bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redox Properties of Peat Particulate Organic Matter: Quantification of Electron Accepting Capacities and Assessment of Electron Transfer Reversibility
Authors: Joshi Prachi , Schroth Martin H. , Sander Michael
Published: August 2021

Peat particulate organic matter (POM) has been hypothesized to act as a terminal electron acceptor (TEA) for anaerobic microbial respiration in northern peatlands, thereby lowering dissolved methane (CH4) concentrations in these systems. However, the redox properties of peat POM and an assessment of its redox state in situ remain missing, mainly due to the lack of an accurate analytical approach to quantify the number of electrons that are transferred to/from POM. Here, we first developed a new spectrophotometric method to quantify the number of electrons that are transferable to peat POM—denoted hereafter as electron accepting capacity (EAC)—by reacting POM with the reduced species of the probe compound 4,4’‐bipyridinium‐1,1'bis(2‐ethylsulfonate). Second, we used this analytical approach to quantify the EAC of an oxidized reference POM material (0.38 ± 0.039 mmol e−/g POM) and of redox‐preserved POM from three ombrotrophic bogs in Värmland, Sweden (0.17–0.24 mmol e−/g POM). These EAC values are substantially higher than previous estimates, likely reflecting kinetic artifacts in previous analytical methods. We further established reversible electron transfer to the oxic reference POM over a cycle of electrochemical reduction and O2 re‐oxidation. Finally, we determined that the EAC of two of the three bog POM samples that were collected anoxically (i.e., redox state‐preserved POM) increased by ∼0.09 mmol e−/g POM upon exposure to air for 8 days, demonstrating that the POM was indeed reduced in situ. Collectively, our results strongly support that POM acts as a sustainable TEA in northern peatlands, which may lower methane release from these systems.
Paleoproductivity Modes in Central Mediterranean During MIS 20—MIS 18: Calcareous Plankton and Alkenone Variability
Authors: Maiorano Patrizia , Herbert Timothy D. , Marino Maria , Bassinot Franck , Bazzicalupo Pietro , Bertini Adele , Girone Angela , Nomade Sebastien , Ciaranfi Neri
Published: August 2021

Paleoproductivity is reconstructed across a Mediterranean benchmark record, the Early/Middle Pleistocene Montalbano Jonico section, cropping out in southern Italy. High‐resolution coccolithophore and alkenone data (C37 and C37:2/C38:2 ratio) were collected in order to extend the data set on Mediterranean paleoproductivity pattern and forcing mechanisms. The multi‐proxy record indicates low productivity during glacial and stadial phases and enhanced productivity during interglacial and interstadials. Increased surface water turbidity, cold‐water temperature and polar‐subpolar low salinity water incursion appear as the dominant controls for low productivity during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 20. Enhanced productivity during MIS 19c was sustained by warmer surface waters, coupled with a seasonal precipitation regime, providing higher nutrient availability. Productivity increases during interstadials with respect to stadials, in relation with enhanced land‐derived nutrient input through river discharge during wetter winters. The productivity scenario we propose is similar to those reconstructed from deep‐sea records in the central and western Mediterranean during Dansgaard‐Oeschger oscillations over the last 70 ka. This indicates that similar forcing mechanisms acted on productivity dynamics on a regional scale over different times. We suggest that migration of the westerly wind system over the Mediterranean and the polar water inflow influenced productivity on a regional scale. The acquired data set provides new evidences on the environmental significance of the C37:2/C38:2 ratio and on its relation with surface water productivity.
TRIM31 facilitates K27-linked polyubiquitination of SYK to regulate antifungal immunity
Authors: Wang Xueer , Zhang Honghai , Shao Zhugui , Zhuang Wanxin , Sui Chao , Liu Feng , Chen Xiaorong , Hou Jinxiu , Kong Lingli , Liu Hansen , Zheng Yi , Liu Bingyu , Chen Tian , Zhang Lei , Jia Xinming , Gao Chengjiang
Published: August 2021

Spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, which plays an essential role in both innate and adaptive immunity. However, the key molecular mechanisms that regulate SYK activity are poorly understood. Here we identified the E3 ligase TRIM31 as a crucial regulator of SYK activation. We found that TRIM31 interacted with SYK and catalyzed K27-linked polyubiquitination at Lys375 and Lys517 of SYK. This K27-linked polyubiquitination of SYK promoted its plasma membrane translocation and binding with the C-type lectin receptors (CLRs), and also prevented the interaction with the phosphatase SHP-1. Therefore, deficiency of Trim31 in bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) and macrophages (BMDMs) dampened SYK-mediated signaling and inhibited the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines against the fungal pathogen Candida albicans infection. Trim31−/− mice were also more sensitive to C. albicans systemic infection than Trim31+/+ mice and exhibited reduced Th1 and Th17 responses. Overall, our study uncovered the pivotal role of TRIM31-mediated K27-linked polyubiquitination on SYK activation and highlighted the significance of TRIM31 in anti-C. albicans immunity.
Hypoxic stress suppresses lung tumor-secreted exosomal miR101 to activate macrophages and induce inflammation
Authors: Li Jie , Xu Peng , Wu Di , Guan Minjie , Weng Xuanwen , Lu Yongzhen , Zeng Yuwei , Chen Rongchang
Published: August 2021

Hypoxia promotes inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. Although hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) is a master modulator of the response to hypoxia, the exact mechanisms through which HIF1α regulates the induction of inflammation remain largely unclear. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-LUSC) database, we divided patients with LUSC into two groups based on low or high HIF1α expression. After analyzing the differentially expressed genes in these two groups, we found that HIF1α was positively correlated with interleukin 1A (IL1A) and IL6 expression. Our in vitro study showed that hypoxic stress did not induce IL1A or IL6 expression in tumor cells or macrophages but dramatically enhanced their expression when co-cultured with tumor cells. We then investigated the effect of tumor-derived exosomes on macrophages. Our data suggested that the changes in miR101 in the tumor-derived exosomes played an important role in IL1A and IL6 expression in macrophages, although the hypoxic stress did not change the total amount of exosome secretion. The expression of miR101 in exosomes was suppressed by hypoxic stress, since depletion of HIF1α in tumor cells recovered the miR101 expression in both tumor cells and exosomes. In vitro, miRNA101 overexpression or uptake enriched exosomes by macrophages suppressed their reprogramming into a pro-inflammatory state by targeting CDK8. Injection of miR101 into xenografted tumors resulted in the suppression of tumor growth and macrophage tumor infiltration in vivo. Collectively, this study suggests that the HIF1α-dependent suppression of exosome miR101 from hypoxic tumor cells activates macrophages to induce inflammation in the tumor microenvironment.
Non-viral delivery of CRISPR–Cas9 complexes for targeted gene editing via a polymer delivery system
Authors: O’Keeffe Ahern Jonathan , Lara-Sáez Irene , Zhou Dezhong , Murillas Rodolfo , Bonafont Jose , Mencía Ángeles , García Marta , Manzanares Darío , Lynch Jennifer , Foley Ruth , Xu Qian , Sigen A , Larcher Fernando , Wang Wenxin
Published: August 2021

Recent advances in molecular biology have led to the CRISPR revolution, but the lack of an efficient and safe delivery system into cells and tissues continues to hinder clinical translation of CRISPR approaches. Polymeric vectors offer an attractive alternative to viruses as delivery vectors due to their large packaging capacity and safety profile. In this paper, we have demonstrated the potential use of a highly branched poly(β-amino ester) polymer, HPAE-EB, to enable genomic editing via CRISPRCas9-targeted genomic excision of exon 80 in the COL7A1 gene, through a dual-guide RNA sequence system. The biophysical properties of HPAE-EB were screened in a human embryonic 293 cell line (HEK293), to elucidate optimal conditions for efficient and cytocompatible delivery of a DNA construct encoding Cas9 along with two RNA guides, obtaining 15–20% target genomic excision. When translated to human recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) keratinocytes, transfection efficiency and targeted genomic excision dropped. However, upon delivery of CRISPR–Cas9 as a ribonucleoprotein complex, targeted genomic deletion of exon 80 was increased to over 40%. Our study provides renewed perspective for the further development of polymer delivery systems for application in the gene editing field in general, and specifically for the treatment of RDEB.
Association of the ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat volume with renal function among patients with primary aldosteronism
Authors: Haze Tatsuya , Hatakeyama Moe , Komiya Shiro , Kawano Rina , Ohki Yuki , Suzuki Shota , Kobayashi Yusuke , Fujiwara Akira , Saka Sanae , Tamura Kouichi , Hirawa Nobuhito
Published: August 2021

Patients with primary aldosteronism have a higher risk of chronic kidney disease. Visceral fat tissue is hypothesized to stimulate the adrenal glands to overproduce aldosterone, and aldosterone promotes visceral fat tissue to produce inflammatory cytokines. However, it is unclear whether the volume of accumulated visceral fat tissue is associated with renal impairment among patients with hyperaldosteronism. We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study to assess the association between the estimated glomerular filtration rate and the ratio of the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat volume calculated by computed tomography. One hundred eighty patients with primary aldosteronism were enrolled. The mean ± SD age was 52.7 ± 11.0 years, and 60.0% were women. The ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat volume was highly correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression models, the ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat tissue volume was significantly associated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (estimates: −4.56 mL/min/1.73 m² per 1-SD), and there was an interaction effect between the plasma aldosterone concentration and the ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat volume (p < 0.05). The group with a higher plasma aldosterone concentration exhibited a steeper decline in eGFR than the lower plasma aldosterone concentration group when the ratio increased. The ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat tissue volume was an independent risk factor for renal dysfunction. This association increased in the presence of a high plasma aldosterone concentration. Clinicians should pay attention to the ratio of visceral-to-subcutaneous fat tissue volume and encourage primary aldosteronism patients to improve their lifestyle in addition to treating renin-aldosterone activity.
Synergistic effect of tumor chemo-immunotherapy induced by leukocyte-hitchhiking thermal-sensitive micelles
Authors: Qi Jing , Jin Feiyang , You Yuchan , Du Yan , Liu Di , Xu Xiaoling , Wang Jun , Zhu Luwen , Chen Minjiang , Shu Gaofeng , Wu Liming , Ji Jiansong , Du Yongzhong
Published: August 2021

Some specific chemotherapeutic drugs are able to enhance tumor immunogenicity and facilitate antitumor immunity by inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). However, tumor immunosuppression induced by the adenosine pathway hampers this effect. In this study, E-selectin-modified thermal-sensitive micelles are designed to co-deliver a chemotherapeutic drug (doxorubicin, DOX) and an A2A adenosine receptor antagonist (SCH 58261), which simultaneously exhibit chemo-immunotherapeutic effects when applied with microwave irradiation. After intravenous injection, the fabricated micelles effectively adhere to the surface of leukocytes in peripheral blood mediated by E-selectin, and thereby hitchhiking with leukocytes to achieve a higher accumulation at the tumor site. Further, local microwave irradiation is applied to induce hyperthermia and accelerates the release rate of drugs from micelles. Rapidly released DOX induces tumor ICD and elicits tumor-specific immunity, while SCH 58261 alleviates immunosuppression caused by the adenosine pathway, further enhancing DOX-induced antitumor immunity. In conclusion, this study presents a strategy to increase the tumor accumulation of drugs by hitchhiking with leukocytes, and the synergistic strategy of chemo-immunotherapy not only effectively arrested primary tumor growth, but also exhibited superior effects in terms of antimetastasis, antirecurrence and antirechallenge.
Impact of aging and exercise on skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity, energy metabolism, and physical function
Authors: Grevendonk L. , Connell N. J. , McCrum C. , Fealy C. E. , Bilet L. , Bruls Y. M. H. , Mevenkamp J. , Schrauwen-Hinderling V. B. , Jörgensen J. A. , Moonen-Kornips E. , Schaart G. , Havekes B. , de Vogel-van den Bosch J. , Bragt M. C. E. , Meijer K. , Schrauwen P. , Hoeks J.
Published: August 2021

The relationship between the age-associated decline in mitochondrial function and its effect on skeletal muscle physiology and function remain unclear. In the current study, we examined to what extent physical activity contributes to the decline in mitochondrial function and muscle health during aging and compared mitochondrial function in young and older adults, with similar habitual physical activity levels. We also studied exercise-trained older adults and physically impaired older adults. Aging was associated with a decline in mitochondrial capacity, exercise capacity and efficiency, gait stability, muscle function, and insulin sensitivity, even when maintaining an adequate daily physical activity level. Our data also suggest that a further increase in physical activity level, achieved through regular exercise training, can largely negate the effects of aging. Finally, mitochondrial capacity correlated with exercise efficiency and insulin sensitivity. Together, our data support a link between mitochondrial function and age-associated deterioration of skeletal muscle.
The importance of species interactions in eco-evolutionary community dynamics under climate change
Authors: Åkesson Anna , Curtsdotter Alva , Eklöf Anna , Ebenman Bo , Norberg Jon , Barabás György
Published: August 2021

Eco-evolutionary dynamics are essential in shaping the biological response of communities to ongoing climate change. Here we develop a spatially explicit eco-evolutionary framework which features more detailed species interactions, integrating evolution and dispersal. We include species interactions within and between trophic levels, and additionally, we incorporate the feature that species’ interspecific competition might change due to increasing temperatures and affect the impact of climate change on ecological communities. Our modeling framework captures previously reported ecological responses to climate change, and also reveals two key results. First, interactions between trophic levels as well as temperature-dependent competition within a trophic level mitigate the negative impact of climate change on biodiversity, emphasizing the importance of understanding biotic interactions in shaping climate change impact. Second, our trait-based perspective reveals a strong positive relationship between the within-community variation in preferred temperatures and the capacity to respond to climate change. Temperature-dependent competition consistently results both in higher trait variation and more responsive communities to altered climatic conditions. Our study demonstrates the importance of species interactions in an eco-evolutionary setting, further expanding our knowledge of the interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes.
Molecular-level similarity search brings computing to DNA data storage
Authors: Bee Callista , Chen Yuan-Jyue , Queen Melissa , Ward David , Liu Xiaomeng , Organick Lee , Seelig Georg , Strauss Karin , Ceze Luis
Published: August 2021

As global demand for digital storage capacity grows, storage technologies based on synthetic DNA have emerged as a dense and durable alternative to traditional media. Existing approaches leverage robust error correcting codes and precise molecular mechanisms to reliably retrieve specific files from large databases. Typically, files are retrieved using a pre-specified key, analogous to a filename. However, these approaches lack the ability to perform more complex computations over the stored data, such as similarity search: e.g., finding images that look similar to an image of interest without prior knowledge of their file names. Here we demonstrate a technique for executing similarity search over a DNA-based database of 1.6 million images. Queries are implemented as hybridization probes, and a key step in our approach was to learn an image-to-sequence encoding ensuring that queries preferentially bind to targets representing visually similar images. Experimental results show that our molecular implementation performs comparably to state-of-the-art in silico algorithms for similarity search.
Mechanism of TCONS_00147848 regulating apoptosis of nasal mucosa cells and alleviating allergic rhinitis through FOSL2-mediated JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway
Authors: Huang Haiyun , Ren Yu , Liang Hongyu , Liu Xiaojia , Nan Jisangmo , Zhao Hui , Liu Xiaoling
Published: August 2021

This study was conducted to explore the roles and related mechanisms of lncRNA-TCONS_00147848 (TCONS_00147848) in nasal mucosa cell apoptosis and allergic rhinitis (AR). AR mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), with the TCONS_00147848 interference lentiviral vector (TCONS_00147848 shRNA) and FOSL2 overexpressing lentiviral vectors (pCDH-FOSL2) constructed respectively. NC shRNA, TCONS_00147848 shRNA and TCONS_00147848 shRNA + pCDH-FOSL2 were transfected into AR mice and mice with TNF-α induced nasal mucosa cells. The allergic reaction symptoms were evaluated by scoring. And in this study, we used Hematoxylin–Eosin (HE) staining and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) to detect the histological changes of nasal mucosa and apoptosis of nasal mucosa epithelial cells in mice, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transwell and annexin V/PI to detect proliferation, migration and apoptosis of nasal mucosa cells of mice, respectively, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to detect the expression of inflammatory factors, qRT-PCR to detect TCONS_00147848 expression, Western blot assay to detect the expressions of FOSL2, JAK-2, STAT3, p-STAT3, BAX and BCL-2, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, RNA pull down assay and Co-immunoprecipitation (CoIP) assay to identify TCONS_00147848 targeting FOSL2. All these findings above reveal that knocking down TCONS_00147848 can reduce the allergic reaction symptom score of AR mice and the inflammatory reaction. The expression of IgE, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-9, IFN-γ and TNF-α in serum decreased. The expression of FOSL2, JAK-2, p-STAT3 and BAX in nasal mucosa and nasal mucosa cells of mice decreased as well, but BCL-2 expression increased. In addition, koncking down TCONS_00147848 can also inhibit the apoptosis of TNF-α induced nasal mucosa cells in mice and promote cell proliferation and migration. However, FOSL2 overexpression neutralized the effect of TCONS_00147848 shRNA. In nasal mucosa cells of mice, TCONS_00147848 can target FOSL2, interacting with STAT3. Inhibition of TCONS_00147848 can regulate JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway and reduce inflammatory response in AR mice.
Insights into non-autoimmune type 1 diabetes with 13 novel loci in low polygenic risk score patients
Authors: Qu Jingchun , Qu Hui-Qi , Bradfield Jonathan P. , Glessner Joseph T. , Chang Xiao , Tian Lifeng , March Michael , Connolly John J. , Roizen Jeffrey D. , Sleiman Patrick M. A. , Hakonarson Hakon
Published: August 2021

With polygenic risk score (PRS) for autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D), this study identified T1D cases with low T1D PRS and searched for susceptibility loci in these cases. Our hypothesis is that genetic effects (likely mediated by relatively rare genetic variants) of non-mainstream (or non-autoimmune) T1D might have been diluted in the previous studies on T1D cases in general. Two cohorts for the PRS modeling and testing respectively were included. The first cohort consisted of 3302 T1D cases and 6181 controls, and the independent second cohort consisted of 3297 T1D cases and 6169 controls. Cases with low T1D PRS were identified using PRSice-2 and compared to controls with low T1D PRS by genome-wide association (GWA) test. Thirteen novel genetic loci with high imputation quality (Quality Score r2 > 0.91) were identified of SNPs/SNVs associated with low PRS T1D at genome-wide significance (P ≤ 5.0 × E−08), in addition to 4 established T1D loci, 3 reported loci by our previous study, as well as 9 potential novel loci represented by rare SNVs, but with relatively low imputation quality (Quality Score r2 < 0.90). For the 13 novel loci, 9 regions have been reported of association with obesity related traits by previous GWA studies. Three loci encoding long intergenic non-protein coding RNAs (lncRNA), and 2 loci involved in N-linked glycosylation are also highlighted in this study.
An insight of anopheline larvicidal mechanism of Trichoderma asperellum (TaspSKGN2)
Authors: Ghosh Swapan Kumar , Podder Dipanjan , Mukherjee Anirvan
Published: August 2021

Anopheline larvicidal property of T. asperellum has been found recently in medical science. The mechanism of actions exhibited by T. asperellum to infect mosquito larvae is the pivotal context of our present study. To infect an insect, entomopathogens must undergo some events of pathogenesis. We performed some experiments to find out the mechanisms of action of T. asperellum against anopheline larvae and compared its actions with other two well recognized entomopathogens like Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana. The methodology adopted for this includes Compound light and SE Microscopic study of host–pathogen interaction, detection of fungal spore adhesion on larval surface (Mucilage assay), detection of cuticle degrading enzymes (Spore bound pr1, chitinase and protease) by spectro-photometric method, Quantitative estimation of chitinase and protease enzymes, and determination of nuclear degeneration of hemocyte cells of ME (methanolic extract) treated larvae by T. asperellum under fluorescence microscope. Compound light microscopic studies showed spore attachment, appressorium and germ tube formation, invasion and proliferated hyphal growth of T. asperellum on epicuticle and inside of dead larvae. SEM study also supported them. After 3 h of interaction, spores were found to be attached on larval surface exhibiting pink colored outer layer at the site of attachment indicating the presence of mucilage surrounding the attached spores. The enzymatic cleavage of the 4-nitroanilide substrate yields 4-nitroaniline which indicates the presence of spore-bound PR1 protein (Pathogenecity Related 1 Protein) and it was highest (absorbance 1.298 ± 0.002) for T. asperellum in comparison with control and other two entomopathogens. T. asperellum exhibited highest enzymatic index values for both chitinase (5.20) and protease (2.77) among three entomopathogens. Quantitative experiment showed that chitinase enzyme concentration of T. asperellum (245 µg mL−1) was better than other two M. anisopliae (134.59 µg mL−1) and B. bassiana (128.65 µg mL−1). Similarly protease enzyme concentration of this fungus was best (298.652 µg mL−1) among three entomopathogens. Here we have detected and estimated fragmentized nuclei of hemocyte cells by fluorescence microscopy in treated larvae with different ME doses of T. asperellum, and also observed that mosquito larvae exposed to 0.1 mg mL−1 dose of ME showed maximum (100%) nuclear fragmentations of hemocytes and while 20, 45, 70 and 85% of nuclear deformities were recorded at 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 and 0.08 mg mL−1 concentrations of ME. The knowledge of this work certainly will help in understanding of mechanism of action of T. asperellum for anopheline larval killing and consequently in eradication of malaria vector.
A crystal plasticity model for metal matrix composites considering thermal mismatch stress induced dislocations and twins
Authors: Hou Y. N. , Yang K. M. , Song J. , Wang H. , Liu Y. , Fan T. X.
Published: August 2021

Originated at heterogeneous interfaces with distinct coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), thermal mismatch stress is one of the critical influential factors to mechanical properties of metal matrix composites (MMCs). This stress is normally accommodated plastically by various defects, for example, high-density dislocations and twins in Al near heterogeneous interfaces in SiC/Al composites. Basic knowledge on the influence of defect characteristics is important but difficult to extrapolate from experimental results. However, existed theoretical models more focus on the influence of dislocation density, but less focus on defects variety, volume and distribution. In this paper, we propose a physics-based crystal plasticity model that has the capability of dealing with thermal mismatch stress induced dislocations and twins (denoted as TMDT model). The proposed TMDT model that is implemented in the Visco-Plastic Self-Consistent (VPSC) method considers defect heterogeneous distribution (gradient range), defect type (dislocations vs. twins) and defect volume fraction (twin spacing vs. twin volume). We demonstrate the validity and the capability of the VPSC-TMDT model in SiC/Al composites with thermal mismatch induced dislocations or twins. Furthermore, this model predicts the ultra-high strength of Graphene/Copper composites with high-density nanoscale twins, which is in turn the future aim for such nanocomposites.
Numerical study of bio-convection flow of magneto-cross nanofluid containing gyrotactic microorganisms with activation energy
Authors: Shi Qiu-Hong , Hamid Aamir , Khan M. Ijaz , Kumar R. Naveen , Gowda R. J. Punith , Prasannakumara B. C. , Shah Nehad Ali , Khan Sami Ullah , Chung Jae Dong
Published: August 2021

In this study, a mathematical model is developed to scrutinize the transient magnetic flow of Cross nanoliquid past a stretching sheet with thermal radiation effects. Binary chemical reactions and heat source/sink effects along with convective boundary condition are also taken into the consideration. Appropriate similarity transformations are utilized to transform partial differential equations (PDE’s) into ordinary ones and then numerically tackled by shooting method. The impacts of different emerging parameters on the thermal, concentration, velocity, and micro-rotation profiles are incorporated and discussed in detail by means of graphs. Results reveal that, the escalation in magnetic parameter and Rayleigh number slowdowns the velocity and momentum of the fluid. The increase in Biot number, radiation and heat sink/source parameters upsurges the thermal boundary but, converse trend is seen for escalating Prandtl number. The density number of motile microorganisms acts as a growing function of bioconvection Lewis number and declining function of bioconvection Peclet number.
Application of Taguchi method and response surface methodology into the removal of malachite green and auramine-O by NaX nanozeolites
Authors: Shojaei Siroos , Shojaei Saeed , Band Shahab S. , Farizhandi Amir Abbas Kazemzadeh , Ghoroqi Milad , Mosavi Amir
Published: August 2021

In the present study, the simultaneous removal of malachite green (MG) and auramine-O (AO) dyes from the aqueous solution by NaX nanozeolites in a batch system is investigated. Taguchi method and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to optimize and model dye removal conditions. In order to do so, the effect of various factors (dyes concentration, sonication time, ionic strength, adsorbent dosage, temperature, and pH of the solution) on the amount of dye removal was evaluated by the Taguchi method. Then, the most important factors were chosen and modeled by the RSM method so as to reach the highest percentage of dye removal. The proposed quadratic models to remove both dyes were in good accordance with the actual experimental data. The maximum removal efficiencies of MG and AO dyes in optimal operating conditions were 99.07% and 99.61%, respectively. Also, the coefficients of determination (R2) for test data were 0.9983 and 0.9988 for MG and AO dyes, respectively. The reusability of NaX nanozeolites was evaluated during the adsorption process of MG and AO. The results showed that the adsorption efficiency decreases very little up to five cycles. Moreover, NaX nanozeolites were also applied as adsorbents to remove MG and AO from environmental water samples, and more than 98.1% of both dyes were removed from the solution in optimal conditions.
Vortex beam manipulation through a tunable plasma-ferrite metamaterial
Authors: Nobahar Davod , Khorram Sirous , Rodrigues João D.
Published: August 2021

This paper is devoted to the study of vortex beam transmission from an adjustable magnetized plasma-ferrite structure with negative refraction index. We use the angular spectral expansion technique together with the$$4\times 4$$4×4matrix method to find out the transmitted intensity and phase profiles of incoming Laguerre-Gaussian beam. Based on numerical analysis we demonstrate that high transparency and large amount of Faraday rotation in the proximity of resonance frequency region, reverse rotation of spiral wave front, and side-band modes generation during propagation are the remarkable features of our proposed structure. These controllable properties of plasma-ferrite metamaterials via external static magnetic field and other structure parameters provide novel facilities for manipulating intensity and phase profiles of vortex radiation in transmission through the material. It is expected that the results of this work will be beneficial to develop active magneto-optical devices, orbital angular momentum based applications, and wavefront engineering.
Dipole-induced Ohmic contacts between monolayer Janus MoSSe and bulk metals
Authors: Zhao Ning , Schwingenschlögl Udo
Published: August 2021

Utilizing a two-dimensional material in an electronic device as channel layer inevitably involves the formation of contacts with metallic electrodes. As these contacts can dramatically affect the behavior of the device, we study the electronic properties of monolayer Janus MoSSe in contact with different metallic electrodes by first-principles calculations, focusing on the differences in the characteristics of contacts with the two sides of MoSSe. In particular, we demonstrate that the Fermi level pinning is different for the two sides of MoSSe, with the magnitude resembling that of MoS2 or MoSe2, while both sides can form Ohmic contacts with common electrode materials without any further adaptation, which is an outstanding advantage over MoS2 and MoSe2.
Impact and mechanism of sulphur-deficiency on modern wheat farming nitrogen-related sustainability and gliadin content
Authors: Yu Zitong , She Maoyun , Zheng Ting , Diepeveen Dean , Islam Shahidul , Zhao Yun , Zhang Yingquan , Tang Guixiang , Zhang Yujuan , Zhang Jingjuan , Blanchard Christopher L. , Ma Wujun
Published: August 2021

Two challenges that the global wheat industry is facing are a lowering nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) and an increase in the reporting of wheat-protein related health issues. Sulphur deficiencies in soil has also been reported as a global issue. The current study used large-scale field and glasshouse experiments to investigate the sulphur fertilization impacts on sulphur deficient soil. Here we show that sulphur addition increased NUE by more than 20% through regulating glutamine synthetase. Alleviating the soil sulphur deficiency highly significantly reduced the amount of gliadin proteins indicating that soil sulphur levels may be related to the biosynthesis of proteins involved in wheat-induced human pathologies. The sulphur-dependent wheat gluten biosynthesis network was studied using transcriptome analysis and amino acid metabolomic pathway studies. The study concluded that sulphur deficiency in modern farming systems is not only having a profound negative impact on productivity but is also impacting on population health.
The electric double layer effect and its strong suppression at Li+ solid electrolyte/hydrogenated diamond interfaces
Authors: Tsuchiya Takashi , Takayanagi Makoto , Mitsuishi Kazutaka , Imura Masataka , Ueda Shigenori , Koide Yasuo , Higuchi Tohru , Terabe Kazuya
Published: August 2021

The electric double layer (EDL) effect at solid electrolyte/electrode interfaces has been a key topic in many energy and nanoelectronics applications (e.g., all-solid-state Li+ batteries and memristors). However, its characterization remains difficult in comparison with liquid electrolytes. Herein, we use a novel method to show that the EDL effect, and its suppression at solid electrolyte/electronic material interfaces, can be characterized on the basis of the electric conduction characteristics of hydrogenated diamond(H-diamond)-based EDL transistors (EDLTs). Whereas H-diamond-based EDLT with a Li-Si-Zr-O Li+ solid electrolyte showed EDL-induced hole density modulation over a range of up to three orders of magnitude, EDLT with a Li-La-Ti-O (LLTO) Li+ solid electrolyte showed negligible enhancement, which indicates strong suppression of the EDL effect. Such suppression is attributed to charge neutralization in the LLTO, which is due to variation in the valence state of the Ti ions present. The method described is useful for quantitatively evaluating the EDL effect in various solid electrolytes.
Quantum compiling by deep reinforcement learning
Authors: Moro Lorenzo , Paris Matteo G. A. , Restelli Marcello , Prati Enrico
Published: August 2021

The general problem of quantum compiling is to approximate any unitary transformation that describes the quantum computation as a sequence of elements selected from a finite base of universal quantum gates. The Solovay-Kitaev theorem guarantees the existence of such an approximating sequence. Though, the solutions to the quantum compiling problem suffer from a tradeoff between the length of the sequences, the precompilation time, and the execution time. Traditional approaches are time-consuming, unsuitable to be employed during computation. Here, we propose a deep reinforcement learning method as an alternative strategy, which requires a single precompilation procedure to learn a general strategy to approximate single-qubit unitaries. We show that this approach reduces the overall execution time, improving the tradeoff between the length of the sequence and execution time, potentially allowing real-time operations.
Conservation agriculture increases the soil resilience and cotton yield stability in climate extremes of the southeast US
Authors: Nouri Amin , Yoder Daniel C. , Raji Mohammad , Ceylan Safak , Jagadamma Sindhu , Lee Jaehoon , Walker Forbes R. , Yin Xinhua , Fitzpatrick Judith , Trexler Brady , Arelli Prakash , Saxton Arnold M.
Published: August 2021

Climate extremes pose a global threat to crop security. Conservation agriculture is expected to offer substantial climate adaptation benefits. However, synergistic effects of conservation practices on yield during normal versus extreme climates and underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we analyze 29-years of climate data, cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield, and soil data under 32 management practices in Tennessee, USA. We find that long-term no-tillage enhanced agroecosystem resilience and yield stability under climate extremes and maximized yield under favorable climate. We demonstrate that no-tillage benefits are tied with enhanced soil structural stability and organic carbon. No-tillage enhanced the effectiveness of legume cover crop in stabilizing cotton yield during relatively dry or wet, and dry years, while nitrogen fertilizer rate and precipitation timing, controlled yield stability in wetter years. Our findings provide evidence-based insights into how management strategies can enhance agroecosystem resilience and production stability in climate extremes.
Stress relaxation arrested the mainshock rupture of the 2016 Central Tottori earthquake
Authors: Iio Yoshihisa , Matsumoto Satoshi , Yamashita Yusuke , Sakai Shin’ichi , Tomisaka Kazuhide , Sawada Masayo , Iidaka Takashi , Iwasaki Takaya , Kamizono Megumi , Katao Hiroshi , Kato Aitaro , Kurashimo Eiji , Teguri Yoshiko , Tsuda Hiroo , Ueno Takashi
Published: August 2021

After a large earthquake, many small earthquakes, called aftershocks, ensue. Additional large earthquakes typically do not occur, despite the fact that the large static stress near the edges of the fault is expected to trigger further large earthquakes at these locations. Here we analyse ~10,000 highly accurate focal mechanism solutions of aftershocks of the 2016 Mw 6.2 Central Tottori earthquake in Japan. We determine the location of the horizontal edges of the mainshock fault relative to the aftershock hypocentres, with an accuracy of approximately 200 m. We find that aftershocks rarely occur near the horizontal edges and extensions of the fault. We propose that the mainshock rupture was arrested within areas characterised by substantial stress relaxation prior to the main earthquake. This stress relaxation along fault edges could explain why mainshocks are rarely followed by further large earthquakes.
Stabilization of dichalcogenide ligands in the coordination sphere of a ruthenium system
Authors: Saha Koushik , Gayen Sourav , Kaur Urminder , Roisnel Thierry , Ghosh Sundargopal
Published: August 2021

Stabilization of dichalcogenide ligand/s in tetraruthenium and bis-/trishomocubane cores.
PVDF microspheres@PLLA nanofibers-based hybrid tribo/piezoelectric nanogenerator with excellent electrical output properties
Authors: Li Xuan , Yu Wenguang , Gao Xuefeng , Liu Haihui , Han Na , Zhang Xingxiang
Published: August 2021

An efficient energy-harvesting hybrid tribo/piezoelectric nanogenerator (HTPENG) with an innovative structure of “microspheres@nanofibers” was developed to drive miniaturized portable electronic devices.
Microstructural intra-granular cracking in Cu2ZnSnS4@C thin-film anode enhanced the electrochemical performance in lithium-ion battery applications
Authors: Venugopal Boya , Shown Indrajit , Samireddi Satyanarayana , Syum Zeru , Krishnamoorthy Vimal , Wu Heng-Liang , Chu Chih-Wei , Lee Chih-Hao , Chen Li-Chyong , Chen Kuei-Hsien
Published: August 2021

Controlled cracking pattern formation in carbon-coated CZTS (CZTS@C) thin-film as high-power anodes for next-generation thin-film LIBs applications.
Chemical ordering in Pt–Au, Pt–Ag and Pt–Cu nanoparticles from density functional calculations using a topological approach
Authors: Vega Lorena , Aleksandrov Hristiyan A. , Farris Riccardo , Bruix Albert , Viñes Francesc , Neyman Konstantin M.
Published: August 2021

Chemical orderings and properties of up to 4.4 nm large Pt-containing particles with coinage metals Au, Ag and Cu are modelled using a topological approach combined with density functional calculations.
Electrical response of organic molecule supported preformed and in situ formed antimony sulfide nanoparticles under frequency conditions
Authors: Ghosh Sarit K. , Perla Venkata K. , Mallick Kaushik
Published: August 2021

Field-driven polarization and capacitance response for the preformed and the in situ formed antimony-sulfide system.
Correction: Extending nanoscale patterning with multipolar surface plasmon resonances
Authors: Kherbouche Issam , McRae Danielle M. , Jourdain Théo Geronimi , Lagugné-Labarthet François , Lamouri Azedine , Biraud Alexandre Chevillot , Mangeney Claire , Félidj Nordin
Published: August 2021

Correction for ‘Extending nanoscale patterning with multipolar surface plasmon resonances’ by Issam Kherbouche et al., Nanoscale, 2021, 13, 11051–11057, DOI: 10.1039/D1NR02181H.
The aerobic oxidative hydroxysulfurization ofgem-difluoroalkenes to produce α,α-difluoro-β-hydroxysulfides
Authors: Xu Kai , Xu Zhenli , Zhang Mengzhen , Yan Xiaoxiao , Mao Guoliang , Wang Tao , Wu Yangjie , Liu Lantao
Published: August 2021

The efficient aerobic oxidative hydroxysulfurization ofgem-difluoroalkenes with aryl or even alkyl thiols to produce α,α-difluoro-β-hydroxysulfides has been developed.
Highly tough, freezing-tolerant, healable and thermoplastic starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) organohydrogels for flexible electronic devices
Authors: Lu Jing , Gu Jianfeng , Hu Oudong , Fu Yunhan , Ye Dezhan , Zhang Xi , Zheng Ying , Hou Linxi , Liu Huiyong , Jiang Xiancai
Published: August 2021

Herein, the preparation of a highly tough, freezing-tolerant, healable and thermoplastic starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) organohydrogel for flexible electronic devices is presented.
Novel high-performance Ga2Te3 anodes for Li-ion batteries
Authors: Lee Young-Han , Hwa Yoon , Park Cheol-Min
Published: August 2021

A novel high-capacity and high-power Ga2Te3 anode material for lithium-ion batteries has been developed, which exhibits a distinctive reaction mechanism with lithium ions and superior electrochemical performance.
The Kirkendall effect-induced formation of FeP@C composites comprising interconnected carbon-coated hollow FeP sub-nanoparticles for efficient alkaline metal storage
Authors: Guo Liping , Qin Yanmin , Jiang Zhongqing , Jiang Zhong-Jie
Published: August 2021

Spindle-like FeP@C with a hierarchical structure comprising carbon-coated hollow FeP sub-nanoparticles and prepared via a Kirkendall-effect-based method exhibits enhanced performance for alkaline metal (K, Na, and Li) storage.
Photocleavable core cross-linked polymeric micelles of polypept(o)ides and ruthenium(ii) complexes
Authors: Bauer Tobias Alexander , Eckrich Jonas , Wiesmann Nadine , Kuczelinis Felix , Sun Wen , Zeng Xiaolong , Weber Benjamin , Wu Si , Bings Nicolas Hubert , Strieth Sebastian , Barz Matthias
Published: August 2021

Functional polypept(o)ides and ruthenium(ii) complexes are combined in photocleavable core cross-linked micelles for colloidal stability. Irradiation-induced cleavage releases the ruthenium pro-drugs and provides spatial resolution to drug delivery.
Modulation of hydrogel stiffness by external stimuli: soft materials for mechanotransduction studies
Authors: Ting Matthew S. , Travas-Sejdic Jadranka , Malmström Jenny
Published: August 2021

Hydrogels featuring a dynamic change in stiffness for mechanotransduction studies are reviewed herein, with special emphasis on conducting polymers as a means to modulate the stiffness of hydrogels.
A low-temperature route for producing epitaxial perovskite superlattice structures on (001)-oriented SrTiO3/Si substrates
Authors: Plokhikh Aleksandr V. , Golovina Iryna S. , Falmbigl Matthias , Karateev Igor A. , Vasiliev Alexander L. , Lapano Jason , Engel-Herbert Roman , Spanier Jonathan E.
Published: August 2021

We report on the formation of epitaxial perovskite oxide superlattice structures by atomic layer deposition (ALD), which are integrated monolithically on Si wafers using a template layer of SrTiO3 deposited by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy.
Molecular design tactics enhancing the negative polaron stability of a p-type host for long device lifetime by fusion of carbazole with furan
Authors: Yoon Sung Joon , Chung Won Jae , Lee Jun Yeob
Published: August 2021

A negative polaron stabilizing p-type host was developed by fusing two carbazole units with furan, which improved the external quantum efficiency and device lifetime of blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes.
The One Medicine concept: its emergence from history as a systematic approach to re-integrate human and veterinary medicine
Authors: King Tracey A.
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the global recognition for greater inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary working, and the need for systematic approaches which recognise the interconnectedness and interactions between human, animal and environmental health. The notion of such a One Team/One science approach is perhaps best exemplified by the One Health concept, a systematic approach which is rapidly entering into the mainstream. However, the concept of One Health, as we presently know it, originated from One Medicine, a notion which is much older and which emerged to promote collaboration between the human and veterinary medicine professions and the allied health/scientific disciplines. Whilst One Medicine is perhaps better known by the veterinary community, some misconceptions of what One Medicine is have arisen. Therefore, this review introduces this emerging concept and how it can help to address overlapping (communicable and non-communicable disease) health challenges faced by both human and veterinary medicine.
Simultaneous eROSITA and TESS observations of the ultra-active star AB Doradus
Authors: Schmitt J. H. M. M. , Ioannidis P. , Robrade J. , Predehl P. , Czesla S. , Schneider P. C.
Published: August 2021

We present simultaneous multiwavelength observations of the ultra-active star AB Doradus obtained in the X-ray range with the eROSITA instrument on board the Russian–German Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission, and in the optical range obtained with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Thanks to its fortuitous location in the vicinity of the southern ecliptic pole, AB Dor was observed by these missions simultaneously for almost 20 days. With the hitherto obtained data we study the long-term evolution of the X-ray flux from AB Dor and the relation between this observable and the photospheric activity of its spots. Over the 1.5 yr of eROSITA survey observations, the “quiescent” X-ray flux of AB Dor has not changed, and furthermore it appears unrelated to the photospheric modulations observed by TESS. During the simultaneous eROSITA and TESS coverage, an extremely large flare event with a total energy release of at least 4 × 1036 erg in the optical was observed, the largest ever seen on AB Dor. We show that the total X-ray output of this flare was far smaller than this, and discuss whether this maybe a general feature of flares on late-type stars.
Mapping the “invisible” circumgalactic medium around a z ∼ 4.5 radio galaxy with MUSE
Authors: Wang Wuji , Wylezalek Dominika , De Breuck Carlos , Vernet Joël , Humphrey Andrew , Villar Martín Montserrat , Lehnert Matthew D. , Kolwa Sthabile
Published: August 2021

In this paper we present Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer integral field unit spectroscopic observations of the ∼70 × 30 kpc2 Lyα halo around the radio galaxy 4C04.11 at z = 4.5077. High-redshift radio galaxies are hosted by some of the most massive galaxies known at any redshift and are unique markers of concomitant powerful active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity and star formation episodes. We map the emission and kinematics of the Lyα across the halo as well as the kinematics and column densities of eight H I absorbing systems at −3500 < Δv < 0 km s−1. We find that the strong absorber at Δv ∼ 0 km s−1 has a high areal coverage (30 × 30 kpc2), being detected across a large extent of the Lyα halo, a significant column density gradient along the southwest to northeast direction, and a velocity gradient along the radio jet axis. We propose that the absorbing structure, which is also seen in C IV and N V absorption, represents an outflowing metal-enriched shell driven by a previous AGN or star formation episode within the galaxy and is now caught up by the radio jet, leading to jet-gas interactions. These observations provide evidence that feedback from AGN in some of the most massive galaxies in the early Universe may play an important role in redistributing material and metals in their environments.