bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nusinersen ameliorates motor function and prevents motoneuron Cajal body disassembly and abnormal poly(A) RNA distribution in a SMA mouse model
Authors: Berciano María T. , Puente-Bedia Alba , Medina-Samamé Almudena , Rodríguez-Rey José C. , Calderó Jordi , Lafarga Miguel , Tapia Olga
Published: July 2020

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating autosomal recessive neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of spinal cord alpha motor neurons (αMNs). SMA is caused by the homozygous deletion or mutation of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, resulting in reduced expression of SMN protein, which leads to αMN degeneration and muscle atrophy. The majority of transcripts of a second gene (SMN2) generate an alternative spliced isoform that lacks exon 7 and produces a truncated nonfunctional form of SMN. A major function of SMN is the biogenesis of spliceosomal snRNPs, which are essential components of the pre-mRNA splicing machinery, the spliceosome. In recent years, new potential therapies have been developed to increase SMN levels, including treatment with antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). The ASO-nusinersen (Spinraza) promotes the inclusion of exon 7 in SMN2 transcripts and notably enhances the production of full-length SMN in mouse models of SMA. In this work, we used the intracerebroventricular injection of nusinersen in the SMN∆7 mouse model of SMA to evaluate the effects of this ASO on the behavior of Cajal bodies (CBs), nuclear structures involved in spliceosomal snRNP biogenesis, and the cellular distribution of polyadenylated mRNAs in αMNs. The administration of nusinersen at postnatal day (P) 1 normalized SMN expression in the spinal cord but not in skeletal muscle, rescued the growth curve and improved motor behavior at P12 (late symptomatic stage). Importantly, this ASO recovered the number of canonical CBs in MNs, significantly reduced the abnormal accumulation of polyadenylated RNAs in nuclear granules, and normalized the expression of the pre-mRNAs encoding chondrolectin and choline acetyltransferase, two key factors for αMN homeostasis. We propose that the splicing modulatory function of nusinersen in SMA αMN is mediated by the rescue of CB biogenesis, resulting in enhanced polyadenylated pre-mRNA transcription and splicing and nuclear export of mature mRNAs for translation. Our results support that the selective restoration of SMN expression in the spinal cord has a beneficial impact not only on αMNs but also on skeletal myofibers. However, the rescue of SMN expression in muscle appears to be necessary for the complete recovery of motor function.
Cochlea-inspired design of an acoustic rainbow sensor with a smoothly varying frequency response
Authors: Karlos Angelis , Elliott Stephen J.
Published: July 2020

A number of physical arrangements for acoustic rainbow sensors have been suggested, where the aim is to separate different frequency components into different physical locations along the sensor. Although such spatial discrimination has been achieved with several designs of sensor, the resulting frequency responses at a given position along the sensor are generally not smoothly varying. In contrast, the cochlea provides an interesting natural example of a rainbow sensor, which has an exponential frequency distribution and whose response does vary smoothly with frequency. The design of a rainbow sensor is presented that has a number of discrete resonators and an exponential frequency distribution. We discuss the conditions for a smoothly varying frequency response in such a sensor, as part of a broader design strategy. It is shown that the damping within the resonators determines the trade-off between the frequency resolution and the number of elements required to achieve a smooth response. The connection is explained between this design and that of an effective acoustic absorber. The finite number of hair cells means that the cochlea itself can be thought of as being composed of discrete units and the conditions derived above are compared with those that are observed in the cochlea.
Wheat Myo-inositol phosphate synthase influences plant growth and stress responses via ethylene mediated signaling
Authors: Sharma Naveen , Chaudhary Chanderkant , Khurana Paramjit
Published: July 2020

L-myo-inositol phosphate synthase (MIPS; EC 5.5.1.4) is involved in abiotic stress tolerance, however its disruption and overexpression has also been associated with enhanced tolerance to pathogens. The molecular mechanism underlying the role ofMIPSin growth, immunity and abiotic stress tolerance remains uncharacterized. We explore the molecular mechanism ofMIPSaction during growth and heat stress conditions. We raised and characterized theTaMIPSover-expressing rice transgenics which showed a reduced reproductive potential. Transcriptome analysis of overexpression transgenics revealed the activation of ET/JA dependent immune response. Pull-down analysis revealed the interaction of TaMIPS-B with ethylene related proteins. Our results suggest an essential requirement ofMIPSfor mediating the ethylene response and regulate the growth. A model is proposed outlining how fine tuning ofMIPSregulate growth and stress tolerance of the plant.
Glucocorticoid receptor complexes form cooperatively with the Hsp90 co-chaperones Pp5 and FKBPs
Authors: Kaziales Anna , Barkovits Katalin , Marcus Katrin , Richter Klaus
Published: July 2020

The function of steroid receptors in the cell depends on the chaperone machinery of Hsp90, as Hsp90 primes steroid receptors for hormone binding and transcriptional activation. Several conserved proteins are known to additionally participate in receptor chaperone assemblies, but the regulation of the process is not understood in detail. Also, it is unknown to what extent the contribution of these cofactors is conserved in other eukaryotes. We here examine the reconstituted C. elegans and human chaperone assemblies. We find that the nematode phosphatase PPH-5 and the prolyl isomerase FKB-6 facilitate the formation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) complexes with Hsp90. Within these complexes, Hsp90 can perform its closing reaction more efficiently. By combining chemical crosslinking and mass spectrometry, we define contact sites within these assemblies. Compared to the nematode Hsp90 system, the human system shows less cooperative client interaction and a stricter requirement for the co-chaperone p23 to complete the closing reaction of GR·Hsp90·Pp5/Fkbp51/Fkbp52 complexes. In both systems, hormone binding to GR is accelerated by Hsp90 alone and in the presence of its cofactors. Our results show that cooperative complex formation and hormone binding patterns are, in many aspects, conserved between the nematode and human systems.
Giant excitonic absorption and emission in two-dimensional group-III nitrides
Authors: Prete Maria Stella , Grassano Davide , Pulci Olivia , Kupchak Ihor , Olevano Valerio , Bechstedt Friedhelm
Published: July 2020

Absorption and emission of pristine-like semiconducting monolayers of BN, AlN, GaN, and InN are systematically studied by ab-initio methods. We calculate the absorption spectra for in-plane and out-of-plane light polarization including quasiparticle and excitonic effects. Chemical trends with the cation of the absorption edge and the exciton binding are discussed in terms of the band structures. Exciton binding energies and localization radii are explained within the Rytova-Keldysh model for excitons in two dimensions. The strong excitonic effects are due to the interplay of low dimensionality, confinement effects, and reduced screening. We find exciton radiative lifetimes ranging from tenths of picoseconds (BN) to tenths of nanoseconds (InN) at room temperature, thus making 2D nitrides, especially InN, promising materials for light-emitting diodes and high-performance solar cells.
Cystathionine β-synthase deficiency: different changes in proteomes of thrombosis-resistant Cbs−/− mice and thrombosis-prone CBS−/− humans
Authors: Sikora Marta , Lewandowska Izabela , Marczak Łukasz , Bretes Ewa , Jakubowski Hieronim
Published: July 2020

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS)-deficient patients are prone to vascular thrombosis. In contrast, Cbs−/− mice show no abnormalities in blood coagulation. To identify molecular basis underlying these disparately different thrombotic phenotypes, we analyzed plasma proteomes of Cbs−/− vs. Cbs+/+ mice (8-month-old, 12/group, sex-matched) and CBS−/− vs. CBS+/+ humans (37 ± 7-year-old, 10–14/group, sex-matched) using label-free mass spectrometry. We identified 117 and 41 differentiating plasma proteins in Cbs−/− mice and CBS−/− humans, respectively. Twenty-one proteins were shared between CBS−/− humans and Cbs−/− mice, with sixteen changed in the opposite direction. Proteins involved in blood coagulation and complement/coagulation cascades represented a greater fraction of the differentiating proteins in CBS−/− patients (51%) than in Cbs−/− mice (21%). Top canonical pathways, identified by Ingenuity Pathways Analysis, such as LXR/RXR, FXR/RXR activation (− log[P-value] = 30–31) and atherosclerosis signaling (− log[P-value] = 10–11) were similarly affected in Cbs−/− mice and CBS−/− humans. The Coagulation System was affected stronger in CBS−/− humans than in Cbs−/− mice (− log[P-value] = 15 vs. 10, respectively) while acute phase response and complement system were affected stronger in Cbs−/− mice (− log[P-value] = 33 and 22, respectively) than in humans (− log[P-value] = 22 and 6, respectively). Other pathways, including IL-7 signaling and B cell development were affected only in Cbs−/− mice. Taken together, our findings suggest that differences in these processes, in particular in the Coagulation System, could account for the thrombotic phenotype in CBS−/− patients and the absence of thrombosis in Cbs−/− mice. Overall, our findings suggest that Cbs−/− mice have a better adaptive response to protect from prothrombotic effects of hyperhomocysteinemia than CBS−/− humans.
Broadband thin sound absorber based on hybrid labyrinthine metastructures with optimally designed parameters
Authors: Gao Yong-xin , Lin Yuan-peng , Zhu Yi-fan , Liang Bin , Yang Jing , Yang Jun , Cheng Jian-chun
Published: July 2020

Broadband acoustic absorbers with thin thickness are highly desired in practical situations such as architectural acoustics, yet it is still challenging to achieve high absorption by using structure with limited thickness. Here we report the theoretical optimal design, numerical simulation and experimental demonstration of a planar acoustic absorber capable of producing broadband sound absorption with deep-subwavelength thickness. The mechanism is that, we use a hybrid design of individual unit cell comprising multiple resonators with a coiled configuration for expanding the working bandwidth and downscaling the resulting device, and, on the other hand, the geometries of the constituent resonance elements are optimally designed by using genetic algorithm. Based on an analytical formula we derive for an efficient prediction of the absorption efficiency, the optimization process is accelerated and gives rise to an optimally maximized amount of absorbed energy with limited device thickness. As a result, the proposed absorber features planar profile, broad bandwidth, wide absorbing angle (the absorber works well when the incident angle of sound wave reaches 60°) and thin thickness (< 1/25 wavelength). In addition, the proposed scheme does not rely on extra sound-absorptive materials or the type of constituent solid material, which significantly simplifies the sample fabrication and improves the application potential of resulting device. The measured data agree well with the theoretical predictions, showing high sound absorption in the prescribed frequency range. We envision our design to further improve the performance of acoustic absorbers and find applications in practical situations in need of elimination of broadband acoustic waves within limited spaces.
Effect of rice straw and swine manure biochar on N2O emission from paddy soil
Authors: Yang Zhanbiao , Yu Yi , Hu Rujing , Xu Xiaoxun , Xian Junren , Yang Yuanxiang , Liu Lixia , Cheng Zhang
Published: July 2020

We analyzed the effects of rice straw biochar (RSBC) and swine manure biochar (SMBC) on N2O emission from paddy soil. The biochars were added to soil at the rates of 1% and 5% (w/w), and N2O emission, soil properties and soil enzyme activities were determined at the elongation, heading and maturation stages of rice growth. The N2O flux started within 2 h of adding the biochar, and decreased significantly thereafter during the three growth stages. The cumulative N2O emission was suppressed by 45.14–73.96% following biochar application, and 5% SMBC resulted in the lowest cumulative emission. In addition, biochar application significantly increased soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), NO3− levels and urease activity, and decreased soil NH4+ and nitrate reductase activity. Regression analysis indicated that cumulative N2O emission was correlated positively to NH4+, and negatively to soil pH, SOC and NO3−. SEM further revealed that biochar application weakened the denitrification process, and the NH4+ level had the most significant impact on N2O emission. Taken together, RSBC and SMBC regulated the nitrogen cycle in paddy soil and mitigated N2O emission by increasing soil pH, decreasing nitrate reductase activity and NH4+ content.
Developmental exposure of California mice to endocrine disrupting chemicals and potential effects on the microbiome-gut-brain axis at adulthood
Authors: Kaur Sarabjit , Sarma Saurav J. , Marshall Brittney L. , Liu Yang , Kinkade Jessica A. , Bellamy Madison M. , Mao Jiude , Helferich William G. , Schenk A. Katrin , Bivens Nathan J. , Lei Zhentian , Sumner Lloyd W. , Bowden John A. , Koelmel Jeremy P. , Joshi Trupti , Rosenfeld Cheryl S.
Published: July 2020

Xenoestrogens are chemicals found in plant products, such as genistein (GEN), and in industrial chemicals, e.g., bisphenol A (BPA), present in plastics and other products that are prevalent in the environment. Early exposure to such endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) may affect brain development by directly disrupting neural programming and/or through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. To test this hypothesis, California mice (Peromyscus californicus) offspring were exposed through the maternal diet to GEN (250 mg/kg feed weight) or BPA (5 mg/kg feed weight, low dose- LD or 50 mg/kg, upper dose-UD), and dams were placed on these diets two weeks prior to breeding, throughout gestation, and lactation. Various behaviors, gut microbiota, and fecal metabolome were assessed at 90 days of age. The LD but not UD of BPA exposure resulted in individuals spending more time engaging in repetitive behaviors. GEN exposed individuals were more likely to exhibit such behaviors and showed socio-communicative disturbances. BPA and GEN exposed females had increased number of metabolites involved in carbohydrate metabolism and synthesis. Males exposed to BPA or GEN showed alterations in lysine degradation and phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism. Current findings indicate cause for concern that developmental exposure to BPA or GEN might affect the microbiome-gut-brain axis.
Neural mechanisms of deception in a social context: an fMRI replication study
Authors: Zheltyakova Maya , Kireev Maxim , Korotkov Alexander , Medvedev Svyatoslav
Published: July 2020

Deception is a form of manipulation aimed at misleading another person by conveying false or truthful messages. Manipulative truthful statements could be considered as sophisticated deception and elicit an increased cognitive load. However, only one fMRI study reported its neural correlates. To provide independent evidence for sophisticated deception, we carried out an fMRI study replicating the experimental paradigm and Bayesian statistical approach utilized in that study. During the experiment, participants played a game against an opponent by sending deliberate deceptive or honest messages. Compared to truth-telling, deceptive intentions, regardless of how they were fulfilled, were associated with increased BOLD signals in the bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ), left precuneus, and right superior temporal sulcus (STS). The right TPJ participates in the attribution of mental states, acting in a social context, and moral behaviour. Moreover, the other revealed brain areas have been considered nodes in the theory of mind brain neural system. Therefore, the obtained results reflect an increased demand for socio‑cognitive processes associated with deceptive intentions. We replicated the original study showing the involvement of the right TPJ and expanded upon it by revealing the involvement of the left TPJ, left precuneus and right STS in actions with deceptive intentions.
Proper regulation of inositolphosphorylceramide levels is required for acquirement of low pH resistance in budding yeast
Authors: Otsu Mikiko , Toume Moeko , Yamaguchi Yutaro , Tani Motohiro
Published: July 2020

All organisms have stress response systems to protect themselves from various environmental stresses, and regulation of membrane lipids is thought to play an important role in acquirement of stress tolerance. Complex sphingolipids in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae are classified into three types based on differences in the structure of the polar head group, and the compositions and quantities of complex sphingolipids in biomembranes are tightly regulated. In this study, we found that the accumulation of inositol phosphorylceramides (IPCs) due to a defect of mannosylinositol phosphorylceramide biosynthesis (sur1∆ csh1∆), i.e., disruption of the balance of the composition of complex sphingolipids, causes hypersensitivity to low pH conditions (pH 4.0–2.5). Furthermore, screening of suppressor mutations that confer low pH resistance to sur1∆ csh1∆ cells revealed that a change in ergosterol homeostasis at plasma membranes can rescue the hypersensitivity, suggesting the functional relationship between complex sphingolipids and ergosterol under low pH conditions. Under low pH conditions, wild-type yeast cells exhibited decreases in IPC levels, and forced enhancement of the biosynthesis of IPCs causes low pH hypersensitivity. Thus, it was suggested that the accumulation of IPCs is detrimental to yeast under low pH conditions, and downregulation of IPC levels is one of the adaptation mechanisms for low pH conditions.
Experimental study on the movement of heavy metal Zn in paddy soil under different irrigation quota of reclaimed water
Authors: Tuo Yunfei , Yang Cuiping , Shen Fangyuan
Published: July 2020

To reveal the mechanism of heavy metal Zn migration in the irrigated paddy field reclaimed water, this study investigated irrigation quota of 75, 150, 225 and 300 m3/hm2 for three consecutive years. The results showed that with the same irrigation quota, firstly the content of Zn, its variation and the rate of change in soil increased, and hereafter decreased with the increase of soil depth, and finally become stable of reclaimed water. Study results identified that when the irrigation quota was 75, 150, 225 and 300 m3/hm2, the average content of Zn in the soil reached the maximum with the value of 9.60, 12.10, 16.75 and 18.50 mg/kg respectively at the depth of 30 cm. The average content of Zn in soil found maximum values of 13.51, 16.01, 19.02 and 20.98 mg/kg, respectively on the 120th day of cultivation. This study also identified that the content of Zn, its variation and the rate of change increased with the increase of irrigation quota at the same soil depth. Additionally, when the soil depth or plant growth time was the same, the content of Zn, its variation and the rate of change increased with the increase of irrigation quota. However, at the soil depth of 30 cm, the content of Zn in the irrigation quota of 75, 150 and 225 m3/hm2 decreased by 48.11%, 34.59% and 9.46%. The fertility time of 120 days also decreased by 35.71%, 23.81% and 9.52% respectively compared to an irrigation quota of 300 m3/hm2. All the findings are explored by a nonlinear regression under different situations and timing. The mean value of the standard error between the statistical and measured value is found insignificant. However, the correlation coefficient is found greater than 0.9400 and statistically significant. Thus, the findings by nonlinear regression reflected the migration law of soil Zn duly with soil depth and plant growth time in the rice field. This study provided theoretical support for the comprehensive treatment and ecological restoration of heavy metals to the farmland soil in China.
Activity of vitamin D receptor agonists against dengue virus
Authors: Jaratsittisin Janejira , Xu Bin , Sornjai Wannapa , Weng Zhibing , Kuadkitkan Atichat , Li Feng , Zhou Guo-Chun , Smith Duncan R.
Published: July 2020

Infections with the mosquito-transmitted dengue virus (DENV) are a pressing public health problem in many parts of the world. The recently released commercial vaccine for DENV has encountered some problems, and there is still no effective drug to treat infections. Vitamin D has a well characterized role in calcium and phosphorus homeostasis, but additionally has a role in the immune response to bacterial and viral pathogens. In this study a number of fused bicyclic derivatives of 1H-pyrrolo[1,2]imidazol-1-one with vitamin D receptor (VDR) agonist activity were evaluated for possible anti-DENV activity. The results showed that five of the compounds were able to significantly inhibit DENV infection. The most effective compound, ZD-3, had an EC50 value of 7.47 μM and a selective index of 52.75. The compounds were only effective when used as a post-infection treatment and treatment significantly reduced levels of infection, virus output, DENV protein expression and genome copy number. These results suggest that these VDR agonists have the potential for future development as effective anti-DENV agents.
Novel candidate drugs in anti-tumor necrosis factor refractory Crohn’s diseases: in silico study for drug repositioning
Authors: Kwak Min Seob , Lee Hun Hee , Cha Jae Myung , Shin Hyun Phil , Jeon Jung Won , Yoon Jin Young
Published: July 2020

Biologicals like anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy for Crohn’s disease (CD) are safe and effective but there is a significant rate of primary and secondary nonresponse in the patients. In this study, we applied a computational approach to discover novel drug therapies for anti-TNF refractory CD in silico. We use a transcriptome dataset (GSE100833) for the anti-TNF refractory CD patients from NCBI GEO. After co-expression analysis, we specifically investigated the extent of protein–protein interactions among genes in clusters based on a protein–protein interaction database, STRING. Pathway analysis was performed using the clEnrich function based on KEGG gene sets. Co-expressed genes in cluster 1, 2, 3, 4, up or down-regulated genes and all differentially expressed genes are highly connected. Among them, cluster 1, which is highly enriched for chemokine signaling, also showed enrichment for cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction and identifies several drugs including cyclosporin with known efficacy in CD. Vorinostat, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and piperlongumine, which is known to have inhibitory effect on activity of NF-κB, were also identified. Some alkaloids were also selected as potential therapeutic drugs. These finding suggest that they might serve as a novel therapeutic option for anti-TNF refractory CD and support the use of public molecular data and computational approaches to discover novel therapeutic options for CD.
Genetic diversity and population structure of the rockpool shrimp Palaemon elegans based on microsatellites: evidence for a cryptic species and differentiation across the Atlantic–Mediterranean transition
Authors: González-Castellano Inés , González-López Jorge , González-Tizón Ana M. , Martínez-Lage Andrés
Published: July 2020

The rockpool shrimp Palaemon elegans is an ecologically important crustacean species within the European coastline fauna. In the present study, genetic diversity and population structure and connectivity were assessed by examining 21 polymorphic microsatellite loci at 13 sampling sites located along the natural distribution range. All localities showed similar levels of genetic variability. Significant deficits of heterozygosity were recorded, most likely due to the presence of null alleles. Genetic structure analyses revealed two clearly genetically distinct groups within P. elegans but without following any geographical or oceanographic basis. Thus, our results provided nuclear evidence for the existence of a Mediterranean cryptic species within P. elegans, highlighting the need to revise its taxonomic status. Regarding P. elegans sensu stricto, population structuring was reported across the Atlantic–Mediterranean transition area, where the Almería-Orán Front restricts the gene flow between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean population. Moreover, while population connectivity was suggested between all Mediterranean localities, some substructure was found within the Atlantic group. Canary Islands exhibited a weak but significant genetic differentiation from all Atlantic mainland localities, consistent with the isolation-by-distance pattern detected throughout the Atlantic population. Overall, all these findings provided new insights into the population biology of P. elegans complex.
Myopia induces meridional growth asymmetry of the retina: a pilot study using wide-field swept-source OCT
Authors: Breher Katharina , Ohlendorf Arne , Wahl Siegfried
Published: July 2020

Myopic axial eye growth has mechanical implications on ocular structures, such as the retinal and foveal shape integrity or choroidal thickness. The current study investigated myopia-related changes of retinal radius of curvature, foveal width, depth, slope and choroidal thickness. Wide-field swept-source OCT line and volume scans were performed on 40 young adult participants in horizontal and vertical directions. OCT scans were corrected for their scan display distortions before automated extraction of retinal and foveal shape parameters. All findings were correlated to refractive error and axial length. The horizontal retinal radius of curvature and the directional ratio between horizontal and vertical retinal shape correlated significantly with axial length ($$\rho =+0.53, p<0.001$$

ρ
=
+
0.53
,
p
<
0.001

and $$\rho =+0.35, p<0.05$$

ρ
=
+
0.35
,
p
<
0.05

). Vertical retinal shape and foveal pit parameters neither showed any significant correlations with axial length nor refractive error (all $$p>$$

p
>

0.05). Choroidal thickness correlated significantly with refractive error in all analyzed regions ($$\rho +0.39\,\mathrm{to}\,+0.52$$

ρ
+
0.39

to

+
0.52

), but less with axial length ($$\rho -0.18$$

ρ
-
0.18

to − 0.37). Horizontal retinal shape and choroidal thickness, but not foveal pit morphology, were altered by myopic eye growth. Asymmetries in horizontal versus vertical retinal shape with increasing myopia were detected. These parameters could act as promising biomarkers for myopia and its associated complications.
Ultrasonic atomizer based development of pH sensor for real time analysis
Authors: Pandey Gaurav , Choudhary Sandeep , Chaudhari Rashmi , Joshi Abhijeet
Published: July 2020

Fluorescent pH biosensors have gained importance owing to their low cost utilization in real time monitoring of biological and food samples in comparison to conventional pH meters. The research reports a novel method of ultrasonic atomization for developing a fluorescent pH sensor for real-time analysis made of Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran/FITC-dextran-Tris (2, 2′-bipyridyl) dichlororuthenium (II) hexahydrate as indicator and reference fluorophores, respectively. The process of ultrasonic atomization ensures formation of monodisperse dye immobilized alginate microspheres ensuring efficient pH sensing. The developed biosensor was tested on milk samples, which has a short life span and shows a significant fall in pH with time due to microbial spoilage. The proposed biosensor showed a linear range of pH 4–8 (R2 between 0.96–0.99 for different single/dual fluorophore biosensors) which suitably cover the pH of milk during the entire storage period and spoilage. The % recovery for predicted pH falls between 90–110% compared against standard pH meter, indicating a good accuracy of estimation and low turnaround time (10 min). Thus, real-time monitoring using fluorescent pH biosensor for milk samples may profoundly improve the economics of losses occurring in processing and storage with capability of in-package continuous quality assessment.
Author Correction: Spatiotemporal regulation of liver development by the Wnt/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Burke Zoë D. , Reed Karen R. , Yeh Sheng-Wen , Meniel Valerie , Sansom Owen J. , Clarke Alan R. , Tosh David
Published: July 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: Ultra Short Echo Time MRI of Iron-Labelled Mesenchymal Stem Cells in an Ovine Osteochondral Defect Model
Authors: Kaggie Joshua D. , Markides Hareklea , Graves Martin J. , MacKay James , Houston Gavin , El Haj Alicia , Gilbert Fiona , Henson Frances
Published: July 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
A novel knitted scaffold made of microfiber/nanofiber core–sheath yarns for tendon tissue engineering
Authors: Cai Jiangyu , Xie Xianrui , Li Dandan , Wang Liren , Jiang Jia , Mo Xiumei , Zhao Jinzhong
Published: July 2020

PCL-SF/PLCL microfiber/nanofiber yarns with core-sheath architecture were fabricated and knitted into a 3D scaffold for tendon tissue engineering.
A supramolecular nanoprodrug based on a boronate ester linked curcumin complexing with water-soluble pillar[5]arene for synergistic chemotherapies
Authors: Chao Shuang , Lv Xiukai , Ma Ning , Shen Ziyan , Zhang Feiyu , Pei Yuxin , Pei Zhichao
Published: July 2020

A supramolecular nanoprodrug based on the host–guest complexation of water-soluble pillar[5]arene and a boronate ester linked curcumin was constructed, which could selectively release drug in hepatoma cells by dual-responsiveness of pH and GSH.
Nanostructured Ni–Cu electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Gautam Rajendra P. , Pan Hanqing , Chalyavi Farzaneh , Tucker Matthew J. , Barile Christopher J.
Published: July 2020

Ni–Cu nanoclusters and nanoparticles form a highly active family of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction.
Thiophene-embedded conjugated microporous polymers for photocatalysis
Authors: An Wan-Kai , Zheng Shi-Jia , Du Ya-Nan , Ding San-Yuan , Li Zhi-Jun , Jiang Song , Qin Yuchen , Liu Xiaobiao , Wei Pi-Feng , Cao Zhan-Qi , Song Meirong , Pan Zhenliang
Published: July 2020

“Bottom-up” embedding of thiophene derivatives into CMPs for highly efficient heterogeneous photocatalysis is reported.
Structures and esterolytic reactivity of novel binuclear copper(ii) complexes with reduced l-serine Schiff bases as mimic carboxylesterases
Authors: Zhang Qin , Shu Jun , Zhang Yajun , Xu Zhigang , Yue Jian , Liu Xiaoqiang , Xu Bin , Chen Zhongzhu , Jiang Weidong
Published: July 2020

Three novel binuclear copper(ii) complexes with reduced l-serine Schiff bases exhibited significant activity differences for the hydrolysis of PNPA and PNPP, suggesting a favourable intramolecular nucleophilic pathway for PNPP.
Cobalt vacancies assisted ion diffusion in Co2AlO4 carbon nanofibers for enhancing lithium battery performance
Authors: Shi Qian , Zhang Yin , Chen Kaiyun , Yuan Shuang , Chang Tieyan , Tian Fanghua , Si Wei , Cheng Yangqin , Yao Kangkang , Yang Sen , Zhou Xuan
Published: July 2020

Electrospinning large specific area Co2AlO4 nanofibers with cobalt vacancies for lithium storage performance enhancement.
Photoactive NO hybrids with pseudo-zero-order release kinetics for antimicrobial applications
Authors: Liao Yongfang , Ye Zizhen , Qian Meng , Wang Xing , Guo Yuda , Han Guifang , Song Yuguang , Hou Jingli , Liu Yangping
Published: July 2020

Light-controlled NO hybrids with pseudo-zero-order release kinetics were developed based on the benzothienoazepine scaffold bearing cationic groups for antimicrobial applications.
Synthesis of novel homoazanucleosides and their peptidyl analogs
Authors: Salunke Rahul Vilas , Mishra Pawan Kumar , Sanghvi Yogesh S. , Ramesh Namakkal G.
Published: July 2020

A pluripotent chiral polyhydroxypyrrolidine, possessing orthogonally diverse functional groups on either arm, served as an ideal substrate for the synthesis of novel homoazanucleosides and their peptidyl analogs.
Dispersion stability and tribological properties of additives introduced by ultrasonic and microwave assisted ball milling in oil
Authors: Wang Siyuan , Chen Ding , Chen Yaotong , Zhu Kaiji
Published: July 2020

Additives were uniformly dispersed in base oil by ultrasonic and microwave assisted ball milling.
Strongly enhanced efficiency of polymer solar cells through unzipped SWNT hybridization in the hole transport layer
Authors: Zhang Wenna , Bu Fanchen , Shen Wenfei , Qi Xiaohua , Yang Na , Chen Mengyao , Yang Di , Wang Yao , Zhang Miaorong , Jiang Haoyang , Strizhak Peter , Tang Jianguo
Published: July 2020

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have good conductivity, but their size can't match the heterojunction nanostructure in polymer solar cells (PSCs).
Efficient blue electroluminescence with an external quantum efficiency of 9.20% and CIEy < 0.08 without excimer emission
Authors: Jayabharathi Jayaraman , Sivaraj Sekar , Thanikachalam Venugopal , Seransenguttuvan Balu
Published: July 2020

Aromatically substituted phenanthroimidazoles at the C6 and C9 positions enhanced the thermal, photochemical and electroluminescence properties due to extension of conjugation.
Influence of trivalent Cr ion substitution on the physicochemical, optical, electrical, and dielectric properties of sprayed NiFe2O4 spinel-magnetic thin films
Authors: Chavan Apparao R. , Somvanshi Sandeep B. , Khirade Pankaj P. , Jadhav K. M.
Published: July 2020

Herein, the influence of Cr3+ ion substitution on the physicochemical, optical, electrical, and dielectric properties of NiFe2O4 thin films was studied.
High thermal conductivity driven by the unusual phonon relaxation time platform in 2D monolayer boron arsenide
Authors: Hu Yanxiao , Li Dengfeng , Yin Yan , Li Shichang , Zhou Hangbo , Zhang Gang
Published: July 2020

The cubic boron arsenide (BAs) crystal has received extensive research attention because of its ultra-high thermal conductivity comparable to that of diamond.
Observation of soft glassy behavior in a magnetic colloid exposed to an external magnetic field
Authors: Vinod Sithara , Camp Philip J. , Philip John
Published: July 2020

Microstructures (viewed in a direction perpendicular and parallel to the applied field) responsible for soft glassy behavior in a ferrofluid of low volume fraction when a uniform magnetic field is applied at a sufficiently high rate.
A review on electrocatalytic oxidation of methane to oxygenates
Authors: Bagherzadeh Mostaghimi Amir Hassan , Al-Attas Tareq A. , Kibria Md Golam , Siahrostami Samira
Published: July 2020

Methane, the main component in natural gas, is widely utilized for energy consumption and production of important chemicals.
Uterine fibroids may play a protecting role against endometrial carcinoma in Chinese women with gynecological diseases
Authors: Qiao Li , Xia Lili , Dong Yan , Cheng Yajuan , Cao Hongbao
Published: July 2020

Background: It has been reported that uterine fibroids (UFs) may increase the risk of endometrial carcinoma (EC) with the underlying mechanism largely unknown. Here, we explore whether UF could be an influential factor for EC.

Methods: We have collected and analyzed clinical data from 4537 Chinese patients to study the co-incidence of UF and EC. Then, a large-scale literature-based data mining was conducted to identify genes implicated as UF downstream regulating targets and EC upstream regulators. In addition, a meta-analysis has been conducted for each of the EC-specific genes, using six independent UF expression datasets. The meta-analysis results, together with literature-based pathway analysis, were used to explore the potential explanation of the clinical data.

Results: Our results showed that the incidence rate of EC in the case of UF was 50.53% lower than without UF, which suggested a protective role of UF in EC patients. The meta-analysis identified three significantly overexpressed genes (HTRA3, HOPX, and PCNA) in the case of UF, which were implicated as EC inhibitors in the pathway analysis. Multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis showed that, compared with UF, aging might be a stronger influential factor for EC.

Conclusion: Among women with gynecological diseases, UFs may play a protecting role against EC in the Chinese population.
Expectations on mass determination using astrometric microlensing by Gaia
Authors: Klüter J. , Bastian U. , Wambsganss J.
Published: July 2020

Context. Astrometric gravitational microlensing can be used to determine the mass of a single star (the lens) with an accuracy of a few percent. To do so, precise measurements of the angular separations between lens and background star with an accuracy below 1 milli − arcsec at different epochs are needed. Therefore only the most accurate instruments can be used. However, since the timescale is on the order of months to years, the astrometric deflection might be detected by Gaia, even though each star is only observed on a low cadence.

Aims. We want to show how accurately Gaia can determine the mass of the lensing star.

Methods. Using conservative assumptions based on the results of the second Gaia data release (Gaia DR2), we simulated the individual Gaia measurements for 501 predicted astrometric microlensing events during the Gaia era (2014.5–2026.5). For this purpose we used the astrometric parameters of Gaia DR2, as well as an approximative mass based on the absolute G magnitude. By fitting the motion of the lens and source simultaneously, we then reconstructed the 11 parameters of the lensing event. For lenses passing by multiple background sources, we also fitted the motion of all background sources and the lens simultaneously. Using a Monte-Carlo simulation we determined the achievable precision of the mass determination.

Results. We find that Gaia can detect the astrometric deflection for 114 events. Furthermore, for 13 events Gaia can determine the mass of the lens with a precision better than 15% and for 13 + 21 = 34 events with a precision of 30% or better.
Opportunities and challenges in neutron crystallography
Authors: Zaccai Nathan Richard , Coquelle Nicolas
Published: July 2020

Neutron and X-ray crystallography are complementary to each other. While X-ray scattering is directly proportional to the number of electrons of an atom, neutrons interact with the atomic nuclei themselves. Neutron crystallography therefore provides an excellent alternative in determining the positions of hydrogens in a biological molecule. In particular, since highly polarized hydrogen atoms (H+) do not have electrons, they cannot be observed by X-rays. Neutron crystallography has its own limitations, mainly due to inherent low flux of neutrons sources, and as a consequence, the need for much larger crystals and for different data collection and analysis strategies. These technical challenges can however be overcome to yield crucial structural insights about protonation states in enzyme catalysis, ligand recognition, as well as the presence of unusual hydrogen bonds in proteins.
The power of SANS, combined with deuteration and contrast variation, for structural studies of functional and dynamic biomacromolecular systems in solution
Authors: Mahieu Emilie , Ibrahim Ziad , Moulin Martine , Härtlein Michael , Franzetti Bruno , Martel Anne , Gabel Frank
Published: July 2020

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), combined with macromolecular deuteration and solvent contrast variation (H2O/D2O exchange) allows focussing selectively on the signal of specific proteins in multi-protein complexes or mixtures of isolated proteins. We illustrate this unique capacity by the example of a functional protein-degradation system in solution, the PAN-20S proteasome complex in the presence of a protein substrate, ssrA-tagged GFP. By comparing experimental SANS data with synthetic SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering) data, predicted for the same system under identical conditions, we show that SANS, when combined with macromolecular deuteration and solvent contrast variation, can specifically focus on the conformation of the PAN unfoldase, even in the presence of very large GFP aggregates. Likewise, structural information of native GFP states can be visualized in detail, even in the presence of the much larger PAN-20S unfoldase-protease oligomers, which would dominate the overall scattering signal when using X-rays instead of neutrons.
An introduction to neutron reflectometry
Authors: Cousin Fabrice , Fadda Giulia
Published: July 2020

Specular neutron reflectivity is a neutron diffraction technique that provides information about the structure of surfaces or thin films. It enables the measurement of the neutron scattering length density profile perpendicular to the plane of a surface or an interface, and thereby gives access to the profile of the chemical composition of the film. The wave-particle duality allows to describe neutrons as waves; at an interface between two media of different refractive indexes, neutrons are partially reflected and refracted by the interface. Interferences can occur between waves reflected at the top and at the bottom of a thin film at an interface, which gives rise to interference fringes in the reflectivity profile directly related to its thickness. The characteristic sizes that can be probed range from 5Å to 2000 Å. Neutron-matter interaction directly occurs between neutron and the atom nuclei, which enable to tune the contrast by isotopic substitution. This makes it particularly interesting in the fields of soft matter and biophysics. This course is composed of two parts describing respectively its principle and the experimental aspects of the method (instruments, samples). Examples of applications of neutron reflectometry in the biological domain are presented by Y. Gerelli in the book section “Applications of neutron reflectometry in biology”.
Conducting a microscopic analysis of the powders obtained by electroerosion dispersion of waste of steel X13
Authors: Ageeva E.V. , Khardikov S.V. , Novikov A.N.
Published: July 2020

Alloyed steels and alloys containing a significant amount of non-ferrous metals are used for the manufacture of critical parts for various purposes, since it is the alloyed steels and alloys that possess a complex of high physicomechanical and other properties. Chromium is the most common alloying element. Chromium alloyed steel has increased strength, hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance in aggressive and oxidizing environments. The presence of chromium increases the hardenability of steel. The process of obtaining powder materials by the method of electroerosion dispersion favorably differs by the possibility of obtaining powders even from very hard and refractory materials. In the case of grinding material with this method, the only important criterion is the electrical conductivity of the material being ground. Worn parts and other scrap can be used as feedstock during the process. The purpose of the study is to investigate the powder, obtained from the wastes of chromium-containing steels. Thanks to the study of the samples of the used powder, on modern devices, results were obtained, indicating that the chromium-containing powder, obtained by the method of electroerosive dispersion, can be reused to restore and strengthen machine parts.
Investigation of the effect of implantation with iron ions on the carbon content in the implanted layer of structural and instrumental materials
Authors: Ovchinnikov Viktor , Lukyanenko Elena , Yakutina Svetlana
Published: July 2020

As part of the ongoing research, iron ions were implanted with targets from armco iron, steels 10, 45, U8 and 30KhGSN2A with a dose of 5 1017 ion / cm2. Implantation was performed under the conditions of an “oil-free vacuum” obtained through the use of modern turbomolecular pumps. It is shown that for tool steels with a carbon content of 0.8–1.2 mass. % the concentration of free carbon in the implanted layer does not exceed 5 at. %, and for carbon steels upon implantation with a two-component ion beam of copper and lead, the concentration of free carbon in the surface layer does not exceed 5 at. %.
Fracture features of dielectric nanoceramic with graphene by high-voltage discharge
Authors: Kuznetsov Aleksandr , Savenkov Georgii , Stolyarov Vladimir
Published: July 2020

Results of dynamic strength investigation for Al2O3 nanoceramic with different content of five-layer flake graphene under action of nanosecond duration high-voltage pulse are given. It has been found that the graphene content increasing results in embrittlement of the nanocomposite during of nanosecond loading.
Improving functional and environmental performance of Portland cement-based materials by graphene nanostructures
Authors: Pershin Vladimir , Mashhadani Ali , Melekhin Denis , Osipov Aleksey
Published: July 2020

Nanoparticles can accelerate cement hydration due to their high activity compacting microstructure, and consequently increase the strength. For the industrial production of concrete modified with nanoscale particles, it is necessary to develop an environmentally friendly and cheap technology for the industrial production of nanoparticles. The article presents the results of increasing the operational characteristics of concrete by adding graphene nanostructures obtained by liquid-phase shear exfoliation of graphite. This environmentally friendly technology requires energy costs, at least ten times less than technologies that use ultrasonic treatment of the suspension. Our industrial partner set a specific task: to find the minimum concentration of graphene structures in relation to cement, at which the compressive strength of cement-sand mix increases by 30%. It was experimentally established that at concentrations of graphene nanostructures with respect to cement not more than 0.02%, the compressive strength increases by at least 30%.
Analysis of structure-forming role of phosphogypsum in the production of nonfired cementless building composites
Authors: Kukina Olga , Eremin Andrey , Shuvaev Dmitriy
Published: July 2020

The working hypothesis is the development of the theory of disperse system aggregative stability considering the condensation processes of structure-forming of nonfired cementless building materials on the basis of phosphogypsum. The results of phisicomechanical and physicochemical analyses of Uvarovo chemical plant phosphogypsum are presented. To define the properties of phosphogypsum and phosphogypsum-based composite modern methods of analysis were applied with the use of the following equipment: the universal electromechanical test system Instron, the automatic diffractometer PANalytical EMPYREAN, the device for synchronic thermal analysis. The results of the research showed that the first endoeffects of Uvarovo chemical plant phosphogypsum have the dehydration energy of more than 200 joule/g, and they do not get lost within the time; this proves of the cementing properties of phosphogypsum. Due to the analysis of the differential scanning calorimetry results of phosphogypsum, pressed at 5 Mpa, it was found out that at the models compression the dehydration energy increases, and the correlation between the changes of water films’ thickness and dehydration energy can be observed. With the decrease of water films’ thickness we can observe the increase of dehydration energy with the simultaneous increase of the structure density and its transformation into a monolithic structure.