bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence for de novo acquisition of microalgal symbionts by bleached adult corals
Authors: Scharfenstein Hugo J , Chan Wing Yan , Buerger Patrick , Humphrey Craig , van Oppen Madeleine J H
Published: February 2022

Early life stages of most coral species acquire microalgal endosymbionts (Symbiodiniaceae) from the environment, but whether exogenous symbiont uptake is possible in the adult life stage is unclear. Deep sequencing of the Symbiodiniaceae ITS2 genetic marker has revealed novel symbionts in adult corals following bleaching; however these strains may have already been present at densities below detection limits. To test whether acquisition of symbionts from the environment occurs, we subjected adult fragments of corals (six species in four families) to a chemical bleaching treatment (menthol and DCMU). The treatment reduced the native microalgal symbiont abundance to below 2% of their starting densities. The bleached corals were then inoculated with a cultured Cladocopium C1acro strain. Genotyping of the Symbiodiniaceae communities before bleaching and after reinoculation showed that fragments of all six coral species acquired the Cladocopium C1acro strain used for inoculation. Our results provide strong evidence for the uptake of Symbiodiniaceae from the environment by adult corals. We also demonstrate the feasibility of chemical bleaching followed by reinoculation to manipulate the Symbiodiniaceae communities of adult corals, providing an innovative approach to establish new symbioses between adult corals and heat-evolved microalgal symbionts, which could prove highly relevant to coral reef restoration efforts.
Comparison of early diabetic retinopathy staging in asymptomatic patients between autonomous AI-based screening and human-graded ultra-widefield colour fundus images
Authors: Sedova Aleksandra , Hajdu Dorottya , Datlinger Felix , Steiner Irene , Neschi Martina , Aschauer Julia , Gerendas Bianca S. , Schmidt-Erfurth Ursula , Pollreisz Andreas
Published: February 2022

Introduction

Comparison of diabetic retinopathy (DR) severity between autonomous Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based outputs from an FDA-approved screening system and human retina specialists’ gradings from ultra-widefield (UWF) colour images.

Methods

Asymptomatic diabetics without a previous diagnosis of DR were included in this prospective observational pilot study. Patients were imaged with autonomous AI (IDx-DR, Digital Diagnostics). For each eye, two 45° colour fundus images were analysed by a secure server-based AI algorithm. UWF colour fundus imaging was performed using Optomap (Daytona, Optos). The International Clinical DR severity score was assessed both on a 7-field area projection (7F-mask) according to the early treatment diabetic retinopathy study (ETDRS) and on the total gradable area (UWF full-field) up to the far periphery on UWF images.

Results

Of 54 patients included (n = 107 eyes), 32 were type 2 diabetics (11 females). Mean BCVA was 0.99 ± 0.25. Autonomous AI diagnosed 16 patients as negative, 28 for moderate DR and 10 for having a vision-threatening disease (severe DR, proliferative DR, diabetic macular oedema). Based on the 7F-mask grading with the eye with the worse grading defining the DR stage 23 patients were negative for DR, 11 showed mild, 19 moderate and 1 severe DR. When UWF full-field was analysed, 20 patients were negative for DR, while the number of mild, moderate and severe DR patients were 12, 21, and 1, respectively.

Conclusions

The autonomous AI-based DR examination demonstrates sufficient accuracy in diagnosing asymptomatic non-proliferative diabetic patients with referable DR even compared to UWF imaging evaluated by human experts offering a suitable method for DR screening.
Observation-dependent suppression and enhancement of two-photon coincidences by tailored losses
Authors: Ehrhardt Max , Heinrich Matthias , Szameit Alexander
Published: February 2022

The ability of indistinguishable particles to interfere with one another is a core principle of quantum mechanics. The interplay of interference and particles exchange statistics1–4 gives rise to the Hong–Ou–Mandel (HOM) effect5, where the bunching of bosons suppresses two-particle coincidences between the output ports of a balanced beamsplitter. Conversely, fermionic anti-bunching can yield up to a twofold enhancement of coincidences compared to the baseline of distinguishable particles. As such, the emergence of dips or peaks in the HOM effect may appear indicative of the particles’ bosonic/fermionic nature. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that the coincidence statistics of boson pairs can be seamlessly tuned from full suppression to enhancement by an appropriate choice of the observation basis. Our photonic setting leverages birefringent couplers6 to introduce differential dissipation in the photons’ polarization. In contrast to previous work7–9, the mechanism underpinning this unusual behaviour does not act on individual phases accumulated by pairs of particles along specific paths, but instead allows them to jointly evade losses as indistinguishable photons are prevented from inhabiting orthogonal modes. Our findings reveal a new approach to harnessing non-Hermitian settings for the manipulation of multi-particle quantum states and as functional elements in quantum simulation.
Long-term cardiovascular outcomes of COVID-19
Authors: Xie Yan , Xu Evan , Bowe Benjamin , Al-Aly Ziyad
Published: February 2022

The cardiovascular complications of acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are well described, but the post-acute cardiovascular manifestations of COVID-19 have not yet been comprehensively characterized. Here we used national healthcare databases from the US Department of Veterans Affairs to build a cohort of 153,760 individuals with COVID-19, as well as two sets of control cohorts with 5,637,647 (contemporary controls) and 5,859,411 (historical controls) individuals, to estimate risks and 1-year burdens of a set of pre-specified incident cardiovascular outcomes. We show that, beyond the first 30 d after infection, individuals with COVID-19 are at increased risk of incident cardiovascular disease spanning several categories, including cerebrovascular disorders, dysrhythmias, ischemic and non-ischemic heart disease, pericarditis, myocarditis, heart failure and thromboembolic disease. These risks and burdens were evident even among individuals who were not hospitalized during the acute phase of the infection and increased in a graded fashion according to the care setting during the acute phase (non-hospitalized, hospitalized and admitted to intensive care). Our results provide evidence that the risk and 1-year burden of cardiovascular disease in survivors of acute COVID-19 are substantial. Care pathways of those surviving the acute episode of COVID-19 should include attention to cardiovascular health and disease.
Multimodal profiling of the transcriptional regulatory landscape of the developing mouse cortex identifies Neurog2 as a key epigenome remodeler
Authors: Noack Florian , Vangelisti Silvia , Raffl Gerald , Carido Madalena , Diwakar Jeisimhan , Chong Faye , Bonev Boyan
Published: February 2022

How multiple epigenetic layers and transcription factors (TFs) interact to facilitate brain development is largely unknown. Here, to systematically map the regulatory landscape of neural differentiation in the mouse neocortex, we profiled gene expression and chromatin accessibility in single cells and integrated these data with measurements of enhancer activity, DNA methylation and three-dimensional genome architecture in purified cell populations. This allowed us to identify thousands of new enhancers, their predicted target genes and the temporal relationships between enhancer activation, epigenome remodeling and gene expression. We characterize specific neuronal transcription factors associated with extensive and frequently coordinated changes across multiple epigenetic modalities. In addition, we functionally demonstrate a new role for Neurog2 in directly mediating enhancer activity, DNA demethylation, increasing chromatin accessibility and facilitating chromatin looping in vivo. Our work provides a global view of the gene regulatory logic of lineage specification in the cerebral cortex.
Retroviral infection of human neurospheres and use of stem Cell EVs to repair cellular damage
Authors: Branscome Heather , Khatkar Pooja , Al Sharif Sarah , Yin Dezhong , Jacob Sheela , Cowen Maria , Kim Yuriy , Erickson James , Brantner Christine A. , El-Hage Nazira , Liotta Lance A. , Kashanchi Fatah
Published: February 2022

HIV-1 remains an incurable infection that is associated with substantial economic and epidemiologic impacts. HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are commonly linked with HIV-1 infection; despite the development of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), HAND is still reported to affect at least 50% of HIV-1 infected individuals. It is believed that the over-amplification of inflammatory pathways, along with release of toxic viral proteins from infected cells, are primarily responsible for the neurological damage that is observed in HAND; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well-defined. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop more physiologically relevant and reliable platforms for studying these pathologies. In recent years, neurospheres derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been utilized to model the effects of different neurotropic viruses. Here, we report the generation of neurospheres from iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and we show that these cultures are permissive to retroviral (e.g. HIV-1, HTLV-1) replication. In addition, we also examine the potential effects of stem cell derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) on HIV-1 damaged cells as there is abundant literature supporting the reparative and regenerative properties of stem cell EVs in the context of various CNS pathologies. Consistent with the literature, our data suggests that stem cell EVs may modulate neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties in damaged cells. Collectively, this study demonstrates the feasibility of NPC-derived neurospheres for modeling HIV-1 infection and, subsequently, highlights the potential of stem cell EVs for rescuing cellular damage induced by HIV-1 infection.
Sonication-supported synthesis of cobalt oxide assembled on an N-MWCNT composite for electrochemical supercapacitors via three-electrode configuration
Authors: Nare Rajendra Kumar , Ramesh Sivalingam , Basavi Praveen Kumar , Kakani Vijay , Bathula Chinna , Yadav Hemraj M. , Dhanapal Prakash Babu , Kotanka Rama Krishna Reddy , Pasupuleti Visweswara Rao
Published: February 2022

The Co3O4@N-MWCNT composite was synthesized by a sonication-supported thermal reduction process for supercapacitor applications. The structural and morphological properties of the materials were characterized via Raman, XRD, XPS, SEM–EDX, and FE-TEM analysis. The composite electrode was constructed into a three-electrode configuration and examined by using CV, GCD and EIS analysis. The demonstrated electrochemical value of ~ 225 F/g at 0.5 A/g by the electrode made it appropriate for potential use in supercapacitor applications.
KLRK1 as a prognostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma cancer
Authors: Zhang Yanan , Chen Zeyang , Jiang Aifang , Gao Guanqi
Published: February 2022

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignancy worldwide and causes estimated 1.6 million deaths each year. Cancer immunosurveillance has been found to play an important role in lung cancer and may be related with its prognosis. KLRK1, encoding NKG2D, is a homodimeric lectin-like receptor. However, there has not been one research of KLRK1 as a biomarker in lung cancer. Data including patients` clinical characteristics and RNAseq information of KLRK1 from TCGA were downloaded. A total of 1019 patients with lung cancer were included in this study, among which 407 patients were female and 611 patients were male. Evaluations of mRNA expression, diagnostic value by ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves and prognostic value by survival curve, Cox model and subgroup analysis were performed. The level of KLRK1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma cancer tissues and normal lung tissues was detected by qRT-PCR. The CCK-8 assay investigated the proliferation rate and the wound healing assay assessed the migratory ability in vitro. The expression of KLRK1 in tumor was lower than that in normal tissue. KLRK1 expression was associated with gender, histologic grade, stage, T classification and vital status. Patients with high KLRK1 expression presented an improved overall survival (P = 0.0036) and relapse free survival (P = 0.0031). KLRK1 was found to have significant prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma (P = 0.015), stage I/II (P = 0.03), older patients (P = 0.0052), and male (P = 0.0047) by subgroup overall survival analysis, and in lung adenocarcinoma (P = 0.0094), stage I/II (P = 0.0076), older patients (P = 0.0072), and male (P = 0.0033) by subgroup relapse free survival analysis. Lung adenocarcinoma cancer patients with high KLRK1 expression presented an improved overall survival (P = 0.015) and relapse free survival (P = 0.0094). In vitro studies indicated that KLRK1 inhibited tumor cell proliferation and migration. KLRK1 was an independent prognostic factor and high KLRK1 expression indicated a better overall and relapse free survival. KLRK1 may be a prognostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma cancer.
Study on landscape evaluation and optimization strategy of Central Park in Qingkou Town
Authors: Xiang Lingyan , Tian Yunqing , Pan Yucong
Published: February 2022

This article mainly discusses the evaluation and optimization of the green space utilization value of comprehensive parks used by people in dense urban areas based on the desire for green and healthy living in the postepidemic era. As a qualitative study of urban parks, this study builds an evaluation system based on the American landscape performance series and combines it with comprehensive indicators of China’s urban parks, including environmental performance (such as park planning, infrastructure, trails, and vegetation), health performance (such as cultural education, park activities, and transportation accessibility) economic performance (such as tourist consumption and stimulating the development of surrounding construction) and three other aspects: conducting a site evaluation; evaluating observed behavior, interviews and questionnaires; and performing the analytic hierarchy process–coefficient of variation weight comprehensive evaluation analysis. Additionally, the park comprehensive index, land use index, traffic convenience, park vitality index and other dynamic changes are analyzed over time. The purpose is to explore the foundation of urban parks after the epidemic. The role of the urban park environment in sustainable ecological development is verified, and appropriate optimization and improvement actions are determined.
Thyroid hormone receptor α controls larval intestinal epithelial cell death by regulating the CDK1 pathway
Authors: Tanizaki Yuta , Zhang Hongen , Shibata Yuki , Shi Yun-Bo
Published: February 2022

Thyroid hormone (T3) regulates adult intestine development through T3 receptors (TRs). It is difficult to study TR function during postembryonic intestinal maturation in mammals due to maternal influence. We chose intestinal remodeling during Xenopus tropicalis metamorphosis as a model to study TR function in adult organ development. By using ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation)-Seq, we identified over 3000 TR-bound genes in the intestine of premetamorphic wild type or TRα (the major TR expressed during premetamorphosis)-knockout tadpoles. Surprisingly, cell cycle-related GO (gene ontology) terms and biological pathways were highly enriched among TR target genes even though the first major event during intestinal metamorphosis is larval epithelial cell death, and TRα knockout drastically reduced this enrichment. More importantly, treatment of tadpoles with cell cycle inhibitors blocked T3-induced intestinal remodeling, especially larval epithelial cell death, suggesting that TRα-dependent activation of cell cycle is important for T3-induced apoptosis during intestinal remodeling.
Use of High-intensity Ultrasound to Structure Edible Fats
Authors: da Silva T. L. T. , Giacomozzi A. , Martini S.
Published: February 2022

The focus of this chapter is to summarize research regarding sonocrystallization of fats, including discoveries of how high-intensity ultrasound (HIU) has been used to accelerate fat crystallization and to structure low-saturated fats and oleogels. It reviews the main frequency, amplitude, time duration and pulses, power levels, and steps of crystallization or oleogelation where HIU should be applied to maximize the improvement of physical properties such as oil binding capacity, rheology, hardness, melting behavior, polymorphism, and microstructure. In addition, this chapter explains how to change from a batch lab condition to a continuous sheared system, like a scraped surface heat exchanger (SSHE). Moreover, effects of HIU on lipid oxidation and final food application are also discussed.
Edible Oleogels Produced with Fatty Alcohols: The Use of Policosanol as an Oleogelator
Authors: Lupi F. R. , Shakeel A. , Farooq U. , Baldino N. , Gabriele D.
Published: February 2022

Organogelation is one of the most promising techniques to replace unhealthy saturated fats in foods, guaranteeing a similar texture but with the use of healthy unsaturated oils. Nevertheless, the number of food grade gelators is not high, and the discovery of new agents is still due to “serendipity”. Among the different gelators investigated in the literature, fatty alcohols, i.e., aliphatic hydrocarbons with a hydroxyl group, represent an interesting alternative. Within this context, a mixture of long chain alcohols, commercially known as Policosanol, seems particularly promising. Policosanol can be extracted from natural sources such as sugarcane, beeswax, wheat germ, and rice bran. Policosanol is very effective in structuring edible oils even at a very low concentration (0.1%) and has positive health effects on the cardio-circulatory system and cholesterol levels. Therefore, structured vegetable oils can be obtained through the use of edible healthy gelators (i.e., Policosanol). The oleogels developed with Policosanol might be used as substitutes for traditional hard fats or as novel structured vegetable oil systems with controlled rheological properties. The rheological, microscopic, and sensory properties of fatty alcohol oleogels are discussed in this chapter, as well as their potential use for producing new foods and vehicles for the controlled release of nutraceutical compounds.
Modulating the Rheology of Oleogels to Mimic the Functionality of Commercial Fats
Authors: Pérez-Martínez J. D. , Ornelas-Paz J. J.
Published: February 2022

The quest for edible oleogels mimicking the functionality of commercial plastic fats has been an active research topic over the last decade. Plastic fats are used to shorten the crumb in baked goods, entrap air in whipped creams, disperse and immobilize solids in confections, enhance lubrication and spreading in margarine, among other applications. These functions are based on the rheological properties of plastic fats. Thus, the replacement of this type of fats with edible oleogels implies matching their rheological behavior under processing, storage, and consumption conditions. This chapter discusses the impact of compositional changes, thermal history, and shearing on the rheological properties of edible oleogels structured with wax, ethylcellulose, monoglycerols, fatty acids, and fatty alcohols. In the same way we discuss strategies to modulate oleogel elasticity and mechanical recovery (i.e., thixotropy) to improve the performance of oleogels in foods.
Bacterial growth monitored by two-dimensional tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Szalwinski Lucas J. , Gonzalez L. Edwin , Morato Nicolás M. , Marsh Brett M. , Cooks R. Graham
Published: February 2022

Molecular profile of Escherichia coli monitored over time by two-dimensional tandem mass spectrometry (2D MS/MS) coupled with a desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) source.
Investigation of mammalian cells expressing SARS-CoV-2 proteins by surface-enhanced Raman scattering and multivariate analysis
Authors: Akdeniz Munevver , Uysal Ciloglu Fatma , Tunc Cansu Umran , Yilmaz Ummugulsum , Kanarya Dilek , Atalay Pinar , Aydin Omer
Published: February 2022

Rapid detection of COVID-19 using the structural proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was performed with SERS combined with PCA.
Bismuth-based mixed-anion compounds for anode materials in rechargeable batteries
Authors: Kumar Prashant , Wahyudi Wandi , Sharma Abhinav , Yuan Youyou , Harrison George T. , Gedda Murali , Wei Xuan , El-Labban Abdulrahman , Ahmad Shahzad , Kumar Vinod , Tung Vincent , Anthopoulos Thomas D.
Published: February 2022

Chemical composition control in ternary mixed-anion material bismuth sulfide iodide (Bi–S–I) is achieved by controlling the sulfide concentration. Synthesized BiSI and BiSI/Bi13S18I2 show promise as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
TEMPO-mediated late stage photochemical hydroxylation of biaryl sulfonium salts
Authors: Zhao Yue , Yu Congjun , Liang Wenjing , Atodiresei Iuliana L. , Patureau Frederic W.
Published: February 2022

The late stage photochemical hydroxylation of biaryl sulfonium salts was enabled with a TEMPO derivative as a simple oxygen source, in metal free conditions.
Catalytic hydroaminations of alkynes: a facile protocol to vinyl-carbazole derivatives via a frustrated Lewis pair mechanism
Authors: Zhao Yunbo , Jin Lvnan , Guo Jing , Stephan Douglas W.
Published: February 2022

B(C6F5)3 catalyses the formation of 24 variants of N-vinylcarbazole derivatives from carbazoles and alkynes in good to excellent yields (up to 99%) under mild reaction conditions.
Mechanochromic luminescence of a bionanocomposite hydrogel
Authors: Saengdet Ploypailin Milin , Ogawa Makoto
Published: February 2022

Smectite clay nanosheets were incorporated into cross-linked gelatin hydrogel to impart luminescence mechanochromism induced by the stretching as a result of the aggregation/de-aggregation of cyanine adsorbed on the nanosheets.
Microwave spectroscopy as a potential tool for characterizing synthetic HPHT diamonds
Authors: Rabinowitz Yossi , Yahalom Asher , Cohen Haim , Pinhasi Yosef
Published: February 2022

A technique for evaluation of the diamond is a HPHT diamond presented using microwave spectroscopy. This effect is most pronounced in a waveguide transmission measured by the S12 parameter at 12–12.7 GHz, 20.9–21 GHz, and 22.2–22.23 GHz.
Molecular simulation of linear octacosane via a CG10 coarse grain scheme
Authors: Dai L. , Chakraborty S. , Wu G. , Ye J. , Lau Y. H. , Ramanarayan H. , Wu D. T.
Published: February 2022

Following our previous work on the united-atom simulation on octacosane (C28H58) (Dai et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2021, 23, 21262–21271), we developed a coarse grain scheme (CG10), which is able to reproduce the pivotal phase characteristics of octacosane with highly improved computational efficiency.
Ice nucleation imaged with X-ray spectro-microscopy
Authors: Alpert Peter A. , Boucly Anthony , Yang Shuo , Yang Huanyu , Kilchhofer Kevin , Luo Zhaochu , Padeste Celestino , Finizio Simone , Ammann Markus , Watts Benjamin
Published: February 2022

Ice nucleation can now be imaged in situ using X-ray spectro-microscopy in a new experiment, which is applied to mineral aerosol particles composed of ferrihydrite or feldspar and associated organic matter.
Multi-step chemo-enzymatic synthesis of azelaic and pelargonic acids from the soapstock of high-oleic sunflower oil refinement
Authors: Casali Beatrice , Brenna Elisabetta , Parmeggiani Fabio , Tentori Francesca , Tessaro Davide
Published: February 2022

Production of azelaic and pelargonic acids from renewable high-oleic soapstock, a by-product of vegetable oil refining industry.
Electrochemical-induced benzyl C–H amination towards the synthesis of isoindolinones via aroyloxy radical-mediated C–H activation
Authors: Yu Mingming , Gao Yuhan , Zhang Lin , Zhang Yingjie , Zhang Yiyan , Yi Hong , Huang Zhiliang , Lei Aiwen
Published: February 2022

A novel electrochemical strategy for the synthesis of valuable isoindolinones has been developed with the use of simple o-alkylbenzoic acid and alkyl nitrile as starting materials under metal-catalyst and external oxidant-free conditions.
SE-ECL on CMOS: a miniaturized electrochemiluminescence biosensor
Authors: Abbasi Reza , Liu Juanjuan , Suarasan Sorina , Wachsmann-Hogiu Sebastian
Published: February 2022

Electrochemiluminescence was integrated onto a CMOS sensor with demonstration for detection of uric acid. The device has improved photon collection efficiency compared to a microscope-based system with the same field of view.
Self-assembly of PBTTT–C14 thin films in supercritical fluids
Authors: Yousefi Nastaran , Pettipas Richard D. , Kelly Timothy L. , Kaake Loren G.
Published: February 2022

In order to develop more atom-economical deposition methods for polymer semiconductors, we investigated physical supercritical fluid deposition (p-SFD) to form thin films of a popular bithiophene semiconducting polymer (PBTTT).
Ion-driven nanograin formation in early-stage degradation of tri-cation perovskite films
Authors: Richheimer Filipe , Toth David , Hailegnaw Bekele , Baker Mark A. , Dorey Robert A. , Kienberger Ferry , Castro Fernando A. , Kaltenbrunner Martin , Scharber Markus C. , Gramse Georg , Wood Sebastian
Published: February 2022

Nanoscale investigation of operational stability in perovskite films. Scanning probe microscopy is employed to reveal signs of early-stage degradation caused by the formation of local charge imbalance across the film microstructure.
Screening on-chip fabricated nanoparticles for penetrating the blood–brain barrier
Authors: Hou Qinghong , Zhu Lina , Wang Le , Liu Xiaoyan , Xiao Feng , Xie Yangzhouyun , Zheng Wenfu , Jiang Xingyu
Published: February 2022

We synthesized a series of brain-targeting drug nanocarriers on multi-channel syringe pump-integrated microfluidic chips, and evaluated their performance in penetrating the blood–brain barrier by in vitro and in vivo experiments.
Intelligent and highly sensitive strain sensor based on indium tin oxide micromesh with a high crack density
Authors: Qiao Yancong , Tang Hao , Liu Haidong , Jian Jinming , Ji Shourui , Han Fei , Liu Zhiyuan , Liu Ying , Li Yuanfang , Cui Tianrui , Cai Jingxuan , Gou Guangyang , Zhou Bingpu , Yang Yi , Ren Tian-Ling , Zhou Jianhua
Published: February 2022

A intelligent strain sensor based on ITO/PU micromesh is realized with an ultrahigh GF (744.3), and explained by a finite element model based on four resistance layers, which can distinguish throat vibrations of the tester with an accuracy of 86.5%.
Problem solving in chemistry supported by metacognitive scaffolding: teaching associates’ perspectives and practices
Authors: Vo Kimberly , Sarkar Mahbub , White Paul J. , Yuriev Elizabeth
Published: February 2022

Problem solving is a fundamental skill that chemistry graduates should possess, yet many students have difficulties solving problems in chemistry. These difficulties may be either student- or instructor-driven. Instructor-related difficulties could stem from some teaching practices, such as expecting students to apply procedures without requiring them to show their reasoning or solely focusing on worked examples. Such practices could inhibit the development of problem-solving skills. To address these challenges, our group developed a metacognitive scaffold (Goldilocks Help) to support both students and instructors through structured problem solving. This scaffold breaks down the problem-solving process into phases and places emphasis on reasoning required throughout that process. This study explored how teaching associates (TAs) used the problem-solving scaffold and how this practice affected their teaching and perceptions of student learning. Seven TAs based at a large research-intensive Australian university were interviewed, and the data were analysed using the framework approach. Teaching with the problem-solving scaffold was found to be beneficial, albeit with initial student resistance. The scaffold provided a common thinking structure between the TAs and students, enabling TAs to easily identify mistakes and address specific areas of concern. However, TAs also experienced students’ attention shift from content to the scaffold. Initially, many students unproductively viewed the process as requiring two separate actions of solving the problem and being explicit about the problem-solving process they used, as opposed to an integrated activity. Through constant reinforcement and prompting by TAs during and prior to solving the problem, students continued to grasp how to effectively internalise the scaffold to assist their problem solving. Understanding how TAs use problem-solving scaffolds with students will add to the field of education research to inform innovations in supporting the development of students’ problem-solving skills.
Photosensitization mechanisms at the air–water interface of aqueous aerosols
Authors: Martins-Costa Marilia T. C. , Anglada Josep M. , Francisco Joseph S. , Ruiz-López Manuel F.
Published: February 2022

First-principles molecular dynamics simulations of imidazole-2-carboxaldehyde at the air–water interface highlight the role of surfactants in stabilising the reactive triplet state involved in photosensitisation reactions in aqueous aerosols.
Multiple roles of Pol epsilon in eukaryotic chromosome replication
Authors: Cvetkovic Milos A. , Ortega Esther , Bellelli Roberto , Costa Alessandro
Published: February 2022

Pol epsilon is a tetrameric assembly that plays distinct roles during eukaryotic chromosome replication. It catalyses leading strand DNA synthesis; yet this function is dispensable for viability. Its non-catalytic domains instead play an essential role in the assembly of the active replicative helicase and origin activation, while non-essential histone-fold subunits serve a critical function in parental histone redeposition onto newly synthesised DNA. Furthermore, Pol epsilon plays a structural role in linking the RFC–Ctf18 clamp loader to the replisome, supporting processive DNA synthesis, DNA damage response signalling as well as sister chromatid cohesion. In this minireview, we discuss recent biochemical and structural work that begins to explain various aspects of eukaryotic chromosome replication, with a focus on the multiple roles of Pol epsilon in this process.
The NEDD4 ubiquitin E3 ligase: a snapshot view of its functional activity and regulation
Authors: Sicari Daria , Weber Janine , Maspero Elena , Polo Simona
Published: February 2022

Due to its fundamental role in all eukaryotic cells, a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying ubiquitination is of central importance. Being responsible for chain specificity and substrate recognition, E3 ligases are the selective elements of the ubiquitination process. In this review, we discuss different cellular pathways regulated by one of the first identified E3 ligase, NEDD4, focusing on its pathophysiological role, its known targets and modulators. In addition, we highlight small molecule inhibitors that act on NEDD4 and discuss new strategies to effectively target this E3 enzyme.
X-ray variability of HD 189733 across eight years of XMM-Newton observations
Authors: Pillitteri I. , Micela G. , Maggio A. , Sciortino S. , Lopez-Santiago J.
Published: February 2022

The characterization of exoplanets, their formation, evolution, and chemical changes is tightly linked to our knowledge of their host stars. In particular, stellar X-rays and UV emission have a strong impact on the dynamical and chemical evolution of planetary atmospheres. We analyzed 25 XMM-Newton observations encompassing about eight years and totaling about 958 ks in order to study the X-ray emission of HD 189733 A. We find that the corona of HD 189733 A has an average temperature of 0.4 keV and it is only during flares that the mean temperature increases to 0.9 keV. Apart from the flares, there is no significant change in the flux and hardness of the coronal emission on a timescale of several months to years. Thus, we conclude that there is no detectable activity cycle on such timescales. We identified the flares and built their energy distribution. The number of flares observed around the phases of the planetary eclipses is not statistically different from the number of flares during transit phases. However, we do find a hint of a difference in the flare-energy distributions, as the flares observed around the planetary eclipses tend to be more energetic than the flares observed around the primary transits of the planet. We modeled the distribution of the number of flares per day with a power law, showing that it is steeper than the one observed in the Sun and in other Main Sequence stars. The steepness hints at a significant fraction of undetected micro-flares. Altogether, the plasma temperatures below 1 keV observed during the flares, along with the slightly larger fraction of energetic flares seen at the secondary transits highlight the peculiarity of the corona of HD 189733 A and points to star-planet interaction as the plausible origin of part of its X-ray emission. However, more observational and modeling efforts are required to confirm or disprove this scenario.
Thyroid Hormone Resistance: Multicentrical Case Series
Study
Authors: Santos Mata Maria Angeles , Ariza Jimenez Ana Belen , Macias Lopez Francisco , de la Camara Moraño Carmen
Published: February 2022

Resistance to thyroid hormone syndrome (RTHS) is defined as increased thyroxine
and triiodothyronine associated with normal or increased thyrotropin. This is
usually due to a pathogenic variant of the gene coding for thyroid hormone
receptor B (THRB). THRB is a rare genetic disorder characterized by an altered
response of target tissue to the thyroid hormone action. Retrospective
cross-sectional observational study with diagnosis of RTHS evaluated in
secondary and tertiary hospitals for 6 years, from 2014 to 2020, in order to
describe variables including age, sex, anthropometric data, clinical and
biochemical characteristics of patients, who were divided according to age, in a
pediatric group from 0 to 14 years (index cases), and an adult group composed of
adult relatives of index cases. A molecular analysis of the THRB gene was
performed. The total retrospective cohort included 7 pediatric patients and 15
adults. We found 22 cases with a clear male predominance (14/22). Mean
age is 24.8 years old (22 days-70 years). Patients were referred because of
symptoms 18.2% (4/22), analysis results 22.7%
(5/22), or familial study 59.1% (13/22). About
31.8% (7/22) cases show goiter, 31.8% (7/22)
sympathetic symptoms and 13.6% (3/22) abnormalities in behavior.
In most cases, 77.3%, (17/22) show familial background of
thyroid abnormalities. It is important to remark that 18.2%
(4/22) relatives received previous incorrect treatments such as
thyroidectomy, because of wrong diagnosis. In conclusion, a better understanding
of RTHS, its prompt molecular diagnosis and genetic counseling, could avoid
unnecessary tests and inappropriate treatments.
Long-Term Glycemic Variability and Risk of Cardiovascular Events in
Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Ting , Zhang Xin , Liu Jian
Published: February 2022

Long-term glycemic fluctuation has been associated with cardiovascular risk in
patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the findings are
inconsistent. We performed a meta-analysis to summarize the association between
parameters of long-term glycemic variability and risk of cardiovascular events
in T2DM patients. Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched
for longitudinal follow-up studies comparing the incidence of cardiovascular
events in T2DM patients with higher or lower long-term glycemic variability. A
random-effect model incorporating the potential heterogeneity among the included
studies was used to pool the results. Twelve follow-up studies with 146 653 T2DM
patients were included. The mean follow-up duration was 4.9 years. Pooled
results showed that compared to those with the lowest glycemic variability,
patients with the highest glycemic variability had significantly increased risk
of cardiovascular events, as evidenced by the standard deviation of glycated
hemoglobin [HbA1c-SD: relative risk (RR)=1.44, 95% confidence
interval (CI): 1.23 to 1.69, p<0.001;
I2=70%], HbA1c coefficient of variation (HbA1c-CV:
RR=1.46, 95% CI: 1.19 to 1.79. p<0.001;
I2=83%), standard deviation of fasting plasma glucose
(FPG-SD: RR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.65, p=0.009;
I2=0%), and FPG coefficient of variation (FPG-CV:
RR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.64, p=0.04;
I2=47%). In conclusion, increased long-term glycemic
variability may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events in T2DM
patients.
Clinical Spectrum of Adrenal Cushing’s Syndrome and the
Caution for Interpretation of Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone: A Single-Center
Experience
Authors: Gosavi Vikrant , Lila Anurag , Memon Saba Samad , Sarathi Vijaya , Thakkar Kunal , Dalvi Abhay , Malhotra Gaurav , Prakash Gagan , Patil Virendra , Shah Nalini S. , Bandgar Tushar
Published: February 2022

To describe the differences in presentation, biochemistry, and radiological
evaluation of various etiologies of adrenal Cushing’s syndrome (CS) from
a single center. To emphasize caution for interpretation of plasma
adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), as a spuriously unsuppressed ACTH level by
immunometric assay may lead to therapeutic misadventures in adrenal CS.
Design: Retrospective, single-center, observational study. Methods:  Fifty-eight
adrenal CS patients [Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), n=30; Adenoma
(ACA), n=15; Primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease (PPNAD),
n=10; ACTH independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia (AIMAH),
n=3) evaluated at a tertiary care center in western India between
January 2006 to March 2020 were included. Data on demography, clinical
evaluation, biochemistry, imaging, management, histopathology, and outcome were
recorded in a standard format and analyzed. Results:  Cortisol secreting ACC
presented at 38(1–50) years with abdominal mass in 26/30
(86.7%) and 16/30 (53.3%) had metastases at
presentation. ACA with autonomous cortisol excess presented at
25(4.9–40) years with discriminating features of CS in 14/15
(93.3%), sex steroid production in 2/15, unenhanced HU
<10 in only one, and relative washout >40% in
8/11 (72.7%). One ACA and eight ACC patients had plasma ACTH (by
Siemens Immulite assay) > 20 pg/ml, despite
hypercortisolemic state. Conclusions:  Cortisol-secreting ACC and ACA most often
present with mass effects and florid CS, respectively. Baseline HU has low
sensitivity to differentiate cortisol-secreting ACA from ACC. Plasma ACTH
measured by Seimens Immulite is often unsuppressed, especially in ACC patients,
which can be addressed by measuring ACTH by more accurate assays.
On the (future) role of on-demand insurance: market landscape, business model and customer perception
Authors: Zeier Röschmann Angela , Erny Matthias , Wagner Joël
Published: February 2022

Over the last decade, digitisation and individualisation have fostered the development of on-demand services in many industries. In the insurance sector, technological progress brings new possibilities on how risks can be insured. This paper studies on-demand insurance and thereby takes three perspectives. First, we define on-demand insurance and study the current market landscape of offerings, leading to a characterisation of the phenomenon. Second, we analyse the on-demand insurance business model, discuss how value is created, and develop a taxonomy of the dimensions among business model components. Third, we describe the awareness and interest of potential customers in Switzerland using novel data recorded from a recent consumer survey. Using the results from the market study, business model analysis, and customer survey, we discuss the (future) role of on-demand insurance, shedding light on the ongoing business model transformation in the insurance industry. We conclude that insurtech companies address emerging customer needs and that traditional incumbent insurers must innovate to keep their prominent role at the customer interface. While novelty and complementarity of on-demand insurance solutions bring value today, we expect that efficiency and customer retention will add more value in the future, especially once technology has matured and business model components are well-aligned.
Saying “goodbye” to the conundrum of leave-taking: a cross-disciplinary review
Authors: Baehren Lucy
Published: February 2022

Leave-taking behaviours habitually occur before separation from social interaction in most human societies. It is thought to be a human universal, providing ritual brackets around interaction. Despite Knapp’s claim that leave-taking can tell us a good deal about human interaction, the topic remains critically overlooked from an evolutionary perspective. Cross-species data on leave-taking would be key to unveiling its evolutionary history and its role in sociality, but studies focusing on non-human species are rare. Here, leave-taking is reviewed using an evolutionary approach, pitting it against its symmetrical counterpart, greeting, and emphasising the lacunae in research on leave-taking. It is argued that leave-taking is overdue for serious, empirical attention regarding the ways in which leave-taking could contribute to understanding social evolution. Finally, methods are outlined to operationalise the study of leave-taking and propose the use of “levels of separation” to allow comparison of human and non-human species and to expand research efforts.
Identifying delamination in carbon fiber composites based on defect modes in imperfect phononic crystals
Authors: Luo Yong-Shui , Yang Shi-Xi , Lv Xu-Feng , Chuang Kuo-Chih , Liu Yong , He Jun , Cheng Qi-Chao
Published: February 2022

Delamination is one of the most common types of damage in fiber-reinforced composites. In this paper, borrowing from the concept of defect modes in imperfect phononic crystals, we propose a method for identifying delamination damages in composite materials. Specifically, by periodically arranging concentrated masses on the surface of a finite carbon fiber beam, the carbon fiber beam becomes a phononic crystal, and defect modes in Bragg bandgaps can be observed when there is delamination. With the spectral element method formulation, we show that the frequencies of defect modes are directly related to the length and location of the delamination. By performing algebraic addition and subtraction on the generated defect mode frequencies when applying excitations at the two ends of a defected carbon fiber composite beam, an approximately linear correlation with the length and location of delamination can be obtained. Our analytical and experimental results indicate that, by introducing periodicity on the carbon fiber composite beam and applying appropriate post-processing algorithm to the generated defect modes, rapid and accurate identification of the delamination length and location can be achieved based on the bandgap characteristics of the imperfect phononic crystals.
High-throughput, in situ imaging of multi-layer powder-blown directed energy deposition with angled nozzle
Authors: Webster Samantha , Giovannini Marco , Shi Yi , Martinez-Prieto Nicolas , Fezzaa Kamel , Sun Tao , Ehmann Kornel , Cao Jian
Published: February 2022

Laser metal additive manufacturing has become an increasingly popular technology due to its flexibility in geometry and materials. As one of the commercialized additive processes, powder-blown directed energy deposition (DED) has been used in multiple industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and medical device. However, a lack of fundamental understanding remains for this process, and many opportunities for alloy development and implementation can be identified. A high-throughput, in situ DED system capable of multi-layer builds that can address these issues is presented here. Implications of layer heights and energy density are investigated through an extensive process parameter sweep, showcasing the power of a high-throughput setup while also discussing multi-layer interactions.
Current controlled non-hysteresis magnetic switching in the absence of magnetic field
Authors: Li Yanru , Yang Meiyin , Yu Guoqiang , Cui Baoshan , Luo Jun
Published: February 2022

By means of local ion implantation, we investigated the influence of lateral interface on current induced magnetic switching by spin–orbit torque in a perpendicularly magnetized Pt/Co/Ta multilayer. The experimental results show that, in this system, the domain wall motion under electrical current can be affected by two mechanisms: symmetry breaking and current-driven Néel wall motion at the lateral interface. The dominant mechanism is symmetry breaking (current-driven Néel wall motion) at the large (small) current. Due to the competitive relationship of these two mechanisms, the non-hysteresis effect magnetic switching without an external magnetic field is obtained. Based on the non-hysteresis effect magnetic switching, we can realize AND and OR logic gates without resetting.
Computation-assisted performance optimization for photoelectrochemical photoelectrodes
Authors: Jiang Xiao , Cheng Xu , Zhang Zemin , Chen Tao , Tao Kun , Han Weihua
Published: February 2022

The generation rate and collection efficiency of photocarriers fatally determine the photoelectrochemical performance of photoelectrodes. However, it is challenging to simultaneously reach a high generation rate and a high collection efficiency due to their conflictive dependence on the thickness of photocatalytic films, especially for metal oxide photocatalysts. Therefore, it is critical to select an appropriate thickness to reach the highest photocatalytic rate under certain light illustration. Herein, we proposed a physical model to predict the optimal thickness of photocatalytic films by combining computation and experiments. In this model, a photoelectrode was investigated by thoroughly considering the electric potential distribution in the whole photocatalytic film rather than only considering the depletion layer as previously. We solved the continuity equation and got the distribution of minority carriers in photocatalytic films. The used parameters for calculation were obtained through density functional theory calculation and experiments. The optimal thickness of photocatalytic films can be predicted with this model. We have used CuFeO2 films as the model material to verify the accuracy of the proposed model. Compared to the traditional trial-and-error process, our computation-assisted approach is highly efficient and can be broadly employed to other materials.
Line-length-dependent dislocation glide in refractory multi-principal element alloys
Authors: Xu Shuozhi , Jian Wu-Rong , Su Yanqing , Beyerlein Irene J.
Published: February 2022

Plastic deformation of refractory multi-principal element alloys (RMPEAs) is known to differ greatly from those of refractory pure metals. The fundamental cause is the different dislocation dynamics in the two types of metals. In this Letter, we use atomistic simulations to quantify dislocation glide in two RMPEAs: MoNbTi and NbTiZr. Edge and screw dislocations on the {110} and {112} slip planes are studied. A series of dislocation line lengths, ranging from 1 nm to 50 nm, are employed to elucidate the line-length-dependence. To serve as references, the same simulations are performed on pure metals. For the RMPEAs, the dependence of critical stresses on length becomes undetectable within the statistical dispersion for dislocations longer than 25 nm, as a result of the change in dislocation behavior. This length is in good agreement with those predicted by analytical models. Compared to the pure metals, the critical stress anisotropy among different slip planes and character angles is substantially reduced, providing an explanation for the homogeneous plasticity in RMPEAs observed in prior experiments.