bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lichens and microbial syntrophies offer models for an interdependent route to multicellularity
Authors: Libby Eric , Ratcliff William C.
Published: July 2021

The evolution of multicellularity paved the way for significant increases in biological complexity. Although multicellularity has evolved many times independently, we know relatively little about its origins. Directed evolution is a promising approach to studying early steps in this major transition, but current experimental systems have examined only a subset of the possible evolutionary routes to multicellularity. Here we consider egalitarian routes to multicellularity, in which unrelated unicellular organisms evolve to become a multicellular organism. Inspired by microbial syntrophies and lichens, we outline three such routes from a system of different species to an interdependent relationship that replicates. We compare these routes to contemporary experimental systems and consider how physical structure, the threat of invasion, division of labour and co-transmission affect their evolution.
Phylogenetic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 lineage development across the first and second waves in Eastern Germany in 2020: insights into the cause of the second wave
Authors: Yi Buqing , Poetsch Anna R. , Stadtmüller Marlena , Rost Fabian , Winkler Sylke , Dalpke Alexander H.
Published: July 2021

In Germany, Eastern regions had a mild first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from March to May 2020, but were badly hit by a second wave later in autumn and winter. It is unknown how the second wave was initiated and developed in Eastern Germany where the number of COVID-19 cases was close to zero in June and July 2020. We used genomic epidemiology to investigate the dynamic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage development across the first and second waves in Eastern Germany. With detailed phylogenetic analyses we could show that SARS-CoV-2 lineages prevalent in the first and second waves in Eastern Germany were different, with several new variants including four predominant lineages in the second wave, having been introduced into Eastern Germany between August and October 2020. The results indicate that the major driving force behind the second wave was the introduction of new variants.
Saliva detection of SARS-CoV-2 for mitigating company outbreaks: a surveillance experience, Milan, Italy, March 2021
Authors: Ottaviano Emerenziana , Parodi Chiara , Borghi Elisa , Massa Valentina , Gervasini Cristina , Centanni Stefano , Zuccotti Gianvincenzo ,   LollipopStudy Group, Bianchi Silvia
Published: July 2021

Monitoring the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) community-wide transmission with a suitable and effective sampling method would be of great support for public health response to the spreading due to asymptomatic subjects in the community.

Here, we describe how using saliva samples for SARS-CoV-2 detection has allowed for a weekly surveillance of a small business company and the early detection of coronavirus disease 2019 cases.

As on 23rd March, two cases were detected and investigated, and control measures were rapidly applied.
Charting elimination in the pandemic: a SARS-CoV-2 serosurvey of blood donors in New Zealand
Authors: Carlton Lauren H. , Chen Tiffany , Whitcombe Alana L. , McGregor Reuben , Scheurich Greg , Sheen Campbell R. , Dickson James M. , Bullen Chris , Chiang Annie , Exeter Daniel J. , Paynter Janine , Baker Michael G. , Charlewood Richard , Moreland Nicole J.
Published: July 2021

New Zealand has a strategy of eliminating SARS-CoV-2 that has resulted in a low incidence of reported coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to describe the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in New Zealand via a nationwide serosurvey of blood donors. Samples (n = 9806) were collected over a month-long period (3 December 2020–6 January 2021) from donors aged 16–88 years. The sample population was geographically spread, covering 16 of 20 district health board regions. A series of Spike-based immunoassays were utilised, and the serological testing algorithm was optimised for specificity given New Zealand is a low prevalence setting. Eighteen samples were seropositive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, six of which were retrospectively matched to previously confirmed COVID-19 cases. A further four were from donors that travelled to settings with a high risk of SARS-CoV-2 exposure, suggesting likely infection outside New Zealand. The remaining eight seropositive samples were from seven different district health regions for a true seroprevalence estimate, adjusted for test sensitivity and specificity, of 0.103% (95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.12%). The very low seroprevalence is consistent with limited undetected community transmission and provides robust, serological evidence to support New Zealand's successful elimination strategy for COVID-19.
Food for teens: how social media is associated with adolescent eating outcomes
Authors: Qutteina Yara , Hallez Lotte , Raedschelders Maxime , De Backer Charlotte , Smits Tim
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To assess the relationship between exposure to social media food messages and self-reported adolescent eating outcomes (including food intake, perceived norms and food literacy).

Design:

A cross-sectional survey was used to assess reported exposure to core and non-core food messages (including marketing messages) on social media, as well as reported food intake, perceived norms, food literacy, attitudes, self-regulation, among others.

Setting:

18 secondary schools across Flanders, Belgium.

Participants:

1002 adolescents 11–19 years of age.

Results:

Self-reported exposure to food marketing and overall food messages on social media was positively associated with eating attitudes, behaviours, perceived norms and food literacy among adolescents. Interestingly, the relationship between food exposure and intake was shaped differently depending on food type; descriptive norms mediated the positive relationship between non-core food social media exposure and non-core food intake (e.g. indirect effect estimate on self-reported sweets consumption is 0·005,se0·002,P< 0·01), while food literacy mediated the positive relationship between core food social media exposure and core food intake (e.g. indirect effect estimate on self-reported vegetable consumption is 0·01,se0·003,P< 0·000).

Conclusions:

This study highlights the significance of social media in relation to adolescent eating. There is an opportunity for health professionals to use social media in the promotion of core food among adolescents. We call for relevant policy actions to regulate the marketing of non-core food to adolescents on social media.
Relationships of beverage consumption and actigraphy-assessed sleep parameters among urban-dwelling youth from Mexico
Authors: Jansen Erica C , Corcoran Kathleen , Perng Wei , Dunietz Galit L , Cantoral Alejandra , Zhou Ling , Téllez-Rojo Martha M , Peterson Karen E
Published: July 2021

Objective:

To examine whether usual beverage intake was associated with sleep timing, duration and fragmentation among adolescents.

Design:

Usual beverage intake was assessed with a FFQ. Outcomes included sleep duration, midpoint (median of bed and wake times) and fragmentation, assessed with 7-d actigraphy. Sex-stratified linear regression was conducted with sleep characteristics as separate outcomes and quantiles of energy-adjusted beverage intake as exposures, accounting for age, maternal education, physical activity and smoking.

Setting:

Mexico City.

Participants:

528 adolescents residing in Mexico City enrolled in a longitudinal cohort.

Results:

The mean age (sd) was 14·4 (2·1) years; 48 % were male. Among males, milk and water consumption were associated with longer weekday sleep duration (25 (95 % CI 1, 48) and 26 (95 % CI 4, 47) more minutes, in the 4th compared to the 1st quartile); and higher 100 % fruit juice consumption was related to earlier weekday sleep timing (−22 (95 % CI −28, 1) minutes in the 1st compared to the last quantile; P = 0·03). Among females, soda was associated with higher sleep fragmentation (1·6 (95 % CI 0·4, 2·8) % in the 4th compared to the 1st), and coffee/tea consumption was related to shorter weekend sleep duration (−23 (95 % CI −44, 2) minutes in the 4th compared to the 1st).

Conclusions:

Among females, adverse associations with sleep were observed for caffeinated drinks, while males with higher consumption of healthier beverage options (water, milk and 100 % juice) had evidence of longer and earlier-timed sleep. Potential mechanisms involving melatonin and tryptophan should be further investigated.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the production of cereals and livestock across high-, middle- and low-income countries
Authors: Gani Azmat
Published: July 2021

This study examines the effect of cereal and livestock production-induced greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) across high-, middle- and low-income countries from 2002 to 2016. A structural equation formulated within an environmental modeling framework is tested using the balanced panel-corrected standard errors estimation procedure. The findings showed that total food production is strongly correlated with methane and nitrous oxide in high-income countries and nitrous oxide emissions in middle-income countries. After disaggregating total food production into cereal and livestock production, the findings revealed that cereal production is positively and statistically significantly correlated with nitrous oxide emissions in high- and middle-income countries. The findings also confirmed that livestock production is positively and statistically significantly correlated with methane and nitrous oxide emissions in high-income countries. Incomes, industrial expansion, forest cover and education are other strong common determinants of GHGs in all three income categories of countries. The prime policy implication of this finding is the need for the food producers to transit toward environmentally cleaner and sustainable food production systems that mitigate GHGs and improve environmental performance and comply with the broader objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 12, 13 and 15 (United Nations, 2015a, p. 3) relating to sustainable production, climate action and life on land, respectively.
ReversePetrogen: A Multiphase Dry Reverse Fractional Crystallization‐Mantle Melting Thermobarometer Applied to 13,589 Mid‐Ocean Ridge Basalt Glasses
Authors: Brown Krein S. , Molitor Z. J. , Grove T. L.
Published: July 2021

We present a new algorithm, ReversePetrogen (RevPet), to infer mantle melting conditions (pressure, temperature, source composition) using evolved basalts that have experienced multiphase fractional crystallization. RevPet measures and minimizes the compositional distance between experimentally predicted phase saturation boundaries and an erupted basalt and the more primitive liquids that return it to a primary melt. We use RevPet to investigate mantle melting conditions at mid‐ocean ridges (MORs) using a global data set of 13,589 basaltic glasses. We find that their average apparent mantle potential temperature (TP*) is 1322°C ± 56°C with melting pressures of 13.0 ± 5 kbars. Inferring the true initial (pre‐melted) TP from TP* requires knowing the style and degree of melting of the input basalts. If MORB glasses were entirely produced by near‐fractional melting of a homogenous source, they would record the cooling of the mantle during melting from an initial TP = ∼1380°C (ΔTP = 0°C) down to TP = ∼1270°C. If, instead, they were all fully pooled near‐fractional melts of the same source, they would record variations in ambient MOR TP from ∼1300°C to 1450°C (ΔTP = 150°C). However, because MOR basalts are thought to be both near‐fractional and variably pooled melts of variable sources, MOR TP must be intermediate between these two extremes. Our best estimate, consistent with MOR crustal thickness, is that ambient MOR TP is homogenous (∼1350°C–1400°C) except near hotspots where TP reaches ∼1600°C. Some primitive glasses found near slow‐spreading ridges and back‐arcs record very low temperatures (TP* < 1250°C) and pressures of melting (<10 kbar) and reflect mantle cooling during melting and melt equilibration in the mantle lithosphere.
Lagrangian Analysis of the Northern Stratospheric Polar Vortex Split in April 2020
Authors: Curbelo Jezabel , Chen Gang , Mechoso Carlos Roberto
Published: July 2021

The present study examines the northern stratosphere during April 2020, when the polar vortex split into two cyclonic vortices during a winter‐early spring period with the strongest ozone depletion on record. We investigate the dynamical evolution leading to the split at middle stratospheric levels, including the fate of fluid parcels on the vortex boundary during its rupture and the distribution of ozone between the vortices resulting from the split. We also illustrate the vertical structure of the vortices after the split. The findings obtained with Lagrangian methods confirm the key role for the split played by a flow with a special configuration of barriers to the motion of parcels. A trajectory analysis clarifies how the ozone distribution between vortices was such that ozone poorest air remained in the main vortex. The offspring vortex had a deep structure from the troposphere and later decayed to vanish by the end of April.
Logjams With a Lower Gap: Backwater Rise and Flow Distribution Beneath and Through Logjam Predicted by Two‐Box Momentum Balance
Authors: Follett E. , Schalko I. , Nepf H.
Published: July 2021

Logjams with a gap at the bed form naturally in small channels and are used in engineering practice to maintain river connectivity at base flow. Limited understanding of a jam's effect on backwater rise and flow velocity limits assessment of geomorphic and ecological impacts of natural logjams, design of river restoration interventions, and representation in flood models. The distribution of flow through and beneath the jam satisfies a two‐box, momentum‐based model constrained by drag generated in the jam, momentum loss in flow through the lower gap, and net pressure force. The model was validated with 68 flume experiments. Backwater rise is predicted from discharge beneath the jam following established models for solid sluice gates. As a result, backwater rise increases with jam resistance, which forces a greater discharge beneath the jam. Below‐jam velocity and Shields parameter increased with ratio of friction coefficient to slope and decreasing gap height.
Quantifying the Extent of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean During the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian
Authors: Zhang Donghai , Huang Baochun , Zhao Guochun , Meert Joseph G. , Williams Simon , Zhao Jie , Zhou Tinghong
Published: July 2021

Dating the closure of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean (PAO) is critical to our understanding of East Asian tectonics during the formation of Pangea, yet existing estimates differ by up to 130 Myr (380–250 Ma). We report two robust paleomagnetic results from 320 to 280 Ma volcanic strata in the South Mongolia‐Xing’an Belt. Stable characteristic remanences of both results are likely primary and characterized by positive fold tests, consistent polarity with the Kiaman Superchron (∼318–262 Ma) and average paleosecular variation. The new results indicate that the northward motion of North China and Mongolia paralleled Laurussia from the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian. The N‐S width of the PAO in the east‐central segment (reference site: 43°N/114°E) was ca. 2,700 km during the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian. This wide ocean impeded floral and faunal exchange until the Guadalupian, prior to its final closure by ca. 250 Ma.
The Structure of the Continent‐Ocean Transition in the Gulf of Lions From Joint Refraction and Reflection Travel‐Time Tomography
Authors: Merino I. , Prada M. , Ranero C. R. , Sallarès V. , Calahorrano A.
Published: July 2021

The Gulf of Lions—Ligurian basin, in the Western Mediterranean, opened from the end of Oligocene to the Miocene as a back‐arc basin driven by rollback of the Ionian slab. Geophysical surveys across the margin have explored the crustal structure and the continent‐ocean transition (COT), but its location and petrological nature is still a matter of debate. Here, we apply joint refraction and reflection travel‐time tomography that combines travel‐times from multichannel seismic and wide‐angle seismic data to provide improved constraints on the P‐wave velocity structure of the sediment cover and the geometry of the top of the basement with respect to previous studies. Similar to earlier works, the velocity model shows three crustal domains, but their geometry and internal velocity differ. We identify a ∼100 km‐wide domain of oceanic crust with an anomalously high upper crustal velocity possibly caused by porosity‐canceling processes triggered by 7–8 km thick overlying sediment cover. The vertical velocity structure and the thickness of the oceanic crust are similar to back‐arcs in the Pacific and the Western Mediterranean. In contrast to previous interpretations, we propose that this oceanic domain is confined between two domains of ultra‐thin (4–5 km‐thick) continental crust, and that the COT is <10 km wide on either side of the oceanic crust.
Meridional Variations of C2H2 in Jupiter's Stratosphere From Juno UVS Observations
Authors: Giles Rohini S. , Greathouse Thomas K. , Hue Vincent , Gladstone G. Randall , Melin Henrik , Fletcher Leigh N. , Irwin Patrick G. J. , Kammer Joshua A. , Versteeg Maarten H. , Bonfond Bertrand , Grodent Denis C. , Bolton Scott J. , Levin Steven M.
Published: July 2021

The Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instrument on the Juno mission records far‐ultraviolet reflected sunlight from Jupiter. These spectra are sensitive to the abundances of chemical species in the upper atmosphere and to the distribution of the stratospheric haze layer. We combine observations from the first 30 perijoves of the mission in order to study the meridional distribution of acetylene (C2H2) in Jupiter's stratosphere. We find that the abundance of C2H2 decreases toward the poles by a factor of 2–4, in agreement with previous analyses of mid‐infrared spectra. This result is expected from insolation rates: near the equator, the UV solar flux is higher, allowing more C2H2 to be generated from the UV photolysis of CH4. The decrease in abundance toward the poles suggests that horizontal mixing rates are not rapid enough to homogenize the latitudinal distribution.
Large-scale protein level comparison of Deltaproteobacteria reveals cohesive metabolic groups
Authors: Langwig Marguerite V , De Anda Valerie , Dombrowski Nina , Seitz Kiley W , Rambo Ian M , Greening Chris , Teske Andreas P , Baker Brett J
Published: July 2021

Deltaproteobacteria, now proposed to be the phyla Desulfobacterota, Myxococcota, and SAR324, are ubiquitous in marine environments and play essential roles in global carbon, sulfur, and nutrient cycling. Despite their importance, our understanding of these bacteria is biased towards cultured organisms. Here we address this gap by compiling a genomic catalog of 1 792 genomes, including 402 newly reconstructed and characterized metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from coastal and deep-sea sediments. Phylogenomic analyses reveal that many of these novel MAGs are uncultured representatives of Myxococcota and Desulfobacterota that are understudied. To better characterize Deltaproteobacteria diversity, metabolism, and ecology, we clustered ~1 500 genomes based on the presence/absence patterns of their protein families. Protein content analysis coupled with large-scale metabolic reconstructions separates eight genomic clusters of Deltaproteobacteria with unique metabolic profiles. While these eight clusters largely correspond to phylogeny, there are exceptions where more distantly related organisms appear to have similar ecological roles and closely related organisms have distinct protein content. Our analyses have identified previously unrecognized roles in the cycling of methylamines and denitrification among uncultured Deltaproteobacteria. This new view of Deltaproteobacteria diversity expands our understanding of these dominant bacteria and highlights metabolic abilities across diverse taxa.
The integrated stress response is tumorigenic and constitutes a therapeutic liability in KRAS-driven lung cancer
Authors: Ghaddar Nour , Wang Shuo , Woodvine Bethany , Krishnamoorthy Jothilatha , van Hoef Vincent , Darini Cedric , Kazimierczak Urszula , Ah-son Nicolas , Popper Helmuth , Johnson Myriam , Officer Leah , Teodósio Ana , Broggini Massimo , Mann Koren K. , Hatzoglou Maria , Topisirovic Ivan , Larsson Ola , Le Quesne John , Koromilas Antonis E.
Published: July 2021

The integrated stress response (ISR) is an essential stress-support pathway increasingly recognized as a determinant of tumorigenesis. Here we demonstrate that ISR is pivotal in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) development, the most common histological type of lung cancer and a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Increased phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2 (p-eIF2α), the focal point of ISR, is related to invasiveness, increased growth, and poor outcome in 928 LUAD patients. Dissection of ISR mechanisms in KRAS-driven lung tumorigenesis in mice demonstrated that p-eIF2α causes the translational repression of dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6), resulting in increased phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK). Treatments with ISR inhibitors, including a memory-enhancing drug with limited toxicity, provides a suitable therapeutic option for KRAS-driven lung cancer insofar as they substantially reduce tumor growth and prolong mouse survival. Our data provide a rationale for the implementation of ISR-based regimens in LUAD treatment.
Stress-primed secretory autophagy promotes extracellular BDNF maturation by enhancing MMP9 secretion
Authors: Martinelli Silvia , Anderzhanova Elmira A. , Bajaj Thomas , Wiechmann Svenja , Dethloff Frederik , Weckmann Katja , Heinz Daniel E. , Ebert Tim , Hartmann Jakob , Geiger Thomas M. , Döngi Michael , Hafner Kathrin , Pöhlmann Max L. , Jollans Lee , Philipsen Alexandra , Schmidt Susanne V. , Schmidt Ulrike , Maccarrone Giuseppina , Stein Valentin , Hausch Felix , Turck Christoph W. , Schmidt Mathias V. , Gellner Anne-Kathrin , Kuster Bernhard , Gassen Nils C.
Published: July 2021

The stress response is an essential mechanism for maintaining homeostasis, and its disruption is implicated in several psychiatric disorders. On the cellular level, stress activates, among other mechanisms, autophagy that regulates homeostasis through protein degradation and recycling. Secretory autophagy is a recently described pathway in which autophagosomes fuse with the plasma membrane rather than with lysosomes. Here, we demonstrate that glucocorticoid-mediated stress enhances secretory autophagy via the stress-responsive co-chaperone FK506-binding protein 51. We identify the matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) as one of the proteins secreted in response to stress. Using cellular assays and in vivo microdialysis, we further find that stress-enhanced MMP9 secretion increases the cleavage of pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor (proBDNF) to its mature form (mBDNF). BDNF is essential for adult synaptic plasticity and its pathway is associated with major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. These findings unravel a cellular stress adaptation mechanism that bears the potential of opening avenues for the understanding of the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders.
Toxin import through the antibiotic efflux channel TolC
Authors: Housden Nicholas G. , Webby Melissa N. , Lowe Edward D. , El-Baba Tarick J. , Kaminska Renata , Redfield Christina , Robinson Carol V. , Kleanthous Colin
Published: July 2021

Bacteria often secrete diffusible protein toxins (bacteriocins) to kill bystander cells during interbacterial competition. Here, we use biochemical, biophysical and structural analyses to show how a bacteriocin exploits TolC, a major outer-membrane antibiotic efflux channel in Gram-negative bacteria, to transport itself across the outer membrane of target cells. Klebicin C (KlebC), a rRNase toxin produced by Klebsiella pneumoniae, binds TolC of a related species (K. quasipneumoniae) with high affinity through an N-terminal, elongated helical hairpin domain common amongst bacteriocins. The KlebC helical hairpin opens like a switchblade to bind TolC. A cryo-EM structure of this partially translocated state, at 3.1 Å resolution, reveals that KlebC associates along the length of the TolC channel. Thereafter, the unstructured N-terminus of KlebC protrudes beyond the TolC iris, presenting a TonB-box sequence to the periplasm. Association with proton-motive force-linked TonB in the inner membrane drives toxin import through the channel. Finally, we demonstrate that KlebC binding to TolC blocks drug efflux from bacteria. Our results indicate that TolC, in addition to its known role in antibiotic export, can function as a protein import channel for bacteriocins.
Management of gout in chronic kidney disease: a G-CAN Consensus Statement on the research priorities
Authors: Stamp Lisa K. , Farquhar Hamish , Pisaniello Huai Leng , Vargas-Santos Ana B. , Fisher Mark , Mount David B. , Choi Hyon K. , Terkeltaub Robert , Hill Catherine L. , Gaffo Angelo L.
Published: July 2021

Gout and chronic kidney disease (CKD) frequently coexist, but quality evidence to guide gout management in people with CKD is lacking. Use of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) in the context of advanced CKD varies greatly, and professional bodies have issued conflicting recommendations regarding the treatment of gout in people with concomitant CKD. As a result, confusion exists among medical professionals about the appropriate management of people with gout and CKD. This Consensus Statement from the Gout, Hyperuricemia and Crystal-Associated Disease Network (G-CAN) discusses the evidence and/or lack thereof for the management of gout in people with CKD and identifies key areas for research to address the challenges faced in the management of gout and CKD. These discussions, which address areas for research both in general as well as related to specific medications used to treat gout flares or as ULT, are supported by separately published G-CAN systematic literature reviews. This Consensus Statement is not intended as a guideline for the management of gout in CKD; rather, it analyses the available literature on the safety and efficacy of drugs used in gout management to identify important gaps in knowledge and associated areas for research.
An experimentally informed statistical elasto-plastic mineralised collagen fibre model at the micrometre and nanometre lengthscale
Authors: Groetsch Alexander , Zysset Philippe K. , Varga Peter , Pacureanu Alexandra , Peyrin Françoise , Wolfram Uwe
Published: July 2021

Bone is an intriguingly complex material. It combines high strength, toughness and lightweight via an elaborate hierarchical structure. This structure results from a biologically driven self-assembly and self-organisation, and leads to different deformation mechanisms along the length scales. Characterising multiscale bone mechanics is fundamental to better understand these mechanisms including changes due to bone-related diseases. It also guides us in the design of new bio-inspired materials. A key-gap in understanding bone’s behaviour exists for its fundamental mechanical unit, the mineralised collagen fibre, a composite of organic collagen molecules and inorganic mineral nanocrystals. Here, we report an experimentally informed statistical elasto-plastic model to explain the fibre behaviour including the nanoscale interplay and load transfer with its main mechanical components. We utilise data from synchrotron nanoscale imaging, and combined micropillar compression and synchrotron X-ray scattering to develop the model. We see that a 10-15% micro- and nanomechanical heterogeneity in mechanical properties is essential to promote the ductile microscale behaviour preventing an abrupt overall failure even when individual fibrils have failed. We see that mineral particles take up 45% of strain compared to collagen molecules while interfibrillar shearing seems to enable the ductile post-yield behaviour. Our results suggest that a change in mineralisation and fibril-to-matrix interaction leads to different mechanical properties among mineralised tissues. Our model operates at crystalline-, molecular- and continuum-levels and sheds light on the micro- and nanoscale deformation of fibril-matrix reinforced composites.
The impacts of road traffic on urban air quality in Jinan based GWR and remote sensing
Authors: Wang Qi , Feng Haixia , Feng Haiying , Yu Yue , Li Jian , Ning Erwei
Published: July 2021

Traffic congestion and smog are hot topics in recent years. This study analyzes the impacts of road traffic characteristic parameters on urban air quality quantitatively based on aerosol optical thickness (AOD) and geographical weighted regression (GWR) models, including the road network density, road area occupancy, intersection number, and bus network density as main factors. There are some major research findings. Firstly, there exists a strong positive correlation between the peak congestion delay index (PCDI) and air quality, the correlation has R2 values of up to 0.4962 (R 0.70). Secondly, GWR refines the local spatial changes in the AOD and the road parameters, and the correlation R2 based GWR model all above 0.6. The correlation between AOD and the road area occupancy was the highest, and the correlations with the bus network density and the intersections number were higher than that with the road network density. Thus, bus route planning, bus emission reduction, road network planning, and signal timing (at intersections) have a greater impact on air quality than other policy, especially in areas with traffic jams. The results of this study could provide theoretical support for traffic planning and traffic control, and is promising in practice.
Projections of surface air temperature required to sustain permafrost and importance of adaptation to climate change in the Daisetsu Mountains, Japan
Authors: Yokohata Tokuta , Iwahana Go , Sone Toshio , Saito Kazuyuki , Ishizaki Noriko N. , Kubo Takahiro , Oguma Hiroyuki , Uchida Masao
Published: July 2021

Permafrost is known to occur in high mountainous areas such as the Daisetsu Mountains in Japan, which are located at the southernmost limit of the permafrost distribution in the world. In this study, areas with climatic conditions suitable for sustaining permafrost in the Daisetsu Mountains are projected using bias-corrected and downscaled climate model outputs and statistical relationships between surface air temperatures and permafrost areas. Using freezing and thawing indices, the size of the area in the Daisetsu Mountains where climatic conditions were suitable for permafrost were estimated to be approximately 150 km2 in 2010. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, this area is projected to decrease to about 30 km2 by 2050 and it is projected to disappear by around 2070. Under the RCP2.6 scenario, the area is projected to decrease to approximately 20 km2 by 2100. The degradation of mountain permafrost could potentially affect the stability of trekking trails due to slope displacement, and it may also have deleterious effects on current alpine ecosystems. It is therefore important to accurately monitor changes in the mountain ecosystem environment and to implement measures to adapt to an environment that is projected to change significantly in the future.
Experimental long-term diabetes mellitus alters the transcriptome and biomechanical properties of the rat urinary bladder
Authors: Hindi Emad A. , Williams Craig J. , Zeef Leo A. H. , Lopes Filipa M. , Newman Katie , Davey Martha M. M. , Hodson Nigel W. , Hilton Emma N. , Huang Jennifer L. , Price Karen L. , Roberts Neil A. , Long David A. , Woolf Adrian S. , Gardiner Natalie J.
Published: July 2021

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and diabetic nephropathy is widely studied. In contrast, the pathobiology of diabetic urinary bladder disease is less understood despite dysfunctional voiding being common in DM. We hypothesised that diabetic cystopathy has a characteristic molecular signature. We therefore studied bladders of hyperglycaemic and polyuric rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM. Sixteen weeks after induction of DM, as assessed by RNA arrays, wide-ranging changes of gene expression occurred in DM bladders over and above those induced in bladders of non-hyperglycaemic rats with sucrose-induced polyuria. The altered transcripts included those coding for extracellular matrix regulators and neural molecules. Changes in key genes deregulated in DM rat bladders were also detected in db/db mouse bladders. In DM rat bladders there was reduced birefringent collagen between detrusor muscle bundles, and atomic force microscopy showed a significant reduction in tissue stiffness; neither change was found in bladders of sucrose-treated rats. Thus, altered extracellular matrix with reduced tissue rigidity may contribute to voiding dysfunction in people with long-term DM. These results serve as an informative stepping stone towards understanding the complex pathobiology of diabetic cystopathy.
CMR-based T1-mapping offers superior diagnostic value compared to longitudinal strain-based assessment of relative apical sparing in cardiac amyloidosis
Authors: Korthals Dennis , Chatzantonis Grigorios , Bietenbeck Michael , Meier Claudia , Stalling Philipp , Yilmaz Ali
Published: July 2021

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA) is an infiltrative disease. In the present study, we compared the diagnostic accuracy of cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-based T1-mapping and subsequent extracellular volume fraction (ECV) measurement and longitudinal strain analysis in the same patients with (a) biopsy-proven cardiac amyloidosis (CA) and (b) hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). N = 30 patients with CA, N = 20 patients with HCM and N = 15 healthy control patients without relevant cardiac disease underwent dedicated CMR studies. The CMR protocol included standard sequences for cine-imaging, native and post-contrast T1-mapping and late-gadolinium-enhancement. ECV measurements were based on pre- and post-contrast T1-mapping images. Feature-tracking analysis was used to calculate 3D left ventricular longitudinal strain (LV-LS) in basal, mid and apical short-axis cine-images and to assess the presence of relative apical sparing. Receiver-operating-characteristic analysis revealed an area-under-the-curve regarding the differentiation of CA from HCM of 0.984 for native T1-mapping (p < 0.001), of 0.985 for ECV (p < 0.001) and only 0.740 for the “apical-to-(basal + midventricular)”-ratio of LV-LS (p = 0.012). A multivariable logistical regression analysis showed that ECV was the only statistically significant predictor of CA when compared to the parameter LV-LS or to the parameter “apical-to-(basal + midventricular)” LV-RLS-ratio. Native T1-mapping and ECV measurement are both superior to longitudinal strain measurement (with assessment of relative apical sparing) regarding the appropriate diagnosis of CA.
COVID-19 vaccines that reduce symptoms but do not block infection need higher coverage and faster rollout to achieve population impact
Authors: Swan David A. , Bracis Chloe , Janes Holly , Moore Mia , Matrajt Laura , Reeves Daniel B. , Burns Eileen , Donnell Deborah , Cohen Myron S. , Schiffer Joshua T. , Dimitrov Dobromir
Published: July 2021

Trial results for two COVID-19 vaccines suggest at least 90% efficacy against symptomatic disease (VEDIS). It remains unknown whether this efficacy is mediated by lowering SARS-CoV-2 infection susceptibility (VESUSC) or development of symptoms after infection (VESYMP). We aim to assess and compare the population impact of vaccines with different efficacy profiles (VESYMP and VESUSC) satisfying licensure criteria. We developed a mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, calibrated to data from King County, Washington. Rollout scenarios starting December 2020 were simulated with combinations of VESUSC and VESYMP resulting in up to 100% VEDIS. We assumed no reduction of infectivity upon infection conditional on presence of symptoms. Proportions of cumulative infections, hospitalizations and deaths prevented over 1 year from vaccination start are reported. Rollouts of 1 M vaccinations (5000 daily) using vaccines with 50% VEDIS are projected to prevent 23–46% of infections and 31–46% of deaths over 1 year. In comparison, vaccines with 90% VEDIS are projected to prevent 37–64% of infections and 46–64% of deaths over 1 year. In both cases, there is a greater reduction if VEDIS is mediated mostly by VESUSC. The use of a “symptom reducing” vaccine will require twice as many people vaccinated than a “susceptibility reducing” vaccine with the same 90% VEDIS to prevent 50% of the infections and death over 1 year. Delaying the start of the vaccination by 3 months decreases the expected population impact by more than 50%. Vaccines which prevent COVID-19 disease but not SARS-CoV-2 infection, and thereby shift symptomatic infections to asymptomatic infections, will prevent fewer infections and require larger and faster vaccination rollouts to have population impact, compared to vaccines that reduce susceptibility to infection. If uncontrolled transmission across the U.S. continues, then expected vaccination in Spring 2021 will provide only limited benefit.
Micro-structural investigations on oppositely charged mixed surfactant gels with potential dermal applications
Authors: Barai Manas , Manna Emili , Sultana Habiba , Mandal Manas Kumar , Guchhait Kartik Chandra , Manna Tuhin , Patra Anuttam , Chang Chien-Hsiang , Moitra Parikshit , Ghosh Chandradipa , Larsson Anna-Carin , Bhattacharya Santanu , Panda Amiya Kumar
Published: July 2021

Dicarboxylic amino acid-based surfactants (N-dodecyl derivatives of -aminomalonate, -aspartate, and -glutamate) in combination with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) form a variety of aggregates. Composition and concentration-dependent mixtures exhibit liquid crystal, gel, precipitate, and clear isotropic phases. Liquid crystalline patterns, formed by surfactant mixtures, were identified by polarizing optical microscopy. FE-SEM studies reveal the existence of surface morphologies of different mixed aggregates. Phase transition and associated weight loss were found to depend on the composition where thermotropic behaviours were revealed through combined differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric studies. Systems comprising more than 60 mol% HTAB demonstrate shear-thinning behaviour. Gels cause insignificant toxicity to human peripheral lymphocytes and irritation to bare mouse skin; they do not display the symptoms of cutaneous irritation, neutrophilic invasion, and inflammation (erythema, edema, and skin thinning) as evidenced by cumulative irritancy index score. Gels also exhibit substantial antibacterial effects on Staphylococcus aureus, a potent causative agent of skin and soft tissue infections, suggesting its possible application as a vehicle for topical dermatological drug delivery.
Boosting people’s ability to detect microtargeted advertising
Authors: Lorenz-Spreen Philipp , Geers Michael , Pachur Thorsten , Hertwig Ralph , Lewandowsky Stephan , Herzog Stefan M.
Published: July 2021

Online platforms’ data give advertisers the ability to “microtarget” recipients’ personal vulnerabilities by tailoring different messages for the same thing, such as a product or political candidate. One possible response is to raise awareness for and resilience against such manipulative strategies through psychological inoculation. Two online experiments (total $$N= 828$$

N
=
828

) demonstrated that a short, simple intervention prompting participants to reflect on an attribute of their own personality—by completing a short personality questionnaire—boosted their ability to accurately identify ads that were targeted at them by up to 26 percentage points. Accuracy increased even without personalized feedback, but merely providing a description of the targeted personality dimension did not improve accuracy. We argue that such a “boosting approach,” which here aims to improve people’s competence to detect manipulative strategies themselves, should be part of a policy mix aiming to increase platforms’ transparency and user autonomy.
Analysis of planes within reduced micromorphic model
Authors: Dhaba A. R. El , Mousavi S. Mahmoud
Published: July 2021

A plane within reduced micromorphic model subjected to external static load is studied using the finite element method. The reduced micromorphic model is a generalized continuum theory which can be used to capture the interaction of the microstructure. In this approach, the microstructure is homogenized and replaced by a reduced micromorphic material model. Then, avoiding the complexity of the microstructure, the reduced micromorphic model is analyzed to reveal the interaction of the microstructure and the external loading. In this study, the three-dimensional formulation of the reduced micromorphic model is dimensionally reduced to address a plane under in-plane external load. The governing system of partial differential equations with corresponding consistent boundary conditions are discretized and solved using the finite element method. The classical and nonclassical deformation measures are then demonstrated and discussed for the first time for a material employing the reduced micromorphic model.
Multiple climate change-driven tipping points for coastal systems
Authors: Barnard Patrick L. , Dugan Jenifer E. , Page Henry M. , Wood Nathan J. , Hart Juliette A. Finzi , Cayan Daniel R. , Erikson Li H. , Hubbard David M. , Myers Monique R. , Melack John M. , Iacobellis Sam F.
Published: July 2021

As the climate evolves over the next century, the interaction of accelerating sea level rise (SLR) and storms, combined with confining development and infrastructure, will place greater stresses on physical, ecological, and human systems along the ocean-land margin. Many of these valued coastal systems could reach “tipping points,” at which hazard exposure substantially increases and threatens the present-day form, function, and viability of communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Determining the timing and nature of these tipping points is essential for effective climate adaptation planning. Here we present a multidisciplinary case study from Santa Barbara, California (USA), to identify potential climate change-related tipping points for various coastal systems. This study integrates numerical and statistical models of the climate, ocean water levels, beach and cliff evolution, and two soft sediment ecosystems, sandy beaches and tidal wetlands. We find that tipping points for beaches and wetlands could be reached with just 0.25 m or less of SLR (~ 2050), with > 50% subsequent habitat loss that would degrade overall biodiversity and ecosystem function. In contrast, the largest projected changes in socioeconomic exposure to flooding for five communities in this region are not anticipated until SLR exceeds 0.75 m for daily flooding and 1.5 m for storm-driven flooding (~ 2100 or later). These changes are less acute relative to community totals and do not qualify as tipping points given the adaptive capacity of communities. Nonetheless, the natural and human built systems are interconnected such that the loss of natural system function could negatively impact the quality of life of residents and disrupt the local economy, resulting in indirect socioeconomic impacts long before built infrastructure is directly impacted by flooding.
The characteristics of proteome and metabolome associated with contrasting sperm motility in goat seminal plasma
Authors: Jia Baoyu , Liang Jiachong , Lv Chunrong , Memon Sameeullah , Fang Yi , Wu Guoquan , Quan Guobo
Published: July 2021

Sperm motility is an index tightly associated with male fertility. A close relationship between seminal plasma and sperm motility has been confirmed. This study was to assess the protein and metabolite profiles of seminal plasma obtained from adult goats with high or low sperm motility using the proteomic and metabolomic strategies. In total, 2098 proteins were found. 449 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified, and 175 DAPs were enriched in the high motility group. The obtained DAPs primarily exist in cytoplasma and extra-cellular portion. The Gene Ontology enrichment analysis demonstrated the main functional roles of these DAPs in regulating biological process, metabolic process of organic substances, cellular-metabolic process, primary-metabolic process, metabolic process of nitrogen compounds, etc. Additionally, the Kyoto-Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that these DAPs were primarily involved in phosphatidylinositol signaling system, salivary secretion, proteasome, apoptosis, mitophagy-animal, etc. Aided by the parallel reaction monitoring technology, the abundance changing pattern of 19 selected DAPs was consistent with that of the corresponding proteins obtained by TMT. A total of 4603 metabolites were identified in seminal plasma. 1857 differential metabolites were found between the high motility group and the low motility group, and 999 metabolites were up-regulated in the high motility group. The KEGG analysis demonstrated the primary involvement of the differential metabolites in metabolic and synthetic activities. In conclusion, we first established the proteome and metabolome databank of goat seminal plasma, detecting some proteins and metabolites which may affect sperm motility. This study will be valuable for understanding mechanisms leading to poor sperm motility.
Plasmonic hot electron induced layer dependent anomalous Fröhlich interaction in InSe
Authors: Rahaman Mahfujur , Aslam Muhammad Awais , He Lu , Madeira Teresa I. , Zahn Dietrich R. T.
Published: July 2021

Despite the great promise of InSe for electronic and optoelectronic applications, Fröhlich interaction plays an important role in electrical transport due to the polar nature of it, which can become more significant in reduced dimensionality. Here, we report on how the dimensionality influences the strength and nature of the Fröhlich polaronic effect in InSe with the aid of plasmonic hot electrons injection. Polar optical phonons couple to hot electrons via the Fröhlich interaction in InSe and enable us to monitor them in conventional Raman measurements. We observed that the intensity of these phonon modes initially increases gradually with decreasing layer number and then drops drastically from 7 L to 6 L (transition from quasi-direct to indirect bandgap at room temperature). Additionally, a gradual decrease of intensity of the polar modes with further decreasing layer number is observed due to the increasing indirect bandgap nature of InSe suggesting reduced Fröhlich coupling below this thickness.
Evaluation of the phytotoxicity of nano-particles on mung beans by internal extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Lu Haiyan , Zhang Hua , Zhou Wei , Chen Huanwen
Published: July 2021

Direct evaluation of the phytotoxicity of nano-particles (NPs) on mung bean sprouts was achieved by internal extractive electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (iEESI-MS).
Copper-catalyzed aerobic double functionalization of benzylic C(sp3)–H bonds for the synthesis of 3-hydroxyisoindolinones
Authors: Nozawa-Kumada Kanako , Matsuzawa Yuta , Ono Kanako , Shigeno Masanori , Kondo Yoshinori
Published: July 2021

A copper-catalyzed aerobic 3-hydroxyisoindolinone synthesis was developed via the benzylic double C(sp3)–H functionalization of 2-alkylbenzamides.
Schiff base ligands derived from 1,2-bis(2′-nitro-/amino-phenoxy)-3-R-benzene and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde and their Cu/Zn(ii) complexes: synthesis, characterization, X-ray structures and computational studies
Authors: Aryaeifar Mahnaz , Amiri Rudbari Hadi , Blacque Olivier , Islam Mohammad Khairul , Scopelliti Rosario , Braun Jason D. , Herbert David E. , Bruno Giuseppe , Janiak Christoph , Enamullah Mohammed
Published: July 2021

Racemic crystals of Cu/Zn(ii)-tetradentate Schiff base ligands with Λ/Δ-chirality induction at-metal center.