bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sodium Ion Conductivity in Superionic IL-Impregnated Metal-Organic Frameworks: Enhancing Stability Through Structural Disorder
Authors: Nozari Vahid , Calahoo Courtney , Tuffnell Joshua M. , Adelhelm Philipp , Wondraczek Katrin , Dutton Siân E. , Bennett Thomas D. , Wondraczek Lothar
Published: February 2020

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are intriguing host materials in composite electrolytes due to their ability for tailoring host-guest interactions by chemical tuning of the MOF backbone. Here, we introduce particularly high sodium ion conductivity into the zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-8 by impregnation with the sodium-salt-containing ionic liquid (IL) (Na0.1EMIM0.9)TFSI. We demonstrate an ionic conductivity exceeding 2 × 10−4 S · cm−1 at room temperature, with an activation energy as low as 0.26 eV, i.e., the highest reported performance for room temperature Na+-related ion conduction in MOF-based composite electrolytes to date. Partial amorphization of the ZIF-backbone by ball-milling results in significant enhancement of the composite stability towards exposure to ambient conditions, up to 20 days. While the introduction of network disorder decelerates IL exudation and interactions with ambient contaminants, the ion conductivity is only marginally affected, decreasing with decreasing crystallinity but still maintaining superionic behavior. This highlights the general importance of 3D networks of interconnected pores for efficient ion conduction in MOF/IL blends, whereas pore symmetry is a less stringent condition.
Input of terrestrial organic matter linked to deglaciation increased mercury transport to the Svalbard fjords
Authors: Kim Haryun , Kwon Sae Yun , Lee Kitack , Lim Dhongil , Han Seunghee , Kim Tae-Wook , Joo Young Ji , Lim Jaesoo , Kang Moo-Hee , Nam Seung-Il
Published: February 2020

Deglaciation has accelerated the transport of minerals as well as modern and ancient organic matter from land to fjord sediments in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, in the European Arctic Ocean. Consequently, such sediments may contain significant levels of total mercury (THg) bound to terrestrial organic matter. The present study compared THg contents in surface sediments from three fjord settings in Spitsbergen: Hornsund in the southern Spitsbergen, which has high annual volume of loss glacier and receives sediment from multiple tidewater glaciers, Dicksonfjorden in the central Spitsbergen, which receives sediment from glacifluvial rivers, and Wijdefjorden in the northern Spitsbergen, which receive sediments from a mixture of tidewater glaciers and glacifluvial rivers. Our results showed that the THg (52 ± 15 ng g−1) bound to organic matter (OM) was the highest in the Hornsund surface sediments, where the glacier loss (0.44 km3 yr−1) and organic carbon accumulation rates (9.3 ~ 49.4 g m−2 yr−1) were elevated compared to other fjords. Furthermore, the δ13C (–27 ~ –24‰) and δ34S values (–10 ~ 15‰) of OM indicated that most of OM were originated from terrestrial sources. Thus, the temperature-driven glacial melting could release more OM originating from the meltwater or terrestrial materials, which are available for THg binding in the European Arctic fjord ecosystems.
Cell surface GRP78 promotes stemness in normal and neoplastic cells
Authors: Conner Clay , Lager Tyson W. , Guldner Ian H. , Wu Min-Zu , Hishida Yuriko , Hishida Tomoaki , Ruiz Sergio , Yamasaki Amanda E. , Gilson Robert C. , Belmonte Juan Carlos Izpisua , Gray Peter C. , Kelber Jonathan A. , Zhang Siyuan , Panopoulos Athanasia D.
Published: February 2020

Reliable approaches to identify stem cell mechanisms that mediate aggressive cancer could have great therapeutic value, based on the growing evidence of embryonic signatures in metastatic cancers. However, how to best identify and target stem-like mechanisms aberrantly acquired by cancer cells has been challenging. We harnessed the power of reprogramming to examine GRP78, a chaperone protein generally restricted to the endoplasmic reticulum in normal tissues, but which is expressed on the cell surface of human embryonic stem cells and many cancer types. We have discovered that (1) cell surface GRP78 (sGRP78) is expressed on iPSCs and is important in reprogramming, (2) sGRP78 promotes cellular functions in both pluripotent and breast cancer cells (3) overexpression of GRP78 in breast cancer cells leads to an induction of a CD24−/CD44+ tumor initiating cell (TIC) population (4) sGRP78+ breast cancer cells are enriched for stemness genes and appear to be a subset of TICs (5) sGRP78+ breast cancer cells show an enhanced ability to seed metastatic organ sites in vivo. These collective findings show that GRP78 has important functions in regulating both pluripotency and oncogenesis, and suggest that sGRP78 marks a stem-like population in breast cancer cells that has increased metastatic potential in vivo.
Declining snowfall fraction in the alpine regions, Central Asia
Authors: Li Zhi , Chen Yaning , Li Yupeng , Wang Yang
Published: February 2020

In a warming climate, precipitation (P) is less likely to occur as snowfall (S). Change in the snowfall fraction (S/P) is currently assumed not only influences the accumulation and ablation of glaciers, but also influences the streamflow and water resources significantly in mountainous regions. However, until now, most studies have focused on precipitation magnitude and its frequency changes, while seasonal shifts in precipitation types have been mostly neglected. This paper employs the threshold temperature method in combination with multi-source dataset (APHRODITE, CPC and meteorological stations) analysis to determine snowfall proportions in precipitation in the Tienshan Mountains, Central Asia, during 1960–2017. The results indicated that temperature-induced precipitation shifting from snow to rain. The S/P experienced an overall declining trend, increasing at a rate of 0.6%/decade prior to the mid-1990s, followed by a downward trend at a rate of −0.5%/decade. The S/P decreased mainly at low and middle altitudes (between 1500 and 3500 m). At higher altitudes (over 3500 m), the magnitudes of the decreased S/P ratios were small or even increased due to the temperature always being below freezing. Decreases in S/P are always associated with decreases in annual streamflow in the glacier/snow melt recharged rivers.
Bacterial nanocellulose from agro-industrial wastes: low-cost and enhanced production by Komagataeibacter saccharivorans MD1
Authors: Abol-Fotouh Deyaa , Hassan Mohamed A. , Shokry Hassan , Roig Anna , Azab Mohamed S. , Kashyout Abd El-Hady B.
Published: February 2020

Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) has been drawing enormous attention because of its versatile properties. Herein, we shed light on the BNC production by a novel bacterial isolate (MD1) utilizing various agro-industrial wastes. Using 16S rRNA nucleotide sequences, the isolate was identified as Komagataeibacter saccharivorans MD1. For the first time, BNC synthesis by K. saccharivorans MD1 was investigated utilizing wastes of palm date, fig, and sugarcane molasses along with glucose on the Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium as a control. After incubation for 168 h, the highest BNC yield was perceived on the molasses medium recording 3.9 g/L with an initial concentration of (v/v) 10%. The physicochemical characteristics of the BNC sheets were inspected adopting field-emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The FESEM characterization revealed no impact of the wastes on either fiber diameter or the branching scheme, whereas the AFM depicted a BNC film with minimal roughness was generated using date wastes. Furthermore, a high crystallinity index was estimated by XRD up to 94% for the date wastes-derived BNC, while the FTIR analyses exhibited very similar profiles for all BNC films. Additionally, mechanical characteristics and water holding capacity of the produced BNCs were studied. Our findings substantiated that expensive substrates could be exchanged by agro-industrial wastes for BNC production conserving its remarkable physical and microstructural properties.
Correlation between phase compatibility and efficient energy conversion in Zr-doped Barium Titanate
Authors: Wegner Maike , Gu Hanlin , James Richard D. , Quandt Eckhard
Published: February 2020

Recent demonstrations of both heat-to-electricity energy conversion devices and electrocaloric devices based on first-order ferroelectric phase transformations identify the lowering of hysteresis and cyclic reversibility of the transformation as enabling criteria for the advancement of this technology. These demonstrations, and recent studies of the hysteresis of phase transformations in oxides, show that satisfying conditions of supercompatibility can be useful for lowering hysteresis, but with limitations for systems with only a few variants of the lower symmetry phase. In particular, it is widely accepted that in a classic cubic-to-tetragonal phase transformation, with only three tetragonal variants having only six twin systems, tuning for improved crystallographic compatibility will be of limited value. This work shows that, on the contrary, the tuning of lattice parameters in Ba(Ti1-xZrx)O3 for improved crystallographic compatibility, even at low doping levels of Zr (x ≤ 0.027), give significant improvement of transformation and ferroelectric energy conversion properties. Specifically, the transformation hysteresis is lowered by 25%, and the maximum value of the polarization/temperature ratio dP/dT at the phase transformation is increased by 10%.
Factors associated with sufficient knowledge of antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance in the Japanese general population
Authors: Tsuzuki Shinya , Fujitsuka Niina , Horiuchi Keisuke , Ijichi Shinpei , Gu Yoshiaki , Fujitomo Yumiko , Takahashi Rie , Ohmagari Norio
Published: February 2020

We conducted two online surveys about antibiotics targeted at the Japanese general population in March 2017 and February 2018. In total, 6,982 participants completed the questionnaire. Factors associated with knowledge of antibiotics, knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and appropriate behavioural changes were evaluated by a machine learning approach using DataRobot. Factors strongly associated with three dependent variables in the model were extracted based on permuation importance. We found that the strongest determinant of knowledge of antibiotics and AMR was education level. Knowledge of antibiotics was strongly associated with the frequency of internet use. Exposure to primary information was associated with motivation for appropriate behavioural changes. Improving the availability of primary information would be a beneficial intervention. Individuals lacking higher education and without opportunities to obtain primary information should be considered a target population for effective interventions.
Proportion of Streptococcus agalactiae vertical transmission and associated risk factors among Ethiopian mother-newborn dyads, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Gizachew Mucheye , Tiruneh Moges , Moges Feleke , Adefris Mulat , Tigabu Zemene , Tessema Belay
Published: February 2020

Group B Streptococcus (GBS) vertical transmission causes fetal and neonatal colonization and diseases. However, there is scarcity of data in low-income countries including Ethiopia. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 98 GBS positive mothers, and their newborns to find proportion of vertical transmission. GBS was identified from swabs by using recommended methods and vertical transmission at birth was confirmed by the culture of body surface swabs of newborns within 30 minutes following birth. GBS positivity among swabbed specimens collected for other purposes was 160/1540 (10.4%); 98 were from 385 recto-vaginal swabs of pregnant women, and 62 were from 1,155 swabs of the 385 births. Of the 98 GBS positive cases, 62 newborns were GBS colonized with vertical transmission proportion of 63.3%(95% CI: 54.1–72.4%). We identified that the proportion of vertical transmission in this study was within the range of other many global studies, but higher than recently published data in Ethiopia. Maternal educational level, employment and lower ANC visit were significantly associated risk factors to GBS vertical transmission. Efforts need to be made to screen pregnant women during antenatal care and to provide IAP to GBS positive cases to reduce mother to newborn vertical transmission.
Incidence trends of airflow obstruction among European adults without asthma: a 20-year cohort study
Authors: Accordini Simone , Calciano Lucia , Marcon Alessandro , Pesce Giancarlo , Antó Josep M. , Beckmeyer-Borowko Anna B. , Carsin Anne-Elie , Corsico Angelo G. , Imboden Medea , Janson Christer , Keidel Dirk , Locatelli Francesca , Svanes Cecilie , Burney Peter G. J. , Jarvis Deborah , Probst-Hensch Nicole M. , Minelli Cosetta
Published: February 2020

Investigating COPD trends may help healthcare providers to forecast future disease burden. We estimated sex- and smoking-specific incidence trends of pre-bronchodilator airflow obstruction (AO) among adults without asthma from 11 European countries within a 20-year follow-up (ECRHS and SAPALDIA cohorts). We also quantified the extent of misclassification in the definition based on pre-bronchodilator spirometry (using post-bronchodilator measurements from a subsample of subjects) and we used this information to estimate the incidence of post-bronchodilator AO (AOpost-BD), which is the primary characteristic of COPD. AO incidence was 4.4 (95% CI: 3.5–5.3) male and 3.8 (3.1–4.6) female cases/1,000/year. Among ever smokers (median pack-years: 20, males; 12, females), AO incidence significantly increased with ageing in men only [incidence rate ratio (IRR), 1-year increase: 1.05 (1.03–1.07)]. A strong exposure-response relationship with smoking was found both in males [IRR, 1-pack-year increase: 1.03 (1.02–1.04)] and females [1.03 (1.02–1.05)]. The positive predictive value of AO for AOpost-BD was 59.1% (52.0–66.2%) in men and 42.6% (35.1–50.1%) in women. AOpost-BD incidence was 2.6 (1.7–3.4) male and 1.6 (1.0–2.2) female cases/1,000/year. AO incidence was considerable in Europe and the sex-specific ageing-related increase among ever smokers was strongly related to cumulative tobacco exposure. AOpost-BD incidence is expected to be half of AO incidence.
Platinum-group elements link the end-Triassic mass extinction and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province
Authors: Tegner Christian , Marzoli Andrea , McDonald Iain , Youbi Nasrrddine , Lindström Sofie
Published: February 2020

Elevated concentrations of iridium (Ir) and other platinum-group elements (PGE) have been reported in both terrestrial and marine sediments associated with the end-Triassic mass extinction (ETE) c. 201.5 million years ago. The source of the PGEs has been attributed to condensed vapor and melt from an extraterrestrial impactor or to volcanism. Here we report new PGE data for volcanic rocks of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) in Morocco and show that their Pd/Ir, Pt/Ir and Pt/Rh ratios are similar to marine and terrestrial sediments at the ETE, and very different from potential impactors. Hence, we propose the PGEs provide a new temporal correlation of CAMP volcanism to the ETE, corroborating the view that mass extinctions may be caused by volcanism.
Effects of repetitive gentle handling of male C57BL/6NCrl mice on comparative behavioural test results
Authors: Ueno Hiroshi , Takahashi Yu , Suemitsu Shunsuke , Murakami Shinji , Kitamura Naoya , Wani Kenta , Matsumoto Yosuke , Okamoto Motoi , Ishihara Takeshi
Published: February 2020

Mice are the most commonly used laboratory animals for studying diseases, behaviour, and pharmacology. Behavioural experiment battery aids in evaluating abnormal behaviour in mice. During behavioural experiments, mice frequently experience human contact. However, the effects of repeated handling on mice behaviour remains unclear. To minimise mice stress, methods of moving mice using transparent tunnels or cups have been recommended but are impractical in behavioural tests. To investigate these effects, we used a behavioural test battery to assess differences between mice accustomed to the experimenter’s handling versus control mice. Repeatedly handled mice gained slightly more weight than control mice. In behavioural tests, repeatedly handled mice showed improved spatial cognition in the Y-maze test and reduced anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus-maze test. However, there was no change in anxiety-like behaviour in the light/dark transition test or open-field test. Grip strength, rotarod, sociability, tail suspension, Porsolt forced swim, and passive avoidance tests revealed no significant differences between repeatedly handled and control mice. Our findings demonstrated that mice repeatedly handled by the experimenter before behavioural tests showed reduced anxiety about high altitudes and improved spatial cognition, suggesting that repeated contact can affect the results of some behavioural tests.
Green Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Using Aqueous Extract of Deverra tortuosa and their Cytotoxic Activities
Authors: Selim Yasser A. , Azb Maha A. , Ragab Islam , H. M. Abd El-Azim Mohamed
Published: February 2020

In recent years, there is a growing interest towards the green synthesis of metal nanoparticles, particularly from plants; however, yet no published study on the synthesis of ZnO.NPs using the Deverra tortuosa extract. Through this study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO.NPs) have been synthesized based on using the environmentally benign extract of the aerial parts of D. tortuosa as a reducing and capping agent. ZnO.NPs synthesis was confirmed using UV-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and High Resolution-Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM). The qualitative and quantitative analyses of plant extract were done. The potential anticancer activity was in vitro investigated against two cancer cell lines (human colon adenocarcinoma “Caco-2” and human lung adenocarcinoma “A549”) compared to their activities on the human lung fibroblast cell line (WI38) using the MTT assay. Both the aqueous extract and ZnO.NPs showed a remarkable selective cytotoxicity against the two examined cancer cell lines.
Inadequate socialisation, inactivity, and urban living environment are associated with social fearfulness in pet dogs
Authors: Puurunen Jenni , Hakanen Emma , Salonen Milla K. , Mikkola Salla , Sulkama Sini , Araujo César , Lohi Hannes
Published: February 2020

Problematic behaviours are severe welfare issues for one of the world’s most popular pets, the domestic dog. One of the most prevalent behavioural problem that causes distress to dogs is social fearfulness, meaning fear of conspecifics or unfamiliar people. To identify demographic and environmental factors associated with fear of dogs and strangers, logistic regression was utilised with a large dataset of 6,000 pet dogs collected through an owner-filled behavioural survey. Social fearfulness was associated with several factors, including urban environment, poor socialisation during puppyhood, infrequent participation in training and other activities, small body size, female sex, and neutering. In addition, we identified several breed differences, suggesting a genetic contribution to social fearfulness. These findings highlight the role of inadequate socialisation, inactivity, and urban living environmental in fear-related behavioural problems in dogs. Improvements in the management and breeding practices of dogs could, therefore, enhance the welfare of man’s best friend.
Impact of the Sub-Resting Membrane Potential on Accurate Inference in Spiking Neural Networks
Authors: Hwang Sungmin , Chang Jeesoo , Oh Min-Hye , Lee Jong-Ho , Park Byung-Gook
Published: February 2020

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) are considered as the third generation of artificial neural networks, having the potential to improve the energy efficiency of conventional computing systems. Although the firing rate of a spiking neuron is an approximation of rectified linear unit (ReLU) activation in an analog-valued neural network (ANN), there remain many challenges to be overcome owing to differences in operation between ANNs and SNNs. Unlike actual biological and biophysical processes, various hardware implementations of neurons and SNNs do not allow the membrane potential to fall below the resting potential—in other words, neurons must allow the sub-resting membrane potential. Because there occur an excitatory post-synaptic potential (EPSP) as well as an inhibitory post-synaptic potential (IPSP), negatively valued synaptic weights in SNNs induce the sub-resting membrane potential at some time point. If a membrane is not allowed to hold the sub-resting potential, errors will accumulate over time, resulting in inaccurate inference operations. This phenomenon is not observed in ANNs given their use of only spatial synaptic integration, but it can cause serious performance degradation in SNNs. In this paper, we demonstrate the impact of the sub-resting membrane potential on accurate inference operations in SNNs. Moreover, several important considerations for a hardware SNN that can maintain the sub-resting membrane potential are discussed. All of the results in this paper indicate that it is essential for neurons to allow the sub-resting membrane potential in order to realize high-performance SNNs.
Regulation of Proteins in Human Skeletal Muscle: The Role of Transcription
Authors: Makhnovskii Pavel A. , Zgoda Victor G. , Bokov Roman O. , Shagimardanova Elena I. , Gazizova Guzel R. , Gusev Oleg A. , Lysenko Evgeny A. , Kolpakov Fedor A. , Vinogradova Olga L. , Popov Daniil V.
Published: February 2020

Regular low intensity aerobic exercise (aerobic training) provides effective protection against various metabolic disorders. Here, the roles played by transient transcriptome responses to acute exercise and by changes in baseline gene expression during up-regulation of protein content in human skeletal muscle were investigated after 2 months of aerobic training. Seven untrained males were involved in a 2 month aerobic cycling training program. Mass-spectrometry and RNA sequencing were used to evaluate proteome and transcriptome responses to training and acute exercise. We found that proteins with different functions are regulated differently at the transcriptional level; for example, a training-induced increase in the content of extracellular matrix-related proteins is regulated at the transcriptional level, while an increase in the content of mitochondrial proteins is not. An increase in the skeletal muscle content of several proteins (including mitochondrial proteins) was associated with increased protein stability, which is related to a chaperone-dependent mechanism and/or reduced regulation by proteolysis. These findings increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of protein expression in human skeletal muscle subjected to repeated stress (long term aerobic training) and may provide an opportunity to control the expression of specific proteins (e.g., extracellular matrix-related proteins, mitochondrial proteins) through physiological and/or pharmacological approaches.
Prediction of Alzheimer’s disease using blood gene expression data
Authors: Lee Taesic , Lee Hyunju
Published: February 2020

Identification of AD (Alzheimer’s disease)-related genes obtained from blood samples is crucial for early AD diagnosis. We used three public datasets, ADNI, AddNeuroMed1 (ANM1), and ANM2, for this study. Five feature selection methods and five classifiers were used to curate AD-related genes and discriminate AD patients, respectively. In the internal validation (five-fold cross-validation within each dataset), the best average values of the area under the curve (AUC) were 0.657, 0.874, and 0.804 for ADNI, ANMI, and ANM2, respectively. In the external validation (training and test sets from different datasets), the best AUCs were 0.697 (training: ADNI to testing: ANM1), 0.764 (ADNI to ANM2), 0.619 (ANM1 to ADNI), 0.79 (ANM1 to ANM2), 0.655 (ANM2 to ADNI), and 0.859 (ANM2 to ANM1), respectively. These results suggest that although the classification performance of ADNI is relatively lower than that of ANM1 and ANM2, classifiers trained using blood gene expression can be used to classify AD for other data sets. In addition, pathway analysis showed that AD-related genes were enriched with inflammation, mitochondria, and Wnt signaling pathways. Our study suggests that blood gene expression data are useful in predicting the AD classification.
Effect of iron and magnesium addition on population dynamics and high value product of microalgae grown in anaerobic liquid digestate
Authors: Ermis Hande , Guven-Gulhan Unzile , Cakir Tunahan , Altinbas Mahmut
Published: February 2020

In this study, FeSO4 supplementation ranging from 0 to 4.5 mM, and MgSO4 supplementation ranging from 0 to 5.1 mM were investigated to observe the effect on the population dynamics, biochemical composition and fatty acid content of mixed microalgae grown in Anaerobic Liquid Digestate (ALD). Overall, 3.1 mM FeSO4 addition into ALD increased the total protein content 60% and led to highest biomass (1.56 g L−1) and chlorophyll-a amount (18.7 mg L−1) produced. Meanwhile, 0.4 mM MgSO4 addition increased the total carotenoid amount 2.2 folds and slightly increased the biomass amount. According to the microbial community analysis, Diphylleia rotans, Synechocystis PCC-6803 and Chlorella sorokiniana were identified as mostly detected species after confirmation with 4 different markers. The abundance of Chlorella sorokiniana and Synechocystis PCC-6803 increased almost 2 folds both in iron and magnesium addition. On the other hand, the dominancy of Diphylleia rotans was not affected by iron addition while drastically decreased (95%) with magnesium addition. This study helps to understand how the dynamics of symbiotic life changes if macro elements are added to the ALD and reveal that microalgae can adapt to adverse environmental conditions by fostering the diversity with a positive effect on high value product.
Author Correction: The beneficial effects of Lactobacillus reuteri ADR-1 or ADR-3 consumption on type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Hsieh Ming-Chia , Tsai Wan-Hua , Jheng Yu-Pang , Su Shih-Li , Wang Shu-Yi , Lin Chi-Chen , Chen Yi-Hsing , Chang Wen-Wei
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Introduction: Tackling Uncertainty in the Biobased Economy Through Science
Authors: Morone P. , Govoni F.
Published: February 2020

Biobased products represent a great opportunity to reconcile sustainable long-term growth with environmental protection through the wise and forethoughtful use of renewable resources for industrial purposes. Managing those resources in a sustainable manner implies addressing major social, economic and environmental challenges and facing potential risks associated with direct and indirect land use change as well as competition with the food industry. The Horizon 2020 project STAR-ProBio addressed this very issue by promoting the development of sustainability schemes (including standards, labels and certifications) for the assessment of biobased products, which are considered fundamental to the establishment of a cutting-edge sustainable bioeconomy. This book builds on the work and results obtained in the STAR-ProBio journey, collecting six main chapters (plus an introductory and a concluding chapter), which cover a range of issues spanning from upstream and downstream environmental assessment, techno-economic assessment, social assessment, to crosscutting issues such as indirect land use change (iLUC) and end-of-life options.
Techno-economic Sustainability Assessment: Methodological Approaches for Biobased Products
Authors: Briassoulis D. , Koutinas A. , Gołaszewski J. , Pikasi A. , Ladakis D. , Hiskakis M. , Tsakona M.
Published: February 2020

The term techno-economic sustainability assessment describes a methodology to assess the technical feasibility and economic sustainability of a process or a product. The methodology provides a set of sustainability principles to be fulfilled by the process or the product and develops a set of criteria and indicators to show how well these sustainability principles are fulfilled. To assess the techno-economic sustainability indicators, the process or product in question has to be optimised following system engineering and process design principles. The overall sustainability assessment of biobased products requires also the parallel environmental and social sustainability assessment. The chapter is modular, structured in three sections. In Section 1, The methodology for techno-economic sustainability assessment of resource efficiency and utilisation of renewable feedstock for the production of biobased products is presented and criteria and indicators are proposed for alternative feedstock. In Section 2, the methodology for techno-economic sustainability assessment of the conversion routes of renewable feedstock resources to biobased products is presented and criteria and indicators are proposed for alternative processing routes. In Section 3, the methodology for techno-economic sustainability assessment of the alternative End-of-Life routes for biobased products is presented and criteria and indicators are proposed for each major End-of-Life route.
Tuning coordination chemistry through the second sphere in designed metallocoiled coils
Authors: Slope Louise N. , Hill Michael G. , Smith Catherine F. , Teare Paul , de Cogan Felicity J. , Britton Melanie M. , Peacock Anna F. A.
Published: February 2020

The hydration state of designed metal binding sites in coiled coils can be tuned by terminal second sphere residues.
Zero valent iron core–iron oxide shell nanoparticles as small magnetic particle imaging tracers
Authors: Gloag Lucy , Mehdipour Milad , Ulanova Marina , Mariandry Kevin , Nichol Muhammad Azrhy , Hernández-Castillo Daniela J. , Gaudet Jeff , Qiao Ruirui , Zhang Ji , Nelson Melanie , Thierry Benjamin , Alvarez-Lemus Mayra A. , Tan Thiam T. , Gooding J. Justin , Braidy Nady , Sachdev Perminder S. , Tilley Richard D.
Published: February 2020

Zero valent iron core–iron oxide shell nanoparticles coated with a multi-phosphonate brush co-polymer are shown to be small and effective magnetic nanoparticle imaging tracers.
Peroxidation of 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones
Authors: Wang Jie , Bao Xiazhen , Wang Jiayuan , Huo Congde
Published: February 2020

The sp3-C–H peroxidation of 3,4-dihydro-1,4-benzoxazin-2-ones was achieved. C(sp3)–OO bond could be further converted into C(sp3)–C(sp3), C(sp3)–C(sp2), C(sp3)–C(sp), C–P and CO bond by late stage functional group transformations.
Engineering water-induced ceramide/lecithin oleogels: understanding the influence of water added upon pre- and post-nucleation
Authors: Guo Shenglan , Lv Muwen , Chen Yunjiao , Hou Tao , Zhang Yumeng , Huang Zhaohuai , Cao Yong , Rogers Michael , Lan Yaqi
Published: February 2020

A mixture of ceramide (CER) and lecithin (LEC) at specific ratios was capable of forming oleogels in sunflower oil triggered by adding a trace amount of water.
Valorization of poly(ethylene)terephthalate wastes into nanoporous carbons for the adsorption of 1,3-diphenylguanidine from an aqueous solution
Authors: Ding Junwei , Zhong Yuan , Li Hui , Chen Zhe , Yu Wenlong
Published: February 2020

Carbon prepared by using MgO templating and KOH activation has a better absorption capacity for DPG.
Adsorbate-induced structural evolution changes the mechanism of CO oxidation on a Rh/Fe3O4(001) model catalyst
Authors: Jakub Zdenek , Hulva Jan , Ryan Paul T. P. , Duncan David A. , Payne David J. , Bliem Roland , Ulreich Manuel , Hofegger Patrick , Kraushofer Florian , Meier Matthias , Schmid Michael , Diebold Ulrike , Parkinson Gareth S.
Published: February 2020

The Rh1/Fe3O4(001) “single-atom” catalyst evolves differently upon exposure to O2 and CO, which results in distinct mechanisms of CO2 production.
The power of dissociation: development of displacement assays for chemosensing and latent catalytic systems
Authors: Chow Cheuk-Fai , Zheng Anxun , Huang Min , Shen Chang
Published: February 2020

Disassembly is an essential process in supramolecular chemistry. In this review, different bimetallic donor–acceptor-based chemosensors, chemodosimeters, catalysts and latent catalysts founded on various displacement assays will be discussed.
Investigation of ionic and anomalous magnetic behavior in CrSe2 using 8Li β-NMR
Authors: Ticknor John O. , Umegaki Izumi , McFadden Ryan M. L. , Chatzichristos Aris , Fujimoto Derek , Karner Victoria L. , Kiefl Robert F. , Kobayashi Shintaro , Levy C. D. Philip , Li Ruohong , Morris Gerald D. , Pearson Matthew R. , Yoshimura Kazuyoshi , Sugiyama Jun , MacFarlane W. Andrew
Published: February 2020

We report the first nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of an atypical transition metal dichalcogenide, CrSe2.
Water structure in solution and crystal molecular dynamics simulations compared to protein crystal structures
Authors: Caldararu Octav , Misini Ignjatović Majda , Oksanen Esko , Ryde Ulf
Published: February 2020

Molecular dynamics simulations can reproduce the water structure around proteins in crystal structure only if a local clustering is performed.
Photolytic mechanisms of hydroxylamine
Authors: Thisuwan Jittima , Promma Phorntep , Sagarik Kritsana
Published: February 2020

Photolysis of NH2OH characterized by Rydberg orbitals resulting from significant changes in multiconfigurational characters and thermal excitation in the electronic ground state.
Synthetic biohybrid peptidoglycan oligomers enable pan-bacteria-specific labeling and imaging: in vitro and in vivo
Authors: He Jing-Xi , Le Mai Hoang Kim , Kho Shu Hui , Guo Zhong , Zhong Wenbin , Venkata Thappeta Kishore Reddy , Zamudio-Vázquez Rubí , Hoo Sin Ni , Xiong Qirong , Duan Hongwei , Yang Liang , Chan-Park Mary B. , Liu Xue-Wei
Published: February 2020

Peptidoglycan oligomers have been derived from chitosan, using a top-down bio-hybrid strategy, as highly bacteria-specific substrates.
Polymyxin-based photosensitizer for the potent and selective killing of Gram-negative bacteria
Authors: Ucuncu Muhammed , Mills Bethany , Duncan Sheelagh , Staderini Matteo , Dhaliwal Kevin , Bradley Mark
Published: February 2020

The methylene blue-polymyxin conjugate demonstrated high selectivity, sensitivity and phototoxicity against Gram-negative bacteria, including in early biofilm models.
Catalytic formation of luminescent lanthanide complexes using an entropy-driven DNA circuit
Authors: Kitamura Yusuke , Azuma Yukina , Katsuda Yousuke , Ihara Toshihiro
Published: February 2020

Luminescent lanthanide complexes were catalytically formed through an entropy-driven DNA circuit triggered by a target nucleic acid.
Inverse-electron-demand [4+2] cycloaddition of photogenerated aza-ortho-quinone methides with 1,3,5-triazinanes: access to perfluoroalkylated tetrahydroquinazolines
Authors: Liang Dong , Tan Li-Ping , Xiao Wen-Jing , Chen Jia-Rong
Published: February 2020

A [4+2] cycloaddition of photogenerated aza-ortho-quinone methides with formaldimines derived from 1,3,5-triazinanes is described.
2D covalent organic framework thin filmsviainterfacial self-polycondensation of an A2B2type monomer
Authors: Zhang Bowen , Song Xiaoyu , Li Yusen , Li Yang , Peng Zhongxiang , Ye Long , Chen Long
Published: February 2020

Highly crystalline and oriented 2DPy-COFthin films were readily fabricatedviaan elaborately designed A2B2monomer, and served as stable acidichromism sensors with rapid response, low detection limit and good repeatability.
Visible light initiated amino group ortho-directed copper(i)-catalysed aerobic oxidative C(sp)–S coupling reaction: synthesis of substituted 2-phenylbenzothiazoles via thia-Wolff rearrangement
Authors: Reddy Mandapati Bhargava , Anandhan Ramasamy
Published: February 2020

A facile amino group ortho-directed visible-light-driven Cu(i)-catalysed aerobic oxidative C(sp)–S coupling reaction of a dimer of 2-aminothiophenol with terminal alkynes was achieved. The resulting alkynyl sulfides was converted to 2-phenylbenzothiazole via “thia-Wolff rearrangement”.
A magnetic CoRu–CoOX nanocomposite efficiently hydrogenates furfural to furfuryl alcohol at ambient H2 pressure in water
Authors: Wang Yongxing , Lu Yaowei , Cao Qiue , Fang Wenhao
Published: February 2020

A one-pot synthesized CoRu–CoOX nanocomposite was shown to be a magnetically recoverable hydrogenation catalyst for the quantitative conversion of furfural to furfuryl alcohol in water at ambient H2 pressure.
Mold resistance of bamboo after laccase-catalyzed attachment of thymol and proposed mechanism of attachment
Authors: Wang Jie , Wang Hui , Ye Zelin , Chizaram Enyinwa Patience , Jiang Jun , Liu Tingsong , Sun Fangli , Zhang Shaoyong
Published: February 2020

Schematic diagram of laccase-catalysed fixation of natural antimicrobial phenol to bamboo.
Real-time tracking of the entangled pathways in the multichannel photodissociation of acetaldehyde
Authors: Yang Chung-Hsin , Bhattacharyya Surjendu , Liu Lihong , Fang Wei-hai , Liu Kopin
Published: February 2020

Unraveling the entangled multi-channel dissociation pathways by a two-dimensional, time and product pair-correlation, measurement and ab initio calculations.
Can planetary rings explain the extremely low density of HIP 41378 𝑓?
Authors: Akinsanmi B. , Santos N. C. , Faria J. P. , Oshagh M. , Barros S. C. C. , Santerne A. , Charnoz S.
Published: February 2020

The presence of rings around a transiting planet can cause its radius to be overestimated and lead to an underestimation of its density if the mass is known. We employed a Bayesian framework to show that the anomalously low density (∼0.09 g cm−3) of the transiting long-period planet HIP 41378 𝑓 might be due to the presence of opaque circum-planetary rings. Given our adopted model priors and data from the K2 mission, we find the statistical evidence for the ringed planet scenario to be comparable to that of the planet-only scenario. The ringed planet solution suggests a larger planetary density of ∼1.23 g cm−3 similar to Uranus. The associated ring extends from 1.05 to 2.59 times the planetary radius and is inclined away from the sky plane by ∼25°. Future high-precision transit observations of HIP 41378 𝑓 would be necessary to confirm/dismiss the presence of planetary rings.
Study of transport parameters and defect states in thin film perovskites under different environments − air or vacuum − and after light-soaking
Authors: Longeaud Christophe
Published: February 2020

We present some advanced characterization techniques developed to investigate on the opto-electronic properties of thin film semiconductors and apply them to perovskite layers. These techniques are the steady state photocarrier grating (SSPG) and the Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy (FTPS). The SSPG was developed to study the ambipolar diffusion length of carriers and the FTPS was imagined to measure the variations of the below gap absorption coefficient with the light energy, giving information on the defect densities of the gap responsible for this absorption. The potentialities of these techniques are first detailed and then exemplified by their application to thin film perovskites. To study their stability, these films were exposed to different environments, air or vacuum, and in their as-deposited state or after light-soaking with heavy light. We find that the diffusion length and density of states are quite stable, even after light-soaking, and suggest that the degradation of devices exposed to 1 sun mainly comes from the evolution of the contacts instead of the perovkite itself.
Einkaufstraining für Jugendliche mit Adipositas
Authors: Radzuweit Tanja Maria , Brauchmann Jana
Published: February 2020

Während der letzten Jahrzehnte hat sich das Lebensmittelangebot deutlich verändert. Mehr industriell verarbeitete Lebensmittel sowie mehr exotische Nahrungsmittel machen es dem Konsumenten oft nicht leicht zu erkennen, was und in welcher Menge zu einer ausgewogenen Ernährung gehört. Hoch verarbeitete Lebensmittel sind kritisch zu betrachten, gerade in Hinblick auf versteckte Zucker und Fette. Eine ausgewogene Ernährung fängt somit bereits mit der Lebensmittelauswahl beim Einkauf an, der in erster Linie den Eltern obliegt. Dies hindert Jugendliche jedoch nicht daran, ihr Taschengeld nach der Schule in Fastfood, Snacks oder Süßigkeiten zu investieren. Bei einer Einkaufsrallye können Jugendliche spielerisch mit Gleichgesinnten lernen, worauf sie achten sollten, um eine bewusste Lebensmittelauswahl zu treffen. Im vorliegenden Artikel wird das Konzept eines Einkaufstrainings vorgestellt, das für Jugendliche mit Adipositas entwickelt wurde, und sowohl im ambulanten als auch im stationären Setting als Praxismodul eingesetzt werden kann
Potenzielle Stigmatisierung von Menschen mit Übergewicht durch Gesundheits-Apps aus dem Formenkreis ‚Adipositas‘
Authors: von Jan Ute , Jungnickel Tobias , Engeli Stefan , Albrecht Urs-Vito
Published: February 2020

Ziel der Studie Identifizierung von Stigmatisierung von Menschen mit Übergewicht und Adipositas durch Gesundheits-Apps anhand der verfügbaren Metadaten.

Methodik Apps aus dem Formenkreis ‚Adipositas‘ des deutschsprachigen Apple-App-Store-Angebots wurden standardisiert und stichwortbasiert mit der SARASA-Methode analysiert. Es folgte eine semiautomatische Analyse der Text- und Bildsprache auf Stigmatisierung nach zuvor festgelegten Kriterien. Die Darstellung der Ergebnisse erfolgte explorativ und rein deskriptiv.

Ergebnisse 390 von 9674 (4 %) Apps des deutschen App-Store-Angebots der Kategorien ‚Gesundheit und Fitness‘ und ‚Medizin‘ mit deutschsprachigen App-Beschreibungstexten wurden dem Formenkreis ‚Adipositas‘ zugeordnet. Bei 23 der 390 (5,9 %) fanden sich Hinweise auf Stigmatisierung von Menschen mit Adipositas, allerdings enthielt nur eine App (0,3 %) sowohl text- als auch bildsprachlich diskriminierende Elemente. Bei 13 Apps (3,3 %) konnten stigmatisierende Wortverwendungen in den App-Beschreibungstexten und bei neun Apps (2,3 %) eine diskriminierende Bildsprache in zur Verfügung gestellten Screenshots und Artwork unterstellt werden.

Schlussfolgerung Hinweise auf die Stigmatisierung von Menschen mit Übergewicht und Adipositas durch Gesundheits-Apps via Text- und Bildsprache konnten identifiziert werden. Die Aufklärung von App-Herstellern bezüglich nichtstigmatisierender Wort- und Bildsprache ist notwendig, um einer Diskriminierung vorzubeugen.
Update of Genetic and Molecular Causes of Adrenocortical Hyperplasias Causing Cushing Syndrome
Authors: Berthon Annabel , Bertherat Jérôme
Published: February 2020

Bilateral hyperplasias of the adrenal cortex are rare causes of chronic endogenous hypercortisolemia also called Cushing syndrome. These hyperplasias have been classified in two categories based on the adrenal nodule size: the micronodular types include Primary Pigmented Nodular Adrenocortical Disease (PPNAD) and isolated Micronodular Adrenal Disease (iMAD) and the macronodular also named Primary Bilateral Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia (PBMAH). This review discusses the genetic and molecular causes of these different forms of hyperplasia that involve mutations and dysregulation of various regulators of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. PKA signaling is the main pathway controlling cortisol secretion in adrenocortical cells under ACTH stimulation. Although mutations of the regulatory subunit R1α of PKA (PRKAR1A) is the main cause of familial and sporadic PPNAD, inactivation of two cAMP-binding phosphodiesterases (PDE11A and PDE8B) are associated with iMAD even if they are also found in PPNAD and PBMAH cases. Interestingly, PBMAH that is observed in multiple familial syndrome such as APC, menin, fumarate hydratase genes, has initially been associated with the aberrant expression of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) leading to an activation of cAMP/PKA pathway. However, more recently, the discovery of germline mutations in Armadillo repeat containing protein 5 (ARMC5) gene in 25–50% of PBMAH patients highlights its importance in the development of PBMAH. The potential relationship between ARMC5 mutations and aberrant GPCR expression is discussed as well as the potential other causes of PBMAH.
Dosisempfehlungen für Analgetika, Antibiotika, Tuberkulostatika und Antikoagulantien bei Adipositas – eine Analyse von Fachinformationen in Deutschland
Authors: Kroll Claudia , Kromer Inga , Niemann Sofia , Engeli Stefan
Published: February 2020

Ziel Die Kinetik von Arzneimitteln kann bei Adipositas verändert sein, damit stellt sich die Frage nach erforderlichen Dosisanpassungen, zumindest bei PatientInnen mit stark ausgeprägter Adipositas.

Methodik Wir durchsuchten deutsche Fachinformationen von 37 Analgetika, 52 Antibiotika, neun Tuberkulostatika und 18 Antikoagulantien hinsichtlich relevanter Empfehlungen.

Ergebnisse Zur körpergewichtsbezogenen Berechnung der Einzeldosis soll bei Remifentanil das ideale Körpergewicht berücksichtigt werden. Bei Gentamicin, Amikacin und Tobramycin soll die Berechnung auf der Basis des geschätzten Normalgewichts plus 40 % des Übergewichts erfolgen. Für Vancomycin werden Adipositas-spezifische Dosisempfehlungen gegeben. Hier limitiert, wie bei manchen Heparinen, die vorgegebene Tageshöchstdosis die Dosisanpassung. Für einige niedermolekulare Heparine und Heparinoide werden pauschale Dosisempfehlungen für ein Körpergewicht > 90 kg oder größer gegeben. Bei Apixaban und Dabigatran scheint die Exposition von Patienten > 120 bzw. > 100 kg etwas erniedrigt zu sein, dies erfordert keine Anpassungen.

Schlussfolgerungen Selbst bei Arzneimitteln mit geringer therapeutischer Breite enthalten Fachinformationen selten spezifische Dosishinweise für PatientInnen mit Adipositas.
Effects of Ginkgo biloba on Diseases Related to Oxidative Stress
Authors: Achete de Souza Gabriela , de Marqui Sâmylla Vaz , Matias Júlia Novaes , Guiguer Elen Landgraf , Barbalho Sandra Maria
Published: February 2020

Ginkgo biloba (GB) is one of the most widely used phytotherapeutic products in the world, and its extract has beneficial properties for the treatment of several pathologies, such as diabetic cardiomyopathy, neurodegenerative diseases, cataracts, hearing loss, myocardial lesion, hippocampus neuronal lesions, morphometry testicular changes, and liver damage. This review aims to investigate the effects of GB on diseases related to oxidative stress. Databases such as MEDLINE/PUBMED and EMBASE were consulted, and PRISMA guidelines were used to build the review. This plant has antioxidant properties since it regulates the expression of antioxidant enzymes positively and reduces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, contributing to the reduction of lipid peroxidation. It also exhibits anti-inflammatory properties, inhibiting the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α. In animal models, the use of GB can show positive effects on brain damage, neurodegenerative diseases, myocardial injury, and renal and liver damage. In humans, the positive effects were shown in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and ischemic colitis. These effects are due to the presence of compounds such as bilobalide, isoramnetina, quercetin, kaempferol, and ginkgolides A, B, and C. For these reasons, GB can be a low-cost alternative to the therapeutic approach of several pathologies since it acts in the prevention, treatment, and inhibition of several complications of common comorbidities.
Copper-Promoted Coupling of Propiophenones and Arylhydrazines for the Synthesis of 1,3-Diarylpyrazoles
Authors: Le Ha V. , Nguyen Tung T. , Pham Thuyet L. D. , Nguyen Tien M. , Tran Khuong A. , Dang Ha V. , Phan Nam T. S.
Published: February 2020

Synthesis of 1,3-diarylpyrazoles from commercial substrates and/or simple transformations is still underrated. In this report, we have developed a method for copper-promoted coupling of propiophenones and arylhydrazines. The reactions afforded substituted pyrazoles in the presence of TEMPO oxidant, acetic acid additive, and DMF solvent. A number of functionalities were compatible with reaction conditions, including halogens, methoxy, trifluoromethyl, and nitro groups. An indazole could be obtained if an electron-poor propiophenone was used.