bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
X-Ray Microscopy of Polymer Blends Compatibilized with Clay Nanocomposites
Authors: Winesett DA , Ade H , Rafailovich M , Sokolov J , Zhang W
Published: July 2020

Multi-component polymer films are important for numerous technological applications such as paint systems, adhesives, photographic material, and index-matched optical coatings. Unfortunately, different polymer components are often incompatible so they will phase-separate and create large agglomerations of like phases, which has adverse effects on the structural integrity of thin films. Stabilizing polymer blends usually requires the addition of a third component which is often an expensive emulsifying agent such as a block copolymer. Recent studies have shown the emulsifying benefits of less expensive clay additives in oil-water mixtures [1] but the effect on stabilizing polymer blends is not entirely understood.

We are systematically examining the effects of clay additives on polymer thin film blends using Near Edge Xray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) Microscopy. We present results from films composed of a 50/50 weight percent blend of polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (Mw=62k, 25k, respectively) spun cast from toluene onto Si3N4 membranes.
Use of the Low Voltage Transmission Electron Microscope with Biological Specimens: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Sharp William P , Coufalova Eva , Delong Armin , Kolarik Vladimir , Roberson Robert W , Tsong IST
Published: July 2020

Biological transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has evolved over the past 50 to 60 years in concert with the instrumentation available. As beam acceleration energies have increased to 100-200 keV, specimen preparation protocols have been modified and tailored to fit the capabilities and constraints of new TEMs. Higher voltage allows improved resolution, (Fig. 1) but as acceleration voltage increases, contrast decreases. Vacuum levels required for conventional TEM prevent specimen contamination which protects specimen details from being obscured, but lower contrast requires heavy metal post staining which may lead to specimen contamination. Specimen thickness can increase with higher voltage (up to lOOnm at 200keV) because penetration is much increased, however, the chance of specimen - electron interaction of the type that causes heat build-up and specimen damage increases rapidly with thickness. It seems that these limitations and others must be tolerated in order to enjoy the obvious advantages of TEM.
A NOTE ON THE SEQUENT CALCULI
Authors: PARLAMENTO FRANCO , PREVIALE FLAVIO
Published: July 2020

We show that the replacement rule of the sequent calculi
${\bf G3[mic]}^= $
in [8] can be replaced by the simpler rule in which one of the principal formulae is not repeated in the premiss.
Longer Duration of the Weak Stratospheric Vortex During Extreme El Niño Events Linked to Spring Eurasian Coldness
Authors: Zhou Xin , Chen Quanliang , Wang Zhenglin , Xu Mian , Zhao Sen , Cheng Zhigang , Feng Fan
Published: July 2020

The stratosphere is a key link between El Niño and Eurasian surface climate in winter. Instead of the amplitude of the stratospheric response discussed by many previous studies, we focus on the persistence of wintertime extreme El Niño impacts through the stratospheric pathway to midlatitude Eurasia in spring. A novel approach is used by running WACCM4 with El Niño forcing imposed only during winter to isolate the stratospheric role in the following spring. We show that a descending signal with a strong deceleration of zonal wind throughout the atmosphere could reach the surface and persist in spring during extreme El Niño events, whereas during moderate El Niño events the signal is generally confined to the stratosphere. Two different mechanisms are involved in maintaining the tropospheric signal of extreme El Niño. Under the westerly regime, the planetary Rossby waves from the wave centers over East Asia and the North Pacific transmit the signals from the stratosphere to the troposphere; and under the easterly regime, strong tropospheric eddy feedback over the midlatitude Atlantic favors the persistence of tropospheric responses during extreme El Niño events. The prolonged stratospheric pathway of extreme El Niño events amplifies and extends the equatorward shift of the midlatitude jet, allowing southward intrusions of cold polar air into Eurasia. Such circulation changes induced by a prolonged stratospheric pathway can cause springtime coldness and daily cold extremes in midlatitude Eurasia.
Lending a Hand to Sustainability
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: July 2020

Handprint thinking, a concept developed about a decade ago, is meant to complement ecological footprints and frame human actions in terms of how much good they can do to promote sustainability.
Biochemical and nutritional overview of diet-induced metabolic syndrome models in rats: what is the best choice?
Authors: Rodríguez-Correa Eduardo , González-Pérez Imelda , Clavel-Pérez Pedro Isauro , Contreras-Vargas Yolanda , Carvajal Karla
Published: July 2020

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a condition that includes obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemias among other, abnormalities that favors type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases development. Three main diet-induced metabolic syndrome models in rats exist: High carbohydrate diet (HCHD), high fat diet (HFD), and high carbohydrate-high fat diet (HCHHFD). We analyzed data from at least 35 articles per diet, from different research groups, to determine their effect on the development of the MS, aimed to aid researchers in choosing the model that better suits their research question; and also the best parameter that defines obesity, as there is no consensus to determine this condition in rats. For the HCHD we found a mild effect on body weight gain and fasting blood glucose levels (FBG), but significant increases in triglycerides, fasting insulin, insulin resistance and visceral fat accumulation. HFD had the greater increase in the parameters previously mentioned, followed by HCHHFD, which had a modest effect on FBG levels. Therefore, to study early stages of MS a HCHD is recommended, while HFD and HCHHFD better reproduce more severe stages of MS. We recommend the assessment of visceral fat accumulation as a good estimate for obesity in the rat.
Measuring robustness of brain networks in autism spectrum disorder with Ricci curvature
Authors: Simhal Anish K. , Carpenter Kimberly L. H. , Nadeem Saad , Kurtzberg Joanne , Song Allen , Tannenbaum Allen , Sapiro Guillermo , Dawson Geraldine
Published: July 2020

Ollivier–Ricci curvature is a method for measuring the robustness of connections in a network. In this work, we use curvature to measure changes in robustness of brain networks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In an open label clinical trials, participants with ASD were administered a single infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood and, as part of their clinical outcome measures, were imaged with diffusion MRI before and after the infusion. By using Ricci curvature to measure changes in robustness, we quantified both local and global changes in the brain networks and their potential relationship with the infusion. Our results find changes in the curvature of the connections between regions associated with ASD that were not detected via traditional brain network analysis.
Effect of BNP on risk assessment in cardiac surgery patients, in addition to EuroScore II
Authors: Suc Gaspard , Estagnasie Philippe , Brusset Alain , Procopi Niki , Squara Pierre , Nguyen Lee S.
Published: July 2020

Patients’ prognostication around cardiac surgery is key to better assess risk–benefit balance. Preoperative brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) biomarker has been associated with mortality after cardiac surgery, but its added value with EuroScore 2 remains to be confirmed. In a prospective registry cohort of 4,980 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, the prognostic performance of EuroScore 2 and preoperative BNP was assessed regarding postoperative in-hospital mortality. Discrimination feature was evaluated using receiver-operator-characteristics analysis with area under curve (AUROC). Calibration feature was assessed using Hosmer–Lemeshow test. Multivariable analysis was performed to assess the association between covariates and in-hospital mortality. In-hospital mortality was 3.7%. The AUROC of EuroScore 2 was 0.82 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) 0.79–0.85, p < 0.0001). The AUROC of BNP was 0.66 (95%CI 0.62–0.70, p < 0.0001). The combined model with an AUROC of 0.67 (95%CI 0.63–0.71, p = 0.0001) did not yield better AUROC than EuroScore 2 alone (p < 0.0001 in disfavor of the combined model), nor BNP alone (p = 0.79). In multivariable analysis, EuroScore 2 remained independently associated with mortality (adj.OR of 1.12 (1.10–1.14), p < 0.0001), but BNP was not. Preoperative BNP was not an independent risk factor of postoperative mortality and did not add prognostic information, as compared to EuroScore 2 alone.

Clinical trial registry Registry for the Improvement of Postoperative OutcomeS in Cardiac and Thoracic surgEry (RIPOSTE) database (NCT03209674).
Mesoporous ZnAl2Si10O24 nanofertilizers enable high yield of Oryza sativa L.
Authors: Naseem Fizza , Zhi Yang , Farrukh Muhammad Akhyar , Hussain Fayyaz , Yin Zongyou
Published: July 2020

Controllable release of nutrients in soil can overcome the environmental problems associated with conventional fertilizer. Here we synthesized mesoporous nanocomposite of Zinc aluminosilicate (ZnAl2Si10O24) via co-precipitation method. Oryza sativa L. husk was used as source of silica for making the synthesis process green and economical. The nanocomposite was subsequently loaded with urea to achieve the demand of simultaneous and slow delivery of both zinc and urea. The structural characterization of nanocomposite was done by FTIR, XRD, TGA, BET, SEM/EDX and TEM. The release of urea and zinc was investigated with UV–Vis spectrophotometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy, respectively, up to 14 days. It was noted that urea holding capacity of mesoporous ZnAl2Si10O24 nanocomposite over long period of time was increased as compared to bulk aluminosilicates, due to its high surface area (193.07 m2 g−1) and small particle size of (64 nm). Urea release was found highest in first 24 h because of excess of adsorption on nanocomposite and least at 14th day. Fertilizer efficiency was checked on Oryza sativa L. in comparison with commercial urea and results showed significantly higher yield in case of urea loaded ZnAl2Si10O24 nanocomposite.
High nitrogen solubility in stishovite (SiO2) under lower mantle conditions
Authors: Fukuyama Ko , Kagi Hiroyuki , Inoue Toru , Kakizawa Sho , Shinmei Toru , Hishita Shunichi , Takahata Naoto , Sano Yuji
Published: July 2020

Nitrogen is a crucial volatile element in the early Earth’s evolution and the origin of life. Despite its importance, nitrogen’s behavior in the Earth's interior remains poorly understood. Compared to other volatile elements, nitrogen is depleted in the Earth’s atmosphere (the so-called “missing nitrogen”), calling for a hidden deep reservoir. To investigate nitrogen’s behavior in the deep Earth including how the reservoir formed, high-pressure and high-temperature experiments were conducted at 28 GPa and 1,400–1,700 °C. To reproduce the conditions in the lower mantle, the redox was controlled using a Fe–FeO buffer. We observed that depending on the temperature conditions, stishovite can incorporate up to 90–404 ppm nitrogen, experimentally demonstrating that stishovite has the highest nitrogen solubility among the deep mantle minerals. Stishovite is the main mineral component of subducted nitrogen-rich sedimentary rocks and eroded continental crust that are eventually transported down to the lower mantle. Our results suggest that nitrogen could have been continuously transported into the lower mantle via subduction, ever since plate tectonics began.
Suppression of chorismate synthase, which is localized in chloroplasts and peroxisomes, results in abnormal flower development and anthocyanin reduction in petunia
Authors: Zhong Shiwei , Chen Zeyu , Han Jinyi , Zhao Huina , Liu Juanxu , Yu Yixun
Published: July 2020

In plants, the shikimate pathway generally occurs in plastids and leads to the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids. Chorismate synthase (CS) catalyses the last step of the conversion of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate (EPSP) to chorismate, but the role of CS in the metabolism of higher plants has not been reported. In this study, we found that PhCS, which is encoded by a single-copy gene in petunia (Petunia hybrida), contains N-terminal plastidic transit peptides and peroxisomal targeting signals. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein assays revealed that PhCS was localized in chloroplasts and, unexpectedly, in peroxisomes. Petunia plants with reduced PhCS activity were generated through virus-induced gene silencing and further characterized.PhCSsilencing resulted in reduced CS activity, severe growth retardation, abnormal flower and leaf development and reduced levels of folate and pigments, including chlorophylls, carotenoids and anthocyanins. A widely targeted metabolomics analysis showed that most primary and secondary metabolites were significantly changed in pTRV2-PhCS-treated corollas. Overall, the results revealed a clear connection between primary and specialized metabolism related to the shikimate pathway in petunia.
Deterministic culturing of single cells in 3D
Authors: Jain Rohil , Chittiboyina Shirisha , Chang Chun-Li , Lelièvre Sophie A. , Savran Cagri A.
Published: July 2020

Models using 3D cell culture techniques are increasingly accepted as the most biofidelic in vitro representations of tissues for research. These models are generated using biomatrices and bulk populations of cells derived from tissues or cell lines. We present an alternate method to culture individually selected cells in relative isolation from the rest of the population under physiologically relevant matrix conditions. Matrix gel islands are spotted on a cell culture dish to act as support for receiving and culturing individual single cells; a glass capillary-based microfluidic setup is used to extract each desired single cell from a population and seed it on top of an island. Using examples of breast and colorectal cancers, we show that individual cells evolve into tumors or aspects of tumors displaying different characteristics of the initial cancer type and aggressiveness. By implementing a morphometry assay with luminal A breast cancer, we demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to study phenotypic heterogeneity. Results reveal that intertumor heterogeneity increases with time in culture and that varying degrees of intratumor heterogeneity may originate from individually seeded cells. Moreover, we observe that a positive relationship exists between fast growing tumors and the size and heterogeneity of their nuclei.
Correlation of magnetic and magnetoresistive properties of nanoporous Co/Pd thin multilayers fabricated on anodized TiO2 templates
Authors: Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh , Kasiuk Julia , Wu Wen-Bin , Fedotova Julia , Przewoźnik Janusz , Kapusta Czesław , Kupreeva Olga , Lazarouk Serguei , Cao Thi Thanh Hai , Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy , Dinh Hung Manh , Do Khanh Tung , Nguyen Thanh Huong , Vu Hong Ky , Vu Dinh Lam , Åkerman Johan
Published: July 2020

In this study, we consider a technological approach to obtain a high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the Co/Pd multilayers deposited on nanoporous TiO2 templates of different types of surface morphology. It is found that the use of templates with homogeneous and smoothed surface relief, formed on silicon wafers, ensures conservation of perpendicular anisotropy of the deposited films inherent in the continuous multilayers. Also, their magnetic hardening with doubling of the coercive field is observed. However, inhomogeneous magnetic ordering is revealed in the porous films due to the occurrence of magnetically soft regions near the pore edges and/or inside the pores. Modeling of the field dependences of magnetization and electrical resistance indicates that coherent rotation is the dominant mechanism of magnetization reversal in the porous system instead of the domain-wall motion typical of the continuous multilayers, while their magnetoresistance is determined by electron-magnon scattering, similarly to the continuous counterpart. The preservation of spin waves in the porous films indicates a high uniformity of the magnetic ordering in the fabricated porous systems due to a sufficiently regular pores array introduced into the films, despite the existence of soft-magnetic regions. The results are promising for the design and fabrication of future spintronic devices.
High throughput single cell analysis of mitochondrial heteroplasmy in mitochondrial diseases
Authors: Maeda Ryotaro , Kami Daisuke , Maeda Hideki , Shikuma Akira , Gojo Satoshi
Published: July 2020

Mitochondrial heteroplasmy, which fundamentally means intracellular heterogeneity of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), has been measured in a group of cells, regardless of intercellular heterogeneity. Ordinal methods for mitochondrial heteroplasmy cannot discriminate between an intercellular homogenic population composed of cells with similar intracellular heterogeneity for mtDNA and an intercellular heterogenic population composed of cells with different rates of mutated mtDNA. A high-throughput method to determine mitochondrial heteroplasmy in a single cell was developed by using droplet digital PCR with TaqMan polymerase in this study. This technique revealed that there are three different cell populations of cultured fibroblasts derived from patients with mitochondrial disease carrying a mutation in the mtDNA; cells with homoplasmy of either mutated or healthy mtDNA; and cells mixed with mutated and healthy mtDNA. The presence of intercellular heterogeneity, even in uniformed cultured fibroblasts, suggests that heterogeneity should exist among different kinds of cells. The diagnosis of intercellular heterogeneity with respect to mitochondrial heteroplasmy by this methodology could provide novel insight into developing a treatment strategy for mitochondrial diseases.
Asymmetrical response of California electricity demand to summer-time temperature variation
Authors: Kumar Rohini , Rachunok Benjamin , Maia-Silva Debora , Nateghi Roshanak
Published: July 2020

Current projections of the climate-sensitive portion of residential electricity demand are based on estimating the temperature response of the mean of the demand distribution. In this work, we show that there is significant asymmetry in the summer-time temperature response of electricity demand in the state of California, with high-intensity demand demonstrating a greater sensitivity to temperature increases. The greater climate sensitivity of high-intensity demand is found not only in the observed data, but also in the projections in the near future (2021–2040) and far future periods (2081–2099), and across all (three) utility service regions in California. We illustrate that disregarding the asymmetrical climate sensitivity of demand can lead to underestimating high-intensity demand in a given period by 37–43%. Moreover, the discrepancy in the projected increase in the climate-sensitive portion of demand based on the 50th versus 90$${th}$$th quantile estimates could range from 18 to 40% over the next 20 years.
HAPPENN is a novel tool for hemolytic activity prediction for therapeutic peptides which employs neural networks
Authors: Timmons Patrick Brendan , Hewage Chandralal M.
Published: July 2020

The growing prevalence of resistance to antibiotics motivates the search for new antibacterial agents. Antimicrobial peptides are a diverse class of well-studied membrane-active peptides which function as part of the innate host defence system, and form a promising avenue in antibiotic drug research. Some antimicrobial peptides exhibit toxicity against eukaryotic membranes, typically characterised by hemolytic activity assays, but currently, the understanding of what differentiates hemolytic and non-hemolytic peptides is limited. This study leverages advances in machine learning research to produce a novel artificial neural network classifier for the prediction of hemolytic activity from a peptide’s primary sequence. The classifier achieves best-in-class performance, with cross-validated accuracy of$$85.7\%$$85.7%and Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.71. This innovative classifier is available as a web server athttps://research.timmons.eu/happenn, allowing the research community to utilise it for in silico screening of peptide drug candidates for high therapeutic efficacies.
Identification of circRNA-associated ceRNA network in BMSCs of OVX models for postmenopausal osteoporosis
Authors: Wang Huichao , Zhou Kaifeng , Xiao Fangzhu , Huang Zhongyue , Xu Jun , Chen Guangnan , Liu Youwen , Gu Huijie
Published: July 2020

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) serve as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and indirectly regulate gene expression through shared microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the potential circRNAs functioning as ceRNAs in osteoporosis remain unclear. The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were isolated from ovariectomy (OVX) mice and controls. We systematically analyzed RNA‐seq and miRNA‐microarray data, miRNA‐target interactions, and prominently coexpressed gene pairs to identify aberrantly expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) between the OVX mice and controls. A total of 45 circRNAs, 22 miRNAs, and 548 mRNAs were significantly dysregulated (fold change > 1.5; p < 0.05). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were conducted for differentially expressed mRNAs, and subsequently a circRNA‐associated ceRNA network involved in osteoporosis was constructed. We identified two ceRNA regulatory pathways in this osteoporosis mouse model—novel circRNA 0020/miR-206-3p/Nnmt and circRNA 3832/miR-3473e/Runx3, which were validated by real-time PCR. This is the first study to elucidate the circRNA-associated ceRNA network in OVX and control mice using deep RNA-seq and RNA-microarray analysis. The data further expanded the understanding of circRNA-associated ceRNA networks, and the regulatory functions of circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in the pathogenesis and pathology of osteoporosis.
Miniaturized magnetic stir bars for controlled agitation of aqueous microdroplets
Authors: Gires Pierre-Yves , Thampi Mithun , Weiss Matthias
Published: July 2020

Controlled stirring of tiny volumes of aqueous fluids is of particular importance in the life sciences, e.g. in the context of microfluidic and lab-on-chip applications. Local stirring not only accelerates fluid mixing and diffusion-limited processes, but it also allows for adding controlled active noise to the fluid. Here we report on the synthesis and characterization of magnetic nano-stir bars (MNBs) with which these features can be achieved in a straightforward fashion. We also demonstrate the applicability of MNBs to cell extract droplets in microfluidic channels and we show that they can introduce active noise to cell extracts as evidenced by altered fluctuations of ensembles of cytoskeletal filaments.
Normal aging changes in the choroidal angioarchitecture of the macula
Authors: Nivison-Smith Lisa , Khandelwal Neha , Tong Janelle , Mahajan Sarakashi , Kalloniatis Michael , Agrawal Rupesh
Published: July 2020

The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) has been shown to be sensitive in detecting changes in choroidal angioarchitecture in a range of ocular diseases. However, changes in CVI in association with normal physiological aging and spatial distribution remains to be determined. This is significant as a range of ocular conditions with choroidal degeneration are associated with aging. In this study, we assessed CVI for 106 healthy eyes from 106 individuals (range 21–78 years old, ~ 20 individuals/decade) at 15 eccentricities across the macula (0, 230 µm, 460 µm, 690 µm, 1,150 µm, 1,380 µm and 2,760 µm from the fovea in the superior and inferior direction). Total choroidal area, luminal area and stromal area were all significantly decreased with age (p < 0.001 for all parameters). CVI was also significantly decreased with age (p < 0.01) and eccentricity. Fitting of quadratic regression curves to CVI as a function of age yielded a good fit for all eccentricities (r2 = 0.55–0.80) and suggested a decrease in CVI from the ages of 33–43 years at a rate of 0.7–2.7% per decade. CVI was lower in the inferior versus superior retina at matching eccentricities and a significant difference in age-related decline of CVI with eccentricity only occurred in inferior locations. These findings suggest choroidal angioarchitecture declines from the 4th decade of life with potential eccentricity differences in the inferior and superior retina. Considering the number of age-related diseases with choroidal dysfunction, these results provide foundational knowledge to understand choroidal involvement in these diseases.
Gregariousness in the giant sloth Lestodon (Xenarthra): multi-proxy approach of a bonebed from the Last Maximum Glacial of Argentine Pampas
Authors: Tomassini Rodrigo L. , Montalvo Claudia I. , Garrone Mariana C. , Domingo Laura , Ferigolo Jorge , Cruz Laura E. , Sanz-Pérez Dánae , Fernández-Jalvo Yolanda , Cerda Ignacio A.
Published: July 2020

Megamammals constituted an important component in the Pleistocene faunal communities of South America. Paleobiological and paleoecological studies involving different megamammal taxa have increased significantly in the last years, but there are still several poorly-known issues of its life history. In this work, we analyze an assemblage composed of 13 individuals of different ontogenetic stages, and possibly different sex, belonging to the giant ground slothLestodon armatus(Xenarthra, Folivora), recovered from Playa del Barco site (Pampean Region, Argentina). A dating of 19,849 years Cal BP allows assigning this assemblage to a period of the MIS (Marine Isotope Stage) 2 related to the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. Based on multiple lines of research (e.g. taphonomy, paleopathology, osteohistology, isotopy), we interpret the origin of the assemblage and diverse paleobiological and paleoecological aspects (e.g. social behavior, ontogenetic changes, sexual dimorphism, diseases, resource and habitat use, trophic relationships) ofL. armatus. Evidence suggests that the assemblage was formed by a local single event of catastrophic mortality, which affected different members of a social group. This record represents the first accurate evidence of gregariousness for this ground sloth, providing new data on a poorly-known behavior among extinct Folivora.
Disease-related cellular protein networks differentially affected under different EGFR mutations in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Nishimura Toshihide , Nakamura Haruhiko , Yachie Ayako , Hase Takeshi , Fujii Kiyonaga , Koizumi Hirotaka , Naruki Saeko , Takagi Masayuki , Matsuoka Yukiko , Furuya Naoki , Kato Harubumi , Saji Hisashi
Published: July 2020

It is unclear how epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR major driver mutations (L858R or Ex19del) affect downstream molecular networks and pathways. This study aimed to provide information on the influences of these mutations. The study assessed 36 protein expression profiles of lung adenocarcinoma (Ex19del, nine; L858R, nine; no Ex19del/L858R, 18). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis together with analysis of variance-based screening identified 13 co-expressed modules and their eigen proteins. Pathway enrichment analysis for the Ex19del mutation demonstrated involvement of SUMOylation, epithelial and mesenchymal transition, ERK/mitogen-activated protein kinase signalling via phosphorylation and Hippo signalling. Additionally, analysis for the L858R mutation identified various pathways related to cancer cell survival and death. With regard to the Ex19del mutation, ROCK, RPS6KA1, ARF1, IL2RA and several ErbB pathways were upregulated, whereas AURK and GSKIP were downregulated. With regard to the L858R mutation, RB1, TSC22D3 and DOCK1 were downregulated, whereas various networks, including VEGFA, were moderately upregulated. In all mutation types, CD80/CD86 (B7), MHC, CIITA and IFGN were activated, whereas CD37 and SAFB were inhibited. Costimulatory immune-checkpoint pathways by B7/CD28 were mainly activated, whereas those by PD-1/PD-L1 were inhibited. Our findings may help identify potential therapeutic targets and develop therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.
Evaluation and management of fungal-infected carrot seeds
Authors: Zhang Xue , Wang Ruiting , Ning Hailong , Li Wenxia , Bai Yunlong , Li Yonggang
Published: July 2020

Carrot (Daucus carota L.), which is one of the 10 most important vegetable crops worldwide, is an edible root vegetable desired for its taste as well as its medicinal uses. However, a fungus isolated from carrot seeds was observed to substantially decrease the germination rate. The isolate was identified as Alternaria alternata based on morphological and molecular characteristics as well as a phylogenetic tree. The maximum seed infection rate of selected carrot cultivars was approximately 60%, with the main infection site just underneath the seed shell. Additionally, the germination rate of infected seeds decreased by 28.7%. However, the seed infection rate varied among the examined carrot cultivars. Regarding the effects of chemical fungicides, the optimal treatment involved immersing seeds in amistar top suspension concentrate (SC) (effective concentration of 0.65 g/L) for 6 h, which effectively killed the fungi inside the carrot seeds. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the development of efficient methods for preventing the infection of carrot seeds by specific fungi and increasing the germination rate and vigour index.
Normalized skin conductance level could differentiate physical pain stimuli from other sympathetic stimuli
Authors: Sugimine Satomi , Saito Shigeru , Takazawa Tomonori
Published: July 2020

Skin conductance monitoring is one of the promising methods for objectively evaluating pain. However, skin conductance might possibly increase in response to sympathetic stimulation other than pain. In this study, we aimed to test whether skin conductance monitoring can distinguish physical pain stimulation (heat, mechanical and cold stimulation) from other sympathetic stimuli (stimulation by noise and painful images). Twenty-three healthy volunteers participated in this prospective observational study. The number of fluctuations in skin conductance (NFSC) and normalized skin conductance level (nSCL) were measured and compared with pain scores on a self-reported pain scale (numerical pain scale [NPS]). Both NFSC and nSCL increased during mechanical stimulation. Further, nSCL, but not NFSC, well reflected heat stimulus intensity, suggesting its ability to quantitatively evaluate pain. nSCLs during physical pain stimulation were greater than those during other sympathetic stimulations. However, NFSC was not able to completely distinguish between the stimuli. These results suggest that nSCL could better differentiate physical pain stimuli from other sympathetic stimuli than NFSC. In comparisons between subjective and objective pain assessment in the same individual, nSCL correlated better with NPS score, indicating the possibility of being able to monitor the transition of pain. Monitoring changes in skin conductance using nSCL might be useful for objectively detecting physical pain.
Enhanced Notch3 signaling contributes to pulmonary emphysema in a Murine Model of Marfan syndrome
Authors: Jespersen Kathryn , Liu Zhibo , Li Chenxin , Harding Paul , Sestak Kylie , Batra Rishi , Stephenson Christopher A. , Foley Ryan T. , Greene Harrison , Meisinger Trevor , Baxter B. Timothy , Xiong Wanfen
Published: July 2020

Marfan syndrome (MFS) is a heritable disorder of connective tissue, caused by mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene. Pulmonary functional abnormalities, such as emphysema and restrictive lung diseases, are frequently observed in patients with MFS. However, the pathogenesis and molecular mechanism of pulmonary involvement in MFS patients are underexplored. Notch signaling is essential for lung development and the airway epithelium regeneration and repair. Therefore, we investigated whether Notch3 signaling plays a role in pulmonary emphysema in MFS. By using a murine model of MFS, fibrillin-1 hypomorphic mgR mice, we found pulmonary emphysematous-appearing alveolar patterns in the lungs of mgR mice. The septation in terminal alveoli of lungs in mgR mice was reduced compared to wild type controls in the early lung development. These changes were associated with increased Notch3 activation. To confirm that the increased Notch3 signaling in mgR mice was responsible for structure alterations in the lungs, mice were treated with N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-S-phenylglucine t-butyl ester (DAPT), a $$\gamma$$
γ
-secretase inhibitor, which inhibits Notch signaling. DAPT treatment reduced lung cell apoptosis and attenuated pulmonary alteration in mice with MFS. This study indicates that Notch3 signaling contributes to pulmonary emphysema in mgR mice. Our results may have the potential to lead to novel strategies to prevent and treat pulmonary manifestations in patients with MFS.
Improving plasma sprayed Raney-type nickel–molybdenum electrodes towards high-performance hydrogen evolution in alkaline medium
Authors: Razmjooei Fatemeh , Liu Taikai , Azevedo Daniela Aguiar , Hadjixenophontos Efi , Reissner Regine , Schiller Günter , Ansar Syed Asif , Friedrich Kaspar Andreas
Published: July 2020

Rationally designed free-standing and binder-free Raney-type nickel–molybdenum (Ni–Mo) electrodes produced via atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) are developed by correlating APS process parameters with the microstructure of electrodes and their electrochemical performance in alkaline media. The results revealed that the electrode morphology and elemental composition are highly affected by the plasma parameters during the electrode fabrication. It is found that increasing plasma gas flow rate and input plasma power resulted in higher in-flight particle velocities and shorter dwell time, which in result delivered electrodes with much finer structure exhibiting homogeneous distribution of phases, larger quantity of micro pores and suitable content of Ni and Mo. Tafel slope of electrodes decreased with increasing the in-flight particles velocities from 71 to 33 mV dec−1in 30 wt.% KOH. However, beyond a critical threshold in-flight velocity and temperature of particles, electrodes started to exhibit larger globular pores and consequently reduced catalytic performance and higher Tafel slop of 36 mV dec−1in 30 wt.% KOH. Despite slightly lower electrochemical performance, the electrodes produced with highest plasma gas flow and energy showed most inter-particle bonded structure as well as highest stability with no measurable degradation over 47 days in operation as HER electrode in 30 wt.% KOH. The Raney-type Ni–Mo electrode fabricated at highest plasma gas flow rate and input plasma power has been tested as HER electrode in alkaline water electrolyzer, which delivered high current densities of 0.72 and 2 A cm−2at 1.8 and 2.2 V, respectively, representing a novel prime example of HER electrode, which can synergistically catalyze the HER in alkaline electrolyzer. This study shows that sluggish alkaline HER can be circumvented by rational electrode composition and interface engineering.
Enhanced thermoelectric properties in anthracene molecular device with graphene electrodes: the role of phononic thermal conductance
Authors: Ramezani Akbarabadi Saeideh , Rahimpour Soleimani Hamid , Golsanamlou Zahra , Bagheri Tagani Maysam
Published: July 2020

Density functional theory (DFT) and the non-equilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) formalism in the linear response regime were employed to investigate the impact of doping on the electronic and phononic transport properties in an anthracene molecule attached to two metallic zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs). Boron (B) and nitrogen (N) atoms were used for doping and co-doping (NB) of carbon atoms located at the edge of the anthracene molecule. Our results show that B doping enhances the electronic transport in comparison with the other dopants which is due to its ability to increase the binding energy of the system. The chemical doping of the anthracene molecule mainly impacts on the thermopower which results in a significantly enhanced electronic contribution of the figure of merit. On the contrary, considering the effect of phononic thermal conductance suppresses the figure of merit. However, by taking into account the effect of both electron and phonon contributions to the thermal conductance, we find that the thermoelectric efficiency can be improved by B doping. The potential role of the phononic thermal conductance in shaping the thermoelectric properties of molecular junctions has been ignored in numerous studies, however, our findings demonstrate its importance for a realistic and accurate estimation of the thermoelectric figure of merit.
Respiratory syncytial virus infection trend is associated with meteorological factors
Authors: Thongpan Ilada , Vongpunsawad Sompong , Poovorawan Yong
Published: July 2020

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infects young children and causes influenza-like illness. RSV circulation and prevalence differ among countries and climates. To better understand whether climate factors influence the seasonality of RSV in Thailand, we examined RSV data from children ≤ 5 years-old who presented with respiratory symptoms from January 2012–December 2018. From a total of 8,209 nasopharyngeal samples, 13.2% (1,082/8,209) was RSV-positive, of which 37.5% (406/1,082) were RSV-A and 36.4% (394/1,082) were RSV-B. The annual unimodal RSV activity from July–November overlaps with the rainy season. Association between meteorological data including monthly average temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed for central Thailand and the incidence of RSV over 7-years was analyzed using Spearman’s rank and partial correlation. Multivariate time-series analysis with an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model showed that RSV activity correlated positively with rainfall (r = 0.41) and relative humidity (r = 0.25), but negatively with mean temperature (r = − 0.27). The best-fitting ARIMA (1,0,0)(2,1,0)12 model suggests that peak RSV activity lags the hottest month of the year by 4 months. Our results enable possible prediction of RSV activity based on the climate and could help to anticipate the yearly upsurge of RSV in this region.
Antidiabetic effects and underlying mechanisms of anti-digestive dietary polysaccharides from Sargassum fusiforme in rats
Authors: Jia Rui-Bo , Li Zhao-Rong , Wu Juan , Ou Zhi-Rong , Sun Baoguo , Lin Lianzhu , Zhao Mouming
Published: July 2020

Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharides (SFP), an anti-digestive biologically active ingredient obtained from Sargassum fusiforme by ultrasound-assisted enzymatic extraction, have been proven to exhibit extremely strong alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity.
Strong influence of strain gradient on lithium diffusion: flexo-diffusion effect
Authors: Xu Gao , Hao Feng , Weng Mouyi , Hong Jiawang , Pan Feng , Fang Daining
Published: July 2020

Strain gradient provides a new approach to tune and optimize the lithium diffusion in Lithium ion battery applications.
Self-assembly of amphiphilic alternating copolymers with stimuli-responsive rigid pendant groups
Authors: Lv Yisheng , Wang Liquan , Liu Fan , Feng Weisheng , Wei Jie , Lin Shaoliang
Published: July 2020

Amphiphilic alternating copolymers (AACs) possess unique self-assembly behaviours owing to their unique regular architecture.
Synthesis and application of tuneable carbon–silica composites from the microwave pyrolysis of waste paper for selective recovery of gold from acidic solutions
Authors: Sotiriou Konstantina , Supanchaiyamat Nontipa , Jiang Tengyao , Janekarn Intuorn , García Andrea Muñoz , Budarin Vitaliy L. , MacQuarrie Duncan J. , Hunt Andrew J.
Published: July 2020

Microwave pyrolysis bio-oil from waste paper and K60 silica gel have been utilised to synthesise mesoporous carbon–silica composites with uniquely tuneable surface properties for the selective recovery of gold from acidic solutions.
Synthesis and characterization of iodovanadinite using PdI2, an iodine source for the immobilisation of radioiodine
Authors: Johnstone E. V. , Bailey D. J. , Lawson S. , Stennett M. C. , Corkhill C. L. , Kim M. , Heo J. , Matsumura D. , Hyatt N. C.
Published: July 2020

The synthesis and characterisation of a composite wasteform, comprising iodovanadinite Pb10(VO4)6I2 and Pd metal, is reported, for immobilisation of radioiodine PdI2; the formation of Pd incorporated iodovanadinite “PdPb9(VO4)6I2” was not observed.
Recyclable MFe2O4 (M = Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co) coupled micro–nano bubbles for simultaneous catalytic oxidation to remove NOx and SO2 in flue gas
Authors: Sun Hongrui , Li Dengxin
Published: July 2020

NOx-SO2-MFe2O4-micro–nano bubbles system for NOx removal.
Synthesis, structure–fluorescence relationships and density functional theory studies of novel naphthalimide–piperazine–pyridine-based polystyrene sensors for Hg(ii) detection
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Zhang Jingyi , Feng Tian , Li Yi
Published: July 2020

Naphthalimide-appended polystyrene fluorescent sensors.
Exohedral functionalizationvs.core expansion of siliconoids with Group 9 metals: catalytic activity in alkene isomerization
Authors: Poitiers Nadine E. , Giarrana Luisa , Huch Volker , Zimmer Michael , Scheschkewitz David
Published: July 2020

Unprecedented metallasiliconoids are accessible from a silylene-substituted Si6siliconoid and Group 9 metal fragments. The isomerization of terminal alkenes to 2-alkenes is competitively catalyzed by these species (= silicon).
RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis of long noncoding RNAs and mRNAs in the asthenozoospermia
Authors: Lu Hui , Xu Dongchuan , Wang Ping , Sun Wenye , Xue Xinhuai , Hu Yuxin , Xie Chunli , Ma Yanlin
Published: July 2020

Asthenozoospermia is one of the major causes of human male infertility. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in the spermatogenesis processes. The present study aims to investigate the intricate regulatory network associated with asthenozoospermia. The lncRNAs expression profile was analyzed in the asthenozoospermia seminal plasma exosomes by RNA-sequencing, and the functions of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and DO (Disease Ontology) enrichment analyses. Pearson’s correlation test was utilized to calculate the correlation coefficients between lncRNA and mRNAs. Moreover, the lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA co-expression network was constructed with bioinformatics. From the co-expression analyses, we identified the cis regulated correlation pairs lncRNA–mRNA. To confirm sequencing results with five of the identified DElncRNAs were verified with quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We identified 4228 significantly DEGs, 995 known DElncRNAs, 2338 DEmRNAs and 11,706 novel DElncRNAs between asthenozoospermia and normal group. GO and KEGG analyses showed that the DEGs were mainly associated with metabolism, transcription, ribosome and channel activity. We found 254,981 positive correlations lncRNA–mRNA pairs through correlation analysis. The detailed lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory network included 11 lncRNAs, 35 miRNAs and 59 mRNAs. From the co-expression analyses, we identified 7 cis-regulated correlation pairs lncRNA–mRNA. Additionally, the qRT-PCR analysis confirmed our sequencing results. Our study constructed the lncRNA–mRNA–miRNA regulation networks in asthenozoospermia. Therefore, the study findings provide a set of pivotal lncRNAs for future investigation into the molecular mechanisms of asthenozoospermia.
Suppression of sphingosine 1-phosphate lyase retards the liver regeneration in mice after partial hepatectomy
Authors: Kageyama Yuko , Uranbileg Baasanjav , Kusumoto Yoshika , Sakai Eri , Ikeda Hitoshi , Kurano Makoto , Yatomi Yutaka
Published: July 2020

Background: Liver regeneration is an extremely complicated process that is regulated by a number of signaling pathways. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a potent bioactive lipid mediator playing crucial roles in various cellular responses through its receptors, has been attracting attention in the fields of hepatology, where S1P lyase (SPL), an irreversibly degrading enzyme of S1P, reportedly has a stimulatory role in growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Aim of the study: To examine whether SPL might play a stimulatory role in liver regeneration.

Method: Using in-vivo siRNA technology, we inhibited SPL expression. Seventy percent of the liver was resected in mice as partial hepatectomy (PH). Liver tissue samples were collected and mRNA expression level of the SPL, IHC of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), protein levels of various proliferation factors and lipid measurements were performed in different groups.

Results: The mRNA levels of SPL increased in PH mice on the third day after PH surgery. When we suppressed the expression of SPL by in-vivo siRNA, we observed a significant decline of the PCNA positive cell numbers. Furthermore, the Cyclin D1 expressions and phosphorylation of ERK also were decreased in the siSPL injected PH group.

Conclusion: We verified the importance of the SPL in liver regeneration, using the mice PH model. SPL might be a potential target to facilitate liver regeneration.
TESS asteroseismology of the known planet host star λ2 Fornacis
Authors: Nielsen M. B. , Ball W. H. , Standing M. R. , Triaud A. H. M. J. , Buzasi D. , Carboneau L. , Stassun K. G. , Kane S. R. , Chaplin W. J. , Bellinger E. P. , Mosser B. , Roxburgh I. W. , Çelik Orhan Z. , Yıldız M. , Örtel S. , Vrard M. , Mazumdar A. , Ranadive P. , Deal M. , Davies G. R. , Campante T. L. , García R. A. , Mathur S. , González-Cuesta L. , Serenelli A.
Published: July 2020

Context. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is observing bright known planet-host stars across almost the entire sky. These stars have been subject to extensive ground-based observations, providing a large number of radial velocity measurements.

Aims. The objective of this work is to use the new TESS photometric observations to characterize the star λ2 Fornacis, and following this to update the parameters of the orbiting planet λ2 For b.

Methods. We measured the frequencies of the p-mode oscillations in λ2 For, and in combination with non-seismic parameters estimated the stellar fundamental properties using stellar models. Using the revised stellar properties and a time series of archival radial velocities from the UCLES, HIRES and HARPS instruments spanning almost 20 years, we refit the orbit of λ2 For b and searched the residual radial velocities for remaining variability.

Results. We find that λ2 For has a mass of 1.16 ± 0.03 M⊙ and a radius of 1.63 ± 0.04 R⊙, with an age of 6.3 ± 0.9 Gyr. This and the updated radial velocity measurements suggest a mass of λ2 For b of 16.8−1.3+1.2 M⊕, which is ∼5M⊕ less than literature estimates. We also detect an additional periodicity at 33 days in the radial velocity measurements, which is likely due to the rotation of the host star.

Conclusions. While previous literature estimates of the properties of λ2 For are ambiguous, the asteroseismic measurements place the star firmly at the early stage of its subgiant evolutionary phase. Typically only short time series of photometric data are available from TESS, but by using asteroseismology it is still possible to provide tight constraints on the properties of bright stars that until now have only been observed from the ground. This prompts a reexamination of archival radial velocity data that have been accumulated in the past few decades in order to update the characteristics of the planet hosting systems observed by TESS for which asteroseismology is possible.