bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative epigenetic analysis of tumour initiating cells and syngeneic EPSC-derived neural stem cells in glioblastoma
Authors: Vinel Claire , Rosser Gabriel , Guglielmi Loredana , Constantinou Myrianni , Pomella Nicola , Zhang Xinyu , Boot James R. , Jones Tania A. , Millner Thomas O. , Dumas Anaelle A. , Rakyan Vardhman , Rees Jeremy , Thompson Jamie L. , Vuononvirta Juho , Nadkarni Suchita , El Assan Tedani , Aley Natasha , Lin Yung-Yao , Liu Pentao , Nelander Sven , Sheer Denise , Merry Catherine L. R. , Marelli-Berg Federica , Brandner Sebastian , Marino Silvia
Published: October 2021

Epigenetic mechanisms which play an essential role in normal developmental processes, such as self-renewal and fate specification of neural stem cells (NSC) are also responsible for some of the changes in the glioblastoma (GBM) genome. Here we develop a strategy to compare the epigenetic and transcriptional make-up of primary GBM cells (GIC) with patient-matched expanded potential stem cell (EPSC)-derived NSC (iNSC). Using a comparative analysis of the transcriptome of syngeneic GIC/iNSC pairs, we identify a glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-mediated mechanism of recruitment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in GBM. Integrated analysis of the transcriptome and DNA methylome of GBM cells identifies druggable target genes and patient-specific prediction of drug response in primary GIC cultures, which is validated in 3D and in vivo models. Taken together, we provide a proof of principle that this experimental pipeline has the potential to identify patient-specific disease mechanisms and druggable targets in GBM.
Calibration-free NGS quantitation of mutations below 0.01% VAF
Authors: Dai Peng , Wu Lucia Ruojia , Chen Sherry Xi , Wang Michael Xiangjiang , Cheng Lauren Yuxuan , Zhang Jinny Xuemeng , Hao Pengying , Yao Weijie , Zarka Jabra , Issa Ghayas C. , Kwong Lawrence , Zhang David Yu
Published: October 2021

Quantitation of rare somatic mutations is essential for basic research and translational clinical applications including minimal residual disease (MRD) detection. Though unique molecular identifier (UMI) has suppressed errors for rare mutation detection, the sequencing depth requirement is high. Here, we present Quantitative Blocker Displacement Amplification (QBDA) which integrates sequence-selective variant enrichment into UMI quantitation for accurate quantitation of mutations below 0.01% VAF at only 23,000X depth. Using a panel of 20 genes recurrently altered in acute myeloid leukemia, we demonstrate quantitation of various mutations including single base substitutions and indels down to 0.001% VAF at a single locus with less than 4 million sequencing reads, allowing sensitive MRD detection in patients during complete remission. In a pan-cancer panel and a melanoma hotspot panel, we detect mutations down to 0.1% VAF using only 1 million reads. QBDA provides a convenient and versatile method for sensitive mutation quantitation using low-depth sequencing.
Physics-informed learning of governing equations from scarce data
Authors: Chen Zhao , Liu Yang , Sun Hao
Published: October 2021

Harnessing data to discover the underlying governing laws or equations that describe the behavior of complex physical systems can significantly advance our modeling, simulation and understanding of such systems in various science and engineering disciplines. This work introduces a novel approach called physics-informed neural network with sparse regression to discover governing partial differential equations from scarce and noisy data for nonlinear spatiotemporal systems. In particular, this discovery approach seamlessly integrates the strengths of deep neural networks for rich representation learning, physics embedding, automatic differentiation and sparse regression to approximate the solution of system variables, compute essential derivatives, as well as identify the key derivative terms and parameters that form the structure and explicit expression of the equations. The efficacy and robustness of this method are demonstrated, both numerically and experimentally, on discovering a variety of partial differential equation systems with different levels of data scarcity and noise accounting for different initial/boundary conditions. The resulting computational framework shows the potential for closed-form model discovery in practical applications where large and accurate datasets are intractable to capture.
1,1'-Carbonyldiimidazole-copper nanoflower enhanced collapsible laser scribed graphene engraved microgap capacitive aptasensor for the detection of milk allergen
Authors: Subramani Indra Gandi , Perumal Veeradasan , Gopinath Subash C. B. , Mohamed Norani Muti , Ovinis Mark , Sze Lim Li
Published: October 2021

The bovine milk allergenic protein, ‘β-lactoglobulin’ is one of the leading causes of milk allergic reaction. In this research, a novel label-free non-faradaic capacitive aptasensor was designed to detect β-lactoglobulin using a Laser Scribed Graphene (LSG) electrode. The graphene was directly engraved into a microgapped (~ 95 µm) capacitor-electrode pattern on a flexible polyimide (PI) film via a simple one-step CO2 laser irradiation. The novel hybrid nanoflower (NF) was synthesized using 1,1′-carbonyldiimidazole (CDI) as the organic molecule and copper (Cu) as the inorganic molecule via one-pot biomineralization by tuning the reaction time and concentration. NF was fixed on the pre-modified PI film at the triangular junction of the LSG microgap specifically for bio-capturing β-lactoglobulin. The fine-tuned CDI-Cu NF revealed the flower-like structures was viewed through field emission scanning electron microscopy. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy showed the interactions with PI film, CDI-Cu NF, oligoaptamer and β-lactoglobulin. The non-faradaic sensing of milk allergen β-lactoglobulin corresponds to a higher loading of oligoaptamer on 3D-structured CDI-Cu NF, with a linear range detection from 1 ag/ml to 100 fg/ml and attomolar (1 ag/ml) detection limit (S/N = 3:1). This novel CDI-Cu NF/LSG microgap aptasensor has a great potential for the detection of milk allergen with high-specificity and sensitivity.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Exploring the potential effect of COVID-19 on an endangered great ape
Authors: Colchero Fernando , Eckardt Winnie , Stoinski Tara
Published: October 2021

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created unmeasurable damages to society at a global level, from the irreplaceable loss of life, to the massive economic losses. In addition, the disease threatens further biodiversity loss. Due to their shared physiology with humans, primates, and particularly great apes, are susceptible to the disease. However, it is still uncertain how their populations would respond in case of infection. Here, we combine stochastic population and epidemiological models to simulate the range of potential effects of COVID-19 on the probability of extinction of mountain gorillas. We find that extinction is sharply driven by increases in the basic reproductive number and that the probability of extinction is greatly exacerbated if the immunity lasts less than 6 months. These results stress the need to limit exposure of the mountain gorilla population, the park personnel and visitors, as well as the potential of vaccination campaigns to extend the immunity duration.
2D-to-3D image translation of complex nanoporous volumes using generative networks
Authors: Anderson Timothy I. , Vega Bolivia , McKinzie Jesse , Aryana Saman A. , Kovscek Anthony R.
Published: October 2021

Image-based characterization offers a powerful approach to studying geological porous media at the nanoscale and images are critical to understanding reactive transport mechanisms in reservoirs relevant to energy and sustainability technologies such as carbon sequestration, subsurface hydrogen storage, and natural gas recovery. Nanoimaging presents a trade off, however, between higher-contrast sample-destructive and lower-contrast sample-preserving imaging modalities. Furthermore, high-contrast imaging modalities often acquire only 2D images, while 3D volumes are needed to characterize fully a source rock sample. In this work, we present deep learning image translation models to predict high-contrast focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) image volumes from transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) images when only 2D paired training data is available. We introduce a regularization method for improving 3D volume generation from 2D-to-2D deep learning image models and apply this approach to translate 3D TXM volumes to FIB-SEM fidelity. We then segment a predicted FIB-SEM volume into a flow simulation domain and calculate the sample apparent permeability using a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) technique. Results show that our image translation approach produces simulation domains suitable for flow visualization and allows for accurate characterization of petrophysical properties from non-destructive imaging data.
An experimental look at trust, bargaining, and public goods in fishing communities
Authors: Rojas Cristian A. , Cinner Joshua , Lau Jacqueline , Ruano-Chamorro Cristina , Contreras-Drey Francisco J. , Gelcich Stefan
Published: October 2021

Pro-social behavior is crucial to the sustainable governance of common-pool resources such as fisheries. Here, we investigate how key socioeconomic characteristics influence fishers’ pro-social and bargaining behavior in three types of experimental economic games (public goods, trust, and trade) conducted in fishing associations in Chile. Our games revealed high levels of cooperation in the public goods game, a high degree of trust, and that sellers rather than buyers had more bargaining power, yet these results were strongly influenced by participants’ socioeconomic characteristics. Specifically, gender, having a secondary income source, age, and being the main income provider for the household all had a relationship to multiple game outcomes. Our results highlight that engagement in pro-social behaviors such as trust and cooperation can be influenced by people’s socioeconomic context.
Reaction mechanisms for electrolytic manganese dioxide in rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries
Authors: Tran Thuy Nguyen Thanh , Jin Susi , Cuisinier Marine , Adams Brian D. , Ivey Douglas G.
Published: October 2021

This study reports the phase transformation behaviour associated with electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) utilized as the positive electrode active material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries. Electrochemical techniques, including galvanostatic charge–discharge and rotating ring-disk electrode measurements, and microstructural techniques, using X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission/scanning transmission electron microscopy, were utilized to characterize the positive electrode at different stages of discharge and charge of zinc-ion cells. The results indicate that, during discharge, a fraction of EMD undergoes a transformation to ZnMn2O4 (spinel-type) and Zn2+ is intercalated into the tunnels of the γ- and ε-MnO2 phases, forming ZnxMnO2 (tunnel-type). When a critical concentration of Mn3+ in the intercalated ZnxMnO2 species is reached, a disproportionation/dissolution reaction is triggered leading to the formation of soluble Mn2+ and hydroxide (OH–) ions; the latter precipitates as zinc hydroxide sulfate (ZHS, Zn4(OH)6(SO4)·5H2O) by combination with the ZnSO4/H2O electrolyte. During charge, Zn2+ is reversibly deintercalated from the intergrown tunneled phases (γ-/ε-ZnxMnO2), Mn2+ is redeposited as layered chalcophanite (ZnMn3O7·3H2O), and ZHS is decomposed by protons (H+) formed during the electrochemical deposition of chalcophanite.
Sex-differences in COVID-19 associated excess mortality is not exceptional for the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Nielsen Jens , Nørgaard Sarah K. , Lanzieri Giampaolo , Vestergaard Lasse S. , Moelbak Kaare
Published: October 2021

Europe experienced excess mortality from February through June, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with more COVID-19-associated deaths in males compared to females. However, a difference in excess mortality among females compared to among males may be a more general phenomenon, and should be investigated in none-COVID-19 situations as well. Based on death counts from Eurostat, separate excess mortalities were estimated for each of the sexes using the EuroMOMO model. Sex-differential excess mortality were expressed as differences in excess mortality incidence rates between the sexes. A general relation between sex-differential and overall excess mortality both during the COVID-19 pandemic and in preceding seasons were investigated. Data from 27 European countries were included, covering the seasons 2016/17 to 2019/20. In periods with increased excess mortality, excess was consistently highest among males. From February through May 2020 male excess mortality was 52.7 (95% PI: 56.29; 49.05) deaths per 100,000 person years higher than for females. Increased male excess mortality compared to female was also observed in the seasons 2016/17 to 2018/19. We found a linear relation between sex-differences in excess mortality and overall excess mortality, i.e., 40 additional deaths among males per 100 excess deaths per 100,000 population. This corresponds to an overall female/male mortality incidence ratio of 0.7. In situations with overall excess mortality, excess mortality increases more for males than females. We suggest that the sex-differences observed during the COVID-19 pandemic reflects a general sex-disparity in excess mortality.
The impact of recency and adequacy of historical information on sepsis predictions using machine learning
Authors: Zargoush Manaf , Sameh Alireza , Javadi Mahdi , Shabani Siyavash , Ghazalbash Somayeh , Perri Dan
Published: October 2021

Sepsis is a major public and global health concern. Every hour of delay in detecting sepsis significantly increases the risk of death, highlighting the importance of accurately predicting sepsis in a timely manner. A growing body of literature has examined developing new or improving the existing machine learning (ML) approaches for timely and accurate predictions of sepsis. This study contributes to this literature by providing clear insights regarding the role of the recency and adequacy of historical information in predicting sepsis using ML. To this end, we implemented a deep learning model using a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) algorithm and compared it with six other ML algorithms based on numerous combinations of the prediction horizons (to capture information recency) and observation windows (to capture information adequacy) using different measures of predictive performance. Our results indicated that the BiLSTM algorithm outperforms all other ML algorithms and provides a great separability of the predicted risk of sepsis among septic versus non-septic patients. Moreover, decreasing the prediction horizon (in favor of information recency) always boosts the predictive performance; however, the impact of expanding the observation window (in favor of information adequacy) depends on the prediction horizon and the purpose of prediction. More specifically, when the prediction is responsive to the positive label (i.e., Sepsis), increasing historical data improves the predictive performance when the prediction horizon is short-moderate.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Plantago lanceolata extract and assessing their antibacterial and antioxidant activities
Authors: Shah Muhammad Zahir , Guan Zheng-Hui , Din Ala Ud , Ali Amjad , Rehman Ata Ur , Jan Kashif , Faisal Shah , Saud Shah , Adnan Muhammad , Wahid Fazli , Alamri Saud , Siddiqui Manzer H. , Ali Shamsher , Nasim Wajid , Hammad Hafiz Mohkum , Fahad Shah
Published: October 2021

Silver nanoparticles (Ag. NPs) have shown a biological activity range, synthesized under different environment-friendly approaches. Ag. NPs were synthesized using aqueous crude extract (ACE) isolated from Plantago lanceolata. The ACE and Ag. NPs were characterized and assessed their biological and antioxidant activities. The existence of nanoparticles (NPs) was confirmed by color shift, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and UV–Vis’s spectroscopy. The FT-IR analysis indicated the association of biomolecules (phenolic acid and flavonoids) to reduce silver (Ag+) ions. The SEM study demonstrated a sphere-shaped and mean size in the range of 30 ± 4 nm. The EDX spectrum revealed that the Ag. NPs were composed of 54.87% Ag with 20 nm size as identified by SEM and TEM. AFM has ended up being exceptionally useful in deciding morphological elements and the distance across of Ag. NPs in the scope of 23–30 nm. The TEM image showed aggregations of NPs and physical interaction. Ag. NPs formation also confirmed by XPS, DRS and BET studies. Ag. NPs showed efficient activity as compared to ACE, and finally, the bacterial growth was impaired by biogenic NPs. The lethal dose (LD50) of Ag. NPs against Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Proteus vulgaris, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli were 45.66%, 139.71%, 332.87%, and 45.54%, with IC50 (08.02 ± 0.68), (55.78 ± 1.01), (12.34 ± 1.35) and (11.68 ± 1.42) respectively, suppressing the growth as compared to ACE. The antioxidant capacity, i.e., 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) of Ag. NPs were assayed. ACE and Ag. NPs achieved a peak antioxidant capacity of 62.43 ± 2.4 and 16.85 ± 0.4 μg mL−1, compared to standard (69.60 ± 1.1 at 100 μg mL−1) with IC50 (369.5 ± 13.42 and 159.5 ± 10.52 respectively). Finally, the Ag. NPs synthesized by P. lanceolata extract have an excellent source of bioactive natural products (NP). Outstanding antioxidant, antibacterial activities have been shown by NPs and can be used in various biological techniques in future research.
A learning mechanism shaping risk preferences and a preliminary test of its relationship with psychopathic traits
Authors: Oba Takeyuki , Katahira Kentaro , Ohira Hideki
Published: October 2021

People tend to avoid risk in the domain of gains but take risks in the domain of losses; this is called the reflection effect. Formal theories of decision-making have provided important perspectives on risk preferences, but how individuals acquire risk preferences through experiences remains unknown. In the present study, we used reinforcement learning (RL) models to examine the learning processes that can shape attitudes toward risk in both domains. In addition, relationships between learning parameters and personality traits were investigated. Fifty-one participants performed a learning task, and we examined learning parameters and risk preference in each domain. Our results revealed that an RL model that included a nonlinear subjective utility parameter and differential learning rates for positive and negative prediction errors exhibited better fit than other models and that these parameters independently predicted risk preferences and the reflection effect. Regarding personality traits, although the sample sizes may be too small to test personality traits, increased primary psychopathy scores could be linked with decreased learning rates for positive prediction error in loss conditions among participants who had low anxiety traits. The present findings not only contribute to understanding how decision-making in risky conditions is influenced by past experiences but also provide insights into certain psychiatric problems.
Outcomes after ticagrelor versus clopidogrel treatment in end-stage renal disease patients with acute myocardial infarction: a nationwide cohort study
Authors: Tung Ying-Chang , Chang Chi-Jen , Liu Jia-Rou , Chang Shu-Hao , Chan Yi-Hsin , Kuo Chi-Tai , See Lai-Chu
Published: October 2021

Clinical outcomes are unknown after ticagrelor treatment in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who are diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). ESRD patients who were on hemodialysis and received dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for AMI between July 2013 and December 2016 were identified in Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. Using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting, patients receiving aspirin plus ticagrelor (n = 530) were compared with those receiving aspirin plus clopidogrel (n = 2462) for the primary efficacy endpoint, a composite of all-cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke, and bleeding, defined according to the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium. Study outcomes were compared between the two groups using Cox proportional hazards model or competing risk model for the hazard ratio or subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR). During 9 months of follow-up, ticagrelor was comparable to clopidogrel with respect to the risks of primary efficacy endpoint [11.69 vs. 9.28/100 patient-months; SHR, 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97–1.4] and bleeding (5.55 vs. 4.36/100 patient-months; SHR 1.14; 95% CI 0.88–1.47). In conclusion, among hemodialysis patients receiving DAPT for AMI, ticagrelor was comparable to clopidogrel with regard to the composite efficacy endpoint and bleeding.
EEG-derived brain graphs are reliable measures for exploring exercise-induced changes in brain networks
Authors: Büchel Daniel , Lehmann Tim , Sandbakk Øyvind , Baumeister Jochen
Published: October 2021

The interaction of acute exercise and the central nervous system evokes increasing interest in interdisciplinary research fields of neuroscience. Novel approaches allow to monitor large-scale brain networks from mobile electroencephalography (EEG) applying graph theory, but it is yet uncertain whether brain graphs extracted after exercise are reliable. We therefore aimed to investigate brain graph reliability extracted from resting state EEG data before and after submaximal exercise twice within one week in male participants. To obtain graph measures, we extracted global small-world-index (SWI), clustering coefficient (CC) and characteristic path length (PL) based on weighted phase leg index (wPLI) and spectral coherence (Coh) calculation. For reliability analysis, Intraclass-Correlation-Coefficient (ICC) and Coefficient of Variation (CoV) were computed for graph measures before (REST) and after POST) exercise. Overall results revealed poor to excellent measures at PRE and good to excellent ICCs at POST in the theta, alpha-1 and alpha-2, beta-1 and beta-2 frequency band. Based on bootstrap-analysis, a positive effect of exercise on reliability of wPLI based measures was observed, while exercise induced a negative effect on reliability of Coh-based graph measures. Findings indicate that brain graphs are a reliable tool to analyze brain networks in exercise contexts, which might be related to the neuroregulating effect of exercise inducing functional connections within the connectome. Relative and absolute reliability demonstrated good to excellent reliability after exercise. Chosen graph measures may not only allow analysis of acute, but also longitudinal studies in exercise-scientific contexts.
Field-induced vortex-like textures as a probe of the critical line in reentrant spin glasses
Authors: Martin N. , Bannenberg L. J. , Deutsch M. , Pappas C. , Chaboussant G. , Cubitt R. , Mirebeau I.
Published: October 2021

We study the evolution of the low-temperature field-induced magnetic defects observed under an applied magnetic field in a series of frustrated amorphous ferromagnets (Fe$$_{1-x}$$

1
-
x

Mn$$_{x}$$

x

)$$_{75}$$

75

P$$_{16}$$

16

B$$_{3}$$

3

Al$$_{3}$$

3

(“a-Fe$$_{1-x}$$

1
-
x

Mn$$_{x}$$

x

”). Combining small-angle neutron scattering and Monte Carlo simulations, we show that the morphology of these defects resemble that of quasi-bidimensional spin vortices. They are observed in the so-called “reentrant” spin-glass (RSG) phase, up to the critical concentration $$x_{\mathrm{C}} \approx 0.36$$

x
C

≈
0.36

which separates the RSG and “true” spin glass (SG) within the low temperature part of the magnetic phase diagram of a-Fe1−xMnx. These textures systematically decrease in size with increasing magnetic field or decreasing the average exchange interaction, and they finally disappear in the SG sample ($$x = 0.41$$

x
=
0.41

), being replaced by field-induced correlations over finite length scales. We argue that the study of these nanoscopic defects could be used to probe the critical line between the RSG and SG phases.
Determining spatio-temporal characteristics of coseismic travelling ionospheric disturbances (CTID) in near real-time
Authors: Maletckii Boris , Astafyeva Elvira
Published: October 2021

Earthquakes are known to generate ionospheric disturbances that are commonly referred to as co-seismic travelling ionospheric disturbances (CTID). In this work, for the first time, we present a novel method that enables to automatically detect CTID in ionospheric GNSS-data, and to determine their spatio-temporal characteristics (velocity and azimuth of propagation) in near-real time (NRT), i.e., less than 15 min after an earthquake. The obtained instantaneous velocities allow us to understand the evolution of CTID and to estimate the location of the CTID source in NRT. Furthermore, also for the first time, we developed a concept of real-time travel-time diagrams that aid to verify the correlation with the source and to estimate additionally the propagation speed of the observed CTID. We apply our methods to the Mw7.4 Sanriku earthquake of 09/03/2011 and the Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake of 11/03/2011, and we make a NRT analysis of the dynamics of CTID driven by these seismic events. We show that the best results are achieved with high-rate 1 Hz data. While the first tests are made on CTID, our method is also applicable for detection and determining of spatio-temporal characteristics of other travelling ionospheric disturbances that often occur in the ionosphere driven by many geophysical phenomena.
Experimental realization of a Fresnel hologram as a super spectral resolution optical element
Authors: Hsieh Mei-Li , Ditto Thomas D. , Lee Yi-Wen , Lin Shiuan-Huei , Newberg Heidi J. , Lin Shawn-Yu
Published: October 2021

A highly dispersive, diffractive optical element is designed and realized for an extremely high spectral resolution spectroscopy for exoplanet telescope application. Our design uses an annular Fresnel hologram to transform incident starlight directly into a spectrogram. The recording of the hologram is accomplished using two spherical waves of different radius of curvature. The resultant hologram consists of an annular grating structure with a gradually shrinking period as a function of increasing radius. The variable period not only could bring the incoming star-light into focus, but also exhibits a large on-axis chromatic behavior. We demonstrate a dispersion of wavelength 430–700 nm over 190 mm on-axis distance, leading to a super fine spectral resolution 0.0266 nm at wavelength 515 nm for a detector size of 20 µm.
The intronic branch point sequence is under strong evolutionary constraint in the bovine and human genome
Authors: Kadri Naveen Kumar , Mapel Xena Marie , Pausch Hubert
Published: October 2021

The branch point sequence is a cis-acting intronic motif required for mRNA splicing. Despite their functional importance, branch point sequences are not routinely annotated. Here we predict branch point sequences in 179,476 bovine introns and investigate their variability using a catalogue of 29.4 million variants detected in 266 cattle genomes. We localize the bovine branch point within a degenerate heptamer “nnyTrAy”. An adenine residue at position 6, that acts as branch point, and a thymine residue at position 4 of the heptamer are more strongly depleted for mutations than coding sequences suggesting extreme purifying selection. We provide evidence that mutations affecting these evolutionarily constrained residues lead to alternative splicing. We confirm evolutionary constraints on branch point sequences using a catalogue of 115 million SNPs established from 3,942 human genomes of the gnomAD database.
Inhibition of SC4MOL and HSD17B7 shifts cellular sterol composition and promotes oligodendrocyte formation
Authors: Pleshinger Matthew J , Friedrich Ryan M. , Hubler Zita , Rivera-León Adrianna M. , Gao Farrah , Yan David , Sax Joel L. , Srinivasan Ramya , Bederman Ilya , Shick H. Elizabeth , Tesar Paul J. , Adams Drew J.
Published: October 2021

Inhibition of two additional cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes, SC4MOL and HSD17B7, and accumulation of their 8,9-unsaturated sterols enhance formation of oligodendrocytes. We have also identified novel inhibitors of SC4MOL and HSD17B7.
γ-CuI from ionic liquid/poly(ionic liquid)s precursors with controllable morphologies and improved photocatalytic performance
Authors: Zhang Su-Yun , Long Fangchao , Kang Chenxu , Jin Zhengyuan , Zhao Ailun , Liang Huawei , Ruan Shuangchen , Zeng Yu-Jia
Published: October 2021

CuI nanocrystals, nanoplates and nanoflowers were prepared by using I-containing ionic liquids/poly(ionic liquid)s as reducing agents and templates. They exhibit diminishing bandgaps and promoted photocatalysis performance as the thickness decreases.
High internal phase Pickering emulsions stabilized by a cod protein–chitosan nanocomplex for astaxanthin delivery
Authors: Zhang Lijuan , Zhou Chengfu , Na Xiaokang , Chen Yannan , Tan Mingqian
Published: October 2021

High internal phase Pickering emulsions were prepared using a cod protein–chitosan nanocomplex as an emulsifier for effective astaxanthin delivery.
Virus-templated magnetic composite hydrogels for surface immobilization of mimic-free-lipase
Authors: Qi Wenjing , Yu Huimin
Published: October 2021

M13 virus-templated magnetic composite hydrogels were designed for surface immobilization of mimic-free-lipases, achieving high enzyme loading amount, high activity recovery yield, free-enzyme-equal activity, less MNPs and enhanced stability.
2D/3D heterostructure derived from phase transformation of 0D perovskite for random lasing applications with remarkably improved water resistance
Authors: Sun Xun , Shi Xinmin , Zhang Weiguang , Xu Baoyuan , Gao Zhenhua , Wang Zifei , Wang Xue , Meng Xiangeng
Published: October 2021

This work presents a one-step water-triggered phase transformation process, converting 0D perovskite to a 2D/3D heterostructure, and demonstrates the application of the developed heterostructure in random lasing with remarkably improved water resistance.
Design and synthesis of organic optical nonlinear multichromophore dendrimers based on double-donor structures
Authors: Liu Fenggang , Zeng Ziying , Rahman Abdul , Chen Xunyu , Liang Zhiwei , Huang Xiaoqing , Zhang Shumin , Xu Huajun , Wang Jiahai
Published: October 2021

Two-arm dendrimer C2 and three-arm dendrimer C3 with large electro-optic coefficients and stability were synthesized and evaluated compared to one-chromophore-containing dendritic material C1.
Cesium salt of 2-molybdo-10-tungstophosphoric acid as an efficient and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of uracil derivatives via a green route
Authors: Khillare Kiran R. , Aher Dipak S. , Chavan Laxmikant D. , Shankarwar Sunil G.
Published: October 2021

A solid catalyst, cesium salt of 2-molybdo-10-tungstophosphoric acid (Cs2.3H0.7PW10Mo2O40) named as Cs-3, was synthesized by a simple, cheap, clean, and eco-friendly method.
Self-supported Cu3P nanowire electrode as an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Zhou Xin , Zhou Xiaoliang , Liu Limin , Chen Hanyu , Hu Xingguo , Qian Jiaqi , Huang Di , Zhang Bo , Tang Junlei
Published: October 2021

We prepared Cu3P nanowires via a simple two-step method and Cu(OH)2 NWs/CF was converted to Cu3P/NWs after a phosphating process. The prepared Cu3P NWs/CF electrode shows high efficiency and excellent stability to OER in alkaline medium.
A facile green and one-pot synthesis of grape seed-derived carbon quantum dots as a fluorescence probe for Cu(ii) and ascorbic acid
Authors: Li Jiawei , Xu Ouwen , Zhu Xiashi
Published: October 2021

In this study, an on–off–on fluorescence probe for the detection of trace Cu(ii) and ascorbic acid (AA) based on biomass-derived sulfur and nitrogen double heteroatom-doped carbon dots (N,S-CDs) was designed.
Chemosensors based on N-heterocyclic dyes: advances in sensing highly toxic ions such as CN− and Hg2+
Authors: Ríos María-Camila , Bravo Néstor-Fabián , Sánchez Christian-Camilo , Portilla Jaime
Published: October 2021

This review considers the most recent advances in sensing highly toxic ions such as CN− and Hg2+. Specifically, probes bearing N-heterocyclic compounds for their proven versatility for applications in the development of chemosensors are analyzed.
Effect of graphene flake size on functionalisation: quantifying reaction extent and imaging locus with single Pt atom tags
Authors: Rubio Noelia , Au Heather , Coulter Gabriel O. , Guetaz Laure , Gebel Gerard , Mattevi Cecilia , Shaffer Milo S. P.
Published: October 2021

The flake size and morphology of the starting material strongly effect the degree and location of grafting when using reductive functionalisation.
Understanding stress-induced disorder and breakage in organic crystals: beyond crystal structure anisotropy
Authors: Schneider-Rauber Gabriela , Arhangelskis Mihails , Goh Wei-Pin , Cattle James , Hondow Nicole , Drummond-Brydson Rik , Ghadiri Mojtaba , Sinha Kushal , Ho Raimundo , Nere Nandkishor K. , Bordawekar Shailendra , Sheikh Ahmad Y. , Jones William
Published: October 2021

Crystal engineering has advanced the strategies of design and synthesis of organic solids with the main focus being on customising the properties of the materials.
Shear-induced migration of confined flexible fibers
Authors: Xue Nan , Nunes Janine K. , Stone Howard A.
Published: October 2021

We report an experimental study of the shear-induced migration of flexible fibers in suspensions confined between two parallel plates. The observations show that the fibers that are more likely to bend exhibit faster migration.
Rapid synthesis of supported single metal nanoparticles and effective removal of stabilizing ligands
Authors: Trogadas Panagiotis , Kapil Nidhi , Angel Gyen Ming A. , Kühl Stefanie , Strasser Peter , Brett Dan J. L. , Coppens Marc-Olivier
Published: October 2021

Rapid, tailored synthesis of supported single metal nanoparticles with no change in size post ligand removal.
Accelerating evaluation of the mobility of ionic liquid-modulated PEDOT flexible electronics using machine learning
Authors: Ding Wei-Lu , Lu Yumiao , Peng Xing-Liang , Dong Hao , Chi Wei-Jie , Yuan Xiaoqing , Sun Zhu-Zhu , He Hongyan
Published: October 2021

PEDOT has been widely used in advanced electronics, and one of the keys to determine the performance is hole mobility.
Current balance method of dual windings parallel coils based on distributed capacitor compensation in high‐power WPT systems
Authors: Bie Zhi , Wang Chao , Song Kai , Zhang Jiantao , Zhu Chunbo
Published: October 2021

Dual windings parallel (DWP) coils are often used in high‐power wireless charging applications to reduce current stress and internal resistance. Due to the inconsistent self‐inductance and strong coupling of the two windings, the advantages of the DWP coils cannot be fully utilized. In particular, the current stresses of the two windings are different, which will cause one of the stress to exceed the limit, and the temperature rise is too high. The reason for the current imbalance in the two windings is analysed in this work, and a distributed capacitor compensation method is proposed to balance the current stress in the two windings. Finally, a WPT system with the DWP transmitting coil was built as an example to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The experimental results show that the current ratio in two windings decreased from 1.70 to 1.05 after using the proposed compensation method.
Technical and economic analysis of curative actions in distribution networks utilizing battery energy storage systems
Authors: Liere‐Netheler Ingo , Schuldt Frank , von Maydell Karsten , Agert Carsten
Published: October 2021

Renewable energy generation curtailment increases due to more frequently occurring congestions in power system operation. Post‐contingency curative congestion management actions can reduce the necessity of renewable energy curtailment by enabling a more efficient utilization of transmission capacities. In this research, the potential of curative actions to substitute renewable energy curtailment is studied considering technical and economic criteria. Therefore, a novel pricing methodology for the market‐based provision of curative actions is introduced. The method is based on the security constraint optimal power flow technique. Simulations are carried out on a modified version of the IEEE 14‐bus network and a real‐world 110 kV distribution network. Battery energy storage systems are implemented as an exemplary technology to provide curative actions. The developed method achieves a positive power system impact by reducing operational costs and maximizing renewable energy integration. Also, novel business models for merchant‐owned battery energy storage systems are unveiled. The provision of curative actions further proves to be competitive to established battery storage applications. Additionally, results of different grid expansion scenarios of the 110 kV network reveal the need to coordinate power system planning and operation more extensively in the future.
Skip‐stop operation plan for urban rail transit considering bounded rationality of passengers
Authors: Cheng Linna , Zhu Changfeng , Wang Qingrong , Wang Wenxian , Zhang Zhengkun , Sun Wenjun
Published: October 2021

Reasonably optimizing the urban rail transit stop plan from the perspective of bounded rational cognition of passengers regarding their travel choices is an important way to improve riding environment, transportation capacity, and service quality. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of passengers’ bounded rational choice behaviour, starting from two aspects of travel time and congestion, the prospect theory is applied to describe optimization goals: maximum travel time savings and maximum congestion costs savings. Subsequently, an urban rail transit stop plan optimization model is constructed, and a non‐dominated sorting genetic algorithm with the elite strategy is designed to solve the model, and stop plans based on the calculated Pareto solution set are selected. A case study of an urban rail transit with 13 station nodes verifies the research conclusion as follows: compared with the traditional station stopping plan, the skip‐stop plan has better passenger flow adaptability, in which the average travel time of passengers is shortened by 22.57 min at most, and the congestion degree is reduced by 10.93% at most. Based on this, the impact of different factors on the stop plan, such as the target weight, passenger flow, and behavioural parameters, is further discussed.
Traffic participants classification based on 3D radio detection and ranging point clouds
Authors: Bai Jie , Li Sen , Tan Bin , Zheng Lianqing , Huang Libo , Dong Lianfei
Published: October 2021

Traffic participant classification is critical in autonomous driving perception. Millimetre wave radio detection and ranging (RADAR) is a cost‐effective and robust means of performing this task in adverse traffic scenarios such as inclement weather (e.g. fog, snow, and rain) and poor lighting conditions. Compared to commercial two‐dimensional RADAR, the new generation of three‐dimensional (3D) RADAR can obtain height information about targets as well as their dense point clouds, greatly improving target classification capabilities. This study proposes a multi‐objective classification method for traffic participants based on 3D RADAR point clouds. First, a 22‐dimensional feature vector of the 3D RADAR point cloud distribution was extracted to describe the shape, discrete, Doppler, and reflection intensity features of the targets. Then, dynamic and static datasets containing five classes of targets were produced, creating a 10k frame. Extensive experiments were conducted to build machine learning classifiers. The experimental results show that the trained classifiers can achieve over 92% classification accuracy when the targets are classified into five groups and over 95% classification accuracy when the targets are classified into four groups. The proposed method can guide the design of safer and more efficient intelligent driving systems.
Measuring titanium isotope ratios in exoplanet atmospheres
Authors: Serindag Dilovan B. , Snellen Ignas A. G. , Mollière Paul
Published: October 2021

Context. Measurements of relative isotope abundances can provide unique insights into the formation and evolution histories of celestial bodies, tracing various radiative, chemical, nuclear, and physical processes. In this regard, the five stable isotopes of titanium are particularly interesting. They are used to study the early history of the Solar System, and their different nucleosynthetic origins help constrain Galactic chemical models. Additionally, titanium’s minor isotopes are relatively abundant compared to those of other elements, making them more accessible for challenging observations, such as those of exoplanet atmospheres.

Aims. We aim to assess the feasibility of performing titanium isotope measurements in exoplanet atmospheres. Specifically, we are interested in understanding whether processing techniques used for high-resolution spectroscopy, which remove continuum information about the planet spectrum, affect the derived isotope ratios. We also want to estimate the signal-to-noise requirements for future observations.

Methods. We used an archival high-dispersion CARMENES spectrum of the M-dwarf GJ 1002 as a proxy for an exoplanet observed at very high signal-to-noise. Both a narrow (7045–7090 Å) and wide (7045–7500 Å) wavelength region were defined for which spectral retrievals were performed using petitRADTRANS models, resulting in isotope ratios and uncertainties. These retrievals were repeated on the spectrum with its continuum removed to mimic typical high-dispersion exoplanet observations. The CARMENES spectrum was subsequently degraded by adding varying levels of Gaussian noise to estimate the signal-to-noise requirements for future exoplanet atmospheric observations.

Results. The relative abundances of all minor Ti isotopes are found to be slightly enhanced compared to terrestrial values. A loss of continuum information from broadband filtering of the stellar spectrum has little effect on the isotope ratios. For the wide wavelength range, a spectrum with a signal-to-noise of 5 is required to determine the isotope ratios with relative errors ≲10%. Super Jupiters at large angular separations from their host star are the most accessible exoplanets, requiring about an hour of observing time on 8-meter-class telescopes, and less than a minute of observing time with the future Extremely Large Telescope.
Towards 3D printed saxophone mouthpiece personalization: Acoustical analysis of design variations
Authors: Ozdemir Mehmet , Chatziioannou Vasileios , Verlinden Jouke , Cascini Gaetano , Pàmies-Vilà Montserrat
Published: October 2021

Saxophonists have different expectations from the saxophone mouthpiece, as it significantly affects the playability and the sound of the instrument. A mass personalization paradigm provides unique products to cater to their needs, using the flexibility of additive manufacturing. The lack of quantitative knowledge on mouthpiece design hinders the personalization attempts. This study aims to lay out how design parameters affect mouthpiece characteristics. Twenty-seven 3D-printed mouthpieces with varying design parameters are used in conjunction with an artificial blowing machine, to determine the acoustical relevance of the various mouthpiece designs on four selected mouthpiece features. The influence of the design parameters is evaluated statistically and via a case study with five saxophonists. The analysis shows that seven out of nine parameters tested affect the mouthpiece characteristics by relatively different amounts. A user study demonstrates that saxophonists confirm the results in 7 of 10 cases, and they prefer personalized mouthpieces in 4 of 5 cases. The results present a key contribution to the understanding of mouthpiece design. The findings provide valuable insights for new mouthpiece design and mouthpiece personalization.
Age, growth, and mortality of silver carpHypophthalmichthys molitrix(Valenciennes, 1844) in the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River, and implications for management and conservation
Authors: Zhu Shuli , Wu Zhi , Zhang Yingqiu , Chen Weitao , Li Xinhui , He Yujie , Li Jie
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to determine the age, growth, mortality, and population structure of the economically important cyprinid silver carpHypophthalmichthys molitrix(Valenciennes, 1844) in the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River. A total of 297 silver carp were sampled quarterly from the catches of gillnet fishermen, at six sites, between June 2019 and September 2020. Standard length of the specimens ranged from 130 to 585 mm, and body weight ranged from 45.5 to 3930 g. The length–weight relationship parameterbvalues reached 3.015. Age was determined through examination and measurements of fish scales, and the age composition of the sampled silver carp varied from 0+ to 4+. Fitting the new data to the von Bertalanffy growth model, we obtained an asymptotic size (L∞) of 1107 mm,kof 0.135, andt0of −0.666 for silver carp in this stretch of the river. The calculated growth performance indexϕand estimated longevitytmaxwere 5.22 and 21.56, respectively. The rates of total mortality, natural mortality, and fishing mortality were calculated as 0.4997, 0.1621, and 0.3377, respectively, while the exploitation ratio was evaluated as 0.6757. The overall results confirm overexploitation of this resource in the middle and lower reaches of the Pearl River. It was concluded that this species should be protected from capture until at least 790 mm in standard length, representing an optimal minimum size for capture to benefit conservation of the species and to sustainably develop this valuable fishery.
An optimized model for open innovation success in manufacturing SMES
Authors: Hakaki Amir , Shafiei Nikabadi Mohsen , Heidarloo Mahnaz Ali
Published: October 2021

Given the fluctuations in markets and the financial and resource constraints of SMEs, innovation is one of the solutions for improving performance, gaining competitive advantage and increasing survival probability for these companies. The paper aims to determine the best ranking of effective factors in open innovation success in manufacturing SMEs. At the first stage, the most important factors investigated using structural equation modelling based on the opinion of 275 experts. Subsequently, the impact level of each factor on the others calculated by fuzzy DEMATEL among 12 specialists’ viewpoints. In the end, optimized ranking of studied factors obtained by Ant Colony Optimization algorithm. As a result, economic factors, suppliers, competitors, partners, firm’s strategy, firm’s structure, reward system, employees, IT support, organizational learning, universities, research institutions, and ecological issues hold the first to the thirteenth rank with the highest cumulative impact on open innovation success. Developing relations with universities and research institutions for improving innovation process is recommended to manufacturing SMEs. In addition, these companies should coordinate firm’s strategy as one of the most important open innovation success factors with partners to gain competitive advantages against competitors.
Fit für die Zukunft! Phytopharmaka müssen attraktiver werden
Authors: Armbrüster Nicole , Roth-Ehrang René
Published: October 2021

Phytopharmaka sind fester Bestandteil der Gesundheitsversorgung. Sie spielen insbesondere bei der Selbstmedikation eine große Rolle. Durch fehlende Anreize für Innovationen und Weiterentwicklungen sowie stetig wachsende regulatorische Anforderungen und die Konkurrenz durch andere Produktgruppen wird ihr Erhalt mehr und mehr gefährdet. Im Folgenden werden Lösungen vorgestellt, mit denen Phytopharmaka für Hersteller wieder attraktiver werden – was auch in Zukunft die Therapievielfalt sicherstellen würde.