bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Staphylococcus aureus enhances biofilm formation, aerotolerance, and survival of Campylobacter strains isolated from retail meats
Authors: Karki Anand B. , Ballard Kaylee , Harper Claudia , Sheaff Robert J. , Fakhr Mohamed K.
Published: July 2021

In retail meat products, Campylobacter jejuni, C. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus have been reported in high prevalence. The polymicrobial interaction between Campylobacter and other bacteria could enhance Campylobacter survival during the adverse conditions encountered during retail meat processing and storage. This study was designed to investigate the potential role of S. aureus from retail meats in enhancing the survival of Campylobacter exposed to low temperature, aerobic conditions, and biofilm formation. Results indicated that viable S. aureus cells and filter-sterilized cell-free media obtained from S. aureus prolonged the survival of Campylobacter at low temperature and during aerobic conditions. Biofilm formation of Campylobacter strains was significantly enhanced in the presence of viable S. aureus cells, but the results were inconclusive when extracts from cell-free media were used. In conclusion, the presence of S. aureus cells enhances survivability of Campylobacter strains in adverse conditions such as low temperature and aerobic conditions. Further investigations are warranted to understand the interaction between Campylobacter and S. aureus, and effective intervention strategies are needed to reduce the incidence of both foodborne pathogens in retail meat products.
miRNA-1246 in extracellular vesicles secreted from metastatic tumor induces drug resistance in tumor endothelial cells
Authors: Torii Chisaho , Maishi Nako , Kawamoto Taisuke , Morimoto Masahiro , Akiyama Kosuke , Yoshioka Yusuke , Minami Takashi , Tsumita Takuya , Alam Mohammad Towfik , Ochiya Takahiro , Hida Yasuhiro , Hida Kyoko
Published: July 2021

Tumor endothelial cells (TECs) reportedly exhibit altered phenotypes. We have demonstrated that TECs acquire drug resistance with the upregulation of P-glycoprotein (P-gp, ABCB1), contrary to traditional assumptions. Furthermore, P-gp expression was higher in TECs of highly metastatic tumors than in those of low metastatic tumors. However, the detailed mechanism of differential P-gp expression in TECs remains unclear. miRNA was identified in highly metastatic tumor extracellular vesicles (EVs) and the roles of miRNA in endothelial cell resistance were analyzed in vitro and in vivo. In the present study, we found that treatment of highly metastatic tumor-conditioned medium induced resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) with interleukin-6 (IL-6) upregulation in endothelial cells (ECs). Among the soluble factors secreted from highly metastatic tumors, we focused on EVs and determined that miR-1246 was contained at a higher level in highly metastatic tumor EVs than in low metastatic tumor EVs. Furthermore, miR-1246 was transported via the EVs into ECs and induced IL-6 expression. Upregulated IL-6 induced resistance to 5-FU with STAT3 and Akt activation in ECs in an autocrine manner. These results suggested that highly metastatic tumors induce drug resistance in ECs by transporting miR-1246 through EVs.
Entropy-based dynamic graph embedding for anomaly detection on multiple climate time series
Authors: Li Gen , Jung Jason J.
Published: July 2021

Abnormal climate event is that some meteorological conditions are extreme in a certain time interval. The existing methods for detecting abnormal climate events utilize supervised learning models to learn the abnormal patterns, but they cannot detect the untrained patterns. To overcome this problem, we construct a dynamic graph by discovering the correlation among the climate time series and propose a novel dynamic graph embedding model based on graph entropy called EDynGE to discriminate anomalies. The graph entropy measurement quantifies the information of the graphs and constructs the embedding space. We conducted experiments on synthetic datasets and real-world meteorological datasets. The results showed that EdynGE model achieved a better F1-score than the baselines by 43.2%, and the number of days of abnormal climate events has increased by 304.5 days in the past 30 years.
Prevalence of strabismus and its risk factors among school aged children: The Hong Kong Children Eye Study
Authors: Zhang Xiu Juan , Lau Yi Han , Wang Yu Meng , Kam Ka Wai , Ip Patrick , Yip Wilson W. , Ko Simon T. , Young Alvin L. , Tham Clement C. , Pang Chi Pui , Chen Li Jia , Yam Jason C.
Published: July 2021

The study aims to determine the prevalence of strabismus and its risk factors among school children in Hong Kong. This is a cross-sectional study involving 6–8 year old children from different districts in Hong Kong. 4273 children received comprehensive ophthalmological examination, cycloplegic auto-refraction, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anterior segment examination, cover/uncover test, ocular motility, and fundus examination. Demographic information, pre- and post- natal background, parental smoking status, and family history of strabismus were obtained through questionnaires. Strabismus was found among 133 children (3.11%, 95% CI 2.59–3.63%), including 117 (2.74%) exotropia and 12 (0.28%) esotropia cases (exotropia-esotropia ratio: 9.75:1). There was no significant difference in prevalence across age (6–8 years) and gender. Multivariate analysis revealed associations of strabismus with myopia (≤ − 1.00D; OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.03–2.52; P = 0.037) hyperopia (≥ + 2.00D; OR 2.49; 95% CI 1.42–4.39; P = 0.002), astigmatism (≥ + 2.00D; OR 2.32; 95% CI 1.36–3.94; P = 0.002), and anisometropia (≥ 2.00D; OR 3.21; 95% CI 1.36–7.55; P = 0.008). Other risk factors for strabismus included maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR 4.21; 95% CI 1.80–9.81; P = 0.001), family history of strabismus (OR 6.36; 95% CI 2.78–14.50, P < 0.0001) and advanced maternal age at childbirth (> 35 years; OR 1.65; CI 1.09–2.49, P = 0.018). The prevalence of strabismus among children aged 6—8 years in Hong Kong is 3.11%. Refractive errors, family history of strabismus and maternal smoking history during pregnancy are risk factors. Early correction of refractive errors and avoidance of maternal smoking during pregnancy are potentially helpful in preventing strabismus.
Bone mineral density response prediction following osteoporosis treatment using machine learning to aid personalized therapy
Authors: Tanphiriyakun Thiraphat , Rojanasthien Sattaya , Khumrin Piyapong
Published: July 2021

Osteoporosis is a global health problem for ageing populations. The goals of osteoporosis treatment are to improve bone mineral density (BMD) and prevent fractures. One major obstacle that remains a great challenge to achieve the goals is how to select the best treatment regimen for individual patients. We developed a computational model from 8981 clinical variables, including demographic data, diagnoses, laboratory results, medications, and initial BMD results, taken from 10-year period of electronic medical records to predict BMD response after treatment. We trained 7 machine learning models with 13,562 osteoporosis treatment instances [comprising 5080 (37.46%) inadequate treatment responses and 8482 (62.54%) adequate responses] and selected the best model (Random Forests with area under the receiver operating curve of 0.70, accuracy of 0.69, precision of 0.70, and recall of 0.89) to individually predict treatment responses of 11 therapeutic regimens, then selected the best predicted regimen to compare with the actual regimen. The results showed that the average treatment response of the recommended regimens was 9.54% higher than the actual regimens. In summary, our novel approach using a machine learning-based decision support system is capable of predicting BMD response after osteoporosis treatment and personalising the most appropriate treatment regimen for an individual patient.
Carbon xerogels combined with nanotubes as solid-phase extraction sorbent to determine metaflumizone and seven other surface and drinking water micropollutants
Authors: Barbosa Marta O. , Ribeiro Rui S. , Ribeiro Ana R. L. , Pereira M. Fernando R. , Silva Adrián M. T.
Published: July 2021

Carbon xerogels (CXs) were synthesized by polycondensation of resorcinol and formaldehyde, followed by thermal annealing, and subjected to hydrothermal oxidation. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridges were filled with CXs and tested for extraction of metaflumizone and other seven environmental micropollutants (acetamiprid, atrazine, isoproturon, methiocarb, carbamazepine, diclofenac, and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) before chromatographic analysis. The recoveries obtained with the pristine CX were low for most analytes, except for metaflumizone (69 ± 5%). Moreover, it was concluded that the adsorption/desorption process of the micropollutants performed better on CXs with a less acidic surface (i.e., pristine CX). Thus, cartridges were prepared with pristine CX and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in a multi-layer configuration. This reusable cartridge was able to simultaneously extract the eight micropollutants and was used to validate an analytical methodology based on SPE followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A widespread occurrence of 6/8 target compounds was observed in surface water collected in rivers supplying three drinking water treatment plants and in the resulting drinking water at the endpoint of each distribution system. Therefore, the first study employing CXs and MWCNTs as sorbent in multi-layer SPE cartridges is herein reported as a proof of concept for determination of multi-class water micropollutants.
High expression of miR-17-5p in tumor epithelium is a predictor for poor prognosis for prostate cancer patients
Authors: Stoen Maria Jenvin , Andersen S. , Rakaee M. , Pedersen M. I. , Ingebriktsen L. M. , Bremnes R. M. , Donnem T. , Lombardi A. P. G. , Kilvaer T. K. , Busund L. T. , Richardsen E.
Published: July 2021

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNA molecules, which are involved in the development of various malignancies, including prostate cancer (PCa). miR-17-5p is considered the most prominent member of the miR-17-92 cluster, with an essential regulatory function of fundamental cellular processes. In many malignancies, up-regulation of miR-17-5p is associated with worse outcome. In PCa, miR-17-5p has been reported to increase cell proliferation and the risk of metastasis. In this study, prostatectomy specimens from 535 patients were collected. Tissue microarrays were constructed and in situ hybridization was performed, followed by scoring of miR-17-5p expression on different tumor compartments. High expression of miR-17-5p in tumor epithelium was associated with biochemical failure (BF, p < 0.001) and clinical failure (CF, p = 0.019). In multivariate analyses, high miR-17-5p expression in tumor epithelial cells was an independent negative prognostic factor for BF (HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.32–2.67, p < 0.001). In vitro analyses confirmed association between overexpression of miR-17-5p and proliferation, migration and invasion in prostate cancer cell lines (PC3 and DU145). In conclusion, our study suggests that a high cancer cell expression of miR-17-5p was an independent negative prognostic factor in PCa.
Targeting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative stress attenuates nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction
Authors: Ramalingam Anand , Budin Siti Balkis , Mohd Fauzi Norsyahida , Ritchie Rebecca H. , Zainalabidin Satirah
Published: July 2021

Long-term nicotine intake is associated with an increased risk of myocardial damage and dysfunction. However, it remains unclear whether targeting mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) prevents nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. This study investigated the effects of mitoTEMPO (a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant), and resveratrol (a sirtuin activator) , on nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction. Sprague–Dawley rats were administered 0.6 mg/kg nicotine daily with 0.7 mg/kg mitoTEMPO, 8 mg/kg resveratrol, or vehicle alone for 28 days. At the end of the study, rat hearts were collected to analyze the cardiac structure, mitochondrial ROS level, oxidative stress, and inflammation markers. A subset of rat hearts was perfused ex vivo to determine the cardiac function and myocardial susceptibility to ischemia–reperfusion injury. Nicotine administration significantly augmented mitochondrial ROS level, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, fibrosis, and inflammation in rat hearts. Nicotine administration also induced left ventricular dysfunction, which was worsened by ischemia–reperfusion in isolated rat hearts. MitoTEMPO and resveratrol both significantly attenuated the adverse cardiac remodeling induced by nicotine, as well as the aggravation of postischemic ventricular dysfunction. Findings from this study show that targeting mitochondrial ROS with mitoTEMPO or resveratrol partially attenuates nicotine-induced cardiac remodeling and dysfunction.
Coronary CT angiography-based estimation of myocardial perfusion territories for coronary artery FFR and wall shear stress simulation
Authors: Hsieh Yu-Fang , Lee Chih-Kuo , Wang Weichung , Huang Yu-Cheng , Lee Wen-Jeng , Wang Tzung-Dau , Chou Cheng-Ying
Published: July 2021

This study aims to apply a CCTA-derived territory-based patient-specific estimation of boundary conditions for coronary artery fractional flow reserve (FFR) and wall shear stress (WSS) simulation. The non-invasive simulation can help diagnose the significance of coronary stenosis and the likelihood of myocardial ischemia. FFR is often regarded as the gold standard to evaluate the functional significance of stenosis in coronary arteries. In another aspect, proximal wall shear stress ($$\mathrm{{WSS}_{prox}}$$

WSS
prox

) can also be an indicator of plaque vulnerability. During the simulation process, the mass flow rate of the blood in coronary arteries is one of the most important boundary conditions. This study utilized the myocardium territory to estimate and allocate the mass flow rate. 20 patients are included in this study. From the knowledge of anatomical information of coronary arteries and the myocardium, the territory-based FFR and the $$\mathrm{{WSS}_{prox}}$$

WSS
prox

can both be derived from fluid dynamics simulations. Applying the threshold of distinguishing between significant and non-significant stenosis, the territory-based method can reach the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 0.88, 0.90, and 0.80, respectively. For significantly stenotic cases ($$\mathrm{FFR}_{m}$$

FFR
m

$$\le$$
≤
0.80), the vessels usually have higher wall shear stress in the proximal region of the lesion.
Investigating the suitability of poly tetraarylphosphonium based anion exchange membranes for electrochemical applications
Authors: Arunachalam Muthumeenal , Sinopoli Alessandro , Aidoudi Farida , Creager Stephen E. , Smith Rhett , Merzougui Belabbes , Aïssa Brahim
Published: July 2021

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are becoming increasingly common in electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems around the world (EES). Proton-/cation-exchange membranes (which conduct positive charged ions such as H+ or Na+) have historically been used in many devices such as fuel cells, electrolysers, and redox flow batteries. High capital costs and the use of noble metal catalysts are two of the current major disadvantages of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM)-based systems. AEMs may be able to overcome the limitations of conventional PEMs. As a result, polymers with anion exchange properties have recently attracted a lot of attention due to their significant benefits in terms of transitioning from a highly acidic to an alkaline environment, high kinetics for oxygen reduction and fuel oxidation in an alkaline environment, and lower cost due to the use of non-precious metals. The aim of this research was to learn more about the development of a new AEM based on poly tetraarylphosphonium ionomers (pTAP), which has high ionic conductivity, alkaline stability, thermal stability, and good mechanical properties, making it a more cost-effective and stable alternative to conventional and commercial AEMs. A simple solution casting method was used to build novel anion exchange composite membranes with controlled thicknesses using the synthesized pTAP with polysulfone (PS). To ensure their suitability for use as an electrolyte in alkaline electrochemical systems, the composite membranes were characterized using FTIR, XRD, water uptake, ionic conductivity, and alkaline stability. At 40 °C, the PS/pTAP 40/60 percent membrane had a maximum ionic conductivity of 4.2 mS/cm. The thermal and mechanical stability of the composite membranes were also examined, with no substantial weight loss observed up to 150 °C. These findings pave the way for these membranes to be used in a wide variety of electrochemical applications.
Characterizing the differences between multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and Kawasaki disease
Authors: Bar-Meir Maskit , Guri Alex , Godfrey Max E. , Shack Avram R. , Hashkes Philip J. , Goldzweig Ofra , Megged Orli
Published: July 2021

To characterize the new SARS-Co-V-2 related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) among Israeli children and to compare it with Kawasaki disease (KD). We compared, in two medical centers, the clinical and laboratory characteristics of MIS-C, KD and an intermediate group, which met the case definitions of both conditions. MIS-C patients were older, were more likely to be hypotensive, to have significant gastrointestinal symptoms, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia and to have non-coronary abnormal findings in their echocardiogram. Lymphopenia was an independent predictor of MIS-C. Most of our MIS-C patients responded promptly to corticosteroid therapy. KD incidence in both centers was similar in 2019 and 2020. Although there is clinical overlap between KD and MIS-C, these are separate entities. Lymphopenia clearly differentiates between these entities. MIS-C patients may benefit from corticosteroids as first-line therapy.
III–V nanowires on silicon (100) as plasmonic-photonic hybrid meta-absorber
Authors: Kim Hyunseok , Bae Haneui , Chang Ting-Yuan , Huffaker Diana L.
Published: July 2021

Integration of functional infrared photodetectors on silicon platforms has been gaining attention for diverse applications in the fields of imaging and sensing. Although III–V semiconductor is a promising candidate for infrared photodetectors on silicon, the difficulties in directly growing high-quality III–V on silicon and realizing functionalities have been a challenge. Here, we propose a design of III–V nanowires on silicon (100) substrates, which are self-assembled with gold plasmonic nanostructures, as a key building block for efficient and functional photodetectors on silicon. Partially gold-coated III–V nanowire arrays form a plasmonic-photonic hybrid metasurface, wherein the localized and propagating plasmonic resonances enable high absorption in III–V nanowires. Unlike conventional photodetectors, numerical calculations reveal that the proposed meta-absorber exhibits high sensitivity to the polarization, incident angle, wavelength of input light, as well as the surrounding environment. These features represent that the proposed meta-absorber design can be utilized not only for efficient infrared photodetectors on silicon but for various sensing applications with high sensitivity and functionality.
An in situ activity assay for lysyl oxidases
Authors: Wang Huilei , Poe Alan , Pak Lydia , Nandakumar Kavitha , Jandu Sandeep , Steppan Jochen , Löser Reik , Santhanam Lakshmi
Published: July 2021

The lysyl oxidase family of enzymes (LOXs) catalyze oxidative deamination of lysine side chains on collagen and elastin to initialize cross-linking that is essential for the formation of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Elevated expression of LOXs is highly associated with diverse disease processes. To date, the inability to detect total LOX catalytic function in situ has limited the ability to fully elucidate the role of LOXs in pathobiological mechanisms. Using LOXL2 as a representative member of the LOX family, we developed an in situ activity assay by utilizing the strong reaction between hydrazide and aldehyde to label the LOX-catalyzed allysine (-CHO) residues with biotin-hydrazide. The biotinylated ECM proteins are then labeled via biotin-streptavidin interaction and detected by fluorescence microscopy. This assay detects the total LOX activity in situ for both overexpressed and endogenous LOXs in cells and tissue samples and can be used for studies of LOXs as therapeutic targets.
Structural basis of inhibition of a transporter from Staphylococcus aureus, NorC, through a single-domain camelid antibody
Authors: Kumar Sushant , Athreya Arunabh , Gulati Ashutosh , Nair Rahul Mony , Mahendran Ithayaraja , Ranjan Rakesh , Penmatsa Aravind
Published: July 2021

Transporters play vital roles in acquiring antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we report the X-ray structure of NorC, a 14-transmembrane major facilitator superfamily member that is implicated in fluoroquinolone resistance in drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, at a resolution of 3.6 Å. The NorC structure was determined in complex with a single-domain camelid antibody that interacts at the extracellular face of the transporter and stabilizes it in an outward-open conformation. The complementarity determining regions of the antibody enter and block solvent access to the interior of the vestibule, thereby inhibiting alternating-access. NorC specifically interacts with an organic cation, tetraphenylphosphonium, although it does not demonstrate an ability to transport it. The interaction is compromised in the presence of NorC-antibody complex, consequently establishing a strategy to detect and block NorC and related transporters through the use of single-domain camelid antibodies.
On the forbidden graphene’s ZO (out-of-plane optic) phononic band-analog vibrational modes in fullerenes
Authors: Pedroza-Montero Jesús N. , Garzón Ignacio L. , Sauceda Huziel E.
Published: July 2021

The study of nanostructures’ vibrational properties is at the core of nanoscience research. They are known to represent a fingerprint of the system as well as to hint the underlying nature of chemical bonds. In this work, we focus on addressing how the vibrational density of states (VDOS) of the carbon fullerene family (Cn: n = 20 → 720 atoms) evolves from the molecular to the bulk material (graphene) behavior using density functional theory. We find that the fullerene’s VDOS smoothly converges to the graphene characteristic line-shape, with the only noticeable discrepancy in the frequency range of the out-of-plane optic (ZO) phonon band. From a comparison of both systems we obtain as main results that: (1) The pentagonal faces in the fullerenes impede the existence of the analog of the high frequency graphene’s ZO phonons, (2) which in the context of phonons could be interpreted as a compression (by 43%) of the ZO phonon band by decreasing its maximum allowed radial-optic vibration frequency. And 3) as a result, the deviation of fullerene’s VDOS relative to graphene may hold important thermodynamical implications, such as larger heat capacities compared to graphene at room-temperature. These results provide insights that can be extrapolated to other nanostructures containing pentagonal rings or pentagonal defects.
Diagnosing delivery capabilities on a large international nature-based solutions project
Authors: Croeser Thami , Garrard Georgia E. , Thomas Freya M. , Tran Trinh Duc , Mell Ian , Clement Sarah , Sánchez Raúl , Bekessy Sarah
Published: July 2021

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly at the centre of urban strategies to mitigate heatwaves and flooding, improve public health and restore biodiversity. However, on-ground implementation has been slow, inconsistent and often limited to demonstration sites. A broad literature consistently highlights institutional barriers as a major reason for the observed implementation gap. In this study, we developed and deployed an assessment tool to identify barriers to NBS delivery on a European Commission Horizon 2020 project spanning seven cities. We found that practitioners were effectively navigating challenges in the areas where they had significant control, including community engagement, strategy development and technical skills. The greatest barriers were outside the influence of project teams: understaffing, a lack of intra-organisational processes, and risk-averse organisational cultures. These findings emphasise that after cities embrace NBS at the strategic and political level, it is vital that executives follow through with the necessary pragmatic reforms to enable delivery.
Madden-Julian oscillation winds excite an intraseasonal see-saw of ocean mass that affects Earth’s polar motion
Authors: Afroosa M. , Rohith B. , Paul Arya , Durand Fabien , Bourdallé-Badie Romain , Sreedevi P. V. , de Viron Olivier , Ballu Valérie , Shenoi S. S. C.
Published: July 2021

Strong large-scale winds can relay their energy to the ocean bottom and elicit an almost immediate intraseasonal barotropic (depth independent) response in the ocean. The intense winds associated with the Madden-Julian Oscillation over the Maritime Continent generate significant intraseasonal basin-wide barotropic sea level variability in the tropical Indian Ocean. Here we show, using a numerical model and a network of in-situ bottom pressure recorders, that the concerted barotropic response of the Indian and the Pacific Ocean to these winds leads to an intraseasonal see-saw of oceanic mass in the Indo-Pacific basin. This global-scale mass shift is unexpectedly fast, as we show that the mass field of the entire Indo-Pacific basin is dynamically adjusted to Madden-Julian Oscillation in a few days. We find this large-scale ocean see-saw, induced by the Madden-Julian Oscillation, has a detectable influence on the Earth’s polar axis motion, in particular during the strong see-saw of early 2013.
The economic value of targeting aging
Authors: Scott Andrew J. , Ellison Martin , Sinclair David A.
Published: July 2021

Developments in life expectancy and the growing emphasis on biological and ‘healthy’ aging raise a number of important questions for health scientists and economists alike. Is it preferable to make lives healthier by compressing morbidity, or longer by extending life? What are the gains from targeting aging itself compared to efforts to eradicate specific diseases? Here we analyze existing data to evaluate the economic value of increases in life expectancy, improvements in health and treatments that target aging. We show that a compression of morbidity that improves health is more valuable than further increases in life expectancy, and that targeting aging offers potentially larger economic gains than eradicating individual diseases. We show that a slowdown in aging that increases life expectancy by 1 year is worth US$38 trillion, and by 10 years, US$367 trillion. Ultimately, the more progress that is made in improving how we age, the greater the value of further improvements.
Warming and eutrophication interactively drive changes in the methane-oxidizing community of shallow lakes
Authors: Nijman Thomas P A , Davidson Thomas A , Weideveld Stefan T J , Audet Joachim , Esposito Chiara , Levi Eti E , Ho Adrian , Lamers Leon P M , Jeppesen Erik , Veraart Annelies J
Published: July 2021

Freshwater ecosystems are the largest natural source of the greenhouse gas methane (CH4), with shallow lakes a particular hot spot. Eutrophication and warming generally increase lake CH4 emissions but their impacts on the sole biological methane sink—methane oxidation—and methane-oxidizer community dynamics are poorly understood. We used the world’s longest-running freshwater climate-change mesocosm experiment to determine how methane-oxidizing bacterial (MOB) abundance and composition, and methane oxidation potential in the sediment respond to eutrophication, short-term nitrogen addition and warming. After nitrogen addition, MOB abundance and methane oxidation potential increased, while warming increased MOB abundance without altering methane oxidation potential. MOB community composition was driven by both temperature and nutrient availability. Eutrophication increased relative abundance of type I MOB Methyloparacoccus. Warming favoured type II MOB Methylocystis over type I MOB Methylomonadaceae, shifting the MOB community from type I dominance to type I and II co-dominance, thereby altering MOB community traits involved in growth and stress-responses. This shift to slower-growing MOB may explain why higher MOB abundance in warmed mesocosms did not coincide with higher methane oxidation potential. Overall, we show that eutrophication and warming differentially change the MOB community, resulting in an altered ability to mitigate CH4 emissions from shallow lakes.
Immunoassay of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid proteins using novel red emission-enhanced carbon dot-based silica spheres
Authors: Xu Lai-Di , Zhu Jin , Ding Shou-Nian
Published: July 2021

The fluorescence enhancement of red emissive CDs and the casting of its aggregates were realized, and then, applied to the immunoassay of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid proteins.
Oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrazines and diarylamines using a polyoxomolybdate-based iron catalyst
Authors: Zhao Weizhe , Zeng Xianghua , Huang Lei , Qiu Shiqin , Xie Jingyan , Yu Han , Wei Yongge
Published: July 2021

We report a polyoxomolybdate-based iron catalyst for the efficient oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrazines and diarylamines to give azo compounds and tetraarylhydrazines, respectively, in aqueous solution.
Trends in rare earth thiophosphate syntheses: Rb3Ln(PS4)2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr), Rb3−xNaxLn(PS4)2 (Ln = Ce, Pr; x = 0.50, 0.55), and RbEuPS4 obtained by molten flux crystal growth
Authors: Breton Logan S. , Smith Mark D. , zur Loye Hans-Conrad
Published: July 2021

Crystal structures of new rubidium rare earth thiophosphates with the formulas Rb3Ln(PS4)2 (Ln = La, Ce, Pr), Rb3−xNaxLn(PS4)2 (Ln = Ce, Pr; x = 0.50, 0.55), and RbEuPS4 crystallized out of a molten RbCl flux.
Computational study on the reactivity of imidazolium-functionalized manganese bipyridyl tricarbonyl electrocatalysts [Mn[bpyMe(Im-R)](CO)3Br]+ (R = Me, Me2 and Me4) for CO2-to-CO conversion over H2 formation
Authors: Li Xiaohui , Panetier Julien A.
Published: July 2021

DFT calculations are employed to investigate the selectivity of imidazolium-functionalized manganese electrocatalysts for CO2 reduction over H2 formation, and the role of the substituents on the imidazolium moiety during catalysis.
Two new calix[4]resorcinarene-based coordination cages adjusted by metal ions for the Knoevenagel condensation reaction
Authors: Pei Wen-Yuan , Lu Bing-Bing , Yang Jin , Wang Tianqi , Ma Jian-Fang
Published: July 2021

Two new calix[4]resorcinarene-based metal-coordinated cages have been synthesized through tuning metal ions, where they featured catalytic activities for the Knoevenagel condensation reaction under solvent-free conditions.
Significant contribution of single atomic Mn implanted in carbon nanosheets to high-performance sodium–ion hybrid capacitors
Authors: Hu Xiang , Wang Genxiang , Li Junwei , Huang Junheng , Liu Yangjie , Zhong Guobao , Yuan Jun , Zhan Hongbing , Wen Zhenhai
Published: July 2021

Single Mn atoms in carbon nanosheets with compatible properties can compromise the kinetics and capacity mismatches between the anode and cathode for sodium–ion hybrid capacitors.
A catalytic approach via retro-aldol condensation of glucose to furanic compounds
Authors: Zhang Rui , Eronen Aleksi , Du Xiangze , Ma Enlu , Guo Ming , Moslova Karina , Repo Timo
Published: July 2021

The strategy for converting glucose directly to new types of furanic compounds under mild conditions is based on retro-aldol condensation followed by aldol condensation of C2 and C4 fragments with acetylacetone.
Ultra-thin g-C3N4/MFM-300(Fe) heterojunctions for photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of benzylic carbon centers
Authors: Liu Chengcheng , Luo Tian , Sheveleva Alena M. , Han Xue , Kang Xinchen , Sapchenko Sergei , Tuna Floriana , McInnes Eric J. L. , Han Buxing , Yang Sihai , Schröder Martin
Published: July 2021

In situ growth of the MFM-300(Fe) on an ultra-thin sheet of graphitic carbon nitride, formed by exfoliation using supercritical CO2, is reported. The resultant composite CNNS/MFM-300(Fe) shows excellent performance in photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of benzylic C–H groups.
A designer cell culture insert with a nanofibrous membrane toward engineering an epithelial tissue model validated by cellular nanomechanics
Authors: Kumar Prasoon , Kedaria Dhaval , Mahapatra Chinmaya , Mohandas Monisha , Chatterjee Kaushik
Published: July 2021

A designer insert was fabricated with nanofibrous membrane as a culture platform for cells of the skin and other epithelial tissues that can be useful as in vitro tissue model and for drug screening applications.
Terahertz chiral sensing and magneto-optical enhancement for ferromagnetic nanofluids in the chiral metasurface
Authors: Fan Fei , Zhong Changzhi , Zhang Ziyang , Li Shanshan , Chang Shengjiang
Published: July 2021

A double-layer chiral metasurface sensor was prepared with ferromagnetic nanofluids filled in its interval layer. The magneto-optical chiral response of ferromagnetic nanoparticles can be greatly enhanced by the localized chiral field.
Chiral 3D DNA origami structures for ordered heterologous arrays
Authors: Islam Md. Sirajul , Wilkens Gerrit David , Wolski Karol , Zapotoczny Szczepan , Heddle Jonathan Gardiner
Published: July 2021

Chiral DNA structures can tile snugly together to form regular structures that alternate between left-and right-handed forms.
Drug-loading colloidal gels assembled from polymeric nanoparticles as an anti-inflammatory platform
Authors: Yin Jinkun , Chu Yaoqing , Pan Si-Jian , Tan Lianjiang
Published: July 2021

Injectable colloidal gels shed PLA–PEG and CS nanoparticles autonomously under physiological conditions and release aspirin to inhibit inflammation.
All solution-processed silver nanowires composite silica nanospheres antireflection structure with synergetic optoelectronic performance
Authors: Tang Yuxin , Yin Wanying , Huang Yue , Zhang Ganghua , Zhao Qingbiao , Li Dezeng
Published: July 2021

The silver nanowires/SNSs AR composite TCFs have demonstrated the synergetic effect on optoelectronic performance via a facile solution method, reaching sheet resistance of 49.43 Ω sq−1 dropped by 8.66% and transmittance of 99.84% increased by 6.94%.
Large-area fabrication of superhydrophobic micro-conical pillar arrays on various metallic substrates
Authors: Pan Weihao , Wu Song , Huang Liu , Song Jinlong
Published: July 2021

The high-efficient and large-area fabrication of superhydrophobic micro-conical pillar arrays on various metallic substrates were realized using nanosecond laser ablation.
A vanadium-based oxide-nitride heterostructure as a multifunctional sulfur host for advanced Li–S batteries
Authors: Zhao Menglong , Lu Yang , Yang Ya , Zhang Mengjie , Yue Zhenjie , Zhang Ning , Peng Tao , Liu Xianming , Luo Yongsong
Published: July 2021

A yolk–shell heterostructured V2O3–VN@NC nanosphere as a multifunctional sulfur host for balancing the trapping-diffusion-conversion process of polysulfides.
Hierarchical ordering and multilayer structure of poly(ε-caprolactone) end-functionalized by a liquid crystalline unit: role of polymer crystallization
Authors: Xu Wenqing , Li Xing , Zheng Ying , Yuan Wenhua , Zhou Jian , Yu Chengtao , Bao Yongzhong , Shan Guorong , Pan Pengju
Published: July 2021

This study elucidates the role of polymer crystallization in the structural organization of LC end-functionalized polymers and offers a potential method to tune the hierarchical structures of end-functionalized polymers.
Lignin biopolymer: the material of choice for advanced lithium-based batteries
Authors: Baloch Marya , Labidi Jalel
Published: July 2021

Lignin, an aromatic polymer, offers interesting electroactive redox properties and abundant active functional groups.
Photoactive antimicrobial coating based on a PEDOT-fullerene C60 polymeric dyad
Authors: Reynoso Eugenia , Durantini Andrés M. , Solis Claudia A. , Macor Lorena P. , Otero Luis A. , Gervaldo Miguel A. , Durantini Edgardo N. , Heredia Daniel A.
Published: July 2021

A photostable and photodynamic antimicrobial surface was developed. The antimicrobial activity of the material reached outstanding levels of inactivation under different conditions: planktonic suspensions, adhered cells to the surface, and biofilms.
Absolute content determination by quantitative NMR (qNMR) spectroscopy: a curious case of aldosterone
Authors: Singh Neeraj , Taibon Judith , Pongratz Stephan , Geletneky Christian
Published: July 2021

1D/2D-NMR based extensive analyses of the real structure of aldosterone, elucidating the plausible diastereomeric hemiacetal/hemiketal tautomers and a qNMR based method of absolute content determination.
Destabilization potential of beta sheet breaker peptides on Abeta fibril structure: an insight from molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Jani Vinod , Sonavane Uddhavesh , Joshi Rajendra
Published: July 2021

Destabilzation of Abeta protofibril by Beta Sheet Breaker (BSB) peptides.
Improved polymerization and depolymerization kinetics of poly(ethylene terephthalate) by co-polymerization with 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid
Authors: Joshi Anup S. , Alipourasiabi Niloofar , Vinnakota Keerthi , Coleman Maria R. , Lawrence Joseph G.
Published: July 2021

Incorporation of the bio-based 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) in poly(ethylene terephthalate) as a copolymer (PETF) improves esterification and depolymerization kinetics due to higher solubility and acidity of FDCA in the reaction media.
Stereoselective β-mannosylations and β-rhamnosylations from glycosyl hemiacetals mediated by lithium iodide
Authors: Pongener Imlirenla , Pepe Dionissia A. , Ruddy Joseph J. , McGarrigle Eoghan M.
Published: July 2021

Breaking from the current paradigm, a highly selective synthesis of hard-to-make β-mannosides and β-rhamnosides from simple glycosyl hemi-acetals has been achieved without using conformational restrictions.
Tailoring Lewis/Brønsted acid properties of MOF nodes via hydrothermal and solvothermal synthesis: simple approach with exceptional catalytic implications
Authors: Rojas-Buzo Sergio , Bohigues Benjamin , Lopes Christian W. , Meira Débora M. , Boronat Mercedes , Moliner Manuel , Corma Avelino
Published: July 2021

The Brønsted/Lewis acid properties of Hf-MOF-808 can be tuned by simply controlling the solvent employed in its synthesis, with direct catalytic implications on the activity and selectivity of organic reactions sensitive to the active site nature.
Flocculent VS nanoparticle aggregate-modified NiCo2S4 nanograss arrays for electrocatalytic water splitting
Authors: Han Yide , Sun Siyao , Xu Junli , Zhang Xia , Wang Linshan , Xu Yan , Wu Junbiao , Wang Zhuopeng
Published: July 2021

Flocculent VS nanoparticle aggregate-modified NiCo2S4 nanorod arrays grown on a nickel foam as a electrocatalyst exhibited superior electrocatalytic performance for overall water splitting in alkaline media.
Rapid synthesis of FeS nanoparticles encapsulated with nanoporous graphitic shells for high performance sodium- and lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Sheng Zhao Min , Li Na Na , Xu Qing Mei , Hong Cheng Yang , Wu Si Yuan , Chang Cheng Kang , Han Sheng , Li Chang Ming
Published: July 2021

FeS encapsulated with nanoporous graphitic shells could avoid the large volume change caused by the insertion/extraction of Na+.
Exploring the electrocatalytic activity of cobalt disulfide nanosheets towards the hydrogen evolution reaction with in situ ECAFM
Authors: Dong Yan , Sun Hui , Liu Guangyi
Published: July 2021

CoS2 nanosheets exhibited a remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards the HER in acidic and alkaline electrolytes.
Oxygen vacant Co3O4in situ embedded on carbon spheres: cooperatively tuning electron transfer for boosted peroxymonosulfate activation
Authors: Hu Jian , Qian Binbin , Zeng Xiangkang , Qi Yu , Liu Yue , Zhang Lian , Zhang Xiwang
Published: July 2021

An oxygen vacancy (VO)-rich Co3O4@carbon composite was employed to activate peroxymonosulfate for bisphenol A degradation.
Unravelling the origin of bifunctional OER/ORR activity for single-atom catalysts supported on C2N by DFT and machine learning
Authors: Ying Yiran , Fan Ke , Luo Xin , Qiao Jinli , Huang Haitao
Published: July 2021

A group of bifunctional oxygen evolution/reduction reaction single-atom catalysts supported on C2N, is proposed. The origin of their high catalytic activity is elucidated by density functional theory calculations and machine learning modelling.
Tuning the physicochemical properties of reticular covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for biomedical applications
Authors: Liao Chunyang , Liu Sijin
Published: July 2021

The principles and strategies to tune the physicochemical properties of COFs are proposed to improve the performances of COFs and to speed up their clinical translations in biomedical applications.
A highly ordered and damage-free Ge inverted pyramid array structure for broadband antireflection in the mid-infrared
Authors: Shin Sang-Ho , Liao Yikai , Son Bongkwon , Zhao Zhi-Jun , Jeong Jun-Ho , Tan Chuan Seng , Kim Munho
Published: July 2021

A highly ordered and damage-free microscale Ge inverted pyramid array is fabricated by HF-free metal-assisted chemical etching. The inverted pyramid exhibits significant broadband antireflection properties in the mid-infrared region.
Extreme modulation of liquid crystal viscoelasticityviaaltering the ester bond direction
Authors: Tang Wentao , Deng Minghui , Kougo Junichi , Ding Li , Zhao Xiuhu , Arakawa Yuki , Komatsu Kenta , Tsuji Hideto , Aya Satoshi
Published: July 2021

Extreme modulation of macroscopic viscoelastic properties (up to about 1000 times) in asymmetric liquid crystal dimers was successfully realized by altering only the ester bond direction in molecular structure.
Complementary effect of co-doping aliovalent elements Bi and Sb in self-compensated SnTe-based thermoelectric materials
Authors: Kihoi Samuel Kimani , Shenoy U. Sandhya , Bhat D. Krishna , Lee Ho Seong
Published: July 2021

Engineering the electronic properties of SnTe through Bi and Sb co-doping to improve the thermoelectric performance.
Terahertz Raman scattering as a probe for electron–phonon coupling, disorder and correlation length in molecular materials
Authors: Salzillo Tommaso , Brillante Aldo , Girlando Alberto
Published: July 2021

Terahertz Raman spectroscopy is presented as a technique with promising new directions. We report the possibility of characterizing electron–lattice phonon coupling, disorder and correlation length in systems of low-dimensionality.
Quantum materials with strong spin–orbit coupling: challenges and opportunities for materials chemists
Authors: Browne Alexander J. , Krajewska Aleksandra , Gibbs Alexandra S.
Published: July 2021

The physics of materials with strong spin–orbit coupling is currently highly topical. Here we present an accessible outline of the chemistry of these materials, issues in determining their structure–property relationships, and opportunities afforded.
Ferromagnetic half-metallicity in YBaCo2O6 and spin-state driven metal–insulator transition
Authors: Hu Wentao , Yang Ke , Wen Xuan , Wu Hua
Published: July 2021

Spin-states: a rich parameter for tuning the material properties of cobaltates.
Grid impact and power quality assessment of wave energy parks: Different layouts and power penetrations using energy storage
Authors: Parwal Arvind , Hjalmarsson Johannes , Potapenko Tatiana , Anttila Sara , Leijon Jennifer , Kelly James , Temiz Irina , de Oliveira Janaina Goncalves , Boström Cecilia , Leijon Mats
Published: July 2021

Power fluctuations induced by wave energy converters (WECs) may reflect negative impact on the power quality of the power grid. Assessing their impact is an important step to ensure the grid compliance level of the energy park. The IEC 61000‐4‐15 standard classifies the allowable disturbances in the grid. This study analysed and assessed the grid impact in terms of flicker, harmonic distortion and voltage variations. The assessments were performed without energy storage and compared when using the energy storage. A single WEC is emulated as an irregular power output of a real WEC using a combined model of power take‐off in the Simulink model. Time series based on data obtained in earlier offshore experiments, conducted at the Lysekil research site in Sweden, is used to emulate a wave energy park (WEP) power in a land‐based test rig in real‐time power hardware‐in‐the‐loop simulations. A total of three and ten WECs are emulated by introducing a time delay in the time series to investigate the grid impact in each layout. Flicker emissions, voltage variations, individual and total harmonics of the voltage at the connection point in each layout are studied and compared with the limits to be grid compliant for layouts of the WEP. In addition, voltage and current harmonics for the single WEC and individual harmonics in each phase of the voltage are measured and analysed to assess the compliance level of the WEP.
Performance optimization of task intensive real‐time applications on multicore ECUs—A hybrid scheduler
Authors: Mishra Geetishree , Hegde Rajeshwari
Published: July 2021

In the current approach of automotive electronic system design, the multicore processors have prevailed to achieve high computing performance at low thermal dissipation. Multicore processors offer functional parallelism that helps in meeting the safety critical requirements of vehicles. The number of Electronic Control Units (ECUs) in high‐end cars could be reduced by conglomerating more functions into a multicore ECU. AUTOSAR stack has been designed to support the applications developed for multicore ECUs. The real challenges lie in adapting new design methods while developing sophisticated applications with multicore constraints. It is imperative to utilize the most of multicore computational capability towards enhancing the overall performance of ECUs. In this context, the scheduling of the real‐time multitasking software components by the operating system is one of the challenging issues to be addressed. Here, the state‐of‐the‐art scheduling algorithm is reviewed and its merits and limitations are identified. A hybrid scheduler has been proposed, tested and compared with the state‐of‐the‐art algorithm that offers better performance in terms of CPU utilization, average response time and deadline missing rate both in normal and high load conditions.
Chemulator: Fast, accurate thermochemistry for dynamical models through emulation
Authors: Holdship J. , Viti S. , Haworth T. J. , Ilee J. D.
Published: July 2021

Context. Chemical modelling serves two purposes in dynamical models: accounting for the effect of microphysics on the dynamics and providing observable signatures. Ideally, the former must be done as part of the hydrodynamic simulation but this comes with a prohibitive computational cost that leads to many simplifications being used in practice.

Aims. We aim to produce a statistical emulator that replicates a full chemical model capable of solving the temperature and abundances of a gas through time. This emulator should suffer only a minor loss of accuracy when compared to a full chemical solver and would have a fraction of the computational cost allowing it to be included in a dynamical model.

Methods. The gas-grain chemical code UCLCHEM was updated to include heating and cooling processes, and a large dataset of model outputs from possible starting conditions was produced. A neural network was then trained to map directly from inputs to outputs.

Results. Chemulator replicates the outputs of UCLCHEM with an overall mean squared error (MSE) of 1.7 × 10−4 for a single time step of 1000 yr, and it is shown to be stable over 1000 iterations with an MSE of 3 × 10−3 on the log-scaled temperature after one timzze step and 6 × 10−3 after 1000 time steps. Chemulator was found to be approximately 50 000 times faster than the time-dependent model it emulates but can introduce a significant error to some models.