bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kosmetische oder grundlegende Reform der Medizin-Ausbildung?
Authors: Steurer Johann
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. In regelmässigen Abständen wird an medizinischen Fakultäten und in nationalen Gremien über Anpassungen an der Ausbildung der Mediziner diskutiert. Diese Anpassungen sind meist kosmetischer Art. Diskussionen über grundlegende Reformkonzepte der Ausbildung finden selten statt. Zu viele unterschiedliche Interessen, manchmal offen deklariert, öfter aber verdeckt, erschweren Diskussionen, sobald es um grundsätzliche Fragen geht. Daher kommt es nicht zu einer grundsätzlichen Auseinandersetzung über das Ziel und das Konzept der Medizin-Ausbildung. Das Thema der Übernahme medizinischer Tätigkeiten durch nicht-ärztliche Berufe wird zwar wenigstens diskutiert, aber kaum etwas davon wird umgesetzt. Es ist eng verknüpft mit der Frage, wie viele Mediziner die Schweiz benötigt. Die folgenden Überlegungen, die einige provokant finden werden, lösen hoffentlich eine grundsätzliche Diskussion aus. Dann haben sie ihr Ziel erreicht.
Betrachtungen zu den Veränderungen in den Humanmedizinstudiengängen in der Schweiz
Authors: Käser Lorenzo
Published: September 2020

Zusammenfassung. Für die interessierte Ärzteschaft – Niedergelassene, Lehrärztinnen und Lehrärzte, aber auch Dozierende – wird eine Übersicht über die aktuellen Veränderungen in den Medizinstudiengängen in der Schweiz gegeben. Das bundesrätliche Ziel höherer Absolventenzahlen mit neuen universitären Studienganganbietern und der neue schweizerische Lernzielkatalog PROFILES haben Auswirkungen auf die klinische Ausbildung und die Profilierung der Curricula, bieten aber auch Chancen.
The Underwater Behavior of Oil and Gas Jets and Plumes
Authors: Boufadel Michel , Socolofsky Scott
Published: September 2020

Exploring how the multiscale interaction between underwater oil and gas plumes and the environment impacts plume composition and trajectory.
Severe Cyclones May Have Played a Role in the Maya Collapse
Authors: Supriya Lakshmi
Published: September 2020

Sediment cores from the Great Blue Hole reveal that a series of extreme storms hit the region after 900. The storms may have irreparably damaged an already stressed Maya population.
Warming in the Antarctic Stratosphere Affects Tropical Weather
Authors: Sidder Aaron
Published: September 2020

Rapid temperature spikes in the stratosphere above Antarctica can influence weather and spark cyclones in the Northern Hemisphere’s tropics.
A 500-year tale of co-evolution, adaptation, and virulence: Helicobacter pylori in the Americas
Authors: Muñoz-Ramirez Zilia Y , Pascoe Ben , Mendez-Tenorio Alfonso , Mourkas Evangelos , Sandoval-Motta Santiago , Perez-Perez Guillermo , Morgan Douglas R , Dominguez Ricardo Leonel , Ortiz-Princz Diana , Cavazza Maria Eugenia , Rocha Gifone , Queiroz Dulcienne M M , Catalano Mariana , Zerbetto De Palma Gerardo , Goldman Cinthia G , Venegas Alejandro , Alarcon Teresa , Oleastro Monica , Vale Filipa F , Goodman Karen J , Torres Roberto C , Berthenet Elvire , Hitchings Matthew D , Blaser Martin J , Sheppard Samuel K , Thorell Kaisa , Torres Javier
Published: September 2020

Helicobacter pylori is a common component of the human stomach microbiota, possibly dating back to the speciation of Homo sapiens. A history of pathogen evolution in allopatry has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations, associated with different human populations, and more recent admixture among H. pylori subpopulations can provide information about human migrations. However, little is known about the degree to which some H. pylori genes are conserved in the face of admixture, potentially indicating host adaptation, or how virulence genes spread among different populations. We analyzed H. pylori genomes from 14 countries in the Americas, strains from the Iberian Peninsula, and public genomes from Europe, Africa, and Asia, to investigate how admixture varies across different regions and gene families. Whole-genome analyses of 723 H. pylori strains from around the world showed evidence of frequent admixture in the American strains with a complex mosaic of contributions from H. pylori populations originating in the Americas as well as other continents. Despite the complex admixture, distinctive genomic fingerprints were identified for each region, revealing novel American H. pylori subpopulations. A pan-genome Fst analysis showed that variation in virulence genes had the strongest fixation in America, compared with non-American populations, and that much of the variation constituted non-synonymous substitutions in functional domains. Network analyses suggest that these virulence genes have followed unique evolutionary paths in the American populations, spreading into different genetic backgrounds, potentially contributing to the high risk of gastric cancer in the region.
BTB-BACK-TAZ domain protein MdBT2-mediated MdMYB73 ubiquitination negatively regulates malate accumulation and vacuolar acidification in apple
Authors: Zhang Quan-Yan , Gu Kai-Di , Wang Jia-Hui , Yu Jian-Qiang , Wang Xiao-Fei , Zhang Shuai , You Chun-Xiang , Hu Da-Gang , Hao Yu-Jin
Published: September 2020

As an important primary metabolite, malate plays a key role in regulating osmotic pressure, pH homeostasis, stress tolerance, and fruit quality of apple. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor (TF) MdMYB73 was identified as a protein that plays a critical role in determining malate accumulation and vacuolar acidification by directly regulating the transcription of aluminum-activated malate transporter 9 (MdALMT9), vacuolar ATPase subunit A (MdVHA-A), and vacuolar pyrophosphatase 1 (MdVHP1) in apple. In addition, the bHLH TF MdCIbHLH1 interacts with MdMYB73 and enhances the transcriptional activity of MdMYB73. Our previous studies demonstrated that the BTB-BACK-TAZ domain protein MdBT2 can degrade MdCIbHLH1 to influence malate accumulation and vacuolar acidification. However, the potential upstream regulators of MdMYB73 are currently unknown. In this study, we found that MdBT2 directly interacts with and degrades MdMYB73 through the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway to regulate malate accumulation and vacuolar acidification. A series of functional assays with apple calli and fruit showed that MdBT2 controls malate accumulation and vacuolar acidification in an MdMYB73-dependent manner. Overall, our findings shed light on the mechanism by which the BTB-BACK-TAZ domain protein MdBT2 regulates malate accumulation and vacuolar acidification by targeting MdMYB73 and MdCIbHLH1 for ubiquitination in apple. This information may help guide traditional breeding programs and fruit tree molecular breeding, and lead to improvements in fruit quality and stress tolerance.
One-shot detection limits of quantum illumination with discrete signals
Authors: Yung Man-Hong , Meng Fei , Zhang Xiao-Ming , Zhao Ming-Jing
Published: September 2020

To detect a stealth target, one may directly probe it with a single photon and analyze the reflected signals. The efficiency of such conventional detection scheme can potentially be enhanced by quantum illumination, where entanglement is exploited to break the classical limits. The question is what is the optimal signal state for achieving the detection limit? Here, we address this question in a general discrete model, and derive a complete set of analytic solutions. For one-shot detection, the parameter space can be classified into three distinct regions, in the form of a “phase diagram” for both conventional and quantum illumination. Interestingly, whenever the reflectivity of the target is less than some critical value, all received signals become useless, which is true even if entangled resources are employed. However, there does exist a region where quantum illumination can provide advantages over conventional illumination; there, the optimal signal state is an entangled state with an entanglement spectrum inversely proportional to the spectrum of the environmental noise state and is, surprisingly, independent of the occurrence probability and the reflectivity of the object. The entanglement of the ideal probe state increases with the entropy of the environment; it becomes more entangled as the temperature of the environment increases. Finally, we show that the performance advantage cannot be fully characterized by any measure of quantum correlation, unless the environment is a complete mixed state.
A study on the morphologic change of palatal alveolar bone shape after intrusion and retraction of maxillary incisors
Authors: Son Eun Jeong , Kim Soo Jin , Hong Christine , Chan Vania , Sim Hye Young , Ji Suk , Hong Seok Yoon , Baik Un-Bong , Shin Jeong Won , Kim Young Ho , Chae Hwa Sung
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the changes in the palatal alveolar bone thickness and find the factors related to the resorption of the palatal alveolar bone caused by tooth movement after the maxillary incisors were retracted and intruded during orthodontic treatment. The study group comprised of 33 skeletal Class II malocclusion patients who underwent extraction for orthodontic treatment. Palatal alveolar bone thickness changes and resorption factors were identified and analyzed. The changes of maxillary central incisors and palatal alveolar bone thickness were measured, and the corresponding sample t test was performed using SPSS (IBM SPSS version 22). The amount of palatal alveolar bone resorption was measured and various parameters were analyzed to determine which factors affected it. Correlation analysis adopting the amount of palatal alveolar bone resorption as a dependent variable demonstrated that the SNB, mandibular plane angle, and the inclination of the maxillary central incisor were significantly correlated with before treatment. On the other hand, mandibular plane angle, angle of convexity, the inclination of the upper incisor, and the occlusal plane (UOP, POP) were significantly correlated with post-treatment. In addition, the variables related to palatal contour (PP to PAS, SN to PAS, palatal surface angle) and occlusal planes (UOP/POP) were significantly correlated with the difference in palatal bone resorption. During initial diagnosis, high angle class II with normal upper incisor inclination can be signs of high-risk factors. In addition, maintaining the occlusal plane during treatment helps to prevent palatal bone loss.
Controlling oleogel crystallization using ultrasonic standing waves
Authors: Valoppi Fabio , Salmi Ari , Ratilainen Miika , Barba Luisa , Puranen Tuomas , Tommiska Oskari , Helander Petteri , Heikkilä Jesse , Haeggström Edward
Published: September 2020

Oleogels are lipid-based soft materials composed of large fractions of oil (> 85%) developed as saturated and hydrogenated fat substitutes to reduce cardiovascular diseases caused by obesity. Promising oleogels are unstable during storage, and to improve their stability careful control of the crystalline network is necessary. However, this is unattainable with state-of-the-art technologies. We employ ultrasonic standing wave (USSW) fields to modify oleogel structure. During crystallization, the growing crystals move towards the US-SW nodal planes. Homogeneous, dense bands of microcrystals form independently of oleogelator type, concentration, and cooling rate. The thickness of these bands is proportional to the USSW wavelength. These new structures act as physical barriers in reducing the migration kinetics of a liposoluble colorant compared to statically crystallized oleogels. These results may extend beyond oleogels to potentially be used wherever careful control of the crystallization process and final structure of a system is needed, such as in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries.
Larval pesticide exposure impacts monarch butterfly performance
Authors: Olaya-Arenas Paola , Hauri Kayleigh , Scharf Michael E. , Kaplan Ian
Published: September 2020

The long-term decline of monarch butterflies has been attributed to loss of their milkweed (Asclepias sp.) host-plants after the introduction of herbicide-tolerant crops. However, recent studies report pesticide residues on milkweed leaves that could act as a contributing factor when ingested as part of their larval diet. In this study, we exposed monarch larvae to six pesticides (insecticide: clothianidin; herbicides: atrazine, S-metolachlor; fungicides: azoxystrobin, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin) on their primary host-plant, A. syriaca. Each was tested at mean and maximum levels reported from published analyses of milkweeds bordering cropland and thus represent field-relevant concentrations. Monarch lethal and sub-lethal responses were tracked over their complete development, from early instar larvae to adult death. Overall, we found no impact of any pesticide on immature development time and relatively weak effects on larval herbivory or survival to adulthood. Comparatively stronger effects were detected for adult performance; namely, a 12.5% reduction in wing length in response to the fungicides azoxystrobin and trifloxystrobin. These data collectively suggest that monarch responses to host-plant pesticides are largely sublethal and more pronounced in the adult stage, despite exposure only as larvae. This outcome has important implications for risk assessment and the migratory success of monarchs in North America.
Pathogenic impact of transcript isoform switching in 1,209 cancer samples covering 27 cancer types using an isoform-specific interaction network
Authors: Kahraman Abdullah , Karakulak Tülay , Szklarczyk Damian , von Mering Christian
Published: September 2020

Under normal conditions, cells of almost all tissue types express the same predominant canonical transcript isoform at each gene locus. In cancer, however, splicing regulation is often disturbed, leading to cancer-specific switches in the most dominant transcripts (MDT). To address the pathogenic impact of these switches, we have analyzed isoform-specific protein–protein interaction disruptions in 1,209 cancer samples covering 27 different cancer types from the Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) project of the International Cancer Genomics Consortium (ICGC). Our study revealed large variations in the number of cancer-specific MDT (cMDT) with the highest frequency in cancers of female reproductive organs. Interestingly, in contrast to the mutational load, cancers arising from the same primary tissue had a similar number of cMDT. Some cMDT were found in 100% of all samples in a cancer type, making them candidates for diagnostic biomarkers. cMDT tend to be located at densely populated network regions where they disrupted protein interactions in the proximity of pathogenic cancer genes. A gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that these disruptions occurred mostly in protein translation and RNA splicing pathways. Interestingly, samples with mutations in the spliceosomal complex tend to have higher number of cMDT, while other transcript expressions correlated with mutations in non-coding splice-site and promoter regions of their genes. This work demonstrates for the first time the large extent of cancer-specific alterations in alternative splicing for 27 different cancer types. It highlights distinct and common patterns of cMDT and suggests novel pathogenic transcripts and markers that induce large network disruptions in cancers.
Hyperspectral terahertz imaging with electro-optic dual combs and a FET-based detector
Authors: Martín-Mateos Pedro , Čibiraitė-Lukenskienė Dovilė , Barreiro Roberto , de Dios Cristina , Lisauskas Alvydas , Krozer Viktor , Acedo Pablo
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a terahertz hyperspectral imaging architecture based on an electro-optic terahertz dual-comb source is presented and demonstrated. In contrast to single frequency sources, this multi-heterodyne system allows for the characterization of the whole spectral response of the sample in parallel for all the frequency points along the spectral range of the system. This hence provides rapid, highly consistent results and minimizes measurement artifacts. The terahertz illumination signal can be tailored (in spectral coverage and resolution) with high flexibility to meet the requirements of any particular application or experimental scenario while maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement. Besides this, the system provides absolute frequency accuracy and a very high coherence that allows for direct signal detection without inter-comb synchronization mechanisms, adaptive acquisition, or post-processing. Using a field-effect transistor-based terahertz resonant 300 GHz detector and the raster-scanning method we demonstrate the two-dimensional hyperspectral imaging of samples of different kinds to illustrate the remarkable capabilities of this innovative architecture. A proof-of-concept demonstration has been performed in which tree leaves and a complex plastic fragment have been analyzed in the 300 GHz range with a frequency resolution of 10 GHz.
AI-based prediction for the risk of coronary heart disease among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Fan Rui , Zhang Ning , Yang Longyan , Ke Jing , Zhao Dong , Cui Qinghua
Published: September 2020

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one common chronic disease caused by insulin secretion disorder that often leads to severe outcomes and even death due to complications, among which coronary heart disease (CHD) represents the most common and severe one. Given a huge number of T2DM patients, it is thus increasingly important to identify the ones with high risks of CHD complication but the quantitative method is still not available. Here, we first curated a dataset of 1,273 T2DM patients including 304 and 969 ones with or without CHD, respectively. We then trained an artificial intelligence (AI) model using randomly selected 4/5 of the dataset and use the rest data to validate the performance of the model. The result showed that the model achieved an AUC of 0.77 (fivefold cross-validation) on the training dataset and 0.80 on the testing dataset. To further confirm the performance of the presented model, we recruited 1,253 new T2DM patients as totally independent testing dataset including 200 and 1,053 ones with or without CHD. And the model achieved an AUC of 0.71. In addition, we implemented a model to quantitatively evaluate the risk contribution of each feature, which is thus able to present personalized guidance for specific individuals. Finally, an online web server for the model was built. This study presented an AI model to determine the risk of T2DM patients to develop to CHD, which has potential value in providing early warning personalized guidance of CHD risk for both T2DM patients and clinicians.
Analogue pattern recognition with stochastic switching binary CMOS-integrated memristive devices
Authors: Zahari Finn , Pérez Eduardo , Mahadevaiah Mamathamba Kalishettyhalli , Kohlstedt Hermann , Wenger Christian , Ziegler Martin
Published: September 2020

Biological neural networks outperform current computer technology in terms of power consumption and computing speed while performing associative tasks, such as pattern recognition. The analogue and massive parallel in-memory computing in biology differs strongly from conventional transistor electronics that rely on the von Neumann architecture. Therefore, novel bio-inspired computing architectures have been attracting a lot of attention in the field of neuromorphic computing. Here, memristive devices, which serve as non-volatile resistive memory, are employed to emulate the plastic behaviour of biological synapses. In particular, CMOS integrated resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices are promising candidates to extend conventional CMOS technology to neuromorphic systems. However, dealing with the inherent stochasticity of resistive switching can be challenging for network performance. In this work, the probabilistic switching is exploited to emulate stochastic plasticity with fully CMOS integrated binary RRAM devices. Two different RRAM technologies with different device variabilities are investigated in detail, and their potential applications in stochastic artificial neural networks (StochANNs) capable of solving MNIST pattern recognition tasks is examined. A mixed-signal implementation with hardware synapses and software neurons combined with numerical simulations shows that the proposed concept of stochastic computing is able to process analogue data with binary memory cells.
In vitro study on aspects of molecular mechanisms underlying invasive aspergillosis caused by gliotoxin and fumagillin, alone and in combination
Authors: Gayathri Loganathan , Akbarsha Mohammad A. , Ruckmani Kandasamy
Published: September 2020

Gliotoxin (GT) and fumagillin (FUM) are mycotoxins most abundantly produced byAspergillus fumigatusduring the early stages of infection to cause invasive aspergillosis (IA).Therefore, we hypothesized that GT and FUM could be the possible source of virulence factors, which we put to test adopting in vitro monoculture and the novel integrated multiple organ co-culture (IdMOC) of A549 and L132 cell. We found that (i) GT is more cytotoxic to lung epithelial cells than FUM, and (ii) GT and FUM act synergistically to inflict pathology to the lung epithelial cell. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the master regulator of the cytotoxicity of GT, FUM and GT + FUM. ROS may be produced as a sequel to mitochondrial damage and, thus, mitochondria are both the source of ROS and the target to ROS. GT-, FUM- and GT + FUM-induced DNA damage is mediated either by ROS-dependent mechanism or directly by the fungal toxins. In addition, GT, FUM and GT + FUM may induce protein accumulation. Further, it is speculated that GT and FUM inflict epithelial damage by neutrophil-mediated inflammation. With respect to multiple organ cytotoxicity, GT was found to be cytotoxic at IC50concentration in the following order: renal epithelial cells < type II epithelial cells < hepatocytes < normal lung epithelial cells. Taken together, GT and FUM alone and in combination contribute to exacerbate the damage of lung epithelial cells and, thus, are involved in the progression of IA.
Microfluidic-assisted preparation of RGD-decorated nanoparticles: exploring integrin-facilitated uptake in cancer cell lines
Authors: Rios De La Rosa Julio M. , Spadea Alice , Donno Roberto , Lallana Enrique , Lu Yu , Puri Sanyogitta , Caswell Patrick , Lawrence M. Jayne , Ashford Marianne , Tirelli Nicola
Published: September 2020

This study is about fine tuning the targeting capacity of peptide-decorated nanoparticles to discriminate between cells that express different integrin make-ups. Using microfluidic-assisted nanoprecipitation, we have prepared poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles with a PEGylated surface decorated with two different arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides: one is cyclic (RGDFC) and has specific affinity towards αvβ3 integrin heterodimers; the other is linear (RGDSP) and is reported to bind equally αvβ3 and α5β1. We have then evaluated the nanoparticle internalization in two cell lines with a markedly different integrin fingerprint: ovarian carcinoma A2780 (almost no αvβ3, moderate in α5β1) and glioma U87MG (very high in αvβ3, moderate/high in α5β1). As expected, particles with cyclic RGD were heavily internalized by U87MG (proportional to the peptide content and abrogated by anti-αvβ3) but not by A2780 (same as PEGylated particles). The linear peptide, on the other hand, did not differentiate between the cell lines, and the uptake increase vs. control particles was never higher than 50%, indicating a possible low and unselective affinity for various integrins. The strong preference of U87MG for cyclic (vs. linear) peptide-decorated nanoparticles was shown in 2D culture and further demonstrated in spheroids. Our results demonstrate that targeting specific integrin make-ups is possible and may open the way to more precise treatment, but more efforts need to be devoted to a better understanding of the relation between RGD structure and their integrin-binding capacity.
Changes in γH2AX and H4K16ac levels are involved in the biochemical response to a competitive soccer match in adolescent players
Authors: Kozioł Katarzyna , Zebrowski Jacek , Betlej Gabriela , Bator Ewelina , Czarny Wojciech , Bajorek Wojciech , Czarnota Bartłomiej , Czaja Robert , Król Paweł , Kwiatkowska Aleksandra
Published: September 2020

The aim of this study was to examine novel putative markers of the response to the competitive soccer match in adolescent players, such as changes in global levels of γH2AX and H4K16ac in the chromatin of peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PMBCs) and a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)-based biochemical fingerprint of serum. These characteristics were examined with reference to the physiological and metabolic aspects of this response. Immediately post-match we noticed: (1) a systemic inflammatory response, manifesting as peaks in leukocyte count and changes in concentrations of IL-6, TNFα, and cortisol; (2) a peak in plasma lactate; (3) onset of oxidative stress, manifesting as a decline in GSH/GSSG; (4) onset of muscle injury, reflected in an increase in CK activity. Twenty-four hours post-match the decrease in GSH/GSSG was accompanied by accumulation of MDA and 8-OHdG, macromolecule oxidation end-products, and an increase in CK activity. No changes in SOD1 or GPX1 levels were found. Repeated measures correlation revealed several associations between the investigated biomarkers. The FTIR analysis revealed that the match had the greatest impact on serum lipid profile immediately post-game. In turn, increases in γH2AX and H4K16ac levels at 24 h post-match indicated activation of a DNA repair pathway.
The absence of metamictisation in natural monazite
Authors: Nasdala Lutz , Akhmadaliev Shavkat , Burakov Boris E. , Chanmuang N Chutimun , Škoda Radek
Published: September 2020

The actinide-containing mineral monazite–(Ce) is a common accessory rock component that bears petrogenetic information, is widely used in geochronology and thermochronology, and is considered as potential host material for immobilisation of radioactive waste. Natural samples of this mineral show merely moderate degrees of radiation damage, despite having sustained high self-irradiation induced by the decay of Th and U (for the sample studied herein 8.9 ± 0.3 × 1019 α/g). This is assigned to low damage-annealing temperature of monazite–(Ce) and “alpha-particle-assisted reconstitution”. Here we show that the response of monazite–(Ce) to alpha radiation changes dramatically, depending on the damage state. Only in radiation-damaged monazite–(Ce), 4He ions cause gradual structural restoration. In contrast, its high-temperature annealed (i.e. well crystalline) analogue and synthetic CePO4 experience He-irradiation damage. Alpha-assisted annealing contributes to preventing irradiation-induced amorphisation (“metamictisation”) of monazite–(Ce); however, this process is only significant above a certain damage level.
Mass mortality in freshwater mussels (Actinonaias pectorosa) in the Clinch River, USA, linked to a novel densovirus
Authors: Richard Jordan C. , Leis Eric , Dunn Christopher D. , Agbalog Rose , Waller Diane , Knowles Susan , Putnam Joel , Goldberg Tony L.
Published: September 2020

Freshwater mussels (order Unionida) are among the world’s most biodiverse but imperiled taxa. Recent unionid mass mortality events around the world threaten ecosystem services such as water filtration, nutrient cycling, habitat stabilization, and food web enhancement, but causes have remained elusive. To examine potential infectious causes of these declines, we studied mussels in Clinch River, Virginia and Tennessee, USA, where the endemic and once-predominant pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) has suffered precipitous declines since approximately 2016. Using metagenomics, we identified 17 novel viruses in Clinch River pheasantshells. However, only one virus, a novel densovirus (Parvoviridae;Densovirinae), was epidemiologically linked to morbidity. Clinch densovirus 1 was 11.2 times more likely to be found in cases (moribund mussels) than controls (apparently healthy mussels from the same or matched sites), and cases had 2.7 (log10) times higher viral loads than controls. Densoviruses cause lethal epidemic disease in invertebrates, including shrimp, cockroaches, crickets, moths, crayfish, and sea stars. Viral infection warrants consideration as a factor in unionid mass mortality events either as a direct cause, an indirect consequence of physiological compromise, or a factor interacting with other biological and ecological stressors to precipitate mortality.
Magnetic properties of the complex concentrated alloy system CoFeNi0.5Cr0.5Alx
Authors: Morley N. A. , Lim B. , Xi J. , Quintana-Nedelcos A. , Leong Z.
Published: September 2020

We study the change in magnetisation with paramagnetic Al addition in the CoFeNi0.5Cr0.5–Alx (x: 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5) complex concentrated alloy. The compositions were developed utilising the Mulliken electronegativity and d-electron/atom ratio. Spherical FeCr rich nanoprecipitates are observed for X: 1.0 and 1.5 in an AlCoNi-rich matrix. A ~ 5 × increase in magnetisation (from 22 to 96 Am2/kg) coincides with this nanoprecipitate formation—the main magnetic contribution is determined to be from FeCr nanoprecipitates. The magnetisation increase is strange as paramagnetic Al addition dilutes the ferromagnetic Fe/Co/Ni additions. In this paper we discuss the magnetic and structural characterisation of the CoFeNi0.5Cr0.5–Alx composition and attempt to relate it to the interfacial energy.
Broken symmetries and the related interface-induced effects at Weyl-system TaAs in proximity of noble metals
Authors: Maji Tuhin Kumar , Vaibhav Kumar , Pal Samir Kumar , Karmakar Debjani
Published: September 2020

Weyl semimetal TaAs, congenially accommodating the massless Weyl fermions, furnishes a platform to observe a spontaneous breaking of either the time-reversal or the inversion symmetry and the concurrent genesis of pairs of Weyl nodes with significant topological durability. Former experimental analysis, which reveals that the near-zero spin-polarization of bulk TaAs, experiences a boost in proximity of point-contacts of non-magnetic metals along with the associated tip-induced superconductivity, provides the impetus to study the large-area stacked interfaces of TaAs with noble metals like Au and Ag. The primary outcomes of the present work can be listed as follows: (1) First-principles calculations on the interfacial systems have manifested an increment of the interface-induced spin-polarization and contact-induced transport spin-polarization of TaAs in proximity of noble metals; (2) In contrast to the single interface, for vertically stacked cases, the broken inversion symmetry of the system introduces a z-directional band-dispersion, resulting in an energetically separated series of non-degenerate band crossings. The simultaneous presence of such band-crossings and spin-polarization indicated the coexistence of both broken time reversal and inversion symmetries for metal-semimetal stacked interfaces; (3) quantum transport calculations on different device geometries reveal the importance of contact geometry for spin-transport in TaAs devices. Lateral contacts are found to be more effective in obtaining a uniform spin transport and larger transport spin polarization; (4) the phonon dispersion behaviour of TaAs displays a closure of band-gap with the associated increase of phonon-density of states for the acoustic modes in proximity of lateral contacts of noble metals.
Fabrication of gallium nitride and nitrogen doped single layer graphene hybrid heterostructures for high performance photodetectors
Authors: Sankaranarayanan Sanjay , Kandasamy Prabakaran , Raju Ramesh , Krishnan Baskar
Published: September 2020

Gallium nitride (GaN) was epitaxially grown on nitrogen doped single layer graphene (N-SLG) substrates using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) technique. The results obtained using x-ray diffractometer (XRD) revealed the hexagonal crystal structure of GaN. Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopy revealed traces of oxygen, carbon and nitrogen occurring either as contamination or as an effect of doping during the GaN growth process. In addition, PL revealed a weak yellow luminescence peak in all the samples due to the presence of N-SLG. From the obtained results it was evident that, presence of N-SLG underneath GaN helped in improving the material properties. It was seen from the current–voltage (I–V) response that the barrier height estimated is in good agreement with the Schottky–Mott model, while the ideality factor is close to unity, emphasizing that there are no surface and interface related inhomogeneity in the samples. The photodetector fabricated with this material exhibit high device performances in terms of carrier mobility, sensitivity, responsivity and detectivity. The hall measurement values clearly portray that, the GaN thus grown possess high electron contents which was beneficial in attaining extraordinary device performance.
Emergent dispersal networks in dynamic wetlandscapes
Authors: Bertassello Leonardo E. , Aubeneau Antoine F. , Botter Gianluca , Jawitz James W. , Rao P. S. C.
Published: September 2020

The connectivity among distributed wetlands is critical for aquatic habitat integrity and to maintain metapopulation biodiversity. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal fluctuations of wetlandscape connectivity driven by stochastic hydroclimatic forcing, conceptualizing wetlands as dynamic habitat nodes in dispersal networks. We hypothesized that spatiotemporal hydrologic variability influences the heterogeneity in wetland attributes (e.g., size and shape distributions) and wetland spatial organization (e.g., gap distances), in turn altering the variance of the dispersal network topology and the patterns of ecological connectivity. We tested our hypotheses by employing a DEM-based, depth-censoring approach to assess the eco-hydrological dynamics in a synthetically generated landscape and three representative wetlandscapes in the United States. Network topology was examined for two end-member connectivity measures: centroid-to-centroid (C2C), and perimeter-to-perimeter (P2P), representing the full range of within-patch habitat preferences. Exponentially tempered Pareto node-degree distributions well described the observed structural connectivity of both types of networks. High wetland clustering and attribute heterogeneity exacerbated the differences between C2C and P2P networks, with Pareto node-degree distributions emerging only for a limited range of P2P configuration. Wetlandscape network topology and dispersal strategies condition species survival and biodiversity.
Author Correction: Ancient DNA of Guinea Pigs (Cavia spp.) Indicates a Probable New Center of Domestication and Pathways of Global Distribution
Authors: Lord E. , Collins C. , deFrance S. , LeFebvre M. J. , Pigière F. , Eeckhout P. , Erauw C. , Fitzpatrick S. M. , Healy P. F. , Martínez-Polanco M. F. , Garcia J. L. , Ramos Roca E. , Delgado M. , Sánchez Urriago A. , Peña Léon G. A. , Toyne J. M. , Dahlstedt A. , Moore K. M. , Laguer Diaz C. , Zori C. , Matisoo-Smith E.
Published: September 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Reg4 and complement factor D prevent the overgrowth of E. coli in the mouse gut
Authors: Qi Houbao , Wei Jianmei , Gao Yunhuan , Yang Yazheng , Li Yuanyuan , Zhu Hua , Su Lei , Su Xiaomin , Zhang Yuan , Yang Rongcun
Published: September 2020

The expansion ofEnterobacteriaceae, such asE. coliis a main characteristic of gut inflammation and is related to multiple human diseases. However, how to control theseE. coliovergrowth is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that gut complement factor D (CFD) plays an important role in eliminatingE. coli. IncreasedE. coli, which could stimulate inflammatory macrophages to induce colitis, were found in the gut of CFD deficient mice. We also showed that gut Reg4, which is expressed in gut epithelial cells, stimulated complement-mediated attack complexes to eliminateE. coli.Reg4deficient mice also had increasedE. coli. The dominantE. coliwere isolated from colitis tissues of mice and found to be sensitive to both CFD- and Reg4-mediated attack complexes. Thus, gut Reg4- and CFD-mediated membrane attack complexes may maintain gut homeostasis by killing inflammatoryE. coli.
SLAP reagents for the photocatalytic synthesis of C3/C5-substituted, N-unprotected selenomorpholines and 1,4-selenazepanes
Authors: Zhou Guan , Deng Xingwang , Pan Chenyu , Goh Eunice Tze Leng , Lakshminarayanan Rajamani , Srinivasan Rajavel
Published: September 2020

We report the first set of unique selenium-containing SLAP reagents for the photocatalytic synthesis of C3/C5-substituted, N-unprotected selenomorpholines and 1,4-selenazephanes.
Using the FpXylBH2•SMe2 reagent for the regioselective synthesis of cyclic bis(alkenyl)boranes
Authors: Škoch Karel , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Kehr Gerald , Erker Gerhard
Published: September 2020

The FpXylBH2 reagent undergoes a twofold hydroboration reaction with 1,2-bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)benzene to give the 14-membered macrocyclic bis-borane product.
Flexible full two-dimensional memristive synapses of graphene/WSe2−xOy/graphene
Authors: He Hui-Kai , Yang Fan-Fan , Yang Rui
Published: September 2020

van der Waals heterostructures realized by stacking different two-dimensional materials offer the possibility to design new devices with atomic-level precision.
Synthesis, conformational analysis and antibacterial activity of Au(i)–Ag(i) and Au(i)–Hg(ii) heterobimetallic N-heterocyclic carbene complexes
Authors: Li Zili , Mackie Emily R. R. , Ramkissoon Pria , Mather Joel C. , Wiratpruk Nuchareenat , Soares da Costa Tatiana P. , Barnard Peter J.
Published: September 2020

A family heterobimetallic Au(i)–Ag(i) and Au(i)–Hg(ii) complexes of bis-N-heterocyclic carbene ligands been prepared and their antibacterial properties evaluated.
New catalytically active conjugated microporous polymer bearing ordered salen-Cu and porphyrin moieties for Henry reaction in aqueous solution
Authors: Sun Xiaoman , Meng Fanyu , Su Qing , Luo Kexin , Ju Pengyao , Liu Ziqian , Li Xiaodong , Li Guanghua , Wu Qiaolin
Published: September 2020

Salen–porphyrin-based CMPs are proposed to be a promising platform for heterogeneous catalysis.
NiRu nanoparticles encapsulated in a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Xu Shikai , Li Zhiqiang , Chu Kainian , Yao Ge , Xu Yang , Niu Ping , Zheng Fangcai
Published: September 2020

We synthesize ultrafine NiRu nanoparticles embedded in a nitrogen-doped carbon matrix through direct carbonization of Ru-doped Ni-based MOFs. As expected, NiRu2@NC-600 exhibits superior electrocatalytic activity for the HER in acidic and alkaline electrolytes.
Removal of contaminants from canal water using microwave synthesized zero valent iron nanoparticles
Authors: Shad Salma , Belinga-Desaunay-Nault Marie-France A. , Sohail  , Bashir Nadia , Lynch Iseult
Published: September 2020

Microwave synthesized (low energy) ZV-FeNPs stabilised with Mentha piperita extract removed >80% of phosphate, ammonia, nitrate, lead and chloride, typical agricultural run-off contaminants, from UK canal water with a single application for 24 h.
In situelectrosynthesis of anthraquinone electrolytes in aqueous flow batteries
Authors: Jing Yan , Wu Min , Wong Andrew A. , Fell Eric M. , Jin Shijian , Pollack Daniel A. , Kerr Emily F. , Gordon Roy G. , Aziz Michael J.
Published: September 2020

We demonstrate the electrochemical oxidation of an anthracene derivative to a redox-active anthraquinone at room temperature in a flow cell without the use of hazardous oxidants or noble metal catalysts.
Characterization of the new isotopic reference materials IRMM-524A and ERM-AE143 for Fe and Mg isotopic analysis of geological and biological samples
Authors: González de Vega Claudia , Chernonozhkin Stepan M. , Grigoryan Rosa , Costas-Rodríguez Marta , Vanhaecke Frank
Published: September 2020

Isotopic reference materials (IRMs) are crucial for securing accurate and precise isotope ratio measurements of non-traditional stable isotopic systems and for enabling comparison of isotope ratio data obtained at different labs.
Modified inverted selective plane illumination microscopy for sub-micrometer imaging resolution in polydimethylsiloxane soft lithography devices
Authors: Xu Tienan , Lim Yean Jin , Zheng Yujie , Jung MoonSun , Gaus Katharina , Gardiner Elizabeth E. , Lee Woei Ming
Published: September 2020

Sub-micrometer lightsheet imaging of live fibroblast cell in PDMS microdevices by m-iSPIM.
A novel NIR fluorescent probe for fast detection and imaging of methionine sulfoxide reductase A in lysosome of living cells
Authors: Gong Jin , Liu Chang , Cai Songtao , He Song , Zhao Liancheng , Zeng Xianshun
Published: September 2020

A novel lysosome-targeted NIR fluorescent probe for fast detection and imaging Msr A was developed by extending the linear π-conjugated system of the probe via SNArH reaction.
Nitrogen doping-induced local structure change in a Cr2Ge2Te6 inverse resistance phase-change material
Authors: Shuang Yi , Hatayama Shogo , Tanimura Hiroshi , Ando Daisuke , Ichitsubo Tetsu , Sutou Yuji
Published: September 2020

This work investigated the phase change mechanism of a nitrogen-doped Cr2Ge2Te6 phase change material via Raman scattering.
Determining the morphology and concentration of core–shell Au/Ag nanoparticles
Authors: Lyu Jieli , Geertsen Valérie , Hamon Cyrille , Constantin Doru
Published: September 2020

Accurately measuring the shape, structure and concentration of nanoparticles (NPs) is a crucial step towards understanding their formation and a prerequisite for any applications.
Hybrid double-network hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties
Authors: Li Ting , Zhang Xuhui , Xia Bihua , Ma Piming , Chen Mingqing , Du Mingliang , Wang Yang , Dong Weifu
Published: September 2020

Fabrication of high performance hybrid double-network hydrogels via electrostatic interactions.
Mitochondria-anchoring and AIE-active photosensitizer for self-monitored cholangiocarcinoma therapy
Authors: Zhou Tao , Zhu Jianfang , Shang Dan , Chai Chuxing , Li Youzhen , Sun Haiying , Li Yongqin , Gao Meng , Li Min
Published: September 2020

An AIE-active photosensitizer, TTVPHE, can fast penetrate into cancer cells and efficiently trigger mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway with self-monitoring ability.
Synthesis, characterization and computational studies of Zn complex based on the 8-hydroxyquinoline group containing benzimidazole
Authors: Li Shanji , Wen Huawen , Yuan Ningning , Xie Pengbo , Qin Jinlan , Wang Zhengfang
Published: September 2020

A novel fluorescent zinc complex with 8-hydroxyquinoline containing benzimidazole ligands has been designed and synthesized. And the ligand structural distortion could cause the blue shift in the emission profile of the complex.
Formation of a mixed-valence Cu(i)/Cu(ii) metal–organic framework with the full light spectrum and high selectivity of CO2 photoreduction into CH4
Authors: Gao Yajun , Zhang Lei , Gu Yuming , Zhang Wenwei , Pan Yi , Fang Weihai , Ma Jing , Lan Ya-Qian , Bai Junfeng
Published: September 2020

A Cu(i)/Cu(ii) MOF with a full light spectrum was synthesized, exhibiting a photocatalytic CO2-to-CH4 selectivity of 72.8% in aqueous solution.
Thermodynamic rules for zeolite formation from machine learning based global optimization
Authors: Ma Sicong , Shang Cheng , Wang Chuan-Ming , Liu Zhi-Pan
Published: September 2020

Machine learning based atomic simulation explores more than one million minima from global potential energy surface of SiAlPO system, and identifies thermodynamics rules on energetics, framework and composition for stable zeolite.
Ensemble-machine-learning-based correlation analysis of internal and band characteristics of thermoelectric materials
Authors: Chen Lihao , Xu Ben , Chen Jia , Bi Ke , Li Changjiao , Lu Shengyu , Hu Guosheng , Lin Yuanhua
Published: September 2020

Machine learning can significantly help to predict the thermoelectric properties of materials, such as the Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity.
Design of low sidelobe series microstrip array antenna with non‐uniform spacing and excitation amplitude
Authors: Xu TongMin , Yao MinLi , Zhang FengGan , Wang XuJian
Published: September 2020

To reduce the sidelobe level (SLL), a ten‐element non‐uniform microstrip array antenna at 14.25 GHz frequency was designed. This Letter proposes an improved differential evolution algorithm, expanding the optimisation variable from one, the array element spacing, to two, the array element spacing and the excitation amplitude. Then a series linear array antenna with non‐uniform spacing and unequal excitation is constructed, and a uniform spacing Chebyshev array antenna and an equal excitation non‐uniform spacing array antenna are constructed as references. The experimental results show an SLL of −22 dB and a gain of 16.5 dB.
Linearly polarised modes enabled PAM‐4 data transmission over few‐mode fibre for data centre interconnect
Authors: Iqbal S. , Iqbal M. , Raza A. , Mirza J. , Ghafoor S. , El‐Hajjar M. , Butt M.F.U.
Published: September 2020

This Letter proposes a high data rate optical transmission system for data centre interconnects, where the authors employ vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) and graded index few‐mode fibre (GI‐FMF) having modal bandwidth of around 24.3 GHz.km to enhance the link capacity and range. Additionally, they consider PAM‐4 modulated data transmission at the rate of 2 100 Gbps using a pair of VCSELs and employing mode group division multiplexing of two linearly polarised (LP) modes and of the GI‐FMF. Digital signal processing techniques are applied at the receiver to process the received PAM‐4 signals for equalisation in order to mitigate the channel impairments. Furthermore, standard OM3 and OM4 fibres are considered as a benchmark to compare the transmission performance of the designed GI‐FMF. They observe that the designed GI‐FMF supports longer transmission distance for both and modes upto 900 and 450 m at 50 and 100 Gbps data rates, respectively, while achieving lower receiver sensitivities for forward error correction limit of . The proposed optical transmission system can be a potential applicant in future data centre networks supporting transmission rates in 800 Gbps to 1.6 Tbps range.
Millimetre‐wave balanced SIW bandpass filter with high common‐mode suppression
Authors: Guo Zi‐Jun , Hao Zhang‐Cheng , Wu Yi‐Wen
Published: September 2020

A balanced substrate‐integrated waveguide (SIW) filter based on a virtual electric wall (VEW) is presented and studied in this Letter. By introducing VEW on the symmetry plane for replacing the metallic‐via‐array, conductor losses from metal sidewalls can be avoided. As proof‐of‐concept example, a six‐pole balanced filter using asymmetric inductive windows is designed and fabricated with a measured centre frequency of 29.45 GHz, as well as fractional bandwidth of 7.2% to cover satellite ground terminal application. The measured response shows a good concordance with the simulated one, indicating that the proposed balanced filter has the advantages of high common‐mode suppression and low insertion loss.
New technique for shaping axisymmetric dual‐reflector antennas using conic sections to control aperture illumination
Authors: Faria Tcharles V.B. , Moreira Fernando J.S.
Published: September 2020

This work presents a new technique for the geometrical optics (GO) shaping of axisymmetric dual‐reflector antennas. Both reflectors' generatrices are shaped by the continuous concatenation of conic sections, suited to provide simultaneous control of amplitude and phase of the aperture's GO field. With amplitude and phase control of the aperture field, the antenna designer has more options to achieve prescribed circularly symmetric radiation patterns. The GO formulation is derived for the well‐known shaped Cassegrain configuration, but it can be easily adapted to other axisymmetric geometries. Illustrative GO designs are investigated and results validated by a full‐wave analysis provided by the method of moments.