bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between blood magnesium and psychomotor retardation in drug-free patients with major depression
Authors: Widmer J , Henrotte JG , Raffin Y , Mouthon D , Chollet D , Stépanian R , Bovier P
Published: July 2002

In previous reports, we have observed that blood magnesium was significantly higher in drug-free patients with major depression when compared to healthy controls. This was especially true for erythrocyte magnesium. Furthermore, the most severely depressed patients had the highest intracellular magnesium content, showing that intracellular magnesium rate was related to the intensity of symptoms. We report here the results of blood magnesium measured in 88 major depressed patients as compared to 61 controls. We show that the mean erythrocyte and also plasma magnesium contents are both increased in these patients. We observe that about 40% of male and female patients have a very significant increase (25%) in intracellular magnesium content as compared to controls. However, about 60% of the hospitalised depressed patients have normal values. None of the controls has high erythrocyte magnesium. This is less evident concerning the plasma magnesium. No differences are observed between patients when classified according to the intensity of moral pain or anxiety. In contrast, the patients with mild to high psychomotor retardation score, which is an index of hypoexcitability, have significant higher erythrocyte magnesium values compared with other patients. The results of male patients without psychomotor retardation do not differ from control values. Our study suggests that central hypoexcitability might be related to an increase in intracellular magnesium observed at the peripheral level, keeping in mind that hyperexcitability, as observed in various conditions such as stress and cardiovascular disorders, is frequently associated, in contrast, with a decrease in blood magnesium.
The trail of votes in Russia’s 1999 Duma and 2000 presidential elections
Authors: Myagkov Mikhail , Ordeshook Peter C.
Published: July 2002

Russia’s array of political parties, based largely on Moscow-centered personalities with presidential aspirations rather than coherent policy programs, continued its seemingly directionless evolution in 1999 with the appearance of two new ‘parties’—Otechestvo and Edinstvo—each designed primarily to facilitate presidential aspirations. In contrast and despite wrenching economic changes, Russia from 1991 through 1996, at least, offers the picture of a surprisingly stable electorate in which the flow of votes across elections from one party or candidate to the next follows a coherent and not altogether unpredictable pattern. Aggregate election returns suggests that this pattern persisted through the 1999 Duma balloting to the 2000 presidential election. The KPRF, as well as Yabloko, won nearly as many votes in 1999 as in 1996, while the votes lost by Our Home Is Russia, the LDPR, Lebed’s allies in 1996, and a bevy of other small and not altogether anti-reform parties nearly account for Otechestvo and Edinstvo totals. Here, however, we offer a close examination of official rayon-level election returns from both 1999 and 2000 and conclude that this picture of stability masks the importance we ought to attribute to the influence of regional governors and their abilities to direct the votes of their electorates in a nearly wholesale fashion. We argue, moreover, that this conclusion is important to the matter of reforming Russia’s institutions so as to encourage a coherent party system. Specifically, rather than focus on electoral institutional reform, we argue that the principal culprit in explaining the failure of a coherent party system to materialize is the influence of Russia’s super-presidentialism.
Thin‐Film Formation Techniques
Authors: Ruzybayev Inci , Ceylan Abdullah , Rumaiz Abdul K. , Shah Syed Ismat
Published: June 2020

Thin films are commonly utilized in industries such as electronics, packaging, decoration, and protection. The two primary techniques for thin‐film deposition include physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The selection and application of a particular technique depends on the desired properties of thin films. For example, for electronic applications where via filling is a requirement, preference is for the CVD process where gaseous precursor finds its way to all spaces, forming a uniform thin film on the whole topography. PVD techniques have limitation that the substrate surface has to be in the line of sight of the incoming flux. Contoured surfaces require special source and substrate manipulation for conformal coatings. Likewise, where large flat surface area coverage is needed, like thin films on decorative window glass, a simpler process such as PVD, both as evaporation and sputtering, is preferred over CVD. This article describes PVD and CVD techniques and their multiple variants. PVD processes, evaporation, sputtering, and pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with their variants, ion plating and high‐power impulse magnetron sputtering (HIPIMS), form the first part of the article, whereas the second part contains descriptions of CVD processes, including metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and plasma‐assisted (or enhanced) chemical vapor deposition (PACVD). Notably absent in this article are molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), a PVD process and atomic layer epitaxy (ALE), a CVD process. These are very controlled deposition processes and require sophisticated control hardware. It is this sophistication that requires MBE and ALD to be dealt separately and, therefore, not included in this article.
Adenoviruses – Infection, pathogenesis and therapy
Authors: Greber Urs F.
Published: June 2020

Both well‐known and emerging viruses increasingly affect humans and cause disease, sometimes with devastating impact on society. The viruses present in the biosphere are the top predators in the life chain, virtually without enemies, except perhaps the immune system, and harsh environmental physicochemical conditions restricting their dissemination. We know a lot about viruses, but do we know enough? This series of reviews is dedicated to adenoviruses (AdVs), a family of nonenveloped DNA viruses occurring in vertebrates, including humans. AdVs have been the focus of intense research for more than 67 years. Besides causing disease, they have immensely contributed to the advance of life sciences and medicine over the past decades. Recently, AdVs have been widely used as vehicles in gene therapy and vaccination. They continue to provide fundamental insights into virus–host interactions in cells, tissues and organisms, as well as systems and metabolic networks. This special issue of FEBS Letters presents a unique collection of 23 state‐of‐the‐art review articles by leading adenovirologists. In this prelude, I present the chapters, which provide a solid basis for further exploring the rich heritage in adenovirus molecular cell biology, structural biology, genetics, immunology, gene therapy and epidemiology. I conclude with an essential discussion of six blind spots in adenovirology.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis TetR family transcriptional regulator Rv1019 is a negative regulator of the mfd‐mazG operon encoding DNA repair proteins
Authors: Pushparajan Akhil Raj , Ramachandran Ranjit , Gopi Reji Jijimole , Ajay Kumar Ramakrishnan
Published: June 2020

Rv1019, a member of an uncharacterized tetracycline resistance regulator family of transcriptional regulators of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv, was found to be differentially expressed during dormancy and reactivation in vitro. In this study, we show that this protein binds to its own promoter and acts as a negative regulator of its own expression. It forms dimers in vitro which is essential for the DNA binding activity. We also show that Rv1019 and downstream genes Rv1020 (mfd) and Rv1021 (mazG) are cotranscribed. Constitutive expression of Rv1019 in M. smegmatis downregulated MSMEG_5423 (mfd) and MSMEG_5422 (mazG), suggesting that Rv1019 negatively regulates these downstream genes which encode key proteins involved in DNA repair. M. smegmatis expressing Rv1019 was found to be sensitive to DNA‐damaging environments, suggesting its role in regulating the DNA damage response in mycobacterium.
TERT C228T mutation in non‐malignant bladder urothelium is associated with intravesical recurrence for patients with non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Hayashi Yujiro , Fujita Kazutoshi , Nojima Satoshi , Tomiyama Eisuke , Matsushita Makoto , Koh Yoko , Nakano Kosuke , Wang Cong , Ishizuya Yu , Kato Taigo , Hatano Koji , Kawashima Atsunari , Ujike Takeshi , Uemura Motohide , Imamura Ryoichi , Morii Eiichi , Nonomura Norio
Published: June 2020

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutations are frequently found in tumors or urine from patients with urothelial carcinoma (UC). TERT promoter mutations are also detected in urine from patients with no evidence of cancer but are associated with subsequent UC development. Mutations in the TERT promoter are thought to be present in nonmalignant urothelium (NMU) during early stages of tumor formation prior to pathological change, but this has not been proven directly. In this proof‐of‐concept study, we investigated the clinical utility of TERT promoter mutation analysis in NMU of patients with non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). This single‐institute study included 53 primary tumors and 428 systematic bladder biopsy specimens from 54 patients with NMIBC. All patients underwent systematic random biopsy and transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Genomic DNA was analyzed for TERT C228T and C250T mutations using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). The association between TERT promoter mutation of NMU and bladder recurrence was examined by the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model. Of the 54 patients, 16 (29.6%) had a TERT C228T mutation and three (5.6%) had a TERT C250T mutation in NMU. Of 428 biopsy specimens, the TERT C228T mutation was detected in 9% (31/364) of normal urothelium, 27% (4/15) of urothelial dysplasia (UD), 50% (9/18) of UD suspicious for carcinoma in situ (CIS), and 58% (18/31) of CIS. During follow‐up (median: 3.7 years), 22 (40.7%) patients experienced bladder recurrence and five (9.3%) experienced disease progression. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that TERT C228T mutation in NMU was significantly associated with bladder recurrence after adjustment for cofounding factors (P = 0.0128). Thus, TERT C228T mutation was detected in NMU, which was a reliable independent prognostic factor of bladder tumor recurrence.
Upregulation of mesothelial genes in ovarian carcinoma cells is associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and the promotion of cancer cell adhesion
Authors: Ojasalu Kaire , Brehm Corinna , Hartung Kristin , Nischak Maximilian , Finkernagel Florian , Rexin Peter , Nist Andrea , Pavlakis Evangelos , Stiewe Thorsten , Jansen Julia M. , Wagner Uwe , Gattenlöhner Stefan , Bräuninger Andreas , Müller‐Brüsselbach Sabine , Reinartz Silke , Müller Rolf
Published: June 2020

A hallmark of ovarian high‐grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is its early and massive peritoneal dissemination via the peritoneal fluid. It is generally believed that tumor cells must breach the mesothelium of peritoneal organs to adhere to the underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) and initiate metastatic growth. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes are only partially understood. Here, we have analyzed 52 matched samples of spheroids and solid tumor masses (suspected primary lesions and metastases) from 10 patients by targeted sequencing of 21 loci previously proposed as targets of HGSC driver mutations. This analysis revealed very similar patterns of genetic alterations in all samples. One exception was FAT3 with a strong enrichment of mutations in metastases compared with presumed primary lesions in two cases. FAT3 is a putative tumor suppressor gene that codes for an atypical cadherin, pointing a potential role in peritoneal dissemination in a subgroup of HGSC patients. By contrast, transcriptome data revealed clear and consistent differences between tumor cell spheroids from ascites and metastatic lesions, which were mirrored by the in vitro adherence of ascites‐derived spheroids. The adhesion‐induced transcriptional alterations in metastases and adherent cells resembled epithelial–mesenchymal transition, but surprisingly also included the upregulation of a specific subset of mesothelial genes, such as calretinin (CALB2) and podoplanin (PDPN). Consistent with this finding, calretinin staining was also observed in subsets of tumor cells in HGSC metastases, particularly at the invasive tumor edges. Intriguingly, a high expression of either CALB2 or PDPN was strongly associated with a poor clinical outcome. siRNA‐mediated CALB2 silencing triggered the detachment of adherent HGSC cells in vitro and inhibited the adhesion of detached HGSC cells to collagen type I. Our data suggest that the acquisition of a mesenchymal–mesothelial phenotype contributes to cancer cell adhesion to the ECM of peritoneal organs and HGSC progression.
Pericyte‐secreted IGF2 promotes breast cancer brain metastasis formation
Authors: Molnár Kinga , Mészáros Ádám , Fazakas Csilla , Kozma Mihály , Győri Fanni , Reisz Zita , Tiszlavicz László , Farkas Attila E. , Nyúl‐Tóth Ádám , Haskó János , Krizbai István A. , Wilhelm Imola
Published: June 2020

Brain metastases are life‐threatening complications of triple‐negative breast cancer, melanoma, and a few other tumor types. Poor outcome of cerebral secondary tumors largely depends on the microenvironment formed by cells of the neurovascular unit, among which pericytes are the least characterized. By using in vivo and in vitro techniques and human samples, here we show that pericytes play crucial role in the development of metastatic brain tumors by directly influencing key steps of the development of the disease. Brain pericytes had a prompt chemoattractant effect on breast cancer cells and established direct contacts with them. By secreting high amounts of extracellular matrix proteins, pericytes enhanced adhesion of both melanoma and triple‐negative cancer cells, which might be particularly important in the exclusive perivascular growth of these tumor cells. In addition, pericytes secreted insulin‐like growth factor 2 (IGF2), which had a very significant pro‐proliferative effect on mammary carcinoma, but not on melanoma cells. By inhibiting IGF2 signaling using silencing or picropodophyllin (PPP), we could block the proliferation‐increasing effect of pericytes on breast cancer cells. Administration of PPP (a blood–brain barrier‐permeable substance) significantly decreased the size of brain tumors in mice inoculated with triple‐negative breast cancer cells. Taken together, our results indicate that brain pericytes have significant pro‐metastatic features, especially in breast cancer. Our study underlines the importance of targeting pericytes and the IGF axis as potential strategies in brain metastatic diseases.
Fruit ripening in Lycium barbarum and Lycium ruthenicum is associated with distinct gene expression patterns
Authors: Zhao Jianhua , Li Haoxia , Yin Yue , An Wei , Qin Xiaoya , Wang Yajun , Fan Yunfang , Li Yanlong , Cao Youlong
Published: June 2020

Goji berries have been used as food and medicine for millennia. Due to their high morphological similarity, fruits of two distinct species belonging to the family Solanaceae, Lycium barbarum (LB) and Lycium chinense (Chinese boxthorn), are usually marketed together as goji berries, but nearly 90% of all commercially available goji berries belong to the former species. A third closely related species, a wild perennial thorny shrub native to north‐western China, Lycium ruthenicum (LR; known as Russian box thorn, and its fruit as black wolfberry), has become a popular choice for combating soil desertification and for alleviating soil salinity/alkalinity due to its high resistance to the harsh environment of saline deserts. Despite the phylogenetic closeness of LB and LR, their fruits are very different. To identify the genes involved in these distinct phenotypes, here we studied expression patterns of 22 transcriptional regulators that may be crucial drivers of these differences during five developmental stages. BAM1 may contribute to higher sugar content in LB. High expression of BFRUCT in ripe LR is likely to be an evolutionary adaptation to fruit ripening in an arid environment. Two arogenate dehydratase paralogues, CHS and LDOX, are probably crucial elements of the mechanism by which LR accumulates much higher levels of anthocyanin. DXS2 (carotenoid accumulation in LB) and CCD4 (carotenoid degradation in ripe LR fruit) may be crucial drivers behind the much higher content of carotenoids in LB. EIL3 and ERF5 are two transcription factors that may contribute to the higher abiotic stress resilience of LR. GATA22‐like appears to have more important roles in growth than ripening in LB fruit and vice versa in LR. HAT5‐like exhibited opposite temporal patterns in two fruits: high in the 1st stage in LB and high in the 5th stage in LR. PED1 was expressed at a much lower level in LR. Finally, we hypothesise that the poorly functionally characterised SCL32 gene may play a part in the increased resistance to environmental stress of LR. We suggest that BAM1, BFRUCT, EIL3, ERF5, ADT paralogues (for functional redundancy), PED1, GATA22‐like, HAT5‐like and SCL32 warrant further functional studies.
Transthyretin increases migration and invasion of rat placental trophoblast cells
Authors: Ma Xiao‐Peng , Liu Chong‐Dong , Cao Guang‐Ming , Zhang Zhen‐Yu
Published: June 2020

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Early diagnosis of PE is currently contingent on regular prenatal physical examinations and may be facilitated by identification of novel diagnostic markers. Transthyretin (TTR), also known as prealbumin, is primarily responsible for maintaining the normal levels of thyroxine and retinol binding protein. The expression of TTR is lower in patients with severe PE as compared with healthy controls. Here, we examined the suitability of TTR as a diagnostic marker in pregnant hypertensive rats. N′‐nitro‐l‐arginine‐methylesterhydrochloride (l‐NAME) was used to generate a rat model of hypertension during pregnancy. Rat placental trophoblast cells were divided into control and TTR groups for in vitro experiments. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean blood pressure and urinary protein of hypertensive pregnant rats were higher than those of healthy pregnant rats, but these effects could be reversed by TTR treatment. There were no significant changes in blood pressure and urinary protein in healthy pregnant rats before or after TTR treatment. TTR levels in the serum and placental tissues of pregnant hypertensive rats were significantly reduced compared with those of healthy pregnant rats. Changes in placental and fetal weights in the hypertensive model could also be rescued by TTR treatment. TTR treatment significantly increased the level of matrix metalloproteinase‐2/9 in hypertensive rats. Finally, in vivo and in vitro experiments demonstrated that TTR effectively increased the migration and invasion of rat placental trophoblast cells, as well as matrix metalloproteinase‐2/9 levels in these cells. In conclusion, our data from a rat model suggest that TTR may have potential as a novel marker for PE diagnosis.
Psychophysiological Methods: Options, Uses, and Validity
Authors: Schmälzle Ralf , Grall Clare
Published: June 2020

A comprehensive understanding of media's rich effects on the mind requires a multimodal measurement approach that assesses self‐report, physiology, and behavior that values each domain—on equal footing. Psychophysiology provides theories and measures to study how media affect objective physiological responses and how physiological responses interact with media variables.
Flow
Authors: Weber René , Fisher Jacob T.
Published: June 2020

The flow construct first appeared within humanistic perspectives in psychology in the 1960s. Csikszentmihalyi's theory of human happiness, balance, and optimal experience is today known as flow theory. Flow is characterized by six specific traits: balance between an individual's skills and an activity's challenge, focused attention, temporal distortion, task enjoyment, intrinsic motivation, and the transition of an individual's mental state from self‐centeredness to self‐transcendence. Sherry introduced the flow construct to media psychological research in the early 2000s with the goal of explaining individual differences in media enjoyment. Ensuing theorizing introduced neurocognitive conceptualizations of the flow construct in the mid‐ to late 2000s with the transient hypofrontality hypothesis and the synchronization theory of flow as the two most influential conceptualizations within media psychology. Future flow research within media psychology will likely take advantage of this neurocognitive theorizing along with innovative analytical approaches within the cognitive sciences like network neuroscience.
Audience Flow and Inheritance Effects
Authors: Bowman Nicholas David
Published: June 2020

Audience flow research began as a way to explain how and why audiences moved from one media program to the next. The earliest work was rooted in a broadcast model of media content distribution, in which data suggested audiences for more popular “lead‐in” programs tended to flow into subsequent programming; the latter programs inheriting the audience from the former. Shifts in the contemporary media ecology—such as the increase in channel options and the on‐demand nature of content delivery—have diminished the importance of “lead‐in” programming and suggested that content similarity among a vast set of niche options will be critical to how audience flows are understood today.
Relational Autonomy
Authors: Oshana Marina
Published: June 2020

“Relational autonomy” is the term used to designate a variety of conceptions of personal autonomy, all of which are united in the belief that autonomous beings are, of necessity, socially situated and interdependent. They are persons whose identity‐defining beliefs, values, commitments, and reasons for action are shaped by – or, more strongly, are constituted by – the societal positions they occupy and the shared environment they inhabit. Relational theories maintain that autonomy must be conceptualized in terms of what is at issue for individuals who are situated with others in the real‐world context of moral, social, and political exchange. Accepting this means that a plausible account of autonomy must abandon the premise that autonomous agency is conceived in atomistic or individualistic terms.
Investigation of tumor and vessel motion correlation in the liver
Authors: Jupitz Sydney A. , Shepard Andrew J. , Hill Patrick M. , Bednarz Bryan P.
Published: June 2020

Intrafraction imaging‐based motion management systems for external beam radiotherapy can rely on internal surrogate structures when the target is not easily visualized. This work evaluated the validity of using liver vessels as internal surrogates for the estimation of liver tumor motion. Vessel and tumor motion were assessed using ten two‐dimensional sagittal MR cine datasets collected on the ViewRay MRIdian. For each case, a liver tumor and at least one vessel were tracked for 175 s. A tracking approach utilizing block matching and multiple simultaneous templates was applied. Accuracy of the tracked motion was calculated from the error between the tracked centroid position and manually defined ground truth annotations. The patient’s abdomen surface and diaphragm were manually annotated in all frames. The Pearson correlation coefficient (CC) was used to compare the motion of the features and tumor in the anterior–posterior (AP) and superior–inferior (SI) directions. The distance between the centroids of the features and the tumors was calculated to assess if feature proximity affects relative correlation, and the tumor range of motion was determined. Intra‐ and interfraction motion amplitude variabilities were evaluated to further assess the relationship between tumor and feature motion. The mean CC between the motion of the vessel and the tumor were 0.85 ± 0.11 (AP) and 0.92 ± 0.04 (SI), 0.83 ± 0.11 (AP) and −0.89 ± 0.06 (SI) for the surface and tumor, and 0.80 ± 0.17 (AP) and 0.94 ± 0.03 (SI) for the diaphragm and tumor. For intrafraction analysis, the average amplitude variability was 2.47 ± 0.77 mm (AP) and 3.14 ± 1.49 mm (SI) for the vessels, 2.70 ± 1.08 mm (AP) and 3.43 ± 1.73 mm (SI) for the surface, and 2.76 ± 1.41 mm (AP) and 2.91 ± 1.38 mm (SI) for the diaphragm. No relationship between distance and motion correlation was observed. The motion of liver tumors and liver vessels was well correlated, making vessels a suitable surrogate for tumor motion in the liver.
The predictive validity of belief in future occurrence
Authors: D'Argembeau Arnaud , Garcia Jimenez Claudia
Published: June 2020

Prospection is associated, in varying degrees, with a sense that imagined events will (or will not) happen in the future—referred to as belief in future occurrence. The present research investigated to what extent this belief is justified and predicts the actual occurrence of events in the future. In two studies, participants rated their belief in the future occurrence of events imagined to happen in the coming month (Study 1) or week (Study 2), and the actual occurrence of events was then assessed. Results showed that the odds of event occurrence were about 2 times higher with an increase of 1 unit on the belief scale. Belief was particularly pronounced for temporally close events and was largely determined by the congruence of events with autobiographical knowledge. These results suggest that belief in future occurrence has some truth value and may inform decisions and actions.
Electro‐Optic Upconversion in van der Waals Heterostructures via Nonequilibrium Photocarrier Tunneling
Authors: Linardy Eric , Trushin Maxim , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Eda Goki
Published: June 2020

Ultrafast interlayer charge transfer is one of the most distinct features of van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. Its dynamics competes with carrier thermalization such that the energy of nonthermalized photocarriers may be harnessed by band engineering. In this study, nonthermalized photocarrier energy is harnessed to achieve near‐infrared (NIR) to visible light upconversion in a metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) vdW heterostructure tunnel diode consisting of few‐layer graphene (FLG), hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and monolayer tungsten disulfide (WS2). Photoexcitation of the electrically biased heterostructure with 1.58 eV NIR laser in the linear absorption regime generates emission from the ground exciton state of WS2, which corresponds to upconversion by ≈370 meV. The upconversion is realized by electrically assisted interlayer transfer of nonthermalized photoexcited holes from FLG to WS2, followed by formation and radiative recombination of excitons in WS2. The photocarrier transfer rate can be described by Fowler–Nordheim tunneling mechanism and is electrically tunable by two orders of magnitude by tuning voltage bias applied to the device. This study highlights the prospects for realizing novel electro‐optic upconversion devices by exploiting electrically tunable nonthermalized photocarrier relaxation dynamics in vdW heterostructures.
Ligand Diffusion Enables Force‐Independent Cell Adhesion via Activating α5β1 Integrin and Initiating Rac and RhoA Signaling
Authors: Yu Leixiao , Hou Yong , Xie Wenyan , Camacho Jose Luis Cuellar , Cheng Chong , Holle Andrew , Young Jennifer , Trappmann Britta , Zhao Weifeng , Melzig Matthias F. , Cavalcanti‐Adam Elisabetta A. , Zhao Changsheng , Spatz Joachim P. , Wei Qiang , Haag Rainer
Published: June 2020

Cells reside in a dynamic microenvironment in which adhesive ligand availability, density, and diffusivity are key factors regulating cellular behavior. Here, the cellular response to integrin‐binding ligand dynamics by directly controlling ligand diffusivity via tunable ligand–surface interactions is investigated. Interestingly, cell spread on the surfaces with fast ligand diffusion is independent of myosin‐based force generation. Fast ligand diffusion enhances α5β1 but not αvβ3 integrin activation and initiates Rac and RhoA but not ROCK signaling, resulting in lamellipodium‐based fast cell spreading. Meanwhile, on surfaces with immobile ligands, αvβ3 and α5β1 integrins synergistically initiate intracellular‐force‐based canonical mechanotransduction pathways to enhance cell adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. These results indicate the presence of heretofore‐unrecognized pathways, distinct from canonical actomyosin‐driven mechanisms, that are capable of promoting cell adhesion.
Recent Advances in Solid‐State Lighting Devices Using Transition Metal Complexes Exhibiting Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Emission Mechanism
Authors: Mahoro Gilbert Umuhire , Fernandez‐Cestau Julio , Renaud Jean‐Luc , Coto Pedro B. , Costa Rubén D. , Gaillard Sylvain
Published: June 2020

This review focuses on the state‐of‐the‐art of solid‐state lighting devices (SSLDs)—that is, organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) and light‐emitting electrochemical cells (LECs)—prepared with transition metal complexes featuring thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) mechanism. First, the TADF mechanism is briefly introduced, as well as the experimental and theoretical methods applied to study TADF in transition metal complexes. Second, the review presents an exhaustive overview of OLED and LEC devices incorporating organometallic TADF emitters. For each type of device, the description of TADF is organized by respective elements focusing on each emission color, that is, blue, green/yellow, orange/red and, if existing, white. Finally, insights and future potential development of organometallic TADF emitters for lighting devices are comprehensively discussed. Overall, this review complements recent ones focused on TADF small molecules applied to the SSLD field.
Quantum Ring in a Magnetic Field: High Harmonic Generation and NOT Logic Gate
Authors: Cricchio Dario , Fiordilino Emilio
Published: June 2020

The effect of a static magnetic field on the high harmonic generation (HHG) from a quantum ring driven by one laser polarized along the x‐axis is studied. The spin polarization and the temporal emission of the harmonics are studied by varying the intensity of the magnetic field and it is shown how these results have a significant technological impact in computer technology; in fact a boolean algebra can be implemented by assigning 0 and 1 values to low and high pulse intensities of the emitted harmonics and logic gates like the NOT can be created.
Fully Integrated, Stretchable, Wireless Skin‐Conformal Bioelectronics for Continuous Stress Monitoring in Daily Life
Authors: Kim Hojoong , Kim Yun‐Soung , Mahmood Musa , Kwon Shinjae , Zavanelli Nathan , Kim Hee Seok , Rim You Seung , Epps Fayron , Yeo Woon‐Hong
Published: June 2020

Stress is one of the main causes that increase the risk of serious health problems. Recent wearable devices have been used to monitor stress levels via electrodermal activities on the skin. Although many biosensors provide adequate sensing performance, they still rely on uncomfortable, partially flexible systems with rigid electronics. These devices are mounted on either fingers or palms, which hinders a continuous signal monitoring. A fully‐integrated, stretchable, wireless skin‐conformal bioelectronic (referred to as “SKINTRONICS”) is introduced here that integrates soft, multi‐layered, nanomembrane sensors and electronics for continuous and portable stress monitoring in daily life. The all‐in‐one SKINTRONICS is ultrathin, highly soft, and lightweight, which overall offers an ergonomic and conformal lamination on the skin. Stretchable nanomembrane electrodes and a digital temperature sensor enable highly sensitive monitoring of galvanic skin response (GSR) and temperature. A set of comprehensive signal processing, computational modeling, and experimental study provides key aspects of device design, fabrication, and optimal placing location. Simultaneous comparison with two commercial stress monitors captures the enhanced performance of SKINTRONICS in long‐term wearability, minimal noise, and skin compatibility. In vivo demonstration of continuous stress monitoring in daily life reveals the unique capability of the soft device as a real‐world applicable stress monitor.
Fabrication and Operating Mechanism of Deep‐UV Transparent Semiconducting SrSnO3‐Based Thin Film Transistor
Authors: Wei Mian , Gong Lizhikun , Liang Dou‐dou , Cho Hai Jun , Ohta Hiromichi
Published: June 2020

Thin film transistors (TFT) with deep‐UV transparency are a promising component for next‐generation optoelectronics such as biosensors. Among several deep‐UV transparent oxide semiconductors, SrSnO3 is an excellent candidate material owing to its wide band gap (≈4.6 eV) and rather high carrier electron mobility. Herein, fabrication and operation mechanism of the SrSnO3‐TFT is shown. A metal–insulator‐semiconductor structure is fabricated on a 28 nm‐thick SrSnO3 film. The resultant TFT shows clear transistor characteristics; the on‐to‐off current ratio is ≈102, the threshold voltage is ≈−18 V, and the field‐effect mobility is ≈14 cm2 V−1 s−1. The effective thickness of the electron channel gradually increases with gate voltage and saturates at ≈5 nm, which is evaluated by the thermopower modulation. The present results will be helpful for utilizing deep‐UV transparent TFTs for biosensing applications.
Iridium‐Catalyzed α‐Alkylation of Arylacetonitriles Using Secondary and Primary Alcohols
Authors: Kong Ying‐Ying , Wang Zhong‐Xia
Published: June 2020

In the presence of NaOtBu, [Cp*IrCl2]2‐catalyzed reaction of arylacetonitriles with secondary alcohols was performed to yield α‐monoalkylation products of arylacetonitriles. The catalyst and conditions also suited for the α‐monoalkylation of arylacetonitriles with primary alcohols.
Necroptosis Induced by Ruthenium(II) Complexes as Dual Catalytic Inhibitors of Topoisomerase I/II
Authors: Xiong Kai , Qian Chen , Yuan Yixian , Wei Lin , Liao Xinxing , He Liting , Rees Thomas W. , Chen Yu , Wan Jian , Ji Liangnian , Chao Hui
Published: June 2020

Inducing necroptosis in cancer cells is an effective approach to circumvent drug‐resistance. Metal‐based triggers have, however, rarely been reported. Ruthenium(II) complexes containing 1,1‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl)pyreno[4,5‐e][1,2,4]triazine were developed with a series of different ancillary ligands (Ru1‐7). The combination of the main ligand with bipyridyl and phenylpyridyl ligands endows Ru7 with superior nucleus‐targeting properties. As a rare dual catalytic inhibitor, Ru7 effectively inhibits the endogenous activities of topoisomerase (topo) I and II and kills cancer cells by necroptosis. The cell signaling pathway from topo inhibition to necroptosis was elucidated. Furthermore, Ru7 displays significant antitumor activity against drug‐resistant cancer cells in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, Ru7 is the first Ru‐based necroptosis‐inducing chemotherapeutic agent.
Spin Filtering Along Chiral Polymers
Authors: Mishra Suryakant , Mondal Amit Kumar , Smolinsky Eilam Z. B. , Naaman Ron , Maeda Katsuhiro , Nishimura Tatsuya , Taniguchi Tsuyoshi , Yoshida Takumu , Takayama Kokoro , Yashima Eiji
Published: June 2020

Spin‐dependent conduction and polarization in chiral polymers were studied for polymers organized as self‐assembled monolayers with conduction along the polymer backbone, namely, along its longer axis. Large spin polarization and magnetoresistance effects were observed, showing a clear dependence on the secondary structure of the polymer. The results indicate that the spin polarization process does not include spin flipping and hence it results from backscattering probabilities for the two spin states.
Cloud‐based archived metabolomics data: A resource for in‐source fragmentation/annotation, meta‐analysis and systems biology
Authors: Palermo Amelia , Huan Tao , Rinehart Duane , Rinschen Markus M. , Li Shuzhao , O'Donnell Valerie B. , Fahy Eoin , Xue Jingchuan , Subramaniam Shankar , Benton H. Paul , Siuzdak Gary
Published: June 2020

Archived metabolomics data represent a broad resource for the scientific community. However, the absence of tools for the meta‐analysis of heterogeneous data types makes it challenging to perform direct comparisons in a single and cohesive workflow. Here, we present a framework for the meta‐analysis of metabolic pathways and interpretation with proteomic and transcriptomic data. This framework facilitates the comparison of heterogeneous types of metabolomics data from online repositories (eg, XCMS Online, Metabolomics Workbench, GNPS, and MetaboLights) representing tens of thousands of studies, as well as locally acquired data. As a proof of concept, we apply the workflow for the meta‐analysis of (a) independent colon cancer studies, further interpreted with proteomics and transcriptomics data, (b) multimodal data from Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment studies, demonstrating its high‐throughput capability for the systems level interpretation of metabolic pathways. Moreover, the platform has been modified for improved knowledge dissemination through a collaboration with Metabolomics Workbench and LIPID MAPS. We envision that this meta‐analysis tool combined with our in‐source fragmentation/annotation (ISA) technology will help overcome the primary bottleneck in analyzing diverse datasets and facilitate the full exploitation of archival metabolomics data for addressing a broad array of questions in metabolism research and systems biology.
Flame‐retardant behavior and protective layer effect of phosphazene‐triazine bi‐group flame retardant on polycarbonate
Authors: Chen Yajun , Wu Xingde , Qian Lijun
Published: June 2020

A series of flame‐retardant polycarbonate (PC) composites with different ratios of phosphazene‐triazine bi‐group flame retardant (A3) were prepared. The flame retardant performance and thermal stability of PC/A3 composites were characterized by LOI, UL 94 vertical burning test, cone calorimetry test and TG. Results show that when the addition of A3 is 13.5%, the PC/A3 composite can pass UL94 V‐0 level with a LOI value of 29.3% and reduce the peak heat release rate by 47.5% during the combustion. TG results show that adding 5% A3 can increase the initial decomposition temperature of the PC by 7°C in nitrogen and 9°C in air. Investigation of the morphology and chemical structure of char residue demonstrates that A3 promotes the formation of more complete and compact char residue which acts as physical barriers to inhibit the transfer of heat and oxygen, resulting the good flame retardant properties. The analysis of gaseous pyrolysis product reveals that A3 also exerts a flame‐retardant effect in gas phase by releasing PO· free radicals.
Effect of including a hydrophobic comonomer on the rheology of an acrylamide‐acrylic acid based copolymer
Authors: Juárez Data Roger M. , Mattea Facundo , Strumia Miriam C. , Milanesio Juan M.
Published: June 2020

Synthesis and design of polymer systems based on acrylamide for enhanced oil recovery (EOR) is essential for reservoirs with high salinity and high temperature conditions. The use of associative monomers or the modification of the polymers with hydrophobic functional groups represents a promising alternative that extends the use of chemical EOR. In this study, terpolymers based on acrylamide, acrylic acid and butyl methacrylate were synthesized and the rheological properties of aqueous solutions of the obtained polymers at different pH values, and salt concentrations were evaluated. The results show that at alkaline conditions the viscosity of aqueous solutions of a polymer synthesized with 68.6 wt% of acrylamide, 22.9 wt% of acrylic acid and 8.6 wt% of butyl methacrylate increases by a factor of more than 1,000 at a 3 wt% concentration. Also, all polymers with the hydrophobic modification showed higher viscosity in saline solutions compared to their acrylamide‐acrylic acid analogue.
A Novel Li+‐Conducting Polymer Membrane Gelled by Fluorine‐Free Electrolyte Solutions for Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Navarra Maria Assunta , Tsurumaki Akiko , Vitucci Francesco Maria , Paolone Annalisa , Palumbo Oriele , Panero Stefania
Published: June 2020

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs), composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF), a ternary solvent of ethylene carbonate : propylene carbonate : dimethyl carbonate, and LiBOB, which are characterized by a novel composition with a fluorine‐free lithium salt, are here proposed. GPEs were firstly prepared through a solution casting procedure using the ternary carbonate solution as a solvent (named ex situ prepared membranes), and then activated by being immersed in a 0.7 M LiBOB‐carbonate solution. Fundamental characterizations, including thermal, spectroscopical, mechanical, and electrochemical analyses, were carried out and compared before and after the activation. GPEs, having the same composition, were also prepared by using a novel procedure (named in situ prepared membranes), involving the formation of PVdF membrane and its activation by the LiBOB electrolyte, as well as subsequent electrochemical characterizations, in the same T‐shape cell. Thus prepared lithium‐ion batteries, employing Sn−C and LiFePO4 electrodes, were demonstrated to exhibit a high capacity of 150 mAh g−1 through the course of cycling.
Joint modeling of interval counts of recurrent events and death
Authors: Böhnstedt Marie , Putter Hein , Dańko Aleksandra , Dańko Maciej J. , Gampe Jutta
Published: June 2020

When a recurrent event process is ended by death, this may imply dependent censoring if the two processes are associated. Such dependent censoring would have to be modeled to obtain a valid inference. Moreover, the dependence between the recurrence process and the terminal event may be the primary topic of interest. Joint frailty models for recurrent events and death, which include a separate dependence parameter, have been proposed for exactly observed recurrence times. However, in many situations, only the number of events experienced during consecutive time intervals are available. We propose a method for estimating a joint frailty model based on such interval counts and observed or independently censored terminal events. The baseline rates of the two processes are modeled by piecewise constant functions, and Gaussian quadrature is used to approximate the marginal likelihood. Covariates can be included in a proportional rates setting. The observation intervals for the recurrent event counts can differ between individuals. Furthermore, we adapt a score test for the association between recurrent events and death to the setting in which only individual interval counts are observed. We study the performance of both approaches via simulation studies, and exemplify the methodology in a biodemographic study of the dependence between budding rates and mortality in the species Eleutheria dichotoma.
Systematic screening and characterization of absorbed constituents and in vivo metabolites in rats after oral administration of Rhizoma coptidis using UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS
Authors: Feng Xinchi , Wang Kun , Hu Xintong , Chai Liwei , Cao Shijie , Ding Liqin , Qiu Feng
Published: June 2020

Rhizoma coptidis has been used for a long time in China owing to its anti‐bacterial, anti‐diabetes, anti‐hyperlipidemia and anti‐obesity activities. However, the in vivo biotransformation of Rhizoma coptidis is still unclear to date. In this study, a three‐step strategy using UPLC‐Q‐TOF/MS was applied to clarify the in vivo absorbed constituents and metabolites in rats after oral administration of Rhizoma coptidis. First, alkaloids in Rhizoma coptidis extract were identified. Second, six abundant alkaloids (berberine, palmatine, coptisine, epiberberine, jatrorrhizine, and columbamine) were selected as representative prototypes and the metabolic fates of them in rats were investigated to obtain a database of Rhizoma coptidis‐derived metabolites. Finally, the metabolic profiles of Rhizoma coptidis were fully elucidated based on the above‐mentioned results. In summary, 29 alkaloids were identified in Rhizoma coptidis, and a database of Rhizoma coptidis‐derived metabolites was obtained with 144 characterized metabolites. A total of 89 xenobiotics including 12 absorbed constituents and 77 metabolites were identified in dosed rat biosamples. Major metabolic pathways of Rhizoma coptidis were hydroxylation, reduction, methylation, demethylation, demethylenation, desaturation, glucuronidation and sulfation. This is the first systematic study on the in vivo absorbed constituents and metabolic profiling of Rhizoma coptidis and will be beneficial for its further studies.
Antibacterial Mechanism of Curcumin: A Review
Authors: Zheng Dantong , Huang Chongxing , Huang Haohe , Zhao Yuan , Khan Muhammad Rafi Ullah , Zhao Hui , Huang Lijie
Published: June 2020

Curcumin is a plant‐derived polyphenolic active substance with broad‐spectrum antibacterial properties. Curcumin blocks bacterial growth owing to its structural characteristics and the generation of antioxidation products. Curcumin can inhibit bacterial virulence factors, inhibit bacterial biofilm formation and prevent bacterial adhesion to host receptors through the bacterial quorum sensing regulation system. As a photosensitizer, curcumin acts under blue light irradiation to induce phototoxicity and inhibit bacterial growth. Moreover, it can exert a synergistic antibacterial effect with other antibacterial substances. In this review, we summarize the research progress on the antibacterial mechanism of curcumin based on five targeting structures and two modes of action. Our discussion provides a theoretical basis and technical foundation for the development and application of natural antibacterial agents.
Probing the Compatibility of an Enzyme‐Linked Immunosorbent Assay toward the Reprogramming of Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetase Adenylation Domains
Authors: Ishikawa Fumihiro , Nohara Maya , Takashima Katsuki , Tanabe Genzoh
Published: June 2020

An important challenge in natural product biosynthesis is the biosynthetic design and production of artificial peptides. One of the most promising strategies is reprogramming adenylation (A) domains to expand the substrate repertoire of nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs). Therefore, the precise detection of subtle structural changes in the substrate binding pockets of A domains might accelerate their reprogramming. Here we show that an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a combination of small‐molecule probes can detect the effects of substrate binding pocket residue substitutions in A‐domains. When coupled with a set of aryl acid A‐domain variants (total of nine variants), the ELISA can analyze the subtle differences in their active‐site architectures. Furthermore, the ELISA‐based screening was able to identify the variants with substrate binding pockets that accepted a non‐cognate substrate from an original pool of 45. These studies demonstrate that ELISA is a reliable platform for providing insights into the active‐site properties of A‐domains and can be applied for the reprogramming of NRPS A‐domains.