bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Greenland Ice Core Record of Last Glacial Dust Sources and Atmospheric Circulation
Authors: Újvári G. , Klötzli U. , Stevens T. , Svensson A. , Ludwig P. , Vennemann T. , Gier S. , Horschinegg M. , Palcsu L. , Hippler D. , Kovács J. , Di Biagio C. , Formenti P.
Published: July 2022

Abrupt and large‐scale climate changes have occurred repeatedly and within decades during the last glaciation. These events, where dramatic warming occurs over decades, are well represented in both Greenland ice core mineral dust and temperature records, suggesting a causal link. However, the feedbacks between atmospheric dust and climate change during these Dansgaard–Oeschger events are poorly known and the processes driving changes in atmospheric dust emission and transport remain elusive. Constraining dust provenance is key to resolving these gaps. Here, we present a multi‐technique analysis of Greenland dust provenance using novel and established, source diagnostic isotopic tracers as well as results from a regional climate model including dust cycle simulations. We show that the existing dominant model for the provenance of Greenland dust as sourced from combined East Asian dust and Pacific volcanics is not supported. Rather, our clay mineralogical and Hf–Sr–Nd and D/H isotopic analyses from last glacial Greenland dust and an extensive range of Northern Hemisphere potential dust sources reveal three most likely scenarios (in order of probability): direct dust sourcing from the Taklimakan Desert in western China, direct sourcing from European glacial sources, or a mix of dust originating from Europe and North Africa. Furthermore, our regional climate modeling demonstrates the plausibility of European or mixed European/North African sources for the first time. We suggest that the origin of dust to Greenland is potentially more complex than previously recognized, demonstrating more uncertainty in our understanding dust climate feedbacks during abrupt events than previously understood.
Monocytic myeloid-derived suppressive cells mitigate over-adipogenesis of bone marrow microenvironment in aplastic anemia by inhibiting CD8+ T cells
Authors: Qu Ying , Sun Zhengxu , Yuan Yan , Li Zifeng , Wang Fen , Wu Kunpeng , Yu Huihui , Lin Qiwang , Fei He , Chen Jian , Qian Maoxiang , Cheng Yunfeng , Jiang Hua , Chen Tong
Published: July 2022

Aplastic anemia (AA) is a blood disorder resulted from over-activated T-cell related hematopoietic failure, with the characterization of hypocellularity and enhanced adipogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stroma cells (MSCs) in bone marrow (BM). However, little is known about the relationship between immune imbalance and polarized adipogenic abnormity of BM microenvironment in this disease entity. In the present study, we differentiated BM-MSCs into osteoblastic or adipogenic lineages to mimic the osteo-adipogenic differentiation. Activated CD8+ T cells and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were found to stimulate adipogenesis of BM-MSCs either in vitro or in vivo of AA mouse model. Interestingly, myeloid-derived suppressive cells (MDSCs), one of the immune-regulating populations, were decreased within BM of AA mice. We found that it was not CD11b+Ly6G+Ly6C- granulocytic-MDSCs (gMDSCs) but CD11b+Ly6G-Ly6C+ monocytic-MDSCs (mMDSCs) inhibiting both T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production via inducible nitric oxide synthetase (iNOS) pathway. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of AA- and mMDSCs-treated murine BM cells revealed that mMDSCs transfusion could reconstitute BM hematopoietic progenitors by inhibiting T cells population and signature cytokines and decreasing immature Adipo-Cxcl12-abundant reticular cells within BM. Multi-injection of mMDSCs into AA mice reduced intra-BM T cells infiltration and suppressed BM adipogenesis, which subsequently restored the intra-BM immune balance and eventually prevented pancytopenia and hypo-hematopoiesis. In conclusion, adoptive transfusion of mMDSCs might be a novel immune-regulating strategy to treat AA, accounting for not only restoring the intra-BM immune balance but also improving stroma’s multi-differentiating microenvironment.
Transcription factor EB-mediated mesenchymal stem cell therapy induces autophagy and alleviates spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 defects in neuronal cells model
Authors: Han Xiaobo , de Dieu Habimana Jean , Li Amy L. , Huang Rongqi , Mukama Omar , Deng Weiyue , Wang Ling , Zhang Yuying , Wang Wei , Deng Sihao , Peng Kexin , Ni Bin , Zhang Shusheng , Huang Jufang , Yan Xiao-xin , Li Zhiyuan
Published: July 2022

Defects in ataxin-3 proteins and CAG repeat expansions in its coding gene ATXN3 cause Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3) or Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) polyglutamine neurodegenerative disease. The mutant proteins aggregate as inclusion bodies in cells and compete with wild-type ataxin-3, which leads to neuronal dysfunction or death and impairs Beclin1-mediated autophagy. It has been reported that Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can reliably treat several neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we used a Transcription Factor EB (TFEB) nuclear translocation-mediated MSCs co-culture approach to reconstitute autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis, and reduce SCA3-like behaviors in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)-derived neuron cells models. Our iPSCs model showed enhanced expression of autophagy proteins, attenuated the expression and toxic effects of mutant ataxin-3 on neurons, and alleviated the effects of ataxin-3 on autophagy. Therefore, MSCs are associated with autophagy-inducing therapy and compared to animal models, our MSCs co-culture could be used as a novel and potential therapeutic approach to study SCA3 disease and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Selective activation of Gαob by an adenosine A1 receptor agonist elicits analgesia without cardiorespiratory depression
Authors: Wall Mark J. , Hill Emily , Huckstepp Robert , Barkan Kerry , Deganutti Giuseppe , Leuenberger Michele , Preti Barbara , Winfield Ian , Carvalho Sabrina , Suchankova Anna , Wei Haifeng , Safitri Dewi , Huang Xianglin , Imlach Wendy , La Mache Circe , Dean Eve , Hume Cherise , Hayward Stephanie , Oliver Jess , Zhao Fei-Yue , Spanswick David , Reynolds Christopher A. , Lochner Martin , Ladds Graham , Frenguelli Bruno G.
Published: July 2022

The development of therapeutic agonists for G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is hampered by the propensity of GPCRs to couple to multiple intracellular signalling pathways. This promiscuous coupling leads to numerous downstream cellular effects, some of which are therapeutically undesirable. This is especially the case for adenosine A1 receptors (A1Rs) whose clinical potential is undermined by the sedation and cardiorespiratory depression caused by conventional agonists. We have discovered that the A1R-selective agonist, benzyloxy-cyclopentyladenosine (BnOCPA), is a potent and powerful analgesic but does not cause sedation, bradycardia, hypotension or respiratory depression. This unprecedented discrimination between native A1Rs arises from BnOCPA’s unique and exquisitely selective activation of Gob among the six Gαi/o subtypes, and in the absence of β-arrestin recruitment. BnOCPA thus demonstrates a highly-specific Gα-selective activation of the native A1R, sheds new light on GPCR signalling, and reveals new possibilities for the development of novel therapeutics based on the far-reaching concept of selective Gα agonism.
Duration of protection of CoronaVac plus heterologous BNT162b2 booster in the Omicron period in Brazil
Authors: Cerqueira-Silva Thiago , de Araujo Oliveira Vinicius , Paixão Enny S. , Júnior Juracy Bertoldo , Penna Gerson O. , Werneck Guilherme L. , Pearce Neil , Barreto Maurício L. , Boaventura Viviane S. , Barral-Netto Manoel
Published: July 2022

To date, no information has been published on the effectiveness of inactivated whole-virus COVID-19 vaccines plus heterologous booster against symptomatic infection and severe outcomes (hospitalization or death) during the dominance of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant period. We evaluated the vaccine effectiveness (VE) of CoronaVac plus BNT162b2 booster during the period of dominance of the Omicron variant in Brazil (January to April 2022). Using a test-negative design, we analysed data for 2,471,576 individuals tested during the Omicron variant’s dominant period using a nationally linked database from Brazil. Compared to unvaccinated, vaccinees maintained protection against severe outcomes, with an estimated VE of 84.1% (95% CI:83.2–84.9) at more than 120 days after BNT162b2 booster. Furthermore, while we detected a high level of protection against severe outcomes for individuals up to 79 years old, waning was observed for individuals aged ≥80 years, with VE decreasing from 81.3% (95% CI:77.9–84.2) at 31–60 days to 72.9% (95% CI:70.6–75.1) at 120 days or more after the booster dose. However, no significant protection against symptomatic infection was observed at this time period. In conclusion, except for individuals aged ≥80 years, CoronaVac plus a BNT162b2 booster dose offered high and durable protection against severe outcomes due to Omicron.
Bioinspired asymmetric amphiphilic surface for triboelectric enhanced efficient water harvesting
Authors: Zhang Song , Chi Mingchao , Mo Jilong , Liu Tao , Liu Yanhua , Fu Qiu , Wang Jinlong , Luo Bin , Qin Ying , Wang Shuangfei , Nie Shuangxi
Published: July 2022

The effective acquisition of clean water from atmospheric water offers a potential sustainable solution for increasing global water and energy shortages. In this study, an asymmetric amphiphilic surface incorporating self-driven triboelectric adsorption was developed to obtain clean water from the atmosphere. Inspired by cactus spines and beetle elytra, the asymmetric amphiphilic surface was constructed by synthesizing amphiphilic cellulose ester coatings followed by coating on laser-engraved spines of fluorinated ethylene propylene. Notably, the spontaneous interfacial triboelectric charge between the droplet and the collector was exploited for electrostatic adsorption. Additionally, the droplet triboelectric nanogenerator converts the mechanical energy generated by droplets falling into electrical energy through the volume effect, achieving an excellent output performance, and further enhancing the electrostatic adsorption by means of external charges, which achieved a water harvesting efficiency of 93.18 kg/m2h. This strategy provides insights for the design of water harvesting system.
Synergistic strain engineering of perovskite single crystals for highly stable and sensitive X-ray detectors with low-bias imaging and monitoring
Authors: Jiang Jizhong , Xiong Min , Fan Ke , Bao Chunxiong , Xin Deyu , Pan Zhengwei , Fei Linfeng , Huang Haitao , Zhou Lang , Yao Kai , Zheng Xiaojia , Shen Liang , Gao Feng
Published: July 2022

Although three-dimensional metal halide perovskite (ABX3) single crystals are promising next-generation materials for radiation detection, state-of-the-art perovskite X-ray detectors include methylammonium as A-site cations, limiting the operational stability. Previous efforts to improve the stability using formamidinium–caesium-alloyed A-site cations usually sacrifice the detection performance because of high trap densities. Here we successfully solve this trade-off between stability and detection performance by synergistic composition engineering, where we include A-site alloys to decrease the trap density and B-site dopants to release the microstrain induced by A-site alloying. As such, we develop high-performance perovskite X-ray detectors with excellent stability. Our X-ray detectors exhibit high sensitivity of (2.6 ± 0.1) × 104 μC Gyair−1 cm−2 under 1 V cm−1 and ultralow limit of detection of 7.09 nGyair s−1. In addition, they feature long-term operational stability over half a year and impressive thermal stability up to 125 °C. We further demonstrate the promise of our perovskite X-ray detectors for low-bias portable applications with high-quality X-ray imaging and monitoring prototypes.
Modeling global 80-80-80 blood pressure targets and cardiovascular outcomes
Authors: Pickersgill Sarah J. , Msemburi William T. , Cobb Laura , Ide Nicole , Moran Andrew E. , Su Yanfang , Xu Xinpeng , Watkins David A.
Published: July 2022

As the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) present major challenges for health systems. In this study, we analyzed the effects of better population blood pressure control in the context of a proposed 80-80-80 target: 80% of individuals with hypertension are screened and aware of their diagnosis; 80% of those who are aware are prescribed treatment; and 80% of those on treatment have achieved guideline-specified blood pressure targets. We developed a population CVD model using country-level evidence on CVD rates, blood pressure levels and hypertension intervention coverage. Under realistic implementation conditions, most countries could achieve 80-80-80 targets by 2040, reducing all-cause mortality by 4–7% (76–130 million deaths averted over 2022–2050) and slowing the rise in CVD expected from population growth and aging (110–200 million cases averted). Although populous middle-income countries would account for most of the reduced CVD cases and deaths, low-income countries would experience the largest reductions in disease rates.
Vertebrate growth plasticity in response to variation in a mutualistic interaction
Authors: Rueger Theresa , Bhardwaj Anjali Kristina , Turner Emily , Barbasch Tina Adria , Trumble Isabela , Dent Brianne , Buston Peter Michael
Published: July 2022

Vertebrate growth can be phenotypically plastic in response to predator–prey and competitive interactions. It is unknown however, if it can be plastic in response to mutualistic interactions. Here we investigate plasticity of vertebrate growth in response to variation in mutualistic interactions, using clown anemonefish and their anemone hosts. In the wild, there is a positive correlation between the size of the fish and the size of the anemone, but the cause of this correlation is unknown. Plausible hypotheses are that fish exhibit growth plasticity in response to variation in food or space provided by the host. In the lab, we pair individuals with real anemones of various sizes and show that fish on larger anemones grow faster than fish on smaller anemones. By feeding the fish a constant food ration, we exclude variation in food availability as a cause. By pairing juveniles with artificial anemones of various sizes, we exclude variation in space availability as a single cause. We argue that variation in space availability in conjunction with host cues cause the variability in fish growth. By adjusting their growth, anemonefish likely maximize their reproductive value given their anemone context. More generally, we demonstrate vertebrate growth plasticity in response to variation in mutualistic interactions.
Bacterial and fungal isolation from face masks under the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Park Ah-Mee , Khadka Sundar , Sato Fumitaka , Omura Seiichi , Fujita Mitsugu , Hashiwaki Kazuki , Tsunoda Ikuo
Published: July 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has led people to wear face masks daily in public. Although the effectiveness of face masks against viral transmission has been extensively studied, there have been few reports on potential hygiene issues due to bacteria and fungi attached to the face masks. We aimed to (1) quantify and identify the bacteria and fungi attaching to the masks, and (2) investigate whether the mask-attached microbes could be associated with the types and usage of the masks and individual lifestyles. We surveyed 109 volunteers on their mask usage and lifestyles, and cultured bacteria and fungi from either the face-side or outer-side of their masks. The bacterial colony numbers were greater on the face-side than the outer-side; the fungal colony numbers were fewer on the face-side than the outer-side. A longer mask usage significantly increased the fungal colony numbers but not the bacterial colony numbers. Although most identified microbes were non-pathogenic in humans; Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Cladosporium, we found several pathogenic microbes; Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Aspergillus, and Microsporum. We also found no associations of mask-attached microbes with the transportation methods or gargling. We propose that immunocompromised people should avoid repeated use of masks to prevent microbial infection.
Oscillations of retaining wall subject to Grob’s swelling pressure
Authors: Kozlov Maksim , Tulendinova Aizhan , Kim Jong , Ellis Grant , Skrzypacz Piotr
Published: July 2022

The single-degree-of-freedom nonlinear problem describing the essential dynamics of an oscillating retaining wall based on non-quaking ground and subject to Grob’s swelling pressure is considered. The periodic solutions are derived using harmonic approximation. The amplitude-frequency relation is established by employing Lambert’s special function or alternatively using linearization of the nonlinear force. Analytical results are verified using numerical simulations.
Community confounding in joint species distribution models
Authors: Van Ee Justin J. , Ivan Jacob S. , Hooten Mevin B.
Published: July 2022

Joint species distribution models have become ubiquitous for studying species-environment relationships and dependence among species. Accounting for community structure often improves predictive power, but can also affect inference on species-environment relationships. Specifically, some parameterizations of joint species distribution models allow interspecies dependence and environmental effects to explain the same sources of variability in species distributions, a phenomenon we call community confounding. We present a method for measuring community confounding and show how to orthogonalize the environmental and random species effects in suite of joint species distribution models. In a simulation study, we show that community confounding can lead to computational difficulties and that orthogonalizing the environmental and random species effects can alleviate these difficulties. We also discuss the inferential implications of community confounding and orthogonalizing the environmental and random species effects in a case study of mammalian responses to the Colorado bark beetle epidemic in the subalpine forest by comparing the outputs from occupancy models that treat species independently or account for interspecies dependence. We illustrate how joint species distribution models that restrict the random species effects to be orthogonal to the fixed effects can have computational benefits and still recover the inference provided by an unrestricted joint species distribution model.
Contrasting reproductive strategies of two Hawaiian Montipora corals
Authors: Henley E. Michael , Quinn Mariko , Bouwmeester Jessica , Daly Jonathan , Lager Claire , Zuchowicz Nikolas , Bailey Daniel W. , Hagedorn Mary
Published: July 2022

Sessile invertebrates often engage in synchronized spawning events to increase likelihood of fertilization. Although coral reefs are well studied, the reproductive behavior of most species and the relative influence of various environmental cues that drive reproduction are not well understood. We conducted a comparative examination of the reproduction of the well-studied Hawaiian coral Montipora capitata and the relatively unknown reproduction of its congener, Montipora flabellata. Both are simultaneous hermaphroditic broadcast spawners that release egg-sperm bundles with external fertilization. Montipora capitata had a distinct reproductive pattern that resulted in coordinated gamete maturation and the synchronized release of thousands of egg-sperm bundles across two spawning pulses tightly coupled to consecutive new moon phases in June and July. Montipora flabellata exhibited a four month reproductive season with spawning that was four-fold less synchronous than M. capitata; its spawning was aperiodic with little linkage to moon phase, a broadly distributed release of only dozens or hundreds of bundles over multiple nights, and a spawning period that ranged from late June through September. The reproductive strategy of M. flabellata might prove detrimental under climate change if increased frequency and severity of bleaching events leave it sparsely populated and local stressors continue to degrade its habitat.
A strategy to quantify myofibroblast activation on a continuous spectrum
Authors: Hillsley Alexander , Santoso Matthew S. , Engels Sean M. , Halwachs Kathleen N. , Contreras Lydia M. , Rosales Adrianne M.
Published: July 2022

Myofibroblasts are a highly secretory and contractile cell phenotype that are predominant in wound healing and fibrotic disease. Traditionally, myofibroblasts are identified by the de novo expression and assembly of alpha-smooth muscle actin stress fibers, leading to a binary classification: “activated” or “quiescent (non-activated)”. More recently, however, myofibroblast activation has been considered on a continuous spectrum, but there is no established method to quantify the position of a cell on this spectrum. To this end, we developed a strategy based on microscopy imaging and machine learning methods to quantify myofibroblast activation in vitro on a continuous scale. We first measured morphological features of over 1000 individual cardiac fibroblasts and found that these features provide sufficient information to predict activation state. We next used dimensionality reduction techniques and self-supervised machine learning to create a continuous scale of activation based on features extracted from microscopy images. Lastly, we compared our findings for mechanically activated cardiac fibroblasts to a distribution of cell phenotypes generated from transcriptomic data using single-cell RNA sequencing. Altogether, these results demonstrate a continuous spectrum of myofibroblast activation and provide an imaging-based strategy to quantify the position of a cell on that spectrum.
Artificial intelligence fully automated myocardial strain quantification for risk stratification following acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Backhaus Sören J. , Aldehayat Haneen , Kowallick Johannes T. , Evertz Ruben , Lange Torben , Kutty Shelby , Bigalke Boris , Gutberlet Matthias , Hasenfuß Gerd , Thiele Holger , Stiermaier Thomas , Eitel Ingo , Schuster Andreas
Published: July 2022

Feasibility of automated volume-derived cardiac functional evaluation has successfully been demonstrated using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging. Notwithstanding, strain assessment has proven incremental value for cardiovascular risk stratification. Since introduction of deformation imaging to clinical practice has been complicated by time-consuming post-processing, we sought to investigate automation respectively. CMR data (n = 1095 patients) from two prospectively recruited acute myocardial infarction (AMI) populations with ST-elevation (STEMI) (AIDA STEMI n = 759) and non-STEMI (TATORT-NSTEMI n = 336) were analysed fully automated and manually on conventional cine sequences. LV function assessment included global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains (GLS/GCS/GRS). Agreements were assessed between automated and manual strain assessments. The former were assessed for major adverse cardiac event (MACE) prediction within 12 months following AMI. Manually and automated derived GLS showed the best and excellent agreement with an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.81. Agreement was good for GCS and poor for GRS. Amongst automated analyses, GLS (HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.08–1.16, p < 0.001) and GCS (HR 1.07, 95% CI 1.05–1.10, p < 0.001) best predicted MACE with similar diagnostic accuracy compared to manual analyses; area under the curve (AUC) for GLS (auto 0.691 vs. manual 0.693, p = 0.801) and GCS (auto 0.668 vs. manual 0.686, p = 0.425). Amongst automated functional analyses, GLS was the only independent predictor of MACE in multivariate analyses (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04–1.15, p < 0.001). Considering high agreement of automated GLS and equally high accuracy for risk prediction compared to the reference standard of manual analyses, automation may improve efficiency and aid in clinical routine implementation.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00712101 and NCT01612312.
SALT: transfer learning-based threat model for attack detection in smart home
Authors: Anand Pooja , Singh Yashwant , Singh Harvinder , Alshehri Mohammad Dahman , Tanwar Sudeep
Published: July 2022

The next whooping revolution after the Internet is its scion, the Internet of Things (IoT), which has facilitated every entity the power to connect to the web. However, this magnifying depth of the digital pool oil the wheels for the attackers to penetrate. Thus, these threats and attacks have become a prime concern among researchers. With promising features, Machine Learning (ML) has been the solution throughout to detect these threats. But, the general ML-based solutions have been declining with the practical implementation to detect unknown threats due to changes in domains, different distributions, long training time, and lack of labelled data. To tackle the aforementioned issues, Transfer Learning (TL) has emerged as a viable solution. Motivated by the facts, this article aims to leverage TL-based strategies to get better the learning classifiers to detect known and unknown threats targeting IoT systems. TL transfers the knowledge attained while learning a task to expedite the learning of new similar tasks/problems. This article proposes a learning-based threat model for attack detection in the Smart Home environment (SALT). It uses the knowledge of known threats in the source domain (labelled data) to detect the unknown threats in the target domain (unlabelled data). The proposed scheme addresses the workable differences in feature space distribution or the ratio of attack instances to a normal one, or both. The proposed threat model would show the implying competence of ML with the TL scheme to improve the robustness of learning classifiers besides the threat variants to detect known and unknown threats. The performance analysis shows that traditional schemes underperform for unknown threat variants with accuracy dropping to 39% and recall to 56.
Role of a bacterial glycolipid in Sec-independent membrane protein insertion
Authors: Nomura Kaoru , Mori Shoko , Fujikawa Kohki , Osawa Tsukiho , Tsuda Shugo , Yoshizawa-Kumagaye Kumiko , Masuda Shun , Nishio Hideki , Yoshiya Taku , Yoda Takao , Shionyu Masafumi , Shirai Tsuyoshi , Nishiyama Ken-ichi , Shimamoto Keiko
Published: July 2022

Non-proteinaceous components in membranes regulate membrane protein insertion cooperatively with proteinaceous translocons. An endogenous glycolipid in the Escherichia coli membrane called membrane protein integrase (MPIase) is one such component. Here, we focused on the Sec translocon-independent pathway and examined the mechanisms of MPIase-facilitated protein insertion using physicochemical techniques. We determined the membrane insertion efficiency of a small hydrophobic protein using solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, which showed good agreement with that determined by the insertion assay using an in vitro translation system. The observed insertion efficiency was strongly correlated with membrane physicochemical properties measured using fluorescence techniques. Diacylglycerol, a trace component of E. coli membrane, reduced the acyl chain mobility in the core region and inhibited the insertion, whereas MPIase restored them. We observed the electrostatic intermolecular interactions between MPIase and the side chain of basic amino acids in the protein, suggesting that the negatively charged pyrophosphate of MPIase attracts the positively charged residues of a protein near the membrane surface, which triggers the insertion. Thus, this study demonstrated the ingenious approach of MPIase to support membrane insertion of proteins by using its unique molecular structure in various ways.
Improving automatic liver tumor segmentation in late-phase MRI using multi-model training and 3D convolutional neural networks
Authors: Hänsch Annika , Chlebus Grzegorz , Meine Hans , Thielke Felix , Kock Farina , Paulus Tobias , Abolmaali Nasreddin , Schenk Andrea
Published: July 2022

Automatic liver tumor segmentation can facilitate the planning of liver interventions. For diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) can yield a higher sensitivity than contrast-enhanced CT. However, most studies on automatic liver lesion segmentation have focused on CT. In this study, we present a deep learning-based approach for liver tumor segmentation in the late hepatocellular phase of DCE-MRI, using an anisotropic 3D U-Net architecture and a multi-model training strategy. The 3D architecture improves the segmentation performance compared to a previous study using a 2D U-Net (mean Dice 0.70 vs. 0.65). A further significant improvement is achieved by a multi-model training approach (0.74), which is close to the inter-rater agreement (0.78). A qualitative expert rating of the automatically generated contours confirms the benefit of the multi-model training strategy, with 66 % of contours rated as good or very good, compared to only 43 % when performing a single training. The lesion detection performance with a mean F1-score of 0.59 is inferior to human raters (0.76). Overall, this study shows that correctly detected liver lesions in late-phase DCE-MRI data can be automatically segmented with high accuracy, but the detection, in particular of smaller lesions, can still be improved.
Air exposure moderates ocean acidification effects during embryonic development of intertidally spawning fish
Authors: Frommel Andrea Y. , Lye Sadie L. R. , Brauner Colin J. , Hunt Brian P. V.
Published: July 2022

Ocean acidification can negatively impact the early life-stages of marine fish, due to energetic costs incurred by the maintenance of acid–base homeostasis, leaving less energy available for growth and development. The embryos of intertidally spawning fishes, such as Pacific herring, are often air exposed for hours. We hypothesized that air exposure would be beneficial to the developing embryo due to a higher oxygen availability (and thus reduced metabolic costs to secure adequate oxygen) and permitting excess CO2 associated with ocean acidification to be off-gassed during emersion. To investigate this, we reared Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) embryos under three tidal regimes (subtidal: fully immersed, low intertidal: 2 × 2 h air exposure, and high intertidal: 5 + 9 h air exposure) fully crossed with three aquatic CO2 levels (400, 1500 and 3200 µatm) at a water temperature of 9.5 °C and naturally fluctuating air temperature during air exposure. We measured the effects on embryonic development and hatch, as well as carry-over effects on larval development and survival. Air exposure during embryonic development had significant positive effects on growth, condition and survival in larval Pacific herring, with some interactive effects with CO2. Interestingly, CO2 by itself in the fully immersed treatment had no effect, but had significant interactions with air exposure. Our research suggests that air exposure during low tide can be highly beneficial to intertidally spawning fishes and needs to be taken into account in climate change studies and modeling.
Offset-decoupled deformable convolution for efficient crowd counting
Authors: Zhong Xin , Qin Jing , Guo Mingyue , Zuo Wangmeng , Lu Weigang
Published: July 2022

Crowd counting is considered a challenging issue in computer vision. One of the most critical challenges in crowd counting is considering the impact of scale variations. Compared with other methods, better performance is achieved with CNN-based methods. However, given the limit of fixed geometric structures, the head-scale features are not completely obtained. Deformable convolution with additional offsets is widely used in the fields of image classification and pattern recognition, as it can successfully exploit the potential of spatial information. However, owing to the randomly generated parameters of offsets in network initialization, the sampling points of the deformable convolution are disorderly stacked, weakening the effectiveness of feature extraction. To handle the invalid learning of offsets and the inefficient utilization of deformable convolution, an offset-decoupled deformable convolution (ODConv) is proposed in this paper. It can completely obtain information within the effective region of sampling points, leading to better performance. In extensive experiments, average MAE of 62.3, 8.3, 91.9, and 159.3 are achieved using our method on the ShanghaiTech A, ShanghaiTech B, UCF-QNRF, and UCF_CC_50 datasets, respectively, outperforming the state-of-the-art methods and validating the effectiveness of the proposed ODConv.
Prophylactic furosemide to prevent transfusion-associated circulatory overload: a randomized controlled study in rats
Authors: Klanderman Robert B. , Bosboom Joachim J. , Veelo Denise P. , Roelofs Joris J. T. H. , de Korte Dirk , van Bruggen Robin , Vogt Liffert , van Buul Jaap D. , Hollmann Markus W. , Vroom Margreeth B. , Juffermans Nicole P. , Geerts Bart F. , Vlaar Alexander P. J.
Published: July 2022

Transfusion-associated circulatory overload (TACO) is the leading cause of transfusion related morbidity and mortality. The only treatment is empirical use of furosemide. Our aim was to investigate if furosemide can prevent TACO. A randomized controlled trial was performed using a previously validated two-hit rat model for TACO. Volume incompliance was induced (first hit) in anemic, anesthetized Lewis rats. Rats were randomized to placebo, low-dose (5 mg kg−1) or high-dose (15 mg kg−1) furosemide-administered prior to transfusion (second-hit) and divided over two doses. Primary outcome was change in left-ventricular end-diastolic pressure (∆LVEDP) pre- compared to post-transfusion. Secondary outcomes included changes in preload, afterload, contractility and systemic vascular resistance, as well as pulmonary outcomes. Furosemide treated animals had a significantly lower ∆LVEDP compared to placebo (p = 0.041), a dose–response effect was observed. ∆LVEDP in placebo was median + 8.7 mmHg (IQR 5.9–11), + 3.9 (2.8–5.6) in the low-dose and 1.9 (− 0.6 to 5.6) in the high-dose group. The effect of furosemide became apparent after 15 min. While urine output was significantly higher in furosemide treated animals (p = 0.03), there were no significant changes in preload, afterload, contractility or systemic vascular resistance. Furosemide rapidly and dose-dependently decreases the rise in hydrostatic pulmonary pressure following transfusion, essential for preventing TACO.
Wave breaking field of relativistically intense electrostatic waves in electronegative plasma with super-thermal electrons
Authors: Mukherjee Arghya
Published: July 2022

The wave breaking limit of relativistically intense electrostatic waves in an unmagnetised electronegative plasma, where electrons are alleged to attach onto neutral atoms or molecules and thus forming a significant amount of negative ions, has been studied analytically. A nonlinear theory has been developed, using one-dimensional (1D) relativistic multi-fluid model in order to study the roles of super-thermal electrons, negative ion species and the Lorentz factor, on the dynamics of the wave. A generalised kappa-type distribution function has been chosen for the velocities of the electrons, to couple the densities of the fluids. By assuming the travelling wave solution, the equation of motion for the evolution of the wave in a stationary wave frame has been derived and numerical solutions have been presented. Studies have been further extended, using standard Sagdeev pseudopotential method, to discover the maximum electric field amplitude sustained by these waves. The dependence of wave breaking limit on the different input parameters such as the Lorentz factor, electron temperature, spectral index of the electron velocity distribution and on the fraction and the mass ratio of the negative to positive ion species has been shown explicitly. The wavelength of these waves has been calculated for a wide range of input parameters and its dependence on aforementioned plasma parameters have been studied in detail. These results are relevant to understand particle acceleration and relativistic wave breaking phenomena in high intensity laser plasma experiments and space environments where the secondary ion species and super-thermal electrons exist.
Length weight relationships of coleoid cephalopods from the eastern Mediterranean
Authors: Önsoy Bahadır , Salman Alp
Published: July 2022

Length-weight relationship (LWR) studies have been widely conducted for fish. They are important because they provide information about the growth of the fish, its general wellbeing, and fitness in a marine habitat. In comparison, relatively few LWR studies have been conducted on cephalopods. A total of 13,474 specimens belonging to 28 cephalopod species was investigated to define their length–weight relationship status and Fulton’s condition factors, and compared with previous studies to evaluate life history traits and test comparability of LWR values. Isometry was found in 8 species including 2 teuthids, 2 sepiids and 4 octopods, and positive allometry was found in 2 squid species. Other species showed negative allometry. Four orders of the class Cephalopoda distributed in the Mediterranean Sea were also compared in respect of their coefficient b values, and a clear distinction was found between the orders reflecting their characteristic body types and thus lifestyles. Coefficient b values of mature animals were found lower than that of maturing ones that reflects growth of semelparous cephalopods stops or at least slows down when they reach maturity. Some extreme condition factor values were calculated for especially octopods that one of them reached to 140.91 in a deep-sea octopus Pteroctopus tetracirrhus. It suggests that there are many factors that might affect the calculations. Some of them were: different body structure and growth type in cephalopods than that of fish, different length measurement method applied in cephalopods, different body parts that might have different growth rates, and preservation methods that could affect the body shape and weight in soft bodied animals.
Unravelling the origin of long-term stability for Cs+ and Sr2+ solidification inside sodalite
Authors: Luo Wenzhi , Yang Xiaoqiang , Cao Hailin , Weng Luqian , Feng Gang , Fu Xian-Zhu , Luo Jing-Li , Liu Jianwen
Published: July 2022

The long-term stability origin for the solidification of Cs+ and Sr2+ inside sodalite was studied. It is found that solidification of Cs+ and Sr2+ is mainly attributed to the solvation effect, zeolitic adsorption ability, and diffusion barriers.
Decellularized organ biomatrices facilitate quantifiable in vitro 3D cancer metastasis models
Authors: VandenHeuvel Sabrina N. , Farris Heather A. , Noltensmeyer Dillon A. , Roy Sanjana , Donehoo Del A. , Kopetz Scott , Haricharan Svasti , Walsh Alex J. , Raghavan Shreya
Published: July 2022

3D biomimetic models of metastatic cancer can aid in identifying therapeutic targets to treat or prevent metastatic progression in chemoresistant metastatic cancers.
Rapid screening and quantification of heavy metals in traditional Chinese herbal medicines using monochromatic excitation energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry
Authors: Ma Xing , Hua Marti Z. , Ji Chao , Zhang Jing , Shi Rui , Xiao Yabing , Liu Xiaojing , He Xiahong , Zheng Wenjie , Lu Xiaonan
Published: July 2022

Detection of heavy metal residues in herbal medicines by a high-sensitivity X-ray fluorescence method that couples monochromatic excitation energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and the fast fundamental parameters method.
Quality grade evaluation and related antioxidant activity research of different medicinal parts of Catalpa fruit
Authors: Xiao Wanzhen , Gong Dandan , Li Xiang , Guo Ping , Sun Guoxiang
Published: July 2022

HPLC–UV fingerprint technology combined with the antioxidant activity test was used to comprehensively evaluate the quality consistency of different medicinal parts of Catalpa fruit.
On the separation of enantiomers by drift tube ion mobility spectrometry
Authors: Fernández-Maestre Roberto , Doerr Markus
Published: July 2022

Racemic mixtures were unsuccessfully tested for enantiomer separation by drift tube ion mobility spectrometry volatilizing chiral selectors (CS) into the buffer gas. CS-ion free energies showed that these separations are unlikely using 2-butanol CS.
A mobile phone digital image method designed for efficient durum wheat flour characterization
Authors: Molinero Angel López
Published: July 2022

The characterization and counting of foreign bodies and impurities in flour and semolina from wheat are decisive analytical parameters of safety and quality which should be evaluated in the context of efficiency and low cost.
Introduction to ‘Synthesis and chemical biology of macrocycles’
Authors: Chen Gong , Raj Monika , Yudin Andrei
Published: July 2022

Gong Chen, Monika Raj and Andrei Yudin introduce the RSC Chemical Biology themed collection on the ‘Synthesis and chemical biology of macrocycles’.
pH-Dependent fluorescence of [La(OH)2]+[ARS]− hybrid nanoparticles for intracellular pH-sensing
Authors: Sabljo Kristina , Napp Joanna , Alves Frauke , Feldmann Claus
Published: July 2022

[La(OH)2]+[ARS]− inorganic–organic hybrid nanoparticles (ARS: alizarin red S) exhibit pH-dependent absorption and pH-dependent emission, allowing to monitor nanoparticle internalization in cells and the intracellular pH.
2D Network overtakes 3D for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Ahmad Aliyu Aremu , Ulusoy Ghobadi Turkan Gamze , Ozbay Ekmel , Karadas Ferdi
Published: July 2022

We report a 2D layered cyanide-based coordination compound as a high performing hydrogen evolution catalyst.
Electrochemical collective synthesis of labeled pyrroloindoline alkaloids with Freon-type methanes as functional C1 synthons
Authors: Chen Chao , Liu Ru-Xin , Xiong Feng , Li Zi-Hao , Kang Jun-Chen , Ding Tong-Mei , Zhang Shu-Yu
Published: July 2022

Electrochemical radical cyclization of acrylamides with Freon-type methanes as functional C1 synthons provided various halogenated oxindoles, which could be transformed into various labeled pyrroloindoline alkaloids.
Solid solutions based on BaZn2Si2O7 with thermal expansions from negative to highly positive – a review
Authors: Thieme Christian , Rüssel Christian
Published: July 2022

Replacing Ba2+ by Sr2+ stabilizes the high temperature phase and leads to zero or negative thermal expansion. Replacing Zn2+ by Mg2+ or Co2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ shifts the phase transition to higher temperatures and leads to high thermal expansion.
Preparation of transmittance-switchable composites from a coexistent system of polymer-dispersed and polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals
Authors: Zhang Huimin , Liu Jie , Gao Shiyan , Li Fei , Ma Cheng , Miao Zongcheng , Shen Wenbo
Published: July 2022

A coexistent system of polymer-dispersed and polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals is used to fabricate transmittance-switchable polymer/CLC composites, which are promising for developing reverse-mode smart windows.
Simulation and analysis of the relaxation dynamics of a photochromic furylfulgide
Authors: Kochman Michał Andrzej , Gryber Tomasz , Durbeej Bo , Kubas Adam
Published: July 2022

The complex photochemistry of a model furylfulgide is resolved with a combination of nonadiabatic molecular simulations and pattern recognition analysis of molecular geometry.
Quantum machine learning for chemistry and physics
Authors: Sajjan Manas , Li Junxu , Selvarajan Raja , Sureshbabu Shree Hari , Kale Sumit Suresh , Gupta Rishabh , Singh Vinit , Kais Sabre
Published: July 2022

Quantum variants of machine learning algorithms are discussed with emphasis on methodology, learning techniques and applications in broad and distinct domains of chemical physics.
Synergistic promotion of transition metal ion-exchange in TiO2 nanoarray-based monolithic catalysts for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3
Authors: Lu Xingxu , Dang Yanliu , Li Meilin , Zhu Chunxiang , Liu Fangyuan , Tang Wenxiang , Weng Junfei , Ruan Mingyue , Suib Steven L. , Gao Pu-Xian
Published: July 2022

The improved performance of the multi-component Cu–Ce–Mn/TNA catalysts over the mono-metallic catalysts demonstrated the synergistic promotion of multi-transition-metal-doped nanoarray catalysts for efficient NO abatement.
Emerging micro-nanotechnologies for extracellular vesicles in immuno-oncology: from target specific isolations to immunomodulation
Authors: Onukwugha Nna-Emeka , Kang Yoon-Tae , Nagrath Sunitha
Published: July 2022

In this paper, we summarized the recent advances in cell specific EV isolation, engineering and their potential applications in immune-oncology along with suggested areas of study necessary to bring EVs into clinical practice.
NiFe-CN catalysts derived from the solid-phase exfoliation of NiFe-layered double hydroxide for CO2 electroreduction
Authors: Fu Yingke , Chen Lin , Xiong Ying , Chen Hao , Xie Ruishi , Wang Bing , Zhang Yaping , Liu Tianxia , Zhang Ping
Published: July 2022

The strategy of preparing a CO2RR catalyst on the basis of solid-phase exfoliation helps to fully expose the catalytic centers of Ni and Fe, and provides a channel for proton transfer, so that the catalyst exhibits excellent performance.
Chemical upcycling of polylactide (PLA) and its use in fabricating PLA-based super-hydrophobic and oleophilic electrospun nanofibers for oil absorption and oil/water separation
Authors: Eang Chorney , Nim Bunthoeun , Sreearunothai Paiboon , Petchsuk Atitsa , Opaprakasit Pakorn
Published: July 2022

Circular design and fabrication of PLA nanofiber filters from PLA wastes for effective oil decontamination and oil/water separation.
Adsorption of Nd(iii) on a multistage porous imprinted chitosan composite membrane
Authors: Zhang Yuzhe , Hua Jie , Wu Hao , Shao Yizi , Gu Peiyang , Li Zhongyu
Published: July 2022

The separation and recovery of neodymium from industrial pollutants and environmental sewage has become a problem of concern.
Hyperdispersed ruthenium nanoparticles anchored on S/N co-doped carbon nanotubes as an efficient HER electrocatalyst
Authors: Jia Hai-Lang , Li Hong-Cheng , Zhao Jiao , Guan Ming-Yun
Published: July 2022

Hyperdispersed ruthenium nanoparticles anchored on S/N co-doped carbon nanotubes show the same high-performance HER catalytic activity as commercial Pt/C.
Operating interfaces to synthesize L10-FePt@Bi-rich nanoparticles by modifying the heating process
Authors: Chang Ling , Wu Chun , Wang Qunshou , Li Ting , Zhao Dong , Wang Kai , Wang Qiang , Pei Wenli
Published: July 2022

The schematic diagram of the formation process and interfaces of L10-FePt@Bi-rich nanoparticles.
Engineering yolk–shell MnFe@CeOx@TiOx nanocages as a highly efficient catalyst for selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 at low temperatures
Authors: Cai Ziguo , Zhang Guodong , Tang Zhicheng , Zhang Jiyi
Published: July 2022

A MnFe@CeOx@TiOx yolk–shell nanocage structure catalyst was prepared and achieved an appropriate balance between the oxidation–reduction capacity and surface acidity of the catalyst.
Direct visualization of the drug loading of single DNA origami nanostructures by AFM-IR nanospectroscopy
Authors: Hanke Marcel , Grundmeier Guido , Keller Adrian
Published: July 2022

Chemical imaging of methylene blue (MB)-loaded DNA origami by AFM-IR nanospectroscopy is demonstrated. MB-specific IR absorption correlates well with the DNA origami topography and scales both with loading concentration and DNA origami thickness.
Highly efficient ethanol vapour detection using g-C3N4/ZnO micro flower-like heterostructural composites
Authors: Zhang Xianfeng , Du Wenjie , Li Qian , Lv Changpeng
Published: July 2022

Heterostructural g-C3N4/ZnO composites were synthesized through a facile hydrothermal strategy using as-prepared g-C3N4 nanosheets and precursor solutions of ZnO for effective ethanol detection.