bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SERAC1 is a component of the mitochondrial serine transporter complex required for the maintenance of mitochondrial DNA
Authors: Fang Hezhi , Xie Anran , Du Miaomiao , Li Xueyun , Yang Kaiqiang , Fu Yinxu , Yuan Xiangshu , Fan Runxiao , Yu Weidong , Zhou Zhuohua , Sang Tiantian , Nie Ke , Li Jin , Zhao Qiongya , Chen Zhehui , Yang Yanling , Hong Chaoyang , Lyu Jianxin
Published: March 2022

SERAC1 deficiency is associated with the mitochondrial 3-methylglutaconic aciduria with deafness, (hepatopathy), encephalopathy, and Leigh-like disease [MEGD(H)EL] syndrome, but the role of SERAC1 in mitochondrial physiology remains unknown. Here, we generated
Serac1
−/−
mice that mimic the major diagnostic clinical and biochemical phenotypes of the MEGD(H)EL syndrome. We found that SERAC1 localizes to the outer mitochondrial membrane and is a protein component of the one-carbon cycle. By interacting with the mitochondrial serine transporter protein SFXN1, SERAC1 facilitated and was required for SFXN1-mediated serine transport from the cytosol to the mitochondria. Loss of
SERAC1
impaired the one-carbon cycle and disrupted the balance of the nucleotide pool, which led to primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion in mice, HEK293T cells, and patient-derived immortalized lymphocyte cells due to insufficient supply of nucleotides. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo supplementation of nucleosides/nucleotides restored mtDNA content and mitochondrial function. Collectively, our findings suggest that MEGD(H)EL syndrome shares both clinical and molecular features with the mtDNA depletion syndrome, and nucleotide supplementation may be an effective therapeutic strategy for MEGD(H)EL syndrome.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pasteurella multocida Sequence Type 394, Isolated from a Case of Bovine Respiratory Disease in Australia
Authors: Roy Chowdhury P. , Alhamami Tamara , Venter Henrietta , Veltman Tania , Carr Mandi , Mollinger Joanne , Trott Darren J. , Djordjevic Steven P.
Published: March 2022

Here, we present the completely closed genome sequence of
Pasteurella multocida
17BRD-035, a bovine respiratory disease (BRD) pathogen from Queensland, Australia, with genes that confer resistance to β-lactams, tilmicosin, and tetracycline. It consists of a single 2,624,884-bp chromosome and an average GC content of 40.23% and belongs to the newly described Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) sequence type 394.
Candida albicans
END3
Mediates Endocytosis and Has Subsequent Roles in Cell Wall Integrity, Morphological Switching, and Tissue Invasion
Authors: Rollenhagen Christiane , Agyeman Harrison , Eszterhas Susan , Lee Samuel A.
Published: March 2022

Candida albicans
is a fungal commensal organism that can cause serious opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients leading to substantial complications and mortality. A better understanding of the microbe’s biology to develop more effective therapeutic and diagnostic tools is required as invasive candidiasis is a problem of continued clinical importance.
Characterization and Demonstration of Mock Communities as Control Reagents for Accurate Human Microbiome Community Measurements
Authors: Tourlousse Dieter M. , Narita Koji , Miura Takamasa , Ohashi Akiko , Matsuda Masami , Ohyama Yoshifumi , Shimamura Mamiko , Furukawa Masataka , Kasahara Ken , Kameyama Keishi , Saito Sakae , Goto Maki , Shimizu Ritsuko , Mishima Riko , Nakayama Jiro , Hosomi Koji , Kunisawa Jun , Terauchi Jun , Sekiguchi Yuji , Kawasaki Hiroko
Published: March 2022

Application of high-throughput DNA sequencing has greatly accelerated human microbiome research and its translation into new therapeutic and diagnostics capabilities. Microbiome community analyses results can, however, vary considerably across studies or laboratories, and establishment of measurement standards to improve accuracy and reproducibility has become a priority.
Municipal Wastewaters Carry Important Carbapenemase Genes Independent of Hospital Input and Can Mirror Clinical Resistance Patterns
Authors: Teban-Man Adela , Szekeres Edina , Fang Peiju , Klümper Uli , Hegedus Adriana , Baricz Andreea , Berendonk Thomas Ulrich , Pârvu Marcel , Coman Cristian
Published: March 2022

Wastewater-based epidemiology has recently been recognized as a valuable, cost-effective tool for antimicrobial resistance surveillance. It can help gain insights into the characteristics and distribution of antibiotic resistance elements at a local, national, and even global scale.
Testing petrogenetic models for contemporaneous mafic and felsic to intermediate magmatism within the “Newer Granite” suite of the Scottish and Irish Caledonides
Authors: Archibald Donnelly B. , Murphy J. Brendan , Fowler Mike , Strachan Robin A. , Hildebrand Robert S.
Published: March 2022

Granitoid batholiths dominated by felsic to intermediate compositions are commonly associated with mafic plutons and enclaves; however, the genetic relationship between the apparently coeval but compositionally dissimilar magmas is unclear. Here, we reviewed the age and lithogeochemical and Nd-Sr isotopic compositions of some classic plutonic rocks emplaced in the Northern Highlands, Grampian and Connemara terranes of the Caledonide orogen of Scotland and Ireland. The Northern Highlands terrane consists mostly of Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of the Moine Supergroup and is located north of the Great Glen fault. The Grampian terrane also consists of Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks (Dalradian Supergroup) and is located south of the Great Glen fault in both Scotland and Ireland. Amphibolite-facies metasedimentary rocks in the Connemara terrane are correlated with the Dalradian Supergroup, and the terrane is bounded by splays of the Highland Boundary and Southern Uplands faults. These three terranes were intruded by Silurian–Devonian mafic and felsic to intermediate plutonic rocks that display field evidence for mingling and mixing and have a similar range (between ca. 437 and 370 Ma) in emplacement ages. This range implies they were intruded during and after the late Caledonian Scandian orogenic event that resulted from the mid- to late Silurian collision of amalgamated Avalonia and Baltica with Laurentia and the final closure of the Iapetus Ocean. Our review supports the contention that the Great Glen fault represents a major compositional boundary in the Silurian lithosphere. Felsic to intermediate plutons that occur north of the Great Glen fault are more enriched in light rare earth elements and Ba-Sr-K compared to those to the south. Isotopic compositions of these late Caledonian plutonic rocks on both sides of the Great Glen fault indicate that metasomatism and enrichment of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath the Northern Highlands terrane occurred just prior to emplacement of late Caledonian plutons. Within the same terrane, mafic and felsic to intermediate rocks display similar trace-element and rare earth element concentrations compatible with models implying that fractionation of a mafic magma played an important role in generating the felsic to intermediate magmas. The onset of slab failure magmatism may have been diachronous along the length of the collision zone. If so, slab failure may have propagated laterally, possibly initiating where promontories collided.
Mercury enrichments during the Carnian Pluvial Event (Late Triassic) in South China
Authors: Zhao He , Grasby Stephen E. , Wang Xiangdong , Zhang Lei , Liu Yongsheng , Chen Zhong-Qiang , Hu Zhaochu , Huang Yuangeng
Published: March 2022

The Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE) was an interval marked by global climatic and environmental change, along with biotic turnover, which occurred during the early Late Triassic. Although the causes and consequences of this event remain unclear, one possible scenario is enhanced volcanism injecting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, perturbing the global carbon cycle, and negatively impacting the global environment. However, there is an underlying challenge in showing a true cause- and-effect relationship between volcanism and the CPE, as both the sedimentary and volcanic records are difficult to date accurately enough to demonstrate temporal correspondence. However, mercury (Hg) can be used to fingerprint catastrophic volcanism in the sedimentary record. We examined two sections that record the CPE at Laishike and Wayao in Guizhou Province, southwest China, which display high Hg contents along with spikes of Hg/total organic content (TOC), Hg/Al, Hg/total sulfur (TS), and Hg/(Mo/Al) during the CPE that indicate a shift to excess Hg loading. These Hg anomalies are correlative with the global negative excursion in δ13Ccarb values at the CPE, which suggests that increased volcanism injected both massive amounts of Hg and isotopically light carbon into the atmosphere, and these were ultimately recorded in marine sediments. This interpretation is supported by slightly negative or near-zero Δ199Hg values that are consistent with a volcanic Hg source. Our study supports the hypothesis that enhanced volcanism played a major role in the evolution of biota and the environment during the CPE.
Supplemental Material: New constraints on the timing and character of the Laramide Orogeny and associated gold mineralization in SE California, USA
Authors: Cawood Tarryn K. , al. et
Published: March 2022

Tables S1–S9 with analytical details and results of all analyses conducted, and Figures S1–12.
Josephson Spin-Valve Realization in the Magnetic Nodal-Line Topological Semimetal Fe3GeTe2
Authors: Shvetsov O. O. , Barash Yu. S. , Timonina A. V. , Kolesnikov N. N. , Deviatov E. V.
Published: March 2022

Three-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet Fe3GeTe2 (FGT) is regarded as a candidate for the magnetic topological nodal line semimetal. We investigate lateral electron transport between two 3 μm spaced superconducting In leads beneath a thick three-dimensional FGT exfoliated flake. At a low temperature of 30 mK, we observe Josephson supercurrent that exhibits unusual critical current Ic suppression by the magnetic field B. The overall Ic(B) pattern is asymmetric in respect of the sign of the magnetic field B. We demonstrate, that the asymmetry is defined by the magnetic field sweep direction, so the Ic(B) pattern is strictly reversed (as magnetic field reversal) for the opposite sweeps. We also observe an interplay between maximum and minimum in Ic(B) in normal magnetic fields, while there are fast aperiodic Ic(B) fluctuations for the in-plane ones. These effects cannot be expected for homogeneous superconductor-ferromagnet-superconductor junctions, while they are known for Josephson spin valves. The mostly possible scenario for Josephson spin valve realization in FGT is the misalignment of spin polarizations of the Fermi arc surface states and ferromagnetic FGT bulk, but we also discuss possible influence of spin-dependent transport between magnetic domains.
Hyperglycinuria: diagnosis in middle age
Authors: Fargaly Hithem , Mathew Shobi , Rossi Noreen F
Published: March 2022

Isolated hyperglycinuria is a rare disorder that is associated with osteoporosis and renal calculi. We report findings in a middle-aged, black woman who presented for renal function evaluation with a history of transient hypobicarbonataemia associated with topiramate therapy. She displayed the full triad of high urinary glycine, early-onset osteopenia despite normal reproductive hormones, and renal calculus with high urinary oxalate, phosphate and uric acid. Parathyroid hormone and fibroblast growth factor 23 were both normal. Formal genetic testing did not reveal mutations in SLC6A20, SLC6A18, SLC6A19, SLC36A2, the known genes associated with glycinuria; however, black individuals are poorly represented in the genetic databases. It may well be that otherwise unidentified mutations may be present or that topiramate may result in a lingering proximal tubule defect even after cessation of the drug.
Acute recurrent pancreatitis complicated by pancreatic-portal venous fistulisation, secondary chronic portal vein thrombosis, multiple hepatic abscesses and newly diagnosed cirrhosis
Authors: Calcagno Tess , Marin Sara , Ostrer Lily
Published: March 2022

Pancreatic-portal vein fistula, portal vein thrombosis and liver abscesses are rare complications of acute pancreatitis which occur in the setting of localised inflammation of the pancreatic tissues and surrounding structures. We discuss a 34-year-old woman with a medical history of intermittently controlled HIV and alcohol use disorder who presents with severe epigastric pain diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Concerning CT findings showing hypoattenuating liver lesions likely to be abscesses and multiple pancreatic pseudocysts led us to order an MRI which showed thrombosis of the portal vein, porto-pancreatic pseudocyst fistulation and cirrhotic changes. Patient was treated conservatively in the hospital and ultimately given a course of antibiotics for hepatic abscesses. Workup for new diagnosis of cirrhosis revealed positive antimitochondrial antibodies, raising suspicion for autoimmune hepatitis possibly triggered by immune reconstitution in the setting of HIV infection. Patient was discharged on oral antibiotic therapy and home antiretroviral therapy.
Angle closure extent, anterior segment dimensions and intraocular pressure
Authors: Porporato Natalia , Chong Rachel , Xu Benjamin Y , Tun Tin A , Quah Joanne HuiMin , Tan Marcus , Baskaran Mani , Cheng Ching Yu , Aung Tin
Published: March 2022

Aim

To investigate the association between the extent of iridotrabecular contact and other quantitative anterior segment dimensions measured by swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT; CASIA SS-1000, Tomey, Nagoya, Japan) with intraocular pressure (IOP).

Methods

Cross-sectional study. All subjects who were ≥50 years with no history of glaucoma, ocular surgery or trauma, underwent SS-OCT imaging (eight equally spaced radial scans), Goldman applanation tonometry and gonioscopy on the same day. We measured iridotrabecular contact (ITC) index and area, total volume of trabeculo-iris space area and angle opening distance at 500 and 750 from the scleral spur (TISA 500 and 750, AOD 500 and 750, respectively), anterior chamber depth (ACD), volume, area and width, pupil diameter, lens vault and iris volume.Their relationship with IOP (dependent variable) was assessed by locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (Lowess) regression with change-point analysis and generalised additive models adjusted for confounders.

Results

2027 right eyes of mostly Chinese Singaporeans (90%) were analysed. ITC index above a threshold of ~60% (95% CI 34% to 92%) was significantly associated with higher IOP. Independent of the extent of ITC, ACD was also significantly associated with higher IOP below a threshold of 2.5 mm (95% CI 2.33 mm to 2.71 mm). Greater ITC index and shallower ACD had a joint association with IOP. A model including ACD and ITC index was more predictive of IOP than a model considering these variables separately, particularly for women with gonioscopically closed angles (R252.7%, p<0.05).

Conclusions

The extent of angle closure and the ACD below a certain threshold had a significant joint association with IOP. These parameters, as biometrical surrogates of mechanical obstruction of the aqueous outflow, may jointly contribute to elevated IOP, particularly in women with gonioscopic angle closure.
Rural longitudinal integrated clerkships and medical workforce outcomes: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Beattie Jessica , Binder Marley J , Fuller Lara
Published: March 2022

Introduction

The shortage of doctors in rural locations is an international problem, contributing to limited access to healthcare and a health disparity between rural and metropolitan populations. To encourage additional doctors to work in rural locations, more doctors than ever are being trained in rural settings. One rural clerkship model that is gaining recognition for fostering rural careers is the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship programmes vary in terms of settings and durations, but at their core have the fundamental commonality of continuity, with students learning the curriculum in an integrated manner. The scoping review will synthesise the literature pertaining to medical workforce outcomes of rural Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship programmes, to uncover areas that require further research and establish elements of medical education programme design that positively influence rural workforce outcomes.

Methods and analysis

The review will follow Arksey and O’Malley’s six step scoping review framework. MEDLINE, CINAHL complete (EBSCOhost), Scopus, Embase (Elsevier) and ISI Web of Science databases will be searched along with Google, Google Scholar, ProQuest and WHO library database. Single design studies examining the geographic work locations and/or medical specialty of rural Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship graduates will be included. Data from quantitative and mixed-methods studies will be included. Only studies written in English will be included. There will be no date range restriction imposed on the reviewed studies. Two reviewers will independently screen and critically appraise the articles to determine if they meet the inclusion criteria. Data from eligible studies will be extracted for synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination

Scoping reviews do not require ethics approval. Results will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and may be presented at relevant conferences. The findings will also be shared within the Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship community of medical educators.
Ultrasound combined with nanobubbles promotes systemic anticancer immunity and augments anti-PD1 efficacy
Authors: Hu Jianjun , He Jiangyi , Wang Yunlong , Zhao Yang , Fang Kejing , Dong Yan , Chen Yanrong , Zhang Yue , Zhang Chi , Wang Hongwei , Tan Jun , Wang Junyi , Zi Ruiyang , Liu Chengxiang , Liang Houjie , Guo Yanli , Ou Juanjuan
Published: March 2022

Background

The poor immunogenicity of solid tumors limits the efficacy ofanti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD1)-based immune checkpoint blockade (ICB); thus, less than 30% of patients with cancer exhibit a response. Currently, there is still a lack of effective strategies for improving tumor immunogenicity.

Methods

The antitumor effect of ultrasound-stimulated nanobubbles (USNBs) alone and in combination with an anti-PD1 antibody was evaluated in RM1 (prostate cancer), MC38 (colon cancer) and B16 (melanoma) xenograft mouse models. The phenotypes of antigen-presenting cells and CD8+ T cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. Damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) release, antigen release and tumor cell necrosis were assessed via western blot, flow cytometry, transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy.

Results

USNB promoted the infiltration and antitumor activity of CD8+ T cells. The combination of USNB and anti-PD1 blockade improved systemic antitumor immunity and resulted in an abscopal effect and long-term immune memory protection after complete tumor remission. Mechanistically, tumor-targeting USNB induced tumor cell necrosis through an ultrasound-mediated cavitation effect, which significantly increased DAMP release and tumor antigen presentation, consequently sensitizing tumors to ICB treatment.

Conclusion

The administration of USNB increased tumor immunogenicity by remodeling the tumor-immune microenvironment, providing a promising strategy for sensitizing poorly immunogenic solid tumors to immunotherapy in the clinic.
Paeonol inhibits inflammatory response and protects chondrocytes by upregulating sirtuin 1
Authors: Shang Peng , Liu Ying , Jia Junqing
Published: March 2022

Paeonol is the bioactive component in Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Cynanchum paniculatum and Paeonia × suffruticosa Andr. Paeonol has been previously demonstrated to inhibit the release of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interluekin 6 (IL-6) in chondrocytes. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is downregulated in degraded cartilage and paeonol could induce nuclear accumulation of SIRT1. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the possible role of paeonol in chondrocyte inflammation and cartilage protection in osteoarthritis (OA) as well as its regulation of SIRT1. Primary chondrocytes from rat knee joints were transfected with short hairpin (sh) – SIRT1 and (or) paeonol prior to IL-1β exposure, and then inflammatory response, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation in the cells were evaluated concurrent with the activation of the nuclear factor κβ (NF-κβ) signaling pathway. Increased levels of TNF-α, IL-17, IL-6, matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1), MMP-3, and MMP-13 along with decreased tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 and type II collagen levels were found in IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes. Chondrocyte apoptosis was elevated and the NF-κβ signaling pathway was activated in response to IL-1β treatment. Paeonol enhanced SIRT1 expression to inactivate the NF-κβ signaling pathway, thereby ameliorating inflammatory cytokine secretion, ECM degradation, and chondrocyte apoptosis. In conclusion, the results of the present study confirm the potential of paeonol as a candidate OA drug.
Adaptive robust control for the corner balancing Cubli system with uncertainties
Authors: Huang Kang , Li Jiandong , Zhu Zicheng , Yu Biao
Published: March 2022

The Cubli is a cube that can balance on its edge or corner by rotating inertia wheels. It is a typical underactuated mechanical system, and has 6 degrees of freedom when balancing on its corner. In this paper, an adaptive robust control is presented to balance the uncertain Cubli system on its corner. The uncertainties are considered to be time-varying and bounded, but the bounds are unknown. We first established a dynamic model of the uncertain Cubli system, subject to the servo constraints. Next, we present the robust control with a leakage-type adaptive law. We used the Lyapunov theory to verify the stability of the control. Finally, the effectiveness of the control was verified through numerical simulation in MATLAB™.
Nonlinear waves in a hot, viscous and non-extensive quark-gluon plasma
Authors: Sarwar Golam , Hasanujjaman Md. , Bhattacharyya Trambak , Rahaman Mahfuzur , Bhattacharyya Abhijit , Alam Jan-e
Published: March 2022

The effects of the non-extensive statistics on the nonlinear propagation of perturbations have been studied within the scope of relativistic second order dissipative hydrodynamics with non-extensive equation of state. We have shown that the equations, describing the propagation of nonlinear waves under such situation admit solutions similar to that of KdV-type (Korteweg–De Vries) equations. Apart from their preserved solitonic behaviour the dissipative nature of these waves are also observed. The waves with larger amplitude and width dissipate less and propagate faster and these waves deplete more for both smaller values of Tsallis parameter (q) and temperature (T) of the medium. For vanishingly small transport coefficients the nonlinear waves show breaking nature. These findings suggest that the nature of the propagation of the nonlinear waves may serve as a good probe to differentiate between the extensive and non-extensive thermodynamic nature of a fluid, such as the quark-gluon plasma, produced in relativistic nuclear collisions.
Revisiting $$K \rightarrow \pi a$$ decays
Authors: Guerrera A. W. M. , Rigolin S.
Published: March 2022

The theoretical calculation for pseudo-scalars hadronic decays $$K \rightarrow \pi a$$

K
→
π
a

is reviewed. While one-loop penguin contributions are usually considered, tree-level processes have most often been overlooked in literature. Following the Lepage–Brodsky approach the tree-level contribution to the charged and neutral pseudo-scalar decay in ALP is estimated. Assuming generic ALP couplings to SM fermions, the latest NA62/E949 results for the $$K^+ \rightarrow \pi ^+ a$$

K
+

→

π
+

a

decay and the present/future KOTO results for the $$K^0_L \rightarrow \pi ^0 a$$

K
L
0

→

π
0

a

decay are used to provide updated bounds on the ALP-fermion Lagrangian sector. Finally, the interplay between the tree-level and one-loop contributions is investigated.
Automated Analysis of Blood Smear Images for Leukemia Detection: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Mittal Ajay , Dhalla Sabrina , Gupta Savita , Gupta Aastha
Published: March 2022

Leukemia, the malignancy of blood-forming tissues, becomes fatal if not detected in the early stages. It is detected through a blood smear test that involves the morphological analysis of the stained blood slide. The manual microscopic examination of slides is tedious, time-consuming, error-prone, and subject to inter-observer and intra-observer bias. Several computerized methods to automate this task have been developed to alleviate these problems during the past few years. However, no exclusive comprehensive review of these methods has been presented to date. Such a review shall be highly beneficial for novice readers interested in pursuing research in this domain. This article fills the void by presenting a comprehensive review of 149 papers detailing the methods used to analyze blood smear images and detect leukemia. The primary focus of the review is on presenting the underlying techniques used and their reported performance, along with their merits and demerits. It also enumerates the research issues that have been satisfactorily solved and open challenges still existing in the domain.
Simulation-Informed Machine Learning Diagnostics of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack with Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy
Authors: Le G. T. , Mastropasqua L. , Brouwer J. , Adler S. B.
Published: March 2022

This paper reports our initial development of simulation-informed machine learning algorithms for failure diagnostics in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems. We used physics-based models to simulate electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) response of a short SOFC stack under normal conditions and under three different failure modes: fuel maldistribution, delamination, and oxidant gas crossover to the anode channel. These data were used to train a support vector machine (SVM) model, which is able to detect and differentiate these failures in simulated data under various conditions. The SVM model can also distinguish these failures from simulated uniform degradation that often occurs with long-term operation. These encouraging results are guiding our ongoing efforts to apply EIS as a failure diagnostic for real SOFC cells and short stacks.
MnO2-MXene Composite as Electrode for Supercapacitor
Authors: Zhu Yachao , Rajouâ Khalil , Le Vot Steven , Fontaine Olivier , Simon Patrice , Favier Frédéric
Published: March 2022

A MnO2-MXene composite material is reported, in which MnO2 particles have been grown onto Ti3C2 MXene flakes. Thanks to its interconnected structure, it can not only boost the low electrical conductivity of MnO2, but also suppress the restacking of MXene flakes. As an electrode material in a three-electrode cell, the composite showed greater capacitance and improved stability performance than raw MnO2 in both KOH and Na2SO4 aqueous electrolytes. Equipped with MnO2–MXene composite material as positive and activated carbon as negative, an asymmetric device using Na2SO4 as electrolyte displayed an energy density of 20 Wh kg−1 at 500 W kg−1 power density. On the other hand, the device operated in KOH electrolyte showed an energy density of 17 Wh kg−1 at 400 W kg−1, and 11 Wh kg−1 at 8 kW kg−1.
Towards Use of Persulfate Electrogenerated at Boron Doped Diamond Electrodes as Ex-Situ Oxidation Approach: Storage and Service-Life Solution Parameters
Authors: Araújo Karla C. F. , Silva Karyn N. O. , Monteiro Mayra K. S. , da Silva Djalma R. , Quiroz Marco A. , dos Santos Elisama V. , Martínez-Huitle Carlos A.
Published: March 2022

To date, a wide range of synthetic and real effluents have been treated using in situ electrochemically driven BDD-SO4
2−/SO4
·−/S2O8
2− systems to eliminate persistent organic pollutants and microorganisms. Although reactive sulfate-based species are electrochemically generated in situ with free heterogenous ·OH radicals, SO4
2−/SO4
·−/S2O8
2− species have a half-life greater than that of the ·OH radicals. However, no information has been published regarding the properties of the oxidant solution after its electrochemical synthesis. Here, an electrochemical BDD-SO4
2−/SO4
·−/S2O8
2− system was evaluated in terms of solution oxidation power as a function of storage temperature, storage time, and ex situ applicability. Results clearly show that storage temperature has an influence on the storage and service-life of the solutions called fresh-persulfate (25 °C) or cold-persulfate (10 °C). Greater stability in the cold-persulfate solution was observed, as a function of time, and it was effective in degrading organic pollutants as an ex situ oxidation approach, eliminating 80.73%, 79.25%, and 63.25% after 120 min for methyl orange dye, 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), and caffeine, respectively. Cold-persulfate solution also proved to be a feasible off-grid technology after 14 days storage. These results contribute to understanding of the fundamentals of sulfate aqueous solutions as precursors of sulfate-based oxidizing solutions and their applications.
Methods—Spatially Resolved Diffraction Study of the Uniformity of a Li-Ion Pouch Cell
Authors: Sørensen Daniel Risskov , Heere Michael , Smith Anna , Schwab Christopher , Sigel Florian , Jørgensen Mads Ry Vogel , Baran Volodymyr , Schökel Alexander , Knapp Michael , Ehrenberg Helmut , Senyshyn Anatoliy
Published: March 2022

A lab-made, multilayered Li-ion battery pouch cell is investigated using in-operando neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and spatially resolved powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXRD) with the aim of investigating how to compare the information obtained from the two complementary techniques on a cell type with a complicated geometry for diffraction. The work focusses on the anode and cathode lithiation as obtained from the LiC6/LiC12 weight ratio and the NMC111 c/a-ratio, respectively. Neutron powder diffractograms of a sufficient quality for Rietveld refinement are measured using a rotation stage to minimize geometrical effects. Using SR-PXRD, the cell is shown to be non-uniform in its anode and cathode lithiation, with the edges of the cell being less lithiated/delithiated than the center in the fully charged state. The non-uniformity is more pronounced for high charging current than low charging current. The averaged SR-PXRD data is found to match the bulk NPD data well. This is encouraging as it seems to allow comparisons between studies using either of these complementary techniques. This work will also serve as a benchmark for our future studies on pouch cells with novel non-commercial cathode and/or anode materials.
Electrodeposition of Silicon from the Low-Melting LiCl-KCl-CsCl-K2SiF6 Electrolytes
Authors: Ustinova Yu. , Pavlenko О. , Gevel T. , Zhuk S. , Suzdaltsev A. , Zaikov Yu.
Published: March 2022

The possibility of silicon electrodeposition from the low-melting LiCl-KCl-CsCl-K2SiF6 electrolytes has been studied. The stability of a silicon-containing additive was studied by cyclic voltammetry, and the rate constant of the chemical reaction of SiF4 release at a temperature of 827 K was calculated. It is determined that the constants of velocity values in the melt based on eutectic composition are 2 orders of magnitude higher, which indicates a higher rate of formation of volatile compounds. Cyclic voltammetry was also used to study the electrochemical behavior of K2SiF6 in the melts under study. It was found that the silicon electroreduction at the cathode is not reversible and proceeds in one 4-electron reaction. The diffusion coefficient calculated by the Matsuda-Ayabe equation was 0.72·10−5 cm2·s−1 at temperature of 823 K. According to the obtained voltammograms, the parameters for the silicon electrodeposition were selected. At a potential of −0.4 V vs QRE, dendritic silicon deposits were obtained.
Butynediol’s Role beyond Brightening Additive during Electrodeposition of Cobalt
Authors: Kiruba M. , Lakshminarasimhan N. , Jeyabharathi C.
Published: March 2022

Butynediol (2-Butyne-1,4-diol), a well-known type-II brightening additive, changes the interfacial pH resulting in the formation of porous cobalt hydroxide film of ca. 1 μm thickness over the copper substrate in a short duration of electrodeposition (2 min) and at a very low current density (−5 mA cm−2) from sulfate bath. In the absence of butynediol, a metallic cobalt layer was observed under identical deposition conditions. The choice of anions (sulfates, chlorides and nitrates) in the electrodeposition bath determines the kind of electrodeposited films obtained, viz., cobalt, cobalt/cobalt hydroxide, and compact cobalt hydroxide. The adsorption of butynediol enhances hydrogen evolution due to water reduction that facilitates the formation of porous microstructures of cobalt hydroxide. Competition for adsorption sites between butynediol and chloride and dissolution of cobalt hydroxide by diffusing protons result in a mixed metallic cobalt particle and porous cobalt hydroxide microstructure. The variations in the phases and microstructures of electrodeposits were evidenced through the difference in the magnetic and electrocatalytic properties.
miR-195 regulates intestinal epithelial restitution after wounding by altering actin-related protein-2 translation
Authors: Wang Shelley R. , Rathor Navneeta , Kwon Min S. , Xiao Lan , Chung Hee Kyoung , Turner Douglas J. , Wang Jian-Ying , Rao Jaladanki N.
Published: March 2022

Early gut epithelial restitution reseals superficial wounds after acute injury, but the exact mechanism underlying this rapid mucosal repair remains largely unknown. MicroRNA-195 (miR-195) is highly expressed in the gut epithelium and involved in many aspects of mucosal pathobiology. Actin-related proteins (ARPs) are key components essential for stimulation of actin polymerization and regulate cell motility. Here, we reported that miR-195 modulates early intestinal epithelial restitution by altering ARP-2 expression at the translation level. miR-195 directly interacted with the ARP-2 mRNA, and ectopically expressed miR-195 decreased ARP-2 protein without effect on its mRNA content. In contrast, miR-195 silencing by transfection with anti-miR-195 oligo increased ARP-2 expression. Decreased ARP-2 levels by miR-195 overexpression were associated with an inhibition of early epithelial restitution, as indicated by a decrease in cell migration over the wounded area. Elevation of cellular ARP-2 levels by transfection with its transgene restored cell migration after wounding in cells overexpressing miR-195. Polyamines were found to decrease miR-195 abundance and enhanced ARP-2 translation, thus promoting epithelial restitution after wounding. Moreover, increasing the levels of miR-195 disrupted F-actin cytoskeleton organization, which was prevented by ARP2 overexpression. These results indicate that miR-195 inhibits early epithelial restitution by decreasing ARP-2 translation and that miR-195 expression is negatively regulated by cellular polyamines.
Proteoglycans and proteoglycan mimetics for tissue engineering
Authors: Nguyen Michael , Panitch Alyssa
Published: March 2022

Proteoglycans play a crucial role in proper tissue morphology and function throughout the body that is defined by a combination of their core protein and the attached glycosaminoglycan chains. Although they serve a myriad of roles, the functions of extracellular proteoglycans can be generally sorted into four categories: modulation of tissue mechanical properties, regulation and protection of the extracellular matrix, sequestering of proteins, and regulation of cell signaling. The loss of proteoglycans can result in significant tissue dysfunction, ranging from poor mechanical properties to uncontrolled inflammation. Because of the key roles they play in proper tissue function and due to their complex synthesis, the past two decades have seen significant research into the development of proteoglycan mimetic molecules to recapitulate the function of proteoglycans for therapeutic and tissue engineering applications. These strategies have ranged from semisynthetic graft copolymers to recombinant proteoglycan domains synthesized by genetically engineered cells. In this review, we highlight some of the important functions of extracellular proteoglycans, as well as the strategies developed to recapitulate these functions.
Deacetylation of Notch1 by SIRT1 contributes to HBsAg- and HBeAg-mediated M2 macrophage polarization
Authors: Li Jiahui , Yu Mengxue , Zong Ruobin , Fan Chengpeng , Ren Fu , Wu Wei , Li Changyong
Published: March 2022

This study identified a previously unrecognized molecular mechanism of HBV-mediated suppression of innate immune responses. We demonstrate that deacetylation of NICD by SIRT1 contributes to HBsAg- and HBeAg-mediated M2 macrophage polarization, which may aid in the development of new macrophage-based immunotherapy for chronic HBV infection and related diseases.
CD14-positive extracellular vesicles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid as a new biomarker of acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Mahida Rahul Y. , Price Joshua , Lugg Sebastian T. , Li Hui , Parekh Dhruv , Scott Aaron , Harrison Paul , Matthay Michael A. , Thickett David R.
Published: March 2022

Recent studies have indicated that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may play a role in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). EVs have been identified as potential biomarkers of disease severity and prognosis in other pulmonary diseases. We sought to characterize the EV phenotype within bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with ARDS, and to determine whether BAL EV could be used as a potential biomarker in ARDS. BAL was collected from patients with sepsis with and without ARDS, and from esophagectomy patients postoperatively (of whom a subset later developed ARDS during hospital admission). BAL EVs were characterized with regard to size, number, and cell of origin. Patients with sepsis-related ARDS had significantly higher numbers of CD14+/CD81+ monocyte-derived BAL EV than patients with sepsis without ARDS ( P = 0.015). However, the converse was observed in esophagectomy patients who later developed ARDS ( P = 0.003). Esophagectomy patients who developed ARDS also had elevated CD31+/CD63+ and CD31+/CD81+ endothelial-derived BAL EV ( P ≤ 0.02) compared with esophagectomy patients who did not develop ARDS. Further studies are required to determine whether CD31+ BAL EV may be a predictive biomarker for ARDS in esophagectomy patients. CD14+/CD81+ BAL EV numbers were significantly higher in those patients with sepsis-related ARDS who died during the 30 days following intensive care unit admission ( P = 0.027). Thus, CD14+/CD81+ BAL EVs are a potential biomarker for disease severity and mortality in sepsis-related ARDS. These findings provide the impetus to further elucidate the contribution of these EVs to ARDS pathogenesis.
Receptive field estimation in large visual neuron assemblies using a super-resolution approach
Authors: Pamplona Daniela , Hilgen Gerrit , Hennig Matthias H. , Cessac Bruno , Sernagor Evelyne , Kornprobst Pierre
Published: March 2022

We present a novel approach to measure receptive fields in large and heterogeneous populations of sensory neurons recorded with large-scale, high-density multielectrode arrays. Our approach leverages super-resolution principles to improve the yield of the spike-triggered average method. By simply designing a new stimulus, we provide experimentalists with a new and fast technique to simultaneously detect more receptive fields at higher resolution in population of hundreds to thousands of neurons.
Physiological oculo-auricular-facial-mandibular synkinesis elicited in humans by gaze deviations
Authors: Tsai Tina I. , Dlugaiczyk Julia , Bardins Stanislav , Huppert Doreen , Brandt Thomas , Wuehr Max
Published: March 2022

Healthy humans exhibit different combinations of nonpathological, synkinetic gaze-associated movements with aural, facial, and/or masticatory muscles during different types of voluntary and reflexive horizontal eye movements. The manifestations of these collective phenomena are strongest during large-scale horizontal saccades and accompanied by a detectable horizontal chin movement. Auricular muscle activations occur equally on both sides, whereas the activation of facial and masticatory muscles is predominantly ipsilateral (in regard to gaze direction).
The role of feedback in the production of skilled finger sequences
Authors: Popp Nicola J. , Hernandez-Castillo Carlos R. , Gribble Paul L. , Diedrichsen Jörn
Published: March 2022

Sensory feedback is important during the execution of a movement. However, little is known about how sensory feedback is used during the production of movement sequences. Here, we show two distinct feedback processes in the execution of fast finger movement sequences. By transiently delaying or advancing the feedback of a single press within a sequence, we observed a directionally specific effect on the perturbed press and a directionally non-specific effect on the subsequent presses.
Investigation on the Effect of Atmosphere on the Pyrolysis Behavior and Oil Quality of Jimusar Oil Shale
Authors: Kang Zhiqin , Wang Zhijing , Lu Yang , Cao Ran , Huang Dongwei , Meng Qiaorong
Published: March 2022

High-temperature H2O and CO2 can improve the pyrolysis behavior of oil shale. Therefore, in this paper, Jimusar oil shale was selected as the research object and the effect of the reaction atmosphere (H2O, CO2, and N2) on its pyrolysis behavior, pyrolysate distribution, and pyrolysis oil quality was fully compared and studied. The results showed that compared with the N2 atmosphere, the presence of H2O and CO2 both increased the weight loss and weight loss rate during pyrolysis of oil shale and the existence of H2O advanced the initial precipitation temperature of volatiles by 17°C. The comprehensive release characteristic indices of volatiles during pyrolysis of oil shale in the CO2 and H2O atmospheres increased by 49.34% and 114.35%, respectively, which significantly improved its pyrolysis reactivity. Both H2O and CO2 atmospheres improved the pyrolysis oil yield of oil shale, and the pyrolysis oil yield in the H2O atmosphere performed better than that in the CO2 atmosphere. Especially, the H2O atmosphere could increase the pyrolysis oil yield by 41.42%. The existence of CO2 prevented methyl radicals from accepting hydrogen radicals during pyrolysis and reduced the alkane yield, while CO2 participated in the addition reaction of alkane, which increased the alkene yield. High-temperature H2O provided more hydrogen source, which increased the alkane yield and inhibited the alkene formation. Both H2O and CO2 atmospheres promoted the cracking of polycyclic aromatics and increased the yield of small-molecular aromatics in the pyrolysis oil. During the pyrolysis process of oil shale, CO2 and H2O underwent reforming reaction with the heavy oil, which increased the light component fraction, thereby increasing the H/C ratio of pyrolysis oil. Thus, the existence of H2O and CO2 atmospheres improved the quality of pyrolysis oil and the effect of H2O was better than CO2. The H2O and CO2 atmosphere promoted the formation of a well-developed pore structure, which was conducive to mass and heat transfer during pyrolysis of oil shale.
Novel cis‐Pt(II) Complexes with Alkylpyrazole Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and Unusual Mode of Anticancer Action
Authors: Kasparkova Jana , Kostrhunova Hana , Novohradsky Vojtech , Logvinov Аlexey A. , Temnov Viktor V. , Borisova Nataliya E. , Podrugina Tatiana A. , Markova Lenka , Starha Pavel , Nazarov Alexey. A. , Brabec Viktor
Published: March 2022

One concept of improving anticancer effects of conventional platinum‐based antitumor drugs consists of conjugating these compounds with other biologically (antitumor) active agents, acting by a different mechanism. Here, we present synthesis, physicochemical characterization, biological effects, and mechanisms of action of four new analogs of conventional cisplatin, namely, cis‐Pt(II) complexes containing either methyl or ethyl pyrazole N‐donor ligands and chlorido or iodido ligands. It is noteworthy that while chlorido complexes display activity in a variety of cancer cell lines comparable to cisplatin, iodido complexes are considerably more potent due to their enhanced hydrophobicity and consequently enhanced cellular accumulation. Moreover, all of the studied Pt(II) alkylpyrazole complexes display a higher selectivity for tumor cells and effectively overcome the acquired resistance to cisplatin. Further results focused on the mechanism of action of the studied complexes and showed that in contrast to cisplatin and several platinum‐based antitumor drugs, DNA damage by the investigated Pt(II)‐alkylpyrazole complexes does not play a major role in their mechanism of action. Our findings demonstrate that inhibition of the tubulin kinesin Eg5, which is essential for forming a functional mitotic spindle, plays an important role in their mechanism of antiproliferative action.
Self-Management for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Wu Zugui , Zhou Rui , Zhu Yue , Zeng Ziquan , Ye Zixuan , Wang Zhenbang , Liu Wengang , Xu Xuemeng
Published: March 2022

Background. Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a high incidence chronic joint disease that seriously affects patients’ quality of life, and current treatment methods have limited efficacy. Self-management may be an effective strategy for KOA, and clinicians have been showing increased interest recently. However, the effectiveness of self-management for KOA remains controversial. Purpose. This study aims to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of self-management for KOA. Methods. We screened articles published in MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Web of Science until September 17, 2021. The main outcomes included pain, knee function, stiffness, WOMAC (total), physical function, arthritis self-efficacy (ASE-pain), arthritis self-efficacy (ASE-other symptoms), mental health, and quality of life. Results. Thirteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were finally included (n = 1610). Meta-analysis showed differences in pain, knee function, stiffness, ASE-pain, ASE-other symptoms, mental health, and quality of life between the self-management and control groups. Of the nine outcomes evaluated, four were highly heterogeneous, and the quality of evidence ranged from very low to moderate. Conclusion. The meta-analysis results showed that self-management might help improve the pain, knee function, stiffness, ASE, mental health, and quality of life in patients with KOA. However, it has no significant effect on WOMAC (total) and physical function. Considering that this study has some limitations, we cannot draw clear conclusions based on the results of this study. Nevertheless, we offer much needed insight and encourage more rigorously designed and implemented RCTs in the future to substantiate our conclusions.