bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Does the height to entrepreneurship nexus have two stages? New evidence from 27 nations
Authors: Habibov Nazim , Auchynnikava Alena , Luo Rong
Published: April 2021

We examine the association between height and entrepreneurship in 27 nations, finding that the relationship between height and entrepreneurship can be considered to be a two-stage process. During the first stage, individuals make the decision of whether or not to try to set up their own business. At this stage, the effect of height is stronger: each 10-cm increase in height is associated with an approximately 1.4 percentage point increase in the probability of having tried to set up a business. During the second stage, after a positive decision to embark upon entrepreneurship has already been taken, people may find success in setting up their business. At this stage, although taller individuals are still more likely to experience success than their shorter counterparts, the effect of height becomes much weaker. Each 10-cm increase in height is associated with an approximately 0.4 percentage point increase in the probability of having tried to set up a business without success, and an approximately 0.4 percentage point increase in the likelihood of having set up a business in which the respondent is no longer involved, or that is no longer operational. Finally, each 10-cm increase in height is associated with an approximately 1 percentage point increase in the probability of remaining an entrepreneur. At the same time, we found that the effect of height is stronger in magnitude than the effects of gender, health and university education. This finding is remarkable insofar as gender, health and university education are usually considered to be the main determinants of entrepreneurship.
Water sorption on coal: effects of oxygen-containing function groups and pore structure
Authors: Liu Ang , Liu Shimin , Liu Peng , Wang Kai
Published: April 2021

Coal-water interactions have profound influences on gas extraction from coal and coal utilization. Experimental measurements on three coals using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), low-temperature nitrogen adsorption and dynamic water vapor sorption (DVS) were conducted. A mechanism-based isotherm model was proposed to estimate the water vapor uptake at various relative humidities, which is well validated with the DVS data. The validated isotherm model of sorption was further used to derive the isosteric heat of water vapor sorption. The specific surface area of coal pores is not the determining parameter that controls water vapor sorption at least during the primary adsorption stage. Oxidation degree dominates the primary adsorption, and which togethering with the cumulative pore volume determine the secondary adsorption. Higher temperature has limited effects on primary adsorption process.The isosteric heat of water adsorption decreases as water vapor uptake increases, which is found to be close to the latent heat of bulk water condensation at higher relative humidity. The results confirmed that the primary adsorption is controlled by the stronger bonding energy while the interaction energy between water molecules during secondary adsorption stage is relatively weak. However, the thermodynamics of coal-water interactions are complicated since the internal bonding interactions within the coal are disrupted at the same time as new bonding interactions take place within water molecules. Coal has a shrinkage/swelling colloidal structure with moisture loss/gain and it may exhibit collapse behavior with some collapses irreversible as a function of relative humidity, which further plays a significant role in determining moisture retention.
Hybrid online-flipped learning pedagogy for teaching laboratory courses to mitigate the pandemic COVID-19 confinement and enable effective sustainable delivery: investigation of attaining course learning outcome
Authors: Elkhatat Ahmed M. , Al-Muhtaseb Shaheen A.
Published: April 2021

Since the early spring of 2020, the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) outbreak has hindered traditional face-to-face teaching and hands-on, traditional delivery of laboratory courses, forcing universities to migrate from the traditional way of teaching to a remote online approach. Although few studies addressed the pandemic's impact on educational outcomes, no studies are found to investigate the impact of the remote online teaching approach on laboratory courses. This paper highlights the impact of the online teaching approach, coupled with flipped learning pedagogy, as a substitute for traditional laboratories. The course learning outcomes and assessment tools are analyzed and discussed for 46 students enrolled in the Unit Operations Laboratory course in the chemical engineering program at Qatar University. Results show that the course learning outcomes are achieved effectively using the hybrid online-flipped learning pedagogy, which can be considered for computerized traditional laboratories as a moderation solution to alleviate pandemic COVID-19 confinement on learning outcome. This methodology can also be sustained in the future to facilitate the teaching of such lab courses, even in normal conditions, to optimize the resources and avail the delivery of such courses to a larger audience who may have various obstacles to attending traditional lab courses.
GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSIFICATION AND LONGEVITY RISK MITIGATION IN ANNUITY PORTFOLIOS
Authors: De Rosa Clemente , Luciano Elisa , Regis Luca
Published: April 2021

This paper provides a method to assess the risk relief deriving from a foreign expansion by a life insurance company. We build a parsimonious continuous-time model for longevity risk that captures the dependence across different ages in domestic versus foreign populations. We calibrate the model to portray the case of a UK annuity portfolio expanding internationally toward Italian policyholders. The longevity risk diversification benefits of an international expansion are sizable, in particular when interest rates are low. The benefits are judged based on traditional measures, such as the Risk Margin or volatility reduction, and on a novel measure, the Diversification Index.
Dietary habits and the gut microbiota in military Veterans: results from the United States-Veteran Microbiome Project (US-VMP)
Authors: Brostow Diana P. , Stamper Christopher E. , Stanislawski Maggie A. , Stearns-Yoder Kelly A. , Schneider Alexandra , Postolache Teodor T. , Forster Jeri E. , Hoisington Andrew J. , Lowry Christopher A. , Brenner Lisa A.
Published: April 2021

Dietary patterns influence gut microbiota composition. To date, there has not been an assessment of diet and gut microbiota in Veterans, who have a history of unique environmental exposures, including military deployment, that may influence associations between diet and gut microbiota. Our aim was to characterise Veteran habitual dietary intake and quality, and to evaluate correlations between diet and gut microbiota. We administered Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) and collected stool samples from 330 Veterans. FFQ data were used to generate Healthy Eating Indices (HEI) of dietary quality. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify two dietary patterns we defined as “Western” and “Prudent.” Stool samples underwent 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and the resulting data were used to evaluate associations with dietary variables/indices. Analyses included linear regression of α-diversity, constrained analysis of principal coordinates of β-diversity, and multivariate association with linear models and Analysis of Composition of Microbiomes analyses of dietary factors and phylum- and genus-level taxa. There were no significant associations between dietary patterns or factors and α- or β-diversity. At the phylum level, increasing HEI scores were inversely associated with relative abundance of Actinobacteria, and added sugar was inversely associated with abundance of Verrucomicrobia. Veterans largely consumed a Western-style diet, characterised by poor adherence to nutritional guidelines.
Environments ofItalianness: for an environmental history of Italian migrations
Authors: Biasillo Roberta , de Majo Claudio , Valisena Daniele
Published: April 2021

Italian mobility played a fundamental part in the history of the peninsula, since it was a global phenomenon reaching every continent except Antarctica. The Italian diaspora counted over 26 million expatriates who left the country between 1876 and 1976 and, to date, Italy remains one of the states that has contributed the most to the Great European Migration. Although impressive, these figures do not take into account pre-unitary Italian mobilities or Italian settlements in colonial territories. By adopting the perspective of environmental history of migration, this collection of essays allows us to consider various contextually embedded migratory environments, creating a means to find common constitutive features that allow us to explore and identifyItalianness. Specifically, in this special issue, we intend to investigate how Italians transformed remote foreign environments in resemblances of their distant faraway homeland, theirpaesi, as well as used them as a means of materially re-imagining landscapes ofItalianness. In return, their collective and individual identities were transformed by the new surroundings.
Working memory as a factor mediating explicit and implicit knowledge of English grammar
Authors: Pawlak Mirosław , Biedroń Adriana
Published: April 2021

This paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the relationship between phonological short-term memory (PSTM), working memory capacity (WMC), and the level of mastery of L2 grammar. Grammatical mastery was operationalized as the ability to produce and comprehend English passive voice with reference to explicit and implicit (or highly automatized) knowledge. Correlational analysis showed that PSTM was related to implicit productive knowledge while WMC was linked to explicit productive knowledge. However, regression analysis showed that those relationships were weak and mediated by overall mastery of target language grammar, operationalized as final grades in a grammar course.
The urban networks of Anglo-Norman Meath and the Teutonic Order's Kulmerland: a comparative analysis
Authors: Maleszka Anna , Czaja Roman
Published: April 2021

This article presents comparative research on the role of towns and urban networks in the process of constructing space during conquest and colonization in selected ‘non-Roman’ regions of Europe in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It focuses on Kulmerland in Prussia and Meath in Ireland. In both regions, the creation of urban networks and new regional spaces entailed the use of pre-existing settlement. However, reception intensity was determined by both the state of preservation of the earlier settlement and the needs of territorial authorities. This comparison shows ways of using symbolic potential (names, central places) and former settlement points for the construction of cities. In both territories, the functions of central places were particularized due to subinfeudation.
Leptin decreases apoptosis and promotes the activation of primordial follicles through the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway in cultured ovine ovarian tissue
Authors: Macedo T.J.S. , Menezes V.G. , Barberino R.S. , Silva R.L.S. , Gouveia B.B. , Monte A.P.O. , Lins T.L.B.G. , Santos J.M.S. , Bezerra M.É.S. , Wischral A. , Queiroz M.A.A. , Araújo G.G.L. , Batista A.M. , Matos M.H.T.
Published: April 2021

This study evaluated the effects of leptin on primordial follicle survival and activation after in vitro culture of ovine ovarian tissue and if leptin acts through the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathway. Ovarian fragments were fixed for histology (fresh control) or cultured for 7 days in control medium (α-MEM+) alone or supplemented with leptin (1, 5, 10, 25 or 50 ng/ml). Follicle morphology, activation and apoptosis were analyzed. Next, the fragments were cultured in the medium that showed the best results in the absence or the presence of the PI3K inhibitor (LY294002), and immunohistostaining of p-Akt protein was assessed. After culture, the percentage of normal follicles decreased (P < 0.05) in all treatments compared with the fresh control. Moreover, control medium and 1 ng/ml leptin had similar (P > 0.05) percentages of normal follicles, which were significantly higher than those in other treatments. However, culture with 1 ng/ml leptin maintained apoptosis similarly (P > 0.05) to that of the fresh control and lower (P < 0.05) than that in α-MEM+. Leptin did not influence follicle activation (P > 0.05) compared with the control medium (α-MEM+). Culture in 1 ng/ml leptin with LY294002 decreased the normal follicles and increased apoptosis, inhibited follicle activation (P < 0.05), and reduced p-Akt immunostaining, compared with the medium containing 1 ng/ml leptin without PI3K inhibitor. In conclusion, leptin at 1 ng/ml reduces apoptosis and promotes the activation of primordial follicles compared with the fresh control after in vitro culture of ovine ovarian tissue possibly through the PI3K/Akt pathway.
Integrating Language, Culture, and Community into Planning for and Providing Effective Emergency Health Care during Disasters: Challenges and Opportunities from the California Experience
Authors: Andrulis Dennis P. , Siddiqui Nadia J. , Purtle Jonathan
Published: April 2021

Introduction:

The experiences of racially/ethnically diverse residents and communities in the US in the wake of the wildfires in California, Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters have shown the serious if not fatal lack of their effective engagement in response to these events, confusion around access to and provision of emergency care, and failure to adhere to recommended services guidance and requirements. As one of the most diverse states in the country, California's experience with earthquakes and wildfires has heightened related concerns around the capacity of healthcare providers to effectively meet the needs of diverse communities. The objectives of this study were to: (1) identify barriers and challenges to meeting emergency health needs of these communities during disasters; (2) identify programs and policy gaps in the current environment; and (3) develop recommendations as well as guidance for improvement.

Methods:

Three methods were used in conducting the study. The project team reviewed and synthesized literature from California and other sources; reviewed 148 Websites; and conducted key informant interviews with 17 officials and community representatives identified through state sources/environmental review during summer/fall 2008.

Results:

Research identified four major barriers, challenges, and gaps affecting the provision of effective health care during emergencies: (1) significant lack of community engagement and trust among diverse residents, especially among immigrants who feared deportation actions; (2) cultural misunderstanding that led to misinformation and a related lack of training and education resources for emergency personnel; (3) lack of interpreter/translation services; and (4) insufficient coordination at local, regional, and state levels.

Conclusions:

Improvement will require four major actions: (1) effective collaboration between these communities; (2) emergency care providers and other key sectors; (3) resources to increase availability and access to interpreters; and (4) coordination of information and resources to minimize gaps and duplication, and greater flexibility in allocation of funds to meet local emergency medicine priorities.
School and Shaping Students’ Identities: A Report on the Studies into Youth in the Silesian Voivodeship
Authors: Szczurek-Boruta Alina
Published: April 2021

The identity of young people, and the state of a school’s fulfilment of its tasks, as presented in the article, are based on the results of the author’s own field explorations carried out in the school year 2003/2004 and repeated in the same territory of the Silesian Voivodeship in the zone of intensive social and economic development in 2016/2017. The results of the research conducted have shown that schools brought young people with different personal and social resources, and living in different historical and socio-cultural contexts, to a similar value of identity capital. The study, conducted in two stages with an interval of 13 years, has revealed the greatest shifts in the following areas: extension of the range of interactions (change 13.2%); ambivalence (change 8.1%); revitalization (change 7.7%); and ethos (change 6.8%). The least change occurred in the provision of offers of identification (1.7% change). A slight decline was noted in the extension of the developmental moratorium (1.5% change). The identified, described and empirically verified tasks of a school form a specific map of educational activities, which can be successfully used as a matrix to describe and interpret a school’s participation in the shaping of young people’s identities.
Slope‐Aspect Induced Climate Differences Influence How Water Is Exchanged Between the Land and Atmosphere
Authors: Bilir T. Eren , Fung Inez , Dawson Todd E.
Published: April 2021

Cross‐slope climate differences in the midlatitudes are ecologically important, and impact vegetation‐mediated water balance between the earth surface and the atmosphere. We made high‐resolution in situ observations of air temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture, insolation, and sap velocity observations on 14 Pacific madrone trees (Arbutus menziesii) spanning adjacent north and south slopes at the University of California's Angelo Coast Range Reserve. To understand the cross‐slope response of sap velocity, a proxy for transpiration, to microclimate, we modeled the sap velocity on each slope using a transpiration model driven by ambient environment and parameterized with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo parameter estimation process. The results show that trees on opposing slopes do not follow a shared pattern of physiological response to transpiration drivers. This means that the observed sap velocity differences are not due entirely to observed microclimate differences, but also due to population‐level physiological differences, which indicates acclimation to inhabited microclimate. While our present data set and analytical tools do not identify mechanisms of acclimation, we speculate that differing proportions of sun‐adapted and shade‐adapted leaves, differences in stomatal regulation, and cross‐slope root zone moisture differences could explain some of the observed and modeled differences.
Estimates of Individual Fracture Compliances Along Boreholes From Full‐Waveform Sonic Log Data
Authors: Barbosa Nicolás D. , Greenwood Andrew , Caspari Eva , Dutler Nathan , Holliger Klaus
Published: April 2021

An important seismic attenuation mechanism in fractured environments is related to energy conversion into reflected and transmitted waves at fracture interfaces. Using full‐waveform sonic (FWS) log data, we show that it is possible to quantify transmission losses across a set of fractures from time delays and amplitude differences of the critically refracted P‐wave as compared to intact sections along the borehole. In the presence of fractures, the transmission coefficient associated with a given fracture is obtained by combining information on transmission losses from multiple receivers and source positions into a linear system of equations for all fractures intersecting the borehole. Fracture compliance is computed from the inferred transmission coefficient based on a linear slip model. For validation, we use synthetic FWS log data obtained from numerical simulations of wave propagation in a water‐filled borehole surrounded by low‐permeability rocks with discrete fractures. The methodology is then applied to field data acquired along boreholes penetrating multiple fractures in a granodioritic host rock. We show that our estimations of mechanical compliance are consistent with previously reported values, which were estimated for individual fractures intersecting one of the boreholes with a related method valid only for isolated single fractures. Comparison between our estimates of fracture compliance and transmissivity profiles from previous hydraulic characterizations of the fractures suggests that the proposed method may also allow to locate the most permeable fractures along a borehole, which, in turn, opens the perspective of enhancing the design and effectiveness of subsequent hydraulic testing and fracturing experiments.
Phase-field modeling of grain evolutions in additive manufacturing from nucleation, growth, to coarsening
Authors: Yang Min , Wang Lu , Yan Wentao
Published: April 2021

A three-dimensional phase-field model is developed to simulate grain evolutions during powder-bed-fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing, while the physically-informed temperature profile is implemented from a thermal-fluid flow model. The phase-field model incorporates a nucleation model based on classical nucleation theory, as well as the initial grain structures of powder particles and substrate. The grain evolutions during the three-layer three-track PBF process are comprehensively reproduced, including grain nucleation and growth in molten pools, epitaxial growth from powder particles, substrate and previous tracks, grain re-melting and re-growth in overlapping zones, and grain coarsening in heat-affected zones. A validation experiment has been carried out, showing that the simulation results are consistent with the experimental results in the molten pool and grain morphologies. Furthermore, the grain refinement by adding nanoparticles is preliminarily reproduced and compared against the experimental result in literature.
Experimental test of the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger-type paradoxes in and beyond graph states
Authors: Liu Zheng-Hao , Zhou Jie , Meng Hui-Xian , Yang Mu , Li Qiang , Meng Yu , Su Hong-Yi , Chen Jing-Ling , Sun Kai , Xu Jin-Shi , Li Chuan-Feng , Guo Guang-Can
Published: April 2021

The Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) paradox is an exquisite no-go theorem that shows the sharp contradiction between classical theory and quantum mechanics by ruling out any local realistic description of quantum theory. The investigation of GHZ-type paradoxes has been carried out in a variety of systems and led to fruitful discoveries. However, its range of applicability still remains unknown and a unified construction is yet to be discovered. In this work, we present a unified construction of GHZ-type paradoxes for graph states, and show that the existence of GHZ-type paradox is not limited to graph states. The results have important applications in quantum state verification for graph states, entanglement detection, and construction of GHZ-type steering paradox for mixed states. We perform a photonic experiment to test the GHZ-type paradoxes via measuring the success probability of their corresponding perfect Hardy-type paradoxes, and demonstrate the proposed applications. Our work deepens the comprehension of quantum paradoxes in quantum foundations, and may have applications in a broad spectrum of quantum information tasks.
Urinary microRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers for toxic acute kidney injury in humans
Authors: Shihana Fathima , Wong Wilson K. M. , Joglekar Mugdha V. , Mohamed Fahim , Gawarammana Indika B. , Isbister Geoffrey K. , Hardikar Anandwardhan A. , Seth Devanshi , Buckley Nicholas A.
Published: April 2021

MicroRNAs in biofluids are potential biomarkers for detecting kidney and other organ injuries. We profiled microRNAs in urine samples from patients with Russell’s viper envenoming or acute self-poisoning following paraquat, glyphosate, or oxalic acid [with and without acute kidney injury (AKI)] and on healthy controls. Discovery analysis profiled for 754 microRNAs using TaqMan OpenArray qPCR with three patients per group (12 samples in each toxic agent). From these, 53 microRNAs were selected and validated in a larger cohort of patients (Russell’s viper envenoming = 53, paraquat = 51, glyphosate = 51, oxalic acid = 40) and 27 healthy controls. Urinary microRNAs had significantly higher expression in patients poisoned/envenomed by different nephrotoxic agents in both discovery and validation cohorts. Seven microRNAs discriminated severe AKI patients from no AKI for all four nephrotoxic agents. Four microRNAs (miR-30a-3p, miR-30a-5p, miR-92a, and miR-204) had > 17 fold change (p < 0.0001) and receiver operator characteristics area-under-curve (ROC-AUC) > 0.72. Pathway analysis of target mRNAs of these differentially expressed microRNAs showed association with the regulation of different nephrotoxic signaling pathways. In conclusion, human urinary microRNAs could identify toxic AKI early after acute injury. These urinary microRNAs have potential clinical application as early non-invasive diagnostic AKI biomarkers.
β2-adrenergic receptor agonist counteracts skeletal muscle atrophy and oxidative stress in uremic mice
Authors: Higashihara Takaaki , Nishi Hiroshi , Takemura Koji , Watanabe Hiroshi , Maruyama Toru , Inagi Reiko , Tanaka Tetsuhiro , Nangaku Masaomi
Published: April 2021

In patients with chronic kidney disease, skeletal muscle dysfunction is associated with mortality. Uremic sarcopenia is caused by ageing, malnutrition, and chronic inflammation, but the molecular mechanism and potential therapeutics have not been fully elucidated yet. We hypothesize that accumulated uremic toxins might exert a direct deteriorative effect on skeletal muscle and explore the pharmacological treatment in experimental animal and culture cell models. The mice intraperitoneally injected with indoxyl sulfate (IS) after unilateral nephrectomy displayed an elevation of IS concentration in skeletal muscle and a reduction of instantaneous muscle strength, along with the predominant loss of fast-twitch myofibers and intramuscular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The addition of IS in the culture media decreased the size of fully differentiated mouse C2C12 myotubes as well. ROS accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction were also noted. Next, the effect of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) agonist, clenbuterol, was evaluated as a potential treatment for uremic sarcopenia. In mice injected with IS, clenbuterol treatment increased the muscle mass and restored the tissue ROS level but failed to improve muscle weakness. In C2C12 myotubes stimulated with IS, although β2-AR activation also attenuated myotube size reduction and ROS accumulation as did other anti-oxidant reagents, it failed to augment the mitochondrial membrane potential. In conclusion, IS provokes muscular strength loss (uremic dynapenia), ROS generation, and mitochondrial impairment. Although the β2-AR agonist can increase the muscular mass with ROS reduction, development of therapeutic interventions for restoring skeletal muscle function is still awaited.
Predicting range shifts of three endangered endemic plants of the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province under global change
Authors: Erfanian Mohammad Bagher , Sagharyan Mostafa , Memariani Farshid , Ejtehadi Hamid
Published: April 2021

Endemic plants of the Khorassan-Kopet Dagh (KK) floristic province in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northwestern Afghanistan are often rare and range-restricted. Because of these ranges, plants in the KK are vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Species distribution modelling (SDM) can be used to assess the vulnerability of species under climate change. Here, we evaluated range size changes for three (critically) endangered endemic species that grow at various elevations (Nepeta binaloudensis, Phlomoides binaludensis, and Euphorbia ferdowsiana) using species distribution modelling. Using the HadGEM2-ES general circulation model and two Representative Concentration Pathways Scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5), we predicted potential current and future (2050 and 2070) suitable habitats for each species. The ensemble model of nine algorithms was used to perform this prediction. Our results indicate that while two of species investigated would benefit from range expansion in the future, P. binaludensis will experience range contraction. The range of E. ferdowsiana will remain limited to the Binalood mountains, but the other species will have suitable habitats in mountain ranges across the KK. Using management efforts (such as fencing) with a focus on providing elevational migration routes at local scales in the KK is necessary to conserve these species. Additionally, assisted migration among different mountains in the KK would be beneficial to conserve these plants. For E. ferdowsiana, genetic diversity storage employing seed banks and botanical garden preservation should be considered.
The effects of barbell resistance exercise on information processing speed and conflict-related ERP in older adults: a crossover randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lin Ting-Yu , Hsieh Shu-Shih , Chueh Ting-Yu , Huang Chung-Ju , Hung Tsung-Min
Published: April 2021

It is difficult to draw conclusions about the effect of resistance exercises on information processing speed and inhibitory control from previous studies due to possible underestimations of maximal strength and the lack of information on the intervention programs. To address this issue, a familiarization of resistance exercise was introduced before the strength test, and the repetition-to-fatigue method was used to calculate the 1RM (one repetition max). A two-arm RCT was conducted to evaluate the cognitive effect of resistance exercise. Male adults aged 50–65 years old performed a single bout of multiple joint, structural barbell resistance exercises (back squat, press, and deadlift) with 75% 1RM * 5 repetitions * 3 sets with 2–3 min rest between sets and exercises or a stretching exercise session (active-control intervention). This type of resistance exercise improved the information processing speed measured by Stroop task reaction time (t(23) =  − 2.313, p = .030, M =  − 16 ms, 95% CI [− 30, − 2]) and decreased the conflict-related neural activity measured by event-related potential N2b in both congruent (t(20) = 2.674, p = .015, M = 2.290 μv, 95% CI [0.504, 4.075]) and incongruent (t(20) = 2.851, p = .018, M = 2.291 μv, 95% CI [0.439, 4.142]) conditions. Resistance exercise significantly improved information processing speed and decrease conflict-related neural activity, but did not change inhibitory control in older adults compared to active control.

Trial registration: NCT04534374 (01/09/2020).
Femtosecond laser micromachining of an optofluidics-based monolithic whispering-gallery mode resonator coupled to a suspended waveguide
Authors: Maia João M. , Amorim Vítor A. , Viveiros Duarte , Marques P. V. S.
Published: April 2021

A monolithic lab-on-a-chip fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining capable of label-free biosensing is reported. The device is entirely made of fused silica, and consists of a microdisk resonator integrated inside a microfluidic channel. Whispering gallery modes are excited by the evanescent field of a circular suspended waveguide, also incorporated within the channel. Thermal annealing is performed to decrease the surface roughness of the microstructures to a nanometric scale, thereby reducing intrinsic losses and maximizing the Q-factor. Further, thermally-induced morphing is used to position, with submicrometric precision, the suspended waveguide tangent to the microresonator to enhance the spatial overlap between the evanescent field of both optical modes. With this fabrication method and geometry, the alignment between the waveguide and the resonator is robust and guaranteed at all instances. A maximum sensitivity of 121.5 nm/RIU was obtained at a refractive index of 1.363, whereas near the refractive index range of water-based solutions the sensitivity is 40 nm/RIU. A high Q-factor of 105 is kept throughout the entire measurement range.
Mussels drive polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) biomagnification in a coastal food web
Authors: Prince Kimberly D. , Crotty Sinead M. , Cetta Alexa , Delfino Joseph J. , Palmer Todd M. , Denslow Nancy D. , Angelini Christine
Published: April 2021

Despite international regulation, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are routinely detected at levels threatening human and environmental health. While previous research has emphasized trophic transfer as the principle pathway for PCB accumulation, our study reveals the critical role that non-trophic interactions can play in controlling PCB bioavailability and biomagnification. In a 5-month field experiment manipulating saltmarsh macro-invertebrates, we show that suspension-feeding mussels increase concentrations of total PCBs and toxic dioxin-like coplanars by 11- and 7.5-fold in sediment and 10.5- and 9-fold in cordgrass-grazing crabs relative to no-mussel controls, but do not affect PCB bioaccumulation in algae-grazing crabs. PCB homolog composition and corroborative dietary analyses demonstrate that mussels, as ecosystem engineers, amplify sediment contamination and PCB exposure for this burrowing marsh crab through non-trophic mechanisms. We conclude that these ecosystem engineering activities and other non-trophic interactions may have cascading effects on trophic biomagnification pathways, and therefore exert strong bottom-up control on PCB biomagnification up this coastal food web.
Differential root and shoot magnetoresponses in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Paponov Ivan A. , Fliegmann Judith , Narayana Ravishankar , Maffei Massimo E.
Published: April 2021

The geomagnetic field (GMF) is one of the environmental stimuli that plants experience continuously on Earth; however, the actions of the GMF on plants are poorly understood. Here, we carried out a time-course microarray experiment to identify genes that are differentially regulated by the GMF in shoot and roots. We also used qPCR to validate the activity of some genes selected from the microarray analysis in a dose-dependent magnetic field experiment. We found that the GMF regulated genes in both shoot and roots, suggesting that both organs can sense the GMF. However, 49% of the genes were regulated in a reverse direction in these organs, meaning that the resident signaling networks define the up- or downregulation of specific genes. The set of GMF-regulated genes strongly overlapped with various stress-responsive genes, implicating the involvement of one or more common signals, such as reactive oxygen species, in these responses. The biphasic dose response of GMF-responsive genes indicates a hormetic response of plants to the GMF. At present, no evidence exists to indicate any evolutionary advantage of plant adaptation to the GMF; however, plants can sense and respond to the GMF using the signaling networks involved in stress responses.
A novel framework for engineering protein loops exploring length and compositional variation
Authors: Tizei Pedro A. G. , Harris Emma , Withanage Shamal , Renders Marleen , Pinheiro Vitor B.
Published: April 2021

Insertions and deletions (indels) are known to affect function, biophysical properties and substrate specificity of enzymes, and they play a central role in evolution. Despite such clear significance, this class of mutation remains an underexploited tool in protein engineering with few available platforms capable of systematically generating and analysing libraries of varying sequence composition and length. We present a novel DNA assembly platform (InDel assembly), based on cycles of endonuclease restriction digestion and ligation of standardised dsDNA building blocks, that can generate libraries exploring both composition and sequence length variation. In addition, we developed a framework to analyse the output of selection from InDel-generated libraries, combining next generation sequencing and alignment-free strategies for sequence analysis. We demonstrate the approach by engineering the well-characterized TEM-1 β-lactamase Ω-loop, involved in substrate specificity, identifying multiple novel extended spectrum β-lactamases with loops of modified length and composition—areas of the sequence space not previously explored. Together, the InDel assembly and analysis platforms provide an efficient route to engineer protein loops or linkers where sequence length and composition are both essential functional parameters.
Non-randomized comparison between revascularization and deferral for intermediate coronary stenosis with abnormal fractional flow reserve and preserved coronary flow reserve
Authors: Shin Doosup , Lee Joo Myung , Lee Seung Hun , Hwang Doyeon , Choi Ki Hong , Kim Hyun Kuk , Doh Joon-Hyung , Nam Chang-Wook , Shin Eun-Seok , Hoshino Masahiro , Murai Tadashi , Yonetsu Taishi , Mejía-Rentería Hernán , Kakuta Tsunekazu , Escaned Javier , Koo Bon-Kwon
Published: April 2021

Limited data are available regarding comparative prognosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) versus deferral of revascularization in patients with intermediate stenosis with abnormal fractional flow reserve (FFR) but preserved coronary flow reserve (CFR). From the International Collaboration of Comprehensive Physiologic Assessment Registry (NCT03690713), a total of 330 patients (338 vessels) who had coronary stenosis with FFR ≤ 0.80 but CFR > 2.0 were selected for the current analysis. Patient-level clinical outcome was assessed by major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 5 years, a composite of all-cause death, target-vessel myocardial infarction (MI), or target-vessel revascularization. Among the study population, 231 patients (233 vessels) underwent PCI and 99 patients (105 vessels) were deferred. During 5 years of follow-up, cumulative incidence of MACE was 13.0% (31 patients) without significant difference between PCI and deferred groups (12.7% vs. 14.0%, adjusted HR 1.301, 95% CI 0.611–2.769, P = 0.495). Multiple sensitivity analyses by propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting also showed no significant difference in patient-level MACE and vessel-specific MI or revascularization. In this hypothesis-generating study, there was no significant difference in clinical outcomes between PCI and deferred groups among patients with intermediate stenosis with FFR ≤ 0.80 but CFR > 2.0. Further study is needed to confirm this finding.

Clinical Trial Registration: International Collaboration of Comprehensive Physiologic Assessment Registry (NCT03690713; registration date: 10/01/2018).
Urinary reabsorption in the rat kidney by anticholinergics
Authors: Oe Hideki , Yoshiki Hatsumi , Zha Xinmin , Kobayashi Hisato , Aoki Yoshitaka , Ito Hideaki , Yokoyama Osamu
Published: April 2021

Anticholinergics, therapeutic agents for overactive bladder, are clinically suggested to reduce urine output. We investigated whether this effect is due to bladder or kidney urine reabsorption. Various solutions were injected into the bladder of urethane-anesthetized SD rats. The absorption rate for 2 h was examined following the intravenous administration of the anticholinergics imidafenacin (IM), atropine (AT), and tolterodine (TO). The bilateral ureter was then canulated and saline was administered to obtain a diuretic state. Anticholinergics or 1-deamino-[8-D-arginine]-vasopressin (dDAVP) were intravenously administered. After the IM and dDAVP administrations, the rat kidneys were immunostained with AQP2 antibody, and intracellular cAMP was measured. The absorption rate was ~ 10% of the saline injected into the bladder and constant even when anticholinergics were administered. The renal urine among peaked 2 h after the saline administration. Each of the anticholinergics significantly suppressed the urine production in a dose-dependent manner, as did dDAVP. IM and dDAVP increased the intracellular cAMP levels and caused the AQP2 molecule to localize to the collecting duct cells' luminal side. The urinary reabsorption mechanism through the bladder epithelium was not activated by anticholinergic administration. Thus, anticholinergics suppress urine production via an increase in urine reabsorption in the kidneys' collecting duct cells via AQP2.
Durability of anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers
Authors: Li Dongguo , Motz Andrew R. , Bae Chulsung , Fujimoto Cy , Yang Gaoqiang , Zhang Feng-Yuan , Ayers Katherine E. , Kim Yu Seung
Published: April 2021

Understanding the durability-limiting factors of anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers operating under pure water-, KOH- and K2CO3-fed conditions.
Recyclable conductive nanoclay for direct in situ printing flexible electronics
Authors: Wu Pengcheng , Wang Zhenwei , Yao Xinhua , Fu Jianzhong , He Yong
Published: April 2021

A recyclable, self-healing conductive nanoclay and corresponding stamping process are developed for printing flexible electronics directly and quickly in situ.
The central role of the metal ion for photoactivity: Zn– vs. Ni–Mabiq
Authors: Lauenstein Raphael , Mader Sophie L. , Derondeau Henrieta , Esezobor Oaikhena Z. , Block Matthias , Römer Armin J. , Jandl Christian , Riedle Eberhard , Kaila Ville R. I. , Hauer Jürgen , Thyrhaug Erling , Hess Corinna R.
Published: April 2021

The development of earth-abundant photoredox catalysts remains a challenge. Studies of Ni- and Zn-Mabiq complexes demonstrate how the coordinating metal ion influences the photochemistry, photodynamics and reactivity of photocatalysts.
ZnS/CdX (X = S, Se, Te) core/shell nanowires: an attempt at tuning the electronic bandgaps and SQ efficiencies
Authors: Shukla Rishit S. , Zala Vidit B. , Gupta Sanjeev K. , Gajjar P. N.
Published: April 2021

With the incorporation of group II–VI nanowires into core/shell configurations, our DFT based calculations predicted the highly escalated SQ efficiencies upto 33.59%.
Solution processed 1D polymer/SWCNT composite arrays for high-performance field effect transistors
Authors: Fan Xiaoyu , Yang Jingrun , Yang Zhenghao , Lei Bo , Che Pengda , Gao Hanfei , Liu Yun , Feng Jiangang , Wu Yuchen , Jiang Lei
Published: April 2021

An integration technique has been developed to assemble the π-conjugated polymer/SWCNT composite materials into 1D arrays by exploiting an asymmetric-wettability assembly system, realizing enhanced charge-carrier mobility and thermal stability.
An ultrastable olefin-linked covalent organic framework for photocatalytic decarboxylative alkylations under highly acidic conditions
Authors: Tian Miao , Wang Yichun , Bu Xiubin , Wang Yichen , Yang Xiaobo
Published: April 2021

An ultrastable olefin-linked covalent organic framework 2D-COF-2 offers an alternative heterogeneous photocatalyst for photocatalytic decarboxylative alkylations, exhibiting impressive effciency, sustainabilty and promising industrial potential.
Tetrathiafulvalene-based double metal lead iodides: structures and electrical properties
Authors: Yin Wen-Yu , Weng Yi-Gang , Ren Zhou-Hong , Zhang Zhi-Ruo , Zhu Qin-Yu , Dai Jie
Published: April 2021

The conductive and photoconductive properties of hybrid lead–cuprous double metal iodides with tetrathiafulvalene cations are affected by the anion–cation electron donating effect and the electronic state of the TTF cations.
Bioactive peptide release and the absorption tracking of casein in the gastrointestinal digestion of rats
Authors: Xue Haiyan , Han Jingjing , He Baoyuan , Yi Meixia , Liu Xiaofeng , Song Hongxin , Li Jingying
Published: April 2021

Bovine casein is considered as an important source of many bioactive peptides (BAPs), which can also be produced via not olny in vitro simulated but also in vivo gastrointestinal hydrolysis.
Graphitic carbon nitride embedded-Ag nanoparticle decorated-ZnWO4 nanocomposite-based photoluminescence sensing of Hg2+
Authors: Ghorui Uday Kumar , Satra Jit , Mondal Papri , Mardanya Sourav , Sarkar Arpita , Srivastava Divesh N. , Adhikary Bibhutosh , Mondal Anup
Published: April 2021

Ag loaded metal tungstate-organic framework-based nanocomposite (g-C3N4/Ag/ZnWO4), which generates greater number of oxygen defects plays crucial role in the selective detection of toxic metal ions in solution.
Solvophobic-controlled synthesis of smart magneto-fluorescent nanostructures for real-time inspection of metallic fractures
Authors: Menegatti de Melo Fernando , Mattioni João V. , Dias Fernando , Fu Ying , Toma Henrique E.
Published: April 2021

A new class of magneto-fluorescent nanostructures was achieved and exhibits a great capability to identify defects in industrial ferromagnetic materials.
Suppressing multiphase transitions of an O3-NaNi0.5Mn0.5O2 cathode by iron and magnesium co-doping towards sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyan , Zhou Ya-Nan , Yu Lianzheng , Zhang Si-Yuan , Xing Xuan-Xuan , Wang Wenlong , Xu Sailong
Published: April 2021

Fe/Mg co-doped O3-NaNi0.35Fe0.2Mg0.05Mn0.4O2 was prepared as a cathode material for SIBs, and it delivered a decent electrochemical performance for the half and full SIBs due to its suppressed complex monoclinic phase transition.
Spray-coated barrier coating on copper based on exfoliated vermiculite sheets
Authors: Liu Limei , Yu Zhi-Long , Qu Junle , Huang Jiaxing
Published: April 2021

Few-layer vermiculite sheets obtained by a two-step mechanical–chemical exfoliation approach for oxidation-resistant coating.
Multi-technique structural characterization of glass foams with complex pore structures obtained through phase separation
Authors: de Oliveira Cristine S. , Kohns Richard , Meyerhöfer Felix , Carstens Simon , Enke Dirk , Wehrspohn Ralf B. , Martins de Souza e Silva Juliana
Published: April 2021

Typical pore characterization techniques combined with computed tomography provided a complete description of the multimodal porous architecture of novel glass foams synthesised via foaming process followed by phase-separation and selective leaching.
An electrochemical platform based on a hemin–rGO–cMWCNTs modified aptasensor for sensitive detection of kanamycin
Authors: Gao Tianyi , Sun Chong , Zhang Nana , Huang Yang , Zhu Hongxing , Wang Chunmei , Cao Jinxuan , Wang Daoying
Published: April 2021

An electrochemical aptasensor based on hemin–rGO–cMWCNTs was established. The aptasensor exhibited a low detection limit and a wide linear range. Excellent stability, reproducibility and applicability were presented for KANA.
Control of hydrogen release during borohydride electrooxidation with porous carbon materials
Authors: Graś Małgorzata , Lota Grzegorz
Published: April 2021

The borohydride electrooxidation process is complex. Technological application of carbon materials is manifested not only in their use as a catalyst support, but also as a physical trap for hydrogen generated during the parasitic hydrolysis.
Electrochemical synthesis of hydroxyl group-functionalized PProDOT/ZnO for an ultraviolet photodetector
Authors: Helil Zulpikar , Abdiryim Tursun , Jamal Ruxangul , Kadir Aygul , Che Yuzhu , Zou Dongna , Niyaz Mariyam
Published: April 2021

Ultraviolet (UV) detectors based on zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) are ideal materials for UV radiation detection.
Asymmetric hydrogenation of exocyclic γ,δ-unsaturated β-ketoesters to functionalized chiral allylic alcohols via dynamic kinetic resolution
Authors: Bin Huai-Yu , Cheng Li , Wu Xiong , Zhu Chang-Liang , Yang Xiao-Hui , Xie Jian-Hua , Zhou Qi-Lin
Published: April 2021

An iridium catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of exocyclic γ,δ-unsaturated β-ketoesters via dynamic kinetic resolution was developed, providing efficient protocol for enantioselective synthesis of functionalized chiral allylic alcohols.
Fe3O4/Co3O4 binary oxides as bifunctional electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn–air batteries by one-pot pyrolysis of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks
Authors: Wang Zhili , Yang Jinhui , Tang Yuanting , Chen Zhiping , Lu Qizi , Shen Gurong , Wen Yanwei , Liu Xiao , Liu Feng , Chen Rong , Shan Bin
Published: April 2021

Highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts towards sluggish oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER) are of great significance for cathode catalysis of rechargeable metal–air batteries.
Triboelectric energy harvesting using conjugated microporous polymer nanoparticles in polyurethane films
Authors: Park Seong In , Lee Dong-Min , Kang Chang Wan , Lee Sang Moon , Kim Hae Jin , Ko Yoon-Joo , Kim Sang-Woo , Son Seung Uk
Published: April 2021

Conjugated microporous polymers offer potential as triboelectrification materials for triboelectric nanogenerators.