bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic coexisting ground state and exchange bias effects in MnBi4Te7 and MnBi6Te10
Authors: Xu Xiaolong , Yang Shiqi , Wang Huan , Guzman Roger , Gao Yuchen , Zhu Yaozheng , Peng Yuxuan , Zang Zhihao , Xi Ming , Tian Shangjie , Li Yanping , Lei Hechang , Luo Zhaochu , Yang Jinbo , Wang Yeliang , Xia Tianlong , Zhou Wu , Huang Yuan , Ye Yu
Published: December 2022

Natural superlattice structures MnBi2Te4(Bi2Te3)n (n = 1, 2, ...), in which magnetic MnBi2Te4 layers are separated by nonmagnetic Bi2Te3 layers, hold band topology, magnetism and reduced interlayer coupling, providing a promising platform for the realization of exotic topological quantum states. However, their magnetism in the two-dimensional limit, which is crucial for further exploration of quantum phenomena, remains elusive. Here, complex ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic coexisting ground states that persist down to the 2-septuple layers limit are observed and comprehensively investigated in MnBi4Te7 (n = 1) and MnBi6Te10 (n = 2). The ubiquitous Mn-Bi site mixing modifies or even changes the sign of the subtle interlayer magnetic interactions, yielding a spatially inhomogeneous interlayer coupling. Further, a tunable exchange bias effect, arising from the coupling between the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic components in the ground state, is observed in MnBi2Te4(Bi2Te3)n (n = 1, 2), which provides design principles and material platforms for future spintronic devices. Our work highlights a new approach toward the fine-tuning of magnetism and paves the way for further study of quantum phenomena in MnBi2Te4(Bi2Te3)n (n = 1, 2) as well as their magnetic applications.
Mitochondrial dysfunction induces ALK5-SMAD2-mediated hypovascularization and arteriovenous malformations in mouse retinas
Authors: Zhang Haifeng , Li Busu , Huang Qunhua , López-Giráldez Francesc , Tanaka Yoshiaki , Lin Qun , Mehta Sameet , Wang Guilin , Graham Morven , Liu Xinran , Park In-Hyun , Eichmann Anne , Min Wang , Zhou Jenny Huanjiao
Published: December 2022

Although mitochondrial activity is critical for angiogenesis, its mechanism is not entirely clear. Here we show that mice with endothelial deficiency of any one of the three nuclear genes encoding for mitochondrial proteins, transcriptional factor (TFAM), respiratory complex IV component (COX10), or redox protein thioredoxin 2 (TRX2), exhibit retarded retinal vessel growth and arteriovenous malformations (AVM). Single-cell RNA-seq analyses indicate that retinal ECs from the three mutant mice have increased TGFβ signaling and altered gene expressions associated with vascular maturation and extracellular matrix, correlating with vascular malformation and increased basement membrane thickening in microvesels of mutant retinas. Mechanistic studies suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction from Tfam, Cox10, or Trx2 depletion induces a mitochondrial localization and MAPKs-mediated phosphorylation of SMAD2, leading to enhanced ALK5-SMAD2 signaling. Importantly, pharmacological blockade of ALK5 signaling or genetic deficiency of SMAD2 prevented retinal vessel growth retardation and AVM in all three mutant mice. Our studies uncover a novel mechanism whereby mitochondrial dysfunction via the ALK5-SMAD2 signaling induces retinal vascular malformations, and have therapeutic values for the alleviation of angiogenesis-associated human retinal diseases.
Unlocking the hidden chemical space in cubic-phase garnet solid electrolyte for efficient quasi-all-solid-state lithium batteries
Authors: Jung Sung-Kyun , Gwon Hyeokjo , Kim Hyungsub , Yoon Gabin , Shin Dongki , Hong Jihyun , Jung Changhoon , Kim Ju-Sik
Published: December 2022

Garnet-type Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid electrolytes (SE) demonstrates appealing ionic conductivity properties for all-solid-state lithium metal battery applications. However, LLZO (electro)chemical stability in contact with the lithium metal electrode is not satisfactory for developing practical batteries. To circumvent this issue, we report the preparation of various doped cubic-phase LLZO SEs without vacancy formation (i.e., Li = 7.0 such as Li7La3Zr0.5Hf0.5Sc0.5Nb0.5O12 and Li7La3Zr0.4Hf0.4Sn0.4Sc0.4Ta0.4O12). The entropy-driven synthetic approach allows access to hidden chemical space in cubic-phase garnet and enables lower solid-state synthesis temperature as the cubic-phase nucleation decreases from 750 to 400 °C. We demonstrate that the SEs with Li = 7.0 show better reduction stability against lithium metal compared to SE with low lithium contents and identical atomic species (i.e., Li = 6.6 such as Li6.6La3Zr0.4Hf0.4Sn0.4Sc0.2Ta0.6O12). Moreover, when a Li7La3Zr0.4Hf0.4Sn0.4Sc0.4Ta0.4O12 pellet is tested at 60 °C in coin cell configuration with a Li metal negative electrode, a LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2-based positive electrode and an ionic liquid-based electrolyte at the cathode|SE interface, discharge capacity retention of about 92% is delivered after 700 cycles at 0.8 mA/cm2 and 60 °C.
Spatial-ID: a cell typing method for spatially resolved transcriptomics via transfer learning and spatial embedding
Authors: Shen Rongbo , Liu Lin , Wu Zihan , Zhang Ying , Yuan Zhiyuan , Guo Junfu , Yang Fan , Zhang Chao , Chen Bichao , Feng Wanwan , Liu Chao , Guo Jing , Fan Guozhen , Zhang Yong , Li Yuxiang , Xu Xun , Yao Jianhua
Published: December 2022

Spatially resolved transcriptomics provides the opportunity to investigate the gene expression profiles and the spatial context of cells in naive state, but at low transcript detection sensitivity or with limited gene throughput. Comprehensive annotating of cell types in spatially resolved transcriptomics to understand biological processes at the single cell level remains challenging. Here we propose Spatial-ID, a supervision-based cell typing method, that combines the existing knowledge of reference single-cell RNA-seq data and the spatial information of spatially resolved transcriptomics data. We present a series of benchmarking analyses on publicly available spatially resolved transcriptomics datasets, that demonstrate the superiority of Spatial-ID compared with state-of-the-art methods. Besides, we apply Spatial-ID on a self-collected mouse brain hemisphere dataset measured by Stereo-seq, that shows the scalability of Spatial-ID to three-dimensional large field tissues with subcellular spatial resolution.
Single-cell profiling of healthy human kidney reveals features of sex-based transcriptional programs and tissue-specific immunity
Authors: McEvoy Caitriona M. , Murphy Julia M. , Zhang Lin , Clotet-Freixas Sergi , Mathews Jessica A. , An James , Karimzadeh Mehran , Pouyabahar Delaram , Su Shenghui , Zaslaver Olga , Röst Hannes , Arambewela Rangi , Liu Lewis Y. , Zhang Sally , Lawson Keith A. , Finelli Antonio , Wang Bo , MacParland Sonya A. , Bader Gary D. , Konvalinka Ana , Crome Sarah Q.
Published: December 2022

Knowledge of the transcriptional programs underpinning the functions of human kidney cell populations at homeostasis is limited. We present a single-cell perspective of healthy human kidney from 19 living donors, with equal contribution from males and females, profiling the transcriptome of 27677 cells to map human kidney at high resolution. Sex-based differences in gene expression within proximal tubular cells were observed, specifically, increased anti-oxidant metallothionein genes in females and aerobic metabolism-related genes in males. Functional differences in metabolism were confirmed in proximal tubular cells, with male cells exhibiting higher oxidative phosphorylation and higher levels of energy precursor metabolites. We identified kidney-specific lymphocyte populations with unique transcriptional profiles indicative of kidney-adapted functions. Significant heterogeneity in myeloid cells was observed, with a MRC1+LYVE1+FOLR2+C1QC+ population representing a predominant population in healthy kidney. This study provides a detailed cellular map of healthy human kidney, and explores the complexity of parenchymal and kidney-resident immune cells.
Targeting cardiomyocyte ADAM10 ectodomain shedding promotes survival early after myocardial infarction
Authors: Klapproth Erik , Witt Anke , Klose Pauline , Wiedemann Johanna , Vavilthota Nikitha , Künzel Stephan R. , Kämmerer Susanne , Günscht Mario , Sprott David , Lesche Mathias , Rost Fabian , Dahl Andreas , Rauch Erik , Kattner Lars , Weber Silvio , Mirtschink Peter , Kopaliani Irakli , Guan Kaomei , Lorenz Kristina , Saftig Paul , Wagner Michael , El-Armouche Ali
Published: December 2022

After myocardial infarction the innate immune response is pivotal in clearing of tissue debris as well as scar formation, but exaggerated cytokine and chemokine secretion with subsequent leukocyte infiltration also leads to further tissue damage. Here, we address the value of targeting a previously unknown a disintegrin and metalloprotease 10 (ADAM10)/CX3CL1 axis in the regulation of neutrophil recruitment early after MI. We show that myocardial ADAM10 is distinctly upregulated in myocardial biopsies from patients with ischemia-driven cardiomyopathy. Intriguingly, upon MI in mice, pharmacological ADAM10 inhibition as well as genetic cardiomycyte-specific ADAM10 deletion improves survival with markedly enhanced heart function and reduced scar size. Mechanistically, abolished ADAM10-mediated CX3CL1 ectodomain shedding leads to diminished IL-1β-dependent inflammation, reduced neutrophil bone marrow egress as well as myocardial tissue infiltration. Thus, our data shows a conceptual insight into how acute MI induces chemotactic signaling via ectodomain shedding in cardiomyocytes.
An HSV-1-H129 amplicon tracer system for rapid and efficient monosynaptic anterograde neural circuit tracing
Authors: Xiong Feng , Yang Hong , Song Yi-Ge , Qin Hai-Bin , Zhang Qing-Yang , Huang Xian , Jing Wei , Deng Manfei , Liu Yang , Liu Zhixiang , Shen Yin , Han Yunyun , Lu Youming , Xu Xiangmin , Holmes Todd C. , Luo Minmin , Zhao Fei , Luo Min-Hua , Zeng Wen-Bo
Published: December 2022

Monosynaptic viral tracers are essential tools for dissecting neuronal connectomes and for targeted delivery of molecular sensors and effectors. Viral toxicity and complex multi-injection protocols are major limiting application barriers. To overcome these barriers, we developed an anterograde monosynaptic H129Amp tracer system based on HSV-1 strain H129. The H129Amp tracer system consists of two components: an H129-dTK-T2-pacFlox helper which assists H129Amp tracer’s propagation and transneuronal monosynaptic transmission. The shared viral features of tracer/helper allow for simultaneous single-injection and subsequent high expression efficiency from multiple-copy of expression cassettes in H129Amp tracer. These improvements of H129Amp tracer system shorten experiment duration from 28-day to 5-day for fast-bright monosynaptic tracing. The lack of toxic viral genes in the H129Amp tracer minimizes toxicity in postsynaptic neurons, thus offering the potential for functional anterograde mapping and long-term tracer delivery of genetic payloads. The H129Amp tracer system is a powerful tracing tool for revealing neuronal connectomes.
The B-type response regulator GmRR11d mediates systemic inhibition of symbiotic nodulation
Authors: Chen Jiahuan , Wang Zhijuan , Wang Lixiang , Hu Yangyang , Yan Qiqi , Lu Jingjing , Ren Ziyin , Hong Yujie , Ji Hongtao , Wang Hui , Wu Xinying , Lin Yanru , Su Chao , Ott Thomas , Li Xia
Published: December 2022

Key to the success of legumes is the ability to form and maintain optimal symbiotic nodules that enable them to balance the trade-off between symbiosis and plant growth. Cytokinin is essential for homeostatic regulation of nodulation, but the mechanism remains incompletely understood. Here, we show that a B-type response regulator GmRR11d mediates systemic inhibition of nodulation.GmRR11dis induced by rhizobia and low level cytokinin, and GmRR11d can suppress the transcriptional activity of GmNSP1 onGmNIN1ato inhibit soybean nodulation. GmRR11d positively regulates cytokinin response and its binding on theGmNIN1apromoter is enhanced by cytokinin. Intriguingly, rhizobial induction ofGmRR11dand its function are dependent upon GmNARK that is a CLV1-like receptor kinase and inhibits nodule number in shoots. Thus, GmRR11d governs a transcriptional program associated with nodulation attenuation and cytokinin response activation essential for systemic regulation of nodulation.
Chemoselective carbene insertion into the N−H bonds of NH3·H2O
Authors: Liu Zhaohong , Yang Yong , Song Qingmin , Li Linxuan , Zanoni Giuseppe , Liu Shaopeng , Xiang Meng , Anderson Edward A. , Bi Xihe
Published: December 2022

The conversion of inexpensive aqueous ammonia (NH3·H2O) into value-added primary amines by N−H insertion persists as a longstanding challenge in chemistry because of the tendency of Lewis basic ammonia (NH3) to bind and inhibit metal catalysts. Herein, we report a chemoselective carbene N−H insertion of NH3·H2O using a TpBr3Ag-catalyzed two-phase system. Coordination by a homoscorpionate TpBr3 ligand renders silver compatible with NH3 and H2O and enables the generation of electrophilic silver carbene. Water promotes subsequent [1,2]-proton shift to generate N−H insertion products with high chemoselectivity. The result of the reaction is the coupling of an inorganic nitrogen source with either diazo compounds or N-triftosylhydrazones to produce useful primary amines. Further investigations elucidate the reaction mechanism and the origin of chemoselectivity.
Recent global decline in rainfall interception loss due to altered rainfall regimes
Authors: Lian Xu , Zhao Wenli , Gentine Pierre
Published: December 2022

Evaporative loss of interception (Ei) is the first process occurring during rainfall, yet its role in large-scale surface water balance has been largely underexplored. Here we show thatEican be inferred from flux tower evapotranspiration measurements using physics-informed hybrid machine learning models built under wet versus dry conditions. Forced by satellite and reanalysis data, this framework provides an observationally constrained estimate ofEi, which is on average 84.1 ± 1.8 mm per year and accounts for 8.6 ± 0.2% of total rainfall globally during 2000–2020. Rainfall frequency regulates long-term averageEichanges, and rainfall intensity, rather than vegetation attributes, determines the fraction ofEiin gross precipitation (Ei/P). Rain events have become less frequent and more intense since 2000, driving a global decline inEi(andEi/P) by 4.9% (6.7%). This suggests that ongoing rainfall changes favor a partitioning towards more soil moisture and runoff, benefiting ecosystem functions but simultaneously increasing flood risks.
A glutamate receptor C-tail recruits CaMKII to suppress retrograde homeostatic signaling
Authors: Perry Sarah , Han Yifu , Qiu Chengjie , Chien Chun , Goel Pragya , Nishimura Samantha , Sajnani Manisha , Schmid Andreas , Sigrist Stephan J. , Dickman Dion
Published: December 2022

Presynaptic homeostatic plasticity (PHP) adaptively enhances neurotransmitter release following diminished postsynaptic glutamate receptor (GluR) functionality to maintain synaptic strength. While much is known about PHP expression mechanisms, postsynaptic induction remains enigmatic. For over 20 years, diminished postsynaptic Ca2+ influx was hypothesized to reduce CaMKII activity and enable retrograde PHP signaling at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Here, we have interrogated inductive signaling and find that active CaMKII colocalizes with and requires the GluRIIA receptor subunit. Next, we generated Ca2+-impermeable GluRs to reveal that both CaMKII activity and PHP induction are Ca2+-insensitive. Rather, a GluRIIA C-tail domain is necessary and sufficient to recruit active CaMKII. Finally, chimeric receptors demonstrate that the GluRIIA tail constitutively occludes retrograde homeostatic signaling by stabilizing active CaMKII. Thus, the physical loss of the GluRIIA tail is sensed, rather than reduced Ca2+, to enable retrograde PHP signaling, highlighting a unique, Ca2+-independent control mechanism for CaMKII in gating homeostatic plasticity.
Core–shell dry adhesives for rough surfaces via electrically responsive self-growing strategy
Authors: Tian Hongmiao , Wang Duorui , Zhang Yahui , Jiang Yuanze , Liu Tianci , Li Xiangming , Wang Chunhui , Chen Xiaoliang , Shao Jinyou
Published: December 2022

Bioinspired dry adhesives have an extraordinary impact in the field of robotic manipulation and locomotion. However, there is a considerable difference between artificial structures and biological ones regarding surface adaptability, especially for rough surfaces. This can be attributed to their distinct structural configuration and forming mechanism. Here, we propose a core–shell adhesive structure that is obtained through a growth strategy, i.e., an electrically responsive self-growing core–shell structure. This growth strategy results in a specific mushroom-shaped structure with a rigid core and a soft shell, which exhibits excellent adhesion on typical target surfaces with roughness ranging from the nanoscale to the microscale up to dozens of micrometers. The proposed adhesion strategy extends dry adhesives from smooth surfaces to rough ones, especially for rough surfaces with roughness up to dozens or hundreds of micrometers, opening an avenue for the development of dry adhesive-based devices and systems.
Nomenclature of cell-cultivated meat & seafood products
Authors: Malerich Marlana , Bryant Christopher
Published: December 2022

Cell-cultivated meat and seafood is getting closer to a reality for consumers in the US and around the world. However, regulators are still largely lagging behind on regulating production and labelling of these products. In a large experimental study using a representative US sample (N = 2653), we tested 9 different names for 3 different types of meat and seafood products in terms of their clarity, consumer appeal, and communication of safety and allergenicity. We found that terms proposed by the conventional meat and seafood industry including ‘artificial’ and ‘lab-grown’ tended to score low in terms of consumer appeal, purchase intent, and perceived safety, while ‘artificial’ also had the lowest score on clarity and communicating allergenicity. On the other hand, terms proposed by the cell-cultivated industry including ‘Novari’ scored high in terms of appeal and purchase intent but scored low in terms of clarity. The terms ‘cell-cultured’ and ‘cell-cultivated’ were the best all round labels in terms of clarity, appeal, and communicating safety and allergenicity – in particular, the addition of the prefix ‘cell-’ increased understanding compared to ‘cultured’ or ‘cultivated’ labels. The most-understood label was a short descriptive phrase (‘grown from [animal] cells, not farmed [or fished]’), suggesting that additional wording on packaging could aid consumer understanding in this early stage. A high proportion of consumers were uncertain about the allergen status of cell-cultivated products under all names, suggesting that cell-cultivated products should be labelled as the type of meat they are, and carry applicable allergen information.
Extensive proteome and functional genomic profiling of variability between genetically identical human B-lymphoblastoid cells
Authors: Laczik Miklós , Erdős Edina , Ozgyin Lilla , Hevessy Zsuzsanna , Csősz Éva , Kalló Gergő , Nagy Tibor , Barta Endre , Póliska Szilárd , Szatmári István , Bálint Bálint László
Published: December 2022

In life-science research isogenic B-lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) are widely known and preferred for their genetic stability – they are often used for studying mutations for example, where genetic stability is crucial. We have shown previously that phenotypic variability can be observed in isogenic B-lymphoblastoid cell lines. Isogenic LCLs present well-defined phenotypic differences on various levels, for example on the gene expression level or the chromatin level. Based on our investigations, the phenotypic variability of the isogenic LCLs is accompanied by certain genetic variation too. We have developed a compendium of LCL datasets that present the phenotypic and genetic variability of five isogenic LCLs from a multiomic perspective. In this paper, we present additional datasets generated with Next Generation Sequencing techniques to provide genomic and transcriptomic profiles (WGS, RNA-seq, single cell RNA-seq), protein-DNA interactions (ChIP-seq), together with mass spectrometry and flow cytometry datasets to monitor the changes in the proteome. We are sharing these datasets with the scientific community according to the FAIR principles for further investigations.
ISLES 2022: A multi-center magnetic resonance imaging stroke lesion segmentation dataset
Authors: Hernandez Petzsche Moritz R. , de la Rosa Ezequiel , Hanning Uta , Wiest Roland , Valenzuela Waldo , Reyes Mauricio , Meyer Maria , Liew Sook-Lei , Kofler Florian , Ezhov Ivan , Robben David , Hutton Alexandre , Friedrich Tassilo , Zarth Teresa , Bürkle Johannes , Baran The Anh , Menze Björn , Broocks Gabriel , Meyer Lukas , Zimmer Claus , Boeckh-Behrens Tobias , Berndt Maria , Ikenberg Benno , Wiestler Benedikt , Kirschke Jan S.
Published: December 2022

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an important imaging modality in stroke. Computer based automated medical image processing is increasingly finding its way into clinical routine. The Ischemic Stroke Lesion Segmentation (ISLES) challenge is a continuous effort to develop and identify benchmark methods for acute and sub-acute ischemic stroke lesion segmentation. Here we introduce an expert-annotated, multicenter MRI dataset for segmentation of acute to subacute stroke lesions (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7153326). This dataset comprises 400 multi-vendor MRI cases with high variability in stroke lesion size, quantity and location. It is split into a training dataset of n = 250 and a test dataset of n = 150. All training data is publicly available. The test dataset will be used for model validation only and will not be released to the public. This dataset serves as the foundation of the ISLES 2022 challenge (https://www.isles-challenge.org/) with the goal of finding algorithmic methods to enable the development and benchmarking of automatic, robust and accurate segmentation methods for ischemic stroke.
Influence of Vitamin A supplementation on inflammatory biomarkers in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Gholizadeh Mohammad , Basafa Roodi Poorya , Abaj Faezeh , Shab-Bidar Sakineh , Saedisomeolia Ahmad , Asbaghi Omid , lak Mahshid
Published: December 2022

Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant which has been presumed to act as an anti-infective vitamin in many studies. This study aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin A supplementation and c-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in randomized control trials (RCTs) studies on adults. A systematic search was performed on databases including PUBMED, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane library. The studies included were considered for data extraction and subsequently assessed for effect. Weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated. Among 13,219 articles 13 studies were included for analysis of CRP and TNF-α, as well as 9 studies included for IL-6 in quality and quantity. The pooled WMD analysis of CRP demonstrated that vitamin A supplementation significantly increased CRP concentration with (WMD: 0.84 mg/L; 95% CI 0.29–1.39, I2 = 0.96.2% and p value < 0.003). However, there was no significant correlation between vitamin A supplementation and lower plasma TNF-α (p < 0.45)). Subgroup analysis by dosage demonstrate significant association between vitamin A supplementation and IL-6 in dosage with 50,000 with (WMD: − 1.53 mg/L; 95% CI − 2.36 to − 0.71, p value < 0.00001) as well as a negative significant association was seen at 44 weeks of supplementation with 50,000 IU/day retinyl palmitate and TNF-a in chronic hepatitis B conditions with (− 0.94 (− 1.19, − 0.69) p < 0.0001). The result of this study demonstrates that supplementation of vitamin A at low and high dosages for short and long durations increases the CRP plasma concentrations on adults and vitamin A supplementation decreases the TNF-α concentrations in chronic hepatitis B on adults. Therefore, there is an inverse association between vitamin A supplementation and plasma and fecal IL-6 concentrations in many infection conditions.
Evaluating anemia on non-contrast thoracic computed tomography
Authors: Abbasi Bita , Seyed Hosseini Maliheh , Moodi Ghalibaf AmirAli , Akhavan Reza , Emadzadeh Maryam , Bolvardi Ehsan
Published: December 2022

Anemia is a major global disease burden factor linked to an adverse impact on overall prognosis and negatively affects the quality of life. There are some suggested findings for anemia on non-contrast chest CT, like relatively dense interventricular septum (septal sign) or fairly dense aortic wall (aortic ring sign). The measured attenuation value is a reproducible physical density measurement, readily obtainable from a standard CT examination. There is no reliable cut-off for blood attenuation to suggest anemia on the non-contrast chest CT. In the current study, we evaluated subjective and objective criteria’ diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing anemia on unenhanced thoracic CT. This study is approved by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. The patients admitted in the internal medicine ward of our hospital from June 2019 to March 2020 for whom a non-contrast chest CT was acquired for any non-traumatic medical indication, were enrolled in this retrospective study. For the subjective assessment, the radiologists were asked to record the presence or absence of the “aortic ring sign” and “interventricular septum sign”. For the objective evaluations, blood density was measured at various anatomic locations. A total of 325 patients were included in this study. There was a significant correlation between blood attenuation in all measured segments and Hb level (0.78 (R2: 0.61), p = 0.000). Findings revealed that considering the aortic arch threshold value as 20 HU is the best diagnostic performance for detecting severe anemia. Subjective analysis revealed that the aortic ring sign was more sensitive (82.5%) than the interventricular septum sign (32%) in detecting anemia, whereas the latter character was more specific (87% and 99.2%, respectively). The results suggest that it is possible to detect anemia from an unenhanced chest CT scan. Both objective and subjective criteria show promising sensitivity and specificity.
Enhanced chimp optimization algorithm for high level synthesis of digital filters
Authors: Kaur Mandeep , Kaur Ranjit , Singh Narinder
Published: December 2022

The HLS of digital filters is a complex optimization task in electronic design automation that increases the level of abstraction for designing and scheming digital circuits. The complexity of this issue attracting the interest of the researcher and solution of this issue is a big challenge for the researcher. The scientists are trying to present the various most powerful methods for this issue, but keep in mind these methods could be trapped in the complex space of this problem due to own weaknesses. Due to shortcomings of these methods, we are trying to design a new framework with the mixture of the phases of the powerful approaches for high level synthesis of digital filters in this work. This modification has been done by merging the chimp optimizer with sine cosine functions. The sine cosine phases helped in enhancing the exploitation phase of the chimp optimizer and also ignored the local optima in the search area during the searching of new shortest paths. The algorithms have been applied on 23-standard test suites and 14-digital filters for verifying the performance of the algorithms. Experimental results of single and multi-objective functions have been compared in terms of best score, best maxima, average, standard deviation, execution time, occupied area and speed respectively. Furthermore, by analyzing the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with the recent algorithms for the HLS digital filters design, this can be concluded that the proposed method dominates the other two methods in HLS digital filters design. Another prominent feature of the proposed system in addition to the stated enhancement, is its rapid runtime, lowest delay, occupied area and lowest power in achieving an appropriate response. This could greatly reduce the cost of systems with broad dimensions while increasing the design speed.
Offline rTMS inhibition of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex impairs reappraisal efficacy
Authors: Wyczesany Miroslaw , Adamczyk Agnieszka K. , Hobot Justyna , Barbalinardo Giansalvo , Adamczyk Przemysław , Labaza Adam , Ligeza Tomasz S.
Published: December 2022

In this study we verified the causal role of the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in emotional regulation using a strategy of reappraisal, which involves intentionally changing the meaning of an affective event to reduce its emotional impact. Healthy participants (n = 26; mean age = 25.4) underwent three sessions of inhibitory continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) applied on three different days over the left or right DLPFC, or the vertex. After applying the stimulation protocol participants were presented with neutral and negative pictorial stimuli that had to be either passively watched or reappraised. The efficacy of emotional control was quantified using the Late Positive Potential (LPP), the neural marker of motivated attention and elaborated stimulus processing. The results showed that reappraisal was compromised after inhibitory stimulation of the right DLPFC compared to the vertex. This impairment of affective modulation was reflected in both early (350–750 ms) and late (750–1500 ms) time windows. As no session differences during the passive watching conditions were found, the decrease in reappraisal efficacy due to non-specific changes in basic perceptual processing was considered unlikely. Instead, we suggest that inhibition of the right DLPFC primarily affects the top-down mechanism of attentional deployment. This results in disturbances of attentional processes that are necessary to thoroughly elaborate the content of affective stimuli to enable their new, less negative interpretation.
Cortical and white matter anatomy relevant for the lateral and superior approaches to resect intraaxial lesions within the frontal lobe
Authors: Dziedzic Tomasz Andrzej , Bala Aleksandra , Balasa Artur , Olejnik Agnieszka , Marchel Andrzej
Published: December 2022

Despite being associated with high-order neurocognitive functions, the frontal lobe plays an important role in core neurological functions, such as motor and language functions. The aim of this study was to present a neurosurgical perspective of the cortical and subcortical anatomy of the frontal lobe in terms of surgical treatment of intraaxial frontal lobe lesions. We also discuss the results of direct brain mapping when awake craniotomy is performed. Ten adult cerebral hemispheres were prepared for white matter dissection according to the Klingler technique. Intraaxial frontal lobe lesions are approached with a superior or lateral trajectory during awake conditions. The highly eloquent cortex within the frontal lobe is identified within the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and precentral gyrus. The trajectory of the approach is mainly related to the position of the lesion in relation to the arcuate fascicle/superior longitudinal fascicle complex and ventricular system. Knowledge of the cortical and subcortical anatomy and its function within the frontal lobe is essential for preoperative planning and predicting the risk of immediate and long-term postoperative deficits. This allows surgeons to properly set the extent of the resection and type of approach during preoperative planning.
Methodological challenges in the genomic analysis of an endangered mammal population with low genetic diversity
Authors: Escoda Lídia , Hawlitschek Oliver , González-Esteban Jorge , Castresana Jose
Published: December 2022

Recently, populations of various species with very low genetic diversity have been discovered. Some of these persist in the long term, but others could face extinction due to accelerated loss of fitness. In this work, we characterize 45 individuals of one of these populations, belonging to the Iberian desman (Galemys pyrenaicus). For this, we used the ddRADseq technique, which generated 1421 SNPs. The heterozygosity values of the analyzed individuals were among the lowest recorded for mammals, ranging from 26 to 91 SNPs/Mb. Furthermore, the individuals from one of the localities, highly isolated due to strong barriers, presented extremely high inbreeding coefficients, with values above 0.7. Under this scenario of low genetic diversity and elevated inbreeding levels, some individuals appeared to be almost genetically identical. We used different methods and simulations to determine if genetic identification and parentage analysis were possible in this population. Only one of the methods, which does not assume population homogeneity, was able to identify all individuals correctly. Therefore, genetically impoverished populations pose a great methodological challenge for their genetic study. However, these populations are of primary scientific and conservation interest, so it is essential to characterize them genetically and improve genomic methodologies for their research.
A hydraulic soft microgripper for biological studies
Authors: Baghbani Kordmahale Sina , Qu Jian , Muliana Anastasia , Kameoka Jun
Published: December 2022

We have developed a microscale hydraulic soft gripper and demonstrated the handling of an insect without damage. This gripper is built on Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with the soft material casting technique to form three finger-like columns, which are placed on a circular membrane. The fingers have a length of 1.5 mm and a diameter of 300 µm each; the distance between the two fingers is 600 µm of center-to-center distance. A membrane as a 150 µm soft film is built on top of a cylindrical hollow space. Applying pressure to the interior space can bend the membrane. Bending the membrane causes the motion of opening/closing of the gripper, and as a result, the three fingers can grip an object or release it. The PDMS was characterized, and the experimental results were used later in Abaqus software to simulate the gripping motion. The range of deformation of the gripper was investigated by simulation and experiment. The result of the simulation agrees with the experiments. The maximum 543 µN force was measured for this microfluidic-compatible microgripper and it could lift a ball that weighs 168.4 mg and has a 0.5 mm diameter. Using this microgripper, an ant was manipulated successfully without any damage. Results showed fabricated device has great a potential as micro/bio manipulator.
Simulation of the inelastic deformation of porous reservoirs under cyclic loading relevant for underground hydrogen storage
Authors: Kumar Kishan Ramesh , Honorio Herminio Tasinafo , Hajibeygi Hadi
Published: December 2022

Subsurface geological formations can be utilized to safely store large-scale (TWh) renewable energy in the form of green gases such as hydrogen. Successful implementation of this technology involves estimating feasible storage sites, including rigorous mechanical safety analyses. Geological formations are often highly heterogeneous and entail complex nonlinear inelastic rock deformation physics when utilized for cyclic energy storage. In this work, we present a novel scalable computational framework to analyse the impact of nonlinear deformation of porous reservoirs under cyclic loading. The proposed methodology includes three different time-dependent nonlinear constitutive models to appropriately describe the behavior of sandstone, shale rock and salt rock. These constitutive models are studied and benchmarked against both numerical and experimental results in the literature. An implicit time-integration scheme is developed to preserve the stability of the simulation. In order to ensure its scalability, the numerical strategy adopts a multiscale finite element formulation, in which coarse scale systems with locally-computed basis functions are constructed and solved. Further, the effect of heterogeneity on the results and estimation of deformation is analyzed. Lastly, the Bergermeer test case—an active Dutch natural gas storage field—is studied to investigate the influence of inelastic deformation on the uplift caused by cyclic injection and production of gas. The present study shows acceptable subsidence predictions in this field-scale test, once the properties of the finite element representative elementary volumes are tuned with the experimental data.
Quercetin and metformin synergistically reverse endothelial dysfunction in the isolated aorta of streptozotocin-nicotinamide- induced diabetic rats
Authors: Chellian Jestin , Mak Kit-Kay , Chellappan Dinesh Kumar , Krishnappa Purushotham , Pichika Mallikarjuna Rao
Published: December 2022

The antidiabetic effects of quercetin and metformin are well known. However, their synergistic effect in reversing the symptoms of diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction remains unknown. In this study, we have investigated their synergistic effect in streptozotocin (STZ)-nicotinamide induced diabetic rats. Seventy-five rats were divided into five groups; normal control, diabetic control, treatment groups (10 mg/kg quercetin, 180 mg/kg metformin, and combined). The plasma glucose and lipid levels, liver enzymes,ex-vivostudies on aortic rings, histology of liver, kidney, pancreas, abdominal aorta and thoracic aorta, and immunohistochemical studies were carried out. The findings revealed that the combination of quercetin and metformin showed a greater antidiabetic effect than either drug, and rendered protection to the endothelium. The combination effectively reversed the hyperglycemia-induced endothelial dysfunction in diabetic rats. Furthermore, it also reversed the dysregulated expression of eNOS, 3-nitrotyrosine, VCAM-1, CD31 and SIRT-1. Overall, the present study's findings demonstrate that quercetin potentiates the activity of metformin to control the complications associated with diabetes.
Implicit motor imagery performance and cortical activity throughout the menstrual cycle
Authors: Faustino Lacerda de Souza Rafaela , Borges de Araujo Lima Luana Adalice , Almeida Silveira Mendes Thatiane Maria , Soares Brandão Daniel , Andrés Laplagne Diego , Cordeiro de Sousa Maria Bernardete
Published: December 2022

Studies show that female motor and visuospatial skills are modulated by the menstrual cycle. Implicit motor imagery, meaning the involuntary imagination of movements during a task, involves kinesthetic, visual, and spatial aspects of the corresponding action and can be investigated by using the hand laterality judgment task (HLJT). In this study we aimed to investigate whether implicit motor imagery performance and cortical activity are altered throughout the menstrual cycle, as demonstrated by motor skills in females. Thus, 31 healthy women underwent HLJT during the menstrual, follicular and luteal phases of their menstrual cycles. Right-handed participants had to recognize the laterality (right or left) of hands presented in different views (palm or back) and orientations on a computer screen. Test performance and EEG event-related potentials were analyzed. Participants performed better in the test in the follicular and luteal phases when compared to the menstrual phase, and the accuracy of the test was positively correlated with estradiol levels in the follicular phase. The difference between medial and lateral hand orientations for rotation-related negativity was significant in the medial and left parieto-occipital regions only in the follicular phase. These findings suggest positive modulating action of estradiol in performing implicit motor imagery.
Information theoretical limits for quantum optimal control solutions: error scaling of noisy control channels
Authors: Müller Matthias M. , Gherardini Stefano , Calarco Tommaso , Montangero Simone , Caruso Filippo
Published: December 2022

Accurate manipulations of an open quantum system require a deep knowledge of its controllability properties and the information content of the implemented control fields. By using tools of information and quantum optimal control theory, we provide analytical bounds (information-time bounds) to characterize our capability to control the system when subject to arbitrary sources of noise. Moreover, since the presence of an external noise field induces open quantum system dynamics, we also show that the results provided by the information-time bounds are in very good agreement with the Kofman–Kurizki universal formula describing decoherence processes. Finally, we numerically test the scaling of the control accuracy as a function of the noise parameters, by means of the dressed chopped random basis (dCRAB) algorithm for quantum optimal control.
Computational version of the correlation light-field camera
Authors: Gregory Thomas , Edgar Matthew P. , Gibson Graham M. , Moreau Paul-Antoine
Published: December 2022

Light-field cameras allow the acquisition of both the spatial and angular components of the light-field. The conventional way to perform such acquisitions leads to a strong spatio-angular resolution limitation but correlation-enabled plenoptic cameras have been introduced recently that relax this constraint. Here we use a computational version of this concept to acquire realistic light-fields images using a commercial DSLR Camera lens as an imaging system. By placing the image sensor in the focal plane of a lens, within the camera we ensure the acquisition of pure angular components together with the spatial information. We perform an acquisition presenting a high spatio-angular rays resolution obtained through a trade off of the temporal resolution. The acquisition reported is photo-realistic and the acquisition of diffraction limited features is observed with the setup. Finally, we demonstrate the refocusing abilities of the camera.
In vivo imaging of brown adipose tissue vasculature reactivity during adrenergic stimulation of non-shivering thermogenesis in mice
Authors: Garside John C. , Livingston Eric W. , Frank Jonathan E. , Yuan Hong , Branca Rosa T.
Published: December 2022

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a fat tissue specialized in heat production (non-shivering thermogenesis) and used by mammals to defend core body temperature when exposed to cold. Several studies have shown that during non-shivering thermogenesis the increase in BAT oxygen demand is met by a local and specific increase in tissue’s blood flow. While the vasculature of BAT has been extensively studied postmortem in rodents using histology, optical and CT imaging techniques, vasculature changes during stimulation of non-shivering thermogenesis have never been directly detected in vivo. Here, by using computed tomography (CT) angiography with gold nanoparticles we investigate, non-invasively, changes in BAT vasculature during adrenergic stimulation of non-shivering thermogenesis by norepinephrine, a vasoconstrictor known to mediate brown fat heat production, and by CL 316,243, a specific β3-adrenergic agonist also known to elicit BAT thermogenesis in rodents. We found that while CL 316,243 causes local vasodilation in BAT, with little impact on the rest of the vasculature throughout the body, norepinephrine leads to local vasodilation in addition to peripheral vasoconstriction. As a result, a significantly greater relative increase in BAT perfusion is observed following the injection of NE compared to CL. This study demonstrates the use of in vivo CT angiography as an effective tool in assessing vascular reactivity in BAT both qualitatively and quantitatively in preclinical studies.
Green synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial applications of silver nanoparticles as fluorescent nanoprobes for the spectrofluorimetric determination of ornidazole and miconazole
Authors: Magdy Galal , Aboelkassim Eman , El-Domany Ramadan A. , Belal Fathalla
Published: December 2022

A green and simple method was proposed for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) usingPiper cubebaseed extract as a reducing agent for the first time. The prepared Ag-NPs were characterized using different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The obtained Ag-NPs showed an emission band at 320 nm when excited at 280 nm and exhibited strong green fluorescence under UV-light. The produced Ag-NPs were used as fluorescent nanosensors for the spectrofluorimetric determination of ornidazole (ONZ) and miconazole nitrate (MIZ) based on their quantitative quenching of Ag-NPs native fluorescence. The current study introduces the first spectrofluorimetric method for the determination of the studied drugs using Ag-NPs without the need for any pre-derivatization steps. Since the studied drugs don't exhibit native fluorescent properties, the importance of the proposed study is magnified. The proposed method displayed a linear relationship between the fluorescence quenching and the concentrations of the studied drugs over the range of 5.0–80.0 µM and 20.0–100.0 µM with limits of detection (LOD) of 0.35 µM and 1.43 µM for ONZ and MIZ, respectively. The proposed method was applied for the determination of ONZ and MIZ in different dosage forms and human plasma samples with high % recoveries and low % RSD values. The developed method was validated according to ICH guidelines. Moreover, the synthesized Ag-NPs demonstrated significant antimicrobial activities against three different bacterial strains and one candida species. Therefore, the proposed method may hold potential applications in the antimicrobial therapy and related mechanism research.
Dietary iron overload enhances Western diet induced hepatic inflammation and alters lipid metabolism in rats sharing similarity with human DIOS
Authors: Fujiwara Sakura , Izawa Takeshi , Mori Mutsuki , Atarashi Machi , Yamate Jyoji , Kuwamura Mitsuru
Published: December 2022

Hepatic iron overload is often concurrent with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Dysmetabolic iron overload syndrome (DIOS) is characterized by an increase in the liver and body iron stores and metabolic syndrome components. Increasing evidences suggest an overlap between NAFLD with iron overload and DIOS; however, the mechanism how iron is involved in their pathogenesis remains unclear. Here we investigated the role of iron in the pathology of a rat model of NAFLD with iron overload. Rats fed a Western (high-fat and high-fructose) diet for 26 weeks represented hepatic steatosis with an increased body weight and dyslipidemia. Addition of dietary iron overload to the Western diet feeding further increased serum triglyceride and cholesterol, and enhanced hepatic inflammation; the affected liver had intense iron deposition in the sinusoidal macrophages/Kupffer cells, associated with nuclear translocation of NFκB and upregulation of Th1/M1-related cytokines. The present model would be useful to investigate the mechanism underlying the development and progression of NAFLD as well as DIOS, and to elucidate an important role of iron as one of the "multiple hits” factors.