bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Bio-Based Plasticizers, Made From Starch, on the Properties of Fresh and Hardened Metakaolin-Geopolymer Mortar: Basic Investigations
Authors: Tutal Adrian , Partschefeld Stephan , Schneider Jens , Osburg Andrea
Published: October 2020

Conventional superplasticizers based on polycarboxylate ether (PCE) show an intolerance to clay minerals due to intercalation of their polyethylene glycol (PEG) side chains into the interlayers of the clay mineral. An intolerance to very basic media is also known. This makes PCE an unsuitable choice as a superplasticizer for geopolymers. Bio-based superplasticizers derived from starch showed comparable effects to PCE in a cementitious system. The aim of the present study was to determine if starch superplasticizers (SSPs) could be a suitable additive for geopolymers by carrying out basic investigations with respect to slump, hardening, compressive and flexural strength, shrinkage, and porosity. Four SSPs were synthesized, differing in charge polarity and specific charge density. Two conventional PCE superplasticizers, differing in terms of molecular structure, were also included in this study. The results revealed that SSPs improved the slump of a metakaolin-based geopolymer (MK-geopolymer) mortar while the PCE investigated showed no improvement. The impact of superplasticizers on early hardening (up to 72 h) was negligible. Less linear shrinkage over the course of 56 days was seen for all samples in comparison with the reference. Compressive strengths of SSP specimens tested after 7 and 28 days of curing were comparable to the reference, while PCE led to a decline. The SSPs had a small impact on porosity with a shift to the formation of more gel pores while PCE caused an increase in porosity. Throughout this research, SSPs were identified as promising superplasticizers for MK-geopolymer mortar and concrete.
A noveln-3 glyceride mixture enhances enrichment of EPA and DHA after single dosing in healthy older adults: results from a double-blind crossover trial
Authors: Fisk Helena L. , Kindberg Grete M. , Hustvedt Svein O. , Calder Philip C.
Published: October 2020

A glyceride mixture of monoglyceride, diglyceride and TAG increases solubilisation and enhances emulsification ofn-3 fatty acid (FA)-containing lipids in the stomach. This allows for better access of digestive enzymes, pivotal for the release of bioactiven-3 FA. The objective was to compare the effect of a glyceride formulation and an ethyl ester formulation of EPA + DHA on concentrations of EPA and DHA in plasma following single dosing. We conducted a double-blind crossover trial in which twenty healthy adults aged 50–70 years consumed a single dose (2·8 g EPA + DHA) of each EPA + DHA formulation without a meal in random order separated by a 2-week washout period. EPA and DHA were measured in plasma total lipid over the following 12 h. EPA and DHA in plasma total lipid increased over 12 h with both formulations. A 10-fold greater Δ concentration of EPA, 3-fold greater Δ concentration of DHA and 5-fold greater Δ concentration of EPA + DHA were seen with the glyceride-EPA + DHA. The time at which the maximal concentrations ofn-3 FA occurred was 4 h earlier for EPA, 1 h earlier for DHA and 2 h earlier for EPA + DHA when consuming glyceride-EPA + DHA. A mixture of monoglyceride, diglyceride and TAG results in greater and faster incorporation of EPA and DHA into blood plasma lipid in the absence of a fatty meal. This may provide benefit to individuals on a low-fat diet or with digestive impairments and could result in greater efficacy in clinical trials usingn-3 FA.
Hinnandhinn: Early Icelandic as the clue to the history and etymology of two Old Scandinavian words
Authors: Stroh-Wollin Ulla
Published: October 2020

The history and etymology of Old Scandinavianhinnis a disputed matter. One question concerns whetherhinnas a contrastive demonstrative indicating ‘the other (one)/the former (one)’ andhinnas a pre-adjectival article, both of which to some extent are still found in present-day Icelandic, are related or not. Another issue concerns the fact thathinnhas no immediate parallel in Germanic outside Scandinavia, which has led scholars to assume that it is a Proto-Scandinavian innovation. This paper argues that Old Scandinavian possessed twohinnwords with separate backgrounds, one stemming directly from an anciently inherited distal demonstrative, and one from an innovated proximal demonstrative. However, the innovation was no more founded on common Germanic material than the formerhinnwas. Instead, it arose from the reinforcement of an ancient precursor. This precursor is traceable in early Icelandicenn, which was used as a pre-adjectival article and as a primitive post-nominal definiteness marker.
Validation of XRD phase quantification using semi-synthetic data
Authors: Döbelin Nicola
Published: October 2020

Validating phase quantification procedures of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) data for an implementation in an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited environment has been challenging due to a general lack of suitable certified reference materials. The preparation of highly pure and crystalline reference materials and mixtures thereof may exceed the costs for a profitable and justifiable implementation. This study presents a method for the validation of XRD phase quantifications based on semi-synthetic datasets that reduces the effort for a full method validation drastically. Datasets of nearly pure reference substances are stripped of impurity signals and rescaled to 100% crystallinity, thus eliminating the need for the preparation of ultra-pure and -crystalline materials. The processed datasets are then combined numerically while preserving all sample- and instrument-characteristic features of the peak profile, thereby creating multi-phase diffraction patterns of precisely known composition. The number of compositions and repetitions is only limited by computational power and storage capacity. These datasets can be used as input files for the phase quantification procedure, in which statistical validation parameters such as precision, accuracy, linearity, and limits of detection and quantification can be determined from a statistically sound number of datasets and compositions.
Infantile dilated cardiomyopathy due to congenital left main coronary ostial stenosis
Authors: Doyle Jacqueline , Churchill Tammy , Chowdhury Shahryar M.
Published: October 2020

Although a rare form of congenital heart disease, anomalies of the coronary arteries can present as heart failure in infants. The most common lesion is an anomalous left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery, but other abnormalities can present similarly. This case is an infant who is found to have left coronary ostial stenosis causing dilated cardiomyopathy.
Coronary artery to pulmonary artery collateral as the principal source of pulmonary blood supply in pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect with absent left pulmonary artery
Authors: Barry Ibrahima S. , Di Bernardo Stefano , Prša Milan
Published: October 2020

Pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect is associated with variable sources of pulmonary blood supply. We present a case of a coronary artery to pulmonary artery collateral as the principal source of pulmonary blood supply.
Identifying implementation gaps and priorities for the Singapore government to improve food environment policies: perspectives from a local expert panel
Authors: Tay Zoey , Whitton Clare , van Dam Rob M , Chia Kee Seng , Swinburn Boyd , Vandevijvere Stefanie , Rebello Salome A
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Singapore, an urbanised, developed nation, with a high reliance on food importation and a high prevalence of eating out is facing rising rates of obesity and diabetes. The objective of the current study was to characterise and evaluate the Singapore government’s policies to improve the food environment and to identify and prioritise concrete actions.

Design:

The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index tool and process were used. An expert panel rated the Singapore government’s implementation of forty-seven indicators compared with international best practice in 2018. Indicators were prioritised, and specific recommendations were proposed by panel.

Setting:

Singapore.

Participants:

Twenty experts primarily from academia.

Results:

As compared with international benchmarks, the level of implementation of most indicators (thirty-three indicators, 70 %) by the Singapore government was evaluated as being at least moderate. Highly rated indicators included those related to provision of healthier meals at school, supporting the use of healthier ingredients by food vendors and governmental leadership. More policy indicators (6, 26 %) as compared with infrastructure support indicators (2, 8 %) received a ‘very little or no implementation’ rating. After rating, the experts prioritised eleven indicators and proposed thirty-one actions informed by several considerations including those of effectiveness, political acceptability, feasibility and unique characteristics of food retail in Singapore.

Conclusions:

Supported by documented evidence, an independent expert panel identified areas of strengths and provided specific recommendations to meaningfully improve the Singapore food environment to facilitate healthier eating. Fundamental recommendations including improving nutrition profiling and strengthening monitoring systems have the potential to positively influence environments across policy domains.
Measured weight in early pregnancy is a valid method for estimating pre-pregnancy weight
Authors: Inskip Hazel , Crozier Sarah , Baird Janis , Hammond Julia , Robinson Sian , Cooper Cyrus , Godfrey Keith ,   the Southampton Women’s Survey Study Group
Published: October 2020

Estimation of pre-pregnancy weight is difficult because measurements taken before pregnancy are rarely available. No studies have compared various ‘proxy’ measures using recalled weight or based on early pregnancy weight with actual measurements of pre-pregnancy weight. The Southampton Women’s Survey recruited women during 1998–2002 who were not pregnant. Data on 198 women with an estimated date of conception within 3 months of recruitment were analysed. Three proxy measures were considered: (1) recalled pre-pregnancy weight obtained during early pregnancy, (2) measured weight in early pregnancy and (3) estimated pre-pregnancy weight using a published model. Mean (standard deviation) recalled weight was 1.65 (3.03) kg lighter than measured pre-pregnancy weight, while early pregnancy weight and weights from the published model were 0.88 (2.34) and 0.88 (2.33) kg heavier, respectively. The Bland–Altman limits of agreement for recalled weight were −7.59 to 4.29 kg, wider than those for the early pregnancy weight: −3.71 to 5.47 kg and the published model: −3.68 to 5.45 kg. For estimating pre-pregnancy weight, we recommend subtraction of 0.88 kg from early pregnancy weight or the published model, or addition of 1.65 kg to recalled weight. Estimates of pre-pregnancy body mass index and gestational weight gain categories were very similar when using early pregnancy and published model weights, but they differed from those using recalled weight. Our findings indicate that calculations of first trimester weight gain using recalled weight must be treated cautiously, and a measured weight in early pregnancy provides a more precise assessment of pre-pregnancy weight than recalled weight.
Southern California’s Crustal Motion Tells of Earthquake Hazards
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: October 2020

Precise measurements of the Earth’s vertical surface motion help to elucidate the hazards of faults in an earthquake-prone region.
CO2‐Induced Decoupling of Tropical Surface and Thermocline Water Temperature at the Onset of Interglacials
Authors: Dong Liang , Zhang Xu , Jia Guodong , Du Yan , Li Li , Li Qianyu
Published: October 2020

Tropical air‐sea interaction is important in global climate change; its behavior over geological history is poorly understood but can be explored by examining reconstructed sea surface temperature (SST) and thermocline water temperature (TWT). Here, deglacial‐interglacial air‐sea interactions over the past 500 ka were studied by comparing UK'37‐derived SST0‐30m and TEXH86‐derived TWT75m in a sediment core from the southern South China Sea. During deglacials, SST0‐30m and TWT75m varied synchronously toward interglacial peaks, while during the peak interglacials, TWT75m decreased earlier than SST0‐30m. These changes have been found ubiquitously in tropical oceans during the last two glacial‐interglacial cycles. We propose that the prolonged warm interglacial SST was probably sustained by the natural CO2 “overshoot” greenhouse effect at the end of most terminations. The early interglacial TWT decrease following local insolation is driven by the decreasing downward heat transport efficiency induced by weakening wind stirring.
Drivers of Subsurface Deoxygenation in the Southern California Current System
Authors: Evans Natalya , Schroeder Isaac D. , Pozo Buil Mercedes , Jacox Michael G. , Bograd Steven J.
Published: October 2020

A confluence of subarctic, tropical, and subtropical water masses feed the California Current System (CCS), supporting a highly productive ecosystem and wide array of marine ecosystem services. Long‐term declines in oxygen have been observed in this region, causing habitat compression and other ecosystem consequences. Here we quantify the water masses and processes causing deoxygenation in the subsurface CCS from 1993–2018, and we find that deoxygenation was caused both by changes in the advection of source waters and increased remineralization in the source waters. The historical deoxygenation trend can be attributed primarily (81%) to the Northern Equatorial Pacific Intermediate Water, the deep Pacific Equatorial Water mass transported in the California Undercurrent. We also find that advection and remineralization share nearly equal contributions to deoxygenation. This improved understanding of the mechanisms affecting the aerobic habitat of the CCS will inform projections of ecological impacts and mitigation of future deoxygenation.
Hydrological Cycle Changes Explain Weak Snowball Earth Storm Track Despite Increased Surface Baroclinicity
Authors: Shaw Tiffany A. , Graham R. J.
Published: October 2020

Simulations show that storm tracks were weaker during past cold, icy climates relative to the modern climate despite increased surface baroclinicity. Previous work explained the weak North Atlantic storm track during the Last Glacial Maximum using dry zonally asymmetric mechanisms associated with orographic forcing. Here we show that zonally symmetric mechanisms associated with the hydrological cycle explain the weak Snowball Earth storm track. The weak storm track is consistent with the decreased meridional gradient of evaporation and atmospheric shortwave absorption and can be predicted following global mean cooling and the Clausius‐Clapeyron relation. The weak storm track is also consistent with decreased latent heat release aloft in the tropics, which decreases upper tropospheric baroclinicity and mean available potential energy. Overall, both hydrological cycle mechanisms are reflected in the significant correlation between storm track intensity and the meridional surface moist static energy gradient across a range of simulated climates between modern and Snowball Earth.
Plasma Double Layers at the Boundary Between Venus and the Solar Wind
Authors: Malaspina D. M. , Goodrich K. , Livi R. , Halekas J. , McManus M. , Curry S. , Bale S. D. , Bonnell J. W. , de Wit T. Dudok , Goetz K. , Harvey P. R. , MacDowall R. J. , Pulupa M. , Case A. W. , Kasper J. C. , Korreck K. E. , Larson D. , Stevens M. L. , Whittlesey P.
Published: October 2020

The solar wind is slowed, deflected, and heated as it encounters Venus's induced magnetosphere. The importance of kinetic plasma processes to these interactions has not been examined in detail, due to a lack of constraining observations. In this study, kinetic‐scale electric field structures are identified in the Venusian magnetosheath, including plasma double layers. The double layers may be driven by currents or mixing of inhomogeneous plasmas near the edge of the magnetosheath. Estimated double‐layer spatial scales are consistent with those reported at Earth. Estimated potential drops are similar to electron temperature gradients across the bow shock. Many double layers are found in few high cadence data captures, suggesting that their amplitudes are high relative to other magnetosheath plasma waves. These are the first direct observations of plasma double layers beyond near‐Earth space, supporting the idea that kinetic plasma processes are active in many space plasma environments.
Supercooled Southern Ocean Waters
Authors: Haumann F. Alexander , Moorman Ruth , Riser Stephen C. , Smedsrud Lars H. , Maksym Ted , Wong Annie P. S. , Wilson Earle A. , Drucker Robert , Talley Lynne D. , Johnson Kenneth S. , Key Robert M. , Sarmiento Jorge L.
Published: October 2020

In cold polar waters, temperatures sometimes drop below the freezing point, a process referred to as supercooling. However, observational challenges in polar regions limit our understanding of the spatial and temporal extent of this phenomenon. We here provide observational evidence that supercooled waters are much more widespread in the seasonally ice‐covered Southern Ocean than previously reported. In 5.8% of all analyzed hydrographic profiles south of 55°S, we find temperatures below the surface freezing point (“potential” supercooling), and half of these have temperatures below the local freezing point (“in situ” supercooling). Their occurrence doubles when neglecting measurement uncertainties. We attribute deep coastal‐ocean supercooling to melting of Antarctic ice shelves and surface‐induced supercooling in the seasonal sea‐ice region to wintertime sea‐ice formation. The latter supercooling type can extend down to the permanent pycnocline due to convective sinking plumes—an important mechanism for vertical tracer transport and water‐mass structure in the polar ocean.
Effects of the 10 September 2017 Solar Flare on the Density and Composition of the Thermosphere of Mars
Authors: Cramer A. G. , Withers P. , Elrod M. K. , Benna M. , Mahaffy P. R.
Published: October 2020

The effects of solar flares on the upper atmosphere of Mars are large but poorly constrained by observations. These effects are an important aspect of the response of Mars to space weather events and may also influence the escape of volatiles from Mars, particularly in the solar system's early history. Here we report the effects of the X8.2 flare on 10 September 2017 on the density and composition of the thermosphere of Mars. This analysis uses neutral number densities of He, O, N2, CO, Ar, and CO2 from the MAVEN Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer (NGIMS). From these observations, we investigate how the enhanced solar irradiance during the flare produced changes in the neutral upper atmosphere of Mars due to atmospheric heating and photochemistry. Flare‐produced photochemical changes in the neutral thermosphere of Mars have been previously implied but not quantified. We find that at fixed altitudes, the number densities of all species barring He increase and the O/CO2 ratio decreases by ∼15–45%, indicating thermal expansion. However, when viewed at fixed total number densities, the densities of CO2 and Ar decrease, and the O/CO2 ratio increases by up to a factor of ∼3. The photodissociation of CO2 is one photochemical process that produces changes resembling those identified. The quantified changes will help to constrain the shifting chemical makeup of the upper atmosphere due to these impactful flare events and may aid modeling of flare behavior and the impact of flares on the evolution of the Martian climate.
TAp63α targeting of Lgr5 mediates colorectal cancer stem cell properties and sulforaphane inhibition
Authors: Chen Yue , Wang Meng-huan , Zhu Jian-yun , Xie Chun-feng , Li Xiao-ting , Wu Jie-shu , Geng Shan-shan , Han Hong-yu , Zhong Cai-yun
Published: October 2020

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have an established role in cancer progression and therapeutic resistance. The p63 proteins are important transcription factors which belong to the p53 family, but their function and mechanism in CSCs remain elusive. Here, we investigated the role of TAp63α in colorectal CSCs and the effects of sulforaphane on TAp63α. We found that TAp63α was upregulated in spheres with stem cell properties compared to the parental cells. Overexpression of TAp63α promoted self-renewal capacity and enhanced CSC markers expression in colorectal sphere-forming cells. Furthermore, we showed that TAp63α directly bound to the promoter region of Lgr5 to enhance its expression and activate its downstream β-catenin pathway. Functional experiments revealed that sulforaphane suppressed the stemness of colorectal CSCs both in vitro and in vivo. Upregulation of TAp63α attenuated the inhibitory effect of sulforaphane on colorectal CSCs, indicating the role of TAp63α in sulforaphane suppression of the stemness in colorectal cancer. The present study elucidated for the first time that TAp63α promoted CSCs through targeting Lgr5/β-catenin axis and participated in sulforaphane inhibition of the stem cell properties in colorectal cancer.
Attenuation of p53 mutant as an approach for treatment Her2-positive cancer
Authors: Fedorova Olga , Daks Alexandra , Shuvalov Oleg , Kizenko Alena , Petukhov Alexey , Gnennaya Yulia , Barlev Nikolai
Published: October 2020

Breast cancer is one of the world’s leading causes of oncological disease-related death. It is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity on the clinical, morphological, and molecular levels. Based on molecular profiling breast carcinomas are divided into several subtypes depending on the expression of a number of cell surface receptors, e.g., ER, PR, and HER2. The Her2-positive subtype occurs in ~10–15% of all cases of breast cancer, and is characterized by a worse prognosis of patient survival. This is due to a high and early relapse rate, as well as an increased level of metastases. Several FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of Her2-positive tumors have been developed, although eventually cancer cells develop drug resistance. These drugs target either the homo- or heterodimerization of Her2 receptors or the receptors’ RTK activity, both of them being critical for the proliferation of cancer cells. Notably, Her2-positive cancers also frequently harbor mutations in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene, which exacerbates the unfavorable prognosis. In this review, we describe the molecular mechanisms of RTK-specific drugs and discuss new perspectives of combinatorial treatment of Her2-positive cancers through inhibition of the mutant form of p53.
Scale-dependent effects of habitat fragmentation on the genetic diversity of Actinidia chinensis populations in China
Authors: Yu Wenhao , Wu Baofeng , Wang Xinyu , Yao Zhi , Li Yonghua , Liu Yongbo
Published: October 2020

Spatial scale partly explains the differentiated effects of habitat fragmentation on plant biodiversity, but the mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate the effects of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity at different scales, we sampled Actinidia chinensis Planch. at broad and fine scales, China. The broad-scale sampling included five mountain populations and one oceanic island population (Zhoushan Archipelago), and the fine-scale sampling covered 11 lake islands and three neighboring land populations in Thousand-Island Lake (TIL). These populations were genotyped at 30 microsatellite loci, and genetic diversity, gene flow, and genetic differentiation were evaluated. Genetic differentiation was positively related to geographical distance at the broad scale, indicating an isolation-by-distance effect of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity. The oceanic population differed from the mainland populations and experienced recent bottleneck events, but it showed high gene flow with low genetic differentiation from a mountain population connected by the Yangtze River. At the fine scale, no negative genetic effects of habitat fragmentation were found because seed dispersal with water facilitates gene flow between islands. The population size of A. chinensis was positively correlated with the area of TIL islands, supporting island biogeography theory, but no correlation was found between genetic diversity and island area. Our results highlight the scale-dependent effects of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity and the importance of connectivity between island-like isolated habitats at both the broad and fine scales.
Sexual function in adult patients who have undergone augmentation surgery in childhood: what is really important?
Authors: Bañuelos Marco Beatriz , Hiess Manuela , Stein Raimund , Gonzalez Ricardo , Lingnau Anja , Wood Dan , Radford Anna , Haid Bernhard ,   on behalf of the Pediatric Urology Group of the EAU Young Academic Urologists
Published: October 2020

Problems relating to the development of a healthy approach to sex and intimacy during puberty, after augmentation cystoplasty, are scarcely discussed in literature. Therefore, this may suggest that such issues are insufficiently addressed by pediatric urologists. We gathered four experts in the field as well as an experienced leader of a patient group and mother of a girl with spina bifida and asked questions relevant to the following areas of care: (a) diversion, urinary incontinence, and sexual life; (b) impact of a stoma on body image perception and self-esteem; (c) specific female concerns with regard to fertility and recurrent urinary infections; (d) specific male concerns on anejaculation and erectile dysfunction. Their answers are discussed in view of the available literature. All experts and the patient group representative agreed that most of these patients will experience: lack of self-confidence as the most frequent obstacle to starting a relationship and incontinence as a barrier to sexual activity. The cosmesis of the stoma and abdominal scars might influence self-esteem and therefore the sexual activity, however it appears to be a less common concern in males than females. Our results outline the importance and influence that the body image, self-esteem, and confidence present for the individual expectations of the patients related to sex life and sexual activity. Physicians should be encouraged to ask all postpubertal patients about their sexual concerns at every visit. Further studies and exchange of information between clinicians are needed to provide meaningful and analyzable patient-related outcome measures (PROMs).
Leptin alters energy intake and fat mass but not energy expenditure in lean subjects
Authors: Chrysafi Pavlina , Perakakis Nikolaos , Farr Olivia M. , Stefanakis Konstantinos , Peradze Natia , Sala-Vila Aleix , Mantzoros Christos S.
Published: October 2020

Based on studies in mice, leptin was expected to decrease body weight in obese individuals. However, the majority of the obese are hyperleptinemic and do not respond to leptin treatment, suggesting the presence of leptin tolerance and questioning the role of leptin as regulator of energy balance in humans. We thus performed detailed novel measurements and analyses of samples and data from our clinical trials biobank to investigate leptin effects on mechanisms of weight regulation in lean normo- and mildly hypo-leptinemic individuals without genetic disorders. We demonstrate that short-term leptin administration alters food intake during refeeding after fasting, whereas long-term leptin treatment reduces fat mass and body weight, and transiently alters circulating free fatty acids in lean mildly hypoleptinemic individuals. Leptin levels before treatment initiation and leptin dose do not predict the observed weight loss in lean individuals suggesting a saturable effect of leptin. In contrast to data from animal studies, leptin treatment does not affect energy expenditure, lipid utilization, SNS activity, heart rate, blood pressure or lean body mass.
An analecta of visualizations for foodborne illness trends and seasonality
Authors: Simpson Ryan B. , Zhou Bingjie , Alarcon Falconi Tania M. , Naumova Elena N.
Published: October 2020

Disease surveillance systems worldwide face increasing pressure to maintain and distribute data in usable formats supplemented with effective visualizations to enable actionable policy and programming responses. Annual reports and interactive portals provide access to surveillance data and visualizations depicting temporal trends and seasonal patterns of diseases. Analyses and visuals are typically limited to reporting the annual time series and the month with the highest number of cases per year. Yet, detecting potential disease outbreaks and supporting public health interventions requires detailed spatiotemporal comparisons to characterize spatiotemporal patterns of illness across diseases and locations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) FoodNet Fast provides population-based foodborne-disease surveillance records and visualizations for select counties across the US. We offer suggestions on how current FoodNet Fast data organization and visual analytics can be improved to facilitate data interpretation, decision-making, and communication of features related to trend and seasonality. The resulting compilation, or analecta, of 436 visualizations of records and codes are openly available online.
GalliForm, a database of Galliformes occurrence records from the Indo-Malay and Palaearctic, 1800–2008
Authors: Boakes Elizabeth H. , Fuller Richard A. , Mace Georgina M. , Ding Changqing , Ang Tzo Tze , Auffret Alistair G. , Clark Natalie E. , Dunn Jonathon , Gilbert Jennifer , Golovnyuk Viktor , Gupta Garima , Irlich Ulrike , Joachim Emily , O’ Connor Kim , Potapov Eugene , Potapov Roald , Schleicher Judith , Stebbing Sarah , Townshend Terry , McGowan Philip J. K.
Published: October 2020

Historical as well as current species distribution data are needed to track changes in biodiversity. Species distribution data are found in a variety of sources, each of which has its own distinct bias toward certain taxa, time periods or places. We present GalliForm, a database that comprises 186687 galliform occurrence records linked to 118907 localities in Europe and Asia. Records were derived from museums, peer-reviewed and grey literature, unpublished field notes, diaries and correspondence, banding records, atlas records and online birding trip reports. We describe data collection processes, georeferencing methods and quality-control procedures. This database has underpinned several peer-reviewed studies, investigating spatial and temporal bias in biodiversity data, species’ geographic range changes and local extirpation patterns. In our rapidly changing world, an understanding of long-term change in species’ distributions is key to predicting future impacts of threatening processes such as land use change, over-exploitation of species and climate change. This database, its historical aspect in particular, provides a valuable source of information for further studies in macroecology and biodiversity conservation.
Oral microbiota and dental caries data from monozygotic and dizygotic twin children
Authors: Kasimoglu Yelda , Koruyucu Mine , Birant Sinem , Karacan Ilker , Topcuoglu Nursen , Tuna Elif Bahar , Gencay Koray , Seymen Figen
Published: October 2020

There are recent studies which aimed to detect the inheritance on the etiology of dental caries exploring oral composition. We present data on the oral microbiota and its relation with dental caries and other factors in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin children. Following clinical investigation, DNA samples were collected and isolated from saliva of 198 patients (49 MZ and 50 DZ twins) with an average age of 9.7 ± 2.7 years. Salivary bacterial microbiota analysis was performed using high throughput amplicon sequencing method targeting V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 8,297,859 raw reads corresponding to 41,908 reads per sample were obtained on average. The QIIME2-deblur workflow was used for 16S rRNA amplicon analysis. Microbiome similarity analyses between twins (based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity, weighted and unweighted Unifrac distances) showed that monozygotic twins share more bacterial microbial content compared to dizygotic twins. This is a large microbial community dataset of MZ and DZ twins with or without dental findings which can be further used for children oral microbiome profile explorations.
Manually curated and harmonised transcriptomics datasets of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients
Authors: Federico Antonio , Hautanen Veera , Christian Nils , Kremer Andreas , Serra Angela , Greco Dario
Published: October 2020

We present manually curated transcriptomics data of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients retrieved from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus and EBI ArrayExpress repositories. We collected 39 transcriptomics datasets, deriving from DNA microarrays and RNA-Sequencing technologies, for a total of 1677 samples. We provide quality-checked, homogenised and preprocessed gene expression matrices and their corresponding metadata tables along with the estimated surrogate variables. These data represent a ready-made valuable source of knowledge for translational researchers in the dermatology field.
Data based predictive models for odor perception
Authors: Chacko Rinu , Jain Deepak , Patwardhan Manasi , Puri Abhishek , Karande Shirish , Rai Beena
Published: October 2020

Machine learning and data analytics are being increasingly used for quantitative structure property relation (QSPR) applications in the chemical domain where the traditional Edisonian approach towards knowledge-discovery have not been fruitful. The perception of odorant stimuli is one such application as olfaction is the least understood among all the other senses. In this study, we employ machine learning based algorithms and data analytics to address the efficacy of using a data-driven approach to predict the perceptual attributes of an odorant namely the odorant characters (OC) of “sweet” and “musky”. We first analyze a psychophysical dataset containing perceptual ratings of 55 subjects to reveal patterns in the ratings given by subjects. We then use the data to train several machine learning algorithms such as random forest, gradient boosting and support vector machine for prediction of the odor characters and report the structural features correlating well with the odor characters based on the optimal model. Furthermore, we analyze the impact of the data quality on the performance of the models by comparing the semantic descriptors generally associated with a given odorant to its perception by majority of the subjects. The study presents a methodology for developing models for odor perception and provides insights on the perception of odorants by untrained human subjects and the effect of the inherent bias in the perception data on the model performance. The models and methodology developed here could be used for predicting odor characters of new odorants.
Adding carbon fiber to shoe soles may not improve running economy: a muscle-level explanation
Authors: Beck Owen N. , Golyski Pawel R. , Sawicki Gregory S.
Published: October 2020

In an attempt to improve their distance-running performance, many athletes race with carbon fiber plates embedded in their shoe soles. Accordingly, we sought to establish whether, and if so how, adding carbon fiber plates to shoes soles reduces athlete aerobic energy expenditure during running (improves running economy). We tested 15 athletes as they ran at 3.5 m/s in four footwear conditions that varied in shoe sole bending stiffness, modified by carbon fiber plates. For each condition, we quantified athlete aerobic energy expenditure and performed biomechanical analyses, which included the use of ultrasonography to examine soleus muscle dynamics in vivo. Overall, increased footwear bending stiffness lengthened ground contact time (p = 0.048), but did not affect ankle (p ≥ 0.060), knee (p ≥ 0.128), or hip (p ≥ 0.076) joint angles or moments. Additionally, increased footwear bending stiffness did not affect muscle activity (all seven measured leg muscles (p ≥ 0.146)), soleus active muscle volume (p = 0.538; d = 0.241), or aerobic power (p = 0.458; d = 0.04) during running. Hence, footwear bending stiffness does not appear to alter the volume of aerobic energy consuming muscle in the soleus, or any other leg muscle, during running. Therefore, adding carbon fiber plates to shoe soles slightly alters whole-body and calf muscle biomechanics but may not improve running economy.
The weak magnetic field inhibits the supramolecular self-ordering of chiral molecules
Authors: Stovbun Sergey V. , Zanin Anatoly M. , Skoblin Aleksey A. , Zlenko Dmitry V.
Published: October 2020

The magnetic field can affect processes in the non-magnetic systems, including the biochemical reactions in the living cells. This phenomenon becomes possible due to the fermionic nature of an electron and significant energy gain provided by the exchange interactions. Here we report the inhibition effect of the magnetic field on the processes of the chiral supramolecular, i.e., macroscopic self-ordering in the non-magnetic model system. The observed effect is in tune with the reports on the influence of the magnetic field on the adsorption of the chiral molecules, which was explained by the effect of the chirally-induced spin-selectivity and the inhibition of the chemical reactions caused by the singlet-triplet conversion. The magneto sensitivity of the process of the chiral self-ordering directly indicates its spin-polarization nature. Tacking together all of the results in the field, we can propose that the chirality-driven exchange interactions guide the selection of the chiral molecules and explain their prevalence in the living matter. It is also probable that these forces have played a critical role in the origin of life on Earth.
Unravelling a long-lived ligand-to-metal cluster charge transfer state in Ce–TCPP metal organic frameworks
Authors: Yang Sizhuo , Hu Wenhui , Nyakuchena James , Fiankor Christian , Liu Cunming , Kinigstein Eli Diego , Zhang Jian , Zhang Xiaoyi , Huang Jier
Published: October 2020

We report the ultrafast charge separation dynamics in porphyrin-based Ce–TCPP MOFs using optical and X-ray transient absorption (XTA) spectroscopy.
Spectroluminescence measurements of the stability constants of CanUO2(CO3)3(4−2n)−complexes in NaClO4medium and the investigation of interaction effects
Authors: Shang Chengming , Reiller Pascal E. , Vercouter Thomas
Published: October 2020

The stability constants of ternary calcium uranyl tricarbonate complexes, CaUO2(CO3)32− and Ca2UO2(CO3)3(aq), were determined in NaClO4 medium at various ionic strengths using time-resolved laser-induced luminescence spectroscopy (TRLS).
Controlling the crystallization dynamics of photovoltaic perovskite layers on larger-area coatings
Authors: Zeng Linxiang , Chen Shi , Forberich Karen , Brabec Christoph J. , Mai Yaohua , Guo Fei
Published: October 2020

This review highlights the importance of controlling the crystallization dynamics for the deposition of high-quality photovoltaic perovskite layers on larger-area coatings.
Polysaccharides fromArmillariella tabescensmycelia ameliorate insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic mice
Authors: Yang Rui , Li Yangdan , Cai Jingjing , Ji Junqiu , Wang Ya , Zhang Wenna , Pan Wenjuan , Chen Yan
Published: October 2020

The polysaccharides fromArmillariella tabescensmycelia have hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities and alleviate insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic mice.
Systematic evaluation of the Folin–Ciocalteu and Fast Blue BB reactions during the analysis of total phenolics in legumes, nuts and plant seeds
Authors: Pico Joana , Pismag Remigio Y. , Laudouze Mallory , Martinez Mario M.
Published: October 2020

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) is highly advised for the analysis of total phenolics in legumes and nuts, even using Fast Blue BB (FBBB), which in turn displayed better performance over SPE-Folin Ciocalteu (FC).
“Nano-lymphatic” photocatalytic water-splitting for relieving tumor interstitial fluid pressure and achieving hydrodynamic therapy
Authors: Cong Cong , Rao Cheng , Ma Zhenhe , Yu Menghan , He Yaqian , He Yuchu , Hao Zining , Li Chunhui , Lou Hongming , Gao Dawei
Published: October 2020

The “nano-lymphatic” mediated hydrodynamics therapy for reducing tumor interstitial fluid pressure, effective deep penetration and anti-tumor therapy.
Superior water anchoring hydrogel validated by colorimetric sensing
Authors: Hu Xiaoyun , Ma Zhiwei , Li Jiguang , Cai Zhenzhen , Li Yushu , Zu Baiyi , Dou Xincun
Published: October 2020

A superior water anchoring hydrogel with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic structures effectively reduces the kinetic activation energy of water molecules and significantly inhibits the color diffusion of dye particles and the reaction product.
Tunable phase transitions and high photovoltaic performance of two-dimensional In2Ge2Te6 semiconductors
Authors: Miao Naihua , Li Wei , Zhu Linggang , Xu Bin , Zhou Jian , Elliott Stephen R. , Sun Zhimei
Published: October 2020

Ultrathin semiconductors with tunable phase transitions and high photovoltaic performance hold great promise for fundamental research and applications in future electronic devices.
Flexible NiCo-based catalyst for direct hydrodeoxygenation of guaiacol to cyclohexanol
Authors: Chen Changzhou , Zhou Minghao , Liu Peng , Sharma Brajendra K. , Jiang Jianchun
Published: October 2020

The catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of lignin-derived phenols is an important step for bio-oil upgrading.
Leveraging synthetic particles for communication: from passive to active systems
Authors: Luan Jiabin , Wang Danni , Wilson Daniela A.
Published: October 2020

Recent progress in the use of passive and active particles to build artificial communication is highlighted.
Copper-catalysed radical reactions of alkenes, alkynes and cyclopropanes with N–F reagents
Authors: Muñoz-Molina José María , Belderrain Tomás R. , Pérez Pedro J.
Published: October 2020

The mild generation of nitrogen-centred radicals from N–F reagents using copper-based catalysts has become a convenient synthetic tool.
Semiconductive donor promoted photochromism of iodoplumbate hybrids
Authors: Shen Junju , Kang Xiaoli , Hao Pengfei , Fu Yunlong
Published: October 2020

The entirely different photochromic behaviors of two iodoplumbate hybrids indicate the driving role of excitation of the PbI3− chain donor and the negative role of charge transfer in photoinduced electron transfer and photochromism.
Synthesis of maleimide fused benzocarbazoles and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines via rhodium(iii)-catalyzed [4 + 2] oxidative cycloaddition
Authors: Li Bin , Guo Chenhao , Shen Nana , Zhang Xinying , Fan Xuesen
Published: October 2020

In this paper, an efficient and sustainable synthesis of maleimide-fused benzocarbazoles/imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines from the reaction of 2-arylindoles/2-arylimidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with maleimides through oxidative [4 + 2] annulation is presented.
A photothermal and Fenton active MOF-based membrane for high-efficiency solar water evaporation and clean water production
Authors: Ma Xu , Deng Zheng , Li Zhuoyi , Chen Danke , Wan Xinyi , Wang Xiaobin , Peng Xinsheng
Published: October 2020

A Fenton active Zr–Fc MOF-based membrane was designed for efficiently producing clean water from VOC contaminated water via the solar evaporation process.
Monolayer/spheroid co-culture of cells on a PDMS well plate mediated by selective polydopamine coating
Authors: Chae Woo Ri , Lee Nae Yoon
Published: October 2020

A spheroid/monolayer co-culture platform developed via selective PDA coating introduces new strategies for studying cell–cell interactions.
Visible-light photovoltaic effect in high-temperature ferroelectric BaFe4O7
Authors: Zhang Ganghua , Hou Jingshan , Zhu Mingjun , Huang Guoquan , Li Dezeng , Fang Yongzheng , Zeng Tao
Published: October 2020

A new high-temperature ferroelectric BaFe4O7 without volatile elements has been presented with a visible-light photovoltaic effect.
Delay analysis in the discrete‐time multi‐server queue with batch arrivals of packets having deterministic length
Authors: Lee S. , Kim B. , Kang J.
Published: October 2020

This work considers a discrete‐time multi‐server queue with batch arrivals of packets having a deterministic length. By a novel analysis, the packet delay distribution is computed with a very light computational workload.
Diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder from EEG using a time–frequency spectrogram image‐based approach
Authors: Tawhid M.N.A. , Siuly S. , Wang H.
Published: October 2020

Autism is a type of neurodevelopment disorder in which individuals often have difficulties in social relationship, communication, expressing and controlling emotions and poor eye contact, among other symptoms. Currently, electroencephalography (EEG) is the most popular tool to investigate the presence of autism biomarkers. Generally, EEG recordings generate huge volume data with dynamic behaviour. In current practice, the massive EEG data are visually analysed by specialist clinicians to identify autism, which is time consuming, costly, subject to human error, and reduces decision‐making reliability. Hence this Letter aims to develop an efficient autism diagnostic system that can automatically identify autism based on time–frequency spectrogram images from EEG signals. Firstly, the raw EEG data is pre‐processed using several techniques, such as re‐referencing, filtering and normalisation. After that, the pre‐processed EEG signals are converted to two‐dimensional images using a short‐time Fourier transform. Then, textural features are extracted, and significant features are selected using principal component analysis, and feed to support vector machine classifier for classification. The proposed system achieved an average of 95.25% accuracy in ten‐fold cross‐validation evaluation. The developed system's simplicity and performance indicates usefulness as a decision support tool for healthcare professionals in autism diagnosis.
IoT cloud‐based cyber‐physical system for efficient solid waste management in smart cities: a novel cost function based route optimisation technique for waste collection vehicles using dustbin sensors and real‐time road traffic informatics
Authors: Mishra Ayaskanta , Kumar Ray Arun
Published: October 2020

IoT cloud‐based connected smart dustbins (equipped with sensors) are imperative for efficient waste management in smart city. Municipal agencies can reduce the use of both man and machine by cutting down their overall waste collection route distance as well as number of waste collection vehicles (WCVs) by deploying this proposed cyber‐physical system for route optimization of WCVs with capacitated vehicle‐routing model. A novel cost function is mathematically modelled using data from dustbin‐sensors and real‐time road‐traffic with modified Dijkstra's algorithm for optimisation of WCVs routes. Amount of solid waste in the dustbin (GC in %), rate of the filling (ΔG) and real‐time/dynamic road traffic information from Google distance matrix advanced application programming interface (API) are used for estimation of the optimised route for WCVs. Optimisation goal of this work is to reduce both capital expense (CapEx) and operational expense (OpEx) of solid waste collection in the city by cutting the WCV fleet size and reducing overall distance covered by WCVs. The proposed route optimisation technique is analytically simulated for Bhubaneswar smart city and the result shows 30.28% saving in overall WCVs route distance and hence reducing OpEx around 29.07% and CapEx around 26.83% by reducing WCV fleet size.