bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of long intergenic non-coding RNAs transcriptomic profiling in skeletal muscle growth during porcine embryonic development
Authors: Zhao Wenjuan , Li Zijing , Liu Quan , Xie Su , Li Mengxun , Wang Yuan , Li Changchun
Published: July 2021

Skeletal muscle growth plays a critical role during porcine muscle development stages. Genome-wide transcriptome analysis reveals that long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) are implicated as crucial regulator involving in epigenetic regulation. However, comprehensive analysis of lincRNAs in embryonic muscle development stages remain still elusive. Here, we investigated the transcriptome profiles of Duroc embryonic muscle tissues from days 33, 65, and 90 of gestation using RNA-seq, and 228 putative lincRNAs were identified. Moreover, these lincRNAs exhibit the characteristics of shorter transcripts length, longer exons, less exon numbers and lower expression level compared with protein-coding transcripts. Expression profile analysis showed that a total of 120 lincRNAs and 2638 mRNAs were differentially expressed. In addition, we also performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping analysis for differentially expressed lincRNAs (DE lincRNAs), 113 of 120 DE lincRNAs were localized on 2200 QTLs, we observed many QTLs involved in growth and meat quality traits. Furthermore, we predicted potential target genes of DE lincRNAs in cis or trans regulation. Gene ontology and pathway analysis reveals that potential targets of DE lincRNAs mostly were enriched in the processes and pathways related to tissue development, MAPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway and insulin signaling pathway, which involved in skeletal muscle physiological functions. Based on cluster analysis, co-expression network analysis of DE lincRNAs and their potential target genes indicated that DE lincRNAs highly regulated protein-coding genes associated with skeletal muscle development. In this study, many of the DE lincRNAs may play essential roles in pig muscle growth and muscle mass. Our study provides crucial information for further exploring the molecular mechanisms of lincRNAs during skeletal muscle development.
Combined detection of peripheral blood VEGF and inflammation biomarkers to evaluate the clinical response and prognostic prediction of non-operative ESCC
Authors: Ma Yuanyuan , Su Xinyu , Li Xin , Zhi Xiaohui , Jiang Kan , Xia Jianhong , Li Hongliang , Yan Chen , Zhou Liqing
Published: July 2021

An association between angiogenesis/inflammation status and tumor has been reported in various types of cancer. This study sought to assess the role of peripheral blood VEGF and some inflammation biomarkers in evaluating clinical response and prognosis in patients with non-operative esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Peripheral blood of 143 patients with non-operative ESCC at our institute was dynamically collected at 5 time points including 1 day before radiotherapy, during radiotherapy (15f), at the end of radiotherapy, 1 month after radiotherapy, and 3 months after radiotherapy. VEGF expression in the peripheral blood was detected and related inflammation biomarkers such as GPS, CAR and CLR were counted. Logistic regression and Cox regression were implemented respectively to analyze the correlation of each predictor with clinical response and prognosis. The performance of combined testing was estimated using AUCs. Based on independent predictors, a nomogram prediction model was established to predict the probabilities of 1- and 2-year PFS of patients. The effectiveness of the nomogram model was characterized by C-index, AUC, calibration curves and DCA. VEGF and CLR levels at the end of radiotherapy were independent predictors of clinical response, while VEGF and GPS levels at 3 months after radiotherapy were independent prognostic predictors. The efficacy of combined detection of VEGF and CLR is superior to the single detection in evaluating clinical response and prognosis. The nomogram showed excellent accuracy in predicting PFS. The combined detection of VEGF and CLR at the end of radiotherapy can be used to evaluate the clinical response of patients with non-operative ESCC, and the combined detection of VEGF and GPS 3 months after radiotherapy can be used to predict the prognosis. Implemented by nomogram model, it is expected to provide practical and reliable method to evaluate the clinical response and prognosis of patients with non-operative ESCC tool.
Monocyte-dependent co-stimulation of cytokine induction in human γδ T cells by TLR8 RNA ligands
Authors: Serrano Ruben , Coch Christoph , Peters Christian , Hartmann Gunther , Wesch Daniela , Kabelitz Dieter
Published: July 2021

Human Vγ9Vδ2 T cells recognize pyrophosphates produced by microbes and transformed cells and play a role in anti-infective immunity and tumor surveillance. Toll-like receptors (TLR) are pattern recognition receptors in innate immune cells which sense microbial structures including nucleic acids. Given that γδ T cells are in clinical development for application in cellular cancer immunotherapy and TLR ligands have potent adjuvant activity, we investigated the co-stimulatory role of selected TLR ligands in γδ T-cell activation. Here we have used recently described RNA ligands for TLR7 and TLR8 together with Vγ9Vδ2 T-cell specific pyrophosphate antigens to analyze the rapid cytokine induction in Vδ2 T cells as well as the accessory cell requirements. While TLR8- as well as TLR7/8-specific RNA did not induce IFN-γ in Vδ2 T cells on their own, they provided strong co-stimulation for Vδ2 T cells within peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the presence of additional T-cell receptor activation. In contrast, TLR7 ligands were ineffective. Purified γδ T cells did not directly respond to TLR8 co-stimulation but required the presence of monocytes. Further experiments revealed a critical role of IL-1β and IL-18, and to a slightly lesser extent of IL-12p70, in the co-stimulation of Vδ2 T cells by TLR8 and TLR7/8 RNA ligands. Results of intracellular cytokine expression were validated by ELISA analysis of cytokines in cell culture supernatants. The cell context-dependent adjuvant activity of TLR8 and TLR7/8 RNA ligands described here might be important for the future optimization of γδ T-cell based cancer immunotherapy.
A data-driven approach to modeling cancer cell mechanics during microcirculatory transport
Authors: Balogh Peter , Gounley John , Roychowdhury Sayan , Randles Amanda
Published: July 2021

In order to understand the effect of cellular level features on the transport of circulating cancer cells in the microcirculation, there has been an increasing reliance on high-resolution in silico models. Accurate simulation of cancer cells flowing with blood cells requires resolving cellular-scale interactions in 3D, which is a significant computational undertaking warranting a cancer cell model that is both computationally efficient yet sufficiently complex to capture relevant behavior. Given that the characteristics of metastatic spread are known to depend on cancer type, it is crucial to account for mechanistic behavior representative of a specific cancer’s cells. To address this gap, in the present work we develop and validate a means by which an efficient and popular membrane model-based approach can be used to simulate deformable cancer cells and reproduce experimental data from specific cell lines. Here, cells are modeled using the immersed boundary method (IBM) within a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) fluid solver, and the finite element method (FEM) is used to model cell membrane resistance to deformation. Through detailed comparisons with experiments, we (i) validate this model to represent cancer cells undergoing large deformation, (ii) outline a systematic approach to parameterize different cell lines to optimally fit experimental data over a range of deformations, and (iii) provide new insight into nucleated vs. non-nucleated cell models and their ability to match experiments. While many works have used the membrane-model based method employed here to model generic cancer cells, no quantitative comparisons with experiments exist in the literature for specific cell lines undergoing large deformation. Here, we describe a phenomenological, data-driven approach that can not only yield good agreement for large deformations, but explicitly detail how it can be used to represent different cancer cell lines. This model is readily incorporated into cell-resolved hemodynamic transport simulations, and thus offers significant potential to complement experiments towards providing new insights into various aspects of cancer progression.
Lowering DNA binding affinity of SssI DNA methyltransferase does not enhance the specificity of targeted DNA methylation in E. coli
Authors: Ślaska-Kiss Krystyna , Zsibrita Nikolett , Koncz Mihály , Albert Pál , Csábrádi Ákos , Szentes Sarolta , Kiss Antal
Published: July 2021

Targeted DNA methylation is a technique that aims to methylate cytosines in selected genomic loci. In the most widely used approach a CG-specific DNA methyltransferase (MTase) is fused to a sequence specific DNA binding protein, which binds in the vicinity of the targeted CG site(s). Although the technique has high potential for studying the role of DNA methylation in higher eukaryotes, its usefulness is hampered by insufficient methylation specificity. One of the approaches proposed to suppress methylation at unwanted sites is to use MTase variants with reduced DNA binding affinity. In this work we investigated how methylation specificity of chimeric MTases containing variants of the CG-specific prokaryotic MTase M.SssI fused to zinc finger or dCas9 targeting domains is influenced by mutations affecting catalytic activity and/or DNA binding affinity of the MTase domain. Specificity of targeted DNA methylation was assayed in E. coli harboring a plasmid with the target site. Digestions of the isolated plasmids with methylation sensitive restriction enzymes revealed that specificity of targeted DNA methylation was dependent on the activity but not on the DNA binding affinity of the MTase. These results have implications for the design of strategies of targeted DNA methylation.
2D–3D reconstruction of distal forearm bone from actual X-ray images of the wrist using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Shiode Ryoya , Kabashima Mototaka , Hiasa Yuta , Oka Kunihiro , Murase Tsuyoshi , Sato Yoshinobu , Otake Yoshito
Published: July 2021

The purpose of the study was to develop a deep learning network for estimating and constructing highly accurate 3D bone models directly from actual X-ray images and to verify its accuracy. The data used were 173 computed tomography (CT) images and 105 actual X-ray images of a healthy wrist joint. To compensate for the small size of the dataset, digitally reconstructed radiography (DRR) images generated from CT were used as training data instead of actual X-ray images. The DRR-like images were generated from actual X-ray images in the test and adapted to the network, and high-accuracy estimation of a 3D bone model from a small data set was possible. The 3D shape of the radius and ulna were estimated from actual X-ray images with accuracies of 1.05 ± 0.36 and 1.45 ± 0.41 mm, respectively.
Importance of methylammonium iodide partial pressure and evaporation onset for the growth of co-evaporated methylammonium lead iodide absorbers
Authors: Heinze Karl L. , Dolynchuk Oleksandr , Burwig Thomas , Vaghani Jaykumar , Scheer Roland , Pistor Paul
Published: July 2021

Vacuum-based co-evaporation promises to bring perovskite solar cells to larger scales, but details of the film formation from the physical vapor phase are still underexplored. In this work, we investigate the growth of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI$$_3$$

3

) absorbers prepared by co-evaporation of methylammonium iodide (MAI) and lead iodide (PbI$$_2$$

2

) using an in situ X-ray diffraction setup. This setup allows us to characterize crystallization and phase evolution of the growing thin film. The total chamber pressure strongly increases during MAI evaporation. We therefore assume the total chamber pressure to be mainly built up by an MAI atmosphere during deposition and use it to control the MAI evaporation. At first, we optimize the MAI to PbI$$_2$$

2

impingement ratios by varying the MAI pressure at a constant PbI$$_2$$

2

flux rate. We find a strong dependence of the solar cell device performance on the chamber pressure achieving efficiencies > 14$$\%$$
%
in a simple n-i-p structure. On the road to further optimizing the processing conditions we vary the onset time of the PbI$$_2$$

2

and MAI deposition by delaying the start of the MAI evaporation by t = 0/8/16 min. This way, PbI$$_2$$

2

nucleates as a seed layer with a thickness of up to approximately 20 nm during this initial stage. Device performance benefits from these PbI$$_2$$

2

seed layers, which also induce strong preferential thin film orientation as evidenced by grazing incidence wide angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements. Our insights into the growth of MAPbI$$_3$$

3

thin films from the physical vapor phase help to understand the film formation mechanisms and contribute to the further development of MAPbI$$_3$$

3

and related perovskite absorbers.
Rabphilin silencing causes dilated cardiomyopathy in a Drosophila model of nephrocyte damage
Authors: Selma-Soriano Estela , Casillas-Serra Carlos , Artero Rubén , Llamusi Beatriz , Navarro Juan Antonio , Redón Josep
Published: July 2021

Heart failure (HF) and the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) have a direct association. Both can be cause and consequence of the other. Many factors are known, such as diabetes or hypertension, which can lead to the appearance and/or development of these two conditions. However, it is suspected that other factors, namely genetic ones, may explain the differences in the manifestation and progression of HF and CKD among patients. One candidate factor is Rph, a gene expressed in the nervous and excretory system in mammals and Drosophila, encoding a Rab small GTPase family effector protein implicated in vesicular trafficking. We found that Rph is expressed in the Drosophila heart, and the silencing of Rph gene expression in this organ had a strong impact in the organization of fibers and functional cardiac parameters. Specifically, we observed a significant increase in diastolic and systolic diameters of the heart tube, which is a phenotype that resembles dilated cardiomyopathy in humans. Importantly, we also show that silencing of Rabphilin (Rph) expression exclusively in the pericardial nephrocytes, which are part of the flies' excretory system, brings about a non-cell-autonomous effect on the Drosophila cardiac system. In summary, in this work, we demonstrate the importance of Rph in the fly cardiac system and how silencing Rph expression in nephrocytes affects the Drosophila cardiac system.
Text mining of gene–phenotype associations reveals new phenotypic profiles of autism-associated genes
Authors: Li Sijie , Guo Ziqi , Ioffe Jacob B. , Hu Yunfei , Zhen Yi , Zhou Xin
Published: July 2021

Autism is a spectrum disorder with wide variation in type and severity of symptoms. Understanding gene–phenotype associations is vital to unravel the disease mechanisms and advance its diagnosis and treatment. To date, several databases have stored a large portion of gene–phenotype associations which are mainly obtained from genetic experiments. However, a large proportion of gene–phenotype associations are still buried in the autism-related literature and there are limited resources to investigate autism-associated gene–phenotype associations. Given the abundance of the autism-related literature, we were thus motivated to develop Autism_genepheno, a text mining pipeline to identify sentence-level mentions of autism-associated genes and phenotypes in literature through natural language processing methods. We have generated a comprehensive database of gene–phenotype associations in the last five years’ autism-related literature that can be easily updated as new literature becomes available. We have evaluated our pipeline through several different approaches, and we are able to rank and select top autism-associated genes through their unique and wide spectrum of phenotypic profiles, which could provide a unique resource for the diagnosis and treatment of autism. The data resources and the Autism_genpheno pipeline are available at: https://github.com/maiziezhoulab/Autism_genepheno.
Molecular fingerprinting of bovine mastitis-associated Staphylococcus aureus isolates from India
Authors: Annamanedi Madhavi , Sheela P. , Sundareshan Srinivasaiah , Isloor Shrikrishna , Gupta Priya , Jasmeen Pagala , Gargi Madhuranjana , Mallick Sathi , Hegde Nagendra R.
Published: July 2021

Staphylococcus aureus is a major etiological agent of clinical and subclinical bovine mastitis. Owing to the mostly backyard dairy practices, we hypothesized that genetic diversity among mastitis-associated S. aureus from India would be high, and investigated 166 isolates obtained mostly from the Southern State of Karnataka, but also from a few other states. The results revealed (a) 8 to 13 fragments in pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), forming 31 distinct patterns, and (b) 34 spa types, of which three (t17680, t18314, and t18320) were newly identified. Multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) identified 39 sequence types (STs), with ST2454 (34.4%) and ST2459 (24%) being the most commonly represented, which clustered to clonal complexes (CC) CC9 and CC97, respectively; 12 STs were newly identified. Thirty-four (20.5%) of the 166 isolates displayed oxacillin resistance. On the other hand, whereas none were mecC+, 44 (26.5%) isolates were mecA+, with a predominance of SCCmecIVb (26/32 isolates, others being untypeable); 24 isolates (14.46%) were oxacillin-susceptible methicillin-resistant S. aureus (OS-MRSA; mecA+ but OS). Integrated analysis revealed that CC9-ST2454- and CC97-ST2459-SCCmecIVb were the predominant MRSA, although the distribution of CC9 and CC97 was similar between methicillin-resistant and -susceptible isolates. By PCR, 56.25%, 28.75% and 47.5% of the 166 isolates were positive for hlg, tsst and pvl genes, respectively. Our results, for the first time describe the application of a combination of various molecular methods to bovine mastitis-associated S. aureus isolates from India, corroborate the worldwide distribution of CC97 and CC9, and suggest pathogenic potential of the isolates.
Microbiome pattern of Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and feeding substrate in the presence of the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica
Authors: Iancu Lavinia , Angelescu Iulia Roxana , Paun Victoria Ioana , Henríquez-Castillo Carlos , Lavin Paris , Purcarea Cristina
Published: July 2021

The microbial diversity and quantitative dynamics during the insect’s development stages constitute recently developed putative tools in forensic and medical studies. Meanwhile, little is known on the role of insects in spreading foodborne pathogenic bacteria and on the impact of these pathogens on the overall insects and feeding substrate microbiome composition. Here, we provide the first characterization of the bacterial communities harbored in adult and immature stages of Lucilia sericata, one of the first colonizers of decomposed human remains, in the presence of the foodborne pathogen Salmonella enterica using 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing and qPCR. The pathogen transmission from the wild adults to the second generation was observed, with a 101.25× quantitative increase. The microbial patterns from both insect and liver samples were not influenced by the artificial introduction of this pathogenic foodborne bacteria, being dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Overall, our results provided a first detailed overview of the insect and decomposed substrate microbiome in the presence of a human pathogen, advancing the knowledge on the role of microbes as postmortem interval estimators and the transmission of pathogenic bacteria.
Uniqueness of gait kinematics in a cohort study
Authors: Park Gunwoo , Lee Kyoung Min , Koo Seungbum
Published: July 2021

Gait, the style of human walking, has been studied as a behavioral characteristic of an individual. Several studies have utilized gait to identify individuals with the aid of machine learning and computer vision techniques. However, there is a lack of studies on the nature of gait, such as the identification power or the uniqueness. This study aims to quantify the uniqueness of gait in a cohort. Three-dimensional full-body joint kinematics were obtained during normal walking trials from 488 subjects using a motion capture system. The joint angles of the gait cycle were converted into gait vectors. Four gait vectors were obtained from each subject, and all the gait vectors were pooled together. Two gait vectors were randomly selected from the pool and tested if they could be accurately classified if they were from the same person or not. The gait from the cohort was classified with an accuracy of 99.71% using the support vector machine with a radial basis function kernel as a classifier. Gait of a person is as unique as his/her facial motion and finger impedance, but not as unique as fingerprints.
Taxonomic and phylogenetic characterizations reveal four new species of Simplicillium (Cordycipitaceae, Hypocreales) from Guizhou, China
Authors: Chen Wan-Hao , Han Yan-Feng , Liang Jian-Dong , Liang Zong-Qi
Published: July 2021

Simplicillium species are commonly found from soil, seawater, rock surface, decayed wood, air and as symbiotic, endophytic, entomopathogenic and mycoparasitic fungi. Minority insect-associated species was reported. Simplicillium coccinellidae, S. hymenopterorum, S. neolepidopterorum and S. scarabaeoidea were introduced as the newly insect-associated species. The phylogenetic analyses of two combined datasets (LSU + RPB1 + TEF and SSU + ITS + LSU) revealed that S. coccinellidae and S. hymenopterorum were both nested in an independent clade. S. neolepidopterorum and S. scarabaeoidea have a close relationship with S. formicidae and S. lepidopterorum, respectively. S. neolepidopterorum can be easily distinguished from S. formicidae by ellipsoidal to cylindrical, solitary conidia which occasionally gather in short imbricate chains. S. scarabaeoidea could be easily distinguished from S. lepodopterorum by having longer phialides and larger conidia. Based on the morphological and phylogenetic conclusion, we determine the four newly generated isolates as new species of Simplicillium and a new combination is proposed in the genus Leptobacillium.
Invasion dynamics of the European bumblebee Bombus terrestris in the southern part of South America
Authors: Fontúrbel Francisco E. , Murúa Maureen M. , Vieli Lorena
Published: July 2021

Invasive species are one of the main biodiversity loss drivers. Some species can establish and thrive in novel habitats, impacting local communities, as is the case of managed pollinators. In this regard, an invasive species' expansion process over time is critical for its control and management. A good example is the European bumblebeeBombus terrestris, which has rapidly invaded the southern part of South America after being repeatedly introduced in Chile for crop pollination since 1997. We assessed the temporal dynamics ofB. terrestrisinvasion in Argentina and Chile by compiling 562 occurrence points from 2000 to 2019. We used two estimators (minimum convex polygon and 95% fixed kernel) to estimate the increase of the invaded area over time. We found that the area invaded byB. terrestrisin the southern part of South America presents a linear increase over time, which was consistent for both estimators. In this scenario, species traits, environmental characteristics, and introduction dynamics facilitate a rapid invasion process that will continue to expand, reaching other South American countries in the near future. As this bumblebee is a super-generalist, it probably will expand across South America, as climate niche modelling predicts, if no actions were taken.
Performance evaluation of a prescription medication image classification model: an observational cohort
Authors: Lester Corey A. , Li Jiazhao , Ding Yuting , Rowell Brigid , Yang Jessie ‘Xi’ , Kontar Raed Al
Published: July 2021

Technology assistance of pharmacist verification tasks through the use of machine intelligence has the potential to detect dangerous and costly pharmacy dispensing errors. National Drug Codes (NDC) are unique numeric identifiers of prescription drug products for the United States Food and Drug Administration. The physical form of the medication, often tablets and capsules, captures the unique features of the NDC product to help ensure patients receive the same medication product inside their prescription bottle as is found on the label from a pharmacy. We report and evaluate using an automated check to predict the shape, color, and NDC for images showing a pile of pills inside a prescription bottle. In a test set containing 65,274 images of 345 NDC classes, overall macro-average precision was 98.5%. Patterns of incorrect NDC predictions based on similar colors, shapes, and imprints of pills were identified and recommendations to improve the model are provided.
Analytical Applications of Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles (Introduction)
Authors: Nodeh Hamid Rashidi , Jume Binta Hadi
Published: July 2021

Efficient, selective, and sensitive determination of target analytes in analytical samples is essential in laboratory control. Recently, extraction and preconcentration of various target analytes are frequently conducted with a magnetic material before instrument analysis from complex media. Since trace levels of analytes require a potential material to trap them from huge interference of complex matrixes of foods, biological media, and environmental samples. In this regard, scientists have gained specific strategies to improve the efficiency, chemical stability, and selectivity of the magnetic material with different types of functionalized substances including carbon-based material, sol–gel, polymers synthetic or natural, green solvents of ionic liquids or deep eutectic solvent and metal oxides nanoparticles. A combination of magnetic nanoparticles and efficient substances is allowed to form a magnetic platform for easy handling with an external magnetic field without further centrifugation or filtration. The sample preparation technique based on magnetic materials is known as magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE). In this chapter, functionalized magnetic materials as potential adsorbents will be discussed as the MSPE sample preparation method comprehensively in food, biological samples, and water samples.
Design of Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles for Improving Stabilization, Biocompatibility and Uptake Efficiency
Authors: Azeem Iqra , Çitoğlu Senem , Duran Hatice , Yameen Basit
Published: July 2021

In recent years, the idea of designing nanoparticle surfaces displaying improved and controlled properties has raised broad scientific and technological interest. This interest is further augmented by the provision of covalently anchoring various functional groups at the surface of nanoparticles (NPs). Among the various nanomaterials under investigation, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been attracting particular attention, because of their convenient magnetic field-assisted movement. However, there are still many challenges to the practical use of MNPs that necessitate the development of improved surface coating processes to effectively benefit from the unique set of properties offered by the MNPs. Particularly, for in vivo applications, the MNPs must be encapsulated with biocompatible polymers during or after the preparation process to avoid changes from the original structure, formation of large aggregates, and biodegradation upon exposure to the biological system. Consequently, surface modification of MNPs while still maintaining the high magnetic properties of MNPs for the selected application is a requirement. This chapter focuses on the synthesis, surface modification strategies, and application of MNPs. The surface chemical properties of MNPs can be conveniently and robustly controlled by anchoring appropriate functionalities on their surface in the form of a monolayer as well as polymer brushes. Finally, some future trends and perspectives in this research area will be outlined.
Improvement of Adsorbing Properties of Magnetic Nanomaterials by Bioorganic Substrate-mediating Synthesis
Authors: Caregnato P. , Mercado D. F. , Gonzalez M. C.
Published: July 2021

Pure water for analytical use must be free of heavy metals and others contaminants. On-site analysis requires portable water purification devices to improve the quality of water for analytical purposes. Simple water purifiers made of nanoscale magnetic nanoparticles combine the surface useful properties possessed by the nanoscale materials with the possibility of an easy separation from the aqueous media by an external magnetic field after the treatment. The present chapter focuses on the preparation of magnetic nanoparticles with different coatings in order to evaluate their sorption capacity toward metal ions and dyes. In particular, bioorganic substrates were used to coat and template the nanoparticles combining new available surface groups which are involved in the adsorption mechanism. The advantages of the use of soluble bioorganic materials are their low cost, and the strategy of recycle and reuse of waste products. Also, 15 nm size magnetite nanoparticles composed of a crystalline magnetite core and coated with Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) extract, which preferentially incorporates surface carboxylates, phenols, and some organic N groups, is capable of reversibly adsorbing the cationic colorant methylene blue from water. Paramagnetic iron-containing hydroxyapatite (Fe-nAp) nanoparticles and waste bioorganic substrates template iron-containing hydroxyapatite (SBO–Fe-nAp) nanoparticles show particular selectivity in adsorption experiments involving Cu(ii) and Pb(ii) ions from water depending on the surface chemistry of the hydroxyapatite-based adsorbent.
Application of Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles for Organic Analyte Extraction
Authors: Jiménez-Skrzypek G. , González-Curbelo M. Á. , González-Sálamo J. , Ortega-Zamora C. , Hernández-Borges J.
Published: July 2021

Since the introduction of magnetic extraction sorbents in 1996 by Towler et al., magnetic nanoparticles (m-NPs) have gained importance as sorbents in sample preparation procedures, especially in the so-called magnetic-dispersive solid-phase extraction (m-dSPE), as a result of the simplification of the extraction procedure, which saves time and efforts. Despite the fact that m-NPs have been used in some cases as synthesized, without any further modifications, they do not generally have enough extraction capacity for organic analytes and have a high tendency to aggregate as well as a high chemical reactivity, which results in a loss of dispensability and magnetism. As a result, they are generally coated with different materials (i.e., silica, surfactants, ionic liquids, antibodies or aptamers, polymers, carbon nanotubes, molecular organic frameworks, etc. or their mixtures) which enable them to selectively and quantitatively extract a good number of organic analytes from different matrices. The aim of this chapter is to review the current state-of-the-art of the application of coated/functionalized m-NPs in sample pretreatment, especially in m-dSPE, providing a critical and updated overview of the different m-NP coatings and their effectiveness for organic analyte extraction.
Graphene-based Sorbents for Modern Magnetic Solid-phase Extraction Techniques
Authors: Lanças Fernando Mauro , Medina Deyber Arley Vargas , Pereira Dos Santos Natalia Gabrielly , Sinisterra Marcela Jordan
Published: July 2021

Graphene (G) is a cutting-edge two-dimensional material, with a strong non-polar and hydrophobic character. Its honeycomb structure, of sp2-hybridized carbon atoms, confers graphene sorbents with attractive retention and extraction capabilities for carbon-based ring structures. In recent years, graphene and its composites have been widely explored as sorbents in different solid-phase extraction modalities. Nevertheless, graphene-based sorbents are prone to (i) irreversible aggregation, making the packed-beds susceptible to clogging and (ii) very good dispersion, which hinders the sorbent recovery in dispersive procedures. Hence, magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) has become a promising strategy to overcome these limitations. The development and use of G and graphene-oxide (GO)-based magnetic composites have become current hot topics in sample preparation techniques, and a wide diversity of graphene-based magnetic sorbents has been prepared, demonstrating applicability to the uptake of diverse organic compounds from environmental, clinical, forensic, and food samples. This chapter will provide a comprehensive overview of the different reported graphene-based magnetic sorbents, their properties, preparation methods, the most critical techniques used for their characterization, and their unique applications. The most relevant literature, current challenges, and future developments also will be discussed.
MNP-based Sensor Development to Evaluate Food Quality and Safety
Authors: Maddaloni L. , Rapa M. , Ruggieri R. , Santonico M. , Vinci G.
Published: July 2021

Functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) play a key role in the development of new generation sensors. In the last ten years, interest in the study and development of MNP-based sensors has grown, especially in the agro-food field. Studies report that sensors, based on different working principles (mechanical, electrical, optical, etc.), can be functionalized with MNPs, which can be applied or integrated on the materials of the sensitive part of sensors or integrated in the transducer. Furthermore, MNPs can be used by dispersing them directly in the sample; subsequently, MNPs are attracted to an external magnetic field on the active detection surface of the sensors. The importance of MNP-based sensor development is in allowing the monitoring of food quality and safety, through the rapid, selective and low-cost identification of the analytes of interest. Therefore, this chapter highlights the recent applications of these devices in the agri-food field and their applications in food quality and safety along the entire supply chain.
Sensing Applications by Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Pacioni Natalia L.
Published: July 2021

This chapter discusses the main advances of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (FMNPs) in sensing applications reported in the last five years. After a brief introduction, different analytical strategies containing FMNPs as part of optical and electrochemical sensor platforms are the focus of critical examination, with relevance for readers in the chemistry, biochemistry, environmental and agricultural fields.
Characterization of Functional Magnetic Nanoparticle-modified Polymeric Composites by Computer Modeling
Authors: Hu Z. , Kanagaraj J.
Published: July 2021

Multifunctional polymeric nanocomposites have attracted great interest due to their significantly enhanced performance and great potential in various applications, especially in telecommunications devices, network systems, and radar technology. Engineering a composite material with effective and moderate properties by properly configuring the constituents of the magneto-dielectric materials provides greater freedom in achieving the desired functionalities. Research shows that artificial materials can significantly extend the range of material properties and provide potential for new and better performance. Designing by modeling offers an innovative way for developing advanced materials. This chapter aims to introduce an advanced computational method for characterizing magnetic and dielectric properties of functional magnetic nanoparticle-modified nanocomposites. The nanocomposite was designed using epoxy matrix dispersed with spinel structural nickel–zinc–ferrite (Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4) nanoparticles. Three-dimensional finite element analysis (FEA) models were generated for characterization. The effects of shape, orientation, concentration and distribution of the nanoparticles on the magneto-dielectric properties of the nanocomposites were systematically studied by computer modeling based on FEA. The effective permittivity and effective permeability of the nanocomposites were predicted by numerical method and compared with the analytical methods, such as the Maxwell–Garnett mixing rule and Bruggeman mixing rule.
A 2H-MoS2/carbon cloth composite for high-performance all-solid-state supercapacitors derived from a molybdenum dithiocarbamate complex
Authors: Yan Zhishuo , Zhao Jixing , Gao Qingsheng , Lei Hao
Published: July 2021

A 2H-MoS2/CC composite is obtained by hydrothermal treatment and subsequent single-source pyrolysis of a Mo dithiocarbamate complex. The electrode is assembled into a high-performance symmetric all-solid-state supercapacitor.
Uptake mechanisms of cell-internalizing nucleic acid aptamers for applications as pharmacological agents
Authors: Alamudi Samira Husen , Kimoto Michiko , Hirao Ichiro
Published: July 2021

Selection methods in generating cell-internalizing nucleic acid aptamerviacell-SELEX technique for applications in diagnostics and therapeutics are discussed. Their challenges, optimization strategies and cellular uptake mechanisms are presented.
Interfacial electron modulation of MoS2/black phosphorus heterostructure toward high-rate and high-energy density half/full sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Zhang Chenrui , Liang Tingting , Dong Huilong , Li Junjun , Shen Junyu , Yang Wenjin , Wang Xuhong , Geng Hongbo , Zhang Zhicheng
Published: July 2021

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage.
Highly dispersed silver nanoparticles confined in a nitrogen-containing covalent organic framework for 4-nitrophenol reduction
Authors: Shen Aoyun , Luo Ruiqing , Liao Xinrong , He Chiyang , Li Yongqiang
Published: July 2021

Using a nitrogen-containing COF as the host matrix, ultrafine and highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles with narrow size distribution were successfully prepared and immobilized in the cavity of the COF material.
Magnetization of graphene oxide nanosheets using nickel magnetic nanoparticles as a novel support for the fabrication of copper as a practical, selective, and reusable nanocatalyst in C–C and C–O coupling reactions
Authors: Moradi Parisa , Hajjami Maryam
Published: July 2021

Catalytic activity of supported copper on magnetic graphene oxide was investigated as a selective and reusable nanocatalyst in the synthesis of diaryl ethers and biphenyls.
Temperature dependence of the rigid amorphous fraction of poly(butylene succinate)
Authors: Righetti Maria Cristina , Di Lorenzo Maria Laura , Cinelli Patrizia , Gazzano Massimo
Published: July 2021

At room temperature and at the human body temperature, all the amorphous fraction is mobile in poly(butylene succinate).
High five! Methyl probes at five ring positions of phenylalanine explore the hydrophobic core dynamics of zinc finger miniproteins
Authors: Horx Philip , Geyer Armin
Published: July 2021

Breaking the symmetry of the degenerate rotation of the phenylalanine side chain provides information about the side chain dynamics in a zinc finger motif.
Energy-efficient smart window based on a thermochromic microgel with ultrahigh visible transparency and infrared transmittance modulation
Authors: Zhang Rong , Xiang Bo , Shen Yuchun , Xia Liru , Xu Lei , Guan Qingbao , Tang Shaochun
Published: July 2021

The smart window is highly transparent to allow solar transmittance at low temperatures, while turns opaque automatically to cut off solar energy gain when exposed in sunlight.
The Role of Faculty Advising, Mentoring, and Gatekeeping as Social Support for Undergraduate Communication Sciences and Disorders Students
Authors: Roos Brianne H. , Schreck Janet S.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

Social support may be provided by undergraduate students' family and friends and by other members of the campus community, including faculty. The purpose of this review article was to review the existing literature about the roles of faculty members as advisors, mentors, and gatekeepers who provide social support for undergraduate students. Social support is a buffer for stress, and current undergraduate students are more stressed than their predecessors.

Method

The study is a narrative review of the literature about faculty as advisors, mentors, and gatekeepers. The concept of social support and its relationship to students' stress is explored, followed by a discussion of faculty advisors' roles, knowledge, and skills and a synthesis of literature about prescriptive, developmental, praxis, and appreciative advising. A discussion of faculty as mentors who focus on students' experiences before, during, and after college and as gatekeepers who look for signs of students in distress concludes the review.

Conclusions

Faculty may provide social support to students inside and outside the classroom as advisors, mentors, and gatekeepers. Assuming these roles means faculty must consider students as whole people who have needs and experiences beyond academics. Students' stress was clear in the literature before COVID-19, and their concerns and needs are exacerbated during the pandemic. Additional research is needed to identify effective advising and mentoring programs for communication sciences and disorders undergraduate students. Increased institutional support for and recognition of the time, resources, and training faculty need to serve in this expanded role is also critical as faculty members attempt to manage their own stress.
A dynamic equivalent aggregation method of wind turbine systems with a full‐scale power converter for electromagnetic transient simulations
Authors: Xue Yicheng , Zhang Zheren , Xu Zheng
Published: July 2021

With the increasing exploitation of wind energy, the dynamic performances of large‐scale wind farms (WFs) are vital for the system design and stability analysis. However, a detailed WF model considering every wind turbine system (WTS) makes the electromagnetic transient simulation time‐consuming and computational‐demanding. Therefore, a dynamic equivalent aggregation method is proposed for WTS with a full‐scale power converter (WTS‐FSPC) in this paper, in order to reduce the computational complexity meanwhile maintaining the same accuracy as the detailed model. To improve the accuracy of the equivalent collector system, the collecting strings are decoupled based on the power flow distribution. Then the WTSs are clustered according to the output AC voltage distributions using a Louvain K‐means (LKM) algorithm, which innovatively determines the optimal solution automatically. Additionally, a centralized capacitor is set to represent the distributed capacitance of the collector system. Furthermore, to enhance the model adaptability during asymmetric short‐circuit faults, the equivalent method for the zero‐sequence collector system is introduced. Time‐domain simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method in reflecting the WF dynamics. The case study in a 2‐area system further verifies the superiority of the proposed method for the WF integrated power system stability analysis.
Granular mechanics simulations of collisions between chondritic aggregates
Authors: Umstätter Philipp , Urbassek Herbert M.
Published: July 2021

Context. Collisions of dust aggregates are relevant for the evolution of protoplanetary disks.

Aims. While in the past interest focused on aggregates composed of monodisperse grains, here we study the collision of chondritic aggregates, in which – besides a majority of dust grains – larger chondrules are embedded.

Methods. We use granular-mechanics simulations to study collisions of chondritic aggregates.

Results. Low-velocity collisions lead to pancake-shaped deformations of the fused cluster accompanied by a compaction of the dust grains. Higher collision velocities fragment the aggregates. While some chondrules are almost laid bare after the collision, we find that the largest fragments typically contain chondrules; large fragments thus capture chondrules. Grain compaction is accompanied by an increase in grain – chondrule contacts and is maximum for intermediate velocities, just before aggregates start fragmenting.

Conclusions. The presence of chondrules considerably influences the fragmentation behavior of dust aggregates.
Influence of curvature change on soil arching effect in underground space development
Authors: Xu Binbin
Published: July 2021

This paper mainly studies the behavior of axisymmetric radial interaction between soil and structure under radial stress. Considering the possible factors in the interaction, such as the soil arching effect caused by the finite curvature, a simplified model is established. The influence of curvature change on the stress field, strain field, displacement field and stress-strain relationship is analyzed. Finally, the status of various factors in the axisymmetric radial interaction and the influence of their changes on the interaction are proposed.
Flora of Seed Plants in Jinyin Lake National Wetland Park
Authors: Zhang Xinyang , Cai Jin , Dai Huan
Published: July 2021

Using line method and typical sample method, the plant resources of the Jinyin Lake National Wetland Park were investigated in detail. There were 62 families, 113 genera and 135 species of seed plants. 4 families and more families were the dominant families of seed plants in this area. 1 genera were the main reasons for the diversity of seed plants in this area. The 62 families can be divided into 9 areal types and 5 forms, of which tropical families accounted for 61.36% of the total number of non-cosmopolitan families. The 113 genera can be divided into 13 distribution types and 2 variants, of which the temperate distribution is 61.39% of the non-cosmopolitan genus. The 135 species can be divided into 7 distribution types, mainly in the subtropical monsoon climate area, accounting for 45.19% of the total species. The research results provide basic information and scientific basis for the protection and management of plant diversity resources in the Jinyin Lake National Wetland Park.
Study on the dilemma and solution of rural ecological environment governance
Authors: Wang Hong , Ding Yu
Published: July 2021

Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China put forward the strategy of rural revitalization, the benign governance of ecological environment is the key to rural revitalization, and also the realistic carrier of Rural Revitalization. The rural ecological environment is faced with a complex reality, characterized by scattered ecological environment management area, complex types, congenital deficiency of management conditions and lack of power in the late management and promotion. These realistic representations lead to a variety of realistic governance dilemmas. Aiming at the specific realistic ecological governance dilemmas, this paper explores the corresponding solutions to solve the problems of rural ecological environment governance, highlight the beautiful rural ecological environment state, consolidate the achievements of Rural Revitalization ecological governance, and realize the sustainable development of rural ecological environment.