Recent Frontier Research Articles

Catalysts and electrolyzers for the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction: from laboratory to industrial applications.

To cope with the urgent environmental pressure and tight energy demand, using electrocatalytic methods to drive the reduction of carbon dioxide molecules and produce a variety of fuels and chemicals, is one of the effective pathways to achieve carbon neutrality. In recent years, many significant advances in the study of the electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) have been made, but most of the works exhibit low current density, small electrode area and poor long-term stability, which are not suitable for large-scale industrial applications. Herein, combining the research achievements obtained in laboratories and the practical demand of industrial production, we summarize recent frontier progress in the field of the electrochemical CO2RR, including the fundamentals of catalytic reactions, catalyst design and preparation, and the construction of electrolyzers. In addition, we discuss the bottleneck problem of industrial CO2 electrolysis, and further present the prospect of the essential issues to be solved by the available technology for industrial electrolysis. This review can provide some basic understanding and knowledge accumulation for the development and practical application of electrochemical CO2RR technology.

Applications of Supramolecular Polymers Generated from Pillar[n]arene-Based Molecules.

Supramolecular chemistry enables the manipulation of functional components on a molecular scale, facilitating a "bottom-up" approach to govern the sizes and structures of supramolecular materials. Using dynamic non-covalent interactions, supramolecular polymers can create materials with reversible and degradable characteristics and the abilities to self-heal and respond to external stimuli. Pillar[n]arene represents a novel class of macrocyclic hosts, emerging after cyclodextrins, crown ethers, calixarenes, and cucurbiturils. Its significance lies in its distinctive structure, comparing an electron-rich cavity and two finely adjustable rims, which has sparked considerable interest. Furthermore, the straightforward synthesis, uncomplicated functionalization, and remarkable properties of pillar[n]arene based on supramolecular interactions make it an excellent candidate for material construction, particularly in generating interpenetrating supramolecular polymers. Polymers resulting from supramolecular interactions involving pillar[n]arene find potential in various applications, including fluorescence sensors, substance adsorption and separation, catalysis, light-harvesting systems, artificial nanochannels, and drug delivery. In this context, we provide an overview of these recent frontier research fields in the use of pillar[n]arene-based supramolecular polymers, which serves as a source of inspiration for the creation of innovative functional polymer materials derived from pillar[n]arene derivatives.

Photobiomodulation in clinical practice

For the past few years, we have been witnessing a gradual, but rapid change in the management of skin wounds: the so-called 'advanced' dressings have been joined, and partly replaced, by interactive dressings, in which the dressing itself interacts with the wound bed and perilesional skin, modulating one or more aspects of the tissue repair mechanism through the interaction with cells, chemical mediators and factors hindering healing.
 The even more recent introduction of high-tech devices has definitively propelled Wound Care into the modern era of Tech Treatment, in which one or more technologies are employed in the management of the wound and the reparative process.
 In this field, Regenerative Medicine and Surgery represent the most recent frontier reached by this 'technological expansion', through the use of dermo/epidermal substitutes and material stimulating the healing process in its different phases.
 
 In the early 2000s, considerable interest was aroused by the attempt to apply 'phototherapy' to wound management: Taking their cue from the results obtained some time ago in the treatment of certain lesions, cutaneous and otherwise, neoplastic and not, with the use of Photodynamic Therapy (by means of red light and 5 amino-levulinic acid), a Florentine research group (to which some of the Authors of this paper belonged) began to study its effects on venous ulcers, with extremely encouraging results in terms of resumption of the reparative process, with evidence of increased angiogenesis, fibroblast number and antigen-presenting cells, amongst other things.
 Over the years, other types of biophotonic treatment have been developed, with the introduction of monochromatic light sources (red, green, blue), capable of selectively interacting with the different tissue chromophores, and of triggering effects (so-called photobiomodulation) in the treated tissues, which differ according to the wavelength used and the chromophores stimulated each time.
 More recent is the application of exogenous fluorophores, which can absorb radiant light and convert it into light of different wavelengths through a phenomenon known as fluorescence.
 The enormous therapeutic possibilities offered by different treatments have led to exciting results from a tissue regeneration point of view.
 However, as it often happens when a technology is affected by such sudden changes and developments, clinical practice currently suffers from certain biases, mainly related to the presence of uncoordinated protocols of use, for each technology, in the absence, therefore, of algorithms of use that would make their clinical application homogeneous, establishing, for each type of light stimulation, its role and real potential, setting its limits and indications, also on the basis of clinical risk.
 We felt it was time to sit around a table, bringing together some of the top experts in each field of this discipline, trying to clarify all the aspects that characterise the interaction of light with tissues, in a dialogue that brought together physicists, chemists, clinicians and experts in statistics and literature (among the best in the country, and with proven experience in the field in question), in order to find a common language and try to provide information for the correct indications for the use of this method of tissue regeneration, free from corporate and institutional influences, without any sponsorship and, above all, dictated by real experience developed in the various sectors, supported by data from Literature.

Introducing Concrete Fabrication into Ferrocement: A Study on the Shape-Making of Cement Mixture

Widely used in the making of sculptures and prefabricated building components, ferrocement is considered to be beneficial to environmental preservation. However, there is still little attention paid to the making shape and design of the ferrocement in the literature. Moreover, there are some disadvantages associated with ferrocement, such as the lengthy and complex process of binding poles and nets together. The research question to solve in this paper is about how to study the making shape of ferrocement when solving these disadvantages, so as to improve the characteristics of ferrocement. In this research, a dialogue is conducted between concrete fabrication and ferrocement, the focus of which is placed more on the material and craft instead of robotics as the recent frontier of concrete fabrication. By replacing the standard wire mesh in the ferrocement with steel, how to make the steel plate from two dimensions to three dimensions, and then assemble them into a steel skeleton is explored. Then, the craft of casting is studied for integration of the cement mixture into the steel skeleton and its tight attachment onto the steel surface with spraying. Apart from that, a digital software is applied to the simulation and design accompanied by physical experimentation. To sum up, the research demonstrates the potential of free-forming of the ferrocement and its application in the (prefabricated) building technology, with questions raised for future study.

Recent Advances in Inorganic Electrochromic Materials from Synthesis to Applications: Critical Review on Functional Chemistry and Structure Engineering.

For the assembly of electrochromic devices (ECDs) with generally multilayer structures, supportive components usually are needed to be incorporated with EC materials. Herein, we reviewed several impressive methods to design and fabricate ECDs with high performance and versatility based on recent frontier research. The first part of the review is centered on the desirability and strengthening mechanism of nanostructured inorganic EC materials. The second part illustrates the recent advances in transparent conductors. We then summarize the demands and means to modify the formation of electrolytes for practicable ECDs. Moreover, efforts to increase the compatibility with the EC layer and ion capacity are delineated. At the end, the application prospects of inorganic ECDs are further explored, which offers a guideline for the industrialization process of ECDs.

A Comprehensive Review of the Current and Future Role of the Microbiome in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Simple SummaryThis review summarizes the current literature related to the microbiome and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The aim of this review is to explore the current role of the microbiome in the disease process, screening/diagnostics and to postulate the future role with regards to therapeutic strategies including chemotherapy, immunotherapy and surgery. We further explore the future of microbiome modulation (faecal microbiome transplants, bacterial consortiums, anti-microbials and probiotics), their applications and how we can improve the future of microbiome modulation in a bid to improve PDAC outcomes.Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is expected to become the second most common cause of cancer death in the USA by 2030, yet progress continues to lag behind that of other cancers, with only 9% of patients surviving beyond 5 years. Long-term survivorship of PDAC and improving survival has, until recently, escaped our understanding. One recent frontier in the cancer field is the microbiome. The microbiome collectively refers to the extensive community of bacteria and fungi that colonise us. It is estimated that there is one to ten prokaryotic cells for each human somatic cell, yet, the significance of this community in health and disease has, until recently, been overlooked. This review examines the role of the microbiome in PDAC and how it may alter survival outcomes. We evaluate the possibility of employing microbiomic signatures as biomarkers of PDAC. Ultimately this review analyses whether the microbiome may be amenable to targeting and consequently altering the natural history of PDAC.

Tafonomia de Invertebrados Fósseis do Devoniano no estado do Paraná: Contribuições aos Estudos sobre Potencial de Hidrocarbonetos Vinculados ao Projeto Folhelho (LAGESED-UFRJ)

The shales are a recent frontier of studies in Sedimentary Geology, stimulated by the new exploratory panorama of Shale Gas, despite being the sealant of many petroleum systems. However, Brazil has not kept up with this evolution. The generation of natural gas associated with paleontological studies is unprecedented and fundamental for determining the real regional potentialities in a process of advancing scientific and technological knowledge in this field of studies in Brazil. Taphonomic studies of fossil macrofauna and ichnology are integrated with sedimentological data, expanding the capacity for paleoenvironmental interpretation of the sedimentary facies. Samples from three different outcrops in the vicinity of Arapoti, Ventania, and Piraí do Sul in the state of Paraná were analyzed. Thus, during the analyses of the fossil material, two tafofacies and three ichnofacies were identified: Skolithos, archetypal and distal Cruziana. The paleontological analyses proposed here provided support for the biostratigraphic correlations, paleoenvironmental and paleoecological interpretations of the outcrops prospected, helping to evaluate the quality of the shales of the Ponta Grossa Formation from the point of view of hydrocarbon generation.

Progress in the Mechanism of Lymphangiogenesis and Lymphatic Metastasis of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

肺癌在我国的发病率和死亡率均排名第一，肿瘤发生转移往往预示患者预后不良。其中，非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC）的淋巴转移是导致患者预后不良的重要因素。淋巴管生成是促进肿瘤淋巴转移的重要环节。本文综述肿瘤相关淋巴管生成的分子机制，探讨肿瘤微环境与淋巴管内皮细胞间的相互作用，并总结了目前关于非编码RNA对于肿瘤相关淋巴管生成调控机制的研究及进展，以期为NSCLC相关淋巴管生成的研究与诊疗提供新的思路。

Bloody Diaspora Theory for the Twenty-First Century: African and Asian Heritage Migrants Return

First, I begin by interrogating why blood as kinship, ethnicity, nationality, identity, etc., has been so clinically removed from so much Humanities-oriented poststructuralist and postcolonial diaspora theory, rendering it both bloodless and hostile towards the notion of a return to an ethnic homeland. Second, I analyze policies based on the “migration-development nexus” promoted by organizations like the World Bank with its reliance on a conception of bloody roots and an enduring ethnic homeland that is both essentialist and static. To point out the limitations of these theories, I examine some recent frontier heritage migrations in which Asian and African diasporic elites raised in Euro-America are “returning” to their ethnic homelands. Finally, I attempt to lay out some of the parameters of a more fluid, supple theory of diaspora for the twenty-first century that explores blood as an analytic tool that takes into account not only mobile yet bloody identities but also mutable places, dynamic economic change, and new forms of spatiotemporality. In other words, returning to the homeland is not what it used to be, hence new constructions of blood identification are now possible.

RNA methylation: regulations and mechanisms

Epigenetic modifications include the chemical modifications on DNA, RNA and proteins characterized by altered gene expression and function without any changes in the gene sequence. In addition to well-established DNA and protein epigenetic modifications, the reversible RNA methylation has led the third wave of studies in the epigenetic field. RNA has more than 100 chemical modifications, among which methylation is the major type. The identification of catalyzing enzymes for RNA methylation and the development of high-throughput detection technologies for RNA modification at the transcriptomic level are the prerequisites for revealing the regulatory role of RNA methylation in gene expression and biological functions. In this review, we summarize the recent frontier in RNA methylation-mediated epitranscriptomics from our and other laboratories, with emphasis on the discoveries of RNA modification demethylase , methyltransferase and binding protein as well as the illustration of regulatory roles of RNA methylation modification in hematopoietic stem cell differentiation, spermatogenesis, brain development and other pivotal life processes. These findings have shown that RNA methylation is just as reversible as DNA methylation, and opened up a novel field in RNA methylation-mediated epitranscriptomics, which appends a new layer of epigenetic regulation to the central genetic dogma.

Many-Body Complexes in 2D Semiconductors.

2D semiconductors such as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and black phosphorus (BP) are currently attracting great attention due to their intrinsic bandgaps and strong excitonic emissions, making them potential candidates for novel optoelectronic applications. Optoelectronic devices fabricated from 2D semiconductors exhibit many-body complexes (exciton, trion, biexciton, etc.) which determine the materials optical and electrical properties. Characterization and manipulation of these complexes have become a reality due to their enhanced binding energies as a direct result from reduced dielectric screening and enhanced Coulomb interactions in the 2D regime. Furthermore, the atomic thickness and extremely large surface-to-volume ratio of 2D semiconductors allow the possibility of modulating their inherent optical, electrical, and optoelectronic properties using a variety of different environmental stimuli. To fully realize the potential functionalities of these many-body complexes in optoelectronics, a comprehensive understanding of their formation mechanism is essential. A topical and concise summary of the recent frontier research progress related to many-body complexes in 2D semiconductors is provided here. Moreover, detailed discussions covering the aspects of fundamental theory, experimental investigations, modulation of properties, and optoelectronic applications are given. Lastly, personal insights into the current challenges and future outlook of many-body complexes in 2D semiconducting materials are presented.

Recent transformations of land-use and land-cover dynamics across different deforestation frontiers in the Brazilian Amazon

After forest governance reforms by the Brazilian government, Amazon deforestation rates dropped by almost 80% between 2004 and 2012. Since then, however, deforestation has slowly increased again, casting doubts on the long-term sustainability of past conservation policy achievements. Clearly, deforestation rates and the associated local drivers of land-use and land-cover change differ considerably across the region, and adapting public policies to dynamic local contexts and actor constellations remains a major challenge for decision-makers. This paper seeks to contribute to the related science-policy debate by applying frontier theory insights to map, quantify, and compare land-cover dynamics in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2015. Our theoretical framework performs well in explaining broad variations in scope, nature, and agents of land-use and land-cover change across different frontier regions. We observe two types of transformative processes at deforestation frontiers in the Amazonian context. First, recent frontier development is characterized by an intensification of cattle ranching, and an increasing share of agricultural activities in the production portfolio, which could be the result of better access to modern technologies and markets, combined with forest governance induced scarcity of land for expansion of historically dominant extensive pasture systems. Second, the share of medium and large-scale deforestation declines at first, but rebounds during the observation period in all frontier types after 2012. Further research is needed to better understand the role of the changing political environment in driving these medium and short-term transformations in land-use and land-cover change. Furthermore, policy-makers, international cooperation, and civil society must seek strong integration between value chain based governance measures and effective environmental law enforcement.

Mass spectrometry-enabled structural biology of membrane proteins.

The last ∼25 years has seen mass spectrometry (MS) emerge as an integral method in the structural biology toolkit. In particular, MS has enabled the structural characterization of proteins and protein assemblies that have been intractable by other methods, especially those that are large, heterogeneous or transient, providing experimental evidence for their structural organization in support of, and in advance of, high resolution methods. The most recent frontier conquered in the field of MS-based structural biology has been the application of established methods for studying water soluble proteins to the more challenging targets of integral membrane proteins. The power of MS in obtaining structural information has been enabled by advances in instrumentation and the development of hyphenated mass spectrometry-based methods, such as ion mobility spectrometry-MS, chemical crosslinking-MS and other chemical labelling/footprinting-MS methods. In this review we detail the insights garnered into the structural biology of membrane proteins by applying such techniques. Application and refinement of these methods has yielded unprecedented insights in many areas, including membrane protein conformation, dynamics, lipid/ligand binding, and conformational perturbations due to ligand binding, which can be challenging to study using other methods.

Alteration of cerebrovascular haemodynamic patterns due to atrial fibrillation: an in silico investigation.

There has recently been growing evidence that atrial fibrillation (AF), the most common cardiac arrhythmia, is independently associated with the risk of dementia. This represents a very recent frontier with high social impact for the number of individuals involved and for the expected increase in AF incidence in the next 40 years. Although a number of potential haemodynamic processes, such as microembolisms, altered cerebral blood flow, hypoperfusion and microbleeds, arise as connecting links between the two pathologies, the causal mechanisms are far from clear. An in silico approach is proposed that combines in sequence two lumped-parameter schemes, for the cardiovascular system and the cerebral circulation. The systemic arterial pressure is obtained from the cardiovascular system and used as the input for the cerebral circulation, with the aim of studying the role of AF on the cerebral haemodynamics with respect to normal sinus rhythm (NSR), over a 5000 beat recording. In particular, the alteration of the haemodynamic (pressure and flow rate) patterns in the microcirculation during AF is analysed by means of different statistical tools, from correlation coefficients to autocorrelation functions, crossing times, extreme values analysis and multivariate linear regression models. A remarkable signal alteration, such as a reduction in signal correlation (NSR, about 3 s; AF, less than 1 s) and increased probability (up to three to four times higher in AF than in NSR) of extreme value events, emerges for the peripheral brain circulation. The described scenario offers a number of plausible cause-effect mechanisms that might explain the occurrence of critical events and the haemodynamic links relating to AF and dementia.

O diabo e o diálogo: embates cosmológicos na fronteira missionária do sul da Índia no início do século XVII

In the early 17th century, South India is a recent missionary frontier for the Society of Jesus. In regions marked by a weak political and military Portuguese presence, the Jesuits are in direct confrontation with the devil, whose presence is manifest in every moment. In their providentialist interpretation of history and the world, faith is without any doubt their first line of defense and the motor of their actions. At the same time, though, the missionaries have a trust in reason as an additional weapon against devilish plots and conducive to the conversion of souls. The cosmological disputes that they maintain with the “scholarly Brahmins” they meet, as we exemplify in this paper, clearly show that reason is considered as a universal (or say, intercultural) faculty, and that its “correct” application to the interpretation of the structure of the Universe is understood as a way of establishing dialogue with alterity.

Techniques of windows correlation Control issues of the local and widespread thermo-hygrometric performances

The European Directive EPB-D 2010/31 / EC provides that, from 2020, new buildings are “nearly zero energy”, whereas existing ones, undergoing redevelopment, already since 2015 must be subject to interventions aimed at energy saving. Efficient and properly installed windows frames are therefore a prerequisite for achieving the goals set by the legislation. This paper, after reviewing the most recent frontier of laying techniques of the window frames, intends to focus on some issues of unsanitary environments, that their application has produced in this last years, in order to understand the causes and find remedial solutions.

"Towards a frontier of spatial scientometric studies" by SONG Gao with Martin Vesely as coordinator

The research field of spatial scientometrics is dedicated to measuring and analyzing science with spatial components (e.g., location, place, mapping). It involves the study of spatial patterns, impacts and trends of scientific activities (e.g., co-publication, citation, academic mobility) based on bibliographic databases. Because of the dynamic nature of this field, researchers from interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary domains constantly contribute qualitative, quantitative and computational approaches and technologies into scientometric analysis. This article aims to giving a brief overview about this field by analyzing the publications in (spatial) scientometrics collected from the Scopus database and introduces recent frontier researches which integrate advanced spatial analysis and geovisualization with Semantic Web technologies.

The Market Structure of Urban Solid Waste Services: How Different Models Lead to Different Results

Urban waste services in Portugal have historically been provided together with other services, such as the water services. Despite the lack of discussion on this subject in the literature, some questions have been raised about the gains, in terms of efficiency, of this policy. Following a recent and robust partial nonparametric frontier model, based on order-α, we intend to evaluate the presence of economies of scope in the Portuguese waste sector. Furthermore, we also estimate the economies of scale using the traditional data envelopment analysis. The results show the absence of economies of scope between waste and water (and wastewater) services. In addition, we identify the presence of economies of scale in smaller municipalities. These outcomes might be useful for policy and decision makers in further reforms.

The role of C-type lectin receptors in immune homeostasis

C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are important pathogen pattern recognition molecules that recognize carbohydrate structures. Upon ligand binding, CLRs induce a variety of cellular responses, such as respiratory burst, production of cytokines and chemokines, and consequently shaping the adaptive immune responses. Recent frontier studies have demonstrated that CLRs play a significant role in development of anti-inflammatory immune responses and maintenance of host immune-homeostasis. In this review we describe the major CLRs involved in production of IL-10 by immune-related cells and functional maturation of regulatory T cells. In addition, we discuss the potential role of CLRs signaling in regulating intestinal immune-homeostasis and inflammation. Further understanding of the precise role for these receptors on immunoregulatory cells will provide unexpected opportunities for developing new therapies for inflammatory diseases.

A multi-point of view 3D camera system for minimally invasive surgery

Endoscopes and laparoscopes in interventional endoscopy and in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) are the eyes of the surgeon. For this reason, research for innovative and more efficient visualization devices is always active. Furthermore, surgeons appreciate innovation and are generally open to new solutions. An example of this attitude is the rapid spreading of stereoscopy in the surgical field. Three-dimensional (3D) endoscopes are already available on the market, but all of them still present several limitations; first of all, their single user feature, which makes the surgeon isolated from the staff. This problem could find a solution in the most recent frontier in 3D vision, i.e. the multi-views autostereoscopic displays (ADs). Indeed, these monitors can be watched by more than one person in different positions without the loss of 3D perspective and without the need of glasses or helmets. However, these devices have not yet found a direct application in MIS, mainly because of the encumbrance of the image acquisition system, which hardly fits in the patient anatomy. The most challenging issue is to embed multiple cameras in a device which is able to pass through a laparoscopic incision. The aim of this work is the development of a miniaturized acquisition system for MIS, which can be interfaced with multi-view ADs, thus paving the way to the use of such devices in surgery. A robust and simple solution identified by the authors in the implementation of a module which can be inserted in the longitudinal direction, while anchored and maneuvered in the horizontal one. The presented laparoscope embeds up to seven cameras, while matching MIS access incision constraints.