bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of eating practices and physical activity among Malaysian adolescents in secondary schools: a qualitative study with multi-stakeholders
Authors: Mohammadi Shooka , Su Tin Tin , Papadaki Angeliki , Jalaludin Muhammad Yazid , Dahlui Maznah , Mohamed Mohd Nahar Azmi , Jago Russell , Toumpakari Zoi , Johnson Laura , Majid Hazreen Abdul
Published: August 2020

Objective:

To conduct formative research using qualitative methods among stakeholders of secondary schools to explore their perceptions, barriers and facilitators related to healthy eating and physical activity (PA) among Malaysian adolescents.

Design:

A qualitative study involving eight focus groups and twelve in-depth interviews. Focus groups and interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data.

Setting:

Four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor states (two urban and two rural schools) in Malaysia.

Participants:

Focus groups were conducted with seventy-six adolescents aged 13–14 years, and in-depth interviews were conducted with four headmasters, four PA education teachers and four food canteen operators.

Results:

Stakeholders thought that adolescents’ misperceptions, limited availability of healthy options, unhealthy food preferences and affordability were important challenges preventing healthy eating at school. Low-quality physical education (PE) classes, limited adolescent participation and teachers’ commitment during lessons were perceived as barriers to adolescents being active at school. Affordability was the main challenge for adolescents from rural schools. Stakeholders perceived that a future school-based intervention should improve the availability and subsidies for healthy foods, provide health education/training for both adolescents and PE teachers, enhance active adolescent participation in PE and develop social support mechanisms to facilitate engagement with PA.

Conclusions:

These findings provide important insights into developing school-based lifestyle interventions to improve healthy eating and strengthening PA of Malaysian adolescents.
Evidence of Exacerbated Gender Inequality in Child Care Obligations in Canada and Australia during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Johnston Regan M. , Sheluchin Anwar , van der Linden Clifton
Published: August 2020

Households in Canada and Australia have exhibited similar trends in the gendered allocation of additional child care responsibilities resulting from policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we employ survey data to analyze the extent to which policy interventions related to COVID-19 have exacerbated gender disparities in child care obligations. We find that existing asymmetrical distributions of child care obligations in Canada and Australia have been amplified during the pandemic, resulting in a disproportionate burden on women. During the pandemic we also find that, in households with children, women tend to report experiencing poorer mental health than men.
Promotion, prevention and treatment interventions for mental health in low- and middle-income countries through a task-shifting approach
Authors: Purgato Marianna , Uphoff Eleonora , Singh Rakesh , Thapa Pachya Ambika , Abdulmalik Jibril , van Ginneken Nadja
Published: August 2020

Recently, mental health and ill health have been reframed to be seen as a continuum from health to ill health, through the stages of being asymptomatic ‘at risk’, to experiencing ‘mental distress’, ‘sub-syndromal symptoms’ and finally ‘mental disorders’. This new conceptualisation emphasised the importance of mental health promotion and prevention interventions, aimed at reducing the likelihood of future disorders with the general population or with people who are identified as being at risk of a disorder. This concept generated discussion on the distinction between prevention and treatment interventions, especially for those mental health conditions which lie between psychological distress and a formal psychiatric diagnosis. The present editorial aims to clarify the definition of promotion, prevention and treatment interventions delivered through a task-shifting approach according to a global mental health perspective.
Depth of Solute Generation Is a Dominant Control on Concentration‐Discharge Relations
Authors: Botter M. , Li L. , Hartmann J. , Burlando P. , Fatichi S.
Published: August 2020

Solutes in rivers often come from multiple sources, notably precipitation (above) and generation from the subsurface (below). The question of which source is more influential in shaping the dynamics of solute concentration cannot be easily addressed due to the general lack of input data. An analysis of solute concentrations and their dependence on discharge across 585 catchments in nine countries leads us to hypothesize that both the timing and the vertical distribution of the solute generation are important drivers of solute export dynamics at the catchment scale. We test this hypothesis running synthetic experiments with a tracer‐aided distributed hydrological model. The results reveal that the depth of solute generation is the most important control of the concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relation for a number of solutes. Such relation shows that C‐Q patterns of solute export vary from dilution (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, and Cl−) to weakly enriching (dissolved organic carbon). The timing of the input imposes a signature on temporal dynamics, most evident for nutrients, and adds uncertainty in the exponent of the C‐Q relation.
Deep Eddy Kinetic Energy in the Tropical Pacific From Lagrangian Floats
Authors: Delpech A. , Cravatte S. , Marin F. , Ménesguen C. , Morel Y.
Published: August 2020

At the ocean surface, satellite observations have shown evidence of a large spectrum of waves at low latitudes. However, very little is known about the existence and properties of the deep variability. Most of the subsurface observations rely on localized measurements, which do not allow for a global estimation of this variability. In this study, we use velocity estimates, provided by Argo float drifts at 1,000 m, to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of the deep eddy kinetic energy (EKE) and its spectral signature with an unprecedented time and space coverage. In the tropical Pacific, high EKE is found along the equator, at the western boundary and poleward of 7°N. EKE meridional distribution is also found to vary at the scale of the meridionally alternating mean zonal jets: it is higher inside eastward currents. We develop an original statistical scale analysis to determine the temporal and spatial scale dependence of this deep EKE footprint. We show the presence of periodic features whose characteristics are compatible with theoretical equatorial waves dispersion relations. Annual and semiannual Rossby waves are observed at the equator, as well as ∼30‐day Yanai waves, consistent with surface tropical instability waves. The location and intensification of these waves match the downward energy propagation predicted by ray tracing linear theory. Short‐scale variability (with ∼70‐day periods and 500‐km wavelength) has also been detected poleward of 7°N. The generation mechanisms of this variability are discussed, as well as its potential importance for the mean circulation.
Storms and the Depletion of Ammonia in Jupiter: II. Explaining the Juno Observations
Authors: Guillot Tristan , Li Cheng , Bolton Scott J. , Brown Shannon T. , Ingersoll Andrew P. , Janssen Michael A. , Levin Steven M. , Lunine Jonathan I. , Orton Glenn S. , Steffes Paul G. , Stevenson David J.
Published: August 2020

Observations of Jupiter's deep atmosphere by the Juno spacecraft have revealed several puzzling facts: The concentration of ammonia is variable down to pressures of tens of bars and is strongly dependent on latitude. While most latitudes exhibit a low abundance, the Equatorial Zone of Jupiter has an abundance of ammonia that is high and nearly uniform with depth. In parallel, the Equatorial Zone is peculiar for its absence of lightning, which is otherwise prevalent most everywhere else on the planet. We show that a model accounting for the presence of small‐scale convection and water storms originating in Jupiter's deep atmosphere accounts for the observations. Where strong thunderstorms are observed on the planet, we estimate that the formation of ammonia‐rich hail (“mushballs”) and subsequent downdrafts can deplete efficiency the upper atmosphere of its ammonia and transport it efficiently to the deeper levels. In the Equatorial Zone, the absence of thunderstorms shows that this process is not occurring, implying that small‐scale convection can maintain a near‐homogeneity of this region. A simple model satisfying mass and energy balance accounts for the main features of Juno's microwave radiometer observations and successfully reproduces the inverse correlation seen between ammonia abundance and the lightning rate as function of latitude. We predict that in regions where ammonia is depleted, water should also be depleted to great depths. The fact that condensates are not well mixed by convection until far deeper than their condensation level has consequences for our understanding of Jupiter's deep interior and of giant‐planet atmospheres in general.
Utilization of Nonequilibrium Phase Change Approach to Analyze the Nonisothermal Multiphase Flow in Shallow Subsurface Soils
Authors: Tamizdoust Mohammadreza Mir , Ghasemi‐Fare Omid
Published: August 2020

The prediction of coupled nonisothermal multiphase flow in porous media has been the subject of many theoretical and experimental studies in the past half a century. In particular, the evaporation phenomenon from the shallow subsurface has been extensively studied based on the notion of equilibrium phase change between liquid water and water vapor (i.e., instantaneous phase change). One of the frequent assumptions in equilibrium phase change approach is that liquid water is hydraulically connected throughout the vadose zone. Furthermore, classical soil‐water retention curves (e.g., van Genuchten model), which have been extensively used in the literature to model evaporation process, are only valid for high and intermediate saturation degrees. Although these limitations have been addressed and improved in separate studies, they have not yet been rigorously incorporated in the numerical modeling of nonisothermal multiphase flow in shallow subsurface of in‐field soils. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the coupled heat, liquid, and vapor flow in soil media through the Hertz‐Knudsen‐Schrage (HKS) phase change model and by incorporating a water retention model which captures the soil‐water characteristics from full to oven‐dried saturation degrees. A numerical model is developed and validated against the in‐field experimental data. Reasonable agreements between the calculated and measured values of water contents at all depths, as well as the temperature, and cumulative evaporation are observed. Results also confirm that the contribution of the film flow in overall mass flow in the medium is required for accurate modeling and cannot be ignored.
Anoxygenic photosynthesis and iron–sulfur metabolic potential ofChlorobiapopulations from seasonally anoxic Boreal Shield lakes
Authors: Tsuji J M , Tran N , Schiff S L , Venkiteswaran J J , Molot L A , Tank M , Hanada S , Neufeld J D
Published: August 2020

Aquatic environments with high levels of dissolved ferrous iron and low levels of sulfate serve as an important systems for exploring biogeochemical processes relevant to the early Earth. Boreal Shield lakes, which number in the tens of millions globally, commonly develop seasonally anoxic waters that become iron rich and sulfate poor, yet the iron–sulfur microbiology of these systems has been poorly examined. Here we use genome-resolved metagenomics and enrichment cultivation to explore the metabolic diversity and ecology of anoxygenic photosynthesis and iron/sulfur cycling in the anoxic water columns of three Boreal Shield lakes. We recovered four high-completeness and low-contamination draft genome bins assigned to the class Chlorobia (formerly phylum Chlorobi) from environmental metagenome data and enriched two novel sulfide-oxidizing species, also from the Chlorobia. The sequenced genomes of both enriched species, including the novel “Candidatus Chlorobium canadense”, encoded the cyc2 gene that is associated with photoferrotrophy among cultured Chlorobia members, along with genes for phototrophic sulfide oxidation. One environmental genome bin also encoded cyc2. Despite the presence of cyc2 in the corresponding draft genome, we were unable to induce photoferrotrophy in “Ca. Chlorobium canadense”. Genomic potential for phototrophic sulfide oxidation was more commonly detected than cyc2 among environmental genome bins of Chlorobia, and metagenome and cultivation data suggested the potential for cryptic sulfur cycling to fuel sulfide-based growth. Overall, our results provide an important basis for further probing the functional role of cyc2 and indicate that anoxygenic photoautotrophs in Boreal Shield lakes could have underexplored photophysiology pertinent to understanding Earth’s early microbial communities.
Suppressive myeloid cells are expanded by biliary tract cancer-derived cytokines in vitro and associate with aggressive disease
Authors: Ware Michael B. , Zaidi Mohammad Y. , Yang Jennifer , Turgeon Michael K. , Krasinskas Alyssa , Mace Thomas A. , Keenan Kaitlin , Farren Matthew R. , Ruggieri Amanda N. , Li Yiman , Zhang Chao , Chen Zhengjia , Young Gregory S. , Elnaggar Omar , Che Zheng , Maithel Shishir K. , Bekaii-Saab Tanios , El-Rayes Bassel , Lesinski Gregory B.
Published: August 2020

Background

BTC is an aggressive disease exacerbated by inflammation and immune suppression. Expansion of immunosuppressive cells occurs in biliary tract cancer (BTC), yet the role of BTC-derived cytokines in this process is unclear.

Methods

Activated signalling pathways and cytokine production were evaluated in a panel of human BTC cell lines. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured with BTC supernatants, with and without cytokine neutralising antibodies, and analysed by flow cytometry or immunoblot. A human BTC tissue microarray (TMA, n = 69) was stained for IL-6, GM-CSF, and CD33+S100a9+ cells and correlated with clinical outcomes.

Results

Immunomodulatory factors (IL-6, GM-CSF, MCP-1) were present in BTC supernatants. BTC supernatants expanded CD33dimCD11b+HLA-DRlow/− myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) from human PBMCs. Neutralisation of IL-6 and GM-CSF in BTC supernatants inhibited activation of STAT3/5, respectively, in PBMCs, with heterogeneous effects on MDSC expansion in vitro. Staining of a BTC TMA revealed a positive correlation between IL-6 and GM-CSF, with each cytokine and more CD33+S100a9+ cells. Increased CD33+S100a9+ staining positively correlated with higher tumour grade, differentiation and the presence of satellite lesions.

Conclusion

BTC-derived factors promote suppressive myeloid cell expansion, and higher numbers of CD33+S100a9+ cells in resectable BTC tumours correlates with more aggressive disease.
High yield manufacturing of fully screen-printed organic electrochemical transistors
Authors: Zabihipour Marzieh , Lassnig Roman , Strandberg Jan , Berggren Magnus , Fabiano Simone , Engquist Isak , Andersson Ersman Peter
Published: August 2020

The potential of the screen printing method for large-scale production of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs), combining high production yield with low cost, is here demonstrated. Fully screen-printed OECTs of 1 mm2 area, based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrensulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), have been manufactured on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates. The goal of this project effort has been to explore and develop the printing processing to enable high yield and stable transistor parameters, targeting miniaturized digital OECT circuits for large-scale integration (LSI). Of the 760 OECTs manufactured in one batch on a PET sheet, only two devices were found malfunctioning, thus achieving an overall manufacturing yield of 99.7%. A drain current ON/OFF ratio at least equal to 400 was applied as the strict exclusion principle for the yield, motivated by proper operation in LSI circuits. This consistent performance of low-footprint OECTs allows for the integration of PEDOT:PSS-based OECTs into complex logic circuits operating at high stability and accuracy.
Joint measurement of time–frequency entanglement via sum frequency generation
Authors: Liu Han , Helmy Amr S.
Published: August 2020

We propose, analyze, and evaluate a technique for the joint measurement of time–frequency entanglement between two photons. In particular, we show that the frequency sum and time difference of two photons could be simultaneously measured through the sum-frequency generation process, without measuring the time or frequency of each individual photon. We demonstrate the usefulness of this technique by using it to design a time–frequency entanglement based continuous variable superdense coding and a quantum illumination protocol. Performance analysis of these two protocols suggests that the joint measurement of strong time–frequency entanglement of non-classical photon pairs can significantly enhance the performance of joint-measurement based quantum communication and metrology protocols.
Tunable 3D/2D magnetism in the (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m topological insulators family
Authors: Klimovskikh Ilya I. , Otrokov Mikhail M. , Estyunin Dmitry , Eremeev Sergey V. , Filnov Sergey O. , Koroleva Alexandra , Shevchenko Eugene , Voroshnin Vladimir , Rybkin Artem G. , Rusinov Igor P. , Blanco-Rey Maria , Hoffmann Martin , Aliev Ziya S. , Babanly Mahammad B. , Amiraslanov Imamaddin R. , Abdullayev Nadir A. , Zverev Vladimir N. , Kimura Akio , Tereshchenko Oleg E. , Kokh Konstantin A. , Petaccia Luca , Di Santo Giovanni , Ernst Arthur , Echenique Pedro M. , Mamedov Nazim T. , Shikin Alexander M. , Chulkov Eugene V.
Published: August 2020

Feasibility of many emergent phenomena that intrinsic magnetic topological insulators (TIs) may host depends crucially on our ability to engineer and efficiently tune their electronic and magnetic structures. Here we report on a large family of intrinsic magnetic TIs in the homologous series of the van der Waals compounds (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m with m = 0, ⋯, 6. Magnetic, electronic and, consequently, topological properties of these materials depend strongly on the m value and are thus highly tunable. The antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between the neighboring Mn layers strongly weakens on moving from MnBi2Te4 (m = 0) to MnBi4Te7 (m = 1) and MnBi6Te10 (m = 2). Further increase in m leads to change of the overall magnetic behavior to ferromagnetic (FM) one for (m = 3), while the interlayer coupling almost disappears. In this way, the AFM and FM TI states are, respectively, realized in the m = 0, 1, 2 and m = 3 cases. For large m numbers a hitherto-unknown topologically nontrivial phase can be created, in which below the corresponding critical temperature the magnetizations of the non-interacting 2D ferromagnets, formed by the MnBi2Te4 building blocks, are disordered along the third direction. The variety of intrinsic magnetic TI phases in (MnBi2Te4)(Bi2Te3)m allows efficient engineering of functional van der Waals heterostructures for topological quantum computation, as well as antiferromagnetic and 2D spintronics.
Effect of lysine side chain length on histone lysine acetyltransferase catalysis
Authors: Proietti Giordano , Wang Yali , Rainone Giorgio , Mecinović Jasmin
Published: August 2020

Histone lysine acetyltransferase (KAT)-catalyzed acetylation of lysine residues in histone tails plays a key role in regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. Here, we examined the role of lysine side chain length in the catalytic activity of human KATs by incorporating shorter and longer lysine analogs into synthetic histone H3 and H4 peptides. The enzymatic activity of MOF, PCAF and GCN5 acetyltransferases towards histone peptides bearing lysine analogs was evaluated using MALDI-TOF MS assays. Our results demonstrate that human KAT enzymes have an ability to catalyze an efficient acetylation of longer lysine analogs, whereas shorter lysine analogs are not substrates for KATs. Kinetics analyses showed that lysine is a superior KAT substrate to its analogs with altered chain length, implying that lysine has an optimal chain length for KAT-catalyzed acetylation reaction.
Detectable HBV DNA during nucleos(t)ide analogues stratifies predictive hepatocellular carcinoma risk score
Authors: Kaneko Shun , Kurosaki Masayuki , Joko Kouji , Marusawa Hiroyuki , Kondo Masahiko , Kojima Yuji , Uchida Yasushi , Kimura Hiroyuki , Tsuji Keiji , Yagisawa Hitoshi , Kusakabe Atsunori , Kobashi Haruhiko , Akahane Takehiro , Tamaki Nobuharu , Kirino Sakura , Abe Takehiko , Yoshida Hideo , Matsushita Tomomichi , Hasebe Chitomi , Izumi Namiki
Published: August 2020

Nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA) suppress hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication and reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, NA cannot suppress carcinogenesis completely in patients with chronic hepatitis B. The aims of this study were to identify risk factors for HCC and develop a refined carcinogenesis prediction model. Patients receiving NA therapy (n = 1,183) were recruited retrospectively from the 16 hospitals. All patients had been receiving NA continuously for more than 1 year until the end of the follow-up. During a median follow-up of 4.9 (1.0–12.9) years, 52 (4.4%) patients developed HCC. A multivariate analysis revealed that male gender, older age, lower platelet counts at the baseline, and detectable HBV DNA during NA therapy were independent predictive factors of HCC development. The PAGE-B score was calculated by using these factors. 240 (20.3%), 661 (55.9%), and 282 (23.8%) patients were classified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. In the intermediate- and high-risk group, detectable HBV DNA was significantly associated with a higher risk of HCC development compared with continuously undetectable HBV DNA, respectively (HR 3.338; 95% CI 1.045–10.66/HR 3.191; 95% CI 1.543–6.597). PAGE-B–DNA, which is the combined PAGE-B and HBV DNA status, was valuable for a more refined stratification of PAGE-B.
The role of kaolin and kaolin/ZnO nanoadsorbents in adsorption studies for tannery wastewater treatment
Authors: Mustapha S. , Tijani J. O. , Ndamitso M. M. , Abdulkareem S. A. , Shuaib D. T. , Mohammed A. K. , Sumaila A.
Published: August 2020

In the present study, comparative studies of kaolin and kaolin/ZnO nanocomposites for the adsorption of Cr(VI), Fe(III), COD, BOD, and chloride from tannery wastewater were investigated. ZnO nanoparticles and kaolin/ZnO nanocomposites were prepared by sol–gel followed by wet-impregnation methods. The prepared adsorbents were characterized using different analytical tools such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, selective area electron diffraction and Brunauer Emmett–Teller (BET) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The HRSEM/EDS/XPS analysis confirmed successful immobilization of clay structural network on the lattice layers of zincite hexagonal structure of ZnO nanoparticles. BET measurement showed an increase in the surface area of kaolin/ZnO nanocomposites (31.8 m2/g) when compared to kaolin (17 m2/g). Batch adsorption studies were carried out by varying the parameters such as contact time, adsorbent dosage and temperature. The maximum removal of Cr(VI) (100%), Fe(III) (98%), COD (95%), BOD (94%) and Chloride (78%) was obtained at 15 min by kaolin/ZnO composites. While 78% Cr(VI), 91% Fe(III), 91% COD, 89% BOD and 73% Chloride were removed by kaolin under the same conditions. The kaolin/ZnO nanocomposites exhibited better adsorption performance than kaolin due to higher surface area of the former than the latter. It was found that the Jovanovic isotherm model fitted the adsorption experimental data most with the highest correlation (R2 > 0.99) for both nanoadsorbents and indicate the occurrence of adsorption on monolayer and heterogeneous surfaces. The mechanism for the adsorption of metal ions in tannery wastewater onto the nano-adsorbents was examined using Weber Morris intra-particle diffusion model and Boyd plot which showed that the adsorption process was both intra-particle and film diffusion controlled. The thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change showed that that adsorption of metal ions and other parameters was feasible, spontaneous and endothermic. The ZnO/clay nanocomposites exhibited excellent recyclable and re-useable properties even after six repeated applications and can, therefore, be applied in wastewater treatment for removal of heavy metals and other physicochemical parameters.
The alteration of gut microbiome and metabolism in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients
Authors: Zeng Qianqian , Shen Jie , Chen Kangzhi , Zhou Jinxia , Liao Qiao , Lu Ke , Yuan Jiao , Bi Fangfang
Published: August 2020

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease accompanied with severe paralysis or even death, while the pathogenesis of ALS is still unclear and no effective therapy exists. The accumulating evidence has indicated the association between gut microbiota and various neurological diseases. Thus, to explore the potential role of gut microbiome in ALS, 20 patients diagnosed with probable or definite ALS and 20 healthy controls were enrolled and their fecal excrements were collected. The analysis of fecal community diversity with 16S rDNA sequencing showed an obvious change in microbial structure of ALS patients, where Bacteroidetes at the phylum level and several microbes at the genus level were up-regulated, while Firmicutes at the phylum level and Megamonas at the genus level were down-regulated compared to healthy controls. Additionally, decreased gene function associated with metabolic pathways was observed in ALS patients. The metagenomics further demonstrated the discrepancies in microflora at the species level and relevant metabolites thereof were also revealed when combined with metabolomics. In conclusion, the altered composition of the gut microbiota and metabolic products in ALS patients provided deeper insights into the pathogenesis of ALS, and these biomarkers might be established as potential therapeutic targets which deserve further exploration.
Intracellular and tissue specific expression of FTO protein in pig: changes with age, energy intake and metabolic status
Authors: Ferenc Karolina , Pilžys Tomaš , Garbicz Damian , Marcinkowski Michał , Skorobogatov Oleksandr , Dylewska Małgorzata , Gajewski Zdzisław , Grzesiuk Elżbieta , Zabielski Romuald
Published: August 2020

Genome-wide association studies in theFTOgene have identified SNPs correlating with obesity and type 2 diabetes. In mice, lack ofFtofunction leads to intrauterine growth retardation and lean phenotype, whereas in human it is lethal. The aim of this study in a pig model was to determine the localization of the FTO protein in different tissues and cell compartments, in order to investigate potential targets of FTO action. To better understand physiological role of FTO protein, its expression was studied in pigs of different age, metabolic status and nutrition, using both microscopic methods and Western blot analysis. For the first time, FTO protein was found in vivo in the cytoplasm, of not all, but specific tissues and cells e.g. in the pancreatic β-cells. Abundant FTO protein expression was found in the cerebellum, salivary gland and kidney of adult pigs. No FTO protein expression was detected in blood, saliva, and bile, excluding its role in cell-to-cell communication. In the pancreas, FTO protein expression was positively associated with energy intake, whereas in the muscles it was strictly age-related. In IUGR piglets, FTO protein expression was much higher in the cerebellum and kidneys, as compared to normal birth body weight littermates. In conclusion, our data suggest that FTO protein may play a number of distinct, yet unknown intracellular functions due to its localization. Moreover, it may play a role in animal growth/development and metabolic state, although additional studies are necessary to clarify the detailed mechanism(s) of action.
GLUT1-mediated glycolysis supports GnRH-induced secretion of luteinizing hormone from female gonadotropes
Authors: Nicholas Dequina A. , Knight Vashti S. , Tonsfeldt Karen J. , Terasaka Tomohiro , Molinar-Inglis Olivia , Stephens Shannon B. Z. , Trejo JoAnn , Kauffman Alexander S. , Mellon Pamela L. , Lawson Mark A.
Published: August 2020

The mechanisms mediating suppression of reproduction in response to decreased nutrient availability remain undefined, with studies suggesting regulation occurs within the hypothalamus, pituitary, or gonads. By manipulating glucose utilization and GLUT1 expression in a pituitary gonadotrope cell model and in primary gonadotropes, we show GLUT1-dependent stimulation of glycolysis, but not mitochondrial respiration, by the reproductive neuropeptide GnRH. GnRH stimulation increases gonadotrope GLUT1 expression and translocation to the extracellular membrane. Maximal secretion of the gonadotropin Luteinizing Hormone is supported by GLUT1 expression and activity, and GnRH-induced glycolysis is recapitulated in primary gonadotropes. GLUT1 expression increases in vivo during the GnRH-induced ovulatory LH surge and correlates with GnRHR. We conclude that the gonadotropes of the anterior pituitary sense glucose availability and integrate this status with input from the hypothalamus via GnRH receptor signaling to regulate reproductive hormone synthesis and secretion.
Intraarticular vancomycin powder is effective in preventing infections following total hip and knee arthroplasty
Authors: Matziolis Georg , Brodt Steffen , Böhle Sabrina , Kirschberg Julia , Jacob Benjamin , Röhner Eric
Published: August 2020

Locally applied vancomycin is increasingly being used in primary hip and knee arthroplasty to reduce the risk of infection. Despite encouraging initial results, considerable debate remains on the basis of the data currently available. In particular, it has been unclear up to now whether local vancomycin is suitable to further reduce the risk of infection even if the rate of infection is already low (< 1%). In this monocentric retrospective cohort study, all primary total hip and knee arthroplasties performed between 2013 and 2018 were included. After a change in procedure at the hospital, 1 g vancomycin powder was applied intraarticularly before wound closure. The remaining perioperative procedure was constant over the investigation period. The follow-up was one year. The presence of an infection according to the currently valid MSIS criteria was defined as the endpoint. In patients with TKA two infections (0.3%) were observed under vancomycin prophylaxis in contrast to 44 infections (1.3%) in the control group (p = 0.033). In patients with THA two infections (0.5%) were observed under vancomycin prophylaxis and 48 infections (1.1%) in the control group without local vancomycin but this difference was statistically not significant. No wound complications requiring revision were observed as a result of the vancomycin. On the basis of the results of this study, intraarticular application of vancomycin powder in total hip and knee arthroplasty may be considered. Prospective randomized studies have to confirm this promising results prior a common recommendation.

Level of Evidence III Retrospective cohort study.
Of city and village mice: behavioural adjustments of striped field mice to urban environments
Authors: Dammhahn Melanie , Mazza Valeria , Schirmer Annika , Göttsche Claudia , Eccard Jana A.
Published: August 2020

A fundamental question of current ecological research concerns the drives and limits of species responses to human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). Behavioural responses to HIREC are a key component because behaviour links individual responses to population and community changes. Ongoing fast urbanization provides an ideal setting to test the functional role of behaviour for responses to HIREC. Consistent behavioural differences between conspecifics (animal personality) may be important determinants or constraints of animals’ adaptation to urban habitats. We tested whether urban and rural populations of small mammals differ in mean trait expression, flexibility and repeatability of behaviours associated to risk-taking and exploratory tendencies. Using a standardized behavioural test in the field, we quantified spatial exploration and boldness of striped field mice (Apodemus agrarius, n = 96) from nine sub-populations, presenting different levels of urbanisation and anthropogenic disturbance. The level of urbanisation positively correlated with boldness, spatial exploration and behavioural flexibility, with urban dwellers being bolder, more explorative and more flexible in some traits than rural conspecifics. Thus, individuals seem to distribute in a non-random way in response to human disturbance based on their behavioural characteristics. Animal personality might therefore play a key role in successful coping with the challenges of HIREC.
Temporal dynamics of resting EEG networks are associated with prosociality
Authors: Schiller Bastian , Kleinert Tobias , Teige-Mocigemba Sarah , Klauer Karl Christoph , Heinrichs Markus
Published: August 2020

As prosociality is key to facing many of our societies’ global challenges (such as fighting a global pandemic), we need to better understand why some individuals are more prosocial than others. The present study takes a neural trait approach, examining whether the temporal dynamics of resting EEG networks are associated with inter-individual differences in prosociality. In two experimental sessions, we collected 55 healthy males’ resting EEG, their self-reported prosocial concern and values, and their incentivized prosocial behavior across different reward domains (money, time) and social contexts (collective, individual). By means of EEG microstate analysis we identified the temporal coverage of four canonical resting networks (microstates A, B, C, and D) and their mutual communication in order to examine their association with an aggregated index of prosociality. Participants with a higher coverage of microstate A and more transitions from microstate C to A were more prosocial. Our study demonstrates that temporal dynamics of intrinsic brain networks can be linked to complex social behavior. On the basis of previous findings on links of microstate A with sensory processing, our findings suggest that participants with a tendency to engage in bottom-up processing during rest behave more prosocially than others.
Bone marrow mammaglobin-1 (SCGB2A2) immunohistochemistry expression as a breast cancer specific marker for early detection of bone marrow micrometastases
Authors: Talaat Iman Mamdouh , Hachim Mahmood Yaseen , Hachim Ibrahim Yaseen , Ibrahim Ramez Abd El-Razak , Ahmed Mohamed Abd El Rahman , Tayel Hanan Yehia
Published: August 2020

Despite all the advances in the management of breast cancer (BC), patients with distance metastasis are still considered incurable with poor prognosis. For that reason, early detection of the metastatic lesions is crucial to improve patients’ life span as well as quality of life. Many markers were proposed to be used as biomarkers for metastatic BC lesions, however many of them lack organ specificity. This highlights the need for novel markers that are more specific in detecting disseminated BC lesions. Here, we investigated mammaglobin-1 expression as a potential and specific marker for metastatic BC lesions using our patient cohort consisting of 30 newly diagnosed BC patients. For all patients, bone marrow (BM) aspiration, BM biopsy stained by H&E and BM immunohistochemically stained for mammaglobin-1 were performed. In addition, the CA15-3 in both serum and bone marrow plasma was also evaluated for each patient. Indeed, mammaglobin-1 immuno-staining was able to detect BM micrometastases in 16/30 patients (53.3%) compared to only 5/30 patients (16.7%) in BM biopsy stained by H&E and no cases detected by BM aspirate (0%). In addition, our results showed a trend of association between mammaglobin-1 immunoreactivity and the serum and BM plasma CA15-3. Further validation was done using large publicly available databases. Our results showed that mammaglobin-1 gene expression to be specifically upregulated in BC patients’ samples compared to normal tissue as well as samples from other cancers. Moreover, our findings also showed mammaglobin-1 expression to be a marker of tumour progression presented as lymph nodes involvement and distant metastasis. These results provide an initial evidence for the use of mammaglobin-1 (SCGB2A2) immunostaining in bone marrow as a tool to investigate early BM micrometastases in breast cancer.
Ideal spectral emissivity for radiative cooling of earthbound objects
Authors: Jeon Suwan , Shin Jonghwa
Published: August 2020

We investigate the fundamental limit of radiative cooling of objects on the Earth's surfaces under general conditions including nonradiative heat transfer. We deduce the lowest steady-state temperature attainable and highest net radiative cooling power density available as a function of temperature. We present the exact spectral emissivity that can reach such limiting values, and show that the previously used 8–13 μm atmospheric window is highly inappropriate in low-temperature cases. The critical need for materials with simultaneously optimized optical and thermal properties is also identified. These results provide a reference against which radiative coolers can be benchmarked.
Detecting protein and post-translational modifications in single cells with iDentification and qUantification sEparaTion (DUET)
Authors: Zhang Yandong , Sohn Changho , Lee Seoyeon , Ahn Heejeong , Seo Jinyoung , Cao Junyue , Cai Long
Published: August 2020

While technologies for measuring transcriptomes in single cells have matured, methods for measuring proteins and their post-translational modification (PTM) states in single cells are still being actively developed. Unlike nucleic acids, proteins cannot be amplified, making detection of minute quantities from single cells difficult. Here, we develop a strategy to detect targeted protein and its PTM isoforms in single cells. We barcode the proteins from single cells by tagging them with oligonucleotides, pool barcoded cells together, run bulk gel electrophoresis to separate protein and its PTM isoform and quantify their abundances by sequencing the oligonucleotides associated with each protein species. We used this strategy, iDentification and qUantification sEparaTion (DUET), to measure histone protein H2B and its monoubiquitination isoform, H2Bub, in single yeast cells. Our results revealed the heterogeneities of H2B ubiquitination levels in single cells from different cell-cycle stages, which is obscured in ensemble measurements.
Antiferroelectricity in a family of pyroxene-like oxides with rich polymorphism
Authors: Aramberri Hugo , Íñiguez Jorge
Published: August 2020

Antiferroelectrics have potential applications in energy conversion and storage, but are scarce, particularly among oxides that otherwise display rich ferroic behaviours. A question then arises whether potential antiferroelectrics are being overlooked, simply because their corresponding ferroelectric phase has not been discovered yet. Here we report a first-principles study suggesting that this is the case for a family of ABO3 pyroxene-like materials, characterised by chains of corner-sharing BO4 tetrahedra, a well-known member being KVO3. The irregular tetrahedra have an electric dipole associated to them. In the most stable polymorph, the dipoles display an antipolar pattern with zero net moment. However, upon application of an electric field, half of the tetrahedra rotate, flipping the corresponding dipoles and reaching a ferroelectric state. We discuss the unique possibilities for tuning and optimisation of antiferroelectricity that these materials offer. We suggest that the structural features enabling this antiferroelectric behaviour can also be found in other all-important mineral families.
Colorimetric detection of glucose based on the binding specificity of a synthetic cyclic peptide
Authors: Wu Xuemei , Yin Junting , Liu Jifeng , Gu Ying , Wang Shuo , Wang Junping
Published: August 2020

A novel colorimetric sensing method for glucose was developed based on the catalytic activity of Au nanoparticles (NPs) and a synthetic cyclic peptide that specifically binds with glucose.
Establishment of evaluation criteria for the development of high quality ERα-targeted fluorescent probes
Authors: Meng Qiuyu , Ma Xiaoyu , Xie Baohua , Deng Xiaofei , Huang Jian , Zhou Hai-Bing , Dong Chune
Published: August 2020

ERα targeting fluorescent probes are important tools for ERα study. Two ERα targeting fluorescent probes were developed, which exhibited better performance in MCF-7 cells. Moreover, the probes were used for the first time to study the ERα motion.
A colorimetric sensor array for the discrimination of Chinese liquors
Authors: Sun Shan , Qian Sihua , Zheng Jianping , Li Zhongjun , Lin Hengwei
Published: August 2020

A simple colorimetric sensor array method is developed to identify various Chinese liquors in the liquid phase without the aid of other analytical techniques.
Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials as polymerization catalysts: a review and recent advances
Authors: Goetjen Timothy A. , Liu Jian , Wu Yufang , Sui Jingyi , Zhang Xuan , Hupp Joseph T. , Farha Omar K.
Published: August 2020

Metal–organic frameworks are versatile materials that provide new opportunities as catalysts in polymerization reactions, including modularity and well-defined structures.
FeVO4 porous nanorods for electrochemical nitrogen reduction: contribution of the Fe2c–V2c dimer as a dual electron-donation center
Authors: Shen Peng , Liu Yaping , Li Qingqing , Chu Ke
Published: August 2020

FeVO4 porous nanorods show a high NH3 production rate (52.8 μg h−1 mg−1) and faradaic efficiency (15.7%), attributed to the Fe2c–V2c dimer as a dual electron-donation center that contributes to the enhanced NRR.
A metastable RuIII azido complex with metallo-Staudinger reactivity
Authors: Park Sungho V. , Fry Charles G. , Bill Eckhard , Berry John F.
Published: August 2020

One-electron oxidation of [(Py5Me2)RuII(N3)]+ to [(Py5Me2)RuIII(N3)]2+ switches on metallo-Staudinger reactivity towards PPh3, forming [(Py5Me2)RuII(N(H)PPh3)]2+ through a putative [Ru–NNN–PPh3] intermediate.
A turn-on TADF chemosensor for sulfite with a microsecond-scale luminescence lifetime
Authors: Yin Huiyi , Wu Yingnan , Peng Xiaojun , Song Fengling
Published: August 2020

A reaction-based luminescence chemosensor was synthesized for sulfite detection based on a fluorescein derivative with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF).
In vivo and in vitro protein mediated synthesis of palladium nanoparticles for hydrogenation reactions
Authors: Bachar Oren , Meirovich Matan Moshe , Kurzion Ronni , Yehezkeli Omer
Published: August 2020

We report the biosynthesis of size confined palladium nanoparticles (Pd-NPs) in bacteria that can be utilized for acetylene to ethylene conversion while maintaining viability.
Decomposing anharmonicity and mode-coupling from matrix effects in the IR spectra of matrix-isolated carbon dioxide and methane
Authors: Dinu Dennis F. , Podewitz Maren , Grothe Hinrich , Loerting Thomas , Liedl Klaus R.
Published: August 2020

A combined experimental and computational approach revealed similarities and differences in the vibrational signature of matrix-isolated carbon dioxide and methane.
The behavior of conductivity dynamic modulus and its connection to thermodynamic bulk modulus in ionic liquids
Authors: Cheng Shinian , Wojnarowska Zaneta , Musiał Małgorzata , Paluch Marian
Published: August 2020

Dynamic and thermodynamic moduli of aprotic ionic liquids are examined under isobaric and isothermal conditions. Consequently, a universal relation between these two moduli is revealed for ILs.
Assessment of an intrinsic kinetic model for TiO2–formic acid photodegradation using LEDs as a radiation source
Authors: Tolosana-Moranchel Alvaro , Faraldos Marisol , Bahamonde Ana
Published: August 2020

Intrinsic kinetic parameters for two photocatalysts, one of them modified with carbon, were estimated to model HCOOH photodegradation using LEDs with different emission spectra.
Surface-defect-engineered photocatalyst for nitrogen fixation into value-added chemical feedstocks
Authors: Chen Xue , Li Jing-Yu , Tang Zi-Rong , Xu Yi-Jun
Published: August 2020

Surface-defect-engineered photocatalyst for nitrogen fixation.
Framework induced deformation modulates the photophysical properties of ZnTetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin incorporated within a new metal organic framework, RWLAA-1
Authors: Alanazi Abdulaziz A. , Wojtas Lukasz , Mayers Jacob M. , Miksovska Jaroslava , Larsen Randy W.
Published: August 2020

Porphyrin deformation in the new metal organic framework RWLAA-1 modulates the photohysical properties of the material specifically by limiting excited state dynamics.
On the multifunctionality of butterfly scales: a scaling law for the ridges of cover scales
Authors: Köchling Peter , Niebel Andreas , Hurka Kordula , Vorholt Frederik , Hölscher Hendrik
Published: August 2020

Here, we present a structural analysis of the height and distance of ridges in cover scales of butterfly species from different families.
Structural characterization of a homopolysaccharide with hypoglycemic activity from the roots of Pueraria lobata
Authors: Qian Kai , Tan Ting , Ouyang Hui , Yang Shi-Lin , Zhu Wei-Feng , Liu Rong-Hua , Wen Quan , Feng Yu-Lin
Published: August 2020

A water-soluble neutral homopolysaccharide (PLP-1) was obtained from the roots of Pueraria lobata by DEAE cellulose and Sephadex G-200 gel chromatography purification.
Imaging the impurity distribution in glacier ice cores with LA-ICP-MS
Authors: Bohleber Pascal , Roman Marco , Šala Martin , Barbante Carlo
Published: August 2020

The novel combination of ice core LA-ICP-MS with improved imaging techniques reveals impurity localization without artifacts.
Characterization of matrix effects using an inductively coupled plasma-sector field mass spectrometer
Authors: Jiao Shi , Olesik John W.
Published: August 2020

Comprehensive characterization of ICP-SFMS matrix effects as function of analyte mass, matrix mass, focus lens voltage and nebulizer gas flow rate.
A microfluidic strategy for the detection of membrane protein interactions
Authors: Zhang Yuewen , Herling Therese W. , Kreida Stefan , Peter Quentin A. E. , Kartanas Tadas , Törnroth-Horsefield Susanna , Linse Sara , Knowles Tuomas P. J.
Published: August 2020

Membrane proteins are gatekeepers for exchange of information and matter between the intracellular and extracellular environment. This paper opens up a route to probe membrane protein interactions under native solution conditions using microfluidics.
Partial thermal imidization of polyelectrolyte multilayer cell tethering surfaces (TetherChip) enables efficient cell capture and microtentacle fixation for circulating tumor cell analysis
Authors: Ju Julia A. , Lee Cornell J. , Thompson Keyata N. , Ory Eleanor C. , Lee Rachel M. , Mathias Trevor J. , Pratt Stephen J. P. , Vitolo Michele I. , Jewell Christopher M. , Martin Stuart S.
Published: August 2020

TetherChip is an optimized nanosurface comprised of a polyelectrolyte multilayer and a terminal lipid layer in a microfluidics system to enable the study of non-adherent tumor cell behaviors that are relevant to cancer metastasis.
A modular microarray imaging system for highly specific COVID-19 antibody testing
Authors: Hedde Per Niklas , Abram Timothy J. , Jain Aarti , Nakajima Rie , Ramiro de Assis Rafael , Pearce Trevor , Jasinskas Algis , Toosky Melody N. , Khan Saahir , Felgner Philip L. , Gratton Enrico , Zhao Weian
Published: August 2020

The TinyArray imager, a robust inexpensive portable imaging device, can detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 based on coronavirus antigen microarrays.