bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antibacterial effects assessment on some livestock pathogens, thermal stability and proposing a probable reason for different levels of activity of thanatin
Authors: Javadmanesh Ali , Mohammadi Elyas , Mousavi Zahra , Azghandi Marjan , Tanhaiean Abass
Published: May 2021

There is a continuing need to prevent the increasing use of common antibiotic and find the replacement to combat the drug/antibiotic resistant bacteria such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as thanatin peptide. In this study, recombinant thanatin peptide was expressed in the HEK293 cell line. Then the antimicrobial properties of this peptide on some poultry and farm animal’s pathogen strains were assessed. The thermal-stability of thanatin was predicted in various temperatures through in silico analysis. Afterwards, according to Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) results,Escherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosawere chosen to test the hypothesis of LptA/LptD–thanatin interaction, computationally. Relative amino acid sequences and crystallography structures were retrieved and missed tertiary structures were predicted. The interaction of thanatin with LptA and LptD ofEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosawere analyzed subsequently. The antibacterial activity of thanatin peptide was evaluated between 6.25 and 100 μg/mL using minimum inhibitory concentration. Also, the amounts of minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) were between 12.5 and 200 μg/mL. The bioinformatics analysis followed by the in vitro assessment, demonstrated that thanatin would be thermally stable in the body temperature of poultry and farm animals. Thanatin could penetrate to the outer membrane domain of LptD inEscherichia coliand it could block the transition path of this protein while the entrance of LptD inPseudomonas aeruginosawas blocked for thanatin by extra residues in comparison withEscherichia coliLptD. In addition, the quality of interaction, with regard to the number and distance of interactions which leads to higher binding energy for thanatin and LptD ofEscherichia coliwas much better thanPseudomonas aeruginosa.But the site and quality of interaction for thanatin and LptA was almost the same forEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosa.Accordingly, thanatin can prevent the assembly of LptA periplasmic bridge in both pathogens. The antibacterial and thermal stability of the thanatin peptide suggested that thanatin peptide might serve as a natural alternative instead of common antibiotics in the veterinary medicine. The outcome of this in silico study supports the MIC results. Therefore, a probable reason for different level of activity of thanatin againstEscherichia coliandPseudomonas aeruginosamight be the quality of LptA/LptD–thanatin interaction.
Human granulocytic anaplasmosis in a Single University Hospital in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kim Da Young , Seo Jun-Won , Yun Na Ra , Kim Choon-Mee , Kim Dong-Min
Published: May 2021

To date, only a few studies have analyzed the clinical characteristics and genetic features of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) in South Korea. Thus, in this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of HGA and methods used for clinical diagnosis. The clinical characteristics of patients with HGA were studied retrospectively. We reviewed the medical charts of 21 confirmed patients with HGA admitted to the Chosun University Hospital, located in Gwangju, South Korea. Twenty-one HGA patients visited the hospital 2–30 days (median 7 days) after the onset of symptoms. Fourteen patients (66.7%) had fever, which was alleviated 2 h (range 0–12.75 h) after starting treatment with doxycycline. Of the 18 patients who underwent peripheral blood (PB) smear test, only one (5.6%) had morulae. Additionally, only 4/17 patients (23.5%) had morulae in the PB smear reconducted after the confirmation of anaplasmosis. All 21 patients recovered without significant complications. As per results of the blood tests conducted at the time of admission, 7/21 (33.3%) and 5/21 (23.8%) patients showed at least 1:16 and 1:80 of IgM and IgG titers, respectively. Most HGA patients in Korea recovered without significant complications. The indirect immunofluorescence antibody diagnosis or morulae identification for HGA in this study had low sensitivity in the early stage of the disease.
Investigating auranofin for the treatment of infected diabetic pressure ulcers in mice and dermal toxicity in pigs
Authors: Mohammad Haroon , Abutaleb Nader S. , Dieterly Alexandra M. , Lyle L. Tiffany , Seleem Mohamed N.
Published: May 2021

Bacterial infection of pressure ulcers (PUs) are a notable source of hospitalization for individuals with diabetes. This study evaluated the safety profile and efficacy of auranofin to treat diabetic PUs infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). PUs were infected with MRSA in diabetic TALLYHO/JngJ mice and then treated with topical auranofin (2%), topical mupirocin (2%), or oral clindamycin (30 mg/kg) for four days. PUs were harvested post-treatment to enumerate bacterial burden and determine expression of cytokines/growth factors. Landrace cross pigs were exposed topically to auranofin (1%, 2%, and 3%) for 4–14 days and evaluated for signs of localized or systemic toxicity. Auranofin eradicated MRSA in PUs within four days (7.92-log10 reduction) in contrast to mupirocin (2.15-log10 reduction) and clindamycin (0.73-log10 reduction). Additionally, auranofin treatment resulted in decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased expression of biomarkers associated with re-epithelization of wounded tissue, confirmed with histopathologic analysis. No significant histopathologic lesions were present on porcine skin sites exposed to topical auranofin. Additionally, minimal accumulation of plasma gold and no systemic toxicity was observed in pigs exposed to topical auranofin. Auranofin appears to be a potent and safe topical agent to further investigate for treatment of mild-to-moderate MRSA-infected diabetic PUs.
Brainwide functional networks associated with anatomically- and functionally-defined hippocampal subfields using ultrahigh-resolution fMRI
Authors: Chang Wei-Tang , Langella Stephanie K. , Tang Yichuan , Ahmad Sahar , Zhang Han , Yap Pew-Thian , Giovanello Kelly S. , Lin Weili
Published: May 2021

The hippocampus is critical for learning and memory and may be separated into anatomically-defined hippocampal subfields (aHPSFs). Hippocampal functional networks, particularly during resting state, are generally analyzed using aHPSFs as seed regions, with the underlying assumption that the function within a subfield is homogeneous, yet heterogeneous between subfields. However, several prior studies have observed similar resting-state functional connectivity (FC) profiles between aHPSFs. Alternatively, data-driven approaches investigate hippocampal functional organization without a priori assumptions. However, insufficient spatial resolution may result in a number of caveats concerning the reliability of the results. Hence, we developed a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) sequence on a 7 T MR scanner achieving 0.94 mm isotropic resolution with a TR of 2 s and brain-wide coverage to (1) investigate the functional organization within hippocampus at rest, and (2) compare the brain-wide FC associated with fine-grained aHPSFs and functionally-defined hippocampal subfields (fHPSFs). This study showed that fHPSFs were arranged along the longitudinal axis that were not comparable to the lamellar structures of aHPSFs. For brain-wide FC, the fHPSFs rather than aHPSFs revealed that a number of fHPSFs connected specifically with some of the functional networks. Different functional networks also showed preferential connections with different portions of hippocampal subfields.
Autopsy-diagnosed neurodegenerative dementia cases support the use of cerebrospinal fluid protein biomarkers in the diagnostic work-up
Authors: Bruzova Magdalena , Rusina Robert , Stejskalova Zuzana , Matej Radoslav
Published: May 2021

Various proteins play a decisive role in the pathology of different neurodegenerative diseases. Nonetheless, most of these proteins can only be detected during a neuropathological assessment, although some non-specific biomarkers are routinely tested for in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) as a part of the differential diagnosis of dementia. In antemortem CSF samples from 117 patients with different types of neuropathologically confirmed neurodegenerative disease with dementia, we assessed total-tau (t-tau), phosphorylated-tau (181P) (p-tau), amyloid-beta (1–42) (Aβ42), TAR DNA binding protein (TDP)-43, progranulin (PGRN), and neurofilament light (NfL) chain levels, and positivity of protein 14-3-3. We found t-tau levels and the t-tau/p-tau ratios were significantly higher in prion diseases compared to the other neurodegenerative diseases. Statistically significant differences in the t-tau/Aβ42 ratio predominantly corresponded to t-tau levels in prion diseases and Aβ42 levels in AD. TDP-43 levels were significantly lower in prion diseases. Additionally, the TDP-43/Aβ42 ratio was better able to distinguish Alzheimer’s disease from other neurodegenerative diseases compared to using Aβ42 alone. In frontotemporal lobar degeneration, PRGN levels were significantly higher in comparison to other neurodegenerative diseases. There is an increasing need for biomarkers suitable for diagnostic workups for neurodegenerative diseases. It appears that adding TDP-43 and PGRN to the testing panel for neurodegenerative diseases could improve the resolution of differential diagnoses.
MicroRNA in combination with HER2-targeting drugs reduces breast cancer cell viability in vitro
Authors: Normann Lisa Svartdal , Aure Miriam Ragle , Leivonen Suvi-Katri , Haugen Mads Haugland , Hongisto Vesa , Kristensen Vessela N. , Mælandsmo Gunhild Mari , Sahlberg Kristine Kleivi
Published: May 2021

HER2-positive (HER2 +) breast cancer patients that do not respond to targeted treatment have a poor prognosis. The effects of targeted treatment on endogenous microRNA (miRNA) expression levels are unclear. We report that responsive HER2 + breast cancer cell lines had a higher number of miRNAs with altered expression after treatment with trastuzumab and lapatinib compared to poorly responsive cell lines. To evaluate whether miRNAs can sensitize HER2 + cells to treatment, we performed a high-throughput screen of 1626 miRNA mimics and inhibitors in combination with trastuzumab and lapatinib in HER2 + breast cancer cells. We identified eight miRNA mimics sensitizing cells to targeted treatment, miR-101-5p, mir-518a-5p, miR-19b-2-5p, miR-1237-3p, miR-29a-3p, miR-29c-3p, miR-106a-5p, and miR-744-3p. A higher expression of miR-101-5p predicted better prognosis in patients with HER2 + breast cancer (OS: p = 0.039; BCSS: p = 0.012), supporting the tumor-suppressing role of this miRNA. In conclusion, we have identified miRNAs that sensitize HER2 + breast cancer cells to targeted therapy. This indicates the potential of combining targeted drugs with miRNAs to improve current treatments for HER2 + breast cancers.
Author Correction: Laparoscopic uterine graft procurement and surgical autotransplantation in ovine model
Authors: Sánchez-Margallo Francisco Miguel , Moreno-Naranjo Belén , Pérez-López María del Mar , Abellán Elena , Domínguez-Arroyo José Antonio , Mijares José , Álvarez Ignacio Santiago
Published: May 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Synergistic population coding of natural communication stimuli by hindbrain electrosensory neurons
Authors: Wang Ziqi , Chacron Maurice J.
Published: May 2021

Understanding how neural populations encode natural stimuli with complex spatiotemporal structure to give rise to perception remains a central problem in neuroscience. Here we investigated population coding of natural communication stimuli by hindbrain neurons within the electrosensory system of weakly electric fish Apteronotus leptorhynchus. Overall, we found that simultaneously recorded neural activities were correlated: signal but not noise correlations were variable depending on the stimulus waveform as well as the distance between neurons. Combining the neural activities using an equal-weight sum gave rise to discrimination performance between different stimulus waveforms that was limited by redundancy introduced by noise correlations. However, using an evolutionary algorithm to assign different weights to individual neurons before combining their activities (i.e., a weighted sum) gave rise to increased discrimination performance by revealing synergistic interactions between neural activities. Our results thus demonstrate that correlations between the neural activities of hindbrain electrosensory neurons can enhance information about the structure of natural communication stimuli that allow for reliable discrimination between different waveforms by downstream brain areas.
Behavioral variation according to feeding organ diversification in glossiphoniid leeches (Phylum: Annelida)
Authors: Kwak Hee-Jin , Kim Jung-Hyeuk , Kim Joo-Young , Jeon Donggu , Lee Doo-Hyung , Yoo Shinja , Kim Jung , Eyun Seong-il , Park Soon Cheol , Cho Sung-Jin
Published: May 2021

Adaptive radiation is a phenomenon in which various organs are diversified morphologically or functionally as animals adapt to environmental inputs. Leeches exhibit a variety of ingestion behaviors and morphologically diverse ingestion organs. In this study, we investigated the correlation between behavioral pattern and feeding organ structure of leech species. Among them, we found that Alboglossiphonia sp. swallows prey whole using its proboscis, whereas other leeches exhibit typical fluid-sucking behavior. To address whether the different feeding behaviors are intrinsic, we investigated the behavioral patterns and muscle arrangements in the earlier developmental stage of glossiphoniid leeches. Juvenile Glossiphoniidae including the Alboglossiphonia sp. exhibit the fluid ingestion behavior and have the proboscis with the compartmentalized muscle layers. This study provides the characteristics of leeches with specific ingestion behaviors, and a comparison of structural differences that serves as the first evidence of the proboscis diversification.
Influence of the 5′-terminal sequences on the 5′-UTR structure of HIV-1 genomic RNA
Authors: Obayashi Camille Michiko , Shinohara Yoko , Masuda Takao , Kawai Gota
Published: May 2021

The 5′-UTR of HIV-1 genomic RNA is known to form specific structures and has important functions. There are three 5′-terminal sequences, G1, G2 and G3, with different localizations in the cell and virion particles as well as different efficiencies in translation and reverse transcription reactions. In the present study, the structural characteristics of the joint region between the TAR and PolyA stems was analysed, and it was found that small differences in the 5′-terminus affect the conformational characteristics of the stem-loop structures. In the G1 form, the two stems form a coaxial stem, whereas in the G2 and G3 forms, the two stems are structurally independent of each other. In the case of the G1 form, the 3′-flanking nucleotides of the PolyA stem are included in the stable coaxial stem structure, which may affect the rest of the 5′-UTR structure. This result demonstrates that the local conformation of this functionally key region has an important role in the function of the 5′-UTR.
Microfabrication of cellulose nanofiber-reinforced hydrogel by multiphoton polymerization
Authors: Sugiyama Hiroki , Tsunemitsu Kaneto , Onoe Hiroaki , Obata Kotaro , Sugioka Koji , Terakawa Mitsuhiro
Published: May 2021

The mechanical strength of hydrogel microstructures is crucial for obtaining the desired flexibility, robustness, and biocompatibility for various applications such as cell scaffolds and soft microrobots. In this study, we demonstrate the fabrication of microstructures composed of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels by multiphoton polymerization. The stress of the fabricated microstructure during tensile testing increased with an increase in the CNF concentration, indicating that the mechanical strength of the microstructure was enhanced by using CNFs as fillers. Moreover, the swelling ratio of the microstructure increased with increasing CNF concentration in the PEGDA hydrogel. Our results show the potential of the technique for the microfabrication of advanced cell scaffolds and soft microrobots with the desired mechanical strength.
Fabrication of GaN nano-towers based self-powered UV photodetector
Authors: Goswami Lalit , Aggarwal Neha , Vashishtha Pargam , Jain Shubhendra Kumar , Nirantar Shruti , Ahmed Jahangeer , Khan M. A. Majeed , Pandey Rajeshwari , Gupta Govind
Published: May 2021

The fabrication of unique taper-ended GaN-Nanotowers structure based highly efficient ultraviolet photodetector is demonstrated. Hexagonally stacked, single crystalline GaN nanocolumnar structure (nanotowers) grown on AlN buffer layer exhibits higher photocurrent generation due to high quality nanotowers morphology and increased surface/volume ratio which significantly enhances its responsivity upon ultraviolet exposure leading to outstanding performance from the developed detection device. The fabricated detector display low dark current (~ 12 nA), high ILight/IDark ratio (> 104), fast time-correlated transient response (~ 433 µs) upon ultraviolet (325 nm) illumination. A high photoresponsivity of 2.47 A/W is achieved in self-powered mode of operation. The reason behind such high performance could be attributed to built-in electric field developed from a difference in Schottky barrier heights will be discussed in detail. While in photoconductive mode, the responsivity is observed to be 35.4 A/W @ − 3 V along with very high external quantum efficiency (~ 104%), lower noise equivalent power (~ 10–13 WHz−1/2) and excellent UV–Vis selectivity. Nanotower structure with lower strain and dislocations as well as reduced trap states cumulatively contributed to augmented performance from the device. The utilization of these GaN-Nanotower structures can potentially be useful towards the fabrication of energy-efficient ultraviolet photodetectors.
IMPDH2 and HPRT expression and a prognostic significance in preoperative and postoperative patients with osteosarcoma
Authors: Chaiyawat Parunya , Phanphaisarn Areerak , Sirikaew Nutnicha , Klangjorhor Jeerawan , Thepbundit Viraporn , Teeyakasem Pimpisa , Phinyo Phichayut , Pruksakorn Dumnoensun , Settakorn Jongkolnee
Published: May 2021

Osteosarcoma is one of the most aggressive bone tumors in children and adolescents. Development of effective therapeutic options is still lacking due to the complexity of the genomic background. In previous work, we applied a proteomics-guided drug repurposing to explore potential treatments for osteosarcoma. Our follow-up study revealed an FDA-approved immunosuppressant drug, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) targeting inosine-5′-phosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) enzymes, has an anti-tumor effect that appeared promising for further investigation and clinical trials. Profiling of IMPDH2 and hypoxanthine–guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT), key purine-metabolizing enzymes, could deepen understanding of the importance of purine metabolism in osteosarcoma and provide evidence for expanded use of MMF in the clinic. In the present study, we investigated levels of IMPDH2, and HPRT in biopsy of 127 cases and post-chemotherapy tissues in 20 cases of high-grade osteosarcoma patients using immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. Cox regression analyses were performed to determine prognostic significance of all enzymes. The results indicated that low levels of HPRT were significantly associated with a high Enneking stage (P = 0.023) and metastatic status (P = 0.024). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that patients with low HPRT expression have shorter overall survival times [HR 1.70 (1.01–2.84), P = 0.044]. Furthermore, high IMPDH2/HPRT ratios were similarly associated with shorter overall survival times [HR 1.67 (1.02–2.72), P = 0.039]. Levels of the enzymes were also examined in post-chemotherapy tissues. The results showed that high IMPDH2 expression was associated with shorter metastasis-free survival [HR 7.42 (1.22–45.06), P = 0.030]. These results suggest a prognostic value of expression patterns of purine-metabolizing enzymes for the pre- and post-chemotherapy period of osteosarcoma treatment.
Self-rated attractiveness predicts preferences for sexually dimorphic facial characteristics in a culturally diverse sample
Authors: Marcinkowska Urszula M. , Jones Benedict C. , Lee Anthony J.
Published: May 2021

Individuals who are more attractive are thought to show a greater preference for facial sexual dimorphism, potentially because individuals who perceive themselves as more physically attractive believe they will be better able to attract and/or retain sexually dimorphic partners. Evidence for this link is mixed, however, and recent research suggests the association between self-rated attractiveness and preferences for facial sexual dimorphism may not generalise to non-Western cultures. Here, we assess whether self-rated attractiveness and self-rated health predict facial sexual dimorphism preferences in a large and culturally diverse sample of 6907 women and 2851 men from 41 countries. We also investigated whether ecological factors, such as country health/development and inequality, might moderate this association. Our analyses found that men and women who rated themselves as more physically attractive reported stronger preferences for exaggerated sex-typical characteristics in other-sex faces. This finding suggests that associations between self-rated attractiveness and preferences for sexually dimorphic facial characteristics generalise to a culturally diverse sample and exist independently of country-level factors. We also found that country health/development moderated the effect of men’s self-rated attractiveness on femininity preferences, such that men from countries with high health/development showed a positive association between self-rated attractiveness and femininity preference, while men from countries with low health/development showed the opposite trend.
Microstructural behavior of magnetorheological elastomer undergoing durability evaluation by stress relaxation
Authors: Johari Mohd Aidy Faizal , Mazlan Saiful Amri , Nasef Mohamed Mahmoud , Ubaidillah U. , Nordin Nur Azmah , Aziz Siti Aishah Abdul , Johari Norhasnidawani , Nazmi Nurhazimah
Published: May 2021

The widespread use of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) materials in various applications has yet to be limited due to the fact that there are substantial deficiencies in current experimental and theoretical research on its microstructural durability behavior. In this study, MRE composed of silicon rubber (SR) and 70 wt% of micron-sized carbonyl iron particles (CIP) was prepared and subjected to stress relaxation evaluation by torsional shear load. The microstructure and particle distribution of the obtained MRE was evaluated by a field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The influence of constant low strain at 0.01% is the continuing concern within the linear viscoelastic (LVE) region of MRE. Stress relaxation plays a significant role in the life cycle of MRE and revealed that storage modulus was reduced by 8.7%, normal force has weakened by 27%, and stress performance was reduced by 6.88% along approximately 84,000 s test duration time. This time scale was the longest ever reported being undertaken in the MRE stress relaxation study. Novel micro-mechanisms that responsible for the depleted performance of MRE was obtained by microstructurally observation using FESEM and in-phase mode of atomic force microscope (AFM). Attempts have been made to correlate strain localization produced by stress relaxation, with molecular deformation in MRE amorphous matrix. Exceptional attention was focused on the development of molecular slippage, disentanglement, microplasticity, microphase separation, and shear bands. The relation between these microstructural phenomena and the viscoelastic properties of MRE was diffusely defined and discussed. The presented MRE is homogeneous with uniform distribution of CIP. The most significant recent developments of systematic correlation between the effects of microstructural deformation and durability performance of MRE under stress relaxation has been observed and evaluated.
Evolution of DNA aptamers against esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using cell-SELEX
Authors: Chen Xinhuan , Zhang Yangyang , Shi Yanli , Niu Tingting , Li Bo , Guo Linyan , Qiao Yan , Zhao Jimin , Yuan Baoyin , Liu Kangdong
Published: May 2021

Several aptamers specific to ESCC cells were successfully screened using cell-SELEX, and a truncated ultrashort aptamer was found suitable for imaging ESCC tissues of patients.
Ag functionalized SnS2with enhanced photothermal activity for safe and efficient wound disinfection
Authors: Yang Jun , Sun Lin , Hui Shuhan , Zhang Peng , Li Jian , Wang Dong , Wang Xuelin , Jiang Shan
Published: May 2021

A new type of Ag@SnS2was established with Ag decorated on SnS2surface for improved photothermal conversion capability. Ag@SnS2exhibited a robustin vitroantibacterial effect andin vivowound disinfection under NIR laser irradiation.
18F-Labeled magnetic nanovectors for bimodal cellular imaging
Authors: Schütz Markus B. , Renner Alexander M. , Ilyas Shaista , Lê Khan , Guliyev Mehrab , Krapf Philipp , Neumaier Bernd , Mathur Sanjay
Published: May 2021

Surface modification of nanocarriers enables selective attachment to specific molecular targets within a complex biological environment.
Electron doping of single-walled carbon nanotubes using pyridine-boryl radicals
Authors: Tanaka Naoki , Hamasuna Aoi , Uchida Takuto , Yamaguchi Ryohei , Ishii Taiki , Staylkov Aleksandar , Fujigaya Tsuyohiko
Published: May 2021

Electron doping of single-walled carbon nanotubes with pyridine-boryl radicals proceeds by electron transfer from the radicals to SWCNTs.
Supramolecular 2D monolayered nanosheets constructed by using synergy of non-covalent interactions
Authors: Zhang Jing , Qi Shuaiwei , Zhang Chenyang , Wang Wenzhe , Ding Qinwen , Zhang Hongyu , Dong Zeyuan
Published: May 2021

Supramolecular 2D monolayered nanosheets constructed by using the synergy of multiple non-covalent interactions.
Amorphous ReS2 decorated TiO2 nanowire arrays for highly-efficient nitrogen reduction
Authors: Lu Xiaoying , Li Hua , Wang Yantao , Huang Junfeng , Xu Cailing
Published: May 2021

Herein, we constructed amorphous ReS2/TiO2 by forming Ti–O–Re bonds, which exhibited considerable average NH3 yield and faradaic efficiency as high as 5.3 μg h−1 cm−2cat. and 49.8% at −0.2 V (vs. RHE) in 0.1 M Na2SO4.
Recent advances in acyl radical enabled reactions between aldehydes and alkenes
Authors: Liu Yi-Lin , Ouyang Yue-Jun , Zheng Hongxing , Liu Hongxin , Wei Wen-Ting
Published: May 2021

Acyl radical enabled reactions between aldehydes and alkenes.
Stimuli-activated molecular photothermal agents for cancer therapy
Authors: Wang Kaiye , Xue Shan-Shan , Liu Xiaohan , Pan Wei , Li Na , Tang Bo
Published: May 2021

Recent progress in the study of stimuli-activated molecular photothermal agents is summarized from different stimuli, including pH, bioactive small molecules, and enzymes.
A self-assembled DNA nanostructure as a FRET nanoflare for intracellular ATP imaging
Authors: Cai Shijun , Wang Jiaoli , Li Jing , Zhou Bing , He Chunmei , Meng Xiangxian , Huang Jin , Wang Kemin
Published: May 2021

A novel self-assembled DNA nanostructure was designed as a FRET nanoflare for ATP imaging in live cells.
Binary ligand-mediated morphological evolution of methylammonium lead bromide nanocrystals
Authors: Kirakosyan Artavazd , Jeon Min-Gi , Kim Chang-Yeon , Kim Yeonho , Choi Jihoon
Published: May 2021

Binary ligands of carboxylic acids and alkylamines induce the morphological evolution of MAPbBr3 nanocubes to 1D nanowires and 2D nanosheets during the aging process.
Yeast cell route: a green and facile strategy for biosynthesis of carbonate nanoparticles
Authors: Chang Yi , Chen Shuting , Liu Tingting , Liu Peng , Guo Yuming , Yang Lin , Ma Xiaoming
Published: May 2021

A bioinspired strategy was proposed to synthesize biocompatible BaCO3 nanoparticles according to intracellular chemical reactions using tactfully the interaction of endogenous CO32− and exogenous Ba2+ under normal growth conditions of yeast cells.
Supramolecular assembly of a hierarchically structured 3D potassium vanadate framework
Authors: Greiner Simon , Anjass Montaha , Streb Carsten
Published: May 2021

The hierarchical assembly of 3D-polyoxovanadate frameworks using host–guest interactions is reported.
BiOCl/group-IV Xene bilayer heterojunctions: stability and electronic and photocatalytic properties
Authors: Lu Jiating , Zhang Xi , Feng Leihao , Gong Dan , Nie Ya , Xiang Gang
Published: May 2021

Heterojunctions composed of BiOCl and group-IV Xene monolayers can exist stably with separated electron–hole puddles, high carrier mobility and visible light absorption, which are beneficial to the improvement of photocatalytic performance.
Paramagnetic electron centers in BaTiO3 nanoparticle powders
Authors: Neige Ellie , Diwald Oliver
Published: May 2021

Paramagnetic point defects in BaTiO3 nanoparticles.
The interaction between vacancy defects in gallium sulfide monolayer and a new vacancy defect model
Authors: Zhang Tao , Liang Ying , Guo Hao , Zhang Tian C. , Fan Haidong , Tian Xiaobao
Published: May 2021

Interactions between vacancy defects and their localized size in defective GaS monolayer are investigated and a vacancy defect cluster model is proposed with considering these interactions.
A benchmark ab initio study of the complex potential energy surfaces of the OH− + CH3CH2Y [Y = F, Cl, Br, I] reactions
Authors: Tasi Domonkos A. , Tokaji Csenge , Czakó Gábor
Published: May 2021

High-level ab initio computations reveal different substitution (SN2) and elimination (E2) pathways as well as various product channels for the OH− + ethyl-halide reactions.
Surface electronic states mediate concerted electron and proton transfer at metal nanoscale interfaces for catalytic hydride reduction of –NO2 to –NH2
Authors: Shan Bing-Qian , Zhou Jia-Feng , Ding Meng , Hu Xiao-Dan , Zhang Kun
Published: May 2021

Surface electronic states mediate concerted electron and proton transfer at metal nanoscale interfaces for catalytic hydride reduction of –NO2 to –NH2, beyond the conventional metal centered d-band theory
Synthesis of a H-Sulfo-POSS catalyst and application in the acetalization of glycerol with 2-butanone to yield a biofuel additive
Authors: Söderholm Viktor , Esteban Jesús , Vogt Dieter
Published: May 2021

This work shows the synthesis of a catalyst based on the functionalization of octaphenyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes with sulfonic groups (H-Sulfo-POSS) and its performance in the acetalization of glycerol to yield a biobased fuel additive.
Multicomponent synthesis of styryl linked benzo[h]pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline-5,6(10H)-diones by liquid assisted grinding
Authors: Yadav Rahul , Parvin Tasneem
Published: May 2021

Herein we report an interesting multicomponent reaction of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes, 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and 5-aminopyrazoles by liquid assisted grinding.
Asymmetric bis-salicylaldiminato binuclear titanium complexes for ethylene polymerization and copolymerization
Authors: Qin Yawen , Li Tingcheng , Chen Xiong , Li Jian , Meng Xiang , You Qingliang , Xie Guangyong
Published: May 2021

Asymmetric binuclear Ti complexes were synthesized, which exhibited excellent activity for ethylene homopolymerization and copolymerization with 1-hexene or norbornene and high comonomer insertion efficiency under MMAO activation.
An indolino-spironaphthooxazine probe for colorimetric detection of ferric ions in drinking water
Authors: Pattaweepaiboon Supak , Phiromphu Natchayapak , Kaewchangwat Narongpol , Suttisintong Khomson , Sirisaksoontorn Weekit
Published: May 2021

The sensing performance of a novel indolino-spironaphthooxazine derivative (SPNO), 6′(3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-1-phenethylspiro[indoline-2,3′-naphtho[2,1-b][1,4]oxazine], was investigated for rapid colorimetric detection of ferric ions (Fe3+) in drinking water.
Influence of film-thickness on the ozone detection of perovskite La0.8Pb0.1Ca0.1Fe1−xCoxO3 based sensors
Authors: Smiy S. , Bejar M. , Dhahri E. , Fiorido T. , Aguir K. , Martini-Laithier V. , Bendahan M.
Published: May 2021

In this study, La0.8Pb0.1Ca0.1Fe1−xCoxO3 (x = 0.10 and x = 0.20) thin films with respective thicknesses of 300 and 600 nm have been prepared by the drop coating technique onto a Si/SiO2 substrate with platinum interdigitated electrodes.
Strengthening and toughening sodium alginate fibers using a dynamically cross-linked network of inorganic nanoparticles and sodium alginate through the hydrogen bonding strategy
Authors: Yan Ming , Shi Junfeng , Tang Song , Liu Lingwei , Zhu Haotong , Zhou Guohang , Zeng Jiexiang , Zhang Hong , Yu Yue , Guo Jing
Published: May 2021

Nanoparticles were introduced to strengthen and toughen sodium alginate fibers through a dynamically cross-linked network by hydrogen bonding.
Improved performances of lithium-ion batteries by conductive polymer modified copper current collector
Authors: Wen Shiwang , Li Zhifeng , Zou ChengJun , Zhong Weixu , Wang Chunxiang , Chen Jun , Zhong Shengwen
Published: May 2021

Copper current collector coated with conductive polymer by electrochemical polymerization improves the capacity and long-life of LIBs.
A highly sensitive fluorescent biosensor for the detection of cytochrome c based on polydopamine nanotubes and exonuclease I amplification
Authors: Shen Yanmei , Shen Xueping , Ge Jia , Qu Lingbo , Li Zhaohui
Published: May 2021

A novel fluorescence method for the detection of Cyt c was developed based on PDANTs and exonuclease I amplification.
Recent advances in hapalindole-type cyanobacterial alkaloids: biosynthesis, synthesis, and biological activity
Authors: Hohlman Robert M. , Sherman David H.
Published: May 2021

This review covers isolation, biological activity, an overview of total synthesis efforts and recent biosynthetic discoveries related to hapalindole-type indole alkaloids.
Synthesis, optical and electrochemical properties of 4,4′-bibenzo[c]thiophene derivatives
Authors: Obayashi Kotaro , Imato Keiichi , Aoyama Satoshi , Enoki Toshiaki , Akiyama Seiji , Ishida Mio , Suga Seiji , Mitsudo Koichi , Ooyama Yousuke
Published: May 2021

4,4′-Bibenzo[c]thiophene 4,4′-BBT and its silyl-substituted derivatives 1,1′-Si-4,4′-BBT and 1,1′,3,3′-Si-4,4′-BBT have been designed and developed as new π-building blocks.
Efficient and stable perovskite solar cells based on a quasi-point-contact and rear-reflection structure with 22.5% efficiency
Authors: Wu Jinpeng , Fang Yanyan , Zhang Di , Zhang Sidong , Wan Jing , Wen Rui , Zhou Xiaowen , Fu Nianqing , Lin Yuan
Published: May 2021

A point-contact and rear-reflection (PCRR) structure is developed for efficient and stable perovskite solar cells with an efficiency of 22.5%.
Carambola-like Bi2Te3 superstructures with enhanced photoabsorption for highly efficient photothermal therapy in the second near-infrared biowindow
Authors: Zhao Ying , Liu Yang , Wang Qishun , Liu Jianhua , Zhang Songtao , Zhang Tianqi , Wang Daguang , Wang Yinghui , Jin Longhai , Zhang Hongjie
Published: May 2021

Carambola-like Bi2Te3 superstructures endow Bi2Te3@PEG with enhanced photoabsorption in the near-infrared region, making them a promising tool for highly efficient photothermal therapy in the second near-infrared biowindow.
Manipulation of dual fluorescence behavior in aggregation-induced emission enhancement of a tetraphenylethene-appended polymer by optical tweezers
Authors: Wang Shun-Fa , Chen Bo-Wei , Itagaki Ayami , Ishiwari Fumitaka , Fukushima Takanori , Masuhara Hiroshi , Sugiyama Teruki
Published: May 2021

Optical tweezers activate the aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of polymer-appended tetraphenylethene to manipulate the dual fluorescence behavior. The fluorescent color from green to blue can be freely adjusted by alternating the laser power.
Gate induced charge transfer and hysteresis enlargement in MoS2/GeSe2 vertical heterostructures
Authors: Yao Jiadong , Guo Wenxuan , Liu Yali , Niu Xinyue , Li Mengge , Wu Xiaoxiang , Yu Ying , Ou Tianjian , Sha Jian , Wang Yewu
Published: May 2021

We explored the hysteresis enlargement in the vertical MoS2/GeSe2 van der Waals heterojunction, and it was attributed to the gate induced charge transfer process between the MoS2 and GeSe2 layers.
Large Stokes shifted quaternary copper cadmium sulfide selenide quantum dot waveguides
Authors: Roy Dipanwita , Sarkar Piyush Kanti , Dalui Amit , Ghorai Uttam Kumar , Gupta Dharmendra K. , Acharya Somobrata
Published: May 2021

We report on colloidal synthesis of quaternary alloyed I–II–VI2 copper cadmium sulfide selenide quantum dots (QDs) with bright, stable photoluminescence. We fabricate transparent, flexible optical waveguide to transmit photoluminescence of the QDs.
MAP4K4 expression in cardiomyocytes: multiple isoforms, multiple phosphorylations and interactions with striatins
Authors: Fuller Stephen J. , Edmunds Nick S. , McGuffin Liam J. , Hardyman Michelle A. , Cull Joshua J. , Alharbi Hajed O. , Meijles Daniel N. , Sugden Peter H. , Clerk Angela
Published: May 2021

The Ser/Thr kinase MAP4K4, like other GCKIV kinases, has N-terminal kinase and C-terminal citron homology (CNH) domains. MAP4K4 can activate c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), and studies in the heart suggest it links oxidative stress to JNKs and heart failure. In other systems, MAP4K4 is regulated in striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complexes, in which one of three striatins tethers PP2A adjacent to a kinase to keep it dephosphorylated and inactive. Our aim was to understand how MAP4K4 is regulated in cardiomyocytes. The rat MAP4K4 gene was not properly defined. We identified the first coding exon of the rat gene using 5′-RACE, we cloned the full-length sequence and confirmed alternative-splicing of MAP4K4 in rat cardiomyocytes. We identified an additional α-helix C-terminal to the kinase domain important for kinase activity. In further studies, FLAG-MAP4K4 was expressed in HEK293 cells or cardiomyocytes. The Ser/Thr protein phosphatase inhibitor calyculin A (CalA) induced MAP4K4 hyperphosphorylation, with phosphorylation of the activation loop and extensive phosphorylation of the linker between the kinase and CNH domains. This required kinase activity. MAP4K4 associated with myosin in untreated cardiomyocytes, and this was lost with CalA-treatment. FLAG-MAP4K4 associated with all three striatins in cardiomyocytes, indicative of regulation within STRIPAK complexes and consistent with activation by CalA. Computational analysis suggested the interaction was direct and mediated via coiled-coil domains. Surprisingly, FLAG-MAP4K4 inhibited JNK activation by H2O2 in cardiomyocytes and increased myofibrillar organisation. Our data identify MAP4K4 as a STRIPAK-regulated kinase in cardiomyocytes, and suggest it regulates the cytoskeleton rather than activates JNKs.
Evaluation of artificial signal peptides for secretion of two lysosomal enzymes in CHO cells
Authors: Cheng Kai-Wen , Wang Feng , Lopez George A. , Singamsetty Srikanth , Wood Jill , Dickson Patricia I. , Chou Tsui-Fen
Published: May 2021

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is a scientifically rational and clinically proven treatment for lysosomal storage diseases. Most enzymes used for ERT are purified from the culture supernatant of mammalian cells. However, it is challenging to purify lysosomal enzymes with sufficient quality and quantity for clinical use due to their low secretion levels in mammalian cell systems. To improve the secretion efficiency of recombinant lysosomal enzymes, we evaluated the impact of artificial signal peptides on the production of recombinant lysosomal enzymes in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines. We engineered two recombinant human lysosomal enzymes, N-acetyl-α-glucosaminidase (rhNAGLU) and glucosamine (N-acetyl)-6-sulfatase (rhGNS), by replacing their native signal peptides with nine different signal peptides derived from highly secretory proteins and expressed them in CHO K1 cells. When comparing the native signal peptides, we found that rhGNS was secreted into media at higher levels than rhNAGLU. The secretion of rhNAGLU and rhGNS can, however, be carefully controlled by altering signal peptides. The secretion of rhNAGLU was relatively higher with murine Igκ light chain and human chymotrypsinogen B1 signal peptides, whereas Igκ light chain signal peptide 1 and human chymotrypsinogen B1 signal peptides were more effective for rhGNS secretion, suggesting that human chymotrypsinogen B1 signal peptide is the most appropriate for increasing lysosomal enzyme secretion. Collectively, our results indicate that altering signal peptide can modulate the secretion of recombinant lysosome enzymes and will enable lysosomal enzyme production for clinical use.
An efficient hybrid recommendation model based on collaborative filtering recommender systems
Authors: Aljunid Mohammed Fadhel , Huchaiah Manjaiah Doddaghatta
Published: May 2021

In recent years, collaborative filtering (CF) techniques have become one of the most popularly used techniques for providing personalized services to users. CF techniques collect users’ previous information about items such as books, music, movies, ideas, and so on. Memory‐based models are generally referred to as similarity‐based CF models, which are one of the most widely agreeable approaches for providing service recommendations. The memory‐based approach includes user‐based CF (UCF) and item‐based CF (ICF) algorithms. The UCF model recommends items by finding similar users, while the ICF model recommends items by finding similar items based on the user‐item rating matrix. However, consequent to the ingrained sparsity of the user‐item rating matrix, a large number of ratings are missing. This results in the availability of only a few ratings to make predictions for the unknown ratings. The result is the poor prediction quality of the CF model. A model to find the best algorithm is provided here, which gives the most accurate recommendation based on different similarity metrics. Here a hybrid recommendation model, namely ΓUICF, is proposed. The ΓUICF model integrates the UCF and ICF models with the Γ linear regression model to model the sparsity and scalability issue of the user‐item rating matrix. Detailed experimentation on two different real‐world datasets shows that the proposed model demonstrates substantial performance when compared with the existing methods.
Stochastic charging scheduling of a parking lot with wind power: a state‐aggregation method based on Markov decision processes
Authors: Ming Fangzhu , Gao Feng , Liu Kun , Zhou Yuzhou
Published: May 2021

Optimal charging scheduling of electric vehicles with renewable energy could greatly save the electricity cost in parking lots, and also helps for environment protection. However, uncertainties of renewable energy and electric vehicles charging demand bring great challenges to obtaining the optimal charging policy. To this end, in this paper, a state aggregation based dynamic programming method is presented for such a stochastic charging scheduling problem. Specifically, first, a new Markov decision process based formulation is established for the multi‐stage stochastic programming problem. Second, a novel state‐aggregation method is proposed to relieve the dimension curse due to large state‐action space without sacrificing the optimality of the charging policy. Besides, the consistency of the problem before and after state aggregation also could be verified by proposed theorems both on feasibility and optimality. Moreover, economic efficiency and computational efficiency are both improved in numerical testing, which shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A transparent polyvinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene composite film with enhanced energy conversion and energy preservation performance
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Wenjiang , Tong Wangshu , Zhang Yihe , Wang Zhihao , Ma Yuan , An Qi
Published: May 2021

Integrated energy‐generating and storage films are able to convert mechanical force into stored electrical energy, with the potential for use in self‐powered wearable electronics and flexible energy supplies. The development of a transparent metal salt/polyvinylidene fluoride–hexafluoropropylene composite film is reported that possesses excellent piezoelectric and dielectric properties and has the potential to be employed as an energy‐generating and preserving integrated film. The effects of the type of the metal salt and its content on the dielectric properties, d33 value, open circuit voltage, and holding time of the composite films were investigated. Owing to the presence of pure water, the β‐phase composition and polarization of the film are increased, leading to improved energy conversion properties. Most important, the prepared film exhibits excellent light transmittance. This film, which possesses both good electrical and transparent properties, has the potential for use as a flexible energy supplier, particularly for photovoltaic devices.
Transient behaviour verification and controller tuning for an uncertain grid‐connected photovoltaic system using reachability analysis
Authors: Shabestari Parisa M. , Mehrizi‐Sani Ali
Published: May 2021

Power electronics–based converters for photovoltaic (PV) systems are susceptible to overcurrents; it is important to design their controllers to reduce the transient current for all viable operating conditions. To design a current controller and find the maximum transient current via simulation‐based techniques, the exact values of the system parameters, initial states, and inputs are required. However, they are not precisely known in practice, some system parameters such as inductances may change over time, and output power and load are variable. The uncertainty in the parameter (filter inductance) and input of the system (injected power) should be considered in the analysis of a PV system controllers as it can degrade their performance, which are designed for the system nominal parameters. This paper employs reachability analysis for a grid‐connected PV system to (1) find the maximum transient current, (2) devise an improved PI current controller and (3) compare the maximum transient current in PI‐ and internal model control (IMC)‐based controllers with uncertain‐but‐bounded input power and inductance error. Simulation and experimental studies showcase the results.
Non-overlapping Schwarz algorithms for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with DDFV discretizations
Authors: Goudon Thierry , Krell Stella , Lissoni Giulia
Published: May 2021

We propose and analyze non-overlapping Schwarz algorithms for the domain decomposition of the unsteady incompressible Navier–Stokes problem with Discrete Duality Finite Volume (DDFV) discretization. The design of suitable transmission conditions for the velocity and the pressure is a crucial issue. We establish the well-posedness of the method and the convergence of the iterative process, pointing out how the numerical fluxes influence the asymptotic problem which is intended to be a discretization of the Navier–Stokes equations on the entire computational domain. Finally we numerically illustrate the behavior and performances of the algorithm. We discuss on numerical grounds the impact of the parameters for several mesh geometries and we perform simulations of the flow past an obstacle with several domains.