bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hemocytes released in seawater act as Trojan horses for spreading of bacterial infections in mussels
Authors: Caza France , Bernet Eve , Veyrier Frédéric J. , Betoulle Stéphane , St-Pierre Yves
Published: November 2020

Global warming has been associated with increased episodes of mass mortality events in invertebrates, most notably in bivalves. Although the spread of pathogens is one of multiple factors that contribute to such mass mortality events, we don’t fully understand the pathophysiological consequences of sea warming on invertebrates. In this work, we show that in temperature stress conditions, circulating hemocytes in mussels leave the hemolymph to gain access to the intervalvar fluid before being released in seawater. External hemocytes can survive for several hours in seawater before entering other mussels. When infected by bacteria, externally-infected hemocytes can enter naive mussels and promote bacterial dissemination in the host. These results reveal the existence of a new opportunistic mechanism used by pathogens to disseminate in marine ecosystems. Such mechanisms may explain how thermal anomalies triggered by global warming can favor episodic mass mortality observed in recent years in marine ecosystem.
Rifting of the oceanic Azores Plateau with episodic volcanic activity
Authors: Storch B. , Haase K. M. , Romer R. H. W. , Beier C. , Koppers A. A. P.
Published: November 2020

Extension of the Azores Plateau along the Terceira Rift exposes a lava sequence on the steep northern flank of the Hirondelle Basin. Unlike typical tholeiitic basalts of oceanic plateaus, the 1.2 km vertical submarine stratigraphic profile reveals two successive compositionally distinct basanitic to alkali basaltic eruptive units. The lower unit is volumetrically more extensive with ~ 1060 m of the crustal profile forming between ~ 2.02 and ~ 1.66 Ma, followed by a second unit erupting the uppermost ~ 30 m of lavas in ~ 100 kyrs. The age of ~ 1.56 Ma of the youngest in-situ sample at the top of the profile implies that the 35 km-wide Hirondelle Basin opened after this time along normal faults. This rifting phase was followed by alkaline volcanism at D. João de Castro seamount in the basin center indicating episodic volcanic activity along the Terceira Rift. The mantle source compositions of the two lava units change towards less radiogenic Nd, Hf, and Pb isotope ratios. A change to less SiO2-undersaturated magmas may indicate increasing degrees of partial melting beneath D. João de Castro seamount, possibly caused by lithospheric thinning within the past 1.5 million years. Our results suggest that rifting of oceanic lithosphere alternates between magmatically and tectonically dominated phases.
Diversity in susceptibility reactions of winter wheat genotypes to obligate pathogens under fluctuating climatic conditions
Authors: Jevtić Radivoje , Župunski Vesna , Lalošević Mirjana , Jocković Bojan , Orbović Branka , Ilin Sonja
Published: November 2020

To date, studies have usually focused on the impact of abiotic factors on the distribution of plant pathogens and have built forecast models for the prediction of pathogen outbreaks. However, the impact of the combined effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the prevalence of economically important pathogens has usually been neglected. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between powdery mildew and rusts of wheat and to examine how the combined effects of abiotic and biotic factors influence their prevalence. The study was conducted in the period 2016–2019 using the collection of 2158 genotypes of winter wheat. The most influential factors on disease indices and relationships among obligate pathogens were determined using multiple regression models and principal component analysis. The possibility of the coexistence of different rust species in the same growing season and in the same field was shown. The significant influence of fluctuations in winter temperatures on changes in the prevalence of obligate pathogens was determined. The strong impact of genotypes and their reaction on climatic elements in certain phenological stages were shown to be significant factors influencing the interactions among obligate pathogens and the predominance of one pathogen over another.
Cardioprotective effects of short-term empagliflozin treatment in db/db mice
Authors: Radlinger Bernhard , Hornsteiner Florian , Folie Sabrina , Salvenmoser Willi , Haubner Bernhard J. , Schuetz Thomas , Haas Simone , Ress Claudia , Adolph Timon E. , Salzmann Karin , Weiss Bernhard , Tilg Herbert , Kaser Susanne
Published: November 2020

Sodium glucose transporter (SGLT)-2 inhibitors have consistently shown cardioprotective effects independent of the glycemic status of treated patients. In this study we aimed to investigate underlying mechanisms of short-term empagliflozin treatment in a mouse model of type II diabetes. Male db/db mice were fed a western type diet with or without enrichment with empagliflozin for 7 days. While glucose tolerance was significantly improved in empagliflozin treated mice, body weight and fasting insulin levels were comparable in both groups. Cardiac insulin signaling activity indicated by reduced proteinkinase B (AKT) phosphorylation was significantly decreased in the empagliflozin treated group. Remarkably, mitochondrial mass estimated by citrate synthase activity was significantly elevated in empagliflozin treated mice. Accordingly, mitochondrial morphology was significantly altered upon treatment with empagliflozin as analysed by transmission electron microscopy. Additionally, short-term empagliflozin therapy was associated with a changed cardiac tissue cytokine expression in favor of an anti-inflammatory pattern. Our data suggest that early cardioprotection in empagliflozin treated mice is independent of a reduction in body weight or hyperinsulinemia. Ameliorated mitochondrial ultrastructure, attenuated cardiac insulin signaling and diminished cardiac inflammation might contribute to the cardioprotective effects of empagliflozin.
GMStool: GWAS-based marker selection tool for genomic prediction from genomic data
Authors: Jeong Seongmun , Kim Jae-Yoon , Kim Namshin
Published: November 2020

The increased accessibility to genomic data in recent years has laid the foundation for studies to predict various phenotypes of organisms based on the genome. Genomic prediction collectively refers to these studies, and it estimates an individual’s phenotypes mainly using single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Typically, the accuracy of these genomic prediction studies is highly dependent on the markers used; however, in practice, choosing optimal markers with high accuracy for the phenotype to be used is a challenging task. Therefore, we present a new tool called GMStool for selecting optimal marker sets and predicting quantitative phenotypes. The GMStool is based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and heuristically searches for optimal markers using statistical and machine-learning methods. The GMStool performs the genomic prediction using statistical and machine/deep-learning models and presents the best prediction model with the optimal marker-set. For the evaluation, the GMStool was tested on real datasets with four phenotypes. The prediction results showed higher performance than using the entire markers or the GWAS-top markers, which have been used frequently in prediction studies. Although the GMStool has several limitations, it is expected to contribute to various studies for predicting quantitative phenotypes. The GMStool written in R is available at www.github.com/JaeYoonKim72/GMStool.
Possible contribution of sialic acid to the enhanced tumor targeting efficiency of nanoparticles engineered with doxorubicin
Authors: Lee Song Yi , Nam Suyeong , Koo Ja Seong , Kim Sungyun , Yang Mingyu , Jeong Da In , Hwang ChaeRim , Park JiHye , Cho Hyun-Jong
Published: November 2020

Doxorubicin (DOX)-engineered poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) including phloretin (PHL) were designed and the feasible contribution of sialic acid (SA) to the improved tumor targeting and penetration capabilities was elucidated in lung adenocarcinoma models. DOX has been clinically used as liposomal formulations after its introduction to the inner side of vehicles, however DOX is anchored in the outer surface of PLGA NPs for improved tumor penetration by interactions with SA in this study. DOX (positively charged at physiological pH) was adsorbed onto the negatively charged PLGA NPs via electrostatic interactions and consequent binding of SA (negatively charged at physiological pH) to DOX located in NPs was also elucidated. DOX layer in DOX@PLGA NPs rendered improved endocytosis and partial contribution of SA (expressed in cancer cells) to that endocytosis was demonstrated. DOX@PLGA/PHL NPs provided enhanced antiproliferation potentials in A549 cells rather than single agent (DOX or PHL)-installed NPs. In addition, DOX-SA interactions seemed to play critical roles in tumor infiltration and accumulation of DOX@PLGA NPs in A549 tumor-xenografted mouse model. All these findings support the novel use of DOX which is used for the surface engineering of NPs for improved tumor targeting and penetration.
The emerging role of neutrophil extracellular traps in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19)
Authors: Arcanjo Angélica , Logullo Jorgete , Menezes Camilla Cristie Barreto , de Souza Carvalho Giangiarulo Thais Chrispim , dos Reis Mirella Carneiro , de Castro Gabriellen Menezes Migliani , da Silva Fontes Yasmin , Todeschini Adriane Regina , Freire-de-Lima Leonardo , Decoté-Ricardo Debora , Ferreira-Pereira Antônio , Freire-de-Lima Celio Geraldo , Barroso Shana Priscila Coutinho , Takiya Christina , Conceição-Silva Fátima , Savino Wilson , Morrot Alexandre
Published: November 2020

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19, a highly pathogenic viral infection threatening millions. The majority of the individuals infected are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic showing typical clinical signs of common cold. However, approximately 20% of the patients can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), evolving to death in about 5% of cases. Recently, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been shown to be a functional receptor for virus entry into host target cells. The upregulation of ACE2 in patients with comorbidities may represent a propensity for increased viral load and spreading of infection to extrapulmonary tissues. This systemic infection is associated with higher neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in infected tissues and high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines leading to an extensive microthrombus formation with multiorgan failure. Herein we investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 can stimulate extracellular neutrophils traps (NETs) in a process called NETosis. We demonstrated for the first time that SARS-CoV-2 in fact is able to activate NETosis in human neutrophils. Our findings indicated that this process is associated with increased levels of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in neutrophils. The ROS-NET pathway plays a role in thrombosis formation and our study suggest the importance of this target for therapy approaches against disease.
Involvement of 8-O-acetylharpagide for Ajuga taiwanensis mediated suppression of senescent phenotypes in human dermal fibroblasts
Authors: Hsu Wei-Hsiang , Lin Bing-Ze , Leu Jyh-Der , Lo Pin-Ho , Yu Hsueh-Yen , Chen Chao-Tsung , Tu Yuan-Heng , Lin Yun-Lian , Lee Yi-Jang
Published: November 2020

Herbal medicines are attractive agents for human care. In this study, we found that the alcohol extract of Ajuga taiwanensis (ATE) screened from a chemical bank exhibited potent capacity for suppressing senescence associated biomarkers, including SA-β-gal and up-regulated p53 in old human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) without induction of significant cytotoxicity up to 100 µg/ml. Concomitantly, cells re-entered the cell cycle by reducing G1 phase arrest and increasing cell growth rate. The ATE was further partitioned to obtain the sub-fractions of n-butanol (BuOH), ethyl acetate (EA) and water. The BuOH and water sub-fractions exhibited less effects on prohibition of cell growth than the EA sub-fraction. All of these sub-fractions exhibited the ability on suppressing SA-β-gal and p53 of old HDFs as low as 5–10 µg/ml. Under the activity guided fractionation and isolation, a major active constituent named AT-1 was isolated. The AT-1 was further identified as 8-O-acetylharpagide by structural analysis, and it could suppress SA-β-gal and p53 of old HDFs below 10 µM. In addition, the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of old HDFs were suppressed by ATE, the sub-fractions of BuOH and water, and AT-1. However, the EA sub-fraction showed little ability on suppression of ROS. Furthermore, we performed an in vivo study using aging mice to be fed with ATE and the sub-fractions followed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The expression of p53 and SA-β-gal was significantly reduced in several tissue sections, including skin, liver, kidney, and spleen. Taken together, current data demonstrated that A. taiwanensis could suppress cellular senescence in HDFs, and might be used for health care.
Consistency and identifiability of football teams: a network science perspective
Authors: Garrido D. , Antequera D. R. , Busquets J. , López del Campo R. , Resta Serra R. , Jos Vielcazat S. , Buldú J. M.
Published: November 2020

We investigated the ability of football teams to develop a particular playing style by looking at their passing patterns. Using the information contained in the pass sequences during matches, we constructed the pitch passing networks of teams, whose nodes are the divisions of the pitch for a given spatial scale and links account for the number of passes from region to region. We translated football passings networks into their corresponding adjacency matrices. We calculated the correlations between matrices of the same team to quantify how consistent the passing patterns of a given team are. Next, we quantified the differences with other teams’ matrices and obtained an identifiability parameter that indicates how unique are the passing patterns of a given team. Consistency and identifiability rankings were calculated during a whole season, allowing to detect those teams of a league whose passing patterns are different from the rest. Furthermore, we found differences between teams playing at home or away. Finally, we used the identifiability parameter to investigate what teams imposed their passing patterns over the rivals during a given match.
A retrospective analysis of the relationship between anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody and the effectiveness of abatacept in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Kida Daihei , Takahashi Nobunori , Kaneko Atsushi , Hirano Yuji , Fujibayashi Takayoshi , Kanayama Yasuhide , Hanabayashi Masahiro , Yabe Yuichiro , Takagi Hideki , Oguchi Takeshi , Kato Takefumi , Funahashi Koji , Matsumoto Takuya , Ando Masahiko , Kuwatsuka Yachiyo , Tanaka Eiichi , Yasuoka Hidekata , Kaneko Yuko , Hirata Shintaro , Murakami Kosaku , Sobue Yasumori , Nishiume Tsuyoshi , Suzuki Mochihito , Yokota Yutaka , Terabe Kenya , Asai Shuji , Ishiguro Naoki , Kojima Toshihisa
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of abatacept (ABA) by anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (ACPA) status on disease activity as well as radiographic progression in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in clinical settings. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a multicenter registry. Data from a total of 553 consecutive RA patients treated with intravenous ABA were included. We primarily compared the status of disease activity (SDAI) and radiographic progression (van der Heijde modified total Sharp score: mTSS) between the ACPA-negative (N = 107) and ACPA-positive (N = 446) groups. ‘ACPA positive’ was defined as ≥ 13.5 U/mL of anti-CCP antibody. Baseline characteristics between groups were similar. The proportion of patients who achieved low disease activity (LDA; SDAI ≤ 11) at 52 weeks was significantly higher in the ACPA-positive group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified ACPA positivity as an independent predictor for achievement of LDA at 52 weeks. Drug retention rate at 52 weeks estimated by the Kaplan–Meier curve was significantly higher in the ACPA-positive group. Achievement rate of structural remission (ΔmTSS ≤ 0.5) at 52 weeks was similar between groups. ABA treatment demonstrated a significantly higher clinical response and higher drug retention rate in ACPA-positive patients. Progression of joint destruction was similar between the ACPA-negative and ACPA-positive groups. Close attention should be paid to joint destruction even in patients showing a favorable response to ABA, especially when the ACPA status is positive.
Extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli isolated from raw vegetables in South Korea
Authors: Song Jihyun , Oh Sung-Suck , Kim Junghee , Shin Jinwook
Published: November 2020

The increasing prevalence of oxyimino-cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae has become a global concern because of their clinical impact on both human and veterinary medicine. The present study determined the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility, and molecular genetic features of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) isolates from raw vegetables. A total of 1324 samples were collected from two agricultural wholesale markets in Incheon, South Korea in 2018. The ESBL-EC strains were isolated from 0.83% (11/1324) samples, and all of them were resistant to ampicillin, piperacillin, cefazoline, cefotaxime, and nalidixic acid and yielded CTX-M-type ESBL, including CTX-M-14, CTX-M-15, CTX-M-55, CTX-M-27, and CTX-M-65. The isolates belonged to phylogenetic subgroups D (n = 5), A (n = 4), and B1 (n = 2). Multilocus sequence typing revealed nine known E. coli sequence types (STs), including ST10, ST38, ST69, ST101, ST224, ST349, ST354, ST2509, ST2847, and two new STs. Notably, ST69, ST10, ST38, and ST354 belong to the major human-associated extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli lineages. Our results demonstrate that ESBL-producing multidrug-resistant pathogens may be transmitted to humans through the vegetable intake, highlighting the importance of resistance monitoring and intervention in the One Health perspective.
Author Correction: A randomised controlled feasibility trial of E-health application supported care vs usual care after exacerbation of COPD: the RESCUE trial
Authors: North Mal , Bourne Simon , Green Ben , Chauhan Anoop J. , Brown Tom , Winter Jonathan , Jones Tom , Neville Dan , Blythin Alison , Watson Alastair , Johnson Matthew , Culliford David , Elkes Jack , Cornelius Victoria , Wilkinson Tom M. A.
Published: November 2020

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-020-00360-w
WNK regulates Wnt signalling and β-Catenin levels by interfering with the interaction between β-Catenin and GID
Authors: Sato Atsushi , Shimizu Masahiro , Goto Toshiyasu , Masuno Hiroyuki , Kagechika Hiroyuki , Tanaka Nobuyuki , Shibuya Hiroshi
Published: November 2020

β-Catenin is an important component of the Wnt signalling pathway. As dysregulation or mutation of this pathway causes many diseases, including cancer, the β-Catenin level is carefully regulated by the destruction complex in the Wnt signalling pathway. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of β-Catenin ubiquitination and degradation remain unclear. Here, we find that WNK (With No Lysine [K]) kinase is a potential regulator of the Wnt signalling pathway. We show that WNK protects the interaction between β-Catenin and the Glucose-Induced degradation Deficient (GID) complex, which includes an E3 ubiquitin ligase targeting β-Catenin, and that WNK regulates the β-Catenin level. Furthermore, we show that WNK inhibitors induced β-Catenin degradation and that one of these inhibitors suppressed xenograft tumour development in mice. These results suggest that WNK is a previously unrecognized regulator of β-Catenin and a therapeutic target of cancer.
Analyzing protein dynamics from fluorescence intensity traces using unsupervised deep learning network
Authors: Yuan Jinghe , Zhao Rong , Xu Jiachao , Cheng Ming , Qin Zidi , Kou Xiaolong , Fang Xiaohong
Published: November 2020

We propose an unsupervised deep learning network to analyze the dynamics of membrane proteins from the fluorescence intensity traces. This system was trained in an unsupervised manner with the raw experimental time traces and synthesized ones, so neither predefined state number nor pre-labelling were required. With the bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (biLSTM) networks as the hidden layers, both the past and future context can be used fully to improve the prediction results and can even extract information from the noise distribution. The method was validated with the synthetic dataset and the experimental dataset of monomeric fluorophore Cy5, and then applied to extract the membrane protein interaction dynamics from experimental data successfully.
Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 regulation by changes in dynamics of its long unstructured loop
Authors: Lan Yu-Jing , Yeh Pei-Shan , Kao Te-Yu , Lo Yuan-Chao , Sue Shih-Che , Chen Yu-Wen , Hwang Dennis W. , Chiang Yun-Wei
Published: November 2020

BCL-2, a key protein in inhibiting apoptosis, has a 65-residue-long highly flexible loop domain (FLD) located on the opposite side of its ligand-binding groove. In vivo phosphorylation of the FLD enhances the affinity of BCL-2 for pro-apoptotic ligands, and consequently anti-apoptotic activity. However, it remains unknown as to how the faraway, unstructured FLD modulates the affinity. Here we investigate the protein-ligand interactions by fluorescence techniques and monitor protein dynamics by DEER and NMR spectroscopy tools. We show that phosphomimetic mutations on the FLD lead to a reduction in structural flexibility, hence promoting ligand access to the groove. The bound pro-apoptotic ligands can be displaced by the BCL-2-selective inhibitor ABT-199 efficiently, and thus released to trigger apoptosis. We show that changes in structural flexibility on an unstructured loop can activate an allosteric protein that is otherwise structurally inactive.
Tet2 at the interface between cancer and immunity
Authors: Jiang Shuai
Published: November 2020

Keeping a balance between DNA methylation and demethylation balance is central for mammalian development and cell function, particularly in the hematopoietic system. In various mammalian cells, Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2) catalyzes oxygen transfer to a methyl group of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), yielding 5-hydroxymethylcytocine (5hmC). Tet2 mutations drive tumorigenesis in several blood cancers as well as in solid cancers. Here I discuss recent studies that elucidate mechanisms and biological consequences of Tet2 dysregulation in blood cancers. I focus on recent findings concerning Tet2 involvement in lymphoid and myeloid cell development and its functional roles, which may be associated with tumorigenesis. I also discuss how Tet2 activities are modulated by microRNAs, metabolites, and other interactors, including vitamin C and 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), and review the clinical relevance and potential therapeutic applications of Tet2 targeting. Finally, I propose key unanswered hypotheses regarding Tet2 in the cancer-immunity cycle.
Selective nickel-catalyzed fluoroalkylations of olefins
Authors: Zhang Shaoke , Weniger Florian , Ye Fei , Rabeah Jabor , Ellinger Stefan , Zaragoza Florencio , Taeschler Christoph , Neumann Helfried , Brückner Angelika , Beller Matthias
Published: November 2020

Fluoroalkylated olefins made easy: a mild and selective Ni-catalyzed fluoroalkylation including trifluoromethylation of alkenes was developed. Various fluorinated olefins were provided in good to excellent yields.
A new family of dinuclear lanthanide complexes exhibiting luminescence, magnetic entropy changes and single molecule magnet behaviors
Authors: Dong Lu , Lu Ying-Bing , Zhu Shui-Dong , Wu Jun-Wei , Zhang Xin-Ting , Liao Yi , Liu Cai-Ming , Liu Sui-Jun , Xie Yong-Rong , Zhang Shi-Yong
Published: November 2020

Four isomorphic and dinuclear lanthanide complexes were synthesized. Complexes EuIII and TbIII exhibit strong emissions, while GdIII shows the magnetocaloric effect and DyIII displays a single-molecule magnet.
Quantifying the impacts of anthropogenic activity on chemical weathering based on source identification of hydrochemistry: the Liuxi river basin, southern China
Authors: Yang Zhigang , Liang Zuobing , Gao Lei , Li Rui , Wang Zhuowei , Zhu Aiping , Li Shaoheng , Xie Zhenglan , Chen Jianyao , Wang Zhongjing
Published: November 2020

The impact of anthropogenic activity on chemical weathering is still an open and significant topic that requires clarification to improve the understanding of watershed evolution.
Treating water containing elevated bromide and iodide levels with granular activated carbon and free chlorine: impacts on disinfection byproduct formation and calculated toxicity
Authors: Zhang Chuhui , Maness J. Clark , Cuthbertson Amy A. , Kimura Susana Y. , Liberatore Hannah K. , Richardson Susan D. , Stanford Benjamin D. , Sun Mei , Knappe Detlef R. U.
Published: November 2020

Granular activated carbon effectively controlled disinfection byproduct formation and calculated toxicity, especially at high influent bromide levels.
DES-N-doped oxygenated carbon dot colloidal solutions for light harvesting and bio-imaging applications
Authors: Damarla Krishnaiah , Mehra Sanjay , Kang Tejwant Singh , Yadav Sonam , Mishra Avinash , Kumar Arvind
Published: November 2020

A novel colloidal system comprising choline oleate in deep eutectic solvent (DES: choline chloride–ethylene glycol) is developed and utilized for in situ generation and stabilization of nanosized (1 to 3 nm) N-doped oxygenated, crystalline CDs via dissolution of gelatin.
Hyperbranched DNA clusters
Authors: Lattuada Enrico , Caprara Debora , Lamberti Vincenzo , Sciortino Francesco
Published: November 2020

Intracluster bonds in hyperbranched DNA polymers prevent percolation transition.
Dendritic polyglycerol-conjugated gold nanostars with different densities of functional groups to regulate osteogenesis in human mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Zhou Suqiong , Pan Yuanwei , Zhang Jianguang , Li Yan , Neumann Falko , Schwerdtle Tanja , Li Wenzhong , Haag Rainer
Published: November 2020

dPG@GNS nanocomposites exhibit functional group density-dependent influence on the osteogenesis of MSCs.
Poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline-co-N-propylethylene imine)s by controlled partial reduction of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline): synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity
Authors: Halupczok Sebastian , Pfister Maria , Ringhand Annemarie , Fetsch Corinna , Cubukova Alevtina , Appelt-Menzel Antje , Luxenhofer Robert
Published: November 2020

Cationic polymers obtained via partial reduction of poly(2-ethy-2-oxazoline)s were studied on their cytocompatibility and their buffer capacity in acidic environment.
High-performance non-volatile resistive switching memory based on a polyimide/graphene oxide nanocomposite
Authors: Choi Ju-Young , Lee Jeongjun , Jeon Jihyun , Im Jaehyuk , Jang Junhwan , Jin Seung-Won , Joung Hyeyoung , Yu Hwan-Chul , Nam Kyeong-Nam , Park Hyeong-Joo , Kim Dong-Min , Song In-Ho , Yang Jaesung , Cho Soohaeng , Chung Chan-Moon
Published: November 2020

Chemical structure of PI-GO, schematic structure of the ITO/PI-GO/Al device and its memory characteristics.
δ-Regioselective heteroarylation of free alcohols through 1,5-hydrogen-atom transfer
Authors: Zhou Jiadi , Cheng Cheng , Lin Zhihao , Ren Quanlei , Xu Ning , Lin Jiangfeng , Qin Yimin , Li Jianjun
Published: November 2020

Silver-catalyzed δ-regioselective heteroarylation of C(sp3)–H bonds (1°, 2°, and 3°) in alcohols with divergent N-heteroarenes.
Pt–Ni/ZnO-rod catalysts for hydrogen production by steam reforming of methanol with oxygen
Authors: Lugo Ventura Rodríguez , Mondragón-Galicia Gilberto , Gutiérrez-Martínez Albina , Gutiérrez-Wing Claudia , Rosales González Omar , López Pavel , Salinas-Hernández Pastora , Tzompantzi Francisco , Reyes Valderrama María I. , Pérez-Hernández Raúl
Published: November 2020

PtZn and NiZn alloys on ZnO-1D samples were evaluated in the ASRM. Bifunctional behavior between PtZn, NiZn alloys and the ZnO were reported. The ZnO provides the adsorption sites for the reagents and the alloy particles facilitate the H2 transfer.
A green approach for enhancing the hydrophobicity of UiO-66(Zr) catalysts for biodiesel production at 298 K
Authors: Abou-Elyazed Ahmed S. , Sun Yinyong , El-Nahas Ahmed M. , Yousif Ahmed M.
Published: November 2020

Recently, the incorporation of hydrophobicity on the surface of UiO-66(Zr) has received much attention due to the deactivation of hydrophilic active sites of UiO-66(Zr) upon water adsorption.
Crystallization control and multisite passivation of perovskites with amino acid to boost the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells
Authors: Zhang Liuquan , Cao Kun , Qian Jie , Huang Yue , Wang Xuxian , Ge Mengru , Shen Wei , Huang Fei , Wang Minghao , Zhang Wenzhu , Chen Shufen , Qin Tianshi
Published: November 2020

Additives with multiple functional groups are introduced to passivate defects in the perovskite film, yielding efficient and stable perovskite solar cells.
α-Cyanostilbene and fluorene based bolaamphiphiles: synthesis, self-assembly, and AIEE properties with potential as white-light emissive materials and light-emitting liquid crystal displays
Authors: Zhang Deling , Liu Yuantao , Gao Hongfei , Chang Qing , Cheng Xiaohong
Published: November 2020

Reported bolaamphiphiles self-assembled into triangular honeycomb phases with unique molecular arrangements, and showed the AIEE effect. Their potentials as both WLED and LE-LCD devices have been initially demonstrated.
Two-dimensional vanadium tetrafluoride with antiferromagnetic ferroelasticity and bidirectional negative Poisson's ratio
Authors: Zhang Lei , Tang Cheng , Du Aijun
Published: November 2020

A new 2D material (VF4) integrated with AFM–FA coupling and sizable bidirectional auxeticity is highlighted which could be accessible from its layered bulk counterpart.
Mex3c mutation affects lactation through impairing milk ejection in female mice
Authors: Du Yong , Sun Dongjun , Li Yan
Published: November 2020

Mouse Mex3c encodes RNA-binding proteins of variant length through alternative splicing. Its mutation results in multiple defects including growth retardation, perturbed energy balance, and defective antiviral innate immunity. Here we report that Mex3c mutation affects mammary gland development and lactation in female mice. Pups of Mex3c mutant dams die of starvation soon after birth. Milk contents are present in the alveoli but deficient in the ducts of the mammary glands in mutant mice. Mutant mice do not show prolactin or oxytocin deficiency. They also develop myoepithelial cells in the mammary glands. Mex3c is expressed in the mammary gland epithelium. Our data suggest that functional defects in mammary gland epithelium or myoepithelial cells could cause lactation defects.
Shape retrieval by using multi‐scale angle‐based representation and dynamic label propagation
Authors: Yu Yanxia , Zheng Danchen , Zhao Liang , Sun Chuang , Li Xiang , Zhuang Yan
Published: November 2020

To improve the robustness and discrimination power of the triangle‐area representation, a novel shape matching method based on multi‐scale angle representation is proposed in this study. By analysing the configurations of different sample points from each shape contour, shape descriptors are constructed by using space angles at different scale levels. With the proposed shape representation, the multi‐scale information of shape contours is efficiently described, and the dynamic programming is further used to determine the correspondence between samples from different shapes and calculate the shape distance in the feature matching step. Moreover, to improve the shape retrieval results based on pairwise shape distances, the dynamic label propagation is introduced as the post‐processing step. Unlike previous distance learning methods learning the database manifold implicitly, the authors method retrieves relative objects on the shortest paths from near to far explicitly, and the underlying structure can be effectively captured. The proposed method tested on different shape databases provides the performances superior to many other methods, and it can be applied to visual data processing and understanding of the internet of things.
Shocks propagate in a 2D dusty plasma with less attenuation than due to gas friction alone
Authors: Kananovich Anton , Goree J.
Published: November 2020

In a dusty plasma, an impulsively generated shock, i.e., blast wave, was observed to decay less than would be expected due to gas friction alone. In the experiment, a single layer of microparticles was levitated in a radio frequency glow-discharge plasma. In this layer, the microparticles were self-organized as a 2D solid-like strongly coupled plasma, which was perturbed by the piston-like mechanical movement of a wire. To excite a blast wave, the wire's motion was abruptly stopped, so that the input of mechanical energy ceased at a known time. It was seen that, as it propagated across the layer, the blast wave's amplitude persisted with little decay. This result extends similar findings, in previous experiments with 3D microparticle clouds, to the case of 2D clouds. In our cloud, out-of-plane displacements were observed, lending support to the possibility that an instability, driven by wakes in the ion flow, provides energy that sustains the blast wave's amplitude despite the presence of gas damping.
Real-time dynamics of plasmonic resonances in nanoparticles described by a boundary element method with generic dielectric function
Authors: Dall’Osto Giulia , Gil Gabriel , Pipolo Silvio , Corni Stefano
Published: November 2020

Investigating nanoplasmonics in an explicit time-dependent perspective is a natural choice when light pulses are used and may also reveal aspects that are hidden in a frequency-based picture. In the past, we proposed a method time domain-boundary element method (TD-BEM) to simulate the time dependent polarization of nanoparticles based on a boundary element method that is particularly suitable to interface with a quantum atomistic description of nearby molecules. So far, however, metal dielectric functions in TD-BEM have been modeled through analytic expressions, such as those of Debye and Drude–Lorentz, which cannot account for multiple electronic resonances. Our approach allows us to include in the TD-BEM framework also the description of metals with complicate dielectric function profiles in the frequency domain. Particularly, among all metals, gold is a challenging case due to the presence of many transition frequencies. We applied our methods to different metals (gold, silver, and the less commonly investigated rhodium) and different shaped nanoparticles (spheres, ellipsoids, and cubes), the approach has been tested comparing TD-BEM and frequency domain BEM absorption spectra, and it has been used to investigate the time-dependent field acting locally close to nanoparticle vertices.
The Macquarie Deformation-DIA facility at the Australian Synchrotron: A tool for high-pressure, high-temperature experiments with synchrotron radiation
Authors: Farmer Nicholas , Rushmer Tracy , Wykes Jeremy , Mallmann Guilherme
Published: November 2020

The Macquarie University Deformation-DIA (MQ D-DIA) multi-anvil apparatus at the Australian Synchrotron provides a new experimental facility that enables simultaneous high-pressure and high-temperature in situ synchrotron experimentation in Australia. The MQ D-DIA can be easily deployed at any of a number of beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron, and we describe its installation at the x-ray absorption spectroscopy beamline, which enables in situ x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy and energy-scanning x-ray diffraction. A simple, reliable, and x-ray transparent high-pressure cell assembly has been developed for the D-DIA for which load/pressure and heater power/temperature relationships have been calibrated using in situ x-ray diffraction and “offline” mineral equilibration experiments. Additionally, we have mapped temperature distribution within the assembly using a new quantitative electron microprobe mapping technique developed for fine-grained polyphase samples. We are now investigating the speciation of geologically important trace elements in silicate melts (e.g., Zr, U, and Th) measured in situ under high pressure and temperature conditions corresponding to the Earth’s mantle. Pressure-dependent changes in speciation influence partitioning behavior, and therefore the distribution in the Earth, of many trace elements. However, previous ex situ investigations are hampered by uncertainty as to whether high-pressure speciation can be faithfully recorded in samples recovered to ambient conditions. We present preliminary results showing an increase in the coordination number of Zr dissolved as a trace component of a sodium-rich silicate melt with pressure. These results also indicate that silicate melt composition exerts a strong influence on Zr speciation.
Application of poly(L, L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) copolymer medical implants to the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears in orthopedic shoulder surgery
Authors: Yue Bin , Ye Ping , Liu Chen , Chang Zhaohua
Published: November 2020

Massive rotator cuff tears (MRCTs) remain a challenge in orthopedic shoulder surgery. The medical implant is a feasible and effective treatment option for MRCTs. However, the complications of implant migration usually occurred in clinical trials. To address this problem, biodegradable implants from poly(L, L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) copolymers were applied to treat MRCTs and presented major clinical effects in this study. The medical implants were designed in a dented shape to clad the head of the humerus, which could prevent the migration of implants and effectively improve shoulder function in a human specimen test. The structure was tested through finite element analysis and human specimen experimentation. The appropriate ratio of PLCL constituents was confirmed by examining the degradation of PLCL implants and measuring their mechanical, physical, chemical, and biological features. Samples were characterized using a scanning electron microscope, gel permeation chromatography, mechanical test, and transmission electron microscope. It was found that PLCL5050 (segment ratio PLA:PCL = 50:50) copolymer implants possess good processability and mechanical properties, as well as an appropriate degradation time of 177 days, which could satisfy the treatment requirements of MRCTs.
Energy stable and mass conservative numerical method for a generalized hydrodynamic phase-field model with different densities
Authors: Kou Jisheng , Wang Xiuhua , Zeng Meilan , Cai Jianchao
Published: November 2020

A general hydrodynamic phase-field model for two-phase flows with general average velocity and variable densities is rigorously derived using thermodynamic laws and Onsager’s variational principle. The pressure is naturally involved in both the Cahn–Hilliard equation and Navier–Stokes equation. The proposed model includes two famous phase-field models as its special cases. The model admits a natural energy dissipation law. A semi-implicit, totally linear, and energy stable numerical scheme is proposed for the model, which uses an intermediate velocity involving all driving forces, including surface tension, pressure, and gravity. The tight coupling relationship between pressure and velocity is decoupled. Another advantage of the proposed scheme is that the intermediate velocity allows us to preserve the mass conservation, and consequently, there is no need to impose any mass balance equation in the Navier–Stokes equation as usual. The discrete energy dissipation law is proved rigorously. Several numerical examples are simulated to demonstrate that the proposed method can preserve the energy stability and total mass conservation for complex hydrodynamical flow problems with large density contrasts and gravity.
Progress in biomedical photoacoustic imaging instrumentation toward clinical application
Authors: Paltauf Guenther , Nuster Robert , Frenz Martin
Published: November 2020

Photoacoustic (optoacoustic) imaging is able to generate highly resolved images of structures with optical absorption contrast in biological tissues. This is made possible by excitation of ultrasound through the absorption of pulsed or rapidly modulated optical radiation. Since the resolution is mainly determined by the ultrasound waves, which are detected at multiple locations outside the tissue, absorbing structures such as blood vessels can be resolved at a depth of several centimeters with sub-millimeter resolution. Furthermore, spectroscopic measurements allow the extraction of functional parameters including blood oxygenation. These favorable properties have generated a lot of hope for improved diagnostics of diseases that involve changes in vasculature, such as breast tumors. After more than two decades of instrumentation development and encouraging clinical trials, photoacoustic imaging techniques are about to enter clinical practice. In this Perspective, we give an overview of recent achievements in the fields of photoacoustic tomography, microscopy, and endoscopy and try to anticipate further developments that will take advantage of the unique properties of this technology on its way to a variety of clinical applications.
The effect of the elements Cr, Os, Ir, and Y additions on the mechanical and electronic properties of L12 Ni3Co alloys
Authors: Liu Peng , Du Yizhe , Ai Songyuan , Xu Pei , Yang Jie , Duan Huamei , Chen Dengfu
Published: November 2020

This paper studies the site preference and mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties of L12 Ni3Co alloys doped with Cr, Os, Ir, and Y elements based on first-principles calculations. The formation and substitution formation enthalpy results illustrate that the doping elements Cr, Os, and Ir tend to occupy the Ni site and form Ni23MCo8. According to the results of the mechanical properties, we find that except Y, the element doping in the alloys will improve the elastic modulus and hardness, especially Cr. The direction dependence of Young's modulus and acoustic velocities shows that these alloys are all anisotropic in nature but not of great quality. The thermal properties of Debye temperature and minimum thermal conductivity reveal that only Cr doping that forms Ni23CrCo8 can improve thermal conductivity. The electronic structures are analyzed to elucidate the origin of the mechanical properties of alloys, and the results indicate that the strengthening effects of doping elements like Cr are attributed to the enhanced covalent characteristic between Co or Ni and Cr atoms. In summary, it was predicted that Cr, Os, and Ir have a good solid solution strengthening effect in Ni3Co alloys, which is worth further study.
A low-magnetic field high-efficiency high-power microwave source with novel diode structure
Authors: Deng Xiaobo , He Juntao , Ling Junpu , Deng Bingfang , Song Lili , Xu Weili
Published: November 2020

The design of compact, lightweight devices has become an important development direction of high-power microwave source devices, with the reduction of the external magnetic field being the leading innovation. By analyzing the transmission equation of the intense relativistic electron beam (IREB), it can be known that magnetic field strength in the diode region has great influence on the transmission quality of the IREB. In this paper, a new structure that introduces a soft magnetic material as the cathode base is proposed. Considering that soft magnetic materials have the capability to concentrate and enhance the magnetic field, the proposed structure leverages this merit to improve the magnetic field strength in the diode area under certain low external magnetic field conditions. Thus, the proposed structure is capable of effectively improving the emission and transmission quality of the IREB without any increase of the external guiding magnetic field. As for the device design, the new structure was introduced into a previously proposed C-band transit time oscillator, and the particle-in-cell simulation was carried out. The results showed that high power microwaves with a power of 2.7 GW are generated with a corresponding frequency of 40% when the electron beam voltage is 550 kV, the beam current is 12 kA, and the guiding magnetic field is 0.3 T.
Sexual orientation and social network size moderate associations between stigma and problematic alcohol use among male sex workers in the US Northeast: an observational study
Authors: Valente Pablo K. , Edeza Alberto , Klasko-Foster Lynne , Mimiaga Matthew J. , Mayer Kenneth H. , Safren Steven A. , Biello Katie B.
Published: November 2020

Background
Stigma is associated with poor health among sexual minority individuals. However, no studies have examined the relationship between stigma and problematic drinking among male sex workers (MSWs). This study examined the relationship between sex work stigma and problematic alcohol use among MSWs. Methods: Using baseline data from a cohort of 98 MSWs in the US Northeast enrolled between 2015 and 2016, we used logistic regression to examine associations between sex work stigma and hazardous drinking (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score ≥8) and sex work while drunk, and tested whether sexual orientation (gay vs non-gay identified) and social network size moderated these associations. Results: Almost half the sample (n = 46; 44%) reported hazardous drinking and 56 MSWs (57%) reported engaging in sex work while drunk. Sex work stigma was associated with hazardous drinking (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05–1.36). Sexual orientation marginally moderated this relationship (P = 0.07), such that it was only significant among gay-identified MSWs (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.11–3.28), not among non-gay MSW. Similarly, sexual orientation moderated the effect of sex work stigma on sex work while drunk (P = 0.02), which was only significant among gay-identified MSWs (aOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.05–1.60). Social network size also moderated the effect of sex work stigma on sex work while drunk (P = 0.02), which was only significant among MSWs with small networks (aOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.00–1.58), suggesting large networks can be protective. Conclusions: Gay MSWs may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol-related effects of stigma. Future interventions should consider engaging social networks to curb problematic drinking among MSWs.
Phonological priming in German Sign Language
Authors: Wienholz Anne , Nuhbalaoglu Derya , Steinbach Markus , Herrmann Annika , Mani Nivedita
Published: November 2020

A number of studies provide evidence for a phonological priming effect in the recognition of single signs based on phonological parameters and that the specific phonological parameters modulated in the priming effect can influence the robustness of this effect. This eye tracking study on German Sign Language examined phonological priming effects at the sentence level, while varying the phonological relationship between prime-target sign pairs. We recorded participants’ eye movements while presenting videos of sentences containing either related or unrelated prime-target sign pairs, and pictures of the target and an unrelated distractor. We observed a phonological priming effect for sign pairs sharing handshape and movement while differing in location parameter. Taken together, the data suggest a difference in the contribution of sign parameters to sign recognition and that sub-lexical features influence sign language processing.