bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vegetation Index‐Based Partitioning of Evapotranspiration Is Deficient in Grazed Systems
Authors: Raghav Pushpendra , Wagle Pradeep , Kumar Mukesh , Banerjee Tirtha , Neel James P. S.
Published: August 2022

Partitioning evapotranspiration (ET) into its primary components, that is, evaporation (E) and plant transpiration (T), is needed in a range of hydrometeorological applications. Using vegetation index (VI) to obtain spatially resolved T:ET ratio over large areas has emerged as a promising approach in this regard. Here, we assess the effectiveness of this approach in differently managed wheat systems. Results show a weak relation between T:ET and VI in disturbed (i.e., grazed) systems. Furthermore, flux partition based on a canonical T:ET versus VI relation or the relation derived in a neighboring undisturbed wheat system introduce large errors in disturbed systems, thus underscoring the limits on the transferability of the VI‐based ET partitioning approach. The effectiveness of the VI‐based approach is found to be related to the strength of correlation between VI and vapor pressure deficit and/or radiation. This correlation metric can help identify settings where the approach is likely to be effective.
A proof of concept for targeting the PrPC - Amyloid β peptide interaction in basal prostate cancer and mesenchymal colon cancer
Authors: Mouillet-Richard Sophie , Martin-Lannerée Séverine , Le Corre Delphine , Hirsch Théo Z. , Ghazi Alexandre , Sroussi Marine , Pilati Camilla , de Reyniès Aurélien , Djouadi Fatima , Vodovar Nicolas , Launay Jean-Marie , Laurent-Puig Pierre
Published: August 2022

The cellular prion protein PrPC partners with caveolin-1 (CAV1) in neurodegenerative diseases but whether this interplay occurs in cancer has never been investigated. By leveraging patient and cell line datasets, we uncover a molecular link between PrPC and CAV1 across cancer. Using cell-based assays, we show that PrPC regulates the expression of and interacts with CAV1. PrPC additionally controls the expression of the amyloid precursor protein APP and of the Aβ generating enzyme BACE1, and regulates the levels of Aβ, whose accumulation is a central event in Alzheimer’s disease. We further identify DKK1 and DKK3, involved in both Alzheimer’s disease and cancer progression, as targets of the PrPC-dependent axis. Finally, we establish that antibody-mediated blocking of the Aβ-PrPC interaction delays the growth of prostate cancer cell line-derived xenografts and prevents the development of metastases. Our data additionally support an enrichment of the Aβ-PrPC-dependent pathway in the basal subtype of prostate cancer, associated with anti-hormonal therapy resistance, and in mesenchymal colon cancer, associated with poor prognosis. Thus, based on a parallel with neurodegenerative diseases, our results bring to light an Aβ-PrPC axis and support the potential of targeting this pathway in patients with selected subtypes of prostate and colon cancer.
A miR-34a-guided, tRNAiMet-derived, piR_019752-like fragment (tRiMetF31) suppresses migration and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells via targeting PFKFB3
Authors: Wang Bo , Li Dongping , Ilnytskyy Yaroslav , Kovalchuk Igor , Kovalchuk Olga
Published: August 2022

Although we recently demonstrated that miR-34a directly targets tRNAiMet precursors via Argonaute 2 (AGO2)-mediated cleavage, consequently attenuating the proliferation of breast cancer cells, whether tRNAiMet fragments derived from this cleavage influence breast tumor angiogenesis remains unknown. Here, using small-RNA-Seq, we identified a tRNAiMet-derived, piR_019752-like 31-nt fragment tRiMetF31 in breast cancer cells expressing miR-34a. Bioinformatic analysis predicted 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) as a potential target of tRiMrtF31, which was validated by luciferase assay. tRiMetF31 was downregulated, whereas PFKFB3 was overexpressed in cancer cell lines. Overexpression of tRiMetF31 profoundly inhibited the migration and angiogenesis of two breast cancer cell lines while slightly inducing apoptosis. Conversely, knockdown of tRiMetF31 restored PFKFB3-driven angiogenesis. miR-34a was downregulated, whereas tRNAiMet and PFKFB3 were upregulated in breast cancer, and elevated PFKFB3 significantly correlated with metastasis. Our findings demonstrate that tRiMetF31 profoundly suppresses angiogenesis by silencing PFKFB3, presenting a novel target for therapeutic intervention in breast cancer.
FTO promotes clear cell renal cell carcinoma progression via upregulation of PDK1 through an m6A dependent pathway
Authors: Shen Haixiang , Ying Yufan , Ma Xueyou , Xie Haiyun , Chen Shiming , Sun Jiazhu , Liu Zixiang , Wen Chao , Yang Zitong , Wang Xiao , Xu Mingjie , Luo Jindan , Liu Ben , Li Jiangfeng , Zheng Xiangyi , Xie Liping
Published: August 2022

FTO, as an m6A mRNA demethylase, is involved in various cancers. However, the role of FTO in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. In the present study, we discovered FTO is upregulated in ccRCC. Functionally, knockdown of FTO significantly impairs the proliferation and migration ability of ccRCC cells. Mechanistically, our data suggest FTO promotes the proliferation and migration of ccRCC through preventing degradation of PDK1 mRNA induced by YTHDF2 in an m6A-dependent mechanism. Overall, our results identify the protumorigenic role of FTO through the m6A/YTHDF2/PDK1 pathway, which could be a promising therapeutic target for ccRCC.
Virus-like particle vaccinology, from bench to bedside
Authors: Mohsen Mona O. , Bachmann Martin F.
Published: August 2022

Virus-like particles (VLPs) have become key tools in biology, medicine and even engineering. After their initial use to resolve viral structures at the atomic level, VLPs were rapidly harnessed to develop antiviral vaccines followed by their use as display platforms to generate any kind of vaccine. Most recently, VLPs have been employed as nanomachines to deliver pharmaceutically active products to specific sites and into specific cells in the body. Here, we focus on the use of VLPs for the development of vaccines with broad fields of indications ranging from classical vaccines against viruses to therapeutic vaccines against chronic inflammation, pain, allergy and cancer. In this review, we take a walk through time, starting with the latest developments in experimental preclinical VLP-based vaccines and ending with marketed vaccines, which earn billions of dollars every year, paving the way for the next wave of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines already visible on the horizon.
Tumor-associated macrophage (TAM)-derived CCL22 induces FAK addiction in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)
Authors: Chen Jie , Zhao Di , Zhang Lingyuan , Zhang Jing , Xiao Yuanfan , Wu Qingnan , Wang Yan , Zhan Qimin
Published: August 2022

Tumor cell dependence on activated oncogenes is considered a therapeutic target, but protumorigenic microenvironment-mediated cellular addiction to specific oncogenic signaling molecules remains to be further defined. Here, we showed that tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) produced an abundance of C-C motif chemokine 22 (CCL22), whose expression in the tumor stroma was positively associated with the level of intratumoral phospho-focal adhesion kinase (pFAK Tyr397), tumor metastasis and reduced patient survival. Functionally, CCL22-stimulated hyperactivation of FAK was correlated with increased malignant progression of cancer cells. CCL22-induced addiction to FAK was demonstrated by the persistent suppression of tumor progression upon FAK-specific inhibition. Mechanistically, we identified that diacylglycerol kinase α (DGKα) acted as a signaling adaptor to link the CCL22 receptor C-C motif chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4) and FAK and promoted CCL22-induced activation of the FAK/AKT pathway. CCL22/CCR4 signaling activated the intracellular Ca2+/phospholipase C-γ1 (PLC-γ1) axis to stimulate the phosphorylation of DGKα at a tyrosine residue (Tyr335) and promoted the translocation of DGKα to the plasma membrane to assemble the DGKα/FAK signalosome, which critically contributed to regulating sensitivity to FAK inhibitors in cancer cells. The identification of TAM-driven intratumoral FAK addiction provides opportunities for utilizing the tumor-promoting microenvironment to achieve striking anticancer effects.
The role of natural gas in reaching net-zero emissions in the electric sector
Authors: Bistline John E. T. , Young David T.
Published: August 2022

Replacing coal with natural gas has contributed to recent emissions reductions in the electric sector, but there are questions about the near- and long-term roles for gas under deep decarbonization. In this study, we assess the potential role for natural gas and carbon removal in deeply decarbonized electricity systems in the U.S. and evaluate the robustness of these insights to key technology and policy assumptions. We find that natural-gas-fired generation can lower the cost of electric sector decarbonization, a result that is robust to a range of sensitivities, when carbon removal is allowed under policy. Accelerating decarbonization to reach net-zero in 2035 entails greater contributions from natural gas than in 2050. Nonetheless, wind and solar have higher generation shares than natural gas for most regions and scenarios (52-66% variable renewables for net-zero scenarios versus 0-19% for gas), suggesting that natural gas generation can be substituted more easily than its capacity.
Molecular ensemble junctions with inter-molecular quantum interference
Authors: Li Ping’an , Selzer Yoram
Published: August 2022

We report of a high yield method to form nanopore molecular ensembles junctions containing ~40,000 molecules, in which the semimetal bismuth (Bi) is a top contact. Conductance histograms of these junctions are double-peaked (bi-modal), a behavior that is typical for single molecule junctions but not expected for junctions with thousands of molecules. This unique observation is shown to result from a new form of quantum interference that is inter-molecular in nature, which occurs in these junctions since the very long coherence length of the electrons in Bi enables them to probe large ensembles of molecules while tunneling through the junctions. Under such conditions, each molecule within the ensembles becomes an interference path that modifies via its tunneling phase the electronic structure of the entire junction. This new form of quantum interference holds a great promise for robust novel conductance effects in practical molecular junctions.
Generation of a CRISPR activation mouse that enables modelling of aggressive lymphoma and interrogation of venetoclax resistance
Authors: Deng Yexuan , Diepstraten Sarah T. , Potts Margaret A. , Giner Göknur , Trezise Stephanie , Ng Ashley P. , Healey Gerry , Kane Serena R. , Cooray Amali , Behrens Kira , Heidersbach Amy , Kueh Andrew J. , Pal Martin , Wilcox Stephen , Tai Lin , Alexander Warren S. , Visvader Jane E. , Nutt Stephen L. , Strasser Andreas , Haley Benjamin , Zhao Quan , Kelly Gemma L. , Herold Marco J.
Published: August 2022

CRISPR technologies have advanced cancer modelling in mice, but CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) methods have not been exploited in this context. We establish a CRISPRa mouse (dCas9a-SAMKI) for inducing gene expression in vivo and in vitro. UsingdCas9a-SAMKIprimary lymphocytes, we induce B cell restricted genes in T cells and vice versa, demonstrating the power of this system. There are limited models of aggressive double hit lymphoma. Therefore, we transactivate pro-survival BCL-2 inEµ-MycT/+;dCas9a-SAMKI/+haematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. Mice transplanted with these cells rapidly develop lymphomas expressing high BCL-2 and MYC. Unlike standardEµ-Myclymphomas, BCL-2 expressing lymphomas are highly sensitive to the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax. We perform genome-wide activation screens in these lymphoma cells and find a dominant role for the BCL-2 protein A1 in venetoclax resistance. Here we show the potential of our CRISPRa model for mimicking disease and providing insights into resistance mechanisms towards targeted therapies.
Variational quantum eigensolver with reduced circuit complexity
Authors: Zhang Yu , Cincio Lukasz , Negre Christian F. A. , Czarnik Piotr , Coles Patrick J. , Anisimov Petr M. , Mniszewski Susan M. , Tretiak Sergei , Dub Pavel A.
Published: August 2022

The variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) is one of the most promising algorithms to find eigenstates of a given Hamiltonian on noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices (NISQ). The practical realization is limited by the complexity of quantum circuits. Here we present an approach to reduce quantum circuit complexity in VQE for electronic structure calculations. Our ClusterVQE algorithm splits the initial qubit space into clusters which are further distributed on individual (shallower) quantum circuits. The clusters are obtained based on mutual information reflecting maximal entanglement between qubits, whereas inter-cluster correlation is taken into account via a new “dressed” Hamiltonian. ClusterVQE therefore allows exact simulation of the problem by using fewer qubits and shallower circuit depth at the cost of additional classical resources, making it a potential leader for quantum chemistry simulations on NISQ devices. Proof-of-principle demonstrations are presented for several molecular systems based on quantum simulators as well as IBM quantum devices.
Formation of magnetic biskyrmions mediated by an intrinsic emergent monopole-antimonopole pair
Authors: Wang Cheng-Jie , Wang Pengfei , Zhou Yan , Wang Wenhong , Shi Fazhan , Du Jiangfeng
Published: August 2022

Various properties and potential technological applications of magnetic skyrmions have stimulated a flourishing interest in topological spin textures. Among them, biskyrmions with a rare topological charge of two are observed but their existence is still under debate. In this work, we present the formation of biskyrmion bubbles mediated by emergent monopoles via micromagnetic simulations. We find that biskyrmion bubbles and trivial bubbles share a unified three-dimensional structure, in which the relative position of an intrinsic emergent monopole-antimonopole pair dominates the two-dimensional topological property at the middle plane of magnetic uniaxial films. Biskyrmion bubbles can be transformed from trivial bubbles by the motion of emergent monopoles in confined geometry, paving the way for developing devices. These results highlight the three-dimensional aspect of skyrmion-related nanostructures and the versatile roles of emergent monopoles in topological spin textures.
Retrospective detection of asymptomatic monkeypox virus infections among male sexual health clinic attendees in Belgium
Authors: De Baetselier Irith , Van Dijck Christophe , Kenyon Chris , Coppens Jasmine , Michiels Johan , de Block Tessa , Smet Hilde , Coppens Sandra , Vanroye Fien , Bugert Joachim Jakob , Girl Philipp , Zange Sabine , Liesenborghs Laurens , Brosius Isabel , van Griensven Johan , Selhorst Philippe , Florence Eric , Van den Bossche Dorien , Ariën Kevin K. , Rezende Antonio Mauro , Vercauteren Koen , Van Esbroeck Marjan ,   for the ITM Monkeypox study group, Ramadan Kadrie , Platteau Tom , Van Looveren Karin , Baeyens Jolien , Van Hoyweghen Cindy , Mangelschots Marianne , Heyndrickx Leo , Hauner Anne , Willems Betty , Bottieau Emmanuel , Soentjens Patrick , Berens Nicole , Van Henten Saskia , Bracke Stefanie , Vanbaelen Thibaut , Vandenhove Leen , Verschueren Jacob , Ariën Kevin K. , Laga Marie , Vanhamel Jef , Vuylsteke Bea
Published: August 2022

The magnitude of the 2022 multi-country monkeypox virus (MPXV) outbreak has surpassed any preceding outbreak. It is unclear whether asymptomatic or otherwise undiagnosed infections are fuelling this epidemic. In this study, we aimed to assess whether undiagnosed infections occurred among men attending a Belgian sexual health clinic in May 2022. We retrospectively screened 224 samples collected for gonorrhea and chlamydia testing using an MPXV PCR assay and identified MPXV-DNA-positive samples from four men. At the time of sampling, one man had a painful rash, and three men had reported no symptoms. Upon clinical examination 21–37 days later, these three men were free of clinical signs, and they reported not having experienced any symptoms. Serology confirmed MPXV exposure in all three men, and MPXV was cultured from two cases. These findings show that certain cases of monkeypox remain undiagnosed and suggest that testing and quarantining of individuals reporting symptoms may not suffice to contain the outbreak.
Nine out of ten samples were mistakenly switched by The Orang-utan Genome Consortium
Authors: Banes Graham L. , Fountain Emily D. , Karklus Alyssa , Fulton Robert S. , Antonacci-Fulton Lucinda , Nelson Joanne O.
Published: August 2022

The Sumatran orang-utan (Pongo abelii) reference genome was first published in 2011, in conjunction with ten re-sequenced genomes from unrelated wild-caught individuals. Together, these published data have been utilized in almost all great ape genomic studies, plus in much broader comparative genomic research. Here, we report that the original sequencing Consortium inadvertently switched nine of the ten samples and/or resulting re-sequenced genomes, erroneously attributing eight of these to the wrong source individuals. Among them is a genome from the recently identified Tapanuli (P. tapanuliensis) species: thus, this genome was sequenced and published a full six years prior to the species’ description. Sex was wrongly assigned to five known individuals; the numbers in one sample identifier were swapped; and the identifier for another sample most closely resembles that of a sample from another individual entirely. These errors have been reproduced in countless subsequent manuscripts, with noted implications for studies reliant on data from known individuals.
Absolute protein quantitation of the mouse macrophage Toll-like receptor and chemotaxis pathways
Authors: Manes Nathan P. , Calzola Jessica M. , Kaplan Pauline R. , Fraser Iain D. C. , Germain Ronald N. , Meier-Schellersheim Martin , Nita-Lazar Aleksandra
Published: August 2022

The Toll-like receptor (TLR) and chemotaxis pathways are key components of the innate immune system. Subtle variation in the concentration, timing, and molecular structure of the ligands are known to affect downstream signaling and the resulting immune response. Computational modeling and simulation at the molecular interaction level can be used to study complex biological pathways, but such simulations require protein concentration values as model parameters. Here we report the development and application of targeted mass spectrometry assays to measure the absolute abundance of proteins of the mouse macrophage Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and chemotaxis pathways. Two peptides per protein were quantified, if possible. The protein abundance values ranged from 1,332 to 227,000,000 copies per cell. They moderately correlated with transcript abundance values from a previously published mouse macrophage RNA-seq dataset, and these two datasets were combined to make proteome-wide abundance estimates. The datasets produced during this investigation can be used for pathway modeling and simulation, as well as for other studies of the TLR and chemotaxis pathways.
Semi-supervised learning framework for oil and gas pipeline failure detection
Authors: Alobaidi Mohammad H. , Meguid Mohamed A. , Zayed Tarek
Published: August 2022

Quantifying failure events of oil and gas pipelines in real- or near-real-time facilitates a faster and more appropriate response plan. Developing a data-driven pipeline failure assessment model, however, faces a major challenge; failure history, in the form of incident reports, suffers from limited and missing information, making it difficult to incorporate a persistent input configuration to a supervised machine learning model. The literature falls short on the development of appropriate solutions to utilize incomplete databases and incident reports in the pipeline failure problem. This work proposes a semi-supervised machine learning framework which mines existing oil and gas pipeline failure databases. The proposed cluster-impute-classify (CIC) approach maps a relevant subset of the failure databases through which missing information in the incident report is reconstructed. A classifier is then trained on the fly to learn the functional relationship between the descriptors from a diverse feature set. The proposed approach, presented within an ensemble learning architecture, is easily scalable to various pipeline failure databases. The results show up to 91% detection accuracy and stable generalization ability against increased rate of missing information.
Humoral and cellular response in convalescent COVID-19 lupus patients
Authors: Solé Cristina , Domingo Sandra , Vidal Xavier , Cortés-Hernández Josefina
Published: August 2022

In SLE, underlying immune dysregulation and immunosuppression may increase the susceptibility to COVID-19 and impair the humoral and adaptive response. We aimed to characterize COVID-19 infection, identifying susceptibility and severity risk factors, assessing the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and analyzing the cellular response. We established a prospective cohort of lupus patients to estimate the COVID-19 incidence compared to the reference general population. Data were collected via telephone interviews and medical record review. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were measured cross-sectionally as part of routine surveillance. Longitudinal changes in antibody titers and immunological profile from convalescent COVID-19 patients were evaluated at 6, 12 and 24 week after symptom onset. From immunological studies, PBMCs from convalescent patients were extracted and analyzed by flow cytometry and gene expression analysis. We included 725 patients, identifying 29 with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 infection and 16 with COVID-19-like symptoms without PCR-testing. Of the 29 confirmed cases, 7 had severe disease, 8 required hospital admission (27.6%), 4 intensive care, and 1 died. COVID-19 accumulated incidence was higher in lupus patients. Health care workers and anti-SSA/Ro52 antibody positivity were risk factors for COVID-19 susceptibility, and hypocomplementemia for severity. SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were detected in 8.33% of patients. Three fourths of confirmed COVID-19 cases developed antibodies. High prednisone doses were associated with lack of antibody response. Antibody titers declined over time (39%). Convalescent patients at week 12 after symptom onset displayed a CD8+T cell reduction and predominant Th17 with a mild Th2 response, more pronounced in severe COVID-19 disease. Longitudinal immune response analysis showed a progressive sustained increase in CD8+ T and B memory cells with a decrease of Th17 signaling. Lupus patients are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection and new susceptibility and severity risk factors were identified. Lupus patients were able to mount humoral and cellular responses despite immunosuppressive therapy.
The impact of users’ cognitive function on evaluator perceptions of usability
Authors: Martins Ana Isabel , Silva Anabela G. , Pais Joana , Cruz Vítor Tedim , Rocha Nelson P.
Published: August 2022

To explore the association between the user’s cognitive function and usability reported by the evaluator. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a community-based sample. Data about participants’ age, sex, education, sleep quantity, subjective memory complaints, and cognitive function were collected. A usability session was conducted to evaluate a digital solution called Brain on Track. Independent linear-regression analyses were used to explore univariable and multivariable associations between evaluator-reported usability assessment and the users’ cognitive function, age, sex, education, sleep quantity, and subjective memory complaints. A total of 238 participants entered this study, of which 161 (67.6%) were females and the mean age was 42 (SD 12.9) years old. All variables (age, education, sleep quantity, subjective memory complaints and cognitive function) except sex were significantly associated with evaluator-reported usability in the univariable analysis (p < 0.05). Cognitive function, age, education, and subjective memory complaints remained significant in the multivariable model (F = 38.87, p < 0.001) with an adjusted R2 of 0.391. Cognition scores alone showed an adjusted R2 of 0.288. This work suggests that cognitive function impacts evaluator reported usability, alongside other users’ characteristics and needs to be considered in the usability evaluation.
Serotonin modulates asymmetric learning from reward and punishment in healthy human volunteers
Authors: Michely Jochen , Eldar Eran , Erdman Alon , Martin Ingrid M. , Dolan Raymond J.
Published: August 2022

Instrumental learning is driven by a history of outcome success and failure. Here, we examined the impact of serotonin on learning from positive and negative outcomes. Healthy human volunteers were assessed twice, once after acute (single-dose), and once after prolonged (week-long) daily administration of the SSRI citalopram or placebo. Using computational modelling, we show that prolonged boosting of serotonin enhances learning from punishment and reduces learning from reward. This valence-dependent learning asymmetry increases subjects’ tendency to avoid actions as a function of cumulative failure without leading to detrimental, or advantageous, outcomes. By contrast, no significant modulation of learning was observed following acute SSRI administration. However, differences between the effects of acute and prolonged administration were not significant. Overall, these findings may help explain how serotonergic agents impact on mood disorders.
Marine sediment as a likely source of methyl and ethyl iodides in subpolar and polar seas
Authors: Ooki Atsushi , Minamikawa Keita , Meng Fanxing , Miyashita Naoya , Hirawake Toru , Ueno Hiromichi , Nosaka Yuichi , Takatsu Tetsuya
Published: August 2022

The surface ocean is an important source of longer-lived volatile organic iodine compounds, such as methyl and ethyl iodide. However, their production in deep waters is poorly constrained. Here, we combine shipborne seawater and sediment core analyses to investigate the temporal and vertical distribution of methyl and ethyl iodide concentrations in the Bering and Chukchi Seas in July 2017 and 2018, and Funka Bay, Japan, between March 2018 and December 2019. We find the highest methyl and ethyl iodide concentrations in sediment porewaters and at the sediment surface. In Funka Bay, concentrations in the sediment and bottom waters strongly increased following the spring bloom and subsequent settling of phytodetritus to the seafloor. Dark incubation experiments suggest that diatom aggregates are a source of methyl and ethyl iodide to the ambient water. Our findings suggest that phytodetritus at the seafloor is a potential source of volatile organic iodine compounds to the water column in polar and subpolar coastal oceans.
Engineered Substrates with Dynamically Tunable Topography
Authors: Uto Koichiro
Published: August 2022

Cells receive biochemical, physicochemical, and mechanostructural information from the surrounding microenvironment to regulate their function and fate. In particular, topography, the structural information of the extracellular matrix, has been shown to strongly influence not only the mechanical support of tissues and organs but also cell polarity, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Mechanobiological studies are being conducted to clearly elucidate the role of topography in cell function. However, advanced investigations have suggested that topography observed in vivo is not constant but changes with time, correlating with the development and progression of diseases. The development of cell culture substrates that can replicate such dynamic topographic environments in vitro is expected to be a major contribution of materials science as a dynamic topographical approach to the study of cell mechanobiology. This chapter outlines the correlation between dynamic topographic changes and cellular physiological functions in vivo and introduces materials that can induce equivalent dynamic topographic changes in cells and their design principles in vitro. In addition, this chapter describes the potential of such materials as tools for mechanobiological research by illustrating the effects of artificially created dynamic topographic changes on cellular behavior with several examples.
Engineered 3D Matrices with Spatiotemporally Tunable Properties
Authors: Uto Koichiro , Tanimoto Riho , DeForest Cole A.
Published: August 2022

Many landmark mechanobiological discoveries have stemmed from two-dimensional (2D) cell culture experimentation – so-called flat biology. Despite these important results, with significant evidence that cells cultured in three-dimensional (3D) materials often exhibit behaviors more akin to those in vivo when compared against conventional 2D platforms (e.g. Petri dishes, multiwell plates), exciting opportunities exist toward engineering customizable 3D biomaterials to study and direct complex cell fates in vitro. In this chapter, we outline the effects of culture dimensionality on cell mechanobiology and discuss material design principles for culturing cells within more physiologically relevant contexts. In addition, we highlight strategies for four-dimensional (4D) mechanobiology studies in which cell-laden synthetic matrices can be modified in 3D space on demand over time to recapitulate evolving heterogeneity within complex tissue and organs.
Combining Genetic and Mechanical Factors to Model Disease
Authors: Mayner Jaimie , Demeester Elena , Engler Adam J.
Published: August 2022

To study the origin of disease, which is complicated by patient-to-patient variability and tissue heterogeneity, it is necessary to study the root causes of both extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. While extrinsic factors are generally obvious for diseases, e.g. diet and exercise, intrinsic ones are less so, e.g. genetics or environmentally induced genetic stimuli. This chapter first summarizes recent work investigating the effect of inherited genetic risk using examples from cardiovascular disease and cancer and technologies such as iPSCs and/or gene editing. Second, we summarize recent advancements in materials-based mechanobiology in which mechanical stimuli, whether from the ECM, surrounding fluid, or neighboring cells, were modulated to study their role in disease. Finally, instances where both genetics and mechanics are jointly manipulated to model disease are discussed. Most genetic risk acts through unknown mechanisms; however, we propose future systematic study of these effects in combination to uncover novel mechanisms that would otherwise be missed if modeled separately.
Oxidative Dehydrogenation of Ethane to Ethylene Over Two-dimensional Nanomaterial Catalysts Using CO2
Authors: Fayyad E. M. , Sadasivuni K. K. , Abdullah A. M.
Published: August 2022

Currently, significant levels of attention levels are seen in the production of light olefins due to their utilization in many chemical industries. One of the most widely used olefins is ethylene, which is used to synthesize many useful derivatives. Much research has been dedicated to creating newer, more efficient methods for producing ethylene instead of the conventional ones. The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane (ODHE), which reduces the requirement for exaggerated input of internal heat, is considered to be the most attractive substitute method. The use of CO2 as an oxidant, instead of O2, provides more moderate exothermic reactions, which aids the stabilization process of ethylene manufacturing. The choice of a stable catalyst with high selectivity and reactivity is challenged in ODHE. The fundamental understanding and progress done in ethylene dehydrogenation, including the use of CO2, reaction mechanisms, and the nature of active sites are reviewed in this chapter. Various 2D nanomaterial catalysts have been introduced focusing mainly on the different additives and supports that enhance the role of the catalysts clarifying more competitive ones for industrial applications. Finally, a summary of advancing technologies and future research potential regarding catalytic science and oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane is reviewed.
Phosphinoborinium cation: a synthon for cationic B–P bond systems
Authors: Kaniewska-Laskowska Kinga , Klimsiak Katarzyna , Szynkiewicz Natalia , Chojnacki Jarosław , Grubba Rafał
Published: August 2022

A simple method for the generation of phosphinoborinium cations utilizing synthetically accessible bromophosphinoboranes.
A Golgi-targeted viscosity rotor for monitoring early alcohol-induced liver injury
Authors: Liu Chuanhao , Zhou Lin , Zheng Ying , Man Huizi , Ye Zhiwei , Zhang Xinfu , Xie Lijuan , Xiao Yi
Published: August 2022

The first Golgi-targeted fluorescent rotor (GA-Vis) to visualize Golgi viscosity for early diagnosis of alcoholic liver injury at the subcellular level.
Hidden ordered structure in the archetypical Fe(pyrazine)[Pt(CN)4] spin-crossover porous coordination compound
Authors: Fernández-Blanco Ángel , Mariano Lorenzo A. , Piñeiro-López Lucía , Real José Antonio , Costa Jose Sanchez , Poloni Roberta , Rodríguez-Velamazán J. Alberto
Published: August 2022

The actual low-spin state of Fe(pyrazine)Pt(CN)4 implies an ordered arrangement of the pyrazine rings, which significantly affects the spin transition.
Theoretical study on exohedral complexes C6H6TMB40 (TM = Sc-Ni)
Authors: Pei Ling , Zhang Li-Juan , Li Da-Zhi
Published: August 2022

Density functional theory calculations indicate that for exohedral borospherene complexes C6H6TMB40 (TM = Sc-Ni), the bonding type between TM and B40 changes from η7 (TM = Sc-V) to η6 (TM = Cr-Fe) and then to η7 (TM = Co, Ni) with d electrons increasing.
Ultra-low voltage bipolar hydrogen production from biomass-derived aldehydes and water in membrane-less electrolyzers
Authors: Liu Hengzhou , Agrawal Naveen , Ganguly Arna , Chen Yifu , Lee Jungkuk , Yu Jiaqi , Huang Wenyu , Mba Wright Mark , Janik Michael J. , Li Wenzhen
Published: August 2022

A unique electrocatalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of aldehydes and its facile kinetics on a Cu-based porous electrode enables an ultra-low voltage bipolar H2production system with industrial-relevant current densities.
Solid additive tuning of polymer blend morphology enables non-halogenated-solvent all-polymer solar cells with an efficiency of over 17%
Authors: Hu Ke , Zhu Can , Ding Kan , Qin Shucheng , Lai Wenbin , Du Jiaqi , Zhang Jianqi , Wei Zhixiang , Li Xiaojun , Zhang Zhanjun , Meng Lei , Ade Harald , Li Yongfang
Published: August 2022

The treatment of toluene solvent and DTT additive enables the PBQ6:PYF-T-o-based all-PSC devices with PCE up to 17.06%, which is one of the highest value in non-halogenated-processed all-PSCs to date.
Green synthesis of 3-methyl-4-(hetero)aryl methylene isoxazole-5(4H)-ones using WEOFPA/glycerol: evaluation of anticancer and electrochemical behaviour properties
Authors: Badiger Krishnappa B. , Khatavi Santosh Y. , Kamanna Kantharaju
Published: August 2022

We demonstrate the MCRs of hydroxylamine hydrochloride and ethyl acetoacetate with various substituted aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes using an agro-waste-based solvent medium as a catalyst. The products were then screened for their anticancer activity.
High throughput exploration of the oxidation landscape in high entropy alloys
Authors: Sauceda D. , Singh P. , Ouyang G. , Palasyuk O. , Kramer M. J. , Arróyave R.
Published: August 2022

A high-throughput finite temperature phase-prediction framework for characterizing oxidation resistance in high-entropy alloys with respect to arbitrary temperature and oxygen concentration.
Unravelling the intrinsic synergy between Pt and MnOx supported on porous calcium silicate during toluene oxidation
Authors: Wang Ziqiang , Hao Zhifei , Zhang Yinmin , Zhang Yongfeng
Published: August 2022

Developing efficient catalysts that enhance electronic interactions between active metal sites is a promising strategy for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
A multistimulus-responsive self-healable supramolecular copper(ii)-metallogel derived from l-(+) tartaric acid: an efficient Schottky barrier diode
Authors: Dhibar Subhendu , Ojha Saurav Kumar , Mohan Aiswarya , Prabhakaran Siva Prasad Chimminiankuttichi , Bhattacharjee Subham , Karmakar Kripasindhu , Karmakar Priya , Predeep Padmanabhan , Ojha Animesh Kumar , Saha Bidyut
Published: August 2022

A low molecular weight gelator l-(+) tartaric acid- based self-healing supramolecular Cu(ii)-metallogel offers an electronic device of Schottky barrier diode at room temperature.
Highly dispersed Cu nanoparticles on ceria for enhanced ethylene selectivity during electrochemical reduction of CO2
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhang Hongchuan , Xie Sai , Hou Zhangkun , Xu Tongxin , Shang Yabing , Yan Zifeng
Published: August 2022

Strong interaction between Cu and CeO2 contributes to forming highly effective active sites for electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene.
Mesoporous silica as a matrix for photocatalytic titanium dioxide nanoparticles: lipid membrane interactions
Authors: Parra-Ortiz Elisa , Caselli Lucrezia , Agnoletti Monica , Skoda Maximilian W. A. , Li Xiaomin , Zhao Dongyuan , Malmsten Martin
Published: August 2022

Here, we investigate the combined interaction of mesoporous SiO2 and photocatalytic TiO2 nanoparticles with lipid membranes, using neutron reflectometry, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, fluorescence oxidation assays, and dynamic light scattering.
Effect of nonaffine displacement on the mechanical performance of degraded PCL and its graphene composites: an atomistic investigation
Authors: Nie Yihan , Li Chengkai , Zhan Haifei , Kou Liangzhi , Gu Yuantong
Published: August 2022

The mechanical performance of degraded polycaprolactone is closely related to the nonaffine displacement of the polymer chains.
Mechanical properties and structures under the deformation of thiophene copolymers with cyclic siloxane units
Authors: Matsumoto Takuya , Kashimoto Masaki , Kubota Chihiro , Horike Shohei , Ishida Kenji , Mori Atsunori , Nishino Takashi
Published: August 2022

The control of cross-linking of polythiophene with cyclic siloxane was achieved and provided to their mechanical properties and elastic recovery. The cross-links led to high recovery of crystallite orientation under stretching.
Versatile fully-substituted triazole-functionalized polypeptides with a stable α-helical conformation for gene delivery
Authors: Xu Xiang , Liu Shuxin , Gao He , Li Ming , He Junnan , Zheng Yubin , Song Wangze , Zheng Nan
Published: August 2022

A library of polypeptides bearing fully-substituted triazoles (FT) was developed via a Cu-catalyzed multicomponent reaction (MCR), which avoided the undesired hydrogen bonding and stabilized the α-helix in a broad pH range.
Treatment of mine water for the fast removal of zinc and lead by wood ash amended biochar
Authors: Cairns Stuart , Todd Aaron , Robertson Iain , Byrne Patrick , Dunlop Tom
Published: August 2022

Lead and zinc mines are a primary source of environmental (post)-transition metal contamination resulting in major water pollution. Wood ash amended biochar has the potential to remediate mine contaminated water.
Dyspraxia & why I can’t eat spaghetti
Authors: Neville George M.
Published: August 2022

Speaking at a conference for the first time can be daunting for anyone. For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a biochemist… No, really – I was a keen kid. So hours away from giving my first talk at the European SMALP conference, organized by the Biochemical Society, it would appear that I had achieved my life’s goal. Yet, peering out of my hotel window at the busy morning skyline, a downpour of worries started to cloud the day.
Hybrid multi-harmonic model for the prediction of interaural time differences in individual behind-the-ear hearing-aid-related transfer functions
Authors: Pausch Florian , Doma Shaima’a , Fels Janina
Published: August 2022

Spatial sound perception in aided listeners partly relies on hearing-aid-related transfer functions (HARTFs), describing the directional acoustic paths between a sound source and the hearing-aid (HA) microphones. Compared to head-related transfer functions (HRTFs), the HARTFs of behind-the-ear HAs exhibit substantial differences in spectro-temporal characteristics and binaural cues such as interaural time differences (ITDs). Since assumptions on antipodal microphone placement on the equator of a three-concentric sphere are violated in such datasets, predicting the ITDs via Kuhn’s simple analytic harmonic model entails excessive errors. Although angular ear-canal offsets have been addressed in an extended Woodworth model, the prediction errors remain large if the frequency range does not comply with the model specifications. Tuned to the previously inaccurately modelled frequency range between 500 Hz and 1.5 kHz, we propose a hybrid multi-harmonic model to predict the ITDs in HRTFs and HARTFs for arbitrary directions in the horizontal plane with superior accuracy. The target model coefficients are derived from individual directional measurements of 30 adults, wearing two dual-microphone behind-the-ear HAs and two in-ear microphones. Model individualisation is facilitated by the availability of polynomial weights that are applied to subsets of individual anthropometric and HA features to estimate the target model coefficients. The model is published as part of the Auditory Modeling Toolbox (AMT,pausch2022) and supplemented with the individual features and directional datasets.
Understanding the performance degradation and recovery of passive direct ethanol fuel cell
Authors: Ekdharmasuit Panuwat
Published: August 2022

In developing a fuel cell, one of the major issues that obstruct the commercialization of fuel cells is cell degradation. Meanwhile, the recovery process is an important factor to upgrade the performance and durability of fuel cell system. In this work, a passive direct ethanol fuel cell (DEFC) recovered from the unused aged cell was investigated. The hydrogen evolution method was applied for recovering the cell performance. Electrochemical tools including cell polarization, anode polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), ethanol crossover measurement, and chronoamperometry were conducted to examine the activation phenomenon. The polarization curve of the fresh membrane electrode assembly (MEA) was obviously superior to the aged one. The maximum power density was decreased from 1.10 to 0.06 mW·cm-2 reaching an approximate 95% decrement after keeping the cell for 1 year. The polarization curve of the MEA after conducting hydrogen evolution was better than that before. The maximum power density was enhanced from 0.06 to 0.07 mW·cm-2 presenting an approximate 16.67% increment after recovering the cell. The MEA after the recovery process could reduce ohmic resistance by 67.40% indicating the enhancement of ionic and electronic conductivity and could improve kinetic reaction at the electrode. In conclusion, the recovery process would be helpful for the unused aged cell to improve the performance shortly.
Lead (Pb2+) removal in water using different forms of spent arabica coffee grounds at varying contact time
Authors: Bandao-Antonio Jennifer , Malapit Giovanni , Mendoza John Paul , Valdez Joerandel
Published: August 2022

The availability of clean water for drinking and domestic use is a basic human right, but it is oftentimes denied to some users due to lack of facilities that could clean water. The use of cheap and abundant biomaterials can help solve this problem. Spent coffee grounds is a biomaterial that can remove heavy metals, such as lead (Pb2+) in water. In this study, the Ultraviolet Visible Spectrophotometry analysis resulted in the computation of the Total Removal Efficiency (R%) on lead (Pb2+) in water using raw, crushed, carbonized, and chemically treated spent coffee grounds of the Arabica variety. The crushed and carbonized samples had the highest Total Removal Efficiency (R%) at a shorter coffee-lead contact time. This is due to the exposure of more surfaces as seen in the Scanning Electron Microscopy micrographs, where more open pores and deeper cages or crevices are exposed for metal adsorption. The Atomic % of elemental Carbon was also high for the crushed sample. FTIR analysis revealed that the presence of charged amines (C=NH+) in the carbonized and chemically treated samples resulted to lead (Pb2+) adsorption in a short time. Abundant and cheap waste biomaterials, such as spent Arabica coffee grounds can exceed the Total Removal Efficiency (R%) on lead (Pb2+) of commercially available activated carbon.
Identification of bacterial species from healthy wood of Aquilaria crassna using colony PCR
Authors: Phakeenuya Vanarat , Phetsri Bowonlak , Khunsuksaen Thidarat , Meeinkuirt Weeradej , Kalnaowakul Phuri , Rodiahwati Wawat , Phusantisampan Theerawut
Published: August 2022

Agarwood is one of the most expensive, sacred and valuable woods used in the biotechnology industry. This natural raw material is in high demand as a commodity and can be used to manufacture a variety of products. Isolating a microbe from its environment is crucial because several bacterial strains can produce novel compounds for biotechnological applications. Exploration of bacterial strains, such as bacterial endophytes, has been associated with bioactive compounds of the agarwood plant. The purpose of this study was to isolate and identify bacteria from Agarwood trees in the Kaeng Hang Maeo Sub-district of Chanthaburi Province, Thailand by using molecular biology techniques. A colony PCR technique without prior DNA extraction for rapid and simple detection of bacteria was performed. After the DNA sequence analysis, the results showed that most populations in the normal layer are belonged to Pantoea dispersa (99%). Through analysis of phylogenetic tree by neighbor-joining method, the sequences of the 16s rRNA gene were analyzed to understand evolutionary relationships of bacteria found in agarwood. In conclusion, good amplification of the 16s rRNA sequence (1.5 kb) was detected with the specificity of the target sequences of the 16s RNA. In addition, the isolated bacterial strains are the most common species in agarwood, however, there has been no previous research on isolating these bacterial strains in Aquilaria crassna.
Formation of thermal oxide scale and its adhesion to hot-rolled low carbon steels with different final strip thicknesses
Authors: Naipinij Sun , Sukieum Sasapan , Namprai Ravinupha , Nilsonthi Thanasak
Published: August 2022

Currently, the steelmaking industry produces iron oxide waste scale resulting in pollution to the environment. It was necessary to have a good understanding of the composition, characteristics and properties of the oxide scale. This study focused on the formation of scale and its adhesion to the hot-rolled steel strip with different thicknesses. The oxide scale formed on an as-received hot-rolled steel strip was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDS). Magnetite, hematite and iron were found from the XRD results of all samples, which had the thickness strip of 8, 10 and 12 mm. The scale was thinner for the thinner strip. The adhesion test was conducted by a tensile testing machine adapted with an observation set. The strain initiating the first spallation and mechanical adhesion energy was lowest for the sample with the highest thickness (12 mm). These results indicate that the waste scale produced by hot rolled steel industry can be controlled by the final strip thickness. There was a need to control the scale of waste in a reasonable way to protect the environment.