bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome sequencing and assembly of Lathyrus sativus - a nutrient-rich hardy legume crop
Authors: Rajarammohan Sivasubramanian , Kaur Lovenpreet , Verma Anjali , Singh Dalwinder , Mantri Shrikant , Roy Joy K , Sharma Tilak Raj , Pareek Ashwani , Kandoth Pramod Kaitheri
Published: January 2023

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) is a cool-season legume crop tolerant to drought, salinity, waterlogging, insects, and other biotic stresses. Despite these beneficial traits, this crop is not cultivated widely due to the accumulation of a neurotoxin - β-N-oxalyl-L-α, β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) in the seeds and its association with neurolathyrism. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the genome of Lathyrus sativus cultivar Pusa-24, an elite Indian cultivar extensively used in breeding programs. The assembled genome of Lathyrus was 3.80 Gb in length, with a scaffold N50 of 421.39 Mb. BUSCO assessment indicated that 98.3% of highly conserved Viridiplantae genes were present in the assembly. A total of 3.17 Gb (83.31%) of repetitive sequences and 50,106 protein-coding genes were identified in the Lathyrus assembly. The Lathyrus genome assembly reported here thus provides a much-needed and robust foundation for various genetic and genomic studies in this vital legume crop.
A mixed-method study on adolescents’ well-being during the COVID-19 syndemic emergency
Authors: Pepe Alessandro , Farina Eleonora
Published: January 2023

In this study, we set out to investigate adolescents’ levels of perceived well-being and to map how they went about caring for their well-being during the COVID-19 syndemic. Participants were 229 Italian adolescent high school students (48.9% males, mean age = 16.64). The research design was based on an exploratory, parallel, mixed-method approach. A multi-method, student-centered, computer-assisted, semi-structured online interview was used as the data gathering tool, including both a standardized quantitative questionnaire on perceived well-being and an open-ended question about how adolescents were taking charge of their well-being during the COVID-19 health emergency. Main findings reveal general low levels of perceived well-being during the syndemic, especially in girls and in older adolescents. Higher levels of well-being are associated with more affiliative strategies (we-ness/togetherness) whereas low levels of well-being are linked with more individualistic strategies (I-ness/separatedness) in facing the health emergency. These findings identify access to social support as a strategy for coping with situational stress and raise reflection on the importance of balancing the need for physical distancing to protect from infection, and the need for social closeness to maintain good mental health.
Six facial prosodic expressions caregivers similarly display to infants and dogs
Authors: Gergely Anna , Koós-Hutás Édua , Filep Lőrinc András , Kis Anna , Topál József
Published: January 2023

Parents tend to use a specific communication style, including specific facial expressions, when speaking to their preverbal infants which has important implications for children’s healthy development. In the present study, we investigated these facial prosodic features of caregivers with a novel method that compares infant-, dog- and adult-directed communication. We identified three novel facial displays in addition to the already described three facial expressions (i.e. the ‘prosodic faces’) that mothers and fathers are typically displaying when interacting with their 1–18 month-old infants and family dogs, but not when interacting with another adult. The so-called Special Happy expression proved to be the most frequent face type during infant- and dog-directed communication which always includes a Duchenne marker to convey an honest and intense happy emotion of the speaker. These results suggest that the ‘prosodic faces’ play an important role in both adult-infant and human–dog interactions and fulfil specific functions: to call and maintain the partner’s attention, to foster emotionally positive interactions, and to strengthen social bonds. Our study highlights the relevance of future comparative studies on facial prosody and its potential contribution to healthy emotional and cognitive development of infants.
An immobilized biosorbent from Paenibacillus dendritiformis dead cells and polyethersulfone for the sustainable bioremediation of lead from wastewater
Authors: Dawwam Ghada E. , Abdelfattah Nehad M. , Abdel-Monem Mohamed O. , Jahin Hossam S. , Omer Amal M. , Abou-Taleb Khadiga A. , Mansor Eman S.
Published: January 2023

Heavy metals, including lead, cause serious damage to human health and the surrounding environment. Natural biosorbents arise as environmentally friendly alternatives. In this study, two of the 41 isolates (8EF and 17OS) were the most efficient bacteria for growing on media supplemented with Pb2+ (1000 mg/L). At high concentrations up to 2000 mg/L, the pioneer isolate 17OS exhibited remarkable resistance to multiheavy metals. This isolate was identified as Paenibacillus dendritiformis 17OS and deposited in GenBank under accession number ON705726.1. Design-Expert was used to optimize Pb2+ metal removal by the tested bacteria. Results indicated that four of six variables were selected using a minimum-run resolution IV experimental design, with a significant affecting Pb2+ removal. Temperature and Pb2+ concentration were significant positive influences, whereas incubation period and agitation speed were significant negative ones. The tested strain modulated the four significant variables for maximum Pb2+ removal using Box–Behnken design. The sequential optimization method was beneficial in increasing biosorption by 4.29%. Dead biomass of P. dendritiformis 17OS was embedded with polyethersulfone to get a hydrophilic adsorptive membrane that can separate Pb2+ easily from aqueous solutions. SEM images and FT-IR analysis proved that the new biosorbent possesses a great structure and a lot of surface functional groups with a negative surface charge of − 9.1 mV. The removal rate of 200 mg/L Pb2+ from water reached 98% using 1.5 g/L of the immobilized biosorbent. The adsorption isotherm studies were displayed to determine the nature of the reaction. The adsorption process was related to Freundlich isotherm which describes the multilayer and heterogeneous adsorption of molecules to the adsorbent surface. In conclusion, dead bacterial cells were immobilized on a polyether sulfone giving it the characteristics of a novel adsorptive membrane for the bioremediation of lead from wastewater. Thus this study proposed a new generation of adsorptive membranes based on polyethersulfone and dead bacterial cells.
Comparison of surgical outcomes between early and advanced class of jugular paragangliomas following application of our modified surgical techniques
Authors: Zhao Peng , Zhang Yibo , Lin Feng , Kong Dedi , Feng Yisi , Dai Chunfu
Published: January 2023

To compare the safety and effectiveness of surgical treatment of jugular paragangliomas (JPs) following the application of our modified surgical techniques. Fifty-six patients with JPs were analyzed for tumor classification, surgical outcomes, and intratumor blood vessels. The gross total resection in C1–2 (100%) was significantly greater than that in C3 and D (66.7%). Good postoperative facial nerve (FN) function (House–Brackmann I–II) was achieved in 89.5% C1–2 cases, which was not significantly different from C3 and D (93.3%) (P = 0.694). Preoperative and postoperative lower cranial nerve (LCN) deficits correlated with the Fisch’s classification of tumors (P < 0.05), and intraoperative blood loss was greater in advanced tumors (P = 0.050). Further study showed that the cross-sectional area of intratumor blood vessels was positively associated with intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.001). Surgical excision of JPs is a safe and effective strategy, and early surgical treatment is a good option for patients with C1–2 tumors without surgical contraindications.
Myosin light chain phosphorylation exhibits a gradient across the wall of cerebellar arteries under sustained ex vivo vascular tone
Authors: Sun Zhe , Li Zhaohui , Rodgers Mackenna , Zhang Liping , Hill Michael A.
Published: January 2023

Small blood vessel diseases are often associated with impaired regulation of vascular tone. The current understanding of resistance arteries often focuses on how a level of vascular tone is achieved in the acute phase, while less emphasis is placed on mechanisms that maintain vascular tone. In this study, cannulated rat superior cerebellar arteries (SCA) developed spontaneous myogenic tone and showed a marked and sustained constriction in the presence of diluted serum (10%), a stimulus relevant to cerebrovascular disease. Both phosphorylated myosin light chain (MLC-p) and smooth muscle alpha actin (SM-α-actin) aligned with phalloidin-stained actin filaments in the vessel wall, while exhibiting a ‘high to low’ gradient across the layers of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), peaking in the outer layer. The MLC-p distribution profile shifted towards the adventitia in serum treated vessels, while removal of the serum reversed it. Furthermore, a positive correlation between the MLC-p signal and vessel wall tension was also evident. The gradients of phosphorylated MLC and SM-α-actin are consistent with a spatial regulation of the myosin-actin apparatus in the vessel wall during the maintenance of vascular tone. Further, the changing profiles of MLC-p and SM-α-actin are consistent with SCA vasoconstriction being accompanied by VSMC cytoskeletal reorganization.
Cardiovascular risk factors mediating the protective effect of education on cervical spondylosis risk
Authors: Sun Yang , Jin Manqiu , Yu Tiecheng , Zhang Jiting
Published: January 2023

The causal association between education and cervical spondylosis may be mediated partly through risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The identification of the protective effect of education and the evaluation of risk factors will help to optimize disease prevention at both clinical and public health levels. In this study, we applied several different Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to identify which cardiovascular factors underlie the clustering of cervical spondylosis with cardiovascular disease, and the degree to which these mediate an effect of education. Univariable MR analyses provided evidence supporting a protective effect of genetically predicted education on cervical spondylosis risk, and MVMR further identified the direct effect of education level. Our results also provided evidence supporting the detrimental effects of BMI and smoking on cervical spondylosis risk, with evidence that the effect of education is mediated through BMI and smoking. The proportions of the effect of education mediated through BMI and smoking were 12% and 3%, respectively. These findings highlight education, obesity, and smoking as common mechanisms underlying the clustering of cervical spondylosis with risk factors of cardiovascular disease, which might represent clinical and public health targets for reducing multi-morbidity and the burden of these common conditions.
Novel 3D Flipwell system that models gut mucosal microenvironment for studying interactions between gut microbiota, epithelia and immunity
Authors: Beamer Maria A. , Zamora Cassandra , Nestor-Kalinoski Andrea L. , Fernando Veani , Sharma Vandana , Furuta Saori
Published: January 2023

Gut mucosa consists of stratified layers of microbes, semi-permeable mucus, epithelium and stroma abundant in immune cells. Although tightly regulated, interactions between gut commensals and immune cells play indispensable roles in homeostasis and cancer pathogenesis in the body. Thus, there is a critical need to develop a robust model for the gut mucosal microenvironment. Here, we report our novel co-culture utilizing 3D Flipwell system for establishing the stratified layers of discrete mucosal components. This method allows for analyzing synchronous effects of test stimuli on gut bacteria, mucus, epithelium and immune cells, as well as their crosstalks. In the present report, we tested the immuno-stimulatory effects of sepiapterin (SEP, the precursor of the cofactor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)—BH4) on the gut mucosal community. We previously reported that SEP effectively reprogrammed tumor-associated macrophages and inhibited breast tumor cell growth. In our co-cultures, SEP largely promoted mucus integrity, bacterial binding, and M1-like polarization of macrophages. Conversely, these phenomena were absent in control-treated cultures. Our results demonstrate that this novel co-culture may serve as a robust in vitro system to recapitulate the effects of pharmacological agents on the gut mucosal microenvironment, and could potentially be expanded to test the effects outside the gut.
A deeply conserved protease, acylamino acid-releasing enzyme (AARE), acts in ageing in Physcomitrella and Arabidopsis
Authors: Hoernstein Sebastian N. W. , Özdemir Buğra , van Gessel Nico , Miniera Alessandra A. , Rogalla von Bieberstein Bruno , Nilges Lars , Schweikert Farinha Joana , Komoll Ramona , Glauz Stella , Weckerle Tim , Scherzinger Friedrich , Rodriguez‐Franco Marta , Müller-Schüssele Stefanie J. , Reski Ralf
Published: January 2023

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are constant by-products of aerobic life. In excess, ROS lead to cytotoxic protein aggregates, which are a hallmark of ageing in animals and linked to age-related pathologies in humans. Acylamino acid-releasing enzymes (AARE) are bifunctional serine proteases, acting on oxidized proteins. AARE are found in all domains of life, albeit under different names, such as acylpeptide hydrolase (APEH/ACPH), acylaminoacyl peptidase (AAP), or oxidized protein hydrolase (OPH). In humans, AARE malfunction is associated with age-related pathologies, while their function in plants is less clear. Here, we provide a detailed analysis of AARE genes in the plant lineage and an in-depth analysis of AARE localization and function in the moss Physcomitrella and the angiosperm Arabidopsis. AARE loss-of-function mutants have not been described for any organism so far. We generated and analysed such mutants and describe a connection between AARE function, aggregation of oxidized proteins and plant ageing, including accelerated developmental progression and reduced life span. Our findings complement similar findings in animals and humans, and suggest a unified concept of ageing may exist in different life forms.
Nano-encapsulation of halofuginone hydrobromide enhances anticoccidial activity against Eimeria tenella in chickens
Authors: Lin Mengjuan , Song Xinhao , Zuo Runan , Zheng Yuling , Hu Shiheng , Gao Shasha , Chen Lu , Zhu Yuan , Xu Xiaolin , Liu Moxin , Zhang Junren , Jiang Shanxiang , Guo Dawei
Published: January 2023

HF-loaded TPGS polymer micelles (HTPM) were developed to improve the anticoccidial effect of loaded drugs by enhancing cellular take up, denaturing merozoites inside infected cells, and restoring the gut microbiome.
Tether-free optogenetic control of insulin secretion using an upconversion nanoparticle-doped hydrogel platform
Authors: Bansal Akshaya , Zhang Jing , Lu Qi , Mei Qingsong , Zhang Yong
Published: January 2023

Upconversion nanoparticles and optogenetic-engineered cells are co-encapsulated to construct a smart hydrogel platform, allowing deep tissue-penetrating towards implementation a tether-free optogenetic gene expression of GLP-1 for diabetes.
GC-HRMS analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of ozone disinfection in the removal of micropollutants from wastewater
Authors: Barbacena Raíssa Olivia , Cristale Joyce , Barata Carlos , Lacorte Silvia , Dantas Renato F.
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study was to apply targeted and untargeted screening analyses to perform a deep assessment of micropollutant removal during wastewater disinfection by ozonation.
Ferulic acid supplementation alleviates hyperuricemia in high-fructose/fat diet-fed rats via promoting uric acid excretion and mediating the gut microbiota
Authors: Zhang Nanhai , Zhou Jingxuan , Zhao Liang , Zhao Zhen , Wang Shiran , Zhang Liebing , Zhou Feng
Published: January 2023

Ferulic acid could promote uric acid excretion in the kidneys and intestine to ameliorate high-fructose/fat diet-induced hyperuricemia and alleviate its associated renal impairment and intestinal microbiota disorder.
Highly crinkled and interconnected N, O and S co-doped carbon nanosheet modified separators for efficient Li–S batteries
Authors: Zhu Yanan , Deng Yuanfu , Chen Guohua
Published: January 2023

Crosslinked triazine framework derived N, O and S co-doped carbon nanosheet modified separators show excellent performances in Li–S batteries.
The correlation of sulfonation reaction kinetics with the degree of sulfonation (DS) and its effects on microstructure and morphology of electrospun fibers for the membrane of fuel cells
Authors: Parreño Ronaldo P.
Published: January 2023

Sulfonation reaction on electrospun fibers with the effect of degree of sulfonation on fibers' microstructure and morphology.
Evaluation of a biosensor-based graphene oxide-DNA nanohybrid for lung cancer
Authors: Kadhim Mustafa M. , Rheima Ahmed Mahdi , Abbas Zainab S. , Jlood Haider Hussain , Hachim Safa K. , Kadhum Wesam R. , kianfar Ehsan
Published: January 2023

Lung cancer is nowadays among the most prevalent diseases worldwide and features the highest mortality rate among various cancers, indicating that early diagnosis of the disease is of paramount importance.
A bis-chalcone based colorimetric probe for the selective detection of bisulfite/sulfite anions: exploring surfactant promoted Michael addition of anions to α, β-unsaturated ketones
Authors: P Sowmya , Prakash Sivakrishna , Joseph Abraham
Published: January 2023

A probe, (1E,4E)-1,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one, was developed for rapid, colorimetric, and selective detection of bisulfite/sulfite anions in aqueous solutions.
Carbazole-based photocatalyst (4CzIPN) for novel donor–acceptor (D–A) fluorophore-catalyzed visible-light-induced photosynthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-ones/thionesviaa proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process
Authors: Mohamadpour Farzaneh
Published: January 2023

Based on the Biginelli reaction of β-ketoesters, arylaldehydes, and urea/thiourea, we created a green radical synthesis procedure for 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-ones/thiones.
Serum metabolomics strategy for investigating the hepatotoxicity induced by different exposure times and doses of Gynura segetum (Lour.) Merr. in rats based on GC-MS
Authors: Li Ying , Tian Yingxin , Wang Qixue , Gu Xinyi , Chen Long , Jia Yiqun , Cao Shan , Zhang Ting , Zhou Mingmei , Gou Xiaojun
Published: January 2023

Gynura segetum (Lour.) Merr. (GS), has been widely used in Chinese folk medicine and can promote circulation, relieve pain and remove stasis.
A novel supramolecular Zn(ii)-metallogel: an efficient microelectronic semiconducting device application
Authors: Karmakar Kripasindhu , Dey Arka , Dhibar Subhendu , Sahu Rajib , Bhattacharjee Subham , Karmakar Priya , Chatterjee Priyajit , Mondal Aniruddha , Saha Bidyut
Published: January 2023

Adipic acid, used as a low molecular weight gelator to fabricate a novel supramolecular metallogel of Zn(ii)-ions in DMF medium, gives an excellent microelectronic device of a Schottky barrier diode at room temperature.
Synthesis of cerium oxide embedded perovskite type bismuth ferrite nanocomposites for sonophotocatalysis of aqueous micropollutant ibuprofen
Authors: Rashid Jamshaid , Ahsan Ali , Xu Ming , Savina Irina , Rehman Faisal
Published: January 2023

Ibuprofen is potentially toxic and carcinogenic for freshwater ecosystems and poses a serious threat to human health by affecting kidney function.
Closing the green gap of photosystem I with synthetic fluorophores for enhanced photocurrent generation in photobiocathodes
Authors: Morlock Sascha , Subramanian Senthil K. , Zouni Athina , Lisdat Fred
Published: January 2023

Dyes are covalently bound to photosystem I to close its green gap, and the constructs' photocurrent densities on 3D ITO are determined in direct and mediated electron transfer. Photocurrent generation is enhanced by the presence of fluorophores.
Anin situprotonation-activated supramolecular self-assembly for selective suppression of tumor growth
Authors: Wu Xuan , Liu Ming , Niu Jie , Liu Qian , Jiang Xin , Zheng Yujing , Qian Yuna , Zhang Ying-Ming , Shen Jianliang , Liu Yu
Published: January 2023

A protonation-activated supramolecular self-assembly through host–guest interaction was successfully constructed in lysosomes, which could selectively suppress the tumor growth.
A mechanistic understanding of microcolony morphogenesis: coexistence of mobile and sessile aggregates
Authors: Bera Palash , Wasim Abdul , Ghosh Pushpita
Published: January 2023

Mechanically interacting rod-shaped, self-propulsive bacteria, in the presence of self-produced sticky extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), exhibit coexistence of sessile and mobile aggregates rendering a biofilm transition.
Composite membranes consisting of acidic carboxyl-containing polyimide and basic polybenzimidazole for high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Authors: Qu Erli , Cheng Geng , Xiao Min , Han Dongmei , Huang Sheng , Huang Zhiheng , Liu Wei , Wang Shuanjin , Meng Yuezhong
Published: January 2023

A novel acid-base HT-PEM consisting of PI-COOH and OPBI was prepared. The OPBI-50PI-COOH composite membrane delivered superior cell performance and durability under low PA uptake due to the continuous hydrogen bond network between OPBI and PI-COOH.
Introduction to soft matter aspects of cancer
Authors: Taubenberger Anna V. , Lele Tanmay P.
Published: January 2023

Anna Taubenberger and Tanmay Lele introduce the Soft Matter themed issue on soft matter aspects of cancer.
Retracted: Research on intelligent elevation control method of shearer drum based on deep learning
Authors: Zhang Pu
Published: January 2023

Retraction: [Pu Zhang, Research on intelligent elevation control method of shearer drum based on deep learning, IET Software 2023 (https://doi.org/10.1049/sfw2.12089)].

The above article from IET Software, published online on 17 January 2023 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the Editor‐in‐Chief, Hana Chockler, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (the IET) and John Wiley and Sons Ltd. This article was published as part of a Guest Edited special issue. Following an investigation, the IET and the journal have determined that the article was not reviewed in line with the journal’s peer review standards and there is evidence that the peer review process of the special issue underwent systematic manipulation. Accordingly, we cannot vouch for the integrity or reliability of the content. As such we have taken the decision to retract the article. The authors have been informed of the decision to retract.
Astrophotonique : Les défis à relever pour les futures puces optiques destinées à l’observation astronomique
Authors: Martin Guillermo
Published: January 2023

Pour les applications en astrophotonique, les prochaines générations d’interféromètres et spectromètres intégrés nécessiteront l'exploration de nouvelles technologies de fabrication de guides d’onde. La photo-inscription laser est probablement l'une des alternatives les plus prometteuses en donnant l’accès à la dimension verticale, permettant d’augmenter considérablement le nombre de faisceaux à combiner et de redistribuer des pupilles d’entrée complexes.
Acheter un analyseur de front d’onde
Authors: Wattellier Benoit
Published: January 2023

Les analyseurs de front d’onde permettent de mesurer l’intensité et la phase de la lumière. Ce sont des instruments de mesure très flexibles qui trouvent leur place autant dans les laboratoires de recherche que dans les chaînes de contrôle de fabrication des optiques. Ils y ouvrent de nouveaux horizons pour des applications sans cesse renouvelées.
Optimal pricing, production, and intelligentization policies for smart, connected products under two-level trade credit
Authors: Tsao Yu-Chung , Pramesti Nandya Shafira , Vu Thuy-Linh , Vanany Iwan
Published: January 2023

The development of technologies such as the Internet of Things has transformed traditional physical products into smart connected products (SCPs) that combine hardware, sensors, data storage, microprocessors, software, and connectivity in myriad ways. SCPs raise a new set of strategic choices for creating value and pricing products, how relationships with business partners such as channels are redefined, and what role companies should play as industry boundaries are expanded. This study develops an inventory model that considers optimal pricing, production, and intelligent policies for SCPs. In this model, customer demand is assumed to increase as the selling price decreases and the effort to improve product intelligence (i.e., intelligent effort) increases. In addition, a two-level trade credit is included in the SCPs supply chain channel. The manufacturer often receives a permissible delay-in-payment (trade credit) from the supplier while also offering a delayed payment to end customers to attract more sales. Trade credit is particularly important for SCPs as it can act as a payment plan to reduce the product’s price barrier. This study aims to determine the optimal selling price, lot size, and level of intelligent effort while maximizing the manufacturer’s profit under a two-level trade credit. The optimal solution is clarified, numerical examples are provided, and a sensitivity analysis is performed to illustrate the theoretical results and solution approach. The results reveal that considering the level of intelligent effort as a decision can benefit the manufacturer. Notably, as the intelligent effort coefficient increases by 55%, the total profit increases by 65.8%.
Licensing instead of fueling: Glutamine synthetase promotes mitotic progression via a non-metabolic mechanism
Authors: Zhao Jiang-Sha , Yang Jing , Lu Zhimin , Feng Yu-Xiong
Published: January 2023

A recent report published in Nature Metabolism identified that glutamine synthetase (GS), the only enzyme in mammals to produce glutamine from glutamate, can directly control cancer cell mitosis by governing the APC/C complex via a metabolism-independent mechanism. It reported that GS can directly interact with the nuclear pore protein NUP88 to abolish its binging with CDC20, therefore licensing the activation of APC/CCDC20 to permit proper metaphase to anaphase transition of mitosis. These findings illustrated a dual-function mode of action of GS in cancer cells, in which GS’s metabolic and non-metabolic functions coordinate with the concentration change of glutamine in the tumor microenvironment (TME) to ensure cell survival or proliferation, respectively. These findings revealed the multi-faceted roles of glutamine synthetase in tumor development and underscored the potential to target non-canonical functions of glutamine synthetase for cancer treatment.
Speech-Language Pathology Services in Pediatric Cancer: Survey and Interview Data on Caregiver Experiences
Authors: Knollhoff Stephanie M. , Krueger Breanna I. , Imgrund Caitlin M.
Published: January 2023

Pediatric cancer and its treatment can cause disruption in typical child development, including the development of speech, language, and swallowing skills. Despite the potential for significant impact on communication and swallowing, speech-language pathologists are not routinely involved in the care teams of children diagnosed with cancer. The goal of this investigation was to enhance the understanding of the speech-language pathology services rendered and caregivers' perspectives on the current needs of children and adolescents who have undergone cancer treatment. Caregiver's perspectives offer unique insights and are beneficial when utilizing a person- and family-centered care framework. Eleven caregivers of children treated for cancer completed an online survey, and an additional three caregivers participated in a semistructured interview. Results provided insight into caregivers' perspectives regarding speech-language pathology-related needs and services. Survey results and thematic analysis of the semistructured interviews indicated the need for involvement of speech-language pathology services during and after cancer treatment. Cancer diagnoses and oncological treatment occur during key developmental periods, and may negatively impact children's speech, language, and swallowing abilities. Speech-language pathologists are uniquely positioned to provide support for children undergoing or following cancer treatment.
Conformations and structures of ethoxycarbonyl isothiocyanate revealed by rotational spectroscopy
Authors: Xu Yugao , Li Wenqin , Zhang Jiaqi , Feng Gang
Published: January 2023

The ethoxycarbonyl isothiocyanate has been investigated by using supersonic jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Two sets of rotational spectra belonging to conformers TCC (with the backbone of C−C−O−C, C−O−C=O, and O−C(=O)−NCS being trans, cis, and cis arranged, respectively) and GCC (gauche, cis, and cis arrangement of the C−C−O−C, C−O−C=O, and O−C(=O)−NCS) have been measured and assigned. The measurements of 13C, 15N and 34S mono-substituted species of the two conformers have also been performed. The comprehensive rotational spectroscopic investigations provide accurate values of rotational constants and 14N quadrupole coupling constants, which lead to structural determinations of the two conformers of ethoxycarbonyl isothiocyanate. For conformer TCC, the values of Pcc keep constant upon isotopic substitution, indicating that the heavy atoms of TCC are effectively located in the ab plane.
Sum frequency spectroscopy studies on cell membrane fusion induced by divalent cations
Authors: Han Xiao-feng , Sun Wen-hua , Wang Shu-jing , Lu Xiao-lin
Published: January 2023

Cell membrane fusion is a fundamental biological process involved in a number of cellular living functions. Regarding this, divalent cations can induce fusion of the lipid bilayers through binding and bridging of divalent cations to the charged lipids, thus leading to the cell membrane fusion. How-ever, the elaborate mechanism of cell membrane fusion induced by divalent cations is still needed to be elucidated. Here, surface/interface sensitive sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy (SFG-VS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were applied in this research to study the responses of phospholipid monolayer to the exposure of divalent metal ions i.e. Ca2+ and Mg2+. According to the particle size distribution results measured by DLS experiments, it was found that Ca2+ could induce inter-vesicular fusion while Mg2+ could not. An octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer (OTS SAM)-lipid monolayer system was designed to model the cell membrane for the SFG-VS experiment. Ca2+ could interact with the lipid PO2− head groups more strongly, resulting in cell membrane fusion more easily, in comparison with Mg2+. No specific interaction between the two metal cations and the C=O groups was observed. However, the C=O orientations changed more after Ca2+-PO2− binding than Mg2+ mediation on lipid monolayer. Meanwhile, Ca2+ could induce dehydration of the lipids (which should be related to the strong Ca2+-PO2− interaction), leading to the reduced hindrance for cell membrane fusion.
Utilization of harmonics in phaseless near-field microwave computational imaging based on space–time-coding transmissive metasurface
Authors: Han Jiaqi , Wang Tong , Chen Silong , Ma Xiangjin , Li Guanxuan , Liu Haixia , Li Long
Published: January 2023

Based on a space–time-coding (STC) transmissive metasurface (TMS), we present the utilization of electromagnetic harmonic spectra in phaseless near-field microwave computational imaging (CI). Each element of the TMS integrates one PIN diode as a switch to independently regulate the transmission amplitude, giving rise to a 14-dB modulation depth at 21 GHz. Using the TMS and two standard horn antennas, a phaseless near-field microwave CI system is established in a single-pixel manner. A simple and effective space–time-coding scheme is detailed to covert a monochromatic signal into multiple harmonics that can be applied to sample the objects. To obtain the sensing matrix built by the harmonics, we propose a method that is developed from the Fresnel diffraction theory. Moreover, we experimentally validate our CI system by reconstructing two metallic objects. The reported STC scheme and the corresponding CI system using TMS could inspire future studies on low-cost imaging hardware development and harmonic wave utilization for high-resolution CI systems.
Enhanced coalescence-induced droplet jumping on V-shaped superhydrophobic surface with a triangular prism
Authors: Tang Shi , Li Qing , Yu Yue
Published: January 2023

Coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces has attracted significant attention in recent years. In this paper, by using a three-dimensional multiphase lattice Boltzmann model, we numerically investigated the droplet jumping on V-shaped groove superhydrophobic surfaces induced by the coalescence between two droplets located in the asymmetric V-shaped groove. First, it is found that the self-jumping process gradually becomes inefficient when the groove angle decreased, which is caused by the increasing viscous dissipation with the decrease in the groove angle. In order to overcome the weakness of the V-shaped superhydrophobic surface and enhance the droplet jumping performance, an improved V-shaped superhydrophobic surface with a triangular prism was conceived. Numerical results showed that the normalized jumping velocity and the energy conversion efficiency of the V-shaped superhydrophobic surface with a triangular prism can be increased by up to 80% and 210%, respectively, in comparison with those of the surface without the triangular prism. The jumping enhancement mainly arises from the combined effect of the redirection of the expanding liquid bridge by the V-shaped sidewalls, as well as the earlier and sufficient impact of the liquid bridge on the triangular prism in the groove. Moreover, using the improved V-shaped superhydrophobic surface, a guided jumping can be achieved due to the reaction forces exerted by the V-shaped sidewalls and the triangular prism, and the jumping angle can be more accurately predicted based on the groove angle.
Dynamics and head-on collisions of multidimensional dust acoustic shock waves in a self-gravitating magnetized electron-depleted dusty plasma
Authors: Douanla D. V. , Tiofack C. G. L. , Alim  , Mohamadou A. , Alyousef Haifa A. , Ismaeel Sherif. M. E. , El-Tantawy S. A.
Published: January 2023

The dynamics and collisions of dust acoustic (DA) shock excitations traveling in opposite directions are theoretically investigated in a three-dimensional self-gravitating magnetized electron-depleted dusty plasma whose ingredients are extremely warm positively and negatively charged massive dust grains as well as ions that follow the q-nonextensive distribution. A linear analysis and the extended Poincare–Lighthill–Kuo method are used to derive the dispersion relation, the two-sided Korteweg–de Vries Burgers equations, and the phase shift that occurs due to the wave interaction. It is found that gravitation introduces Jeans-like instability, reduces the wave damping rate, decays the aperiodic oscillatory structure of DA excitations, and strongly affects the amplitude, steepness, and occurrence of monotonic compressive and rarefactive shocks. Numerical simulations also highlighted the stabilizing role of the magnetic field and the singularities of the collision process of monotonic shock fronts as well as the undeniable influence of viscosity, ion nonextensivity, and obliqueness between counter-traveling waves on the phase shift and collision profiles. The present results may be useful to better understand interactions of dust acoustic shock waves in the laboratory and astrophysical scenarios, such as dust clouds in the galactic disk, photo-association regions separating H II regions from dense molecular clouds, Saturn's planetary ring, and Halley Comet.
Intranasal delivery of full-length anti-Nogo-A antibody: A potential alternative route for therapeutic antibodies to central nervous system targets
Authors: Correa Daphne , Scheuber Myriam I. , Shan Huimin , Weinmann Oliver W. , Baumgartner Yves A. , Harten Aliona , Wahl Anna-Sophia , Skaar Kirstin L. , Schwab Martin E.
Published: January 2023

Antibody delivery to the CNS remains a huge hurdle for the clinical application of antibodies targeting a CNS antigen. The blood–brain barrier and blood–CSF barrier restrict access of therapeutic antibodies to their CNS targets in a major way. The very high amounts of therapeutic antibodies that are administered systemically in recent clinical trials to reach CNS targets are barely viable cost-wise for broad, routine applications. Though global CNS delivery of antibodies can be achieved by intrathecal application, these procedures are invasive. A non-invasive method to bring antibodies into the CNS reliably and reproducibly remains an important unmet need in neurology. In the present study, we show that intranasal application of a mouse monoclonal antibody against the neurite growth-inhibiting and plasticity-restricting membrane protein Nogo-A leads to a rapid transfer of significant amounts of antibody to the brain and spinal cord in intact adult rats. Daily intranasal application for 2 wk of anti-Nogo-A antibody enhanced growth and compensatory sprouting of corticofugal projections and functional recovery in rats after large unilateral cortical strokes. These findings are a starting point for clinical translation for a less invasive route of application of therapeutic antibodies to CNS targets for many neurological indications.
Sharing of misinformation is habitual, not just lazy or biased
Authors: Ceylan Gizem , Anderson Ian A. , Wood Wendy
Published: January 2023

Why do people share misinformation on social media? In this research (
N
= 2,476), we show that the structure of online sharing built into social platforms is more important than individual deficits in critical reasoning and partisan bias—commonly cited drivers of misinformation. Due to the reward-based learning systems on social media, users form habits of sharing information that attracts others' attention. Once habits form, information sharing is automatically activated by cues on the platform without users considering response outcomes such as spreading misinformation. As a result of user habits, 30 to 40% of the false news shared in our research was due to the 15% most habitual news sharers. Suggesting that sharing of false news is part of a broader response pattern established by social media platforms, habitual users also shared information that challenged their own political beliefs. Finally, we show that sharing of false news is not an inevitable consequence of user habits: Social media sites could be restructured to build habits to share accurate information.
Synthetic peptides that form nanostructured micelles have potent antibiotic and antibiofilm activity against polymicrobial infections
Authors: Chou Shuli , Guo Huating , Zingl Franz G. , Zhang Shiqing , Toska Jonida , Xu Bocheng , Chen Yili , Chen Peisong , Waldor Matthew K. , Zhao Wenjing , Mekalanos John J. , Mou Xiangyu
Published: January 2023

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is a growing threat to global public health. Here, we report the development and characterization of a panel of nine–amino acid residue synthetic peptides that display potent antibacterial activity and the ability to disrupt preestablished microbial biofilms. The lead peptide (Peptide K6) showed bactericidal activity against
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Staphylococcus aureus
in culture and in monocultures and mixed biofilms in vitro. Biophysical analysis revealed that Peptide K6 self-assembled into nanostructured micelles that correlated with its strong antibiofilm activity. When surface displayed on the outer membrane protein LamB, two copies of the Peptide K6 were highly bactericidal to
Escherichia coli.
Peptide K6 rapidly increased the permeability of bacterial cells, and resistance to this toxic peptide occurred less quickly than that to the potent antibiotic gentamicin. Furthermore, we found that Peptide K6 was safe and effective in clearing mixed
P. aeruginosa–S. aureus
biofilms in a mouse model of persistent infection. Taken together, the properties of Peptide K6 suggest that it is a promising antibiotic candidate and that design of additional short peptides that form micelles represents a worthwhile approach for the development of antimicrobial agents.
Developmental pruning of sensory neurites by mechanical tearing in Drosophila
Authors: Krämer Rafael , Wolterhoff Neele , Galic Milos , Rumpf Sebastian
Published: January 2023

Mechanical forces actively shape cells during development, but little is known about their roles during neuronal morphogenesis. Developmental neurite pruning, a critical circuit specification mechanism, often involves neurite abscission at predetermined sites by unknown mechanisms. Pruning of Drosophila sensory neuron dendrites during metamorphosis is triggered by the hormone ecdysone, which induces local disassembly of the dendritic cytoskeleton. Subsequently, dendrites are severed at positions close to the soma by an unknown mechanism. We found that ecdysone signaling causes the dendrites to become mechanically fragile. Severing occurs during periods of increased pupal morphogenetic tissue movements, which exert mechanical forces on the destabilized dendrites. Tissue movements and dendrite severing peak during pupal ecdysis, a period of strong abdominal contractions, and abolishing ecdysis causes non-cell autonomous dendrite pruning defects. Thus, our data establish mechanical tearing as a novel mechanism during neurite pruning.
Final ion charge spectra upon cascade decay of inner-shell vacancies in atomic Au
Authors: Chaynikov A P , Kochur A G , Dudenko A I , Petrov I D , Yavna V A
Published: January 2023

Final ion charge spectra produced by the cascade de-excitations of 1s- to 5p
3/2-vacancies of the gold atom are calculated by direct construction and analysis of the cascade decay trees. The energies of multivacancy configurations arising in the course of the cascade development, and the partial widths of radiation and radiationless cascade transitions are calculated using the Pauli–Fock approximation. The energies of the cascade transitions are calculated as the differences of total Pauli–Fock energies of initial and final ionic configurations which allowed excluding energy-forbidden radiationless transitions in numerous multivacancy configurations. Partial widths of transitions are expressed in the form that allowed accounting for the effect of electron subshell populations on the transition widths. The partial widths of the transitions between the states of the overlapping initial and final state multiplets are corrected so as to exclude energy-forbidden transitions between the multiplet states. It is demonstrated that accurate accounting for possible forbiddance of transitions between cascade configurations and the exclusion of energy-forbidden term-to-term transitions between the multiplets’ states are crucial in deep-initial-vacancy cascade simulations.
Coulomb-blockade oscillation in CdS, ZnS and CdS/ZnS core-shell quantum dots
Authors: Kalita Pradip Kumar , Nanung Yowa , Das Hirendra
Published: January 2023

CdS, ZnS and core–shell CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) with different ratio concentration of core to shell (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5) were synthesized and their structural, optical and electrical properties were studied with respect to the increase shell thickness. XRD exhibits the wurtzite structure of CdS QDs along with the cubic trace of ZnS. HRTEM images exhibit spherical shaped particle morphology for both CdS and CdS/ZnS core–shell QDs. The optical properties show a defect control mechanism in carrier transport. Enhancing shell thickness introduces higher defect density, defect induced crystal strain and charge separation which leads to quantum mechanical tunneling in determination of conduction mechanism through QDs. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of the QD devices shows an oscillatory behavior which may be attributed to coulomb-blockade oscillations because of quantum structure of QDs. Room temperature quantum oscillation behavior has been studied systematically for the synthesized semiconductor core/shell QDs which is the major finding of the present work. Mullen’s two tunnel junction model has been used for the QD devices, which is in agreement with the observed coulomb oscillations for R1 ≪ R2 and C1 ≪ C2, originated from defect induced surface and interface of core/shell structure. The present experimental results may contribute towards study and development of futuristic quantum oscillatory nanoscale devices.
Combining cosmic shear data with correlated photo-z uncertainties: constraints from DESY1 and HSC-DR1
Authors: García-García Carlos , Alonso David , G. Ferreira Pedro , Hadzhiyska Boryana , Nicola Andrina , Sánchez Carles , Slosar Anže
Published: January 2023

An accurate calibration of the source redshift distribution p(z) is a key aspect in the analysis of cosmic shear data. This, one way or another, requires the use of spectroscopic or high-quality photometric samples. However, the difficulty to obtain colour-complete spectroscopic samples matching the depth of weak lensing catalogs means that the analyses of different cosmic shear datasets often use the same samples for redshift calibration. This introduces a source of statistical and systematic uncertainty that is highly correlated across different weak lensing datasets, and which must be accurately characterised and propagated in order to obtain robust cosmological constraints from their combination. In this paper we introduce a method to quantify and propagate the uncertainties on the source redshift distribution in two different surveys sharing the same calibrating sample. The method is based on an approximate analytical marginalisation of the p(z) statistical uncertainties and the correlated marginalisation of residual systematics. We apply this method to the combined analysis of cosmic shear data from the DESY1 data release and the HSC-DR1 data, using the COSMOS 30-band catalog as a common redshift calibration sample. We find that, although there is significant correlation in the uncertainties on the redshift distributions of both samples, this does not change the final constraints on cosmological parameters significantly. The same is true also for the impact of residual systematic uncertainties from the errors in the COSMOS 30-band photometric redshifts. Additionally, we show that these effects will still be negligible in Stage-IV datasets. Finally, the combination of DESY1 and HSC-DR1 allows us to constrain the “clumpiness” parameter to S
8 = 0.768+0.021
-0.017. This corresponds to a ∼√(2) improvement in uncertainties with respect to either DES or HSC alone.
Multiple-participant measurement-device-independent quantum secret sharing protocol based on entanglement swapping
Authors: Zhang Tao , Zhou Lan , Zhong Wei , Sheng Yu-Bo
Published: January 2023

Quantum secret sharing (QSS) is a multi-party quantum communication mode, which allows the dealer to split a key into several parts and send each part of a key to a participant. The participants can obtain the key only by cooperation. Entanglement swapping is a promising method to construct the entanglement channel. In the paper, we propose a multiple-participant measurement-device-independent QSS protocol based on entanglement swapping. All the measurement tasks are handed over to an untrusted measurement party, so that our protocol can resist all possible attacks from imperfect measurement devices. Our protocol requires the linear-optical Bell state analysis, which is easy to operate. Our protocol has application potential in the future quantum communication field.