bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Desert Dust and Sandstorms on Human Health: A Scoping Review
Authors: Lwin Kaung Suu , Tobias Aurelio , Chua Paul Lester , Yuan Lei , Thawonmas Ramita , Ith Sophearen , Htay Zin Wai , Yu Lin Szu , Yamasaki Lisa , Roqué Marta , Querol Xavier , Fussell Julia C. , Nadeau Kari Christine , Stafoggia Massimo , Saliba Najat A. , Sheng Ng Chris Fook , Hashizume Masahiro
Published: March 2023

Desert dust and sandstorms are recurring environmental phenomena that are reported to produce serious health risks worldwide. This scoping review was conducted to identify the most likely health effects of desert dust and sandstorms and the methods used to characterize desert dust exposure from the existing epidemiological literature. We systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify studies that reported the effects of desert dust and sandstorms on human health. Search terms referred to desert dust or sandstorm exposure, names of major deserts, and health outcomes. Health effects were cross‐tabulated with study design variables (e.g., epidemiological design and methods to quantify dust exposure), desert dust source, health outcomes and conditions. We identified 204 studies that met the inclusion criteria for the scoping review. More than half of the studies (52.9%) used a time‐series study design. However, we found a substantial variation in the methods used to identify and quantify desert dust exposure. The binary metric of dust exposure was more frequently used than the continuous metric for all desert dust source locations. Most studies (84.8%) reported significant associations between desert dust and adverse health effects, mainly for respiratory and cardiovascular mortality and morbidity causes. Although there is a large body of evidence on the health effects of desert dust and sandstorms, the existing epidemiological studies have significant limitations related to exposure measurement and statistical analysis that potentially contribute to inconsistencies in determining the effect of desert dust on human health.
Magma Flow Patterns in Dikes: Observations From Analogue Experiments
Authors: Pansino Stephen , Emadzadeh Adel , Taisne Benoit
Published: March 2023

We conducted analogue experiments to examine flux‐driven and buoyancy‐driven magma ascent, which included a series of isothermal experiments and thermal, solidification‐prone experiments. We measured the internal flow using 2D particle image velocimetry, which indicates that buoyancy has a strong control on the flow pattern of isothermal dikes. Dikes that are not buoyant (likely driven by source pressure) take on a circulating pattern, while buoyant dikes assume an ascending flow pattern. Solidification modifies the flow field so that flow is confined to the dike's upper head region. The lower tail becomes mostly solidified, with a narrow conduit connecting the source to the head. We interpret that this conduit acts as a high velocity point source to the head, promoting a circulating flow pattern, even as the dike becomes buoyant. We then perform particle tracking velocimetry on several particles to illustrate the complexity of their paths. In a circulating flow pattern, particles rise to the top of the dike, descend near the lateral edge, and then are drawn back into the upward flow. In an ascending pattern, particles ascend slightly faster than the propagation velocity, and therefore are pushed to the side as they approach the upper tip. In erupting dikes, particles simply flow to the vent. In the context of crystal growth in magmatic dikes, these results suggest that crystal growth patterns (e.g., normal or oscillatory zoning) can reflect the magma flow pattern, and potentially the driving forces.
Machine Learning Helps Researchers Track Illegal Fishing
Authors: Gonz�lez Roberto
Published: March 2023

Using machine learning, researchers found that nearly 20% of high seas fishing could be unauthorized.
TSPAN32 suppresses chronic myeloid leukemia pathogenesis and progression by stabilizing PTEN
Authors: Qiu Qiang , Sun Yuanyuan , Yang Linyu , Li Qingqing , Feng Yunyu , Li Mengyuan , Yin Yuexia , Zheng Li , Li Ning , Qiu Huandi , Cui Xue , He Wei , Wang Bochuan , Pan Cong , Wang Zi , Huang Juan , Sample Klarke M. , Li Zhihui , Hu Yiguo
Published: March 2023

We report herein that TSPAN32 is a key node factor for Philadelphia (Ph+) leukemia pathogenesis. We found that TSPAN32 expression was repressed by BCR-ABL and ectopic TSPAN32 expression upon Imatinib treatment inhibited the proliferation of Ph+ cell lines. Tspan32 overexpression significantly prevented BCR-ABL induced leukemia progression in a murine model and impaired leukemia stem cell (LSC) proliferation. LSCs represent an obstacle for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) elimination, which continually replenish leukemia cells and are associated with disease relapse. Therefore, the identification of essential targets that contribute to the survival and self-renewal of LSCs is important for novel curative CML. Mechanistically, TSPAN32 was shown to interact with PTEN, increased its protein level and caused a reduction in PI3K-AKT signaling activity. We also found that TSPAN32 was repressed by BCR-ABL via the suppression of an important transcription factor, TAL1. Ectopic expression of TAL1 significantly increased TSPAN32 mRNA and protein level, which indicated that BCR-ABL repressed TSPAN32 transcription by decreasing TAL1 expression. Overall, we identified a new signaling axis composed of “BCR-ABL-TAL1-TSPAN32-PTEN-PI3K-AKT”. Our findings further complement the known mechanisms underlying the transformation potential of BCR-ABL in CML pathogenesis. This new signaling axis also provides a potential means to target PI3K-AKT for CML treatment.
Targeting p53 pathways: mechanisms, structures and advances in therapy
Authors: Wang Haolan , Guo Ming , Wei Hudie , Chen Yongheng
Published: March 2023

The TP53 tumor suppressor is the most frequently altered gene in human cancers, and has been a major focus of oncology research. The p53 protein is a transcription factor that can activate the expression of multiple target genes and plays critical roles in regulating cell cycle, apoptosis, and genomic stability, and is widely regarded as the “guardian of the genome”. Accumulating evidence has shown that p53 also regulates cell metabolism, ferroptosis, tumor microenvironment, autophagy and so on, all of which contribute to tumor suppression. Mutations in TP53 not only impair its tumor suppressor function, but also confer oncogenic properties to p53 mutants. Since p53 is mutated and inactivated in most malignant tumors, it has been a very attractive target for developing new anti-cancer drugs. However, until recently, p53 was considered an “undruggable” target and little progress has been made with p53-targeted therapies. Here, we provide a systematic review of the diverse molecular mechanisms of the p53 signaling pathway and how TP53 mutations impact tumor progression. We also discuss key structural features of the p53 protein and its inactivation by oncogenic mutations. In addition, we review the efforts that have been made in p53-targeted therapies, and discuss the challenges that have been encountered in clinical development.
MESP2 binds competitively to TCF4 to suppress gastric cancer progression by regulating the SKP2/p27 axis
Authors: Ge Lingjun , Zhao Gaichao , Lan Chao , Song Houji , Qi Dan , Huang Pan , Ke Xiaoxue , Cui Hongjuan
Published: March 2023

Gastric cancer (GC) is a major cause of human deaths worldwide, and is notorious for its high incidence and mortality rates. Mesoderm Posterior Basic Helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor 2 (MESP2) acts as a transcription factor with a conserved bHLH domain. However, whether MESP2 contributes to tumorigenesis and its potential molecular mechanisms, remain unexplored. Noticeably, MESP2 expression levels are decreased in GC tissues and cell lines compared to those in normal tissue. Further, in vitro and in vivo experiments have confirmed that MESP2 overexpression suppresses GC cell growth, migration, and invasion, whereas MESP2 knockdown results in the exact opposite. Here, we present the first report that MESP2 binds to transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2/TCF4) to inhibit the activation of the TCF4/beta-catenin transcriptional complex, decrease the occupancy of the complex on the S-phase kinase Associated Protein 2 (SKP2) promoter, and promote p27 accumulation. MESP2 knockdown facilitated tumorigenesis, which was partially suppressed by SKP2 knockdown. Taken together, we conclude that MESP2 binds competitively to TCF4 to suppress GC progression by regulating the SKP2/p27 axis, thus offering a potential therapeutic strategy for future treatment.
Singlet fission as a polarized spin generator for dynamic nuclear polarization
Authors: Kawashima Yusuke , Hamachi Tomoyuki , Yamauchi Akio , Nishimura Koki , Nakashima Yuma , Fujiwara Saiya , Kimizuka Nobuo , Ryu Tomohiro , Tamura Tetsu , Saigo Masaki , Onda Ken , Sato Shunsuke , Kobori Yasuhiro , Tateishi Kenichiro , Uesaka Tomohiro , Watanabe Go , Miyata Kiyoshi , Yanai Nobuhiro
Published: March 2023

Singlet fission (SF), converting a singlet excited state into a spin-correlated triplet-pair state, is an effective way to generate a spin quintet state in organic materials. Although its application to photovoltaics as an exciton multiplier has been extensively studied, the use of its unique spin degree of freedom has been largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that the spin polarization of the quintet multiexcitons generated by SF improves the sensitivity of magnetic resonance of water molecules through dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP). We form supramolecular assemblies of a few pentacene chromophores and use SF-born quintet spins to achieve DNP of water-glycerol, the most basic biological matrix, as evidenced by the dependence of nuclear polarization enhancement on magnetic field and microwave power. Our demonstration opens a use of SF as a polarized spin generator in bio-quantum technology.
Automatic and accurate ligand structure determination guided by cryo-electron microscopy maps
Authors: Muenks Andrew , Zepeda Samantha , Zhou Guangfeng , Veesler David , DiMaio Frank
Published: March 2023

Advances in cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) and deep-learning guided protein structure prediction have expedited structural studies of protein complexes. However, methods for accurately determining ligand conformations are lacking. In this manuscript, we develop EMERALD, a tool for automatically determining ligand structures guided by medium-resolution cryoEM density. We show this method is robust at predicting ligands along with surrounding side chains in maps as low as 4.5 Å local resolution. Combining this with a measure of placement confidence and running on all protein/ligand structures in the EMDB, we show that 57% of ligands replicate the deposited model, 16% confidently find alternate conformations, 22% have ambiguous density where multiple conformations might be present, and 5% are incorrectly placed. For five cases where our approach finds an alternate conformation with high confidence, high-resolution crystal structures validate our placement. EMERALD and the resulting analysis should prove critical in using cryoEM to solve protein-ligand complexes.
Defects in placental syncytiotrophoblast cells are a common cause of developmental heart disease
Authors: Radford Bethany N. , Zhao Xiang , Glazer Tali , Eaton Malcolm , Blackwell Danielle , Mohammad Shuhiba , Lo Vercio Lucas Daniel , Devine Jay , Shalom-Barak Tali , Hallgrimsson Benedikt , Cross James C. , Sucov Henry M. , Barak Yaacov , Dean Wendy , Hemberger Myriam
Published: March 2023

Placental abnormalities have been sporadically implicated as a source of developmental heart defects. Yet it remains unknown how often the placenta is at the root of congenital heart defects (CHDs), and what the cellular mechanisms are that underpin this connection. Here, we selected three mouse mutant lines, Atp11a, Smg9 and Ssr2, that presented with placental and heart defects in a recent phenotyping screen, resulting in embryonic lethality. To dissect phenotype causality, we generated embryo- and trophoblast-specific conditional knockouts for each of these lines. This was facilitated by the establishment of a new transgenic mouse, Sox2-Flp, that enables the efficient generation of trophoblast-specific conditional knockouts. We demonstrate a strictly trophoblast-driven cause of the CHD and embryonic lethality in one of the three lines (Atp11a) and a significant contribution of the placenta to the embryonic phenotypes in another line (Smg9). Importantly, our data reveal defects in the maternal blood-facing syncytiotrophoblast layer as a shared pathology in placentally induced CHD models. This study highlights the placenta as a significant source of developmental heart disorders, insights that will transform our understanding of the vast number of unexplained congenital heart defects.
Soil moisture-evaporation coupling shifts into new gears under increasing CO2
Authors: Hsu Hsin , Dirmeyer Paul A.
Published: March 2023

When soil moisture (SM) content falls within a transitional regime between dry and wet conditions, it controls evaporation, affecting atmospheric heat and humidity. Accordingly, different SM regimes correspond to different gears of land-atmosphere coupling, affecting climate. Determining patterns of SM regimes and their future evolution is imperative. Here, we examine global SM regime distributions from ten climate models. Under increasing CO2, the range of SM extends into unprecedented coupling regimes in many locations. Solely wet regime areas decline globally by 15.9%, while transitional regimes emerge in currently humid areas of the tropics and high latitudes. Many semiarid regions spend more days in the transitional regime and fewer in the dry regime. These imply that a larger fraction of the world will evolve to experience multiple gears of land-atmosphere coupling, with the strongly coupled transitional regime expanding the most. This could amplify future climate sensitivity to land-atmosphere feedbacks and land management.
Sequence terminus dependent PCR for site-specific mutation and modification detection
Authors: Xu Gaolian , Yang Hao , Qiu Jiani , Reboud Julien , Zhen Linqing , Ren Wei , Xu Hong , Cooper Jonathan M. , Gu Hongchen
Published: March 2023

The detection of changes in nucleic acid sequences at specific sites remains a critical challenge in epigenetics, diagnostics and therapeutics. To date, such assays often require extensive time, expertise and infrastructure for their implementation, limiting their application in clinical settings. Here we demonstrate a generalizable method, named Specific Terminal Mediated Polymerase Chain Reaction (STEM-PCR) for the detection of DNA modifications at specific sites, in a similar way as DNA sequencing techniques, but using simple and widely accessible PCR-based workflows. We apply the technique to both for site-specific methylation and co-methylation analysis, importantly using a bisulfite-free process - so providing an ease of sample processing coupled with a sensitivity 20-fold better than current gold-standard techniques. To demonstrate the clinical applicability through the detection of single base mutations with high sensitivity and no-cross reaction with the wild-type background, we show the bisulfite-free detection of SEPTIN9 and SFRP2 gene methylation in patients (as key biomarkers in the prognosis and diagnosis of tumours).
Damage analysis and mechanism study of sol–gel coating over KDP crystal under multi-pulse of laser irradiation at low flux
Authors: You Teng-Hui , Yang Wei , Hui Hao-Hao , Lei Xiang-Yang , Wang Tian-Yu , Zhang Qing-Hua , Ju Xin , Deng Xue-Ran
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this study is to analyze the damage of antireflective (AR) coating over potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal subjected to multi-pulse laser irradiation at low flux under vacuum. Fresh silica AR was characterized as a reference; Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), profilometer, and Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscope Photo-induced Force Microscope (SNOM-PiFM) were employed to analyze the characteristics of coatings. The experimental results indicated that the damage of AR coating over the KDP crystal was mainly caused by partial exfoliation, which exposed silica particles beneath the surface. It was found that the accumulated tensile stress led to coating damage with the increase of laser pulse. The initial coating damage was observed to extend and interconnect to form large-area exfoliation. Splitting mechanism of SiO–Si TO3 was observed at vibration mode peaks of 1064 cm−1 and 1096 cm−1showing progressing irradiation damage. Based on this study, it would be helpful to suppress the damage probability of AR coating over KDP crystal applied in high-power laser systems. Moreover, the applicability of SNOM-PiFM method to study the Infrared Radiation (IR) spectra of ultra-thin coatings with transparent substrates was proposed.
Segmentation, tracking, and sub-cellular feature extraction in 3D time-lapse images
Authors: Jiang Jiaxiang , Khan Amil , Shailja S. , Belteton Samuel A. , Goebel Michael , Szymanski Daniel B. , Manjunath B. S.
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a method for time-lapse 3D cell analysis. Specifically, we consider the problem of accurately localizing and quantitatively analyzing sub-cellular features, and for tracking individual cells from time-lapse 3D confocal cell image stacks. The heterogeneity of cells and the volume of multi-dimensional images presents a major challenge for fully automated analysis of morphogenesis and development of cells. This paper is motivated by the pavement cell growth process, and building a quantitative morphogenesis model. We propose a deep feature based segmentation method to accurately detect and label each cell region. An adjacency graph based method is used to extract sub-cellular features of the segmented cells. Finally, the robust graph based tracking algorithm using multiple cell features is proposed for associating cells at different time instances. We also demonstrate the generality of our tracking method on C. elegans fluorescent nuclei imagery. Extensive experiment results are provided and demonstrate the robustness of the proposed method. The code is available on and the method is available as a service through the BisQue portal.
Effect of liposomal formulation of ascorbic acid on corneal permeability
Authors: Csorba Anita , Katona Gábor , Budai-Szűcs Mária , Balogh-Weiser Diána , Fadda Anna Maria , Caddeo Carla , Takács Ágnes Ildikó , Mátyus Péter , Balogh György T. , Nagy Zoltán Zsolt
Published: March 2023

Ascorbic acid (AA) has a pivotal role in corneal wound healing via stimulating the biosynthesis of highly organized extracellular matrix components, but its rapid degradation and low corneal permeability limits its therapeutic effects. In this paper, we present the pharmacokinetic properties of a liposomal-based formulation of AA in terms of corneal permeation. Chemical stability, shelf-life, and drug release rate of lyophilized liposome (AA-LLipo) formulation was determined in comparison to free-form of AA solution using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and rapid equilibrium dialysis. In vitro transcorneal permeability was studied using a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). Ex vivo permeation was examined on AA-LLipo-treated porcine cornea by determining the AA content on the ocular surface, in the cornea as well as in the aqueous humor using HPLC, and by Raman-mapping visualizing the AA-distribution. Our results showed that the liposomal formulation improved the chemical stability of AA, while drug release was observed with the same kinetic efficiency as from the free-form of AA solution. Both corneal-PAMPA and porcine corneal permeability studies showed that AA-LLipo markedly improved the corneal absorption kinetics of AA, thus, increasing the AA content in the cornea and aqueous humor. AA-LLipo formulation could potentially increase the bioavailability of AA in corneal tissues.
Comparative validation of AI and non-AI methods in MRI volumetry to diagnose Parkinsonian syndromes
Authors: Song Joomee , Hahm Juyoung , Lee Jisoo , Lim Chae Yeon , Chung Myung Jin , Youn Jinyoung , Cho Jin Whan , Ahn Jong Hyeon , Kim Kyungsu
Published: March 2023

Automated segmentation and volumetry of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are essential for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Parkinson’s plus syndromes (P-plus). To enhance the diagnostic performance, we adopt deep learning (DL) models in brain MRI segmentation and compared their performance with the gold-standard non-DL method. We collected brain MRI scans of healthy controls ($$n=105$$

n
=
105

) and patients with PD ($$n=105$$

n
=
105

), multiple systemic atrophy ($$n=132$$

n
=
132

), and progressive supranuclear palsy ($$n=69$$

n
=
69

) at Samsung Medical Center from January 2017 to December 2020. Using the gold-standard non-DL model, FreeSurfer (FS), we segmented six brain structures: midbrain, pons, caudate, putamen, pallidum, and third ventricle, and considered them as annotated data for DL models, the representative convolutional neural network (CNN) and vision transformer (ViT)-based models. Dice scores and the area under the curve (AUC) for differentiating normal, PD, and P-plus cases were calculated to determine the measure to which FS performance can be reproduced as-is while increasing speed by the DL approaches. The segmentation times of CNN and ViT for the six brain structures per patient were 51.26 ± 2.50 and 1101.82 ± 22.31 s, respectively, being 14 to 300 times faster than FS (15,735 ± 1.07 s). Dice scores of both DL models were sufficiently high (> 0.85) so their AUCs for disease classification were not inferior to that of FS. For classification of normal vs. P-plus and PD vs. P-plus (except multiple systemic atrophy - Parkinsonian type) based on all brain parts, the DL models and FS showed AUCs above 0.8, demonstrating the clinical value of DL models in addition to FS. DL significantly reduces the analysis time without compromising the performance of brain segmentation and differential diagnosis. Our findings may contribute to the adoption of DL brain MRI segmentation in clinical settings and advance brain research.
A portable, programmable, multichannel stimulator with high compliance voltage for noninvasive neural stimulation of motor and sensory nerves in humans
Authors: Trout Marshall A. , Harrison Abigail T. , Brinton Mark R. , George Jacob A.
Published: March 2023

Most neural stimulators do not have a high enough compliance voltage to pass current through the skin. The few stimulators that meet the high compliance voltage necessary for transcutaneous stimulation are typically large benchtop units that are not portable, and the stimulation waveforms cannot be readily customized. To address this, we present the design and validation of a portable, programmable, multichannel, noninvasive neural stimulator that can generate three custom bipolar waveforms at ± 150 V with microsecond temporal resolution. The design is low-cost, open-source, and validated on the benchtop and with a healthy population to demonstrate its functionality for sensory and motor stimulation. Sensory stimulation included electrocutaneous stimulation targeting cutaneous mechanoreceptors at the surface of the skin and transcutaneous nerve stimulation targeting the median nerve at the wrist. Both electrocutaneous stimulation on the hand and transcutaneous stimulation at the wrist can elicit isolated tactile percepts on the hand but changes in pulse frequency are more discriminable for electrocutaneous stimulation. Also, neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the flexor digiti profundus is evoked by applying electrical stimulation directly above the muscle in the forearm and to the median and ulnar nerves in the upper arm. Muscle and nerve stimulation evoked similar grip forces and force rise times, but nerve stimulation had a significantly slower fatigue rate. The development and validation of this noninvasive stimulator and direct comparison of common sensory and motor stimulation targets in a human population constitute an important step towards more widespread use and accessibility of neural stimulation for education and research.
Comparison of neoadjuvant chemohormonal therapy vs. extended pelvic lymph-node dissection in high-risk prostate cancer treated with robot-assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Oishi Takuya , Hatakeyama Shingo , Tabata Ryuji , Fujimori Daiji , Fukuda Mamoru , Shinozaki Tetsuo , Ishii Noritaka , Iwamura Hiromichi , Okamoto Teppei , Yamamoto Hayato , Yoneyama Takahiro , Hashimoto Yasuhiro , Sato Satoshi , Ohyama Chikara
Published: March 2023

We compared the impact of treatment strategies on postoperative complications and prognosis between robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) plus extended pelvic lymph-node dissection (ePLND) and RARP plus neoadjuvant chemohormonal therapy (NCHT) without ePLND. We retrospectively evaluated 452 patients with high-risk prostate cancer (defined as any one of prostate-specific antigen ≥ 20 ng/mL, Gleason score 8–10, or cT2c–3) who were treated with RARP between January 2012 and February 2021. The patients were divided into two groups: RARP with ePLND (ePLND group) and NCHT plus RARP without ePLND (NCHT group). We compared the complication rate (Clavien–Dindo classification), biochemical recurrence-free survival, and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)-free survival between the groups. We performed multivariable Cox regression analysis using inverse probability weighting (IPTW) methods to assess the impact of the different treatments on prognosis. There were 150 and 302 patients in the ePLND and NCHT groups, respectively. The postoperative complication rate was significantly higher in the ePLND group than in the NCHT group (P < 0.001). IPTW-adjusted biochemical recurrence-free survival and CRPC-free survival were significantly higher in the NCHT group than in the ePLND group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.29, P < 0.001, and HR 0.29, P = 0.010, respectively). NCHT plus RARP without ePLND may reduce the risk of postoperative complications compared with ePLND during RARP. The impact of treatment strategies on oncological outcomes needs further studies.
Poor air passenger knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms and behaviour undermines strategies aimed at preventing the import of SARS-CoV-2 into the UK
Authors: Jones David. L. , Rhymes Jennifer M. , Green Emma , Rimmer Charlotte , Kevill Jessica L. , Malham Shelagh K. , Weightman Andrew J. , Farkas Kata
Published: March 2023

Air travel mediates transboundary movement of SARS-CoV-2. To prepare for future pandemics, we sought to understand air passenger behaviour and perceived risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study of UK adults (n = 2103) quantified knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms, perceived health risk of contracting COVID-19, likelihood of returning to the UK with COVID-19 symptoms, likelihood to obey self-quarantining guidelines, how safe air travellers felt when flying during the pandemic (n = 305), and perceptions towards face covering effectiveness.Overall knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms was poor. Men and younger age groups (18–44) were less informed than women and older age groups (44 +). A significant proportion (21%) of the population would likely travel back to the UK whilst displaying COVID-19 symptoms with many expressing that they would not fully comply with self-isolation guidelines. Overall, males and younger age groups had a reduced perceived personal risk from contracting COVID-19, posing a higher risk of transporting SARS-CoV-2 back to the UK. Poor passenger knowledge and behaviour undermines government guidelines and policies aimed at preventing SARS-CoV-2 entry into the UK. This supports the need for stricter, clearer and more targeted guidelines with point-of-departure viral testing and stricter quarantining upon arrival.
Identification and verification of feature biomarkers associated in heart failure by bioinformatics analysis
Authors: Yu Yi-ding , Xue Yi-tao , Li Yan
Published: March 2023

Heart failure is the final destination of most cardiovascular diseases, and its complex molecular mechanisms remain largely uncertain. This study aimed to systematically investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms and diagnostic and therapeutic targets of heart failure using bioinformatics. We obtained 8 healthy samples and 8 heart failure samples from GSE8331 and GSE76701. After removing the batch effect, we performed a differential analysis on it and obtained 185 differentially expressed ID. The results of enrichment analysis showed that the molecular mechanisms of heart failure were mostly related to immune, inflammation, and metabolism-related pathways. Immune cell infiltration analysis showed that the degree of infiltration of Tgd cells and Neurons was significantly enriched in heart failure samples, whereas pDCs and NKTs were in healthy tissue samples. We obtained Hub genes including EGR1, EGR2, FOS and FOSB by PPI network analysis. We established a 4-gene diagnostic model with Hub gene, and validated it in GSE21610 and GSE57338, and evaluated the discriminative ability of Hub gene by ROC curve. The 4-gene diagnostic model has an AUC value of 0.775 in GSE21610 and 0.877 in GSE57338. In conclusion, we explored the underlying molecular mechanisms of heart failure and the immune cell infiltration environment of failing myocardium by performing bioinformatic analysis of the GEO dataset. In addition, we identified EGR1, EGR2, FOS and FOSB as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for heart failure. More importantly, a diagnostic model of heart failure based on these 4 genes was developed, which leads to a new understanding of the pathogenesis of heart failure and may be an interesting target for future in-depth research.
Significant, but not biologically relevant: Nosema ceranae infections and winter losses of honey bee colonies
Authors: Schüler Vivian , Liu Yuk-Chien , Gisder Sebastian , Horchler Lennart , Groth Detlef , Genersch Elke
Published: March 2023

The Western honey bee Apis mellifera, which provides about 90% of commercial pollination, is under threat from diverse abiotic and biotic factors. The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor vectoring deformed wing virus (DWV) has been identified as the main biotic contributor to honey bee colony losses worldwide, while the role of the microsporidium Nosema ceranae is still controversially discussed. In an attempt to solve this controversy, we statistically analyzed a unique data set on honey bee colony health collected from a cohort of honey bee colonies over 15 years and comprising more than 3000 data sets on mite infestation levels, Nosema spp. infections, and winter losses. Multivariate statistical analysis confirms that V. destructor is the major cause of colony winter losses. Although N. ceranae infections are also statistically significantly correlated with colony losses, determination of the effect size reveals that N. ceranae infections are of no or low biological relevance.
Classical and quantum machine learning applications in spintronics
Authors: Ghosh Kumar J. B. , Ghosh Sumit
Published: March 2023

Prediction of physical observables with machine learning for spintronic and molecular devices.
Resource recovery technologies as microbial risk barriers: towards safe use of excreta in agriculture based on hazard analysis and critical control point
Authors: Oishi Wakana , Vinnerås Björn , Sano Daisuke
Published: March 2023

Individual resource recovery processes are monitored as health risk barriers.
Computational design of a cyclic peptide that inhibits the CTLA4 immune checkpoint
Authors: Thakkar Ravindra , Upreti Deepa , Ishiguro Susumu , Tamura Masaaki , Comer Jeffrey
Published: March 2023

A cyclic peptide targeted to the immune checkpoint protein CTLA4 is designed using a hierarchy of computational methods, demonstrated to bind by a physical measurement, and shown to inhibit tumor growth in cell culture and in mice.
Ribosome-targeting antibiotics and resistance via ribosomal RNA methylation
Authors: Jeremia Learnmore , Deprez Benjamin E. , Dey Debayan , Conn Graeme L. , Wuest William M.
Published: March 2023

The rise of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections is a cause of global concern.
Exploring the oxygen evolution electrocatalysis of an amine-based cobalt metal–organic framework
Authors: Ang Jade Nadine S. , Chatti Manjunath , Dinh Khang N. , Batten Stuart R. , Simonov Alexandr N. , Turner David R.
Published: March 2023

The interpenetrating 2D-sheet framework of Co-TMBT-MOF cast onto nickel foam is used as a pre-catalyst to generate an efficient OER catalyst with low overpotential.
Piezoelectrically enhanced photocatalysis of KxNa1−xNbO3 (KNN) microstructures for efficient water purification
Authors: Guo Runjiang , Liu Mengqian , Xing Yurui , Bai Tanglong , Zhao Chenglong , Huang Haolin , Zhang Hongti
Published: March 2023

A kind of perovskite-type potassium–sodium niobate K0.4Na0.6O3 synthesized via a facile hydrothermal reaction exhibits excellent piezo-/photocatalytic properties under the synergistic effect of light irradiation and ultrasonic vibration.
Facile synthesis of 2D Al-TCPP MOF nanosheets for efficient sonodynamic cancer therapy
Authors: Zhou Zhan , Wang Tao , Hu Tingting , Cheng Chunhua , Yu Shilong , Li Hai , Liu Shuyan , Ma Lufang , Zhao Meiting , Liang Ruizheng , Tan Chaoliang
Published: March 2023

2D Al-TCPP MOF nanosheets were preparedviaa simple solvothermal synthesis method without the need for any surfactants and were found to be an effective sonosensitizer for sonodynamic cancer therapy.
Green synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and 5-acetoxymethylfurfural using a deep eutectic solvent in a biphasic system assisted by microwaves
Authors: Castro Gabriel Abranches Dias , Fernandes Sergio Antonio , Sousa Rita de Cássia Superbi de , Pereira Matheus Mendonça
Published: March 2023

The fructose was subjected to a dehydration reaction to produce 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using a deep eutectic solvent composed of choline chloride, fructose, water as the third component of the mixture andp-sulfonic acid calix[4]arene as an organocatalyst.
Metal cations as inorganic structure-directing agents during the synthesis of phillipsite and tobermorite
Authors: Vega-Vila Juan Carlos , Holkar Advait , Arnold Ross A. , Prentice Dale P. , Dong Shiqi , Tang Longwen , La Plante Erika Callagon , Ellison Kirk , Kumar Aditya , Bauchy Mathieu , Srivastava Samanvaya , Sant Gaurav , Simonetti Dante
Published: March 2023

Metal cation identity determines the zeolite topology. Framework topology determines the total zeolite cationic content. Potassium predominantly counterbalances Al anions; sodium and calcium are predominantly structure-directing agents.
A polysulfide-functionalized separator enables robust long-cycle operation of lithium-metal batteries
Authors: Yang Mengqiu , Ji Yuanpeng , Dong Yunfa , Zhong Shijie , Xie Haodong , Liu Yuanpeng , Zhang Caomeng , Hao Sue , Yang Chunhui , Han Jiecai , He Weidong
Published: March 2023

PSU has strong interaction with lithium ions, which is responsible for the uniform distribution of Li+. PE are functionalized with both PSU and PVDF (PESV), Li/Li cell with PESV cycles stably without noticeable current change for nearly 1000 h.
Tailoring the electronic structure of In2O3/C photocatalysts for enhanced CO2reduction
Authors: Zhou Awu , Zhao Chen , Zhou Jianchi , Dou Yibo , Li Jian-Rong , Wei Min
Published: March 2023

A series of transition metal-doped In2O3/C photocatalysts are synthesized by a feasible bimetallic MOF template strategy. The investigation demonstrates that Cu–In2O3/C significantly enhances performance for photoreduction of CO2to CO.
Recent advances in the regulation of the coordination structures and environment of single-atom catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction reaction
Authors: Zhan Qi-Ni , Shuai Ting-Yu , Xu Hui-Min , Zhang Zhi-Jie , Li Gao-Ren
Published: March 2023

Herein the effects of metal type, active site coordination structure, and coordination environment of SACs on CO2RR are discussed in detail. And the challenges and future development directions of SACs in the field of CO2RR are analyzed.
Tunable crystalline structure and electrical properties of (Pb,Sr)TiO3 films grown by liquid phase epitaxy
Authors: Wollesen Laura , Douissard Paul-Antoine , Infante Ingrid C. , Margueritat Jeremie , Gautier Brice , Martin Thierry , Dujardin Christophe
Published: March 2023

Ferroelectric epitaxial films of Pb1−xSrx TiO3 (PST) with nominal compositions of x = 0, 0.33, 0.39, and 0.43, supported by (100) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates, have been successfully grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE).
A simple large-scale preparation and crystal phase control method for Cu2Se by exfoliation from copper foam under a Se-rich airflow
Authors: He Dan , Ma Yuxuan , Ding Yongping , Yang Xiaoxue , Bai Fenghua , Wang Xiaojing
Published: March 2023

In this work, Cu2Se was successfully exfoliated from foam copper in a Se-rich airflow, and the crystal phase and morphology of Cu2Se can be accurately regulated by controlling the exfoliation temperature.
Catalysis of surface dispersed Cu2+ species on t-ZrO2: square-planar Cu catalyzed cross-coupling of arylboronic acid and imidazole
Authors: Kondo Masaru , Joutsuka Tatsuya , Fujiwara Kakeru , Honma Tetsuo , Nishijima Masahiko , Tada Shohei
Published: March 2023

We examined the Chan–Lam cross-coupling of imidazole and arylboronic acids under additive-free and mild conditions using heterogeneous CuO/MOX catalysts such as metal oxide-supported CuO and Cu-doped metal oxides.
Correction: Stereo-selective synthesis of non-canonical γ-hydroxy-α-amino acids by enzymatic carbon–carbon bond formation
Authors: Zhang Rui , Tan Jiamu , Luo Zhenzhen , Dong Haihong , Ma Ningshan , Liao Cangsong
Published: March 2023

Correction for ‘Stereo-selective synthesis of non-canonical γ-hydroxy-α-amino acids by enzymatic carbon–carbon bond formation’ by Rui Zhang et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2021, 11, 7380–7385, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1CY00955A.
Conductance of o-carborane-based wires with different substitution patterns
Authors: Xu Shi-Nuo , Zheng Yan , Ye Jing-Yao , Chen Zhong-Yang , Yan Jian-Feng , Geng Yan-Hou , Hong Wenjing , Yuan Yao-Feng
Published: March 2023

By modifying the bridge group type and the anchor group configuration, conductance was considerably altered as a consequence of the addition of an efficient spatial transport channel.
A novel inorganic violet pigment based on zinc niobate
Authors: Ohnishi Kazuki , Oka Ryohei , Nomura Yuga , Masui Toshiyuki
Published: March 2023

(Zn1−xCox)3Nb2O8 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.50) were synthesized as novel inorganic violet pigments and the (Zn0.80Co0.20)3Nb2O8 pigment has good potential to be an alternative to the conventional ones.
Alteration of the cellulose nanocrystal surface chemistry for guided formation of polymer brushes
Authors: Geurds Lauren , Kępa Katarzyna , Lauko Jan , Rowan Alan E. , Amiralian Nasim
Published: March 2023

Controlled grafting of polymers through Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (SI-ATRP) from cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) without losing its morphology and structural properties.
Transition metal-free, photocatalytic arylation and dioxygenation for vicinal diketone synthesis using alkynes and arene diazonium salts
Authors: Zhao Baoli , Yin Xiaoting , Li Haifeng , Cheng Kai , Wan Jie-Ping
Published: March 2023

A metal-free dioxygenative reaction of aryl diazonium salts with aryl alkynes for vicinal diketone synthesis is developed.
Tantalum half-Heusler alloys RbTaSi and RbTaGe: potential candidates for desirable thermoelectric and spintronic applications
Authors: Ganie Nisar Ahmad , Mir Shabir A. , Gupta Dinesh C.
Published: March 2023

Variations in molar susceptibility (χ) and inverse of susceptibility (χ−1) with temperature signify the presence of ferromagnetic nature.
LiFePO4/C twin microspheres as cathode materials with enhanced electrochemical performance
Authors: Peng Yiqiong , Zeng Lingzhi , Dai Shuai , Liu Feng , Rao Xi , Zhang Yongping
Published: March 2023

Schematic illustration of self-assembled twin microspheres of LiFePO4/C: connection mode and structure.
Electrical and mechanical stability of flexible, organic electrolyte-gated transistors based on iongel and hydrogels
Authors: Azimi Mona , Subramanian Arunprabaharan , Fan Jiaxin , Soavi Francesca , Cicoira Fabio
Published: March 2023

Mechanical and operational stability of electrolyte-gated transistors were studied using iongels and hydrogels. Iongel-based devices showed long-term stability in ambient condition. Addition of glycerol to the formulation of hydrogels improved the operational stability.
The industry of agricultural engineering in the period of modernization of the economy
Authors: Alukhanyan Arthur , Panfilova Olga
Published: February 2023

The purpose of the study is to analyze the agricultural machinery industry in Russia and its main flagship, Rostselmash Combine Plant LLC, during the modernization of the economy. The article reveals the main problems leading to the reduction of the industry, among which are unequal conditions of competition in the domestic market between domestic and foreign producers, and insufficient elaboration of subsidy issues. The main reasons for the low effective demand for agricultural machinery in the domestic Russian market are considered. The description of the economic scheme of commercial leasing of agricultural machinery operating in the territory of the Russian Federation is given. Some shortcomings of this scheme are revealed. The article raises the issues of monetary deficit in the industry, which leads to insufficient financing of investments in expanded reproduction of enterprises. A mechanism for reimbursement of the interest rate on credit resources is proposed. The article also reflects the method of decomposition of business goals by processes with the allocation of a responsible person and a goal for each business process. This decomposition involves the allocation of the following functional areas of management: personnel, finance, infrastructure and production environment, marketing, product design and development, technological preparation of production, procurement, production, measurement and monitoring of products, sales and service.
Consolidation of loose foundation soil for esplanade project in Kaliningrad
Authors: Zekhniev Farshed , Vnukov Dmitrii , Nikolaev Alexey , Sazonova Anna
Published: February 2023

The article presents the practical experience of pre-construction compaction of loose water-saturated clay foundation soils during the construction of Paradnaya Embankment in Kaliningrad. The engineering and geological conditions of the embankment construction site were complicated by the occurrence of a significant thickness (up to 15 m) of highly compressible flowing silts from the surface. The base preparation was carried out by preliminary compaction of loose soils with the ballasting embankment using vertical geodrains. The geotechnical monitoring system at the site was implemented after the construction of the ballasting embankment, in connection with which the designers made a premature conclusion that 90% of the degree of consolidation of soft soils according to the readings of pore pressure sensors was reached only 2 months after the filling of the ballasting embankment. The authors of the article analyzed the calculation methods of the consolidation process used in the design and the results of geotechnical monitoring. A repeated prediction of deformations of the soil mass from its compaction by the ballasting embankment was performed by a numerical method, taking into account the nature of the transfer of the load to the foundation, as well as the presence of shore protection structures of the embankment. A non-standard method was used to assess the total settlement of the ballasting embankment and the degree of consolidation of the foundation in the absence of correct monitoring data, which consists in determining the top elevations of loose soils by drilling control observation wells and comparing them with the results of engineering and geological surveys performed before the start of construction.
Environmental Aspects of Sustainable Regional Development
Authors: Karanina Elena , Kartavyh Ksenia
Published: February 2023

The aim of the present research is to educe the environmental aspects of sustainable development of the regional areas. At present the ecological factors determine largely the opportunities for the economic strength of the regional systems. The article presents the index calculation of the environmental sustainability of the regional system using the example of the Kirov Region. As a result of the research, it was defined that the development of the ecological situation in the region is inclined to be sustainable, and at the same time it is uptrending. The main factors that hamper the improvement in the development of the environmental sustainability of the regional system were educed, some solutions of the problems were offered.
Updating the professional profile of the modern teacher: the results of a regional study
Authors: Filimonyuk Lyudmila , Ivashova Valentina , Ivanova Natalia , Burlyaeva Victoria , Demchenko Natalia
Published: February 2023

The article presents the results of expert assessment of the importance of professional competencies for successful educational activity by the teachers of the regional system of secondary education. A theoretical review of the scientific literature on changes in general education and their impact on the professional activities of teachers, as well as the content of the current Russian professional teacher standard provided a methodological basis for the research tools of the current professional profile of the modern teacher. The expert survey and statistical data analysis procedures performed using SPSS software (version 23) allowed us to identify the latent factors that determine new important details of the professional profile of a secondary education teacher. The results of the study are the basis for the development of additional educational resources, professional development courses, internships in the system of supplementary secondary teacher education. Considering the requests of the professional teaching community, which faces staff shortages, it is possible to improve the quality and efficiency of educational organizations of the regional system of secondary education.
Analysis of the automated production management systems market in Russia
Authors: Golubeva Olesya , Pogorelova Alina , Kreinin Vyacheslav , Dimitrov Valery
Published: February 2023

This article is devoted to the problem of industrial automation and corporate information systems used in this field. Consumer surveys were conducted on the parameters that characterize information systems. Foreign and domestic information systems were considered, and their comparative analysis was carried out. A number of conclusions on the use of corporate information systems in production management are formulated.