bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hot Branching Dynamics in a Light‐Harvesting Iron Carbene Complex Revealed by Ultrafast X‐ray Emission Spectroscopy
Authors: Tatsuno Hideyuki , Kjær Kasper S. , Kunnus Kristjan , Harlang Tobias C. B. , Timm Cornelia , Guo Meiyuan , Chàbera Pavel , Fredin Lisa A. , Hartsock Robert W. , Reinhard Marco E. , Koroidov Sergey , Li Lin , Cordones Amy A. , Gordivska Olga , Prakash Om , Liu Yizhu , Laursen Mads G. , Biasin Elisa , Hansen Frederik B. , Vester Peter , Christensen Morten , Haldrup Kristoffer , Németh Zoltán , Sárosiné Szemes Dorottya , Bajnóczi Éva , Vankó György , Van Driel Tim B. , Alonso‐Mori Roberto , Glownia James M. , Nelson Silke , Sikorski Marcin , Lemke Henrik T. , Sokaras Dimosthenis , Canton Sophie E. , Dohn Asmus O. , Møller Klaus B. , Nielsen Martin M. , Gaffney Kelly J. , Wärnmark Kenneth , Sundström Villy , Persson Petter , Uhlig Jens
Published: October 2019

Iron N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes have received a great deal of attention recently because of their growing potential as light sensitizers or photocatalysts. We present a sub‐ps X‐ray spectroscopy study of an FeIINHC complex that identifies and quantifies the states involved in the deactivation cascade after light absorption. Excited molecules relax back to the ground state along two pathways: After population of a hot 3MLCT state, from the initially excited 1MLCT state, 30 % of the molecules undergo ultrafast (150 fs) relaxation to the 3MC state, in competition with vibrational relaxation and cooling to the relaxed 3MLCT state. The relaxed 3MLCT state then decays much more slowly (7.6 ps) to the 3MC state. The 3MC state is rapidly (2.2 ps) deactivated to the ground state. The 5MC state is not involved in the deactivation pathway. The ultrafast partial deactivation of the 3MLCT state constitutes a loss channel from the point of view of photochemical efficiency and highlights the necessity to screen transition‐metal complexes for similar ultrafast decays to optimize photochemical performance.
Conversion of Mg‐Li Bimetallic Alloys to Magnesium Alkoxide and Magnesium Oxide Ceramic Nanowires
Authors: Luo Shunrui , Turcheniuk Kostiantyn , Song Ah‐Young , Narla Aashray , Kim Doyoub , Magasinsky Alexandre , Yushin Gleb
Published: October 2019

Technologically important composites with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties rely on the reinforcement by the high specific strength ceramic nanofibers or nanowires (NWs) with high aspect ratios. However, conventional synthesis routes to produce such ceramic NWs have prohibitively high cost. Now, direct transformation of bulk Mg‐Li alloys into Mg alkoxide NWs is demonstrated without the use of catalysts, templates, expensive or toxic chemicals, or any external stimuli. This mechanism proceeds through the minimization of strain energy at the boundary of phase transformation front leading to the formation of ultra‐long NWs with tunable dimensions. Such alkoxide NWs can be easily converted in air into ceramic MgO NWs with similar dimensions. The impact of the alloy grain size and Li content, synthesis temperature, inductive and steric effects of alkoxide groups on the diameter, length, composition, ductility, and oxidation of the produced NWs is discussed.
The Fundamentals of Real‐Time Surface Plasmon Resonance/Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence
Authors: Dinel Marie‐Pier , Tartaggia Stefano , Wallace Gregory Q. , Boudreau Denis , Masson Jean‐Francois , Polo Federico
Published: October 2019

We report the integration of surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cyclic voltammetry and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) responses to survey the interfacial adsorption and energy transfer processes involved in ECL on a plasmonic substrate. It was observed that a Tween 80/tripropylamine nonionic layer formed on the gold electrode of the SPR sensor, while enhancing the ECL emission process, affects the electron transfer process to the luminophore, Ru(bpy)32+, which in turn has an impact on the plasmon resonance. Concomitantly, the surface plasmon modulated the ECL intensity, which decreased by about 40 %, due to an interaction between the excited state of Ru(bpy)32+ and the plasmon. This occurred only when the plasmon was excited, demonstrating that the optically excited surface plasmon leads to lower plasmon‐mediated luminescence and that the plasmon interacts with the excited state of Ru(bpy)32+ within a very thin layer.
Protein‐Specific, Multicolor and 3D STED Imaging in Cells with DNA‐Labeled Antibodies
Authors: Spahn Christoph , Hurter Florian , Glaesmann Mathilda , Karathanasis Christos , Lampe Marko , Heilemann Mike
Published: October 2019

Photobleaching is a major challenge in fluorescence microscopy, in particular if high excitation light intensities are used. Signal‐to‐noise and spatial resolution may be compromised, which limits the amount of information that can be extracted from an image. Photobleaching can be bypassed by using exchangeable labels, which transiently bind to and dissociate from a target, thereby replenishing the destroyed labels with intact ones from a reservoir. Here, we demonstrate confocal and STED microscopy with short, fluorophore‐labeled oligonucleotides that transiently bind to complementary oligonucleotides attached to protein‐specific antibodies. The constant exchange of fluorophore labels in DNA‐based STED imaging bypasses photobleaching that occurs with covalent labels. We show that this concept is suitable for targeted, two‐color STED imaging of whole cells.
Recent advances in adsorptive membranes for removal of harmful cations
Authors: Huang Zheng‐Qing , Cheng Zheng‐Fa
Published: October 2019

Adsorptive membranes with filtration and adsorption functions are one of the best strategies to remove harmful cations from wastewater and drinking water. In view of adsorptive capacity and regeneration cost, the most promising application field of adsorption membrane is the production of drinking water at present. An overview is given about the research progress of adsorptive membranes for removing heavy metal ions from drinking water. The removal mechanism of adsorptive membranes is explained by a schematic representation of electrical double layer. The types of adsorptive membranes are summarized. Future research outlook regarding adsorptive membranes is also discussed in order to promote research and application in drinking water for adsorptive membranes. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48579.
Discovery and structure–activity relationship of plastoquinone analogs as anticancer agents against chronic myelogenous leukemia cells
Authors: Ciftci Halil I. , Bayrak Nilüfer , Yıldırım Hatice , Yıldız Mahmut , Radwan Mohamed O. , Otsuka Masami , Fujita Mikako , Tuyun Amaç F.
Published: October 2019

Two series of amino‐1,4‐benzoquinones (AQ1–18) based on the structural analogs of plastoquinones were synthesized and the structure–activity relationship against chronic myelogenous leukemia activity was examined. All of the synthesized compounds were tested for their cytotoxic effects on different leukemic cell lines. Of interest, AQ15 exhibited a better selectivity than the reference drug imatinib on cancer cells. Owing to this, AQ15 was selected for a further apoptosis/necrosis evaluation where AQ15‐treated K562 cells demonstrated similar apoptotic effects like imatinib‐treated cells at their IC50 values. The inhibitory effects of AQ15 and the other three compounds with various activities against eight tyrosine kinases, including ABL1, were investigated. AQ15 showed weak activity against ABL1, and a correlation was observed between the anti‐K562 and anti‐ABL1 activities. The binding mode of AQ15 into the ATP binding pocket of ABL1 kinase was predicted in silico, showing the formation of some key interactions. In addition, AQ15 was shown to suppress the downstream signaling of BCR‐ABL in K562 cells. Finally, AQ15 obviously cleaved DNA in the presence of an iron(II) complex system, indicating that this can be the major mechanism of its antiproliferative action, whereas the mild inhibition of ABL kinase is just in‐part mechanism of its overall outstanding cellular activity.
Experimentelle und numerische Untersuchungen des hygrothermischen Verhaltens von Brettsperrholz am Beispiel einer Außenwand
Authors: Ganster Konstantin , Ringhofer Andreas , Schickhofer Gerhard
Published: October 2019

Im Rahmen des Bauvorhabens „massive_living“ in Graz (AT) wurden Sensoren innerhalb eines Außenwandabschnitts in Holz‐Massivbauweise mit Brettsperrholz installiert und über einen Zeitraum von mehr als zwei Jahren beobachtet. Aufgrund des hygroskopischen Verhaltens von Holz kommt es zu einer Anpassung der Holzfeuchte (Holzausgleichsfeuchte) an das umgebende Klima. Da die Holzfeuchte alle mechanischen, physikalischen und chemischen Eigenschaften von Holz maßgeblich beeinflusst, ist deren Kenntnis von großer Bedeutung für die Realisierung von Bauwerken aus Holz. Bezüglich der umgebenden Luft werden tragende Holzbauteile nach ÖNORM EN 1995‐1‐1:2019 [1] in sogenannte Nutzungsklassen unterteilt, welche einen wesentlichen Einfluss auf die Nachweisführung in den Grenzzuständen der Tragfähigkeit und Gebrauchstauglichkeit haben. Es stellt sich nun die Frage, welche Werte die Holzausgleichsfeuchte eines Bauteiles im Laufe einiger Jahre annehmen kann. Ziel dieses Forschungsprojektes war es, ein Verständnis des hygrothermischen Verhaltens einer Brettsperrholzwand (BSP‐Wand) zu erlangen und die dabei gewonnenen Messdaten im Anschluss daran mit jenen aus den Simulationen zu vergleichen. Die Simulationsergebnisse zeigen einen starken Einfluss der Innenraumbedingungen auf die Holzausgleichsfeuchte, wobei auch bei hohen Feuchtigkeitsbeanspruchungen ein gutmütiges Verhalten in Bezug auf Feuchtepufferung zu beobachten ist. Außerdem zeigten weiterführende Messungen eine Abhängigkeit der relativen Luftfeuchtigkeit von der Raumhöhe, welche bei hygrothermischen Berechnungen (wie beispielsweise im deckennahen Bereich) Berücksichtigung finden sollten.
Konvektiver Feuchteeintrag in Leichtbaukonstruktionen
Authors: Kölsch Philipp , Künzel Hartwig , Zirkelbach Daniel
Published: October 2019

Im Vergleich zur Gesamtgebäudedichtheit und den damit verbundenen energetischen Aspekten ist der konvektive Feuchteeintrag in Baukonstruktionen durch kleinste verbleibende Luftströmungen immer noch eine Herausforderung. Konvektiver Feuchteeintrag in Leichtbaukonstruktionen kann zu erhöhten Bauteilfeuchten und in vielen Fällen auch zu massiven Schäden führen, selbst wenn die ursächlichen Leckagen energetisch vernachlässigbar sind. Um die hier ablaufenden Befeuchtungsvorgänge besser verstehen zu können, wurden Experimente an realen Wänden in einer Doppelklimakammer durchgeführt. Aus den Versuchsergebnissen wurden verschiedenste Einflussfaktoren analysiert und Schlussfolgerungen für die Praxis gezogen. Die Ergebnisse geben hierüber aufschlussreiche Informationen. So ist die Feuchteverteilung zwischen Schalung und Mineralwolle vor allem von der Dämmstoffdichte abhängig. Die Feuchteverteilung über die Höhe einer Wand wird dagegen maßgeblich von der vorherrschenden Druckdifferenz beeinflusst. Zudem konnte ein Grenzströmungseffekt beobachtet werden, der bei Leckagen nahe Pfosten bzw. Sparren zu einer erhöhten Luftströmung in diesem Bereich und damit auch zu erhöhten Holzfeuchten führen kann. Weiterhin konnten Unterschiede im Strömungsverhalten verschiedener Leckagetypen ermittelt werden. Eine ebenfalls wichtige Erkenntnis ist, dass trotz sehr guter Verarbeitung ein maßgeblicher Leckageanteil den Klebeverbindungen selbst zugeordnet werden muss.
The principles of anatomical nomenclature revision: They're more like guidelines anyway
Authors: Neumann Paul E. , Gest Thomas R. , Tubbs R. Shane
Published: October 2019

Revision of the international standard anatomical terminology is required periodically to add names for new entities, delete archaic terms, and correct errors in existing terms. In addition to a small set of nomenclature rules, three principles have guided revisions: names should not be changed unless they are wrong; corrections of perceived errors should not be pedantic; and inclusion of every minor structure should not be attempted. These principles have served well, and are expected to continue to do so, but they have also proven to be subjective because their application through the history of the international terminology has varied. Specific efforts to deal with existing problems and new organizational initiatives to prevent future issues are presented. Clin. Anat. 33:327–331, 2020. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Structural Mimics of Acetylene Hydratase: Tungsten Complexes Capable of Intramolecular Nucleophilic Attack on Acetylene
Authors: Vidovič Carina , Peschel Lydia M. , Buchsteiner Michael , Belaj Ferdinand , Mösch‐Zanetti Nadia C.
Published: October 2019

Bioinspired complexes employing the ligands 6‐tert‐butylpyridazine‐3‐thione (SPn) and pyridine‐2‐thione (SPy) were synthesized and fully characterized to mimic the tungstoenzyme acetylene hydratase (AH). The complexes [W(CO)(C2H2)(CHCH‐SPy)(SPy)] (4) and [W(CO)(C2H2)(CHCH‐SPn)(SPn)] (5) were formed by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the nitrogen donors of the ligand on the coordinated C2H2 molecule. Labelling experiments using C2D2 with the SPy system revealed the insertion reaction proceeding via a bis‐acetylene intermediate. The starting complex [W(CO)(C2H2)(SPy)2] (6) for these studies was accessed by the new acetylene precursor mixture [W(CO)(C2H2)n(MeCN)3−nBr2] (n=1 and 2; 7). All complexes represent rare examples in the field of W−C2H2 chemistry with 4 and 5 being the first of their kind. In the ongoing debate on the enzymatic mechanism, the findings support activation of acetylene by the tungsten center.
Engineering Carbon Distribution in Silicon‐Based Anodes at Multiple Scales
Authors: Zhu Guanjia , Jiang Wan , Yang Jianping
Published: October 2019

The successful commercialization of promising silicon‐based anode materials has been hampered by their poor cycling stability caused by the huge volume change. Integration of the carbon matrix with silicon‐based (C/Si‐based) anode materials has been demonstrated to be a powerful solution to achieve satisfactory electrochemical performance. This minireview aims to outline recent developments on C/Si‐based composites, with the emphasis on the importance of carbon distribution at multiple scales. In addition, the forms of the carbon framework (carbon sources and doping of heteroatoms) have been summarized. Particularly, a novel C/Si‐based hybrid with carbon distributed at the atomic scale has been highlighted.
Star‐Shaped Ruthenium Complexes as Prototypes of Molecular Gears
Authors: Erbland Guillaume , Abid Seifallah , Gisbert Yohan , Saffon‐Merceron Nathalie , Hashimoto Yuichiro , Andreoni Leonardo , Guérin Théo , Kammerer Claire , Rapenne Gwénaël
Published: October 2019

The design and synthesis of two families of molecular‐gear prototypes is reported, with the aim of assembling them into trains of gears on a surface and ultimately achieving controlled intermolecular gearing motion. These piano‐stool ruthenium complexes incorporate a hydrotris(indazolyl)borate moiety as tripodal rotation axle and a pentaarylcyclopentadienyl ligand as star‐shaped cogwheel, equipped with five teeth ranging from pseudo‐1D aryl groups to large planar 2D paddles. A divergent synthetic approach was followed, starting from a pentakis(p‐bromophenyl)cyclopentadienyl ruthenium(II) complex as key precursor or from its iodinated counterpart, obtained by copper‐catalyzed aromatic Br/I exchange. Subsequent fivefold cross‐coupling reactions with various partners allowed high structural diversity to be reached and yielded molecular‐gear prototypes with aryl‐, carbazole‐, BODIPY‐ and porphyrin‐derived teeth of increasing size and length.
Effect of Building Block Transformation in Covalent Triazine‐Based Frameworks for Enhanced CO2 Uptake and Metal‐Free Heterogeneous Catalysis
Authors: Jena Himanshu Sekhar , Krishnaraj Chidharth , Schmidt Johannes , Leus Karen , Van Hecke Kristof , Van Der Voort Pascal
Published: October 2019

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) have provided a unique platform in functional material design for a wide range of applications. This work reports a series of new CTFs with two new heteroaromatic building blocks (pyrazole and isoxazole groups) through a building‐block transformation approach aiming for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and metal‐free catalysis. The CTFs were synthesized from their respective building blocks [(4,4′‐(1H‐pyrazole‐3,5‐diyl)dibenzonitrile (pyz) and 4,4′‐(isoxazole‐3,5‐diyl)dibenzonitrile (isox))] under ionothermal conditions using ZnCl2. Both of the building blocks were designed by an organic transformation of an acetylacetone containing dinitrile linker to pyrazole and isoxazole groups, respectively. Due to this organic transformation, (i) linker aromatization, (ii) higher surface areas and nitrogen contents, (iii) higher aromaticity, and (iv) higher surface basicity was achieved. Due to these enhanced properties, CTFs were explored for CO2 uptake and metal‐free heterogeneous catalysis. Among all, the isox‐CTF, synthesized at 400 °C, showed the highest CO2 uptake (4.92 mmol g−1 at 273 K and 2.98 mmol g−1 at 298 K at 1 bar). Remarkably, these CTFs showed excellent metal‐free catalytic activity for the aerobic oxidation of benzylamine at mild reaction conditions. On studying the properties of the CTFs, it was observed that organic transformations and ligand aromatization of the materials are crucial factor to tune the important parameters that influence the CO2 uptake and the catalytic activity. Overall, this work highlights the substantial effect of designing new CTF materials by building‐block organic transformations resulting in better properties for CCS applications and heterogeneous catalysis.
Aldehydes as Alkylating Agents for Ketones
Authors: Runikhina Sofiya A. , Afanasyev Oleg I. , Biriukov Klim , Perekalin Dmitry S. , Klussmann Martin , Chusov Denis
Published: October 2019

Common and non‐toxic aldehydes are proposed as reagents for alkylation of ketones instead of carcinogenic alkyl halides. The developed reductive alkylation reaction proceeds in the presence of the commercially available ruthenium catalyst [(cymene)RuCl2]2(as low as 250 ppm) and carbon monoxide as the reducing agent. The reaction works well for a broad substrate scope, including aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes and ketones. It can be carried out without a solvent and often gives nearly quantitative yields of the products. This straightforward and cost‐effective method is promising not only for laboratory application but also for industry, which produces carbon monoxide as a large‐scale waste product.
Laplacian of the Hamiltonian Kinetic Energy Density as an Indicator of Binding and Weak Interactions
Authors: Carpio‐Martínez Pablo , Barquera‐Lozada José E. , Pendás Angel Martín , Cortés‐Guzmán Fernando
Published: October 2019

The kinetic energy is the center of a controversy between two opposite points of view about its role in the formation of a chemical bond. One school states that a lowering of the kinetic energy associated with electron delocalization is the key stabilization mechanism of covalent bonding. In contrast, the opposite school holds that a chemical bond is formed by a decrease in the potential energy due to a concentration of electron density within the binding region. In this work, a topographic analysis of the Hamiltonian Kinetic Energy Density (KED) and its laplacian is presented to gain more insight into the role of the kinetic energy within chemical interactions. This study is focused on atoms, diatomic and organic molecules, along with their dimers. In addition, it is shown that the laplacian of the Hamiltonian KED exhibits a shell structure in atoms and that their outermost shell merge when a molecule is formed. A covalent bond is characterized by a concentration of kinetic energy, potential energy and electron densities along the internuclear axis, whereas a charge‐shift bond is characterized by a fusion of external concentration shells and a depletion in the bonding region. In the case of weak intermolecular interactions, the external shell of the molecules merge into each other resulting in an intermolecular surface comparable to that obtained by the Non‐covalent interaction (NCI) analysis.
Dissolution of Platinum Single Crystals in Acidic Medium
Authors: Sandbeck Daniel J. S. , Brummel Olaf , Mayrhofer Karl J. J. , Libuda Jörg , Katsounaros Ioannis , Cherevko Serhiy
Published: October 2019

Platinum single crystal basal planes consisting of Pt(111), Pt(100), Pt(110) and reference polycrystalline platinum Pt(poly) were subjected to various potentiodynamic and potentiostatic electrochemical treatments in 0.1 M HClO4. Using the scanning flow cell coupled to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (SFC‐ICP‐MS) the transient dissolution was detected on‐line. Clear trends in dissolution onset potentials and quantities emerged which can be related to the differences in the crystal plane surface structure energies and coordination. Pt(111) is observed to have a higher dissolution onset potential while the generalized trend in dissolution rates and quantities was found to be Pt(110)>P(100)≈Pt(poly)>Pt(111).
Apoptotic Cell Exclusion and Bias‐Free Single‐Cell Selection Are Important Quality Control Requirements for Successful Single‐Cell Sequencing Applications
Authors: Ordoñez‐Rueda Diana , Baying Bianka , Pavlinic Dinko , Alessandri Luca , Yeboah Yvonne , Landry Jonathan J.M. , Calogero Raffaele , Benes Vladimir , Paulsen Malte
Published: October 2019

Single‐cell sequencing experiments are a new mainstay in biology and have been advancing science especially in the biomedical field. The high pressure to integrate the technology into daily laboratory live requires solid knowledge with respect to potential limitations and precautions to be taken care of before applying it to complex research questions. In the past, we have identified two issues with quality measures neglected by the growing community involving SmartSeq and droplet or micro‐well‐based scRNASeq methods (1) how to ensure that only single cells are introduced without biasing on light scattering when handling complex cell mixtures and organ preparations or (2) how best to control for (pro‐)apoptotic cell contaminations in single‐cell sequencing approaches. Sighting of concurrent literature involving single‐cell sequencing technologies revealed that these topics are generally neglected or simply approached in silico but not at the bench before generating single‐cell data sets. We fear that those important quality aspects are overlooked due to reduced awareness of their importance for guaranteeing the quality of experiments. In this Cytometry rigor issue, we provide experimentally supported guidance on how to circumvent those critical shortcomings in order to promote a better use of the fantastic single‐cell sequencing toolbox in biology. © 2019 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Collagen Organization Within the Cartilage of Trpv4−/− Mice Studied with Two‐Photon Microscopy and Polarized Second Harmonic Generation
Authors: Servin‐Vences M. Rocio , Poole Kate , Sporbert Anje , Lewin Gary R. , Margineanu Anca
Published: October 2019

The polymodal channel TRPV4 has been shown to regulate development and maintenance of cartilage. Here we investigate whether TRPV4 activity regulates the early deposition and structure of collagen matrix in the femoral head cartilage by comparing the 3D morphology and the sub‐micrometer organization of the collagen matrix between wild type and Trpv4
−/− mice pups four to five days old. Two‐photon microscopy can be used to conduct label‐free imaging of cartilage, as collagen generates a second harmonic signal (second harmonic generation [SHG]) under pulsed infrared excitation. In one set of measurements, we use circularly polarized laser light to reconstruct the 3D morphology of the femoral head cartilage and to measure the tissue thickness. Second, by rotating the direction of the linearly polarized light and using polarized SHG detection, we investigate the sub‐micrometer orientation of collagen fibers in the cartilage. At this developmental stage, we cannot detect statistically significant differences between the two mice strains, although a tendency toward a more random orientation of collagen fibers and a higher thickness of the whole cartilage seems to characterize the Trpv4
−/− mice. We discuss possible reasons for these observations. © 2019 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Challenges of collecting blow from small cetaceans
Authors: Raudino Holly C. , Tyne Julian A. , Smith Alastair , Ottewell Kym , McArthur Shelley , Kopps Anna M. , Chabanne Delphine , Harcourt Robert G. , Pirotta Vanessa , Waples Kelly
Published: October 2019

We trialed the collection of blow samples using a waterproof electric multirotor (quadcopter) drone from two free‐ranging dolphin species, the abundant and approachable bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) and the less common and boat shy humpback dolphin (Sousa sahulensis). This drone was fast, maneuverable, and quiet compared to other drones commonly used in studies of cetaceans and relative to their hearing thresholds. We were successful in collecting blow samples from four individual dolphins (three bottlenose dolphins and one humpback dolphin) in two groups. The success of obtaining samples was dependent on the individual dolphin's activity. We were successful in sampling when dolphins were resting and socializing but found that socializing dolphins were not predictable in their surfacing and direction and therefore do not recommend drone sampling socializing dolphins. The suitability and preference of the sampling technique over biopsy sampling is highly dependent on the dolphin activity. We also attempted to extract DNA from the blow samples with the aim of assessing the feasibility of using blow sampling by drone for population genetic studies. We were unsuccessful in extracting DNA and recommend that others attempting to sample dolphin blow with a drone should prioritize collecting a larger volume of blow that may yield adequate concentrations of DNA to be amplified. Blow sample volume could potentially be increased by sampling with more absorbent materials.
Arboreal ant abundance tracks primary productivity in an Amazonian whitewater river system
Authors: Pringle Elizabeth G. , Santos Talitha Ferreira dos , Gonçalves Marcelle S. , Hawes Joseph E. , Peres Carlos A. , Baccaro Fabricio B.
Published: October 2019

Little is known about consumer productivity in the tropics despite the key feedbacks that animals impose on primary productivity. In the Amazon basin, seasonally flooded and unflooded forests exist side by side, and ants (Formicidae) dominate animal biomass. Although flooding has a direct negative effect on soil‐dwelling ants, it is less clear whether flooding has indirect effects on arboreal ants via associated changes in tree communities. To test whether seasonal inundation by whitewater affects arboreal ants, we investigated ant communities in adjacent flooded and unflooded forests along a major whitewater river in central‐western Amazonia. Whitewater‐flooded forest exhibits higher primary productivity than unflooded forest. We thus hypothesized that forest type would affect the productivity and the foraging traits of arboreal ants and that these changes would be mediated by increases in plant‐derived food for ants in flooded forest. We compared ant and plant communities between flooded‐ and unflooded‐forest transects along the Juruá River in Amazonas, Brazil. We collected, identified, and counted terrestrial and arboreal ants, and we measured ant traits with putative relationships to foraging strategy. We also identified plant stems to characterize the abundance of ant food rewards. Flooding negatively affected the diversity and abundance of terrestrial ants but did not change the diversity of arboreal ants. Arboreal ants were more abundant and exhibited higher biomass in flooded forest than in unflooded forest. Arboreal ant traits also suggested that ants may rely more heavily on plant‐derived food in flooded forest than in unflooded forest. These differences were associated with a higher abundance of plant stems predicted to contain ant food rewards in flooded forest than in unflooded forest. Our results indicate that the productivity of arboreal ants is affected by that of the underlying forest. Such effects may be mediated by the predominantly herbivorous foraging strategy of canopy ants, which would link ant populations closely to primary production and stoichiometry. Given ants’ important functional roles, these differences in ant productivity between forest types may have consequences for other arthropods and feedbacks to plants throughout the Amazon basin.
Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Fatty Acid Composition, and Blood Biochemical Parameters of Lamb Fed Diet with the Addition of Lingonberry Leaves and Oak Bark
Authors: Majewska Małgorzata P. , Kowalik Barbara
Published: October 2019

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of natural additives supplemented to the lamb diet on lamb performance, fatty acid (FA) composition of edible parts of lambs, and biochemical plasma indices. The study is carried out on 18 male lambs, allocated to three groups in a randomized complete block design. Control animals (CON) are fed a basic diet, while the experimental lambs additionally receive lingonberry leaves (VVI) or oak bark (QUE) (10 g d−1), as a different source of tannins. Supplementing lambs with the VVI diet decreases fat content in the longissimus dorsi muscle (MLD). The VVI diet decreases monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) concentration (including C18:1 cis‐9) in the MLD, increases the proportion of C16:0, C16:1, C17:1, and C22:6 n‐3 in the semitendinosus muscle, as well as increases the n‐6/n‐3 ratio and thrombogenic index in the liver. The addition of QUE to lamb diets decreases C17:1 concentration and increases the content of C18:1 trans‐11 in the MLD. Tannins‐enriched diets increase low density lipoprotein concentrations in the blood plasma. The VVI diet increases the activity of alkaline phosphatase, while QUE supplementation decreases gamma‐glutamyl transferase activity in blood plasma. Modifications of FA composition in lamb tissues may suggest an indirect effect of tannins on FA ruminal biohydrogenation.

Practical Applications: The use of VVI and QUE in lamb nutrition as natural resources is of a great interest to scientists. The present study shows that primarily VVI addition to lamb diets affects the quality of meat, due to higher proportion of catechin than QUE. Decreased concentration of fat, as well as increased proportion of C22:6 n‐3 and desirable fatty acids (including MUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid, C18:0) after VVI supplementation increases health‐promoting properties of lamb meat and is related to humans. However, the presence of biologically active substances (tannins) in the examined additives makes it necessary to further research and discover their full potential in many areas.
Improving the limit of detection in portable luminescent assay readers through smart optical design
Authors: Li Yaning , Ma Xiangui , Wang Wenhe , Yan Shaojie , Liu Fangshuo , Chu Kaiqin , Xu Guobao , Smith Zachary J.
Published: October 2019

Critical biomarkers of disease are increasingly being detected by point‐of‐care assays. Chemiluminescence (CL) and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) are often used in such assays due to their convenience and that they do not require light sources or other components that could complicate or add cost to the system. Reports of these assays often include readers built on a cellphone platform or constructed from low‐cost components. However, the impact the optical design has on the limit of detection (LOD) in these systems remains unexamined. Here, we report a theoretical rubric to evaluate different optical designs in terms of maximizing the use of photons emitted from a CL or ECL assay to improve the LOD. We demonstrate that the majority of cellphone designs reported in the literature are not optimized, in part due to misunderstandings of the optical tradeoffs in collection systems, and in part due to limitations imposed on the designs arising from the use of a mobile phone with a very small lens aperture. Based on the theoretical rubric, we design a new portable reader built using off‐the‐shelf condenser optics, and demonstrate a nearly 10× performance enhancement compared to prior reports on an ECL assays running on a portable chip.
Multispectral near infrared absorption imaging for histology of skin cancer
Authors: Spreinat Alexander , Selvaggio Gabriele , Erpenbeck Luise , Kruss Sebastian
Published: October 2019

Multispectral imaging combines the spectral resolution of spectroscopy with the spatial resolution of imaging and is therefore very useful for biomedical applications. Currently, histological diagnostics use mainly stainings with standard dyes (eg, hematoxylin + eosin) to identify tumors. This method is not applicable in vivo and provides low amounts of chemical information. Biomolecules absorb near infrared light (NIR, 800‐1700 nm) at different wavelengths, which could be used to fingerprint tissue. Here, we built a NIR multispectral absorption imaging setup to study skin tissue samples. NIR light (900‐1500 nm) was used for homogenous wide‐field transmission illumination and detected by a cooled InGaAs camera. In this setup, images I(x, y, λ) from dermatological samples (melanoma, nodular basal‐cell carcinoma, squamous‐cell carcinoma) were acquired to distinguish healthy from diseased tissue regions. In summary, we show the potential of multispectral NIR imaging for cancer diagnostics.
G‐Protein‐Coupled Receptor–Membrane Interactions Depend on the Receptor Activation State
Authors: Bhattarai Apurba , Wang Jinan , Miao Yinglong
Published: October 2019

G‐protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest family of human membrane proteins and serve as primary targets of approximately one‐third of currently marketed drugs. In particular, adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR) is an important therapeutic target for treating cardiac ischemia–reperfusion injuries, neuropathic pain, and renal diseases. As a prototypical GPCR, the A1AR is located within a phospholipid membrane bilayer and transmits cellular signals by changing between different conformational states. It is important to elucidate the lipid–protein interactions in order to understand the functional mechanism of GPCRs. Here, all‐atom simulations using a robust Gaussian accelerated molecular dynamics (GaMD) method were performed on both the inactive (antagonist bound) and active (agonist and G‐protein bound) A1AR, which was embedded in a 1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (POPC) lipid bilayer. In the GaMD simulations, the membrane lipids played a key role in stabilizing different conformational states of the A1AR. Our simulations further identified important regions of the receptor that interacted distinctly with the lipids in highly correlated manner. Activation of the A1AR led to differential dynamics in the upper and lower leaflets of the lipid bilayer. In summary, GaMD enhanced simulations have revealed strongly coupled dynamics of the GPCR and lipids that depend on the receptor activation state. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities of new pyridyl‐ and thiazolyl‐bearing carbohydrazides
Authors: Muluk Mahesh B. , Phatak Pramod S. , Pawar Shriram B. , Dhumal Sambhaji T. , Rehman Naziya N. M. A. , Dixit Prashant P. , Choudhari Prafulla B. , Haval Kishan P.
Published: October 2019

A series of novel substituted (E)‐N′‐benzylidene‐4‐methyl‐2‐(2‐propylpyridin‐4‐yl)thiazole‐5‐carbohydrazide derivatives (6a‐l) have been synthesized by following the multistep synthetic route starting from prothionamide. The resulting compounds were characterized via 1H, 13C NMR, and HRMS spectral data. The synthesized carbohydrazides were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Tested molecules have displayed moderate to good growth inhibition activity. Among the screened compounds, 6b, 6e, 6j, and 6k are found to be the more promising antimicrobial agents. A 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl assay was used to test the antioxidant activity of the carbohydrazides. The carbohydrazide derivatives 6b and 6i have shown better free‐radical scavenging ability than the other investigated compounds.
Study of FABP's interactome and detecting new molecular targets in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Wu Guangzhen , Zhang Zhiwei , Tang Qizhen , Liu Lei , Liu Wei , Li Quanlin , Wang Qifei
Published: October 2019

Fatty acids (FAs) play a crucial role in the development of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), FAs function requires the participation of fatty‐acid‐binding protein (FABP). Current studies have shown that different members of the FABP's family play different roles in the tumorigenesis of ccRCC. Therefore, the systematic analysis of FABPs will be of great significance. However, the diverse expression patterns and prognostic values of nine FABPs have yet to be elucidated. In this study, through multiple analysis and verification of multiple databases, such as ONCOMINE, The Human Protein Atlas, UALCAN, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, and cBioPortal, we found that the expression of FABP1 was significantly downregulated and the expression of FABP5/6/7 was significantly upregulated in ccRCC compared with renal tissues, and the patients with high messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of the FABP5/6/7 or low mRNA levels of FABP1 were predicted to have a lower overall survival or disease‐free survival. Further analysis by the protein–protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology pathway, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway showed that FABPs were mainly involved in the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR) pathway. In coexpression analysis, we found that FABP1/5/6/7 was coexpressed with transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), PPARA, and LPL. This study implied that FABP1/5/6/7 could act as an important tumor biomarker of ccRCC; the role of FABPs may be related to PPAR or TGF‐β pathway.
CRISPR‐Cas9‐mediated knockout of the Prkdc in mouse embryonic stem cells leads to the modulation of the expression of pluripotency genes
Authors: Soleimani Farzad , Babaei Esmaeil , H. Feizi Mohammad A. , Fathi Fardin
Published: October 2019

Prkdc encodes for the catalytic subunit of the DNA‐dependent protein kinase (DNA‐PKcs) playing a key role in nonhomologous end joining pathway during DNA double‐strand break repair and also influencing the homologous recombination (HR) repair system by phosphorylation of proteins involved in HR. In addition, Prkdc has other critical functions in biological processes, such as transcriptional regulation, telomere stability, apoptosis, and metabolism. DNA‐PKcs upregulates during in vitro differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). To address the potential role of Prkdc in mESCs pluripotency and in vitro differentiation into ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm germ layers under normal physiological conditions, a bi‐allelic Prkdc‐knockout cell line was generated in the present study by employing CRISPR/Cas9 system, and subsequently, its potential role in stemness and development was studied. The results of the study showed that the expression of pluripotency‐associated genes, including Nanog and Sox‐2 were overexpressed in the bi‐allelic Prkdc‐knockout cell line. Also, bi‐allelic Prkdc‐knockout cell line was shown to have typical mESCs cell morphology, cell cycle distribution, and alkaline phosphatase activity. Furthermore, the results of the study revealed that the expression of several germ layer markers is modulated in Prkdc‐knockout lines. In conclusion, the findings of our study demonstrated the role of Prkdc during differentiation and development of ESCs.
Effect of Plasma Protein Binding on the Pharmacokinetics of Erdafitinib: Results of an Integrated Cross‐Study Analysis
Authors: Li Lilian Y. , Guo Yue , Gonzalez Martha , Ouellet Daniele
Published: October 2019

Erdafitinib, a potent oral fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor, is a low extraction ratio drug highly bound to alpha‐1‐acid glycoprotein (AGP) with free fraction (fu) varying across populations. This analysis aimed to characterize the impact of plasma protein binding on erdafitinib pharmacokinetics (PK). Plasma protein‐binding data (fu, AGP, albumin) and PK parameters were pooled from 6 phase 1 studies in healthy participants and 1 first‐in‐human study in patients with cancer. Binding kinetics were characterized using a nonlinear mixed‐effects model. Mean (coefficient of variation, CV%) fu was 0.510% (39.4%) for healthy participants and 0.316% (64.0%) for patients, with a 2.1‐fold higher AGP and 10% lower albumin. Linear binding of erdafitinib to AGP and albumin was observed, with >1000‐fold higher binding constant for AGP than albumin (17.6 vs 0.017 µM‐1). The fu decreased with increasing AGP in a nonlinear relationship. Despite its abundance in plasma relative to AGP, albumin contributed to <4% of the overall binding of erdafitinib (1.8% in patients; 4.0% in healthy participants). The AGP‐binding constant was 68.0% lower in predose (spiked) versus postdose (ex vivo) samples. Total oral clearance was generally proportional to the fu and higher in healthy participants than in patients, consistent with the differences in AGP. Correcting for fu accounted for the majority of the relationship between oral clearance and fu as expected with a low extraction ratio drug. Characterizing free erdafitinib concentrations is critical to accounting for differences in fu and to further investigating its clinical relevance.
Presentation Matters: The Effect of Wrapping Neatness on Gift Attitudes
Authors: Rixom Jessica M. , Mas Erick M. , Rixom Brett A.
Published: October 2019

While gift‐givers typically wrap gifts prior to presenting them, little is known about the effect of how the gift is wrapped on recipients’ expectations and attitudes toward the gift inside. We propose that when recipients open a gift from a friend, they like it less when the giver has wrapped it neatly as opposed to sloppily and we draw on expectation disconfirmation theory to explain the effect. Specifically, recipients set higher (lower) expectations for neatly (sloppily)‐wrapped gifts, making it harder (easier) for the gifts to meet these expectations, resulting in contrast effects that lead to less (more) positive attitudes toward the gifts once unwrapped. However, when the gift‐giver is an acquaintance, there is ambiguity in the relationship status and wrapping neatness serves as a cue about the relationship rather than the gift itself. This leads to assimilation effects where the recipient likes the gift more when neatly wrapped. We assess these effects across three studies and find that they hold for desirable, neutral, and undesirable gifts, as well as with both hypothetical and real gifts.
A rapid colloidal gold‐based immunochromatographic strip assay for monitoring nitroxynil in milk
Authors: Na Guanqiong , Hu Xiaofei , Yang Jifei , Sun Yaning , Kwee Sharon , Tang Liang , Xing Guangxu , Xing Yunrui , Zhang Gaiping
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Nitroxynil (NIT) is a veterinary drug against hepatic fluke disease for food‐producing cattle and sheep. NIT has a long half‐life time in animals since it is highly bound to plasma protein. Therefore NIT possibly remains in animal edible tissues or milk due to drug abuse. In this study, a specific murine monoclonal antibody (mAb) against NIT was prepared and an immunochromatographic strip assay based on the mAb was developed for screening NIT in milk.

RESULTS

The affinity constant of the anti‐NIT mAb was 2.93 × 1010 and the anti‐NIT mAb had almost no cross‐reactivity with other analogs, so that it showed good specificity. The cutoff value of this test strip was considered to be 50 ng mL−1 by the naked eye. When detected by the strip reader, the half maximum inhibition concentration (IC50) of the immunoassay strip was calculated to be 5.716 ng mL−1 and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.146 ng mL−1. Intra‐assay recoveries from 88.80 to 97.13% were obtained, with the highest coefficient of variation (CV) at 9.01%; inter‐assay recoveries ranged from 84.60 to 106.87%, with the highest CV at 9.93%.

CONCLUSION

The operative procedure of the proposed method can be completed within 10 min. The strip developed in this study was a practical tool for rapid semiquantitative and quantitative detection of NIT in milk. This study suggested great potential for analytically monitoring NIT in other food samples. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
The carbonic anhydrase activity of sinking and suspended particles in the North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Subhas Adam V. , Adkins Jess F. , Dong Sijia , Rollins Nick E. , Berelson William M.
Published: October 2019

The enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) is crucial to many physiological processes involving CO2, from photosynthesis and respiration, to calcification and CaCO3 dissolution. We present new measurements of CA activity along a North Pacific transect, on samples from in situ pumps, sediment traps, discreet plankton samples from the ship's underway seawater line, plankton tows, and surface sediment samples from multicores. CA activity is highest in the surface ocean and decreases with depth, both in suspended and sinking particles. Subpolar gyre surface particles exhibit 10× higher CA activity per liter of seawater compared to subtropical gyre surface particles. Activity persists to 4700 m in the subpolar gyre, but only to 1000 m in the subtropics. All sinking CA activity normalized to particulate organic carbon (POC) follows a single relationship (CA/POC = 1.9 ± 0.2 × 10−7 mol mol−1). This relationship is consistent with CA/POC values in subpolar plankton tow material, suspended particles, and core top sediments. We hypothesize that most subpolar CA activity is associated with rapidly sinking diatom blooms, consistent with a large mat of diatomaceous material identified on the seafloor. Compared to the basin‐wide sinking CA/POC relationship, a lower subtropical CA/POC suggests that the inventory of subtropical biomass is different in composition from exported material. Pteropods also demonstrate substantial CA activity. Scaled to the volume within pteropod shells, first‐order CO2 hydration rate constants are elevated ≥ 1000× above background. This kinetic enhancement is large enough to catalyze carbonate dissolution within microenvironments, providing observational evidence for CA‐catalyzed, respiration‐driven CaCO3 dissolution in the shallow North Pacific.
Low‐profile circularly polarized planar antenna for GPS L1, L2, and L5 bands
Authors: Mishra Shailesh , Das Sushrut , Pattnaik Shyam Sunder , Kumar Sachin , Kanaujia Binod Kumar
Published: October 2019

In this paper, a circularly polarized (CP) planar antenna covering global positioning system (GPS) L1 (1575.42 MHz), L2 (1227.6 MHz), and L5 (1176.45 MHz) bands is presented. The antenna consists of an elliptical patch excited through the inset feed line. A pair of concentric ring slots is etched on the ground plane to achieve dual‐band response that covers L5/L2 and L1 bands. The circular polarization is achieved by integrating a quarter‐wavelength arc with the inset feed and loading a pair of slits on the elliptical patch. In addition, the quarter‐wavelength arc improves the impedance bandwidth of the lower resonant band to cover the GPS L5 band. The antenna shows right‐hand circular polarization (RHCP) in all the three bands. The antenna also satisfies the ±1 dBi gain flatness criteria of the GPS antenna. A prototype antenna is fabricated and experimental results are found in a good match with the simulated results.