bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remote near infrared identification of pathogens with multiplexed nanosensors
Authors: Nißler Robert , Bader Oliver , Dohmen Maria , Walter Sebastian G. , Noll Christine , Selvaggio Gabriele , Groß Uwe , Kruss Sebastian
Published: November 2020

Infectious diseases are worldwide a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Fast and specific detection of pathogens such as bacteria is needed to combat these diseases. Optimal methods would be non-invasive and without extensive sample-taking/processing. Here, we developed a set of near infrared (NIR) fluorescent nanosensors and used them for remote fingerprinting of clinically important bacteria. The nanosensors are based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) that fluoresce in the NIR optical tissue transparency window, which offers ultra-low background and high tissue penetration. They are chemically tailored to detect released metabolites as well as specific virulence factors (lipopolysaccharides, siderophores, DNases, proteases) and integrated into functional hydrogel arrays with 9 different sensors. These hydrogels are exposed to clinical isolates of 6 important bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli,…) and remote (≥25 cm) NIR imaging allows to identify and distinguish bacteria. Sensors are also spectrally encoded (900 nm, 1000 nm, 1250 nm) to differentiate the two major pathogens P. aeruginosa as well as S. aureus and penetrate tissue (>5 mm). This type of multiplexing with NIR fluorescent nanosensors enables remote detection and differentiation of important pathogens and the potential for smart surfaces.
Parabrachial nucleus circuit governs neuropathic pain-like behavior
Authors: Sun Li , Liu Rui , Guo Fang , Wen Man-qing , Ma Xiao-lin , Li Kai-yuan , Sun Hao , Xu Ceng-lin , Li Yuan-yuan , Wu Meng-yin , Zhu Zheng-gang , Li Xin-jian , Yu Yan-qin , Chen Zhong , Li Xiang-yao , Duan Shumin
Published: November 2020

The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) is known to relay noxious information to the amygdala for processing affective responses. However, it is unclear whether the LPBN actively processes neuropathic pain characterized by persistent hyperalgesia with aversive emotional responses. Here we report that neuropathic pain-like hypersensitivity induced by common peroneal nerve (CPN) ligation increases nociceptive stimulation-induced responses in glutamatergic LPBN neurons. Optogenetic activation of GABAergic LPBN neurons does not affect basal nociception, but alleviates neuropathic pain-like behavior. Optogenetic activation of glutamatergic or inhibition of GABAergic LPBN neurons induces neuropathic pain-like behavior in naïve mice. Inhibition of glutamatergic LPBN neurons alleviates both basal nociception and neuropathic pain-like hypersensitivity. Repetitive pharmacogenetic activation of glutamatergic or GABAergic LPBN neurons respectively mimics or prevents the development of CPN ligation-induced neuropathic pain-like hypersensitivity. These findings indicate that a delicate balance between excitatory and inhibitory LPBN neuronal activity governs the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain.
Author Correction: Quantum clocks and the temporal localisability of events in the presence of gravitating quantum systems
Authors: Castro-Ruiz Esteban , Giacomini Flaminia , Belenchia Alessio , Brukner Časlav
Published: November 2020

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20105-3
The pattern, change and driven factors of vegetation cover in the Qin Mountains region
Authors: Huang Chenlu , Yang Qinke , Guo Yuhan , Zhang Yongqiang , Guo Linan
Published: November 2020

The Qin Mountains region is one of the most important climatic boundaries that divide the North and South of China. This study investigates vegetation covers changes across the Qin Mountains region over the past three decades based on the Landsat-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which were extracted from the Google Earth Engine (GEE). Our results show that the NDVI across the Qin Mountains have increased from 0.624 to 0.776 with annual change rates of 0.0053/a over the past 32 years. Besides, its abrupt point occurred in 2006 and the change rates after this point increased by 0.0094/a (R2 = 0.8159, p < 0.01) (2006–2018), which is higher than that in 1987–1999 and 1999–2006. The mean NDVI have changed in different elevation ranges. The NDVI in the areas below 3300 m increased, such increased is especially most obviously in the cropland. Most of the forest and grassland locate above 3300 m with higher increased rate. Before 2006, the temperature and reference evapotranspiration (PET) were the important driven factors of NDVI change below 3300 m. After afforestation, human activities become important factors that influenced NDVI changes in the low elevation area, but hydro-climatic factors still play an important role in NDVI increase in the higher elevations area.
Integrative genomic meta-analysis reveals novel molecular insights into cystic fibrosis and ΔF508-CFTR rescue
Authors: Hodos Rachel A. , Strub Matthew D. , Ramachandran Shyam , Li Li , McCray Paul B. , Dudley Joel T.
Published: November 2020

Cystic fibrosis (CF), caused by mutations to CFTR, leads to severe and progressive lung disease. The most common mutant, ΔF508-CFTR, undergoes proteasomal degradation, extinguishing its anion channel function. Numerous in vitro interventions have been identified to partially rescue ΔF508-CFTR function yet remain poorly understood. Improved understanding of both the altered state of CF cells and the mechanisms of existing rescue strategies could reveal novel therapeutic strategies. Toward this aim, we measured transcriptional profiles of established temperature, genetic, and chemical interventions that rescue ΔF508-CFTR and also re-analyzed public datasets characterizing transcription in human CF vs. non-CF samples from airway and whole blood. Meta-analysis yielded a core disease signature and two core rescue signatures. To interpret these through the lens of prior knowledge, we compiled a “CFTR Gene Set Library” from literature. The core disease signature revealed remarkably strong connections to genes with established effects on CFTR trafficking and function and suggested novel roles of EGR1 and SGK1 in the disease state. Our data also revealed an unexpected mechanistic link between several genetic rescue interventions and the unfolded protein response. Finally, we found that C18, an analog of the CFTR corrector compound Lumacaftor, induces almost no transcriptional perturbation despite its rescue activity.
Modified Ziziphus spina-christi stones as green route for the removal of heavy metals
Authors: Assirey Eman A. , Sirry Shadia M. , Burkani Hayfaa A. , Ibrahim Medhat A.
Published: November 2020

Green routes for remediation of heavy metals are worldwide challenges to overcome pollution problems on one hand and control the adverse impact of chemicals on the other hand. Biosorption is one of the most effective methods for removing lower level of heavy metals. The idea to apply natural resources as a green method for removal of heavy metals, this route has no adverse impacts on the environment. This study investigated the ability of chemically modified Ziziphus spina-christi stones (ZSCs) as agriculture by-products to perform the biosorption of Pb(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) ions from wastewater in a single and ternary metal system. The characteristic functional groups of chemically modified ZSCs were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared. In comparison with acidic ZSCs, alkali-modified ZSCs by KOH was more effective and enhanced the removal efficiency of ZSCs. Using Langmuir isotherm, the maximum adsorption capacity on the modified ZSCs for Pb(II) was 9.06 mg/g, for Zn(II) obtained by using ZSC–citric acid was 4.19 mg/g and 5.38 mg/g for Cd(II) as obtained by using ZSC–H2O2. The molecular electrostatic potential, which was calculated at B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), indicated that each metal is di-hydrated, forming a complex with two units of amino acids. This mechanism demonstrated the uptake process by ZSCs.
Long-term myofibroblast persistence in the capsular bag contributes to the late spontaneous in-the-bag intraocular lens dislocation
Authors: Bisevac Jovana , Anisimova Natalia S. , Nagymihály Richárd , Kristianslund Olav , Katta Kirankumar , Noer Agate , Sharafetdinov Ilias H. , Drolsum Liv , Moe Morten C. , Malyugin Boris E. , Petrovski Goran
Published: November 2020

Late spontaneous in-the-bag intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation is a complication presenting 6 months or later after cataract surgery. We aimed to characterize the cells in the lens capsules (LCs) of 18 patients with spontaneous late in-the-bag IOL dislocation. Patients' average age was 82.6 ± 1.5 years (range 72–98), and most of them had pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX). Cells from the LCs were positive for myofibroblast (αSMA), proliferation (Ki-67, PCNA), early lens development/lens progenitor (SOX2, PAX6), chemokine receptor (CXCR4), and transmembrane (N-cadherin) markers, while negative for epithelial (E-cadherin) marker. Moreover, the cells produced abundant fibronectin, type I and type V collagen in the nearby extracellular matrix (ECM). During ex vivo cultivation of dislocated IOL-LCs in toto, the cells proliferated and likely migrated onto the IOL’s anterior side. EdU proliferation assay confirmed the proliferation potential of the myofibroblasts (MFBs) in dislocated IOL-LCs. Primary cultured lens epithelial cells/MFBs isolated from the LC of dislocated IOLs could induce collagen matrix contraction and continuously proliferated, migrated, and induced ECM remodeling. Taken together, this indicates that long-lived MFBs of dislocated IOLs might contribute to the pathogenic mechanisms in late in-the-bag IOL dislocation.
Acral lentiginous melanoma in situ: dermoscopic features and management strategy
Authors: Han Byeol , Hur Keunyoung , Ohn Jungyoon , Lim Sophie Soyeon , Mun Je-Ho
Published: November 2020

Diagnosis of acral lentiginous melanoma in situ (ALMIS) is challenging. However, data regarding ALMIS are limited in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and dermoscopic features of ALMIS on palmoplantar surfaces. Patients with ALMIS and available dermoscopic images were retrospectively reviewed at our institution between January 2013 and February 2020. Clinical and dermoscopic features were analysed and compared between small (< 15 mm) and large (≥ 15 mm) ALMIS. Twenty-one patients with ALMIS were included in this study. Mean patient age was 58.5 (range 39–76) years; most lesions were located on the sole (90.5%). The mean maximal diameter was 19.9 ± 13.7 mm (mean ± standard deviation). Statistical analysis of dermoscopic features revealed that parallel ridge patterns (54.5% vs. 100%, P = 0.035), irregular diffuse pigmentation (27.3% vs. 100%, P = 0.001) and grey colour (18.2% vs. 90%, P = 0.002) were significantly less frequent in small lesions than in large lesions. We have also illustrated two unique cases of small ALMIS; their evolution and follow-up dermoscopic examination are provided. In conclusion, this study described detailed dermoscopic findings of ALMIS. Based on the present study and a review of the literature, we proposed a dermoscopic algorithm for the diagnosis of ALMIS.
Author Correction: High-throughput screening reveals higher synergistic effect of MEK inhibitor combinations in colon cancer spheroids
Authors: Folkesson Evelina , Niederdorfer Barbara , Nakstad Vu To , Thommesen Liv , Klinkenberg Geir , Lægreid Astrid , Flobak Åsmund
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
The heparan sulfate proteoglycan Syndecan-1 influences local bone cell communication via the RANKL/OPG axis
Authors: Timmen Melanie , Hidding Heriburg , Götte Martin , Khassawna Thaqif El , Kronenberg Daniel , Stange Richard
Published: November 2020

The heparan sulfate proteoglycan Syndecan-1, a mediator of signals between the extracellular matrix and cells involved is able to interact with OPG, one of the major regulators of osteoclastogenesis. The potential of osteoblasts to induce osteoclastogenesis is characterized by a switch of OPG (low osteoclastogenic potential) towards RANKL production (high osteoclastogenic potential). In the present study, we investigated the influence of endogenous Syndecan-1 on local bone-cell-communication via the RANKL/OPG-axis in murine osteoblasts and osteoclasts in wild type and Syndecan-1 lacking cells. Syndecan-1 expression and secretion was increased in osteoblasts with high osteoclastogenic potential. Syndecan-1 deficiency led to increased OPG release by osteoblasts that decreased the availability of RANKL. In co-cultures of Syndecan-1 deficient osteoblasts with osteoclast these increased OPG in supernatant caused decreased development of osteoclasts. Syndecan-1 and RANKL level were increased in serum of aged WT mice, whereas Syndecan-1 deficient mice showed high serum OPG concentration. However, bone structure of Syndecan-1 deficient mice was not different compared to wild type. In conclusion, Syndecan-1 could be regarded as a new modulator of bone-cell-communication via RANKL/OPG axis. This might be of high impact during bone regeneration or bone diseases like cancer where Syndecan-1 expression is known to be even more prevalent.
Metabolomics for early detection of stress in freshwater alga Poterioochromonas malhamensis exposed to silver nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Wei , Majumdar Sanghamitra , Li Weiwei , Keller Arturo A. , Slaveykova Vera I.
Published: November 2020

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most used engineered nanomaterials. Despite progress in assessing their environmental implications, knowledge gaps exist concerning the metabolic perturbations induced by AgNPs on phytoplankton, essential organisms in global biogeochemical cycles and food-web dynamics. We combine targeted metabolomics, biouptake and physiological response studies to elucidate metabolic perturbations in algaPoterioochromonas malhamensisinduced by AgNPs and dissolved Ag. We show time-dependent perturbation of the metabolism of amino acids, nucleotides, fatty acids, tricarboxylic acids, photosynthesis and photorespiration by both Ag-treatments. The results suggest that dissolved Ag ions released by AgNPs are the major toxicity driver; however, AgNPs internalized in food vacuoles contributed to the perturbation of amino acid metabolism, TCA cycle and oxidative stress. The metabolic perturbations corroborate the observed physiological responses. We highlight the potential of metabolomics as a tool for understanding the molecular basis for these metabolic and physiological changes, and for early detection of stress.
Longitudinal proteomic profiling reveals increased early inflammation and sustained apoptosis proteins in severe COVID-19
Authors: Haljasmägi Liis , Salumets Ahto , Rumm Anna Pauliina , Jürgenson Meeri , Krassohhina Ekaterina , Remm Anu , Sein Hanna , Kareinen Lauri , Vapalahti Olli , Sironen Tarja , Peterson Hedi , Milani Lili , Tamm Anu , Hayday Adrian , Kisand Kai , Peterson Pärt
Published: November 2020

SARS-CoV-2 infection has a risk to develop into life-threatening COVID-19 disease. Whereas age, hypertension, and chronic inflammatory conditions are risk factors, underlying host factors and markers for disease severity, e.g. requiring intensive care unit (ICU) treatment, remain poorly defined. To this end, we longitudinally profiled blood inflammation markers, antibodies, and 101 plasma proteins of hospitalized COVID-19 patients who did or did not require ICU admission. While essentially all patients displayed SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies and virus-neutralization capacity within 12–15 days, a rapid, mostly transient upregulation of selective inflammatory markers including IL-6, CXCL10, CXCL11, IFNγ, IL-10, and monocyte-attracting CCL2, CCL7 and CCL8, was particularly evident in ICU patients. In addition, there was consistent and sustained upregulation of apoptosis-associated proteins CASP8, TNFSF14, HGF, and TGFB1, with HGF discriminating between ICU and non-ICU cohorts. Thus, COVID-19 is associated with a selective inflammatory milieu within which the apoptotic pathway is a cardinal feature with potential to aid risk-based patient stratification.
Regulation of microRNAs in high-fat diet induced hyperlipidemic hamsters
Authors: Barbalata Teodora , Zhang Lu , Dulceanu Madalina D. , Stancu Camelia S. , Devaux Yvan , Sima Anca V. , Niculescu Loredan S. ,   EU-CardioRNA COST Action CA17129
Published: November 2020

Dyslipidemia is a documented risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and other metabolic disorders. Therefore, the analysis of hyperlipidemia (HL)-related miRNAs is a potential approach for achieving new prognostic markers in lipid-metabolism related diseases. We aimed to analyze specific distribution of miRNAs in different tissues from HL animals. Golden Syrian hamsters were fed either regular chow (NL) or high-fat diet (HL) for 12 weeks. Microarray miRNAs profiling was performed in liver, heart and small intestine and data analyzed by R-studio software. Functional enrichment bioinformatics analysis was performed using miRWalk and DAVID tools. We observed a dysregulation of miRNAs in HL tissues evidencing a discrete distribution in the heart-liver axis and three lipid metabolism-related miRNAs were identified: hsa-miR-223-3p, hsa-miR-21-5p, and hsa-miR-146a-5p. Expression levels of these miRNAs were increased in HL livers and hearts. Functional bioinformatics analysis showed involvement of these miRNAs in the regulation of biological processes altered in HL conditions such as lipid metabolic process, fat cell differentiation, regulation of smooth muscle cells and cardiac septum development. We identified a set of miRNAs dysregulated in different tissues of HFD-induced HL hamsters. These findings motivate further studies aiming to investigate novel molecular mechanisms of lipid metabolism and atherogenic HL.
Effects of Killari earthquake on the paleo-channel of Tirna River Basin from Central India using anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility
Authors: Lakshmi B. V. , Deenadayalan K. , Gawali Praveen B. , Misra Saumitra
Published: November 2020

The Killari Earthquake (Moment magnitude 6.1) of September 30, 1993, occurred in the state of Maharashtra, India, has an epicenter (18°03′ N, 76°33′ E) located at ~ 40 km SSW of Killari Town. The ~ 125 km long basin of Tirna River, close to the Killari Town, currently occupies the area that has witnessed episodic intra-cratonic earthquakes, including the Killari Earthquake, during last 800 years. The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) study was performed on ~ 233 soft sedimentary core samples from six successions located in the upper to lower stream of the Tirna River basin in the present study in order to evaluate the effects of earthquake on the river flow dynamics and its future consequence. The AMS Kmax orientations of the samples from the upper reach of the river section suggest that the sedimentation in this part of the river was controlled by a N–S to NNW–SSE fluvial regime with a low or medium flow velocity. In the middle reaches of the basin, an abrupt shift in the palaeo-flow direction occurred to W–E with low velocity flow. However, a NW–SE higher palaeo-flow regime is identified in the following central part of the basin in down-stream direction, followed by a low-velocity palaeo-flow regime at the lower reach of the Tirna basin. We attribute the sudden high flow velocity regime in the central part of the river basin to an enhanced gradient of the river that resulted from the reactivation of a NW–SE fault transecting the Tirna River basin at the Killari Town. As the NW–SE faulting in regional scale is attributed as the main cause of Killari Earthquake, the reactivation of this fault, thus, could enhance the further possibility of an earthquake in near future, and hence leading to devastating flood in the almost flat-lying downstream part of the Tirna River.
Artificial neural network based prediction of postthrombolysis intracerebral hemorrhage and death
Authors: Chung Chen-Chih , Chan Lung , Bamodu Oluwaseun Adebayo , Hong Chien-Tai , Chiu Hung-Wen
Published: November 2020

Despite the salient benefits of the intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) remains a frequent complication and constitutes a major concern when treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This study explored the use of artificial neural network (ANN)-based models to predict sICH and 3-month mortality for patients with AIS receiving tPA. We developed ANN models based on evaluation of the predictive value of pre-treatment parameters associated with sICH and mortality in a cohort of 331 patients between 2009 and 2018. The ANN models were generated using eight clinical inputs and two outputs. The generalizability of the model was validated using fivefold cross-validation. The performance of each model was assessed according to the accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). After adequate training, the ANN predictive model AUC for sICH was 0.941, with accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 91.0%, 85.7%, and 92.5%, respectively. The predictive model AUC for 3-month mortality was 0.976, with accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 95.2%, 94.4%, and 95.5%, respectively. The generated ANN-based models exhibited high predictive performance and reliability for predicting sICH and 3-month mortality after thrombolysis; thus, its clinical application to assist decision-making when administering tPA is envisaged.
In silico studies evidenced the role of structurally diverse plant secondary metabolites in reducing SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis
Authors: Puttaswamy Hariprasad , Gowtham Hittanahallikoppal Gajendramurthy , Ojha Monu Dinesh , Yadav Ajay , Choudhir Gourav , Raguraman Vasantharaja , Kongkham Bhani , Selvaraju Koushalya , Shareef Shazia , Gehlot Priyanka , Ahamed Faiz , Chauhan Leena
Published: November 2020

Plants are endowed with a large pool of structurally diverse small molecules known as secondary metabolites. The present study aims to virtually screen these plant secondary metabolites (PSM) for their possible anti-SARS-CoV-2 properties targeting four proteins/ enzymes which govern viral pathogenesis. Results of molecular docking with 4,704 ligands against four target proteins, and data analysis revealed a unique pattern of structurally similar PSM interacting with the target proteins. Among the top-ranked PSM which recorded lower binding energy (BE), > 50% were triterpenoids which interacted strongly with viral spike protein—receptor binding domain, > 32% molecules which showed better interaction with the active site of human transmembrane serine protease were belongs to flavonoids and their glycosides, > 16% of flavonol glycosides and > 16% anthocyanidins recorded lower BE against active site of viral main protease and > 13% flavonol glycoside strongly interacted with active site of viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. The primary concern about these PSM is their bioavailability. However, several PSM recorded higher bioavailability score and found fulfilling most of the drug-likeness characters as per Lipinski's rule (Coagulin K, Kamalachalcone C, Ginkgetin, Isoginkgetin, 3,3′-Biplumbagin, Chrysophanein, Aromoline, etc.). Natural occurrence, bio-transformation, bioavailability of selected PSM and their interaction with the target site of selected proteins were discussed in detail. Present study provides a platform for researchers to explore the possible use of selected PSM to prevent/ cure the COVID-19 by subjecting them for thorough in vitro and in vivo evaluation for the capabilities to interfering with the process of viral host cell recognition, entry and replication.
Publisher Correction: Fatty acid synthase, a novel poor prognostic factor for acute lymphoblastic leukemia which can be targeted by ginger extract
Authors: Ghaeidamini Harouni Maryam , Rahgozar Soheila , Rahimi Babasheikhali Somayeh , Safavi Arman , Ghodousi Elaheh Sadat
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Infrared response in photocatalytic polymeric carbon nitride for water splitting via an upconversion mechanism
Authors: Jin Zhengyuan , Jiang Xiantao , Zhang Qitao , Huang Shaolong , Zhang Luhong , Huang Lili , He Tingchao , Zhang Han , Ohno Teruhisa , Ruan Shuangchen , Zeng Yu-Jia
Published: November 2020

Broad-spectrum light activation in photocatalytic materials is considered vital for effective solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion. Here, we propose an upconversion process in oxygen-doped polymeric carbon nitride (C3N4) nanosheets, resulting in high photocatalytic activity for hydrogen generation from water splitting under infrared light irradiation. Due to the upconversion, the photoexcited electrons are transferred to the conduction band, and a σ* carbon-oxygen orbital localized on the triazine matrix ring resulting from oxygen doping extends the lifetime of photogenerated electrons, which increases the photocatalytic activity under both infrared and visible light. Our material exhibits high apparent quantum efficiency of 0.014% and 23% at 850 nm and 420 nm, respectively. Under infrared light (λ ≥ 800 nm, 24 mW cm−2), the hydrogen production rate of our material is 22.84 μmol h−1 g−1, which can reach a yield similar to that of pristine C3N4 under visible light.
A DNA-functionalized biomass nanoprobe for the targeted photodynamic therapy of tumor and ratiometric fluorescence imaging-based visual cancer cell identification/antitumor drug screening
Authors: Lin Pengxiang , Zhang Liangliang , Chen Dongxia , Xu Jiayao , Bai Yulong , Zhao Shulin
Published: November 2020

A DNA-functionalized biomass nanoprobe was developed for the targeted photodynamic therapy of tumor and ratiometric fluorescence imaging-based visual cancer cell identification/antitumor drug screening.
Simultaneous extraction and analysis of clozapine and lorazepam from human plasma using dual solvent-stir bar microextraction with different acceptor phases followed by high-performance liquid chromatography ultra-violet detection
Authors: Sheikh Mahsa , Hadjmohammadi Mohammad Reza , Fatemi Mohammad Hossein
Published: November 2020

A new design of dual solvent stir bar microextraction (DSSBME) was developed and combined with HPLC-UV for the simultaneous extraction of clozapine (CLZ) and lorazepam (LRP) from human plasma with different acceptor phases.
Methods for isolation of messenger RNA from biological samples
Authors: Cheng Ming-Yu , Tao Wan-Bing , Yuan Bi-Feng , Feng Yu-Qi
Published: November 2020

mRNA molecules are critical components in living organisms. Isolation of highly pure mRNA is the first step in many biological researches. This review focuses on the methodologies and protocols for isolating mRNA populations.
Imaging the distribution of DMPBD and terpinen-4-ol inclusion complexes with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin by using TOF-SIMS
Authors: Manaprasertsak Auraya , Malmberg Per , Leepasert Theerachart , Karpkird Thitinun
Published: November 2020

The distribution of terpinen-4-ol (TP4ol) and DMPBD inclusion complexes with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPbCD) in human skin has been investigated using the TOF-SIMS technique.
Chirality from scratch: enantioselective adsorption in geometrically controlled lateral nanoconfinement
Authors: Seibel Johannes , Tessari Zeno , Amabilino David B. , De Feyter Steven
Published: November 2020

Chiral symmetry breaking in molecular adsorption at the solid/liquid interface by lateral geometric nanoconfinement is demonstrated.
Highly efficient heterojunction solar cells enabled by edge-modified tellurene nanoribbons
Authors: Gao Yunzhi , Wu Kai , Hu Wei , Yang Jinlong
Published: November 2020

Tellurene, a two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor, meets the requirements for optoelectronic applications with desirable properties, such as a suitable band gap, high carrier mobility, strong visible light absorption and high air stability.
Influence of the Coriolis effect on the properties of scattering resonances in symmetric and asymmetric isotopomers of ozone
Authors: Gayday Igor , Grushnikova Elizaveta , Babikov Dmitri
Published: November 2020

This work analyzes rotational–vibrational spectra of scattering resonances in four ozone isotopomers in relation to the symmetry-driven isotope effect.
Deep-bed filters as post-treatment for ozonation in tertiary municipal wastewater treatment: impact of design and operation on treatment goals
Authors: Sauter Daniel , Dąbrowska Agata , Bloch Robert , Stapf Michael , Miehe Ulf , Sperlich Alexander , Gnirss Regina , Wintgens Thomas
Published: November 2020

The removal of organic contaminants during post-treatment with deep-bed filters after ozonation in tertiary municipal wastewater treatment can be optimised by the choice of filter material and contact time.
Prenatal vitamin D supplementation reduces blood pressure and improves placental angiogenesis in an animal model of preeclampsia
Authors: Nema Juhi , Sundrani Deepali , Joshi Sadhana
Published: November 2020

The study demonstrates that prenatal vitamin D supplementation reduces blood pressure and restores angiogenic balance in an animal model of preeclampsia.
Extra virgin olive oil and related by-products (Olea europaeaL.) as natural sources of phenolic compounds for abdominal pain relief in gastrointestinal disorders in rats
Authors: Parisio Carmen , Lucarini Elena , Micheli Laura , Toti Alessandra , Bellumori Maria , Cecchi Lorenzo , Calosi Laura , Bani Daniele , Di Cesare Mannelli Lorenzo , Mulinacci Nadia , Ghelardini Carla
Published: November 2020

Olea europaea-derived samples as natural source for abdominal pain relief in gastrointestinal disorders.
Correction: A system for the high-throughput measurement of the shear modulus distribution of human red blood cells
Authors: Saadat Amir , Huyke Diego A. , Oyarzun Diego I. , Escobar Paulina V. , Øvreeide Ingrid H. , Shaqfeh Eric S. G. , Santiago Juan G.
Published: November 2020

Correction for ‘A system for the high-throughput measurement of the shear modulus distribution of human red blood cells’ by Amir Saadat et al., Lab Chip, 2020, 20, 2927–2936, DOI: 10.1039/D0LC00283F.
Tuning cesium–guanidinium in formamidinium tin triiodide perovskites with an ethylenediammonium additive for efficient and stable lead-free perovskite solar cells
Authors: Tosado Gabriella A. , Zheng Erjin , Yu Qiuming
Published: November 2020

Utilizing cation tuning and implementing divalent cation hollowing and passivation to achieve efficient and stable pure Sn-based perovskite solar cells.
Nitroxide radical polymers for emerging plastic energy storage and organic electronics: fundamentals, materials, and applications
Authors: Xie Yuan , Zhang Kai , Yamauchi Yusuke , Oyaizu Kenichi , Jia Zhongfan
Published: November 2020

We review the electrochemical theory, material design, and device fabrication for nitroxide radical polymers in emerging plastic energy storage and organic electronics.
Revealing differences in the chemical form of zinc in brain tissue using K-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy
Authors: Hollings Ashley L , Lam Virginie , Takechi Ryu , Mamo John C L , Reinhardt Juliane , de Jonge Martin D , Kappen Peter , Hackett Mark J
Published: November 2020

Zinc is a prominent trace metal required for normal memory function. Memory loss and cognitive decline during natural ageing and neurodegenerative disease have been associated with altered brain-Zn homeostasis. Yet, the exact chemical pathways through which Zn influences memory function during health, natural ageing, or neurodegenerative disease remain unknown. The gap in the literature may in part be due to the difficulty to simultaneously image, and therefore, study the different chemical forms of Zn within the brain (or biological samples in general). To this extent, we have begun developing and optimising protocols that incorporate X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopic analysis of tissue at the Zn K-edge as an analytical tool to study Zn speciation in the brain. XANES is ideally suited for this task as all chemical forms of Zn are detected, the technique requires minimal sample preparation that may otherwise redistribute or alter the chemical form of Zn, and the Zn K-edge has known sensitivity to coordination geometry and ligand type. Herein, we report our initial results where we fit K-edge spectra collected from micro-dissected flash-frozen brain tissue, to a spectral library prepared from standard solutions, to demonstrate differences in the chemical form of Zn that exist between two brain regions, the hippocampus and cerebellum. Lastly, we have used an X-ray microprobe to demonstrate differences in Zn speciation within sub-regions of thin air-dried sections of the murine hippocampus; but, the corresponding results highlight that the chemical form of Zn is easily perturbed by sample preparation such as tissue sectioning or air-drying, which must be a critical consideration for future work.
Real-time insight into nanostructure evolution during the rapid formation of ultra-thin gold layers on polymers
Authors: Schwartzkopf Matthias , Wöhnert Sven-Jannik , Waclawek Vivian , Carstens Niko , Rothkirch André , Rubeck Jan , Gensch Marc , Drewes Jonas , Polonskyi Oleksandr , Strunskus Thomas , Hinz Alexander M. , Schaper Simon J. , Körstgens Volker , Müller-Buschbaum Peter , Faupel Franz , Roth Stephan V.
Published: November 2020

At the nascence of a metal–polymer hybrid material primarily vertical Au dimers and free adatoms diffuse on and into the polymer matrix revealed in situ by sub-millisecond time-resolved surface-sensitive X-ray scattering (GISAXS).
Monomeric vanadium oxide: a very efficient species for promoting aerobic oxidative dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles
Authors: Xie Zhenbing , Chen Bingfeng , Zheng Lirong , Peng Fangfang , Liu Huizhen , Han Buxing
Published: November 2020

The isolated monomeric VO4species, controlled by natural ligand tartaric acid, in the VOx/NbOy@C catalysts exhibited excellent performances and good recyclability in the dehydrogenation of N-heterocycles.
Theoretical investigation on lithium polysulfide adsorption and conversion for high-performance Li–S batteries
Authors: Li Jianbo , Qu Yanru , Chen Chunyuan , Zhang Xin , Shao Mingfei
Published: November 2020

The recent advances in the adsorption and conversion of LiPSs are summarized and discussed from the viewpoint of theoretical calculation.
Halloysite nanotubes – the nano-bio interface
Authors: Prinz Setter Ofer , Segal Ester
Published: November 2020

The unique bio-nano interface of halloysite nanotubes with cellular systems and its impact on potential biotechnological and biomedical applications is presented and critically reviewed.
Enhanced room-temperature NO2 sensing properties of biomorphic hierarchical mixed phase WO3
Authors: Lv He , Liu Zhuo , Chen Junkun , Ikram Muhammad , Bai Xue , Wang Jue , Sun Baihe , Kan Kan , Shi Keying
Published: November 2020

Synthesis of hierarchical mixed phase WO3 by effectively utilizing the structure of hemp. The morphology and synergistic effect of the mixed phase of WO3 effectively improved the NO2 gas sensitivity performance at RT.
Dithiocarbamate-mediated controlled copolymerization of ethylene with cyclic ketene acetals towards polyethylene-based degradable copolymers
Authors: Zeng Tian-You , Xia Lei , Zhang Ze , Hong Chun-Yan , You Ye-Zi
Published: November 2020

In this article, degradable polyethylene (PE)-based copolymers containing ester units in the backbone were prepared through the hybrid copolymerization of ethylene and cyclic ketene acetals (CKAs) mediated by dithiocarbamate successfully.
pH- and chaotropic anion-induced conformational changes of tertiary amine-containing binary heterografted star molecular bottlebrushes in aqueous solution
Authors: Kent Ethan W. , Lewoczko Evan M. , Zhao Bin
Published: November 2020

Three-arm star-shaped, tertiary-amine-containing bottlebrushes exhibit star-globule shape transitions in response to pH changes and addition of sufficiently strong chaotropic anions.
Portable solid-state sensor for therapeutic monitoring of an antineoplastic drug; vinblastine in human plasma
Authors: Galal Maha Mohammed , Saad Ahmed Sayed
Published: November 2020

Potentiometric glassy carbon electrode for determination of vinblastine.
Blends of neem oil based polyesteramide as nanofiber mats to control Culicidae
Authors: Konchada Sravanya , Killi Naresh , Sayyad Shahebaz , Gathalkar Ganesh B. , Gundloori Rathna V. N.
Published: November 2020

Electrospun nanofiber mats immobilized with transfluthrin to control mosquitoes.
A photoredox catalysed Heck reactionviahole transfer from a Ru(ii)-bis(terpyridine) complex to graphene oxide
Authors: Rosenthal Marta , Lindner Jörg K. N. , Gerstmann Uwe , Meier Armin , Schmidt W. Gero , Wilhelm René
Published: November 2020

A hole transfer from an excited Ru unit towards graphene oxide significantly improved the photocatalytic activity of the complexes.
Correction: Pharmacophore-based approaches in the rational repurposing technique for FDA approved drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro
Authors: Balaramnavar Vishal M. , Ahmad Khurshid , Saeed Mohd , Ahmad Irfan , Kamal Mehnaz , Jawaid Talha
Published: November 2020

Correction for ‘Pharmacophore-based approaches in the rational repurposing technique for FDA approved drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro’ by Vishal M. Balaramnavar et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 40264–40275, DOI: 10.1039/D0RA06038K.
(Hetero)arene-fused boroles: a broad spectrum of applications
Authors: He Jiang , Rauch Florian , Finze Maik , Marder Todd B.
Published: November 2020

(Hetero)arene-fused boroles, ‘antiaromatic’ 2n-electron π-systems, more stable and more functionalizable than boroles, offer greater potential for a variety of applications.
Recent progress of high-entropy materials for energy storage and conversion
Authors: Amiri Azadeh , Shahbazian-Yassar Reza
Published: November 2020

This review covers the recent developments in catalysis, water splitting, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and hydrogen storage enabled by high entropy materials.
Association Between Tinnitus Pitch and Consonant Recognition in Noise
Authors: Tai Yihsin , Husain Fatima T.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Difficulties in speech-in-noise understanding are often reported in individuals with tinnitus. Building on our previous findings that speech-in-noise performance is correlated with subjective loudness of tinnitus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of tinnitus pitch on consonant recognition in noise.

Method

Pure-tone audiometry and the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test were conducted on 66 participants categorized into four groups by their hearing sensitivity and self-report of tinnitus. Consonant recognition scores at various frequency ranges were obtained at the 5 dB SNR condition of the Quick Speech-in-Noise Test. Participants with tinnitus also completed a tinnitus pitch-matching procedure. Correlation analyses were conducted between tinnitus pitch and the frequency of the worst consonant recognition, and the error rates based on word and sentence position were compared.

Results

Regardless of hearing sensitivity, tinnitus pitch did not correlate with the frequency of the worst consonant recognition. Sentence-initial word recognition was affected by hearing loss, whereas sentence-final word recognition was not affected by hearing loss or tinnitus. In contrast to individuals with normal hearing, participants with hearing loss varied in full-sentence recognition, with those reporting tinnitus exhibiting significantly higher error rates.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the effect of tinnitus on consonant recognition in noise may involve higher level functions more than perceptual characteristics of tinnitus. Furthermore, for individuals with speech-in-noise concerns, clinical evaluation should address both hearing sensitivity and the presence of tinnitus. Future speech-in-noise studies should incorporate cognitive tests and, possibly, brain imaging to parse out the contribution of cognitive factors, such as cognitive control, in speech-in-noise in tinnitus.
Working, Declarative, and Procedural Memory in Children With Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Jackson Emily , Leitão Suze , Claessen Mary , Boyes Mark
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Previous research into the working, declarative, and procedural memory systems in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) has yielded inconsistent results. The purpose of this research was to profile these memory systems in children with DLD and their typically developing peers.

Method

One hundred four 5- to 8-year-old children participated in the study. Fifty had DLD, and 54 were typically developing. Aspects of the working memory system (verbal short-term memory, verbal working memory, and visual–spatial short-term memory) were assessed using a nonword repetition test and subtests from the Working Memory Test Battery for Children. Verbal and visual–spatial declarative memory were measured using the Children's Memory Scale, and an audiovisual serial reaction time task was used to evaluate procedural memory.

Results

The children with DLD demonstrated significant impairments in verbal short-term and working memory, visual–spatial short-term memory, verbal declarative memory, and procedural memory. However, verbal declarative memory and procedural memory were no longer impaired after controlling for working memory and nonverbal IQ. Declarative memory for visual–spatial information was unimpaired.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that children with DLD have deficits in the working memory system. While verbal declarative memory and procedural memory also appear to be impaired, these deficits could largely be accounted for by working memory skills. The results have implications for our understanding of the cognitive processes underlying language impairment in the DLD population; however, further investigation of the relationships between the memory systems is required using tasks that measure learning over long-term intervals.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.13250180
Dynamic testing of volleyball players' body posture using a formetric 3D device
Authors: Ying Jianhua , Ren Feng , Fekete Gusztáv
Published: November 2020

Volleyball activities involve several factors such as asymmetrical movements, muscle imbalance, and continual overloading that damage body posture. This study aimed to determine postural changes of volleyball players in spike overhand front set, overhand pass ball, and mat ball motions, and if there is any postural variation difference between short training and long training volleyball players. Methods: Fifteen long training and short training male volleyball players aged 21–23 years were recruited in this study. The upper‐thoracic angle, thoracic‐lumbar segment angle, lower lumbar‐sacral segment, pelvic inclination, and inclination of the acromion were measured using DIERS formetric 3D device in a dynamic way. During the overhand pass motion, long training participants showed a significant larger peak upper‐thoracic and peak thoracic‐lumbar angles than short training participants. During the mat ball motion, the long training volleyball players demonstrated a significant higher peak upper‐thoracic angle, but a smaller peak inclination of the acromion than short trainers. During the spike overhand front set motion, long trainers showed a significant smaller peak upper‐thoracic angle than short trainers. Athletes should consider developing an appropriate dynamic trunk stabilization to reduce posture imbalance during volleyball activities.
Determination of the Thevenin equivalent in power grids using real records based on short circuit power
Authors: Fonseca A. , Salazar G. , Quilumba F. , Pérez‐Yauli F.
Published: November 2020

In recent years, methods for loadability determination based on real‐time measurements have been proposed for long‐term voltage stability scenarios. One of these methods corresponds to the reduction of the complete system into a basic Thevenin equivalent at a load bus. This paper proposes a method to determine the Thevenin equivalent at a load bus in power systems based on short circuit power (SSC) and its application to real records. The proposed Thevenin equivalent evaluation is performed by processing two consecutive sets of voltage magnitude and power measurements, both recorded at the same bus of a power system. This method establishes a Thevenin equivalent based on the determination of system's equivalent voltage (VS) which is obtained from SSC. This condition properly accounts for variable power factor load conditions and constant power factor alike in contrast with existing methodologies which assume constant power factor loads. The performance of this method is evaluated with real records from the Ecuadorian electric power system and contrasted by simulation.
Industrial smart product‐service system development for lifecycle sustainability concerns
Authors: Zheng Pai , Li Xinyu , Peng Tao , Wang Yuanbin , Zhang Geng
Published: November 2020

Industrial smart product‐service system (ISPSS), as an emerging industrial digital servitisation paradigm, has attracted ever‐increasing attentions from both industries and academics recently. The prevailing adoption of cutting‐edge information and communication technologies, digital technologies and artificial intelligence has enabled the engineering lifecycle management in an ever‐smarter manner with context awareness. Nevertheless, little study has provided any systematic process to prescribe its sustainable development throughout the engineering lifecycle, let alone any to consider sustainability in the cyber space other than the physical components. Aiming to fill the gap, this work outlines the definition, key features and social, economic and environmental concerns of the proposed sustainable ISPSS, and further proposes a systematic four‐phase cyber‐physical development framework by referring to the ISO14001:2015 standards. As a short communication, it is hoped this research can attract more open discussion and in‐depth investigation towards sustainable ISPSS development in the near future.
Combination of temporal‐channels correlation information and bilinear feature for action recognition
Authors: Cai Jiahui , Hu Jianguo , Li Shiren , Lin Jialing , Wang Jun
Published: November 2020

In this study, the authors focus on improving the spatio–temporal representation ability of three‐dimensional (3D) convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in the video domain. They observe two unfavourable issues: (i) the convolutional filters only dedicate to learning local representation along input channels. Also they treat channel‐wise features equally, without emphasising the important features; (ii) traditional global average pooling layer only captures first‐order statistics, ignoring finer detail features useful for classification. To mitigate these problems, they proposed two modules to boost 3D CNNs’ performance, which are temporal‐channel correlation (TCC) and bilinear pooling module. The TCC module can capture the information of inter‐channel correlations over the temporal domain. Moreover, the TCC module generates channel‐wise dependencies, which can adaptively re‐weight the channel‐wise features. Therefore, the network can focus on learning important features. With regards to the bilinear pooling module, it can capture more complex second‐order statistics in deep features and generate a second‐order classification vector. We can get more accurate classification results by combining the first‐order and second‐order classification vector. Extensive experiments show that adding our proposed modules to I3D network could consistently improve the performance and outperform the state‐of‐the‐art methods. The code and models are available at https://github.com/caijh33/I3D_TCC_Bilinear.