bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐Range Forces in Rock‐Salt‐Type Tellurides and How they Mirror the Underlying Chemical Bonding
Authors: Hempelmann Jan , Müller Peter C. , Konze Philipp M. , Stoffel Ralf P. , Steinberg Simon , Dronskowski Richard
Published: July 2021

Chemical bonding in main‐group IV chalcogenides is an intensely discussed topic, easily understandable because of their remarkable physical properties that predestine these solid‐state materials for their widespread use in, for instance, thermoelectrics and phase‐change memory applications. The atomistic origin of their unusual property portfolio remains somewhat unclear, however, even though different and sometimes conflicting chemical‐bonding concepts have been introduced in the recent years. Here, it is proposed that projecting phononic force‐constant tensors for pairs of atoms along differing directions and ranges provide a suitable and quantitative descriptor of the bonding nature for these materials. In combination with orbital‐based quantitative measures of covalency such as crystal orbital Hamilton populations (COHP), it is concluded that the well‐established many‐center and even n‐center bonding is an appropriate picture of the underlying quantum‐chemical bonding mechanism, supporting the recent proposal of hyperbonded phase‐change materials.
Mechanochromic, Structurally Colored, and Edible Hydrogels Prepared from Hydroxypropyl Cellulose and Gelatin
Authors: Barty‐King Charles H. , Chan Chun Lam Clement , Parker Richard M. , Bay Mélanie M. , Vadrucci Roberto , De Volder Michael , Vignolini Silvia
Published: July 2021

Hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) is an edible, cost‐effective and widely used derivative of cellulose. Under lyotropic conditions in water, HPC forms a photonic, liquid crystalline mesophase with an exceptional mechanochromic response. However, due to insufficient physical cross‐linking photonic HPC can flow freely as a viscous liquid, preventing the exploitation of this mechanochromic material in the absence of any external encapsulation or structural confinement. Here this challenge is addressed by mixing HPC and gelatin in water to form a self‐supporting, viscoelastic, and edible supramolecular photonic hydrogel. It is demonstrated that the structural coloration, mechanochromism and non‐Newtonian shear‐thinning behavior of the lyotropic HPC solutions can all be retained into the gel state. Moreover, the rigidity of the HPC‐gel provides a 69% shorter mechanochromic relaxation time back to its initial color when compared to the liquid HPC–water only system, broadening the dynamic color range of HPC by approximately 2.5× in response to a compressive pressure. Finally, the ability to formulate the HPC‐gels in a scalable fashion from only water and “food‐grade” constituents unlocks a wide range of potential applications, from response‑tunable mechanochromic materials and colorant‐free food decoration, to short‐term sensors in, for example, biodegradable “smart labels” for food packaging.
Tailor‐Made Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Reconstructing Pseudomonas Entomophila
Authors: Li Mengyi , Ma Yueyuan , Zhang Xu , Zhang Lizhan , Chen Xinyu , Ye Jian‐Wen , Chen Guo‐Qiang
Published: July 2021

Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) containing short‐ and medium/long‐chain‐length monomers, abbreviated as SCL‐co‐MCL/LCL PHAs, generate suitable thermal and mechanical properties. However, SCL‐co‐MCL/LCL PHAs with carbon chain longer than nine are difficult to synthesize due to the low specificity of PHA synthase PhaC and the lack of either SCL‐ or MCL/LCL monomer precursor fluxes. This study succeeds in reprogramming a β‐oxidation weakened Pseudomonas entomophila containing synthesis pathways of SCL 3‐hydroxybutyryl‐CoA (3HB) from glucose and MCL/LCL 3‐hydroxyalkanoyl‐CoA from fatty acids with carbon chain lengths from 9 to 18, respectively, that are polymerized under a low specificity PhaC61‐3 to form P(3HB‐co‐MCL/LCL 3HA) copolymers. Through rational flux‐tuning approaches, the optimized recombinant P. entomophila accumulates 55 wt% poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate in 8.4 g L−1 cell dry weight. Combined with weakened β‐oxidation, a series of novel P(3HB‐co‐MCL/LCL 3HA) copolymers with over 60 wt% PHA in 9 g L−1 cell dry weight have been synthesized for the first time. P. entomophila has become a high‐performing platform to generate tailor‐made new SCL‐co‐MCL/LCL PHAs.
Engineered Mechanosensors Inspired by Biological Mechanosensilla
Authors: Wang Qian , Fan Cheng , Gui Yuecheng , Zhang Lei , Zhang Junqiu , Sun Lining , Wang Kejun , Han Zhiwu
Published: July 2021

Bionic engineering provides a promising way for promoting the development of science and technology. Next‐generation diversified mechanosensors that can efficiently sense four types of mechanical signals, including tactile, vibration, air/water flow, and sound, are also benefiting from the bioinspired approach. Natural organisms have evolved sophisticated biological mechanosensilla with excellent performance, such as ultrahigh sensitivity, resolution, stability, anti‐interference, and miniaturization, providing a great deal of inspiration for urgently needed mechanosensors that are difficult to achieve through conventional methods. Here, the recent advances in biological mechanosensilla and corresponding bioinspired mechanosensors are reviewed in detail. According to the classification of the mechanosensilla, i.e., tactile sensilla, vibrational sensilla, flow sensilla, and acoustic sensilla, this review is mainly divided into four parts. In each part, the research on functional mechanisms of the mechanosensilla based on well‐organized mechanosensory micro/nanostructures and unique functional materials, as well as the bionic design strategy and preparative technique of bioinspired mechanosensors are individually summarized and discussed. Meanwhile, insight into the further efforts in comprehensive understanding of the mechanosensilla, learning from the multiperformance integration of sensilla, and establishing the efficient preparation methods for bioinspired mechanosensors is provided, all of which are needed to be addressed urgently before having bioinspired mechanosensors of practical value.
Green Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Organic Transistors
Authors: Torricelli Fabrizio , Alessandri Ivano , Macchia Eleonora , Vassalini Irene , Maddaloni Marina , Torsi Luisa
Published: July 2021

Intelligent objects, autonomous factories and humans browsing the real world with artificial technology‐based capabilities is not the movie set of a new saga but what is going to happen with next‐generation electronics and bioelectronics fabricated with emerging materials, technologies, and devices. The emergence of (bio)electronics as a ubiquitous feature of an advanced modern society is posing the challenge of managing an ever‐increasing amount of e‐waste, also making the recovery more and more difficult. Thus, new design approaches are required considering that a possibly small but significant fraction of mass‐scale e‐products is inherently impossible to recover. In this perspective, organic materials and technologies can provide important solutions. This review presents and analyses green materials and technologies underpinning the development of sustainable organic transistors, which promise to become key components for Earth‐safe wide‐spread electronics and bioelectronics.
A Microfluidic Acoustic Metamaterial using Electrowetting: Enabling Active Broadband Tunability
Authors: Bansal Shubhi , Subramanian Sriram
Published: July 2021

While acoustic metamaterials provide extraordinary control to manipulate sound waves, their physical realization and applicability are severely impeded by the limited tunability, narrow operational frequency range, and non‐compact designs. Integrating liquids with active actuation mechanism in the metamaterials provides broader material and design scope. Active microfluidic techniques for liquid actuation, never used in metamaterials before, will enable active tunability for liquid‐embedded metamaterial designs, leading toward a novel class of “microfluidic acoustic metamaterials (MAM).” This work demonstrates deep‐subwavelength ultra‐compact tunable MAM, consisting of a slit aperture which is tuned by electrically moving a liquid droplet over it using electrowetting‐on‐dielectric. The proposed design makes MAM inherently multi‐stable, and the ability to tune the acoustic field by moving the emission source point provides widescale efficient precision and multiple degrees of freedom. MAM realizes active acoustic switching and amplitude modulation of more than 20 dB and phase modulation from 0 to 2π with greater than 80% transmission efficiency analyzed analytically, experimentally, and numerically. MAM also delivers broadband operations ranging from 35 to 45 kHz. This design strategy opens state‐of‐the‐art pathways for automating, tuning, and miniaturizing metamaterials by using microelectromechanical (MEMS) and microfluidic concepts.
Mobile Colistin Resistance Enzyme MCR‐3 Facilitates Bacterial Evasion of Host Phagocytosis
Authors: Yin Wenjuan , Ling Zhuoren , Dong Yanjun , Qiao Lu , Shen Yingbo , Liu Zhihai , Wu Yifan , Li Wan , Zhang Rong , Walsh Timothy R. , Dai Chongshan , Li Juan , Yang Hui , Liu Dejun , Wang Yang , Gao George Fu , Shen Jianzhong
Published: July 2021

Mobile colistin resistance enzyme MCR‐3 is a phosphoethanolamine transferase modifying lipid A in Gram‐negative bacteria. MCR‐3 generally mediates low‐level (≤8 mg L−1) colistin resistance among Enterobacteriaceae, but occasionally confers high‐level (>128 mg L−1) resistance in aeromonads. Herein, it is determined that MCR‐3, together with another lipid A modification mediated by the arnBCADTEF operon, may be responsible for high‐level colistin resistance in aeromonads. Lipid A is the critical site of pathogens for Toll‐like receptor 4 recognizing. However, it is unknown whether or how MCR‐3‐mediated lipid A modification affects the host immune response. Compared with the wild‐type strains, increased mortality is observed in mice intraperitoneally‐infected with mcr‐3‐positive Aeromonas salmonicida and Escherichia coli strains, along with sepsis symptoms. Further, mcr‐3‐positive strains show decreased clearance rates than wild‐type strains, leading to bacterial accumulation in organs. The increased mortality is tightly associated with the increased tissue hypoxia, injury, and post‐inflammation. MCR‐3 expression also impairs phagocytosis efficiency both in vivo and in vitro, contributing to the increased persistence of mcr‐3‐positive bacteria in tissues compared with parental strains. This study, for the first time, reveals a dual function of MCR‐3 in bacterial resistance and pathogenicity, which calls for caution in treating the infections caused by mcr‐positive pathogens.
Nanoparticulation of Prodrug into Medicines for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Zhang Yuezhou , Cui Huaguang , Zhang Ruiqi , Zhang Hongbo , Huang Wei
Published: July 2021

This article provides a broad spectrum about the nanoprodrug fabrication advances co‐driven by prodrug and nanotechnology development to potentiate cancer treatment. The nanoprodrug inherits the features of both prodrug concept and nanomedicine know‐how, attempts to solve underexploited challenge in cancer treatment cooperatively. Prodrugs can release bioactive drugs on‐demand at specific sites to reduce systemic toxicity, this is done by using the special properties of the tumor microenvironment, such as pH value, glutathione concentration, and specific overexpressed enzymes; or by using exogenous stimulation, such as light, heat, and ultrasound. The nanotechnology, manipulating the matter within nanoscale, has high relevance to certain biological conditions, and has been widely utilized in cancer therapy. Together, the marriage of prodrug strategy which shield the side effects of parent drug and nanotechnology with pinpoint delivery capability has conceived highly camouflaged Trojan horse to maneuver cancerous threats.
Ferroelectric‐Like Behavior in TaN/High‐k/Si System Based on Amorphous Oxide
Authors: Feng Ze , Peng Yue , Shen Yang , Li Zhiyun , Wang Hu , Chen Xiao , Wang Yitong , Jing Meiyi , Lu Feng , Wang Weihua , Cheng Yahui , Cui Yi , Dingsun An , Han Genquan , Liu Hui , Dong Hong
Published: July 2021

Thin‐film ferroelectric of HfO2‐based has gained broad interest for non‐volatile memories. The traditional theory with respect to doped hafnium oxide is based on the polycrystalline structure of the Pcb21 non‐centrosymmetric orthorhombic phase. While amorphous oxides also show ferroelectricity, which cannot be explained by the traditional theory. Here, ferroelectric‐like behavior is observed in the amorphous oxide‐based TaN/high‐k/Si system. Through strategically modulating the atomic layer of deposition conditions of the high‐k oxides, the evolution from paraelectric to ferroelectric‐like behavior is seen in TaN/Al2O3/Si capacitors. The interface chemistry of these stacks is systematically studied via in situ angle‐resolved X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A mechanism for the ferroelectric‐like behavior is proposed based on interface ions‐vacancies displacement. This work sheds light on physics in ferroelectric‐like thin film devices.
Unveiling the Intricate Intercalation Mechanism in Manganese Sesquioxide as Positive Electrode in Aqueous Zn‐Metal Battery
Authors: Ma Yuan , Ma Yanjiao , Diemant Thomas , Cao Kecheng , Liu Xu , Kaiser Ute , Behm R. Jürgen , Varzi Alberto , Passerini Stefano
Published: July 2021

In the family of Zn/manganese oxide batteries with mild aqueous electrolytes, cubic α‐Mn2O3 with bixbyite structure is rarely considered, because of the lack of the tunnel and/or layered structure that are usually believed to be indispensable for the incorporation of Zn ions. In this work, the charge storage mechanism of α‐Mn2O3 is systematically and comprehensively investigated. It is demonstrated that the electrochemically induced irreversible phase transition from α‐Mn2O3 to layered‐typed L‐ZnxMnO2, coupled with the dissolution of Mn2+ and OH− into the electrolyte, allows for the subsequent reversible de‐/intercalation of Zn2+. Moreover, it is proven that α‐Mn2O3 is not a host for H+. Instead, the MnO2 formed from L‐ZnxMnO2 and the Mn2+ in the electrolyte upon the initial charge is the host for H+. Based on this electrode mechanism, combined with fabricating hierarchically structured mesoporous α‐Mn2O3 microrod array material, an unprecedented rate capability with 103 mAh g−1 at 5.0 A g−1 as well as an appealing stability of 2000 cycles (at 2.0 A g−1) with a capacity decay of only ≈0.009% per‐cycle are obtained.
#Hackademics: Hacks toward success in academia
Authors: Ocobock Cara , Owens Caroline , Holdsworth Elizabeth , Gildner Theresa , Lynn Christopher
Published: July 2021

Objective

The Sausage of Science is a podcast for the Human Biology Association and the American Journal of Human Biology through which we introduced a special series called #Hackademics. The podcast was initially used to highlight the scholarship and humanity of fellow human biologists through interviews about “how the sausage is made” in research—that is, the nuts and bolts that go into our publications. However, we soon realized there is much more a weekly podcast can do to help colleagues in our interrelated fields.

Methods

Here we introduce the different contributions to this #Hackdemics special issue. Through #Hackademics, we address under‐discussed topics in academia such as work‐life integration, hostile academic environments, decolonization of research and teaching, and science communication, among others.

Results

The feedback received from listeners for the #Hackademics series reinforced a need for more tools for navigating the academic side of our disciplines. Furthermore, there was a need to decentralize what is often termed “institutional knowledge” by sharing it in a more authoritative medium—a special issue of peer‐reviewed articles in our Association's esteemed journal. This special issue's contributions also elevate diverse voices with multiple authors at different career stages.

Conclusions

Using the institutional credibility of peer‐review to legitimize these topics, this issue's articles can be a resource for those looking to initiate conversations or change within their departments or institutions with the hope of creating a kinder, more respectful, collaborative, equitable, and accessible academic environment.
5q11.2 deletion syndrome revisited—Further narrowing of the smallest region of overlap for the main clinical characteristics of the syndrome
Authors: Bayat Allan , Bayat Michael , Broers Chantal , Polstra Abeltje M. , Zwijnenburg Petra J. G. , Hjortshøj Tina Duelund
Published: July 2021

Microdeletions at 5q11.2 are rare. Subjects show a phenotypic spectrum that overlaps CHARGE syndrome and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. A growing number of subjects present with learning difficulty and/or intellectual disability, immune deficiency, congenital heart malformation, and dysmorphism. DHX29 and IL6ST have been proposed as candidate genes for the development of the major clinical manifestations. We present a new case and narrow down the shortest region of overlap to evaluate possible candidate genes. Our case does not present developmental delay or immune deficiency indicating a reduced penetrance for some of the main clinical manifestations. The shortest region of overlap between subjects with deletions at 5q11.2 is approximately 450 kb (position 54.3–54.7 Mb). The narrowed region comprises 10 protein coding genes, including DHX29. DHX29 is a strong candidate gene for the main features of 5q11.2‐microdeletion syndrome; however, our findings suggest a joined impact of several genes as the cause of the syndrome.
White matter hyperintensity topography in Alzheimer's disease and links to cognition
Authors: Garnier‐Crussard Antoine , Bougacha Salma , Wirth Miranka , Dautricourt Sophie , Sherif Siya , Landeau Brigitte , Gonneaud Julie , De Flores Robin , de la Sayette Vincent , Vivien Denis , Krolak‐Salmon Pierre , Chételat Gaël
Published: July 2021

Introduction

White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are often described in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but their topography and specific relationships with cognition remain unclear.

Methods

Regional WMH were estimated in 54 cognitively impaired amyloid beta–positive AD (Aβpos‐AD), compared to 40 cognitively unimpaired amyloid beta–negative older controls (Aβneg‐controls) matched for vascular risk factors. The cross‐sectional association between regional WMH volume and cognition was assessed within each group, controlling for cerebral amyloid burden, global cortical atrophy, and hippocampal atrophy.

Results

WMH volume was larger in Aβpos‐AD compared to Aβneg‐controls in all regions, with the greatest changes in the splenium of the corpus callosum (S‐CC). In Aβpos‐AD patients, larger total and regional WMH volume, especially in the S‐CC, was strongly associated with decreased cognition.

Discussion

WMH specifically contribute to lower cognition in AD, independently from amyloid deposition and atrophy. This study emphasizes the clinical relevance of WMH in AD, especially posterior WMH, and most notably S‐CC WMH.
Dynamics and oscillations for some difference and differential equations with piecewise constant arguments
Authors: Assel Hanen , Hammami Mohamed Ali , Miraoui Mohsen
Published: July 2021

To state the existence and uniqueness of pseudo almost periodic solutions for some difference and differential equations with measure and piecewise constant argument of generalized type, we use the completeness, the composition theorems, and the Banach fixed point theorem. Finally, we provide some applications.
Field studies of bioluminescence in the Antarctic sector of the Atlantic Ocean in 2002 and 2020
Authors: Melnik Alexandr , Melnik Lidia , Mashukova Olga , Melnikov Victor
Published: July 2021

In this work, IBSS materials on seawater bioluminescence intensity changes in the Atlantic sector of the Antarctic Ocean (the Weddell Sea area) with an interval of almost 20 years are presented. Data were obtained using a single instrument, the hydrobiophysical system Salpa‐M, in the area of 50–63°S, 62–49°W in March 2002 (183 soundings at 45 stations during cruise 7 on RV Gorizont) and in February 2020 (122 soundings at 18 stations during cruise 79 on RV Academic Mstislav Keldysh). The bioluminescence studies were coupled with the simultaneous measurement of temperature, electrical conductivity, and photosynthetically active radiation, and they were compared with the data from processing plankton samples. Over the past 20 years, as a consequence of the appearance of a large number of gelatinous organisms and the resulting changes in the structure of the plankton community, the bioluminescence of Antarctic waters in the euphotic layer of this region has decreased almost two‐fold, currently being in the range 8.4 × 10−12 to 104.42 × 10−12 W·cm−2·L−1.
Adipo‐specific chemerin knockout alters the metabolomic profile of adipose tissue under normal and high‐fat diet conditions: Application of an untargeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry metabolomics method
Authors: Yanan Yang , Yi Jia , Xiaojing Lin , Jing Qu , Xiaohui Wang
Published: July 2021

To explore the metabolic effect of chemerin, adipose‐specific chemerin knockout (adipo‐chemerin−/−) male mice were established and fed with 5‐week normal diet (ND) or high‐fat diet (HFD), and then the glycolipid metabolism index was measured and epididymal adipose tissue metabolomics detected using untargeted LC–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Under HFD, adipo‐chemerin−/− mice showed improved glycolipid metabolism (decreased total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, insulin and Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance) compared with flox (control) mice. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least squares‐discriminant analysis score plots identified separation of metabolites between adipo‐chemerin−/− mice and flox mice fed ND and HFD. Under HFD, 28 metabolites were significantly enhanced in adipo‐chemerin−/− mice, and pathway enrichment analysis suggested strong relationship of the differential metabolites with arginine and proline metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, which were directly or indirectly related to lipid metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress. Under ND, taurine was increased in adipo‐chemerin−/− mice, resulting in taurine and hypotaurine metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. In conclusion, the improved effect of chemerin knockdown on the glycolipid metabolism of HFD‐feeding male mice might be associated with the increases in differential metabolites and metabolic pathways involved in lipid metabolism, inflammation and oxidative stress, which provided insights into the mechanism of chemerin from a metabolomics aspect.
Unfolding the impact of leadership and management on sustainability performance: Green and lean practices and guanxi as the dual mediators
Authors: Foo Pik‐Yin , Lee Voon‐Hsien , Ooi Keng‐Boon , Tan Garry Wei‐Han , Sohal Amrik
Published: July 2021

This study aims to empirically evaluate the predictors that influence sustainability performance among manufacturing firms. Leadership and management, green and lean practices, and guanxi were examined to determine whether these predictors are directly and/or indirectly affecting sustainability performance; 160 valid responses were collected and partial‐least‐squares‐structural‐equation‐modeling (PLS‐SEM) was used to analyze the data. The results showed that leadership and management positively influenced green and lean practices and green and lean practices positively influenced sustainability performance. Leadership and management also positively influenced guanxi. Interestingly, leadership and management and guanxi do not exert a significant direct influence on sustainability performance. The findings contributed to the development of the resource‐based‐view theory further by empirically exploring the significance of leadership and management coupled with green and lean practices as competencies and capability to drive sustainability performance. The testing of the dual mediators' effects further added value to this study.
Collet‐Sicard syndrome due to concurrent extramedullary intracranial plasmacytoma and jugular venous sinus thrombosis in multiple myeloma
Authors: Sokhi Dilraj Singh , Mithi Caroline Wangui , Ebrahim Farah Alnoor , Salyani Adil , Waa Sheila , Riyat Malkit Singh
Published: July 2021

In a patient with Collet‐Sicard syndrome and multiple myeloma, both extramedullary plasmacytomas and internal jugular vein‐sigmoid sinus thrombosis should be considered as they can coexist.
Catalysis of Positively Charged Ru Species Stabilized by Hydroxyapatite in Amine Formylation
Authors: Jiao Dongxia , Wang Yehong , Zhang Zhixin , Zhang Jian , Lei Lijun , Wang Feng
Published: July 2021

Formamide is an important solvent and synthetic intermediate. Herein, we designed a hydroxyapatite (HAP)‐stabilized, positively charged Ru‐based catalysts which can efficiently catalyze the formylation reaction of amines with CO for the synthesis of formamide. The Ru‐HAP showed excellent catalytic performance in N,N‐Dimethylformamide (DMF) synthesis, with about 75 % dimethylamine conversion and >99 % DMF selectivity at 300 h of continuous reaction. The combination of characterization results and control experiments showed that positively charged Ru species, including hydrated RuOx and Ru3+ species, were catalytically active. In particular, the surface RuOx species were more active than the Ru3+ species located within the HAP framework.
Lightweight privacy‐aware secure authentication scheme for cyber‐physical systems in the edge intelligence era
Authors: Bakkiam Deebak Deebak , AL‐Turjman Fadi
Published: July 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber‐physical systems demand proper real‐time data processing and analysis to fulfill the essential characteristics of seamless computing services such as less processing time, dynamic network management, and location awareness. With the evolution of mobile edge computing, numerous security and privacy issues have been addressed including policy management, authentication, access control, and confidentiality. The technologies such as big‐data, Internet of Things, and cloud have improved the development of modern healthcare systems to improve the quality of medical services. It is nowadays integrating the computing methods and communication technologies such as wireless sensor networks, radio frequency identification, smartphones, and location awareness to collect and analyze the physiological data of the patient. The e‐Health entities such as medical device, client, and server rely on analytical models to carry out early diagnosis and remote monitoring. As it is based on e‐Health applications, a real‐time healthcare system is preferred to integrate with mobile cloud computing. Since the medical data are hugely exposed to vulnerabilities, a lightweight privacy‐aware secure authentication (LPASA) scheme is presented. To achieve better secure efficiencies, this article is preferable to use lightweight cryptographic operations, namely, one‐way hashing function and bitwise exclusive‐OR. Moreover, the formal and informal security analysis shows that the proposed LPASA can withstand the possible active and passive attacks such as replay, man‐in‐the‐middle, privileged‐insider, online‐guessing, and so forth. The experimental analysis demonstrates that the proposed LPASA scheme achieves a better quality of services in terms of packet delivery ratio, energy consumption per data delivery bit, and percentage of packets with low latency to adopt in resource‐constrained environments.
Using Weakly Supervised Deep Learning to Classify and Segment Single‐Molecule Break‐Junction Conductance Traces
Authors: Lin Dongying , Zhao Zhihao , Pan Haoyang , Li Shi , Wang Yongfeng , Wang Dong , Sanvito Stefano , Hou Shimin
Published: July 2021

In order to design molecular electronic devices with high performance and stability, it is crucial to understand their structure‐to‐property relationships. Single‐molecule break junction measurements yield a large number of conductance‐distance traces, which are inherently highly stochastic. Here we propose a weakly supervised deep learning algorithm to classify and segment these conductance traces, a method that is mainly based on transfer learning with the pretrain‐finetune technique. By exploiting the powerful feature extraction capabilities of the pretrained VGG‐16 network, our convolutional neural network model not only achieves high accuracy in the classification of the conductance traces, but also segments precisely the conductance plateau from an entire trace with very few manually labeled traces. Thus, we can produce a more reliable estimation of the junction conductance and quantify the junction stability. These findings show that our model has achieved a better accuracy‐to‐manpower efficiency balance, opening up the possibility of using weakly supervised deep learning approaches in the studies of single‐molecule junctions.
State‐Of‐The‐Art Quantification of Polymer Solution Viscosity for Plastic Waste Recycling
Authors: Kol Rita , De Somer Tobias , D'hooge Dagmar R. , Knappich Fabian , Ragaert Kim , Achilias Dimitris S. , De Meester Steven
Published: July 2021

Solvent‐based recycling is a promising approach for closed‐loop recovery of plastic‐containing waste. It avoids the energy cost to depolymerize the plastic but still allows to clean the polymer of contaminants and additives. However, viscosity plays an important role in handling the polymer solutions at high concentrations and in the cleaning steps. This Review addresses the viscosity behavior of polymer solutions, available data, and (mostly algebraic) models developed. The non‐Newtonian viscosity models, such as the Carreau and Yasuda–Cohen–Armstrong models, pragmatically describe the viscosity of polymer solutions at different concentrations and shear rate ranges. This Review also describes how viscosity influences filtration and centrifugation processes, which are crucial steps in the cleaning of the polymer and includes a polystyrene/styrene case study.
The Role of Oxygenic Groups and sp3 Carbon Hybridization in Activated Graphite Electrodes for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
Authors: Hassan Ali , Haile Asnake Sahele , Tzedakis Theodore , Hansen Heine Anton , de Silva Piotr
Published: July 2021

Graphite felt is a widely used electrode material for vanadium redox flow batteries. Electrode activation leads to the functionalization of the graphite surface with epoxy, OH, C=O, and COOH oxygenic groups and changes the carbon surface morphology and electronic structure, thereby improving the electrode's electroactivity relative to the untreated graphite. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are conducted to evaluate functionalization's contribution towards the positive half‐cell reaction of the vanadium redox flow battery. The DFT calculations show that oxygenic groups improve the graphite felt's affinity towards the VO2+/VO2+ redox couple in the following order: C=O>COOH>OH> basal plane. Projected density‐of‐states (PDOS) calculations show that these groups increase the electrode's sp3 hybridization in the same order, indicating that the increase in sp3 hybridization is responsible for the improved electroactivity, whereas the oxygenic groups’ presence is responsible for this sp3 increment. These insights can aid the selection of activation processes and optimization of their parameters.
Towards Sustainable Oxalic Acid from CO2and Biomass
Authors: Schuler Eric , Demetriou Marilena , Shiju N. Raveendran , Gruter Gert‐Jan M.
Published: July 2021

To quickly and drastically reduce CO2emissions and meet our ambitions of a circular future, we need to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) to deal with the CO2that we produce. While we have many alternatives to replace fossil feedstocks for energy generation, for materials such as plastics we need carbon. The ultimate circular carbon feedstock would be CO2. A promising route is the electrochemical reduction of CO2to formic acid derivatives that can subsequently be converted into oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is a potential new platform chemical for material production as useful monomers such as glycolic acid can be derived from it. This work is part of the European Horizon 2020 project “Ocean” in which all these steps are developed. This Review aims to highlight new developments in oxalic acid production processes with a focus on CO2‐based routes. All available processes are critically assessed and compared on criteria including overall process efficiency and triple bottom line sustainability.
Insulin resistance is related to cognitive decline but not change in CSF biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in non‐demented adults
Authors: Ennis Gilda E. , Koscik Rebecca L. , Ma Yue , Jonaitis Erin M. , Van Hulle Carol A. , Betthauser Tobey J. , Randall Allison M. , Chin Nathaniel , Engelman Corinne D. , Anderson Rozalyn , Suridjan Ivonne , Kollmorgen Gwendlyn , Christian Bradley T. , Carlsson Cynthia M. , Asthana Sanjay , Johnson Sterling C. , Zetterberg Henrik , Blennow Kaj , Bendlin Barbara B.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

We investigated whether insulin resistance (IR) was associated with longitudinal age‐related change in cognition and biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology and neurodegeneration in middle‐aged and older adults who were non‐demented at baseline.

Methods

IR was measured with homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA2‐IR). Core AD‐related cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and cognition were assessed, respectively, on n = 212 (1 to 5 visits) and n = 1299 (1 to 6 visits). Linear mixed models tested whether HOMA2‐IR moderated age‐related change in CSF biomarkers and cognition. Linear regressions tested whether HOMA2‐IR x apolipoprotein E ε4 allele (APOE ε4) carrier status predicted amyloid beta [Aβ] chronicity (estimated duration of amyloid positron emission tomography [PET] positivity) (n = 253).

Results

Higher HOMA2‐IR was associated with greater cognitive decline but not with changes in CSF biomarkers. HOMA2‐IR x APOE4 was not related to Aβ chronicity but was significantly associated with CSF phosphorylated tau (P‐tau)181/Aβ42 level.

Discussion

In non‐demented adults IR may not be directly associated with age‐related change in AD biomarkers. Additional research is needed to determine mechanisms linking IR to cognitive decline.
Knowledge assessment and psychological impact of genetic counseling in people at risk for familial FTD
Authors: Wong Bonnie , Lucente Diane , Krivensky Samantha , Krahn Erin , Karlawish Jason , Dickerson Bradford C.
Published: July 2021

Introduction

The decision to undergo genetic testing for familial frontotemporal dementia (fFTD) is challenging and complex. When counseling individuals, clinicians need to know what individuals understand about the type of fFTD for which they may be at elevated risk. Unfortunately, no tools to measure understanding of fFTD exist, and no study has investigated knowledge gain from fFTD genetic counseling.

Methods

Before and after genetic counseling, 42 asymptomatic individuals from fFTD families completed the newly developed fFTD Knowledge Assessment and Psychological Impact Questionnaire (fFTD KAPI‐Q), along with affect and mood questionnaires.

Results

Genetic counseling resulted in substantial knowledge gain on the fFTD KAPI‐Q (average gain = 40%); those with lower pre‐counseling scores gained the most. Negative affect diminished by 11%. Individuals who gained the greatest knowledge demonstrated the greatest reduction in negative affect.

Conclusions

Genetic counseling was effective regardless of level of baseline knowledge and has an immediate ameliorative impact on negative affect.
Revisiting the human dental follicle: From tooth development to its association with unerupted or impacted teeth and pathological changes
Authors: Bastos Victor Coutinho , Gomez Ricardo Santiago , Gomes Carolina Cavaliéri
Published: July 2021

Dental follicles are involved in odontogenesis, periodontogenesis, and tooth eruption. Dental follicles are unique structures, considering that their remnants can persist within the jawbones after odontogenesis throughout life if the tooth does not erupt. Pathological changes may occur in these tissues as individuals age. The changes range from benign to life threatening. Thus, the assessment of age‐related changes in dental follicles associated with unerupted teeth is of paramount importance. In this review, we summarize the physiological roles and changes in dental follicles in odontogenesis, tooth eruption, and aging, in addition to the pathological changes associated with these structures. We encourage investigators to consider this peculiar tissue as a unique model and explore its potential to clarify its importance from the viewpoints of developmental biology, tissue physiology, and pathology.
Registered report: A pilot investigation of acute exercise response among girls and young women with and without eating disorders
Authors: Schaumberg Katherine , Peters Danielle , Ahrenholtz Rachel , Crombie Kevin M. , Zhang Ruisu , Gorrell Sasha
Published: July 2021

Objective

Driven exercise (DEx) is a serious and common feature of eating disorders (EDs), but current understanding of factors that give rise to and maintain DEx is limited. DEx may be reinforced through its effects on the threat reduction and reward systems. The current protocol is designed to evaluate acute psychobiological response to exercise among female participants (age 16‐22) with and without EDs.

Method

Twenty medically‐stable participants with restrictive‐spectrum EDs and 20 healthy control (HC) participants will complete study screening and three task visits which will include two 30‐minute bouts of aerobic exercise.

Results

We aim to validate and demonstrate feasibility of two tasks capturing exercise response in this sample. Further, we will estimate the degree to which a bout of exercise impacts state body image, affect, and circulating concentrations of biological markers among participants, and we will examine whether the impact of exercise on psychological outcomes may differ across ED and HC groups.

Discussion

Completion of this project will contribute to the conceptualization of DEx and how individuals' acute biological and affective responses to exercise contribute to risk for and maintenance of DEx.
Assessing age, breeding stage, and mating activity as drivers of variation in the reproductive microbiome of female tree swallows
Authors: Hernandez Jessica , Hucul Catherine , Reasor Emily , Smith Taryn , McGlothlin Joel W. , Haak David C. , Belden Lisa K. , Moore Ignacio T.
Published: July 2021

Sexually transmitted microbes are hypothesized to influence the evolution of reproductive strategies. Though frequently discussed in this context, our understanding of the reproductive microbiome is quite nascent. Indeed, testing this hypothesis first requires establishing a baseline understanding of the temporal dynamics of the reproductive microbiome and of how individual variation in reproductive behavior and age influence the assembly and maintenance of the reproductive microbiome as a whole. Here, we ask how mating activity, breeding stage, and age influence the reproductive microbiome. We use observational and experimental approaches to explain variation in the cloacal microbiome of free‐living, female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Using microsatellite‐based parentage analyses, we determined the number of sires per brood (a proxy for female mating activity). We experimentally increased female sexual activity by administering exogenous 17ß‐estradiol. Lastly, we used bacterial 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the cloacal microbiome. Neither the number of sires per brood nor the increased sexual activity of females significantly influenced female cloacal microbiome richness or community structure. Female age, however, was positively correlated with cloacal microbiome richness and influenced overall community structure. A hypothesis to explain these patterns is that the effect of sexual activity and the number of mates on variation in the cloacal microbiome manifests over an individual's lifetime. Additionally, we found that cloacal microbiome alpha diversity (Shannon Index, Faith's phylogenetic distance) decreased and community structure shifted between breeding stages. This is one of few studies to document within‐individual changes and age‐related differences in the cloacal microbiome across successive breeding stages. More broadly, our results contribute to our understanding of the role that host life history and behavior play in shaping the cloacal microbiomes of wild birds.
Serum circulating miRNA‐342‐3p as a potential diagnostic biomarker in parathyroid carcinomas: A pilot study
Authors: Krupinova Julia , Mokrysheva Natalya , Petrov Vasiliy , Pigarova Ekaterina , Eremkina Anna , Dobreva Ekaterina , Ajnetdinova Alina , Melnichenko Galina , Tiulpakov Anatoly
Published: July 2021

Objective

To compare the serum miRNA expression profiles between patients with benign and malignant parathyroid tumours.

Background

Despite recent advances in molecular biology, a histological tissue biopsy is still the method of choice used to diagnose most cancers. The preoperative cytology is not an applicable method for diagnosis of parathyroid cancer (PC); therefore, huge interest exists in terms of finding alternative methodologies to seek specific cancer biomarkers.

Design

A retrospective cross‐sectional study.

Patients and Methods

Serum samples of patients with PC (n = 13) and parathyroid adenoma (PA) (n = 11), age (p = .999) and sex (p = .999) were matched and examined via the simultaneous comparative expression analysis of 754 microRNAs (miRNAs). The «TaqMan OpenArray Human MicroRNA Panel» (Applied Biosystems) was used to conduct real‐time PCRs using the «QuantStudio 12К Flex» station (Life Technologies).

Results

According to the results of a pilot study, significant changes in expression levels between the PC group and the PA group (control) (p < .05) were observed for 17 miRNAs. Among them, the downregulation of miRNA‐342‐3p met the Benjamini‐Hochberg adjustment criteria for multiple comparisons (p = .02).

Conclusions

Serum miRNA‐342‐3p could be a promising biomarker for PC to improve diagnosis and prognosis.
Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibition induces rewiring of proximal and distal B‐cell receptor signaling in mice
Authors: Rip Jasper , de Bruijn Marjolein J. W. , Neys Stefan F. H. , Singh Simar Pal , Willar Jonas , van Hulst Jennifer A. C. , Hendriks Rudi W. , Corneth Odilia B. J.
Published: July 2021

Bruton′s tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a crucial signaling molecule in BCR signaling and a key regulator of B‐ cell differentiation and function. Btk inhibition has shown impressive clinical efficacy in various B‐cell malignancies. However, it remains unknown whether inhibition additionally induces changes in BCR signaling due to feedback mechanisms, a phenomenon referred to as BCR rewiring. In this report, we studied the impact of Btk activity on major components of the BCR signaling pathway in mice. As expected, NF‐κB and Akt/S6 signaling was decreased in Btk‐deficient B cells. Unexpectedly, phosphorylation of several proximal signaling molecules, including CD79a, Syk, and PI3K, as well as the key Btk‐effector PLCγ2 and the more downstream kinase Erk, were significantly increased. This pattern of BCR rewiring was essentially opposite in B cells from transgenic mice overexpressing Btk. Importantly, prolonged Btk inhibitor treatment of WT mice or mice engrafted with leukemic B cells also resulted in increased phosho‐CD79a and phospho‐PLCγ2 in B cells. Our findings show that Btk enzymatic function determines phosphorylation of proximal and distal BCR signaling molecules in B cells. We conclude that Btk inhibitor treatment results in rewiring of BCR signaling, which may affect both malignant and healthy B cells.
Poly(carboxyethyl acrylate‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) precursor monolith with bonded octadecyl ligands for use in reversed‐phase capillary electrochromatography
Authors: Neequaye Theophilus , El Rassi Ziad
Published: July 2021

A carboxy precursor monolithic column, namely poly(carboxy ethyl acrylate‐co‐ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) was first produced in a 100 μm i.d. fused‐silica capillary and subsequently surface bonded with n‐octadecyl (C18) ligands by a post‐polymerization functionalization process with octadecylamine in the presence of N,N´‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The bonding of octadecyl ligands was achieved via an amide linkage between the carboxy functions of the precursor monolith and the amino group of the octadecylamine compound. The resulting C18 monolith exhibited a very low electroosmotic flow (EOF), a fact that required the incorporation of small amounts of 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) in the polymerization solution to produce a precursor monolith with fixed negative charges of sulfonate groups. This may indicate that the conjugation of the carboxy functions with octadecylamine occurred to a large extent so that the amount of residual carboxy functions was sparsely dispersed and not enough to produce a desirable EOF. The EOF velocity of the C18 column having fixed negative charges provided by the incorporated AMPS increased with increasing ACN content of the mobile phase signaling an increased binding of mobile phase ions to the polar amide linkages near the monolithic surface, and a decreased viscosity of the mobile phase, both of which would result in increased EOF velocity. The C18 monolithic column constituted a novel nonpolar sorbent for reversed‐phase capillary electrochromatography for nonpolar solutes, e.g., alkylbenzenes, alkylphenyl ketones, and polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and slightly polar compounds including phenol and chlorophenols. The C18 monolithic column exhibited relatively high selectivity toward chlorophenols differing by one chloro substituent.
Executive functions in binge spectrum eating disorders with comorbid compulsive buying
Authors: Munguía Lucero , Lucas Ignacio , Jiménez‐Murcia Susana , Mora‐Maltas Bernat , Granero Roser , Miranda‐Olivos Romina , Sánchez Isabel , Testa Giulia , Lozano‐Madrid María , Turton Robert , Menchon Jose M. , Fernández‐Aranda Fernando
Published: July 2021

Objective

The aims were to explore if bulimic spectrum disorders (BSD) patients, who also present comorbid compulsive buying (CB), could represent a specific subtype considering its neuropsychological performance; to present a descriptive analysis of different clinical features; and to explore how these variables could influence treatment outcome. It was hypothesised that the comorbid group will present worse neuropsychological performance that will lead to a worse treatment outcome.

Method

The study has a longitudinal design. Women (N = 75) diagnosed with BSD, BSD + CB and Healthy Controls (HC); completed an evaluation of: cognitive flexibility, decision making, eating disorder (ED) symptomatology, psychopathological state and personality traits.

Results

BSD + CB was the group with the most severe clinical profile, worst treatment outcome and higher neuropsychological impairment, than other groups. Path‐analysis evidenced that deficits in decision making were associated with bad treatment outcome, while deficits in flexibility with the presence of the comorbidity. Self‐directedness and novelty seeking were associated with the neuropsychological performance and the comorbidity.

Conclusion

BSD + CB exhibit a worse clinical and neuropsychological profile that seems to be related with the treatment outcome, which should be taken into account for the establishment of specific treatment approaches.