB DLBCL, those harboring SGK1 mutations exhibited better prognosis than those without SGK1 mutations. Most SGK1 mutations were single‐base substitutions, primarily scattered throughout the catalytic domain‐encoding region. Multiple SGK1 mutations were identified in a single patient. Thus, SGK1 mutations are a marker of good prognosis for DLBCL and occur predominantly in the GCB subtype of DLBCL. SGK1 mutation status can further stratify patients with GCB DLBCL into different prognostic subgroups.
Influence of probability distribution initialization methods on the performance of advanced arithmetic optimization algorithm with application to unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem
Authors: Agushaka Jeffrey O. , Ezugwu Absalom E. 
Published: February 2022

AbstractThe article investigates the influence of several initialization methods on the performance of the newly proposed advanced arithmetic optimization algorithm, also known as the nAOA. The initialization conditions considered include population sizes, diversity of the population, and the number of iterations. We used 23 different probability distributions with different diversity to test the influence of initialization schemes on the convergence and accuracy of the nAOA. The benchmark classical test functions and the functions defined in the CEC 2020 suite having different properties and modalities were used to compare the possible effects of the initialization methods. The numerical results showed that the nAOA is sensitive to population size and the number of iterations, which must be large for optimal performance. Friedman's and correlation tests were used to gain useful insight into the results we obtained. Findings showed that the performance of the nAOA is not particularly sensitive to the different initialization schemes used for most test functions. The implication is that nAOA is relatively stable and robust. However, the variant of beta distribution, b(3,2), recorded the lowest mean rank for most functions. Hence, it is the best performing initialization distribution scheme for the test problems considered. We can also observe from the experimental results that 47.83% and 100% of the classical and CEC2020 test functions used in this article show significant differences for different initialization methods, respectively. We also investigated the applicability of the nAOA to solve the unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence‐dependent setup times by using the best‐identified set of initialization methods. The performance of the nAOA is evaluated by comparing its solution to seven other well‐known metaheuristic algorithms, and the results reveal that the nAOA can provide promising results in solving all problem instances of the problem under study using the best initialization schemes.
The profiling and analysis of gene expression in human periodontal ligament tissue and fibroblasts
Authors: Hosiriluck Nattakarn , Kashio Haruna , Takada Ayuko , Mizuguchi Itaru , Arakawa Toshiya 
Published: February 2022

AbstractObjectivesThe periodontal ligament (PDL) is an important component of periodontium to support dental structure in the alveolar socket. Regeneration of PDL tissue is an effective treatment option for periodontal disease and the profiling of genes involved in this process will be informative. Therefore, our study aims to accurately delineate the profiling of gene expression for PDL tissue regeneration.Materials and MethodsWe isolated PDL tissues and PDL fibroblasts (PDLFs) from premolar teeth, which were extracted from healthy periodontal status patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in PDL tissue and PDLFs were analyzed using Cap analysis gene expression, which is a second‐generation sequencing technique to create profiling. We also determined the protein expression using Western blot.ResultsCollagens (type I, III, and VI), noncollagenous proteins (periostin and osteonectin), and proteoglycans (asporin, lumican, decorin, and osteomodulin) were highly expressed in PDL tissue. Integrin, β1 was also expressed in PDL tissue. On comparison of gene expression between PDL tissue and PDLFs, four PDL marker genes, osteopontin, asporin, periostin, and osteonectin, were decreased in PDLFs. The genes for gene regulation were also highly expressed.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated the overall profiling of mRNA expression in PDL tissue and analyzed the important genes which may be useful for providing specific information for the reconstruction of PDL. We also identified the difference in gene expression between PDL tissue and PDLFs which might provide insights towards PDL regeneration.
Hybrid Grey Wolf Optimization with Cuckoo Search‐based optimal channel estimation for energy efficient massive multiple input multiple output
Authors: Indumathi G. , Nisha Rani S. 
Published: February 2022

SummaryThe massive multiple input multiple output (mMIMO) provides reliable base station (BS) for the mobile users (MUs) with CSI (channel state information) and jointly offers spectral efficiency (SE) and energy efficiency (EE). Conversely, because of the existence of multiple transceivers at both the transmitter and receiver side, the channel estimation (CE) issue is increasingly complex and expensive in terms of hardware and energy utilization. Hence, we have proposed an effective Hybrid Grey Wolf Optimization with Cuckoo Search (GWO‐CS) based optimal channel estimation for developing energy efficient mMIMO. The proposed GWO‐CS selects the optimal channel by jointly optimizing the spectral efficiency and reduces the SINR (signal to interference plus noise ratio). Experimental analysis of the performance of the proposed approach is carried out using existing approaches. The results obtained show that, the EE of the proposed GWO‐CS based CE provides 15–37 Mbits for varying quantization bits, 22.5–25 Mbits for different user equipment (UE) ranges and 7–24 Mbits for various SE. However, the existing approaches fail to provide such EE and this proves the efficiency of proposed approach.
Myocarditis following rAd26 and rAd5 vector‐based COVID‐19 vaccine: case report
Authors: Naghashzadeh Farah , Shafaghi Shadi , Dorudinia Atosa , Naji Seyed Alireza , Marjani Majid , Amin Ahmad , Mohamadifar Arezoo , Noorali Sima , Kashani Babak Sharif 
Published: February 2022

AbstractSARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines provide a safe solution with a major impact on reducing the spread of the virus and mild side effects. Research has shown rare cases of myocarditis after mRNA vaccines. This study presents a 29‐year‐old male with chest pain after 48 h of receiving rAd26 and rAd5 vector‐based COVID‐19 vaccine (Sputnik V vaccine). The electrocardiogram revealed ST‐segment elevation. Also, the laboratory screening was remarkable for elevated cardiac Troponin‐I level, and leukocytosis; and echocardiography depicted severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Overall, endomyocardial biopsy proved lymphocytic myocarditis such that the patient was successfully treated with immunosuppressive and guideline‐directed medical treatment.