bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computer‐Aided Living Polymerization Conducted under Continuous‐Flow Conditions†
Authors: Wang Zeyu , Zhou Yang , Chen Mao
Published: September 2021

Comprehensive Summary

Continuous‐flow techniques have promoted the development of synthetic chemistry due to advantages such as outstanding mass/heat transfer, on‐demand scalability, improved safety, precise regulation on reaction parameters, etc. Recently, the combination of flow polymerization with computer science has gained considerable interests, leading to a variety of cutting‐edge synthetic techniques. This review summarizes emerging achievements realized via the integration of computer science and living flow polymerizations, including 1) high‐throughput living polymerizations in flow, 2) programmable regulations of dispersity profile, sequence and topology for polymers, 3) modular design with online monitoring, as well as 4) self‐optimized living polymerizations in flow. We expect that this summary will furnish informative knowledge to scientists in related directions and inspire new ideas to further empower on‐demand polymer engineering with modern techniques.
Structural Evolution of Pt, Au and Cu Anodes by Electrolysis up to Contact Glow Discharge Electrolysis in Alkaline Electrolytes**
Authors: Artmann Evelyn , Menezes Pramod V. , Forschner Lukas , Elnagar Mohamed M. , Kibler Ludwig A. , Jacob Timo , Engstfeld Albert K.
Published: September 2021

Applying a voltage to metal electrodes in contact with aqueous electrolytes results in the electrolysis of water at voltages above the decomposition voltage and plasma formation in the electrolyte at much higher voltages referred to as contact glow discharge electrolysis (CGDE). While several studies explore parameters that lead to changes in theI–Ucharacteristics in this voltage range, little is known about the evolution of the structural properties of the electrodes. Here we study this aspect on materials essential to electrocatalysis, namely Pt, Au, and Cu. The stationaryI–Ucharacteristics are almost identical for all electrodes. Detailed structural characterization by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electrochemical approaches reveal that Pt is stable during electrolysis and CGDE, while Au and Cu exhibit a voltage‐dependent oxide formation. More importantly, oxides are reduced when the Au and Cu electrodes are kept in the electrolysis solution after electrolysis. We suspect that H2O2(formed during electrolysis) is responsible for the oxide reduction. The reduced oxides (which are also accessibleviaelectrochemical reduction) form a porous film, representing a possible new class of materials in energy storage and conversion studies.
Phenotyping cowpea for seedling root architecture reveals root phenes important for breeding phosphorus efficient varieties
Authors: Mohammed Saba B. , Burridge James D. , Ishiyaku Mohammad F. , Boukar Ousmane , Lynch Jonathan P.
Published: September 2021

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is a key climate‐resilient legume for food security, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa. Cowpea yields are limited by edaphic stresses including drought and low phosphorus (P) availability. Identifying genotypes with advantageous root phenotypes can facilitate breeding for improved yield in marginal environments. We evaluated 50 elite genotypes from African and U.S. sources for seedling root architecture and root hair length and density. Significant genotypic variation was detected for all phenes, and high heritability was observed for architectural phenotypes including primary root length (77%), basal root number (72%), and taproot branching density (67%). Moderate heritability was detected for root hair length and density among different root classes (34 to 63%), which were positively associated with each other. Principal component analysis identified three clusters, primarily defined by seed dimension and seedling root architecture. Genotypes were identified with longer root hairs (TVu‐7778, Vita7, and Sanzi) and longer taproots (IT96D‐610, IT98K‐111‐1, and IT97K‐499‐35), as potential parents. Root phenotypes, grain, and fodder yield were assessed on a subset of 20 genotypes under contrasting P availability in the field. Some seedling root phenotypes were significantly related to mature plant dry fodder weight (taproot hair density) and to grain yield (lateral root hair density) under low P. Root hairs are positively related to plant productivity under low P. We suggest selection for longer primary roots, as more basal and lateral root roots may be beneficial for cowpea in drought and low P environments. These findings suggest seedling root phenotypes can support cowpea breeding for suboptimal environments.
Fraxetin exerts anticancer effect in glioma by suppressing MiR‐21‐3p
Authors: Yao Hanxun , Li Xiaobin , Pan Xuyan , Xu Jie , Zhao Shufa , Su Zhongzhou , Qiu Sheng
Published: September 2021

Fraxetin (FXT) exerts anticancer function in multiple cancers, but its function on glioma was ill‐defined. This article expounded the mechanism by which FXT exerts an anticancer effect in glioma. The effect of gradient concentration of FXT on the viability of glioma cell lines was determined by cell counting kit 8. Effects of FXT on proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle in glioma cell lines were determined by colony formation assay, flow cytometry, and Hoechst 33342 staining. Expressions of apoptosis‐related gene, cycle‐related gene, and glioma‐related miRNAs after FXT (25 and 50 μmol/L) treatment were determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot as needed. After miR‐21‐3p overexpression, cell viability and apoptosis of glioma cell lines treated with FXT (50 μmol/L) were tested again. Although 1 μmol/L FXT had no significant effect on cell viability, 5, 10, 25, and 50 μmol/L FXT suppressed cell viability in a concentration‐dependent manner. FXT inhibited proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase in glioma cell lines. These effects may be achieved by elevated expressions of Bax and cleaved caspase‐3 and diminished expressions of Bcl‐2, Bcl‐XL, cyclin E1, cyclin D1, and cyclin‐dependent kinase‐6. FXT attenuated the contents of miR‐21‐3p and miR‐455‐3p, and escalated the contents of miR‐124‐3p and miR‐7‐5p. The regulation of FXT on cell viability, proliferation and apoptosis was reversed by miR‐21‐3p overexpression. FXT suppressed the development of glioma cells by downregulating miR‐21‐3p.
A Fully Printable Hole‐Transporter‐Free Semi‐Transparent Perovskite Solar Cell
Authors: Saleh Amina , Pellet Norman , Zakeeruddin Shaik Mohammed , Dar M. Ibrahim , Grätzel Michael
Published: September 2021

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gained tremendous attention owing to their promising photovoltaic performance, surpassing all the alternative technologies based on solution‐processed materials. PSCs displaying record efficiencies contain hole transporting material (HTM) and gold back contact, which are too expensive for large‐scale deployment. Although the HTM‐free PSCs have been reported, a few can be used in tandem configuration, an architecture that is warranted to commercialize PSCs. This work presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first HTM‐free and Au‐free PSCs that are semi‐transparent in the IR region (desired for tandem cells) with an efficiency of 8.3 %. We systematically investigate the effect of varying the thickness of active and charge conducting layers on the photovoltaic performance of PSCs. Besides, semitransparency, another advantage of the scaffold is its simplicity: a fully printable mesoporous structure consisting of a TiO2 layer (400 nm), Al2O3 as a separator layer (500 nm) and tin‐doped indium oxide (ITO) layer (5 μm), rendering our work highly pertinent for upscaling and large‐scale applications.
Development in SmI2 Catalyzed Reactions
Authors: Maity Sandeepan
Published: September 2021

Samarium diiodide (SmI2) is a versatile single electron transfer (SET) reagent in organic synthesis. The advantages of SmI2 arise from various additive induced tailoring of reactions to obtain the desired products in a stereoselective fashion. In most instances, this reagent is used in stoichiometric amount, and this poses a significant environmental issue limiting a broader applicability of SmI2. Despite challenges in the developments of catalytic methods, recent studies have paved the way for catalytic strategies rejuvenating the applications of SmI2 in synthetic organic chemistry. This review aims to summarize different methods that are used to develop catalytic reactions of SmI2. A comparison of different approaches and future outlook of this field are discussed.
MetaInfoChain: Bi‐layered blockchain consensus for metadata aggregation inIoTand cloud environments
Authors: Sathia Bhama Ponsy RK , Jayabal Chandra Priya
Published: September 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud metadata have highly sensitive details and facts about data and objects; it usually holds confidential information about the data for which there are access restrictions. Hence, it forms the most abundant source of information about any digital object from which the actual data can be rebuilt or duplicated with the same level of originality. However, it appears to be an emerging threat vector in IoT and cloud environments. If a misfeasor acquires access to the metadata information, then there arises a security threat. This article proposes a novel method on a bifold layered blockchain network, referred to as MetaInfoChain, to enhance the integrity and access controllability of safe storage. By default, blockchain protects the data while a permissioned blockchain forms an access control layer over the core blockchain. The acquired instance, compute, and the unique credentials sign device metadata to enforce controllability and validated by minters and add it to the base layer of the MetaInfoChain. Subsequently, we propose a consensus attainment algorithm to build an unrefined block on a candidate block comprising metadata packages. Consequently, all the nodes receive an unrefined block replica, which can afford absolute integrity. The top layer of MetaInfoChain is sensible to generate tamper‐resistant metadata by executing hybrid PoS‐PoW tasks on the unrefined block, causing robust integrity. After accomplishing all the checks, it endorses the MetaInfoChain to append the block with 35% block time efficiency in the base layer with a 56% throughput hike.
Warrants in the financial management decisions of innovative firms
Authors: Park Hyuna
Published: September 2021

Intangible investments such as R&D are expensed rather than capitalized due to accounting conservatism. Thus, firms with mostly intangible assets are subject to more constraints in external financing than others and need alternatives. I find that they increasingly use equity warrants as a solution by developing a novel data set from textual analysis. Out of 181,425 annual reports submitted to the US Securities and Exchange Commission during 1994–2018, 10,300 discuss the fair value of warrants. The proportion of warrant firms increased from 0.4% in 1994% to 8% in 2018. Logistic regressions confirm that intangible investments and financial constraints explain warrants.
Petrological and geochemical characterization of metamorphic sole rocks beneath the RasKoh ophiolite, western Pakistan: Implication for a Late Cretaceous supra‐subduction zone‐type forearc
Authors: Ullah Inayat , Xue Chuandong , Kakar Muhammad Ishaq , Xie Zhipeng , Wang Wei , Ghaffar Abdul , Ullah Naeem
Published: September 2021

Small, isolated outcrops of metamorphic sole rocks to the RasKoh ophiolite are exposed south‐east of the RasKoh Arc range, western Pakistan. These crop out as thin slices beneath the sheared serpentinites, and consist of amphibolites, epidote‐bearing amphibolites, and muscovite‐rich amphibolites with granoblastic, grano‐nematoblastic, and porphyroblastic textures. Geochemically, amphibolites present two compositional groups. Group‐I amphibolites are alkaline and enriched in light rare‐earth elements (LREE; LaN/YbN = 11.47–11.60) with Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions of (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.705481–0.706128, (143Nd/144Nd)i = 0.512668–0.512672, and lower values of εNd(t) (+2.24 to +2.32). While, Group‐II amphibolites are tholeiitic with LREE‐depleted signatures (LaN/YbN = 0.88–1.31), (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.706103–0.706303, (143Nd/144Nd)i = 0.512851–0.512936, and higher values of εNd(t) (+5.81 to +7.47). Primitive mantle‐normalized and other geochemical diagrams indicate that the protoliths for Group‐I amphibolites are oceanic island basalts (OIB). Conversely, Group‐II amphibolites are more akin to subduction‐related arc tholeiites with geochemical signatures, slightly enriched in large‐ion lithophile elements and with negative Nb‐Ta anomalies. The geothermobarometric results estimate that these rocks were metamorphosed at amphibolite facies at 690°C and 6.5 kbar. Alkaline volcanism is well documented from the other Mesozoic ophiolites of Neo‐Tethyan suture zones. We suggest that the OIB accreted to the base of the obducted plate at an early stage, whereas the island arc tholeiites (IAT) basalts metamorphosed and accreted to the base of the RasKoh ophiolite at a later stage. The OIB‐ and IAT‐type magmas as protolith of amphibolites suggest that the RasKoh ophiolite was emplaced in a supra‐subduction zone‐type forearc in Late Cretaceous (ca. 68–64 Ma).
Age of onset modulates resting‐state brain network dynamics in Friedreich Ataxia
Authors: Naeije Gilles , Coquelet Nicolas , Wens Vincent , Goldman Serge , Pandolfo Massimo , De Tiège Xavier
Published: September 2021

This magnetoencephalography (MEG) study addresses (i) how Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) affects the sub‐second dynamics of resting‐state brain networks, (ii) the main determinants of their dynamic alterations, and (iii) how these alterations are linked with FRDA‐related changes in resting‐state functional brain connectivity (rsFC) over long timescales. For that purpose, 5 min of resting‐state MEG activity were recorded in 16 FRDA patients (mean age: 27 years, range: 12–51 years; 10 females) and matched healthy subjects. Transient brain network dynamics was assessed using hidden Markov modeling (HMM). Post hoc median‐split, nonparametric permutations and Spearman rank correlations were used for statistics. In FRDA patients, a positive correlation was found between the age of symptoms onset (ASO) and the temporal dynamics of two HMM states involving the posterior default mode network (DMN) and the temporo‐parietal junctions (TPJ). FRDA patients with an ASO <11 years presented altered temporal dynamics of those two HMM states compared with FRDA patients with an ASO > 11 years or healthy subjects. The temporal dynamics of the DMN state also correlated with minute‐long DMN rsFC. This study demonstrates that ASO is the main determinant of alterations in the sub‐second dynamics of posterior associative neocortices in FRDA patients and substantiates a direct link between sub‐second network activity and functional brain integration over long timescales.
Ring Construction by 1,1‐Carboboration; Making Anthracene Derivatives from a Tetra(alkynyl)benzene
Authors: Liedtke René , Surmiak Sabrina , Jie Xiaoming , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Kehr Gerald , Erker Gerhard
Published: September 2021

1,2,4,5‐Tetrakis(trimethylsilylethynyl)benzene reacted with two molar equivalents of the boranes R−B(C6F5)2 (R=C6F5, Me, Ph) in a series of sequential 1,1‐carboboration reactions to give ca. 1 : 1 mixtures of the two‐fold benzannulated products, namely the respective C2h and C2v symmetric tetra‐silyl, bis‐boryl substituted anthracenes. Their active B(C6F5)2 substituents were used for consecutive Suzuki‐Miyaura C−C coupling reactions to give boron‐free phenyl or 2‐pyridyl substituted anthracene products.
Dengue and Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) syndemic: Double threat to an overburdened healthcare system in Africa
Authors: Aborode Abdullahi Tunde , Corriero Anna Chiara , Fajemisin Emmanuel Adebowale , Hasan Mohammad Mehedi , Kazmi Syeda Kanza , Olajiga Olayinka
Published: September 2021

Dengue fever (DF) is a significant public health problem in the African continent. The primary prevention strategy against the disease is vaccination and entomological control of vectors; however, implementing such a strategy in several countries in the continent is far below what is necessary to control the disease. The Coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic further aggravated this situation and negatively impacted these measures, mainly the coverage of vaccination campaigns, due to restrictive measures to control the disease. Therefore, the most significant risk is that the incidence of DF in the continent will increase even more in the coming years, as a reflection of the negative impact of the pandemic on the control of the disease. To prevent another public health crisis, immediate and multidisciplinary approaches are required to address the epidemiological control of DF in African countries.
Control of shock‐induced separation inside air intake by vortex generators
Authors: Gahlot Neeraj Kumar , Singh Nirmal Kant
Published: September 2021

The present investigation is aimed towards the effect of passive methods on the performance of supersonic air intake along with the control of shock wave boundary layer interaction at various engine operating conditions. A computational study has been carried out in this regard using the commercially available software Ansys Fluent. The k–ω turbulence model has been selected for the present investigation. All the simulations have been carried out at a design Mach number of 2.2. The Independent effect of the air‐jet vortex generator (AJVG), tapered micro ramp vortex generator (MRVG), and the combined effect of AJVG with MRVG on the shock wave boundary layer interaction have been investigated. Detailed comparative studies of all controlled cases with uncontrolled cases show significant improvement in the flow field inside the air intake and improved performance. The shock train is also captured for all the cases along with shock wave boundary layer interaction at various operating conditions. The movement of the normal shocks is seen as the backpressure increases. All the essential performance parameters related to air intake have been examined in detail. The hybrid type of control showed better performance.
Cytomegalovirus mismatch after heart transplantation: Impact of antiviral prophylaxis and intravenous hyperimmune globulin
Authors: Immohr Moritz B. , Akhyari Payam , Böttger Charlotte , Mehdiani Arash , Dalyanoglu Hannan , Westenfeld Ralf , Oehler Daniel , Tudorache Igor , Aubin Hug , Lichtenberg Artur , Boeken Udo
Published: September 2021

Objective

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections are correlated with complications following heart transplantation (HTx) and impaired outcome. The impact of a serologic mismatch between donor and recipient and the necessity of prophylactic virostatic medication is still a matter of concern.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all patients that underwent HTx between 2010 and 2020 in our department. The recipients (n = 176) could be categorized into four risk groups depending on their serologic CMV matching (D+/R− = donor CMV‐IgG positive and recipient CMV‐IgG negative, n = 32; D−/R+, n = 51; D−/R−, n = 35; D+/R+, n = 58). All patients followed the same protocol of CMV prophylaxis with application of ganciclovir/valganciclovir and intravenous CMV hyperimmune globulin.

RESULTS

Incidence of postoperative morbidity such as primary graft dysfunction, neurological events, infections, and graft rejection were comparable between all groups (p > .05). However, the incidence of postoperative acute kidney injury with hemodialysis was by trend increased in the D−/R+ group (72.0%) compared to the other groups. In‐hospital CMV‐DNAemia was observed in serologic positive recipients only (D+/R−: 0.0%, D−/R+: 25.0%, D−/R−: 0.0%, D+/R+: 13.3%, p < .01). During the first year, a total of 18 patients developed CMV‐DNAemia (D+/R−: 31.6%, D−/R+: 31.9%, D−/R−: 3.4%, D+/R+: 11.1%, p = .03).

Conclusions

Seropositive recipients carry an important risk for CMV‐DNAemia. However, we did not observe differences in perioperative morbidity and mortality regarding CMV matching, which might be related to regularly administer prophylactic virostatics and additional CMV‐IVIG for risk constellations. For high‐risk constellation, long‐term application of CMV‐IVIG during the first year after transplant may be beneficial.
Toward trauma‐informed applications of behavior analysis
Authors: Rajaraman Adithyan , Austin Jennifer L. , Gover Holly C. , Cammilleri Anthony P. , Donnelly David R. , Hanley Gregory P.
Published: September 2021

Despite a growing acknowledgement of the importance of understanding the impacts of trauma on therapeutic approaches across human service disciplines, discussions of trauma have been relatively infrequent in the behavior analytic literature. In this paper, we delineate some of the barriers to discussing and investigating trauma in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and describe how the core commitments of trauma‐informed care could be applied to behavior analysis. We then provide some examples of how trauma‐informed care might be incorporated into ABA practice. We conclude by suggesting opportunities to approach trauma as a viable avenue for behavior analytic research and argue that omitting trauma‐informed care from ABA could be detrimental not only to the public perception of ABA, but to the effectiveness of our assessment and treatment procedures.
Cd‐free InP/ZnSeSquantum dots forultrahigh‐resolutionimaging of stimulated emission depletion
Authors: Liu Aikun , Xing Xiuquan , Cai Haojie , Zeng Yutian , Guo Jiaqing , Li Hao , Yan Wei , Zhou Feifan , Song Jun , Qu Junle
Published: September 2021

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) nanoscopy is a promising super‐resolution imaging technique for microstructure imaging; however, the performance of super‐resolution techniques critically depends on the properties of the fluorophores (photostable fluorophores) used. In this study, a suitable probe for improving the resolution of STED nanoscopy was investigated. Quantum dots (QDs) typically exhibit good photobleaching resistance characteristics. In comparison with CdSe@ZnS QDs and CsPbBr3QDs, Cd‐free InP/ZnSeS QDs have a smaller size and exhibit an improved photobleaching resistance. Through imaging using InP/ZnSeS QDs, we achieved an ultrahigh resolution of 26.1 nm. Furthermore, we achieved a 31 nm resolution in cell experiments involving InP/ZnSeS QDs. These results indicate that Cd‐free InP/ZnSeS QDs have significant potential for application in fluorescent probes for STED nanoscopy.
Feminist identification, social dominance orientation, and weight bias in men
Authors: Bélanger Emilie , Gagnon‐Girouard Marie‐Pierre , Marquis Elisabeth , Brisson Benoit
Published: September 2021

Weight bias has deleterious consequences on individuals considered overweight and has similarities with forms of prejudice linked to social dominance orientation (SDO). Feminism can counter oppression that women are subject to notably through weight bias and SDO, but no studies have focused directly on these variables among men, as feminist identity is linked to less endorsement of certain beliefs in SDO and weight bias. The purpose of the present study is to explore the associations between feminist identification and beliefs, SDO, and weight bias among men from Quebec. Participants were divided into four feminist identification groups. Results indicate that feminist identification in men is linked to lower levels of SDO and less dislike toward people considered overweight. Also, feminism seems to predict prejudice toward others, but not toward oneself whereas SDO‐D seems to be a good predictor of the belief that weight is controllable.
Ablation of USP21 in skeletal muscle promotes oxidative fibre phenotype, inhibiting obesity and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Kim Ayoung , Koo Ja Hyun , Jin Xing , Kim Wondong , Park Shi‐Young , Park Sunghyouk , Rhee Eugene P. , Choi Cheol Soo , Kim Sang Geon
Published: September 2021

Background

Skeletal muscle as a metabolic consumer determines systemic energy homeostasis by regulating myofibre type conversion and muscle mass control. Perturbation of the skeletal muscle metabolism elevates the risk of a variety of diseases including metabolic disorders. However, the regulatory pathways and molecules are not completely understood. The discovery of relevant responsible molecules and the associated network could be an attractive strategy to overcome diseases associated with muscle problems.

Methods

An initial screening using quantitative trait locus analysis enabled us to extract a set of genes including ubiquitin‐specific proteases21 (USP21) (r = 0.738; P = 0.004) as potential targets associated with fasting blood glucose content. Given tight regulation of the ubiquitination status of proteins in muscle, we focused on USP21 and generated whole‐body (KO) and skeletal muscle‐specific USP21 knockout (MKO) mice. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and lipidomics assays in combination with various in vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to understand the functions of USP21 and underlying mechanisms. A high‐fat diet (60%)‐fed mouse model and diabetic patient‐derived samples were utilized to assess the effects of USP21 on energy metabolism in skeletal muscle.

Results

USP21 was highly expressed in both human and mouse skeletal muscle, and controlled skeletal muscle oxidative capacity and fuel consumption. USP21‐KO or USP21‐MKO significantly promoted oxidative fibre type changes (Δ36.6% or Δ47.2%), muscle mass increase (Δ13.8% to Δ22.8%), and energy expenditure through mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and UCP2/3 induction (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Consistently, cold exposure repressed USP21 expression in mouse skeletal muscle (Δ55.3%), whereas loss of USP21 increased thermogenesis (+1.37°C or +0.84°C; P < 0.01). Mechanistically, USP21 deubiquitinated DNA‐PKcs and ACLY, which led to AMPK inhibition. Consequently, USP21 ablation diminished diet‐induced obesity (WT vs. USP21‐KO, Δ8.02 g, 17.1%, P < 0.01; litter vs. USP21‐MKO, Δ3.48 g, 7.7%, P < 0.05) and insulin resistance. These findings were corroborated in a skeletal muscle‐specific gene KO mouse model. USP21 was induced in skeletal muscle of a diabetic patient (1.94‐fold), which was reciprocally changed to p‐AMPK (0.30‐fold).

Conclusions

The outcomes of this research provide novel information as to how USP21 in skeletal muscle contributes to systemic energy homeostasis, demonstrating USP21 as a key molecule in the regulation of myofibre type switch, muscle mass control, mitochondrial function, and heat generation and, thus, implicating the potential of this molecule and its downstream substrates network as targets for the treatment and/or prevention of muscle dysfunction and the associated metabolic diseases.
Understanding the gut microbiota and sarcopenia: a systematic review
Authors: Liu Chaoran , Cheung Wing‐Hoi , Li Jie , Chow Simon Kwoon‐Ho , Yu Jun , Wong Sunny Hei , Ip Margaret , Sung Joseph Jao Yiu , Wong Ronald Man Yeung
Published: September 2021

Background

Gut microbiota dysbiosis and sarcopenia commonly occur in the elderly. Although the concept of the gut–muscle axis has been raised, the casual relationship is still unclear. This systematic review analyses the current evidence of gut microbiota effects on muscle/sarcopenia.

Methods

A systematic review was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases using the keywords (microbiota* OR microbiome*) AND (sarcopen* OR muscle). Studies reporting the alterations of gut microbiota and muscle/physical performance were analysed.

Results

A total of 26 pre‐clinical and 10 clinical studies were included. For animal studies, three revealed age‐related changes and relationships between gut microbiota and muscle. Three studies focused on muscle characteristics of germ‐free mice. Seventy‐five per cent of eight faecal microbiota transplantation studies showed that the recipient mice successfully replicated the muscle phenotype of donors. There were positive effects on muscle from seven probiotics, two prebiotics, and short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Ten studies investigated on other dietary supplements, antibiotics, exercise, and food withdrawal that affected both muscle and gut microbiota. Twelve studies explored the potential mechanisms of the gut–muscle axis. For clinical studies, 6 studies recruited 676 elderly people (72.8 ± 5.6 years, 57.8% female), while 4 studies focused on 244 young adults (29.7 ± 7.8 years, 55.4% female). The associations of gut microbiota and muscle had been shown in four observational studies. Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, fermented milk, caloric restriction, and exercise in six studies displayed inconsistent effects on muscle mass, function, and gut microbiota.

Conclusions

Altering the gut microbiota through bacteria depletion, faecal transplantation, and various supplements was shown to directly affect muscle phenotypes. Probiotics, prebiotics, SCFAs, and bacterial products are potential novel therapies to enhance muscle mass and physical performance. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains restored age‐related muscle loss. Potential mechanisms of microbiome modulating muscle mainly include protein, energy, lipid, and glucose metabolism, inflammation level, neuromuscular junction, and mitochondrial function. The role of the gut microbiota in the development of muscle loss during aging is a crucial area that requires further studies for translation to patients.
Process analytical technique (PAT) miniaturization for monoclonal antibody aggregate detection in continuous downstream processing
Authors: São Pedro Mariana N , Klijn Marieke E , Eppink Michel HM , Ottens Marcel
Published: September 2021

The transition to continuous biomanufacturing is considered the next step to reduce costs and improve process robustness in the biopharmaceutical industry, while also improving productivity and product quality. The platform production process for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is eligible for continuous processing to lower manufacturing costs due to patent expiration and subsequent growing competition. One of the critical quality attributes of interest during mAb purification is aggregate formation, with several processing parameters and environmental factors known to influence antibody aggregation. Therefore, a real‐time measurement to monitor aggregate formation is crucial to have immediate feedback and process control and to achieve a continuous downstream processing. Miniaturized biosensors as an in‐line process analytical technology tool could play a pivotal role to facilitate the transition to continuous manufacturing. In this review, miniaturization of already well‐established methods to detect protein aggregation, such as dynamic light scattering, Raman spectroscopy and circular dichroism, will be extensively evaluated for the possibility of providing a real‐time measurement of mAb aggregation. The method evaluation presented in this review shows which limitations of each analytical method still need to be addressed and provides application examples of each technique for mAb aggregate characterization. Additionally, challenges related to miniaturization are also addressed, such as the design of the microfluidic chip and the microfabrication material. The evaluation provided in this review shows why the development of microfluidic biosensors is considered the key for real‐time measurement of mAb aggregates and how it can contribute to the transition to a continuous processing. © 2021 The Authors.Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnologypublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Genetic drift in the genome of SARS COV‐2 and its global health concern
Authors: Bano Iqra , Sharif Mehmoona , Alam Sadia
Published: September 2021

The outbreak of the current coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) occurred in late 2019 and quickly spread all over the world. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) belongs to a genetically diverse group that mutates continuously leading to the emergence of multiple variants. Although a few antiviral agents and anti‐inflammatory medicines are available, thousands of individuals have passed away due to emergence of new viral variants. Thus, proper surveillance of the SARS‐CoV‐2 genome is needed for the rapid identification of developing mutations over time, which are of the major concern if they occur specifically in the surface spike proteins of the virus (neutralizing analyte). This article reviews the potential mutations acquired by the SARS‐CoV2 since the pandemic began and their significant impact on the neutralizing efficiency of vaccines and validity of the diagnostic assays.
Rapid evidence synthesis approach for limits on the search date: How rapid could it be?
Authors: Xu Chang , Ju Ke , Lin Lifeng , Jia Pengli , Kwong Joey S. W. , Syed Asma , Furuya‐Kanamori Luis
Published: September 2021

Rapid reviews have been widely employed to support timely decision‐making, and limiting the search date is the most popular approach in published rapid reviews. We assessed the accuracy and workload of search date limits on the meta‐analytical results to determine the best rapid strategy. The meta‐analyses data were collected from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). We emulated the rapid reviews by limiting the search date of the original CDSR to the recent 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 7, 5, and 3 years, and their results were compared to the full meta‐analyses. A random sample of 10% was drawn to repeat the literature search by the same timeframe limits to measure the relative workload reduction (RWR). The relationship between accuracy and RWR was established. We identified 21,363 meta‐analyses of binary outcomes and 7683 meta‐analyses of continuous outcomes from 2693 CDSRs. Our results suggested that under a maximum tolerance of 5% and 10% on the bias of magnitude, a limit on the recent 20 years can achieve good accuracy and at the same time save the most workload. Under the tolerance of 15% and 20% on the bias, a limit on the recent 10 years and 15 years could be considered. Limiting the search date is a valid rapid method to produce credible evidence for timely decisions. When conducting rapid reviews, researchers should consider both the accuracy and workload to make an appropriate decision.
Bioactive peptides identified from enzymatic hydrolysates of sturgeon skin
Authors: Gui Meng , Gao Liang , Rao Lei , Li Pinglan , Zhang Ying , Han Jia‐Wei , Li Jun
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND

Recent studies demonstrate that fish byproducts can be used as sources of bioactive peptides for functional foods. Sturgeon skin contains abundant proteins but it has commonly been discarded during sturgeon processing. The objective of the present work was to identify and characterize the bioactive peptides from protein hydrolysates of sturgeon skin.

RESULTS

Sturgeon skin protein extract (SKPE) hydrolyzed by flavourzyme for 60 min exhibited high antioxidant activity, dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP‐IV) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity. The sequences of peptides from flavourzyme hydrolysates were identified using high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Gly‐Asp‐Arg‐Gly‐Glu‐Ser‐Gly‐Pro‐Ala (P1) showed the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (DPPH IC50 = 1.93 mmol L−1). Gly‐Pro‐Ala‐Gly‐Glu‐Arg‐Gly‐Glu‐Gly‐Gly‐Pro‐Arg (P11) (DPP‐IV IC50 = 2.14 mmol L−1) and Ser‐Pro‐Gly‐Pro‐Asp‐Gly‐Lys‐Thr‐Gly‐Pro‐Arg (P12) (DPP‐IV IC50 = 2.61 mmol L−1) exhibited the strongest DPP‐IV inhibitory activity. Gly‐Pro‐Pro‐Gly‐Ala‐Asp‐Gly‐Gln‐Ala‐Gly‐Ala‐Lys (P6) displayed the highest ACE inhibitory activity (ACE IC50 = 3.77 mmol L−1). The molecular docking analysis revealed that DPP‐IV inhibition of P11 and P12 are mainly attributed to hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, whereas ACE inhibition of P6 is mainly attributed to strong hydrogen bonds.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that SKPE hydrolysates generated by flavourzyme are potential sources of bioactive peptides that could be used in the health food industry. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Intracranial Pressure and Cerebral Hemodynamic Monitoring After Cardiac Arrest in Pediatric Pigs Using Contrast Ultrasound‐Derived Parameters
Authors: Shin Samuel S. , Sridharan Anush , Khaw Kristina , Hallowell Thomas , Morgan Ryan W. , Kilbaugh Todd J. , Hwang Misun
Published: September 2021

Objectives

We explore the correlation of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) parameters to intracranial pressure (ICP) in a porcine experimental model of pediatric cardiac arrest.

Methods

Eleven pediatric pigs underwent electrically induced cardiac arrest followed by cardiopulmonary resuscitation. ICP was measured using intracranial bolt monitor and CEUS was monitored through a cranial window. Various CEUS parameters were monitored at baseline, immediately post return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 1 hour‐post ROSC, and 3 hours post‐ROSC.

Results

There was significant ICP correlation with wash‐out slope assessed by CEUS time intensity curve analysis at immediate post‐ROSC. At 3 hours post‐ROSC there was also significant negative correlation between ICP and peak enhancement which may be due to the evolution of anoxic injury.

Conclusion

The use of CEUS in assessing disruption of cerebral hemodynamics and ICP post cardiac arrest will need future validation and comparison to other imaging modalities. The correlation between CEUS parameters and ICP may be due to the alterations in cerebral autoregulation that result from anoxic brain injury.
Artificial Intelligence in the Assessment of Female Reproductive Function Using Ultrasound: A Review
Authors: Chen Zhiyi , Wang Ziyao , Du Meng , Liu Zhenyu
Published: September 2021

The incidence of infertility is continuously increasing nearly all over the world in recent years, and novel methods for accurate assessment are of great need. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gradually become an effective supplementary method for the assessment of female reproductive function. It has been used in clinical follicular monitoring, optimum timing for transplantation, and prediction of pregnancy outcome. Some literatures summarize the use of AI in this field, but few of them focus on the assessment of female reproductive function by AI‐aided ultrasound. In this review, we mainly discussed the applicability, feasibility, and value of clinical application of AI in ultrasound to monitor follicles, assess endometrial receptivity, and predict the pregnancy outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF‐ET). The limitations, challenges, and future trends of ultrasound combined with AI in providing efficient and individualized evaluation of female reproductive function had also been mentioned.
Probing and Imaging Photonic Spin‐Orbit Interactions in Nanostructures
Authors: Cui Tong , Sun Lin , Bai Benfeng , Sun Hong‐Bo
Published: September 2021

Photonic spin‐orbit interactions (PSOIs) in nanostructures have attracted much interest in nanophotonics, which provide a new paradigm to enhance light‐matter interactions and engineer the wavefronts of light on demand at the nanoscale. Many striking phenomena and functionalities, such as the photonic (quantum) spin‐Hall effect and the spin‐vortex conversion, have been demonstrated. Besides their underlying physics and manifestations, the experimental probing and imaging of PSOIs are also of great importance and highly demanded in not only the fundamental research but also the development of emerging PSOI technologies. Hence, in this review, the state‐of‐the‐art studies on the experimental observations and detections of PSOIs are systematically reviewed, including both the far‐field and near‐field methods. The respective advantages and difficulties of each method are stated and analyzed. The perspectives in probing PSOIs are also discussed.
Stretchable, Antifreezing, Non‐Drying, and Fast‐Response Sensors Based on Cellulose Nanocomposite Hydrogels for Signal Detection
Authors: Zhang Wei , Ma Chang , Huang Ling‐Zhi , Guo Wen‐Yan , Li Dan‐Dan , Bian Jing , Ma Ming‐Guo
Published: September 2021

Conductive hydrogels have received widespread attention in the applications of biosensors, human–machine interface, and health recording electrodes. Herein, the conductive hydrogels integrated with antifreezing, water retention, reusable, and sensing performances are fabricated by introducing polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose nanofibril, MXene nanosheets, and glycerol. The as‐prepared hydrogels present prominent electrical conductivity (2.58 mS cm−1) and flexibility even at −18 °C. In addition, the hydrogels have favorable water retention performance and can reuse after heating and cooling. When used as sensors, the hydrogels illustrate high sensitivity (gauge factor of 2.30), fast response time (0.165 s), wide working strain range (559%), favorable linearity (R2 = 0.999), and wide operating temperature range (−18 to 60 °C). The hydrogels can detect not only large strains of 10–200%, but also small strains of 1–5%, making them promising candidates for wearable sensors to monitor large and subtle movements.
Photonic Particles Made by the Confined Self‐Assembly of a Supramolecular Comb‐Like Block Copolymer
Authors: Moriceau Guillaume , Kilchoer Cédric , Djeghdi Kenza , Weder Christoph , Steiner Ullrich , Wilts Bodo D. , Gunkel Ilja
Published: September 2021

Approaches that enable the preparation of robust polymeric photonic particles are of interest for the development of nonfading and highly reflective pigments for applications such as paints and display technologies. Here, the preparation of photonic particles that display structural color in both, aqueous suspension and the dry solid state is reported. This is achieved by exploiting the confined self‐assembly of a supramolecular comb‐like block copolymer (BCP) that microphase separates into a well‐ordered lamellar morphology with dimensions that promote a photonic bandgap in the visible range. The comb‐like BCP is formed by robust ionic interactions between poly(styrene‐b‐4‐vinyl‐pyridine) (PS‐b‐P4VP) BCP and dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA), which selectively interacts with P4VP blocks. The components are combined in chloroform, and an aqueous emulsion is prepared. Evaporation of the organic solvent leads to the formation of solid microparticles with an onion‐like 3D morphology. These photonic pigments display brilliant colors with reflectance spectra featuring pronounced optical bandgaps across the entire visible wavelength range with a peak reflectivity of 80–90%.
Real‐time 3D motion estimation from undersampled MRI using multi‐resolution neural networks
Authors: Terpstra Maarten L. , Maspero Matteo , Bruijnen Tom , Verhoeff Joost J.C. , Lagendijk Jan J.W. , van den Berg Cornelis A.T.
Published: September 2021

Purpose: To enable real‐time adaptive magnetic resonance imaging–guided radiotherapy (MRIgRT) by obtaining time‐resolved three‐dimensional (3D) deformation vector fields (DVFs) with high spatiotemporal resolution and low latency ( ms).

Theory and Methods: Respiratory‐resolved ‐weighted 4D‐MRI of 27 patients with lung cancer were acquired using a golden‐angle radial stack‐of‐stars readout. A multiresolution convolutional neural network (CNN) called TEMPEST was trained on up to 32 retrospectively undersampled MRI of 17 patients, reconstructed with a nonuniform fast Fourier transform, to learn optical flow DVFs. TEMPEST was validated using 4D respiratory‐resolved MRI, a digital phantom, and a physical motion phantom. The time‐resolved motion estimation was evaluated in‐vivo using two volunteer scans, acquired on a hybrid MR‐scanner with integrated linear accelerator. Finally, we evaluated the model robustness on a publicly‐available four‐dimensional computed tomography (4D‐CT) dataset.

Results: TEMPEST produced accurate DVFs on respiratory‐resolved MRI at 20‐fold acceleration, with the average end‐point‐error  mm, both on respiratory‐sorted MRI and on a digital phantom. TEMPEST estimated accurate time‐resolved DVFs on MRI of a motion phantom, with an error  mm at 28 undersampling. On two volunteer scans, TEMPEST accurately estimated motion compared to the self‐navigation signal using 50 spokes per dynamic (366 undersampling). At this undersampling factor, DVFs were estimated within 200 ms, including MRI acquisition. On fully sampled CT data, we achieved a target registration error of mm without retraining the model.

Conclusion: A CNN trained on undersampled MRI produced accurate 3D DVFs with high spatiotemporal resolution for MRIgRT.
Wall shear stress mapping for human femoral artery based on ultrafast ultrasound vector Doppler estimations
Authors: Wang I.‐Chieh , Huang Hsin , Chang Wei‐Ting , Huang Chih‐Chung
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Wall shear stress (WSS), a type of friction exerted on the artery wall by flowing blood, is considered a crucial factor in atherosclerotic plaque development. Currently, achieving a reliable WSS mapping of an artery noninvasively by using existing imaging modalities is still challenging. In this study, a WSS mapping based on vector Doppler flow velocity estimation was proposed to measure the dynamic WSS on the human femoral artery.

Methods

Because ultrafast ultrasound imaging was used here, flow‐enhanced imaging was also performed to observe the moving blood flow condition. The performance of WSS mapping was verified using both straight (8 mm in diameter) and stenosis (70% of stenosis) phantoms under a pulsatile flow condition. A human study was conducted from five healthy volunteers.

Results

Experimental results demonstrated that the WSS estimation was close to the standard value that was obtained from maximum velocity estimation in straight phantom experiments. In a stenosis phantom experiment, a low WSS region was observed at a site downstream of an obstruction, which is a high‐risk area for plaque formation. Dynamic WSS mapping was accomplished in measurement in the femoral artery bifurcation. In measurements, the time‐averaged WSS of the common femoral artery, superficial femoral artery, and deep femoral artery was 0.52± 0.19, 0.44 ± 0.21, and 0.29 ± 0.16 Pa, respectively, for the anterior wall and 0.29 ± 0.11, 0.54 ± 0.24, and 0.23 ± 0.10 Pa, respectively, for the posterior wall.

Conclusions

All results indicated that WSS mapping has the potential to be a useful tool for vessel duplex scanning in the future.
Meshless physics‐informed deep learning method for three‐dimensional solid mechanics
Authors: Abueidda Diab W. , Lu Qiyue , Koric Seid
Published: September 2021

Deep learning (DL) and the collocation method are merged and used to solve partial differential equations (PDEs) describing structures' deformation. We have considered different types of materials: linear elasticity, hyperelasticity (neo‐Hookean) with large deformation, and von Mises plasticity with isotropic and kinematic hardening. The performance of this deep collocation method (DCM) depends on the architecture of the neural network and the corresponding hyperparameters. The presented DCM is meshfree and avoids any spatial discretization, which is usually needed for the finite element method (FEM). We show that the DCM can capture the response qualitatively and quantitatively, without the need for any data generation using other numerical methods such as the FEM. Data generation usually is the main bottleneck in most data‐driven models. The DL model is trained to learn the model's parameters yielding accurate approximate solutions. Once the model is properly trained, solutions can be obtained almost instantly at any point in the domain, given its spatial coordinates. Therefore, the DCM is potentially a promising standalone technique to solve PDEs involved in the deformation of materials and structural systems as well as other physical phenomena.