bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decreased activity in the reward network of chronic insomnia patients
Authors: Motomura Yuki , Katsunuma Ruri , Ayabe Naoko , Oba Kentaro , Terasawa Yuri , Kitamura Shingo , Moriguchi Yoshiya , Hida Akiko , Kamei Yuichi , Mishima Kazuo
Published: February 2021

In modern society, many people have insomnia. Chronic insomnia has been noted as a risk factor for depression. However, there are few functional imaging studies of the brain on affective functions in chronic insomnia. This study aimed to investigate brain activities induced by emotional stimuli in chronic insomnia patients. Fifteen patients with primary insomnia and 30 age and gender matched healthy controls participated in this study. Both groups were presented images of fearful, happy, and neutral expressions consciously and non-consciously while undergoing MRI to compare the activity in regions of the brain responsible for emotions. Conscious presentation of the Happy-Neutral contrast showed significantly lower activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex of patients compared to healthy controls. The Happy-Neutral contrast presented in a non-conscious manner resulted in significantly lower activation of the ventral striatum, right insula, putamen, orbitofrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area in patients compared to healthy controls. Our findings revealed that responsiveness to positive emotional stimuli were decreased in insomniac patients. Specifically, brain networks associated with rewards and processing positive emotions showed decreased responsiveness to happy emotions especially for non-conscious image. The magnitude of activity in these areas also correlated with severity of insomnia, even after controlling for depression scale scores. These findings suggest that insomnia induces an affective functional disorder through an underlying mechanism of decreased sensitivity in the regions of the brain responsible for emotions and rewards to positive emotional stimuli.
Long-term movements and activity patterns of platypus on regulated rivers
Authors: Hawke Tahneal , Bino Gilad , Kingsford Richard T. , Iervasi Dion , Iervasi Kylie , Taylor Matthew D.
Published: February 2021

The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal, endemic to freshwater habitats of eastern Australia. There are gaps in the understanding of platypus movement behaviour within river systems, including spatial and temporal organization of individuals. We tracked movements of 12 platypuses on the regulated Snowy and Mitta Mitta Rivers for up to 12-months, the longest continuous tracking of platypus using acoustic telemetry. Platypuses remained relatively localized, occupying 0.73–8.45 km of river over 12 months, consistent with previous tracking studies over shorter periods. Males moved further than females, and larger males had higher cumulative movements, suggesting a possible relationship to metabolic requirements. Platypuses moved greater distances on the Mitta Mitta River, possibly associated with impacts of altered flow regimes to their macroinvertebrate diet. Increased movements and diurnal activity during winter were primarily driven by males, possibly attributable to breeding behaviours, rather than increased costs of winter foraging. Evidence for relatively small movements has implications for declining populations, given areas of localised declines are unlikely to be supplemented by migrating platypuses, especially when dispersal is restricted by dam walls. Understanding platypus movement behaviour is pertinent for their conservation, as water resource development and habitat modification continue to reduce connectivity between populations across their distribution.
Temperature dependence of molybdenum dialkyl dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) tribofilms via time-resolved Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Garcia Carlos E. , Ueda Mao , Spikes Hugh , Wong Janet S. S.
Published: February 2021

Molybdenum dialkyl dithiocarbamate (MoDTC) is a friction reducing additive commonly used in lubricants. MoDTC works by forming a low-friction molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) film (tribofilm) on rubbed surfaces. MoDTC-induced MoS2 tribofilms have been studied extensively ex-situ; however, there is no consensus on the chemical mechanism of its formation process. By combining Raman spectroscopy with a tribometer, effects of temperature and shear stress on MoS2 tribofilm formation in steel-steel contacts were examined. Time-resolved Raman spectra of the tribofilm were acquired, together with the instantaneous friction coefficient. The tribofilm is constantly being formed and removed mechanically during rubbing. Increasing shear stress promotes MoS2 formation. The nature of the tribofilm is temperature-dependent, with high-temperature tribofilms giving a higher friction than lower temperature films. Below a critical temperature Tc, a small amount of MoS2 gives significant friction reduction. Above Tc, a patchy film with more MoS2, together with a substantial amount of amorphous carbon attributed to base oil degradation, forms. The composition of this tribofilm evolves during rubbing and a temporal correlation is found between carbon signal intensity and friction. Our results highlight the mechanochemical nature of tribofilm formation process and the role of oil degradation in the effectiveness of friction modifier MoDTC.
Microsaccades mediate perceptual alternations in Monet’s “Impression, sunrise”
Authors: Alexander Robert G. , Venkatakrishnan Ashwin , Chanovas Jordi , Macknik Stephen L. , Martinez-Conde Susana
Published: February 2021

Troxler fading, the perceptual disappearance of stationary images upon sustained fixation, is common for objects with equivalent luminance to that of the background. Previous work showed that variations in microsaccadic rates underlie the perceptual vanishing and intensification of simple stimuli, such as Gabor patches. Here, we demonstrate that microsaccade dynamics also contribute to Troxler fading and intensification during the viewing of representational art. Participants fixated a small spot while viewing either a Gabor patch on a blank background, or Monet’s painting “Impression, Sunrise.” They continuously reported, via button press/release, whether the Gabor patch, or the sun in Monet’s painting, was fading versus intensifying, while their eye movements were recorded with high precision. Microsaccade rates peaked before reports of increased visibility, and dropped before reports of decreased visibility or fading, both when viewing Gabor patches and Monet’s sun. These results reveal that the relationship between microsaccade production and the reversal and prevention of Troxler fading applies not only to the viewing of contrived stimuli, but also to the observation of “Impression, Sunrise.” Whether or not perceptual fading was consciously intended by Monet, our findings indicate that observers’ oculomotor dynamics are a contributor to the cornerstone of Impressionism.
Natron glass beads reveal proto-Silk Road between the Mediterranean and China in the 1st millennium BCE
Authors: Lü Qin-Qin , Henderson Julian , Wang Yongqiang , Wang Binghua
Published: February 2021

Natron-based glass was a vital part of material culture in the Mediterranean and Europe for nearly two millennia, but natron glass found elsewhere on the Eurasian Continent has not received adequate discussion, despite its influence on ancient Asian glass. Here we present a new interpretation of natron glass finds from both the West and the East. After establishing the compositional types and technological sequence of Mediterranean natron glass (eighth-second century BCE) using trace elements, we report the analysis of a mid-1st millennium BCE glass bead from Xinjiang, China, which was likely made with Levantine raw glass, and identify common types of stratified eye beads in Eurasia based on a compositional and typological comparison. Combining these findings, we propose that a considerable number of Mediterranean natron glass products had arrived in East Asia at least by the fifth century BCE, which may have been a contributing factor in the development of native Chinese glass-making. The swift diffusion of natron glass across Eurasia in the 1st millennium BCE was likely facilitated by a three-stage process involving maritime and overland networks and multiple forms of trade and exchange, indicating a highly adaptable and increasingly efficient transcontinental connection along the ‘Proto-Silk Road’.
Electroencephalography measures of relative power and coherence as reaching skill emerges in infants born preterm
Authors: Nishiyori Ryota , Xiao Ran , Vanderbilt Douglas , Smith Beth A.
Published: February 2021

Electroencephalography (EEG) measures of relative power and coherence are associated with motor experience in infants with typical development, but these relationships have not been assessed in infants born preterm. The goal of our study was to investigate the changing patterns of relative power and coherence in the alpha band during resting state EEG in infants born preterm as they developed the skill of reaching. We collected monthly longitudinal data from fourteen infants born preterm between the adjusted ages of 56 and 295 days for a total of 37 sessions of EEG data. Alpha band power at motor cortices and cross-regional connectivity do not present consistent changing trends at the group level in infants born preterm. Individual level analysis reveals that infants born preterm are a heterogeneous group with subtypes of neural function development, some presenting similar changing trends as observed in the typically developing group while others present atypical patterns. This may be linked to the variability in developmental outcomes in infants born preterm. This study was a critical first step to support EEG as a potential tool for identifying and quantifying the developmental trajectories of neuromotor control in infants born preterm.
The evolutionary history of manatees told by their mitogenomes
Authors: de Souza Érica Martinha Silva , Freitas Lucas , da Silva Ramos Elisa Karen , Selleghin-Veiga Giovanna , Rachid-Ribeiro Michelle Carneiro , Silva Felipe André , Marmontel Miriam , dos Santos Fabrício Rodrigues , Laudisoit Anne , Verheyen Erik , Domning Daryl P. , Nery Mariana Freitas
Published: February 2021

The manatee family encompasses three extant congeneric species: Trichechus senegalensis (African manatee), T. inunguis (Amazonian manatee), and T. manatus (West Indian manatee). The fossil record for manatees is scant, and few phylogenetic studies have focused on their evolutionary history. We use full mitogenomes of all extant manatee species to infer the divergence dates and biogeographical histories of these species and the effect of natural selection on their mitogenomes. The complete mitochondrial genomes of T. inunguis (16,851 bp), T. senegalensis (16,882 bp), and T. manatus (16,882 bp), comprise 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNA - 12S and 16S), and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNA), and (D-loop/CR). Our analyses show that the first split within Trichechus occurred during the Late Miocene (posterior mean 6.56 Ma and 95% HPD 3.81–10.66 Ma), followed by a diversification event in the Plio-Pleistocene (posterior mean 1.34 Ma, 95% HPD 0.1–4.23) in the clade composed by T. inunguis and T. manatus; T. senegalensis is the sister group of this clade with higher support values (pp > 0.90). The branch-site test identified positive selection on T. inunguis in the 181st position of the ND4 amino acid gene (LRT = 6.06, p = 0.0069, BEB posterior probability = 0.96). The ND4 gene encodes one subunit of the NADH dehydrogenase complex, part of the oxidative phosphorylation machinery. In conclusion, our results provide novel insight into the evolutionary history of the Trichechidae during the Late Miocene, which was influenced by geological events, such as Amazon Basin formation.
Simultaneous bioremediation of cationic copper ions and anionic methyl orange azo dye by brown marine alga Fucus vesiculosus
Authors: El-Naggar Noura El-Ahmady , Hamouda Ragaa A. , Saddiq Amna A. , Alkinani Monagi H.
Published: February 2021

Textile wastewater contains large quantities of azo dyes mixed with various contaminants especially heavy metal ions. The discharge of effluents containing methyl orange (MO) dye and Cu2+ ions into water is harmful because they have severe toxic effects to humans and the aquatic ecosystem. The dried algal biomass was used as a sustainable, cost-effective and eco-friendly for the treatment of the textile wastewater. Box–Behnken design (BBD) was used to identify the most significant factors for achieving maximum biosorption of Cu2+ and MO from aqueous solutions using marine alga Fucus vesiculosus biomass. The experimental results indicated that 3 g/L of F. vesiculosus biomass was capable of removing 92.76% of copper and 50.27% of MO simultaneously from aqueous solution using MO (60 mg/L), copper (200 mg/L) at pH 7 within 60 min with agitation at 200 rpm. The dry biomass was also investigated using SEM, EDS, and FTIR before and after MO and copper biosorption. FTIR, EDS and SEM analyses revealed obvious changes in the characteristics of the algal biomass as a result of the biosorption process. The dry biomass of F. vesiculosus can eliminate MO and copper ions from aquatic effluents in a feasible and efficient method.
Bile acids and oxo-metabolites as markers of human faecal input in the ancient Pompeii ruins
Authors: Porru Emanuele , Giorgi Enrico , Turroni Silvia , Helg Riccardo , Silani Michele , Candela Marco , Fiori Jessica , Roda Aldo
Published: February 2021

Small organic molecules, lipids, proteins, and DNA fragments can remain stable over centuries. Powerful and sensitive chemical analysis can therefore be used to characterize ancient remains for classical archaeological studies. This bio-ecological dimension of archaeology can contribute knowledge about several aspects of ancient life, including social organization, daily habits, nutrition, and food storage. Faecal remains (i.e. coprolites) are particularly interesting in this regard, with scientists seeking to identify new faecal markers. Here, we report the analysis of faecal samples from modern-day humans and faecal samples from a discharge pit on the site of the ruins of ancient Pompeii. We propose that bile acids and their gut microbiota oxo-metabolites are the most specific steroid markers for detecting faecal inputs. This is due to their extreme chemical stability and their exclusive occurrence in vertebrate faeces, compared to other ubiquitous sterols and steroids.
Millisecond photonic sintering of iron oxide doped alumina ceramic coatings
Authors: Gilshtein Evgeniia , Pfeiffer Stefan , Rossell Marta D. , Sastre Jordi , Gorjan Lovro , Erni Rolf , Tiwari Ayodhya N. , Graule Thomas , Romanyuk Yaroslav E.
Published: February 2021

The sintering of alumina (Al2O3) traditionally occurs at high temperatures (up to ca. 1700 °C) and in significantly long times (up to several hours), which are required for the consolidation of the material by diffusion processes. Here we investigate the photonic sintering of alumina particles using millisecond flash lamp irradiation with extreme heating rates up to 108 K/min. The limitation of the low visible light absorption of alumina is resolved by adding colored α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles, which initiated the grain growth during sintering. After the millisecond-long light pulses from a xenon flash lamp, a bimodal mixture of α-Al2O3 precursor particles was sintered and iron segregation at the grain boundaries was observed. The proposed photonic sintering approach based on doping with colored centers may be extended to other refractory ceramics with low absorption in the visible light range once appropriate high-absorbing dopants are identified.
A YoeB toxin cleaves both RNA and DNA
Authors: McGillick Julia , Ames Jessica R. , Murphy Tamiko , Bourne Christina R.
Published: February 2021

Type II toxin-antitoxin systems contain a toxin protein, which mediates diverse interactions within the bacterial cell when it is not bound by its cognate antitoxin protein. These toxins provide a rich source of evolutionarily-conserved tertiary folds that mediate diverse catalytic reactions. These properties make toxins of interest in biotechnology applications, and studies of the catalytic mechanisms continue to provide surprises. In the current work, our studies on a YoeB family toxin from Agrobacterium tumefaciens have revealed a conserved ribosome-independent non-specific nuclease activity. We have quantified the RNA and DNA cleavage activity, revealing they have essentially equivalent dose-dependence while differing in requirements for divalent cations and pH sensitivity. The DNA cleavage activity is as a nickase for any topology of double-stranded DNA, as well as cleaving single-stranded DNA. AtYoeB is able to bind to double-stranded DNA with mid-micromolar affinity. Comparison of the ribosome-dependent and -independent reactions demonstrates an approximate tenfold efficiency imparted by the ribosome. This demonstrates YoeB toxins can act as non-specific nucleases, cleaving both RNA and DNA, in the absence of being bound within the ribosome.
The neurorepellent, Slit2, prevents macrophage lipid loading by inhibiting CD36-dependent binding and internalization of oxidized low-density lipoprotein
Authors: Yusuf Bushra , Mukovozov Ilya , Patel Sajedabanu , Huang Yi-Wei , Liu Guang Ying , Reddy Emily C. , Skrtic Marko , Glogauer Michael , Robinson Lisa A.
Published: February 2021

Atherosclerosis is characterized by retention of modified lipoproteins, especially oxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) within the sub-endothelial space of affected blood vessels. Recruited monocyte-derived and tissue-resident macrophages subsequently ingest oxLDL by binding and internalizing oxLDL via scavenger receptors, particularly CD36. The secreted neurorepellent, Slit2, acting through its transmembrane receptor, Roundabout-1 (Robo-1), was previously shown to inhibit recruitment of monocytes into nascent atherosclerotic lesions. The effects of Slit2 on oxLDL uptake by macrophages have not been explored. We report here that Slit2 inhibits uptake of oxLDL by human and murine macrophages, and the resulting formation of foam cells, in a Rac1-dependent and CD36-dependent manner. Exposure of macrophages to Slit2 prevented binding of oxLDL to the surface of cells. Using super-resolution microscopy, we observed that exposure of macrophages to Slit2 induced profound cytoskeletal remodeling with formation of a thick ring of cortical actin within which clusters of CD36 could not aggregate, thereby attenuating binding of oxLDL to the surface of cells. By inhibiting recruitment of monocytes into early atherosclerotic lesions, and the subsequent binding and internalization of oxLDL by macrophages, Slit2 could represent a potent new tool to combat individual steps that collectively result in progression of atherosclerosis.
Sites responsible for infectivity and antigenicity on nervous necrosis virus (NNV) appear to be distinct
Authors: Gye Hyun Jung , Nishizawa Toyohiko
Published: February 2021

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) is a pathogenic fish-virus belonging to the genus Betanodavirus (Nodaviridae). Surface protrusions on NNV particles play a crucial role in both antigenicity and infectivity. We exposed purified NNV particles to different physicochemical conditions to investigate the effects on antigenicity and infectivity, in order to reveal information regarding the conformational stability and spatial relationships of NNV neutralizing-antibody binding sites and cell receptor binding sites. Treatment with PBS at 37 °C, drastically reduced NNV antigenicity by 66–79% on day one, whereas its infectivity declined gradually from 107.6 to 105.8 TCID50/ml over 10 days. When NNV was treated with carbonate/bicarbonate buffers at different pHs, both antigenicity and infectivity of NNV declined due to higher pH. However, the rate of decline with respect to antigenicity was more moderate than for infectivity. NNV antigenicity declined 75–84% after treatment with 2.0 M urea, however, there was no reduction observed in infectivity. The antibodies used in antigenicity experiments have high NNV-neutralizing titers and recognize conformational epitopes on surface protrusions. The maintenance of NNV infectivity means that receptor binding sites are functionally preserved. Therefore, it seems highly likely that NNV neutralizing-antibody binding sites and receptor binding sites are independently located on surface protrusions.
Dynamics of detailed components of metabolic syndrome associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease and death
Authors: Lin Ting-Yu , Chien Kuo-Liong , Chiu Yueh-Hsia , Chuang Pi-Chun , Yen Ming-Fang , Chen Hsiu-Hsi
Published: February 2021

Few studies quantify a cascade of dynamic transitions on the detailed components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and subsequent progressions to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its death. A total of 47,495 subjects repeatedly attending a community-based integrated screening program in Taiwan were recruited. The refined MetS-related classification (RMRC) in relation to five criteria of MetS was defined as free of metabolic disorder (FMD, none of any criteria), mild metabolic disorder (MMD, 1–2 criteria) and MetS. A multistate Markov model was used for modelling such a multistate process. The estimated progression rate from FMD to MMD was 44.82% (95% CI 42.95–46.70%) whereas the regression rate was estimated as 29.11% (95% CI 27.77–30.45%). The progression rate from MMD to MetS was estimated as 6.15% (95% CI 5.89–6.42%). The estimated annual incidence rates of CVD increased with the severity of RMRC, being 1.62% (95% CI 1.46–1.79%) for FMD, 4.74% (95% CI 4.52–4.96%) for MMD, to 20.22% (95% CI 19.52–20.92%) for MetS. The estimated hazard rate of CVD death was 6.1 (95% CI 4.6–7.7) per thousand. Elucidating the dynamics of MetS-related transition and quantifying the incidence and prognosis of CVD provide a new insight into the design and the evaluation of intervention programs for CVD.
Using antisense oligonucleotides for the physiological modulation of the alternative splicing of NF1 exon 23a during PC12 neuronal differentiation
Authors: Biayna Josep , Mazuelas Helena , Gel Bernat , Terribas Ernest , Dumbovic Gabrijela , Rosas Inma , Fernández-Rodriguez Juana , Blanco Ignacio , Castellanos Elisabeth , Carrió Meritxell , Lazaro Conxi , Serra Eduard
Published: February 2021

Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is a genetic condition affecting approximately 1:3500 persons worldwide. The NF1 gene codes for neurofibromin protein, a GTPase activating protein (GAP) and a negative regulator of RAS. The NF1 gene undergoes alternative splicing of exon 23a (E23a) that codes for 21 amino acids placed at the center of the GAP related domain (GRD). E23a-containing type II neurofibromin exhibits a weaker Ras-GAP activity compared to E23a-less type I isoform. Exon E23a has been related with the cognitive impairment present in NF1 individuals. We designed antisense Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers (PMOs) to modulate E23a alternative splicing at physiological conditions of gene expression and tested their impact during PC12 cell line neuronal differentiation. Results show that any dynamic modification of the natural ratio between type I and type II isoforms disturbed neuronal differentiation, altering the proper formation of neurites and deregulating both the MAPK/ERK and cAMP/PKA signaling pathways. Our results suggest an opposite regulation of these pathways by neurofibromin and the possible existence of a feedback loop sensing neurofibromin-related signaling. The present work illustrates the utility of PMOs to study alternative splicing that could be applied to other alternatively spliced genes in vitro and in vivo.
Comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of two rice subspecies during domestication
Authors: Pang Hongbo , Chen Qiang , Li Yueying , Wang Ze , Wu Longkun , Yang Qingwen , Zheng Xiaoming
Published: February 2021

Two subspecies of rice, Oryza sativa ssp. indica and O. sativa ssp. japonica, with reproductive isolation and differences in morphology and phenotypic differences, were established during the process of rice domestication. To understand how domestication has changed the transcriptomes of the two rice subspecies and given rise to the phenotypic differences, we obtained approximately 700 Gb RNA-Seq data from 26 indica and 25 japonica accessions, and identified 97,005 transcribed fragments and 4579 novel transcriptionally active regions. The two rice subspecies had significantly different gene expression profiles, we identified 1,357 (3.3% in all genes) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between indica and japonica rice. Combining existing gene function studies, it is found that some of these differential genes are related to the differentiation of the two subspecies, such as grain shape and cold tolerance, etc. Functional annotation of these DEGs indicates that they are involved in cell wall biosynthesis and reproductive processes. Furthermore, compared with the non-DEGs, the DEGs from both subspecies had more 5′flanking regions with low polymorphism to divergence ratios, indicating a stronger positive selection pressure on the regulation of the DEGs. This study improves our understanding of the rice genome by comparatively analyzing the transcriptomes of indica and japonica rice and identifies DEGs those may be responsible for the reproductive isolation and phenotypic differences between the two rice subspecies.
Conservation machine learning: a case study of random forests
Authors: Sipper Moshe , Moore Jason H.
Published: February 2021

Conservation machine learning conserves models across runs, users, and experiments—and puts them to good use. We have previously shown the merit of this idea through a small-scale preliminary experiment, involving a single dataset source, 10 datasets, and a single so-called cultivation method—used to produce the final ensemble. In this paper, focusing on classification tasks, we perform extensive experimentation with conservation random forests, involving 5 cultivation methods (including a novel one introduced herein—lexigarden), 6 dataset sources, and 31 datasets. We show that significant improvement can be attained by making use of models we are already in possession of anyway, and envisage the possibility of repositories ofmodels(not merely datasets, solutions, or code), which could be made available to everyone, thus having conservation live up to its name, furthering the cause of data and computational science.
Helical growth during the phototropic response, avoidance response, and in stiff mutants of Phycomyces blakesleeanus
Authors: Ortega Joseph K. E. , Mohan Revathi P. , Munoz Cindy M. , Sridhar Shankar Lalitha , Vernerey Franck J.
Published: February 2021

The sporangiophores of Phycomyces blakesleeanus have been used as a model system to study sensory transduction, helical growth, and to establish global biophysical equations for expansive growth of walled cells. More recently, local statistical biophysical models of the cell wall are being constructed to better understand the molecular underpinnings of helical growth and its behavior during the many growth responses of the sporangiophores to sensory stimuli. Previous experimental and theoretical findings guide the development of these local models. Future development requires an investigation of explicit and implicit assumptions made in the prior research. Here, experiments are conducted to test three assumptions made in prior research, that (a) elongation rate, (b) rotation rate, and (c) helical growth steepness, R, of the sporangiophore remain constant during the phototropic response (bending toward unilateral light) and the avoidance response (bending away from solid barriers). The experimental results reveal that all three assumptions are incorrect for the phototropic response and probably incorrect for the avoidance response but the results are less conclusive. Generally, the experimental results indicate that the elongation and rotation rates increase during these responses, as does R, indicating that the helical growth steepness become flatter. The implications of these findings on prior research, the “fibril reorientation and slippage” hypothesis, global biophysical equations, and local statistical biophysical models are discussed.
Molecular characterization of a soybean FT homologue, GmFT7
Authors: Zhang Senhao , Singh Mohan B. , Bhalla Prem L.
Published: February 2021

Soybean (Glycine max) is a vital oilseed legume crop that provides protein and oil for humans and feedstock for animals. Flowering is a prerequisite for seed production. Floral transition, from vegetative to reproductive stage, in a plant, is regulated by environmental (light, temperature) and endogenous factors. In Arabidopsis, Flowering Locus T (FT) protein is shown to be a mobile signal that moves from leaf to shoot apical meristem to induce flowering. However, FTs role in soybean is not fully resolved due to the presence of multiple (ten) homologs in the genome. Two of the ten FT homologs (GmFT2a and GmFT5a) have a role in the floral transition while GmFT1a and GmFT4 suppress soybean flowering. Recent deep sequencing data revealed that six FT homologs are expressed in shoot apical meristem and leaves during floral transition. One FT homolog, GmFT7 showed strong expression during soybean floral transition. Though bioinformatic analyses revealed that GmFT7 had high similarity with GmFT2a, ectopic GmFT7 expression in Arabidopsis could not promote flowering or rescue the late-flowering phenotype of Arabidopsis ft-10 mutant.
Pembrolizumab in vaginal and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma: a case series from a phase II basket trial
Authors: How Jeffrey A. , Jazaeri Amir A. , Soliman Pamela T. , Fleming Nicole D. , Gong Jing , Piha-Paul Sarina A. , Janku Filip , Stephen Bettzy , Naing Aung
Published: February 2021

Vaginal and vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are rare tumors that can be challenging to treat in the recurrent or metastatic setting. We present a case series of patients with vaginal or vulvar SCC who were treated with single-agent pembrolizumab as part of a phase II basket clinical trial to evaluate efficacy and safety. Two cases of recurrent and metastatic vaginal SCC, with multiple prior lines of systemic chemotherapy and radiation, received pembrolizumab. One patient had significant reduction (81%) in target tumor lesions prior to treatment discontinuation at cycle 10 following confirmed progression of disease with new metastatic lesions (stable disease by irRECIST criteria). In contrast, the other patient with vaginal SCC discontinued treatment after cycle 3 due to disease progression. Both patients had PD-L1 positive vaginal tumors and tolerated treatment well. One case of recurrent vulvar SCC with multiple surgical resections and prior progression on systemic carboplatin had a 30% reduction in her target tumor lesions following pembrolizumab treatment with a PD-L1 positive tumor. Treatment was discontinued for grade 3 mucositis after cycle 5. Pembrolizumab may provide some clinical benefit to some patients with vaginal or vulvar SCC and is overall safe to utilize in this population. Future studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of pembrolizumab in these rare tumor types and to identify predictive biomarkers of response.
Detection of involved margins in breast specimens with X-ray phase-contrast computed tomography
Authors: Massimi Lorenzo , Suaris Tamara , Hagen Charlotte K. , Endrizzi Marco , Munro Peter R. T. , Havariyoun Glafkos , Hawker P. M. Sam , Smit Bennie , Astolfo Alberto , Larkin Oliver J. , Waltham Richard M. , Shah Zoheb , Duffy Stephen W. , Nelan Rachel L. , Peel Anthony , Jones J. Louise , Haig Ian G. , Bate David , Olivo Alessandro
Published: February 2021

Margins of wide local excisions in breast conserving surgery are tested through histology, which can delay results by days and lead to second operations. Detection of margin involvement intraoperatively would allow the removal of additional tissue during the same intervention. X-ray phase contrast imaging (XPCI) provides soft tissue sensitivity superior to conventional X-rays: we propose its use to detect margin involvement intraoperatively. We have developed a system that can perform phase-based computed tomography (CT) scans in minutes, used it to image 101 specimens approximately half of which contained neoplastic lesions, and compared results against those of a commercial system. Histological analysis was carried out on all specimens and used as the gold standard. XPCI-CT showed higher sensitivity (83%, 95% CI 69–92%) than conventional specimen imaging (32%, 95% CI 20–49%) for detection of lesions at margin, and comparable specificity (83%, 95% CI 70–92% vs 86%, 95% CI 73–93%). Within the limits of this study, in particular that specimens obtained from surplus tissue typically contain small lesions which makes detection more difficult for both methods, we believe it likely that the observed increase in sensitivity will lead to a comparable reduction in the number of re-operations.
Author Correction: Development of chloroplast genome resources for peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and other species of Arachis
Authors: Yin Dongmei , Wang Yun , Zhang Xingguo , Ma Xingli , He Xiaoyan , Zhang Jianhang
Published: February 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Smartphone apps for depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of techniques to increase engagement
Authors: Wu Ashley , Scult Matthew A. , Barnes Emily D. , Betancourt Jessica A. , Falk Avital , Gunning Faith M.
Published: February 2021

Meta-analyses have shown that digital mental health apps can be efficacious in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety. However, real-world usage of apps is typically not sustained over time, and no studies systematically examine which features increase sustained engagement with apps or the relationship between engagement features and clinical efficacy. We conducted a systematic search of the literature to identify empirical studies that (1) investigate standalone apps for depression and/or anxiety in symptomatic participants and (2) report at least one measure of engagement. Features intended to increase engagement were categorized using the persuasive system design (PSD) framework and principles of behavioral economics. Twenty-five studies with 4159 participants were included in the analysis. PSD features were commonly used, whereas behavioral economics techniques were not. Smartphone apps were efficacious in treating symptoms of anxiety and depression in randomized controlled trials, with overall small-to-medium effects (g = 0.2888, SE = 0.0999, z(15) = 2.89, p = 0.0119, Q(df = 14) = 41.93, p < 0.0001, I2 = 66.6%), and apps that employed a greater number of engagement features as compared to the control condition had larger effect sizes (β = 0.0450, SE = 0.0164, t(15) = 2.7344, p = 0.0161). We observed an unexpected negative association between PSD features and engagement, as measured by completion rate (β = −0.0293, SE = 0.0121, t(17) = 02.4142, p = 0.0281). Overall, PSD features show promise for augmenting app efficacy, though engagement, as reflected in study completion, may not be the primary factor driving this association. The results suggest that expanding the use of PSD features in mental health apps may increase clinical benefits and that other techniques, such as those informed by behavioral economics, are employed infrequently.
Polysaccharides from fermentedMomordica charantiaL. withLactobacillus plantarumNCU116 ameliorate metabolic disorders and gut microbiota change in obese rats
Authors: Wen Jia-Jia , Li Ming-Zhi , Gao He , Hu Jie-Lun , Nie Qi-Xing , Chen Hai-Hong , Zhang Yan-Li , Xie Ming-Yong , Nie Shao-Ping
Published: February 2021

Obesity is a chronic disease characterized by overweight resulting from fat accumulation, along with disturbance of metabolism and gut microbiota.
Digestive characteristics and peptide release from wheat embryo proteins in vitro
Authors: Chen Wenjing , Liao Aimei , Hou Yinchen , Pan Long , Yu Guanghai , Du Jun , Yang Canrui , Li Xiaoxiao , Huang Jihong
Published: February 2021

The nutritional repair function of wheat embryo protein is determined by its digestive fate.
An efficient synthetic route to l-γ-methyleneglutamine and its amide derivatives, and their selective anticancer activity
Authors: Hossain Md Imran , Thomas Ajit G. , Mahdi Fakhri , Adam Amna T. , Akins Nicholas S. , Woodard Morgan M. , Paris Jason J. , Slusher Barbara S. , Le Hoang V.
Published: February 2021

l-γ-Methyleneglutamic acid amides selectively inhibit the growth of MCF-7 (ER+/PR+/HER2−), SK-BR-3 (ER−/PR−/HER2+), and triple negative MDA-MB-231 cancer cell lines.
Soft-chemistry synthesis, solubility and interlayer spacing of carbon nano-onions
Authors: Guo Aoping , Bao Kuo , Sang Song , Zhang Xiaobao , Shao Baiyi , Zhang Ce , Wang Yangyang , Cui Fangming , Yang Xiaojing
Published: February 2021

We present a critical review of CNOs regarding the structure and synthesis process, elaborating the recent reports on soft-chemistry methods under mild conditions. In particular, solubility and interlayer spacing are discussed.
Novel albumin-binding photothermal agent ICG-IBA-RGD for targeted fluorescent imaging and photothermal therapy of cancer
Authors: Yu Cheng , Xiao Enhua , Xu Pengfei , Lin Jingjing , Hu Linan , Zhang Jie , Dai Shengzhen , Ding Zhuyuan , Xiao Yuyang , Chen Zhu
Published: February 2021

In this work, we present a novel photothermal agentICG-IBA-RGDbased on albumin-binding strategy for enhanced tumor targeting imaging and photothermal therapy.
Detection techniques of biological and chemical Hall sensors
Authors: Fan Hua , Wang Jiangming , Feng Quanyuan , Hu Qiang , Zuo Siming , Nabaei Vahid , Heidari Hadi
Published: February 2021

Integrated magnetic Hall effect sensors have been widely used in people's lives over the past decades. They are still gaining enormous attention from researchers to establish novel applications, especially in biochemistry and biomedical healthcare.
The inhibition performance of a novel benzenesulfonamide-based benzoxazine compound in the corrosion of X60 carbon steel in an acidizing environment
Authors: Alamry Khalid A. , Hussein Mahmoud A. , Musa Abdulrahman , Haruna Kabiru , Saleh Tawfik A.
Published: February 2021

The inhibition performance of a novel benzenesulfonamide-based benzoxazine compound in the corrosion of X60 carbon steel an acidizing environment has been examined including some highly electronegative atoms.
Copper-free Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions: an overview
Authors: Mohajer Fatemeh , Heravi Majid M. , Zadsirjan Vahideh , Poormohammad Nargess
Published: February 2021

The Sonogashira reaction is a cross-coupling reaction of a vinyl or aryl halide with a terminal alkyne to form a C–C bond.
Semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide containing butylated hydroxytoluene moiety: new potential antioxidant additives for synthetic lubricating oil
Authors: Sazeli Syabilah , Nath Amit R. , Ahmad Mohd Hafiz , Zulkifli N. W. M. , Johan Mohd Rafie , Yehye Wageeh A. , Voon Lee Hwei
Published: February 2021

New multipotent antioxidants (MPAOs), namely semicarbazides and thiosemicarbazides bearing thiolated butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), were synthesized.
Ultrasonic induced mechanoacoustic effect on delignification of rice straw for cost effective biopretreatment and biomethane recovery
Authors: Kannah R. Yukesh , S. Kavitha , P. Sivashanmugam , Kumar Gopalakrishnan , Banu J. Rajesh
Published: February 2021

The mass transfer limitation of biopretreatment (BAC) of rice straw biomass can be improved by a delignification process prior to BAC for energy efficient biomethane recovery.
CALPHAD as a powerful technique for design and fabrication of thermoelectric materials
Authors: Li Xiaofang , Li Zhou , Chen Chen , Ren Zhifeng , Wang Cuiping , Liu Xingjun , Zhang Qian , Chen Shuo
Published: February 2021

This review focuses on the guiding role of CALculation of PHAse Diagram (CALPHAD): providing comprehensive thermodynamic and kinetic information to bridge the theoretical design and experimental synthesis of TE materials.
Synergistic effect of cocatalytic NiSe2 on stable 1T-MoS2 for hydrogen evolution
Authors: Li Zhen , Ma Xinzhi , Wu Lili , Ye Hongfeng , Li Lu , Lin Shuangyan , Zhang Xitian , Shao Zhitao , Yang Yue , Gao Hong
Published: February 2021

N-doped NiSe2 nanoparticles were selected as the cocatalytic support for 1T-MoS2 nanosheets to construct an efficient and stable heterogeneous 1T-MoS2/N-doped NiSe2 catalyst for HER.
Diabetes mellitus: a primary metabolic disturbance. Metabolomics underlying vascular responses to stress and ischemia?
Authors: Oikonomou Evangelos , Tsioufis Costas , Tousoulis Dimitris
Published: February 2021

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a primary metabolic disorder and the impact of this entity on maladaptive tissue and organ responses may be mediated through alter metabolomic profile and signatures at steady state or at stress. To this point of view Beckman et al. (Clin. Sci. (Lond.) (2020) 134, 2369–2379), in a hypothesis-generated study, investigated how metabolomic profile is affected following branchial artery ischemia. Interestingly, they found that there is a dynamic and altered change of metabolites associated with energy substrate and with glycolysis/glyconeogenesis in patients with DM. This evidence may shed light on the impaired muscle tolerance in subjects with DM and on impaired vasoreactivity. However, these data lack the ability to be conclusive and further steps should be explored to understand how metabolomic profile is implicated in the response of muscle tissue to ischemia and to the clinical profile of subjects with DM.
Exponential input‐to‐state stability of delay reaction‐diffusion systems
Authors: Ren Meng‐Zhen , Liu Xiao‐Zhen , Wu Kai‐Ning
Published: February 2021

This brief paper considers the exponential input‐to‐state stability (EISS) for delay reaction‐diffusion systems (DRDSs). The distributed input and boundary input are both included in the considered model. Boundary input is an important characteristic for DRDSs which are a kind of partial differential systems. Using Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional method and Wirtinger‐type inequality, a delay‐dependent sufficient condition is obtained to ensure the EISS of DRDSs. Besides the effect of time delay on the EISS, this sufficient condition also shows the effect of the diffusion term on the EISS and this is a significant property of reaction–diffusion systems differing from the ordinary differential systems. At last, numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Quasi‐LPV PI control of TRMS subject to actuator saturation
Authors: Goyal Jitendra Kumar , Aggarwal Shubham , Ghosh Sandip , Kamal Shyam , Dworak Pawel
Published: February 2021

This study is concerned on the design of a quasi‐linear parameter varying (qLPV) proportional–integral (PI) controller for twin rotor multiple‐input multiple‐output systems (TRMS). The non‐linear model is represented as a qLPV polytopic plant with an affine dependence on a non‐linear parametric function of the pitch angle. This representation retains the exact model as opposed to the conventional linearisation around an operating point. Due to the availability of the pitch angle measurement, the non‐linear parameter can be obtained in real‐time and the controller is designed using qLPV technique. To deal with limited control input for such systems, the proposed controller design also considers the actuator saturation that yields controller with practical gains without any additional gain bound criterion. Further, the transient tracking performance is also considered in the design by using closed‐loop eigenvalues assignment in desired damping regions. The control synthesis problem is formulated in the form of linear matrix inequalities for gain based performance criterion. The designed controller is validated on a two‐degree of freedom helicopter experimental setup. Finally, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design, a comparative analysis is done with the existing algorithms. Also, the efficacy of the decentralised controller vis‐a‐vis the centralised one is presented.
Event‐based switching control for networked switched systems under nonperiodic DoS jamming attacks
Authors: Yang Fan , Gu Zhou , Tian Engang , Yan Shen
Published: February 2021

This study addresses the event‐based control of networked switched systems subject to cyber attacks. A novel mode‐based event‐triggered mechanism is proposed, which is capable of characterising non‐periodic denial‐of‐service (DoS) attacks. A switching control law is employed in each subsystem to weaken the negative effects caused by DoS attacks. The time sequences of system switchings, event triggerings and intermittent DoS attack behaviours are fully investigated, which yields a resultant closed control system. Then, by using piecewise Lyapunov functional methods, sufficient conditions are formulated to guarantee the concerned system exponentially stable. Meanwhile, the co‐design methods for switching controllers and event‐triggering parameters can be developed. Finally, a numerical simulation example and a practical example of a second‐order oscillating circuit are presented to verify the proposed methods.
Robust point‐to‐point iterative learning control with trial‐varying initial conditions
Authors: Tao Hongfeng , Li Jian , Chen Yiyang , Stojanovic Vladimir , Yang Huizhong
Published: February 2021

Iterative learning control (ILC) is a high‐performance technique for repeated control tasks with design postulates on a fixed reference profile and identical initial conditions. However, the tracking performance is only critical at few points in point‐to‐point tasks, and their initial conditions are usually trial‐varying within a certain range in practice, which essentially degrades the performance of conventional ILC algorithms. Therefore, this study reformulates the ILC problem setup for point‐to‐point tasks and considers the effort of trial‐varying initial conditions in algorithm design. To reduce the tracking error, it proposes a worst‐case norm‐optimal problem and reformulates it into a convex optimisation problem using the Lagrange dual approach. In this sense, a robust ILC algorithm is derived based on iteratively solving this problem. The study also shows that the proposed robust ILC is equivalent to conventional norm‐optimal ILC with trial‐varying parameters. A numerical simulation case study is conducted to compare the performance of this algorithm with that of other control algorithms while performing a given point‐to‐point tracking task. The results reveal its efficiency for the specific task and robustness against trial‐varying initial conditions.
Stability conditions for linear discrete‐time switched systems in block companion form
Authors: De Iuliis Vittorio , D'Innocenzo Alessandro , Germani Alfredo , Manes Costanzo
Published: February 2021

Switched models whose dynamic matrices are in block companion form arise in theoretical and applicative problems such as representing switched ARX models in state‐space form for control purposes. Inspired by some insightful results on the delay‐independent stability of discrete‐time systems with time‐varying delays, in this work, the authors study the arbitrary switching stability for some classes of block companion discrete‐time switched systems. They start from the special case in which the first block‐row is made of permutations of non‐negative matrices, deriving a simple necessary and sufficient stability condition under arbitrary switching. The condition is computationally less demanding than the sufficient‐only existence of a linear common Lyapunov function. Then, both non‐negativity and combinatorial assumptions are dropped, at the expense of introducing conservatism. Some implications on the computation of the joint spectral radius for the aforementioned families of matrices are illustrated.