bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous perception of prosthetic and natural vision in AMD patients
Authors: Palanker D. , Le Mer Y. , Mohand-Said S. , Sahel J. A.
Published: January 2022

Loss of photoreceptors in atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) results in severe visual impairment. Since the low-resolution peripheral vision is retained in such conditions, restoration of central vision should not jeopardize the surrounding healthy retina and allow for simultaneous use of the natural and prosthetic sight. This interim report, prespecified in the study protocol, presents the first clinical results with a photovoltaic substitute of the photoreceptors providing simultaneous use of the central prosthetic and peripheral natural vision in atrophic AMD. In this open-label single group feasibility trial (NCT03333954, recruitment completed), five patients with geographic atrophy have been implanted with a wireless 2 x 2 mm-wide 30 µm-thick device, having 378 pixels of 100 µm in size. All 5 patients achieved the primary outcome of the study by demonstrating the prosthetic visual perception in the former scotoma. The four patients with a subretinal placement of the chip demonstrated the secondary outcome: Landolt acuity of 1.17 ± 0.13 pixels, corresponding to the Snellen range of 20/460–20/565. With electronic magnification of up to a factor of 8, patients demonstrated prosthetic acuity in the range of 20/63–20/98. Under room lighting conditions, patients could simultaneously use prosthetic central vision and their remaining peripheral vision in the implanted eye and in the fellow eye.
Liquid-microjet photoelectron spectroscopy of the green fluorescent protein chromophore
Authors: Tau Omri , Henley Alice , Boichenko Anton N. , Kleshchina Nadezhda N. , Riley River , Wang Bingxing , Winning Danielle , Lewin Ross , Parkin Ivan P. , Ward John M. , Hailes Helen C. , Bochenkova Anastasia V. , Fielding Helen H.
Published: January 2022

Green fluorescent protein (GFP), the most widely used fluorescent protein for in vivo monitoring of biological processes, is known to undergo photooxidation reactions. However, the most fundamental property underpinning photooxidation, the electron detachment energy, has only been measured for the deprotonated GFP chromophore in the gas phase. Here, we use multiphoton ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy in a liquid-microjet and high-level quantum chemistry calculations to determine the electron detachment energy of the GFP chromophore in aqueous solution. The aqueous environment is found to raise the detachment energy by around 4 eV compared to the gas phase, similar to calculations of the chromophore in its native protein environment. In most cases, electron detachment is found to occur resonantly through electronically excited states of the chromophore, highlighting their importance in photo-induced electron transfer processes in the condensed phase. Our results suggest that the photooxidation properties of the GFP chromophore in an aqueous environment will be similar to those in the protein.
Determining the charge distribution and the direction of bond cleavage with femtosecond anisotropic x-ray liquidography
Authors: Heo Jun , Kim Jong Goo , Choi Eun Hyuk , Ki Hosung , Ahn Doo-Sik , Kim Jungmin , Lee Seonggon , Ihee Hyotcherl
Published: January 2022

Energy, structure, and charge are fundamental quantities characterizing a molecule. Whereas the energy flow and structure change in chemical reactions are experimentally characterized, determining the atomic charges of a molecule in solution has been elusive, even for a triatomic molecule such as triiodide ion, I3−. Moreover, it remains to be answered how the charge distribution is coupled to the molecular geometry; which I-I bond, if two I-I bonds are unequal, dissociates depending on the electronic state. Here, femtosecond anisotropic x-ray solution scattering allows us to provide the following answers in addition to the overall rich structural dynamics. The analysis unravels that the negative charge of I3− is highly localized on the terminal iodine atom forming the longer bond with the central iodine atom, and the shorter I-I bond dissociates in the excited state, whereas the longer one in the ground state. We anticipate that this work may open a new avenue for studying the atomic charge distribution of molecules in solution and taking advantage of orientational information in anisotropic scattering data for solution-phase structural dynamics.
Neutrophil extracellular traps and their histones promote Th17 cell differentiation directly via TLR2
Authors: Wilson Alicia S. , Randall Katrina L. , Pettitt Jessica A. , Ellyard Julia I. , Blumenthal Antje , Enders Anselm , Quah Benjamin J. , Bopp Tobias , Parish Christopher R. , Brüstle Anne
Published: January 2022

Neutrophils perform critical functions in the innate response to infection, including through the production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) - web-like DNA structures which are extruded from neutrophils upon activation. Elevated levels of NETs have been linked to autoimmunity but this association is poorly understood. By contrast, IL-17 producing Th17 cells are a key player in various autoimmune diseases but are also crucial for immunity against fungal and bacterial infections. Here we show that NETs, through their protein component histones, directly activate T cells and specifically enhance Th17 cell differentiation. This modulatory role of neutrophils, NETs and their histones is mediated downstream of TLR2 in T cells, resulting in phosphorylation of STAT3. The innate stimulation of a specific adaptive immune cell subset provides an additional mechanism demonstrating a direct link between neutrophils, NETs and T cell autoimmunity.
Topological dislocation modes in three-dimensional acoustic topological insulators
Authors: Ye Liping , Qiu Chunyin , Xiao Meng , Li Tianzi , Du Juan , Ke Manzhu , Liu Zhengyou
Published: January 2022

Dislocations are ubiquitous in three-dimensional solid-state materials. The interplay of such real space topology with the emergent band topology defined in reciprocal space gives rise to gapless helical modes bound to the line defects. This is known as bulk-dislocation correspondence, in contrast to the conventional bulk-boundary correspondence featuring topological states at boundaries. However, to date rare compelling experimental evidences have been presented for this intriguing topological observable in solid-state systems, owing to the huge challenges in creating controllable dislocations and conclusively identifying topological signals. Here, using a three-dimensional acoustic weak topological insulator with precisely controllable dislocations, we report an unambiguous experimental evidence for the long-desired bulk-dislocation correspondence, through directly measuring the gapless dispersion of the one-dimensional topological dislocation modes. Remarkably, as revealed in our further experiments, the pseudospin-locked dislocation modes can be unidirectionally guided in an arbitrarily-shaped dislocation path. The peculiar topological dislocation transport, expected in a variety of classical wave systems, can provide unprecedented control over wave propagations.
Boundary curvature guided programmable shape-morphing kirigami sheets
Authors: Hong Yaoye , Chi Yinding , Wu Shuang , Li Yanbin , Zhu Yong , Yin Jie
Published: January 2022

Kirigami, a traditional paper cutting art, offers a promising strategy for 2D-to-3D shape morphing through cut-guided deformation. Existing kirigami designs for target 3D curved shapes rely on intricate cut patterns in thin sheets, making the inverse design challenging. Motivated by the Gauss-Bonnet theorem that correlates the geodesic curvature along the boundary with the Gaussian curvature, here, we exploit programming the curvature of cut boundaries rather than the complex cut patterns in kirigami sheets for target 3D curved morphologies through both forward and inverse designs. The strategy largely simplifies the inverse design. Leveraging this strategy, we demonstrate its potential applications as a universal and nondestructive gripper for delicate objects, including live fish, raw egg yolk, and a human hair, as well as dynamically conformable heaters for human knees. This study opens a new avenue to encode boundary curvatures for shape-programing materials with potential applications in soft robotics and wearable devices.
Citrus Huanglongbing is a pathogen-triggered immune disease that can be mitigated with antioxidants and gibberellin
Authors: Ma Wenxiu , Pang Zhiqian , Huang Xiaoen , Xu Jin , Pandey Sheo Shankar , Li Jinyun , Achor Diann S. , Vasconcelos Fernanda N. C. , Hendrich Connor , Huang Yixiao , Wang Wenting , Lee Donghwan , Stanton Daniel , Wang Nian
Published: January 2022

Huanglongbing (HLB) is a devastating disease of citrus, caused by the phloem-colonizing bacteriumCandidatusLiberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Here, we present evidence that HLB is an immune-mediated disease. We show that CLas infection ofCitrus sinensisstimulates systemic and chronic immune responses in phloem tissue, including callose deposition, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as H2O2, and induction of immunity-related genes. The infection also upregulates genes encoding ROS-producing NADPH oxidases, and downregulates antioxidant enzyme genes, supporting that CLas causes oxidative stress. CLas-triggered ROS production localizes in phloem-enriched bark tissue and is followed by systemic cell death of companion and sieve element cells. Inhibition of ROS levels in CLas-positive stems by NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenyleneiodonium (DPI) indicates that NADPH oxidases contribute to CLas-triggered ROS production. To investigate potential treatments, we show that addition of the growth hormone gibberellin (known to have immunoregulatory activities) upregulates genes encoding H2O2-scavenging enzymes and downregulates NADPH oxidases. Furthermore, foliar spray of HLB-affected citrus with gibberellin or antioxidants (uric acid, rutin) reduces H2O2concentrations and cell death in phloem tissues and reduces HLB symptoms. Thus, our results indicate that HLB is an immune-mediated disease that can be mitigated with antioxidants and gibberellin.
Reviewing machine learning of corrosion prediction in a data-oriented perspective
Authors: Coelho Leonardo Bertolucci , Zhang Dawei , Van Ingelgem Yves , Steckelmacher Denis , Nowé Ann , Terryn Herman
Published: January 2022

This work provides a data-oriented overview of the rapidly growing research field covering machine learning (ML) applied to predicting electrochemical corrosion. Our main aim was to determine which ML models have been applied and how well they performed depending on the corrosion topic considered. From an extensive review of corrosion articles presenting comparable performance metrics, a ‘Machine learning for corrosion database’ was created, guiding corrosion experts and model developers in their applications of ML to corrosion. Potential research gaps and recommendations are discussed, and a broad perspective for future research paths is provided.
Emergent interface vibrational structure of oxide superlattices
Authors: Hoglund Eric R. , Bao De-Liang , O’Hara Andrew , Makarem Sara , Piontkowski Zachary T. , Matson Joseph R. , Yadav Ajay K. , Haislmaier Ryan C. , Engel-Herbert Roman , Ihlefeld Jon F. , Ravichandran Jayakanth , Ramesh Ramamoorthy , Caldwell Joshua D. , Beechem Thomas E. , Tomko John A. , Hachtel Jordan A. , Pantelides Sokrates T. , Hopkins Patrick E. , Howe James M.
Published: January 2022

As the length scales of materials decrease, the heterogeneities associated with interfaces become almost as important as the surrounding materials. This has led to extensive studies of emergent electronic and magnetic interface properties in superlattices1–9. However, the interfacial vibrations that affect the phonon-mediated properties, such as thermal conductivity10,11, are measured using macroscopic techniques that lack spatial resolution. Although it is accepted that intrinsic phonons change near boundaries12,13, the physical mechanisms and length scales through which interfacial effects influence materials remain unclear. Here we demonstrate the localized vibrational response of interfaces in strontium titanate–calcium titanate superlattices by combining advanced scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging and spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations and ultrafast optical spectroscopy. Structurally diffuse interfaces that bridge the bounding materials are observed and this local structure creates phonon modes that determine the global response of the superlattice once the spacing of the interfaces approaches the phonon spatial extent. Our results provide direct visualization of the progression of the local atomic structure and interface vibrations as they come to determine the vibrational response of an entire superlattice. Direct observation of such local atomic and vibrational phenomena demonstrates that their spatial extent needs to be quantified to understand macroscopic behaviour. Tailoring interfaces, and knowing their local vibrational response, provides a means of pursuing designer solids with emergent infrared and thermal responses.
Evaluation of a low-resource screening strategy for ophthalmic pathologies and associated neurological morbidity in an older Tanzanian HIV-positive population
Authors: George Grace , Murphy Declan C. , Hogg H. D. Jeffry , Boniface Japhet Bright , Urasa Sarah , Rwiza Justus , Uwemeye Livin , Bristow Clare , Hillsmith Grace , Rainey Emma , Walker Richard , Gray William K. , Maria-Paddick Stella
Published: January 2022

Globally, 43 million people are living with HIV, 90% in developing countries. Increasing life expectancy with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) results in chronic complications, including HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and eye diseases. HAND screening is currently challenging. Our aim was to evaluate clinical utility of retinopathy as a screening measure of HAND in older cART-treated individuals in Tanzania and feasibility of smartphone-based retinal screening in this low-resource setting. A cross-sectional systematic sample aged ≥ 50-years attending routine HIV follow-up in Tanzania were comprehensively assessed for HAND by American Academy of Neurology criteria and received ophthalmic assessment including smartphone-based retinal imaging. HAND and ophthalmic assessments were independent and blinded. Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by AUROC curves. Of 129 individuals assessed, 69.8% were visually impaired. Thirteen had retinopathy. HAND prevalence was 66.7%. Retinopathy was significantly associated with HAND but HIV-disease factors (CD4, viral load) were not. Diagnostic accuracy of retinopathy for HAND was poor (AUROC 0.545-0.617) but specificity and positive predictive value were high. We conclude that ocular pathology and HAND appear highly prevalent in this low-resource setting. Although retinal screening cannot be used alone identify HAND, prioritization of individuals with abnormal retinal screening is a potential strategy in low-resource settings.
Hepatitis C prevalence and quality of health services among HIV-positive mothers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Thompson Peyton , Mpody Christian , Sayre Wesley , Rigney Clare , Tabala Martine , Ravelomanana Noro Lantoniaina Rosa , Malongo Fathy , Kawende Bienvenu , Behets Frieda , Okitolonda Emile , Yotebieng Marcel ,   CQI-PMTCT study team, Aitikalema Godelive , Alisho Ali , Bayayana Elysée , Bumwana Fabrice , Dianzenza Pierre , Dinanga Jean Claude , Kihuma Georges , Lukumu Willy , Lumande Fidèle , Masevo Zouzou , Matadi Fanny , Mushiya Rachel , Mwela Marie Therèse , Nlandu José , Tenatena Pearl , Tshibuabua Marie
Published: January 2022

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) contributes to liver-related morbidity and mortality throughout Africa despite effective antivirals. HCV is endemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) but data on HCV/HIV co-infection in pregnancy is limited. We estimated the prevalence of and risk factors for HCV/HIV co-infection among pregnant women in the Kinshasa province of the DRC. This cross-sectional study was conducted as a sub-study of an ongoing randomized trial to assess continuous quality improvement interventions (CQI) for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV (CQI-PMTCT study, NCT03048669). HIV-infected women in the CQI-PMTCT cohort were tested for HCV, and risk factors were evaluated using logistic regression. The prevalence of HCV/HIV co-infection among Congolese women was 0.83% (95% CI 0.43-1.23). Women who tested positive for HCV were younger, more likely to live in urban areas, and more likely to test positive during pregnancy versus postpartum. HCV-positive women had significantly higher odds of infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) (aOR 13.87 [3.29,58.6]). An inverse relationship was noted between HCV infection and the overall capacity of the health facility as measured by the service readiness index (SRI) (aOR:0.92 [0.86,0.98] per unit increase). Women who presented to rural, for-profit and PEPFAR-funded health facilities were more likely to test positive for HCV. In summary, this study identified that the prevalence of HCV/HIV co-infection was < 1% among Congolese women. We also identified HBV infection as a major risk factor for HCV/HIV co-infection. Individuals with triple infection should be linked to care and the facility-related differences in HCV prevalence should be addressed in future studies.
Circulating Interleukin-6 and CD16 positive monocytes increase following angioplasty of an arteriovenous fistula
Authors: Hakki Seran , Robinson Emily J. , Robson Michael G.
Published: January 2022

Arteriovenous fistulas are the ideal form of vascular access that allows provision of haemodialysis. Stenotic lesions caused by neointimal hyperplasia commonly occur resulting in patients requiring a fistuloplasty. This is effective but there is a high recurrence rate. We sought to investigate the effects of a fistuloplasty on monocyte populations. Blood samples were taken from patients before and after their fistuloplasty procedure. Samples were analysed using flow cytometry, ELISA and Luminex assays. Univariate cox regression was carried out to investigate associations with post fistuloplasty patency. At 1–2 days post fistuloplasty, the proportion of classical (CD14++CD16−) monocytes decreased (p < 0.001), whilst intermediate (CD14++CD16+) and non-classical (CD14+CD16+) monocytes increased (both p < 0.01) in a cohort of 20 patients. A time course study carried out in 5 patients showed that this was due to an increase in absolute numbers of non-classical and intermediate monocytes. Higher levels of non-classical monocytes pre-fistuloplasty were associated with an increased risk for patency loss (p < 0.05). We measured 41 soluble factors in plasma samples taken before a fistuloplasty in 54 patients, with paired post-fistuloplasty samples (1–2 days) available in 30 patients. After correcting for false discovery, the only factor with a significant change in level was IL-6 (P = 0.0003, q = 0.0124). In a further time-course study in 6 patients, peak level of IL-6 occurred 2–3 h post fistuloplasty. This study demonstrates that there is a systemic inflammatory response to the fistuloplasty procedure and that monocyte subsets and IL-6 may be important in the pathophysiology of restenosis.
Identification of let-7f and miR-338 as plasma-based biomarkers for sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using meta-analysis and empirical validation
Authors: Daneshafrooz Narges , Joghataei Mohammad Taghi , Mehdizadeh Mehdi , Alavi Afagh , Barati Mahmood , Panahi Bahman , Teimourian Shahram , Zamani Babak
Published: January 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal neurodegenerative disease that in most cases occurs sporadic (sALS). The disease is not curable, and its pathogenesis mechanisms are not well understood yet. Given the intricacy of underlying molecular interactions and heterogeneity of ALS, the discovery of molecules contributing to disease onset and progression will open a new avenue for advancement in early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention. Here we conducted a meta-analysis of 12 circulating miRNA profiling studies using the robust rank aggregation (RRA) method, followed by enrichment analysis and experimental verification. We identified miR-451a and let-7f-5p as meta-signature miRNAs whose targets are involved in critical pathogenic pathways underlying ALS, including ‘FoxO signaling pathway’, ‘MAPK signaling pathway’, and ‘apoptosis’. A systematic review of 7 circulating gene profiling studies elucidated that 241 genes up-regulated in sALS circulation with concomitant being targets of the meta-signature miRNAs. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of the candidate targets using MCODE algorithm revealed the main subcluster is involved in multiple cascades eventually leads apoptosis, including ‘positive regulation of neuron apoptosis. Besides, we validated the meta-analysis results using RT-qPCR. Indeed, relative expression analysis verified let-7f-5p and miR-338-3p as significantly down-regulated and up-regulated biomarkers in the plasma of sALS patients, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis also highlighted the let-7f-5p and miR-338-3p potential as robustness plasma biomarkers for diagnosis and potential therapeutic targets of sALS disease.
Short echo time dual-frequency MR Elastography with Optimal Control RF pulses
Authors: Sango-Solanas Pilar , Tse Ve Koon Kevin , Van Reeth Eric , Ratiney Helene , Millioz Fabien , Caussy Cyrielle , Beuf Olivier
Published: January 2022

Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) quantifies the mechanical properties of tissues, typically applying motion encoding gradients (MEG). Multifrequency results allow better characterizations of tissues using data usually acquired through sequential monofrequency experiments. High frequencies are difficult to reach due to slew rate limitations and low frequencies induce long TEs, yielding magnitude images with low SNR. We propose a novel strategy to perform simultaneous multifrequency MRE in the absence of MEGs: using RF pulses designed via the Optimal Control (OC) theory. Such pulses control the spatial distribution of the MRI magnetization phase so that the resulting transverse magnetization reproduces the phase pattern of an MRE acquisition. The pulse is applied with a constant gradient during the multifrequency mechanical excitation to simultaneously achieve slice selection and motion encoding. The phase offset sampling strategy can be adapted according to the excitation frequencies to reduce the acquisition time. Phantom experiments were run to compare the classical monofrequency MRE to the OC based dual-frequency MRE method and showed excellent agreement between the reconstructed shear storage modulus G′. Our method could be applied to simultaneously acquire low and high frequency components, which are difficult to encode with the classical MEG MRE strategy.
Calculating dissolved marine oxygen values based on an enhanced Benthic Foraminifera Oxygen Index
Authors: Kranner M. , Harzhauser M. , Beer C. , Auer G. , Piller W. E.
Published: January 2022

Marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) trap greenhouse gases, reduce livable habitats, a critical factor for these changes is the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO). The frequently used tool to reconstruct DO values, the Benthic Foraminifera Oxygen Index (BFOI), showed major shortcomings and lacks effectiveness. Therefore, we enhanced the BFOI and introduce enhanced BFOI (EBFOI) formulas by using all available data benthic foraminifers provide, calculating the whole livable habitat of benthic foraminifers, including bottom water oxygenation (BWO) and pore water oxygenation (PWO). Further, we introduce for the first time a transfer function to convert EBFOI vales directly into DO values, increasing efficiency by up to 38%. All formulas are calibrated on modern samples and applied to fossil datasets. Our new approach provides a major improvement in defining and reconstructing marine oxygen levels and eutrophication, by, providing a new toolset for understanding past changes and tracking actual and predicted future expanding OMZs.
VDR regulates simulated microgravity-induced atrophy in C2C12 myotubes
Authors: Yuzawa Ryo , Koike Hiroyuki , Manabe Ichiro , Oishi Yumiko
Published: January 2022

Muscle wasting is a major problem leading to reduced quality of life and higher risks of mortality and various diseases. Muscle atrophy is caused by multiple conditions in which protein degradation exceeds its synthesis, including disuse, malnutrition, and microgravity. While Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is well known to regulate calcium and phosphate metabolism to maintain bone, recent studies have shown that VDR also plays roles in skeletal muscle development and homeostasis. Moreover, its expression is upregulated in muscle undergoing atrophy as well as after muscle injury. Here we show that VDR regulates simulated microgravity-induced atrophy in C2C12 myotubes in vitro. After 8 h of microgravity simulated using 3D-clinorotation, the VDR-binding motif was associated with chromatin regions closed by the simulated microgravity and enhancer regions inactivated by it, which suggests VDR mediates repression of enhancers. In addition, VDR was induced and translocated into the nuclei in response to simulated microgravity. VDR-deficient C2C12 myotubes showed resistance to simulated microgravity-induced atrophy and reduced induction of FBXO32, an atrophy-associated ubiquitin ligase. These results demonstrate that VDR contributes to the regulation of simulated microgravity-induced atrophy at least in part by controlling expression of atrophy-related genes.
Metagenomic sequencing for detection and identification of the boxwood blight pathogen Calonectria pseudonaviculata
Authors: Yang Shu , Johnson Marcela A. , Hansen Mary Ann , Bush Elizabeth , Li Song , Vinatzer Boris A.
Published: January 2022

Pathogen detection and identification are key elements in outbreak control of human, animal, and plant diseases. Since many fungal plant pathogens cause similar symptoms, are difficult to distinguish morphologically, and grow slowly in culture, culture-independent, sequence-based diagnostic methods are desirable. Whole genome metagenomic sequencing has emerged as a promising technique because it can potentially detect any pathogen without culturing and without the need for pathogen-specific probes. However, efficient DNA extraction protocols, computational tools, and sequence databases are required. Here we applied metagenomic sequencing with the Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinION to the detection of the fungus Calonectria pseudonaviculata, the causal agent of boxwood (Buxus spp.) blight disease. Two DNA extraction protocols, several DNA purification kits, and various computational tools were tested. All DNA extraction methods and purification kits provided sufficient quantity and quality of DNA. Several bioinformatics tools for taxonomic identification were found suitable to assign sequencing reads to the pathogen with an extremely low false positive rate. Over 9% of total reads were identified as C. pseudonaviculata in a severely diseased sample and identification at strain-level resolution was approached as the number of sequencing reads was increased. We discuss how metagenomic sequencing could be implemented in routine plant disease diagnostics.
The influence of myofascial release on pain and selected indicators of flat foot in adults: a controlled randomized trial
Authors: Bac Aneta , Kaczor Sabina , Pasiut Szymon , Ścisłowska-Czarnecka Anna , Jankowicz-Szymańska Agnieszka , Filar-Mierzwa Katarzyna
Published: January 2022

Flat foot pain is a common complaint that requires therapeutic intervention. Currently, myofascial release techniques are often used in the therapy of musculoskeletal disorders. A group of 60 people suffering from flat feet with associated pain. Patients were assigned to four groups (15 people each): MF—myofascial release, E—the exercise program, MFE—myofascial release and the exercise program, C—no intervention. The rehabilitation program lasted 4 weeks. The NRS scale was used to examine pain intensity and FreeMed ground reaction force platform was used to examine selected static and dynamic foot indicators. Statistically significant pain reduction was obtained in all research. A static test of foot load distribution produced statistically significant changes only for selected indicators. In the dynamic test, statistically significant changes were observed for selected indicators, only in the groups subjected to therapeutic intervention. Most such changes were observed in the MF group. In the dynamic test which assessed the support phase of the foot, statistically significant changes were observed only for selected subphases. Most such changes were observed in the MFE group. Both exercise and exercise combined with myofascial release techniques, and especially myofascial release techniques alone, significantly reduce pain in a flat foot. This study shows a limited influence of both exercises and myofascial release techniques on selected static and dynamic indicators of a flat foot.
Evaluation of different OCT systems in quantitative imaging of human Schlemm's canal
Authors: Wu Xuan , Tan Bingyao , Gan Jinyuan , Lam Adeline R. , Chen Yibing , Liu Xinyu , Chua Jacqueline , Wong Damon W. K. , Ang Marcus , Schmetterer Leopold , Yao Xinwen
Published: January 2022

We examined the performance of human Schlemm’s canal (SC) imaging using different OCT devices: CIRRUS 5000 (840 nm, spectral-domain (SD)-OCT), PLEX Elite 9000 (1060 nm, swept-source (SS)-OCT) and CASIA SS-1000 (1310 nm, SS-OCT), and analyzed potential impact factors on visualization and the quantitative assessment of SC morphology in a pilot study. Ten healthy subjects were imaged using three OCT devices by a single experienced operator on the same day. Each eye underwent two cubic scans by each device, one on nasal and the other on temporal quadrant. The B-scan showing the largest SC was manually selected for processing. Four quantitative metrics, including one morphological metric as cross-sectional area (CSA), and three performance metrics as contrast, continuity, and coverage, were derived from the datasets. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to investigate the difference between these parameters from the three devices (P < 0.05). We found the CSA measured from CIRRUS was significantly larger than PLEX, followed by CASIA. The contrast was highest in CIRRUS, followed by PLEX and CASIA. The coverage was also higher in CIRRUS as compared to PLEX and CASIA. No significant difference was seen in the continuity from the three devices. In summary, we showed the measurements from the three devices were not interchangeable.
Topography of the Dolomites modulates range dynamics of narrow endemic plants under climate change
Authors: Rota Francesco , Casazza Gabriele , Genova Giulio , Midolo Gabriele , Prosser Filippo , Bertolli Alessio , Wilhalm Thomas , Nascimbene Juri , Wellstein Camilla
Published: January 2022

Climate change is expected to threaten endemic plants in the Alps. In this context, the factors that may modulate species responses are rarely investigated at a local scale. We analyzed eight alpine narrow endemics of the Dolomites (southeastern Alps) under different predicted climate change scenarios at fine spatial resolutions. We tested possible differences in elevation, topographic heterogeneity and velocity of climate change among areas of gained, lost, or stable climatic habitat. The negative impact of climate change ranged from moderate to severe, depending on scenario and species. Generally, range loss occurred at the lowest elevations, while gained and stable areas were located at highest elevations. For six of the species, climate change velocity had higher values in stable and gained areas than in lost ones. Our findings support the role of topographic heterogeneity in maintaining climatic microrefugia, however, the peculiar topography of the Dolomites, characterized by high altitude plateaus, resulted in high climate change velocity in areas of projected future climatic suitability. Our study supports the usefulness of multiple predictors of spatio-temporal range dynamics for regional climate-adapted management and eventual assisted colonization planning to not overlook or overestimate the potential impact of climate change locally.
Attention-guided deep learning for gestational age prediction using fetal brain MRI
Authors: Shen Liyue , Zheng Jimmy , Lee Edward H. , Shpanskaya Katie , McKenna Emily S. , Atluri Mahesh G. , Plasto Dinko , Mitchell Courtney , Lai Lillian M. , Guimaraes Carolina V. , Dahmoush Hisham , Chueh Jane , Halabi Safwan S. , Pauly John M. , Xing Lei , Lu Quin , Oztekin Ozgur , Kline-Fath Beth M. , Yeom Kristen W.
Published: January 2022

Magnetic resonance imaging offers unrivaled visualization of the fetal brain, forming the basis for establishing age-specific morphologic milestones. However, gauging age-appropriate neural development remains a difficult task due to the constantly changing appearance of the fetal brain, variable image quality, and frequent motion artifacts. Here we present an end-to-end, attention-guided deep learning model that predicts gestational age with R2 score of 0.945, mean absolute error of 6.7 days, and concordance correlation coefficient of 0.970. The convolutional neural network was trained on a heterogeneous dataset of 741 developmentally normal fetal brain images ranging from 19 to 39 weeks in gestational age. We also demonstrate model performance and generalizability using independent datasets from four academic institutions across the U.S. and Turkey with R2 scores of 0.81–0.90 after minimal fine-tuning. The proposed regression algorithm provides an automated machine-enabled tool with the potential to better characterize in utero neurodevelopment and guide real-time gestational age estimation after the first trimester.
Experimental realization of visible gas sensing technology based on spatial heterodyne spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Wen-li , Liu Zhao-yu , Liang Kun , Wang Yi , Chen Ke-fan , Sun Yao-wei , Wang Sheng
Published: January 2022

Based on the characteristics of optical absorption gas sensing technology (OA-GST) and spatial heterodyne spectroscopy (SHS), a novel type of visual gas sensing technology (V-GST) can present the invisible gas information in the form of two-dimensional visual fingerprint, which has attracted people's attention. In this paper, we have realized the NO2 detection of V-GST in the laboratory environment for the first time. Experimental results show that: V-GST not only has different interferogram response to different spectra, but also has good response to different concentrations of NO2, which lays a foundation for the application of this technology in gas sensing. And the average classification recognition rate of the system for different band NO2 response data is over 80%, which verifies the effectiveness of the V-GST in gas detection.
Six-year trend analysis of malaria prevalence at University of Gondar Specialized Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, from 2014 to 2019
Authors: Mulugeta Amanuel , Assefa Atsede , Eshetie Atsede , Asmare Birhanie , Birhanie Meseret , Gelaw Yemataw
Published: January 2022

Globally, malaria is the major public health disease caused by plasmodium species and transmitted by the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. Assessment of the trend of malaria prevalence is important in the control and prevention of the disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the six year trend of malaria prevalence at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, northwest Ethiopia, from 2014 to 2019. A retrospective laboratory registration logbook review study was conducted on the malaria blood film examination results at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. The data was collected by using a data extraction tool and entered into SPSS version 20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the socio-demographic characteristics of study participants and presented by graphs, tables and texts. The binary logistic regression was also used to test the association the trend of malaria prevalence and different factors like sex, age, year, and season. From a total of 17,500 malaria blood film examinations, 1341 (7.7%) were confirmed for malaria parasites. Of the confirmed malaria cases, 47.2%, 45.6% and 7.2% were P. vivax, P. falciparum and mixed infection, respectively. The proportion of P. vivax was the predominant species in the first three study years (2014–2016) and P. falciparum became the predominant species in the last three study years (2017–2019). The odds of malaria prevalence was lower by 68%, 60% and 69% in the year 2017, 2018 and 2019 compared to 2014, respectively. It was also 1.41 times higher in males than in females. Moreover, the odds of malaria prevalence were 1.60, 1.64, 2.45 and 1.82 times higher in the age group of < 5, 5–14, 15–24 and 25–54 years old compared to the older age groups (> 54 years old), respectively. Even there was a significant declining in prevalence trend; malaria is still a major public health problem. The study showed that there was high seasonal fluctuation from year to year. Moreover, males and the younger age groups were more affected than females and old age groups, respectively. Therefore, malaria prevention and control activities should be strengthened and require extra efforts by considering these variability.
The effect of charge-balanced transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on rodent facial nerve regeneration
Authors: Cho Young Sang , Ryu Onjeon , Cho Kyeongwon , Kim Dohyoung , Lim Jihyun , Hong Sung Hwa , Cho Yang-Sun
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to investigate the effect of charge-balanced transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (cb-TENS) in accelerating recovery of the facial function and nerve regeneration after facial nerve (FN) section in a rat model. The main trunk of the left FN was divided and immediately sutured just distal to the stylomastoid foramen in 66 Sprague–Dawley rats. The control group had no electrical stimulus. The other two groups received cb-TENS at 20 Hz (20 Hz group) or 40 Hz (40 Hz group). Cb-TENS was administered daily for seven days and then twice a week for three weeks thereafter. To assess the recovery of facial function, whisker movement was monitored for four weeks. Histopathological evaluation of nerve regeneration was performed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal microscopy with immunofluorescence (IF) staining. In addition, the levels of various molecular biological markers that affect nerve regeneration were analyzed. Whisker movement in the cb-TENS groups showed faster and better recovery than the control group. The 40 Hz group showed significantly better movement at the first week after injury (p < 0.0125). In histopathological analyses using TEM, nerve axons and Schwann cells, which were destroyed immediately after the injury, recovered in all groups over time. However, the regeneration of the myelin sheath was remarkably rapid and thicker in the 20 Hz and 40 Hz groups than in the control group. Image analysis using IF staining showed that the expression levels of S100B and NF200 increased over time in all groups. Specifically, the expression of NF200 in the 20 Hz and 40 Hz groups increased markedly compared to the control group. The real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed on ten representative neurotrophic factors, and the levels of IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in the 20 and 40 Hz groups than in the control group (p < 0.015). Cb-TENS facilitated and accelerated FN recovery in the rat model, as it significantly reduced the recovery time for the whisker movement. The histopathological study and analysis of neurotrophic factors supported the role of cb-TENS in the enhanced regeneration of the FN.
A parameter study of ultrasound assisted enzymatic esterification
Authors: Vartolomei Anamaria , Calinescu Ioan , Vinatoru Mircea , Gavrila Adina Ionuta
Published: January 2022

This work is focused on the study of the esterification parameters for the ultrasound assisted synthesis of isoamyl acetate catalyzed by lipase Lipozyme 435 in a continuous loop reactor. Investigating the influence of different parameters shows that a higher concentration of ester (462 mg/g mixture) can be obtained at a temperature of 50 °C, flow rate 0.16 mL/min. The best ultrasonication conditions are: sonication applied continuously for a short time (20 min), ultrasound power 32 mW and amplitude 20%. The enzyme can be successfully reused tree times without loss of enzyme activity. Reaction kinetics for isoamyl acetate ultrasound assisted production showed that satisfactory reaction concentration (close to the equilibrium concentrations) could be reached in short reaction times (2 h). Ultrasound assisted enzymatic esterification is consequently a cleaner and a faster process.
Unequal allocation between male versus female reproduction cannot explain extreme vegetative dimorphism in Aulax species (Cape Proteaceae)
Authors: Midgley Jeremy J. , Cramer Michael D.
Published: January 2022

Female plants not only flower but also produce resource-rich seeds, fruits, and cones. Thus, it is generally considered that female plants allocate more resources to sexual reproduction than male plants and that this allocation difference can explain vegetative dimorphism, such as greater leaf size in females. We found significant sexual vegetative differences in the dioecious and serotinous species, Aulax umbellata and A. cancellata. Plant height, annual branch length and canopy spread were greater in males whereas leaf size, branch thickness and branch number were greater in females. Sex ratios and basal stem area were, however, equal in the sexes. Equal sex ratios imply equal allocation to sexual reproduction and equal stem areas imply equal resource use and biomass, and thus allocation to vegetative growth. Given equal allocation to reproduction and resource use, we suggest that the vegetative dimorphism is driven by intra-male-competition to be more visually conspicuous to pollinators. This implies that plant architecture is both a vegetative and a reproductive trait.
A design method based on Bayesian decision for routing-based digital microfluidic biochips
Authors: Shi Jinlong , Fu Ping , Zheng Wenbin
Published: January 2022

A design method based on Bayesian decision-making for consider the reliability of digital microfluidic chip was proposed. Simulated results showed the method can achieve shorter assay completion time, high electrode usage rate than other methods.
Inner residues of macrothiolactone in autoinducer peptides I/IV circumvent spontaneous S-to-O acyl transfer to the upstream serine residue
Authors: Nagano Masanobu , Ishida Satoshi , Suga Hiroaki
Published: January 2022

In AIP-I/IV, single Gly mutation at the thiolactone induces S-to-O acyl shift to yield a corresponding ring-expanded lactone form.
Unnatural cyclodextrins can be accessed from enzyme-mediated dynamic combinatorial libraries
Authors: Larsen Dennis , Ferreira Michel , Tilloy Sébastien , Monflier Eric , Beeren Sophie R.
Published: January 2022

An enzyme catalysing reversible transglycosylation can generate dynamic systems of interconverting modified cyclodextrins that respond to the addition of templates.
Controlled adhesion, membrane pinning and vesicle transport by Janus particles
Authors: Ewins Eleanor J. , Han Koohee , Bharti Bhuvnesh , Robinson Tom , Velev Orlin D. , Dimova Rumiana
Published: January 2022

Iron-coated Janus particles are used to establish controlled adhesion and contact-line pinning to (artificial) cells enabling magnetic-field driven directed transport.
Tunable photosalient behaviours within coordination polymers via functional molecular prearrangements
Authors: Wu Jia-Wei , Long Bing-Fan , Wang Meng-Fan , Young David James , Hu Fei-Long , Mi Yan , Lang Jian-Ping
Published: January 2022

Four coordination polymers with similar 1D chain motifs exhibited different photosalient behaviors, which can be tuned via monomer preorganization.
Robust, scalable construction of an electrophilic deuterated methylthiolating reagent: facile access to SCD3-containing scaffolds
Authors: Xiao Xiao , Huang Yin-Qiu , Tian Hong-Yu , Bai Jun , Cheng Fei , Wang Xu , Ke Miao-Lin , Chen Fen-Er
Published: January 2022

We report a method for the synthesis of a universal deuterated methylthiolating reagent through a one-pot gram-scale operation under mild conditions. This reacts with various nucleophiles to give SCD3 analogues with high deuterium levels (>99% D).
Ni(ii)-catalyzed C–H hydroarylation of diarylacetylenes with imidazolium salts
Authors: Wang Tianbao , Zheng Xuesong , Zheng Qinze , Zhou Fulin , Wang Linhua , Gao Ge
Published: January 2022

A Ni(ii)-catalyzed C–H hydroarylation of diarylacetylenes with imidazolium salts without adding any ligand was developed. It provides an easy and efficient access to (E)-2-(1,2-diarylvinyl)imidazolium salts.
Synthesis, supramolecular isomerism, and photoluminescence of scandium(iii) complexes with a tetrafluoroterephthalate ligand
Authors: Cheplakova Anastasia M. , Samsonenko Denis G. , Lazarenko Vladimir A. , Dorovatovskii Pavel V. , Zubavichus Yan V. , Khrustalev Victor N. , Rakhmanova Marianna I. , Fedin Vladimir P.
Published: January 2022

Seven new Sc(iii) complexes with a tetrafluoroterephthalate ligand have been synthesized. Two of them having polymeric 2D and 3D structures show high hydrolytic stability and enhanced photoluminescence.
Antiferromagnetically coupled double perovskite as an efficient and robust catalyst for visible light driven water splitting at neutral pH
Authors: Kumar Nikhil , Rom Tanmay , Mallick Bidyut , Kaushik Rahul , Ghosh Amrita , Babu P. D. , Panda Swarup K. , Paul Avijit Kumar
Published: January 2022

CaLaScRuO6+δ is a new disordered system acting as active photocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction in presence of visible light. Theoretical study predicts the most stable magnetic orientation correlating the experimentally observed behavior.
Influence of an electrified interface on the entropy and energy of solvation of methanol oxidation intermediates on platinum(111) under explicit solvation
Authors: Estejab Ali , García Cárcamo Ricardo A. , Getman Rachel B.
Published: January 2022

Solvation thermodynamics under electric fields depend on field strength and direction and competition from catalytic species for water molecule orientations.
Elucidating the photoprotective properties of natural UV screening agents: ZEKE–PFI spectroscopy of methyl sinapate
Authors: Fan Jiayun , Finazzi Laura , Jan Buma Wybren
Published: January 2022

Zero Kinetic Energy photoelectron spectroscopy has provided unique spectral and dynamic fingerprints of electronically excited states of UV filters used in nature, and allowed to characterize the hitherto elusive ground state of its radical cation.
New molecularly engineered binuclear ruthenium(ii) complexes for highly efficient near-infrared light-emitting electrochemical cells (NIR-LECs)
Authors: Nemati Bideh Babak , Shahroosvand Hashem
Published: January 2022

High-efficiency NIR-LEC based on binuclear Ru(ii) complexes with an alkyl spacer and electron donor groups were introduced with a low tonof 1.4 min. In particular the LEC life time increased about 1.5-to-4-fold respect to mononuclear complex analogue
Lithium and magnesium complexes by using pyridyl-pendanted unsymmetrical β-diketiminates: syntheses and application as catalysts for the hydroboration of carbonyl compounds
Authors: Li Yafei , Pan Huifen , Lu Yanhua , Luo Yanshu , Dang Yan , Wang Yalan , Xia Shengwang , Li Yahong , Xia Yuanzhi
Published: January 2022

Two lithium and one magnesium complexes supported by pyridyl-pendanted unsymmetrical β-diketiminates have been synthesized and characterized. They showed high catalytic activity for the hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones.