bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Homeless Group Representation in Detroit’s Problem-Solving Court
Authors: Rusch Lara , Banner Francine
Published: December 2022

The proliferation of problem-solving courts reflects a growing recognition that traditional punitive institutions tend to perpetuate cycles of poverty. Problem-solving courts expand the types of knowledge and resources available to court actors to help them address clients’ basic needs, provide ongoing support, and reduce recidivism. But the same qualities that enable judicial flexibility and collaboration can also undermine court goals, affecting the ability of court actors to understand the needs of indigent clients and resolve outstanding legal issues. This article analyzes the role of a social action membership organization in establishing Detroit’s homeless court. Our findings document how the group’s involvement influenced the court in procedure and substance and created space for negotiations that foreground clients’ self-defined needs. Collaboration shaped how defense attorneys thought about the purpose of the court and what they advocated for when meeting with judges and prosecutors on topics such as court accessibility, client sense of safety, and (in)ability to pay. These findings suggest the importance of having those most affected involved in the earliest stages of court creation to access procedural representation. We also consider administrative barriers to establishing a homeless court model within district courts.
Economic Growth in Germany, 1500–1850
Authors: Pfister Ulrich
Published: December 2022

New data are used to construct a time series of real GDP in Germany for the period 1500–1850 using an indirect output estimation technique that relies on wages, prices, and sectoral employment. Until the mid-seventeenth century, real GDP per capita moved inversely with population. The eighteenth century saw a modest rise in output per head. From the late 1810s, economic growth gradually accelerated. The results shed new light on the reversal of fortunes in early modern Europe and the transition from a Malthusian regime to modern economic growth.
Dosimetric accuracy of Acuros® XB and AAA algorithms for stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) lung treatments: evaluation with PRIMO Monte Carlo code
Authors: Sarin B. , Bindhu B. , Raghu Kumar P. , Sumeesh S. , Saju B.
Published: December 2022

Purpose:

The study aimed to compare the dosimetric performance of Acuros® XB (AXB) and anisotropic analytical algorithm (AAA) for lung SBRT plans using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations.

Methods:

We compared the dose calculation algorithms AAA and either of the dose reporting modes of AXB (dose to medium (AXB-Dm) or dose to water (AXB-Dw)) algorithms implemented in Eclipse® (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA) Treatment planning system (TPS) with MC. PRIMO code was used for the MC simulations. The TPS-calculated dose profiles obtained with a multi-slab heterogeneity phantom were compared to MC. A lung phantom with a tumour was used to validate TPS algorithms using different beam delivery techniques. 2D gamma values obtained from Gafchromic film measurements in the tumour isocentre plane were compared with TPS algorithms and MC. Ten VMAT SBRT plans generated in TPS with each algorithm were recalculated with a PRIMO MC system for identical beam parameters for the clinical plan validation. A dose–volume histogram (DVH) based plan comparison and a 3D global gamma analysis were performed.

Results:

AXB demonstrated better agreement with MC and film measurements in the lung phantom validation, with good agreement in PDD, profiles and gamma analysis. AAA showed an overestimated PDD, a significant difference in dose profiles and a lower gamma pass rate near the field borders. With AAA, there was a dose overestimation at the periphery of the tumour. For clinical plan validation, AXB demonstrated higher agreement with MC than AAA.

Conclusions:

AXB provided better agreement with MC than AAA in the phantom and clinical plan evaluations.
Dose-response of plasticulture summer squash and triploid watermelon to fomesafen applied pre-transplanting
Authors: Arana Jeanine , Meyers Stephen L. , Johnson William G , Guan Wenjing
Published: December 2022

Dose-response trials to determine the tolerance of summer squash and watermelon to fomesafen applied (over the top of black polyethylene mulch and respective row middles) pre-transplanting were performed between 2020 and 2021 at three Indiana locations: the Meigs Horticulture Research Farm (MEIGS), the Pinney Purdue Agricultural Center (PPAC), and the Southwest Purdue Agricultural Center (SWPAC). Summer squash trials were performed at the MEIGS and PPAC locations, and watermelon trials were performed at the MEIGS and SWPAC locations. The experiments for both summer squash and watermelon had a split-plot arrangement in which the main plot was herbicide rate, and the subplot was cultivar. Summer squash injury included necrotic leaf margin, chlorosis, brown and white spots, and stunting. Fomesafen rates from 262 to 1,048 g ai ha−1 in 2020 at both locations, and from 280 to 1,120 g ai ha−1 in 2021 at MEIGS did not affect summer squash yield. However, in 2021 at PPAC, fomesafen applied at rates from 280 to 1,120 g ha−1 delayed summer squash harvest and decreased marketable yield from 95% to 61% compared with the nontreated control. Watermelon injury included bronzing and stunting. Fomesafen rates from 210 to 840 g ai ha−1 did not affect marketable watermelon yield or fruit number. Crop safety was attributed to rain, which washed off most of the herbicide from the polyethylene mulch before plants were transplanted or little to no rain after transplant. Injury was observed only when there was no rain before transplant followed by excessive rain shortly after transplant. Overall, the 1× rate used for each trial was safe for use 1 d before transplanting summer squash and 6 to 7 d before transplanting watermelon.
Response of the Ryukyu Current to Climate Change During 1993–2018: Is There a Robust Trend?
Authors: Liu Zhao‐Jun , Zhu Xiao‐Hua , Nakamura Hirohiko , Wang Min , Nishina Ayako , Qiao Yu‐Xiang , Zhu Ze‐Nan
Published: December 2022

Linear trends in the Ryukyu Current, a part of the western boundary current in the western North Pacific flowing on the seaside of the Ryukyu Island chain, were investigated using reanalysis data during 1993–2018. The subsurface Ryukyu Current has weakened along its path during the recent decades. Two determinant factors for the weakened subsurface Ryukyu Current are as follows. First, the first baroclinic topographic Rossby wave propagated signals emanating from the Tokara Strait (TK) and the Kerama Gap (KG) southward along the eastern slope of the Ryukyu Island chain, which depressed the onshore side of the isopycnal. The weakened Kuroshio in the TK and weakened overflow through the KG during this period led to isopycnal shoaling along the onshore side east of the Ryukyu Island chain, slowing down the Ryukyu Current. Second, anticyclonic eddies emanated from the interior region near 30°N and 170°W increased during this period. These anticyclonic eddies, translating southwestward, reached east of the Ryukyu Island chain, and finally deepened the offshore side of the isopycnal depth of the Ryukyu Current. The isopycnal across the Ryukyu Current velocity core became less steep, thereby weakening the subsurface Ryukyu Current. Moreover, a positive trend of sea surface height anomaly southeast of Miyakojima, driven by wind stress changes in high latitudes (near the Kuroshio Extension band), strengthened the northward current in the upper layer southeast of Miyakojima.
Wildfires Temperature Estimation by Complementary Use of Hyperspectral PRISMA and Thermal (ECOSTRESS & L8)
Authors: Amici S. , Spiller D. , Ansalone L. , Miller L.
Published: December 2022

This paper deals with detection and temperature analysis and of wildfires using PRISMA imagery. Precursore IperSpettrale della Missione Applicativa (Hyperspectral Precursor of the Application Mission, PRISMA) is a new hyperspectral mission by ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Italian Space Agency) launched in 2019. This mission provides hyperspectral images with a spectral range of 400–2,500 nm and an average spectral resolution less than 12 nm and a spatial resolution of 30 m/pixel. This study focuses on the wildfire temperature estimation over the Bootleg Fire, US 2021. The analysis starts by considering the Hyperspectral Fire Detection Index (HFDI) which is used to analyze the informative content of the images, along with the analysis of some specific visible, near‐infrared and shortwave‐infrared bands. This first analysis is used as input to perform a temperature estimation of the areas with active wildfire. Surface temperature is retrieved using PRISMA radiance and a linear mixing model based on two background components (vegetation and burn scar) and two active fire components. PRISMA temperatures are compared with LST (Land Surface Temperature) products from NASA's ECOSTRESS and Landsat 8 which imaged the Bootleg Fire before and after PRISMA. A critical discussion of the results obtained with PRISMA is presented, followed by the advantages and limitation of the proposed approach.
Comparison of cell type distribution between single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing: enrichment of adherent cell types in single-nucleus RNA sequencing
Authors: Oh Jin-Mi , An Minae , Son Dae-Soon , Choi Jinhyuk , Cho Yong Beom , Yoo Chang Eun , Park Woong-Yang
Published: December 2022

Single-cell ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing (scRNA-seq) is an effective technique for estimating the cellular composition and transcriptional profiles of individual cells from fresh tissue. Single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) is necessary to perform this type of analysis in frozen or difficult-to-dissociate tissues, which cannot be subjected to scRNA-seq. This difference in the state of tissues leads to variation in cell-type distributions among each platform. To identify the characteristics of these methods and their differences, scRNA-seq and snRNA-seq were performed in parallel for colon and liver tissues. The two platforms revealed similar diversity but different proportions of cell types in matched tissues. The proportions of epithelial cells in the colon and hepatocytes in the liver were relatively high in snRNA-seq and that of immune cells was relatively high in scRNA-seq. This difference could be explained by variations in the expression scores of adhesion genes due to the disruption of the cytoplasmic contents during scRNA-seq. The enrichment of epithelial cells in the colon resulted in a discrepancy in the differentiation of epithelial cells. This enrichment was also well matched with the images of hematoxylin and eosin staining and the estimated distribution of cell types in bulk RNA sequencing. These results showed that snRNA-seq could be used to analyze tissues that cannot be subjected to scRNA-seq and provides more information in specific cell type analysis.
Diagnostic accuracy of OCTA and OCT for myopic choroidal neovascularisation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ho Sharon , Ly Angelica , Ohno-Matsui Kyoko , Kalloniatis Michael , Doig Gordon S.
Published: December 2022

Background/Objectives

The purpose of this project was to systematically review and meta-analyse studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for myopic choroidal neovascularisation (mCNV). Fluorescein angiography (FA) was accepted as the reference standard.

Methods

PUBMED and EMBASE were searched from inception to March 2021 for studies evaluating the test accuracy of OCTA and/or OCT for diagnosing mCNV. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Studies guideline was followed, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach was used to frame clinical recommendations. Pooled estimates of test accuracy were obtained using a bivariate model.

Results

Of 410 studies assessed for eligibility, 3 studies were identified that compared OCTA to FA and 3 studies were identified that compared spectral domain (SD) OCT to FA. All studies had at least one major methodological flaw leading to an overall high risk of bias. On meta-analysis, the pooled sensitivity of OCTA was 0.89 (95% CI 0.78–0.94) and pooled specificity was 0.93 (95% CI 0.79–0.98). The pooled sensitivity of SD-OCT was 0.99 (95% CI 0.91–1.00). Due to uncertainty in individual studies, the pooled specificity of SD-OCT could not be estimated.

Conclusions

OCTA can reliably diagnose mCNV in clinically suspected patients, however, SD-OCT may not reliably establish a positive diagnosis of mCNV. Future large, prospective studies with improvements in conduct and reporting are needed to strengthen these clinical recommendations.
BRCA2 associates with MCM10 to suppress PRIMPOL-mediated repriming and single-stranded gap formation after DNA damage
Authors: Kang Zhihua , Fu Pan , Alcivar Allen L. , Fu Haiqing , Redon Christophe , Foo Tzeh Keong , Zuo Yamei , Ye Caiyong , Baxley Ryan , Madireddy Advaitha , Buisson Remi , Bielinsky Anja-Katrin , Zou Lee , Shen Zhiyuan , Aladjem Mirit I. , Xia Bing
Published: December 2022

The BRCA2 tumor suppressor protects genome integrity by promoting homologous recombination-based repair of DNA breaks, stability of stalled DNA replication forks and DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoints. BRCA2 deficient cells display the radio-resistant DNA synthesis (RDS) phenotype, however the mechanism has remained elusive. Here we show that cells without BRCA2 are unable to sufficiently restrain DNA replication fork progression after DNA damage, and the underrestrained fork progression is due primarily to Primase-Polymerase (PRIMPOL)-mediated repriming of DNA synthesis downstream of lesions, leaving behind single-stranded DNA gaps. Moreover, we find that BRCA2 associates with the essential DNA replication factor MCM10 and this association suppresses PRIMPOL-mediated repriming and ssDNA gap formation, while having no impact on the stability of stalled replication forks. Our findings establish an important function for BRCA2, provide insights into replication fork control during the DNA damage response, and may have implications in tumor suppression and therapy response.
Manipulation on active electronic states of metastable phase β-NiMoO4 for large current density hydrogen evolution
Authors: Wang Zengyao , Chen Jiyi , Song Erhong , Wang Ning , Dong Juncai , Zhang Xiang , Ajayan Pulickel M. , Yao Wei , Wang Chenfeng , Liu Jianjun , Shen Jianfeng , Ye Mingxin
Published: December 2022

Non-noble transition metal oxides are abundant in nature. However, they are widely regarded as catalytically inert for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to their scarce active electronic states near the Fermi-level. How to largely improve the HER activity of these kinds of materials remains a great challenge. Herein, as a proof-of-concept, we design a non-solvent strategy to achieve phosphate substitution and the subsequent crystal phase stabilization of metastable β-NiMoO4. Phosphate substitution is proved to be imperative for the stabilization and activation of β-NiMoO4, which can efficiently generate the active electronic states and promote the intrinsic HER activity. As a result, phosphate substituted β-NiMoO4 exhibits the optimal hydrogen adsorption free energy (−0.046 eV) and ultralow overpotential of −23 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH for HER. Especially, it maintains long-term stability for 200 h at the large current density of 1000 mA cm−2 with an overpotential of only −210 mV. This work provides a route for activating transition metal oxides for HER by stabilizing the metastable phase with abundant active electronic states.
Dynamic spatiotemporal determinants modulate GPCR:G protein coupling selectivity and promiscuity
Authors: Sandhu Manbir , Cho Aaron , Ma Ning , Mukhaleva Elizaveta , Namkung Yoon , Lee Sangbae , Ghosh Soumadwip , Lee John H. , Gloriam David E. , Laporte Stéphane A. , Babu M. Madan , Vaidehi Nagarajan
Published: December 2022

Recent studies have shown that G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) show selective and promiscuous coupling to different Gα protein subfamilies and yet the mechanisms of the range of coupling preferences remain unclear. Here, we use Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations on ten GPCR:G protein complexes and show that the location (spatial) and duration (temporal) of intermolecular contacts at the GPCR:Gα protein interface play a critical role in how GPCRs selectively interact with G proteins. We identify that some GPCR:G protein interface contacts are common across Gα subfamilies and others specific to Gα subfamilies. Using large scale data analysis techniques on the MD simulation snapshots we derive aspatio-temporal codefor contacts that confer G protein selective coupling and validated these contacts using G protein activation BRET assays. Our results demonstrate that promiscuous GPCRs show persistent sampling of the common contacts more than G protein specific contacts. These findings suggest that GPCRs maintain contact with G proteins through a common central interface, while the selectivity comes from G protein specific contacts at the periphery of the interface.
Chemoenzymatic synthesis of sulfur-linked sugar polymers as heparanase inhibitors
Authors: He Peng , Zhang Xing , Xia Ke , Green Dixy E. , Baytas Sultan , Xu Yongmei , Pham Truong , Liu Jian , Zhang Fuming , Almond Andrew , Linhardt Robert J. , DeAngelis Paul L.
Published: December 2022

Complex carbohydrates (glycans) are major players in all organisms due to their structural, energy, and communication roles. This last essential role involves interacting and/or signaling through a plethora of glycan-binding proteins. The design and synthesis of glycans as potential drug candidates that selectively alter or perturb metabolic processes is challenging. Here we describe the first reported sulfur-linked polysaccharides with potentially altered conformational state(s) that are recalcitrant to digestion by heparanase, an enzyme important in human health and disease. An artificial sugar donor with a sulfhydryl functionality is synthesized and enzymatically incorporated into polysaccharide chains utilizing heparosan synthase. Used alone, this donor adds a single thio-sugar onto the termini of nascent chains. Surprisingly, in chain co-polymerization reactions with a second donor, this thiol-terminated heparosan also serves as an acceptor to form an unnatural thio-glycosidic bond (‘S-link’) between sugar residues in place of a natural ‘O-linked’ bond. S-linked heparan sulfate analogs are not cleaved by human heparanase. Furthermore, the analogs act as competitive inhibitors with > ~200-fold higher potency than expected; as a rationale, molecular dynamic simulations suggest that the S-link polymer conformations mimic aspects of the transition state. Our analogs form the basis for future cancer therapeutics and modulators of protein/sugar interactions.
A bioinspired flexible neuromuscular system based thermal-annealing-free perovskite with passivation
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Gong Jiangdong , Wei Huanhuan , Li Yameng , Wu Haixia , Jiang Chengpeng , Li Yuelong , Xu Wentao
Published: December 2022

Brain-inspired electronics require artificial synapses that have ultra-low energy consumption, high operating speed, and stable flexibility. Here, we demonstrate a flexible artificial synapse that uses a rapidly crystallized perovskite layer at room temperature. The device achieves a series of synaptic functions, including logical operations, temporal and spatial rules, and associative learning. Passivation using phenethyl-ammonium iodide eliminated defects and charge traps to reduce the energy consumption to 13.5 aJ per synaptic event, which is the world record for two-terminal artificial synapses. At this ultralow energy consumption, the device achieves ultrafast response frequency of up to 4.17 MHz; which is orders of magnitude magnitudes higher than previous perovskite artificial synapses. A multi-stimulus accumulative artificial neuromuscular system was then fabricated using the perovskite synapse as a key processing unit to control electrochemical artificial muscles, and realized muscular-fatigue warning. This artificial synapse will have applications in future bio-inspired electronics and neurorobots.
Nuclear localization of mitochondrial TCA cycle enzymes modulates pluripotency via histone acetylation
Authors: Li Wei , Long Qi , Wu Hao , Zhou Yanshuang , Duan Lifan , Yuan Hao , Ding Yingzhe , Huang Yile , Wu Yi , Huang Jinyu , Liu Delong , Chen Baodan , Zhang Jian , Qi Juntao , Du Shiwei , Li Linpeng , Liu Yang , Ruan Zifeng , Liu Zihuang , Liu Zichao , Zhao Yifan , Lu Jianghuan , Wang Junwei , Chan Wai-Yee , Liu Xingguo
Published: December 2022

Pluripotent stem cells hold great promise in regenerative medicine and developmental biology studies. Mitochondrial metabolites, including tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle intermediates, have been reported to play critical roles in pluripotency. Here we show that TCA cycle enzymes including Pdha1, Pcb, Aco2, Cs, Idh3a, Ogdh, Sdha and Mdh2 are translocated to the nucleus during somatic cell reprogramming, primed-to-naive transition and totipotency acquisition. The nuclear-localized TCA cycle enzymes Pdha1, Pcb, Aco2, Cs, Idh3a promote somatic cell reprogramming and primed-to-naive transition. In addition, nuclear-localized TCA cycle enzymes, particularly nuclear-targeted Pdha1, facilitate the 2-cell program in pluripotent stem cells. Mechanistically, nuclear Pdha1 increases the acetyl-CoA and metabolite pool in the nucleus, leading to chromatin remodeling at pluripotency genes by enhancing histone H3 acetylation. Our results reveal an important role of mitochondrial TCA cycle enzymes in the epigenetic regulation of pluripotency that constitutes a mitochondria-to-nucleus retrograde signaling mode in different states of pluripotent acquisition.
Definition of the estrogen negative feedback pathway controlling the GnRH pulse generator in female mice
Authors: McQuillan H. James , Clarkson Jenny , Kauff Alexia , Han Su Young , Yip Siew Hoong , Cheong Isaiah , Porteous Robert , Heather Alison K. , Herbison Allan E.
Published: December 2022

The mechanisms underlying the homeostatic estrogen negative feedback pathway central to mammalian fertility have remained unresolved. Direct measurement of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator activity in freely behaving mice with GCaMP photometry demonstrated striking estradiol-dependent plasticity in the frequency, duration, amplitude, and profile of pulse generator synchronization events. Mice with Cre-dependent deletion of ESR1 from all kisspeptin neurons exhibited pulse generator activity identical to that of ovariectomized wild-type mice. An in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 approach was used to knockdown ESR1 expression selectively in arcuate nucleus (ARN) kisspeptin neurons. Mice with >80% deletion of ESR1 in ARN kisspeptin neurons exhibited the ovariectomized pattern of GnRH pulse generator activity and high frequency LH pulses but with very low amplitude due to reduced responsiveness of the pituitary. Together, these studies demonstrate that estrogen utilizes ESR1 in ARN kisspeptin neurons to achieve estrogen negative feedback of the GnRH pulse generator in mice.
Photoinduced β-fragmentation of aliphatic alcohol derivatives for forging C–C bonds
Authors: Gao Yiman , Liu Jie , Wei Cong , Li Yan , Zhang Kui , Song Liangliang , Cai Lingchao
Published: December 2022

Alcohols are ubiquitous in chemistry and are native functionalities in many natural products and bioactive molecules. As such, a strategy that utilizes hydroxy-containing compounds to develop bond disconnection and bond formation process would achieve molecular diversity. Herein we utilize bench-stable N-alkoxyphthalimides prepared from alcohols to couple with glycine derivatives via radical process under visible light irradiation, providing a variety of unnatural amino acid (UAA) and peptide derivatives. The approach allows to rapidly deconstruct molecular complexity via β-fragmentation such as saclareolide, β-pinene and camphor and provides products with unique scaffolds, which show inhibition toward the pathogenic fungi growth.
Overview of lunar dust toxicity risk
Authors: Pohlen Michael , Carroll Danielle , Prisk G. Kim , Sawyer Aenor J.
Published: December 2022

Lunar dust (LD), the component of lunar regolith with particle sizes less than 20 μm, covers the surface of the Moon. Due to its fineness, jagged edges, and electrostatic charge, LD adheres to and coats almost any surface it contacts. As a result, LD poses known risks to the proper functioning of electronic and mechanical equipment on the lunar surface. However, its mechanical irritancy and chemical reactivity may also pose serious health risks to humans by a number of mechanisms. While Apollo astronauts reported mild short-lived respiratory symptoms, the spectrum of health effects associated with high-dose acute exposure or chronic low-dose exposure are not yet well-understood. This paper explores known and potential human risks of exposure to LD which are thought to be important in planning upcoming lunar missions and planetary surface work.
Diagnostic and prognostic value of blood inflammation and biochemical indicators for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy in Chinese pregnant women
Authors: Luo Mengjun , Wang Li , Yao Haibo , Wen Yizhou , Cao Dengcheng , Shen Wei , Liu Chenggui
Published: December 2022

Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a common liver disease during pregnancy, that has serious complications. This study aimed to compare the blood inflammation and biochemical markers of pregnant women with ICP in Southwest China and analyse their diagnostic value for ICP. A controlled cross-sectional study was conducted, and routine blood and biochemical indicators of 304 diagnosed ICP patients and 363 healthy pregnant women undergoing routine prenatal examination were assessed. The blood inflammatory indicators and biochemical indicators were compared between the ICP groups and normal groups. In this study, the levels of the ALT, AST, GGT, TBIL and DBIL biochemical indicators and the levels of WBC, neutrophils, NLR and PLR inflammatory indicators in the ICP group were significantly higher than those in healthy pregnant women (p < 0.001). The PA and lymphocytes of the ICP group were significantly lower than those of the normal group (p < 0.001). ROC curves showed that ALT and the NLR had higher predictive value for ICP. The GGT, TBA and NLR of pregnant women with ICP in the preterm group were significantly higher than those in the term group, and the combined NLR and TBA had a certain predictive value for preterm birth.
Genetic epidemiology of inherited retinal diseases in a large patient cohort followed at a single center in Italy
Authors: Karali Marianthi , Testa Francesco , Di Iorio Valentina , Torella Annalaura , Zeuli Roberta , Scarpato Margherita , Romano Francesca , Onore Maria Elena , Pizzo Mariateresa , Melillo Paolo , Brunetti-Pierri Raffaella , Passerini Ilaria , Pelo Elisabetta , Cremers Frans P. M. , Esposito Gabriella , Nigro Vincenzo , Simonelli Francesca , Banfi Sandro
Published: December 2022

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are the leading cause of vision loss in the working-age population. We performed a retrospective epidemiological study to determine the genetic basis of IRDs in a large Italian cohort (n = 2790) followed at a single referral center. We provided, mainly by next generation sequencing, potentially conclusive molecular diagnosis for 2036 patients (from 1683 unrelated families). We identified a total of 1319 causative sequence variations in 132 genes, including 353 novel variants, and 866 possibly actionable genotypes for therapeutic approaches. ABCA4 was the most frequently mutated gene (n = 535; 26.3% of solved cases), followed by USH2A (n = 228; 11.2%) and RPGR (n = 102; 5.01%). The other 129 genes had a lower contribution to IRD pathogenesis (e.g. CHM 3.5%, RHO 3.5%; MYO7A 3.4%; CRB1 2.7%; RPE65 2%, RP1 1.8%; GUCY2D 1.7%). Seventy-eight genes were mutated in five patients or less. Mitochondrial DNA variants were responsible for 2.1% of cases. Our analysis confirms the complex genetic etiology of IRDs and reveals the high prevalence of ABCA4 and USH2A mutations. This study also uncovers genetic associations with a spectrum of clinical subgroups and highlights a valuable number of cases potentially eligible for clinical trials and, ultimately, for molecular therapies.
Investigation of health risk assessment and the effect of various irrigation water on the accumulation of toxic metals in the most widely consumed vegetables in Iran
Authors: Sharafi Kiomars , Mansouri Borhan , Omer Abdullah Khalid , Bashardoust Parnia , Ebrahimzadeh Gholamreza , Sharifi Shokoufeh , Massahi Tooraj , Soleimani Hamed
Published: December 2022

The quality of irrigation water sources can significantly affect the concentrations of heavy metals (HMs) in cultivated vegetables. This study aimed to investigate the effect of various water resources, including treated wastewater effluent (TWE), river water (RW), and well water with chemical fertilizer (WW+F), on the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in the three most widely consumed edible vegetables (Coriander, Radish, and Basil) in Iran. A total of 90 samples of edible vegetables, 13 samples of irrigation water, and 10 soil samples were collected to determine HMs concentrations. Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni,) and Arsenic (As) were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Eventually, the Total Target Hazard Quotient (TTHQ) for the toxic metals of As, Pb, and Cd was determined. The results revealed that the TTHQ of toxic metals in vegetables was less than the allowable limits (TTHQ = 1). Also, TWE was the best irrigation water type since the HMs content of vegetables was low. By comparing the results with national and international standards, it can be concluded that the Gharasou RW for irrigation of edible vegetables was inappropriate.
Modelling the ecological dynamics of mosquito populations with multiple co-circulating Wolbachia strains
Authors: Ogunlade Samson T. , Adekunle Adeshina I. , McBryde Emma S. , Meehan Michael T.
Published: December 2022

Wolbachia intracellular bacteria successfully reduce the transmissibility of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) when introduced into virus-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes. Despite the progress made by introducing Wolbachia bacteria into the Aedes aegypti wild-type population to control arboviral infections, reports suggest that heat-induced loss-of-Wolbachia-infection as a result of climate change may reverse these gains. Novel, supplemental Wolbachia strains that are more resilient to increased temperatures may circumvent these concerns, and could potentially act synergistically with existing variants. In this article, we model the ecological dynamics among three distinct mosquito (sub)populations: a wild-type population free of any Wolbachia infection; an invading population infected with a particular Wolbachia strain; and a second invading population infected with a distinct Wolbachia strain from that of the first invader. We explore how the range of possible characteristics of each Wolbachia strain impacts mosquito prevalence. Further, we analyse the differential system governing the mosquito populations and the Wolbachia infection dynamics by computing the full set of basic and invasive reproduction numbers and use these to establish stability of identified equilibria. Our results show that releasing mosquitoes with two different strains of Wolbachia did not increase their prevalence, compared with a single-strain Wolbachia-infected mosquito introduction and only delayed Wolbachia dominance.
Development of activated carbon for removal of pesticides from water: case study
Authors: Zieliński Bartosz , Miądlicki Piotr , Przepiórski Jacek
Published: December 2022

The work primarily concerns development of activated carbon dedicated for adsorption of pesticides from water prior directing it to the distribution system. We provide an information on research on important practical aspects related to research carried out to develop and to manufacture activated carbons. The paper concerns preliminary works on selection raw materials, a binder used for producing granulated adsorbent, activating gases, conditions of the production process, and others. The key attention in this research was paid to its target, i.e., industrial process to produce activated carbon revealing fulfilling required properties including satisfying adsorption of selected pesticides and meeting the requirements of companies dealing with a large-scale production of drinking water. Therefore, among others, the work includes considerations concerning such aspects like pore structure and specific surface area of the activated carbon, formation of granules that are the most demanded and thus preferred in an industrial practice form of activated carbons, and other aspects important from practical point of view. Using the results of our preliminary work, a batch of granular activated carbon was produced in industrial conditions. The obtained material was tested in terms of removing several pesticides at a water treatment plant operating on an industrial scale. During tests the concentration of acetochlor ESA was decreased from ca. 0.4 µg/l in raw water to below 0.1 µg/l. During 11 months of AC use specific surface area of adsorbent lowered significantly by 164 m2/g, and total pore volume declined from initial 0.56 cm3/g to 0.455 cm3/g. We discuss both a performance of the obtained activated carbon in a long-term removal of acetochlor and its derivatives from water and an effect of exploitation time on the removal efficiency. The explanations for the reduction in pesticide removal efficiency are also proposed and discussed.
Quantifying calcium carbonate and organic carbon content in marine sediments from XRF-scanning spectra with a machine learning approach
Authors: Lee An-Sheng , Chao Weng-Si , Liou Sofia Ya Hsuan , Tiedemann Ralf , Zolitschka Bernd , Lembke-Jene Lester
Published: December 2022

Geochemical variations of sedimentary records contain vital information for understanding paleoenvironment and paleoclimate. However, to obtain quantitative data in the laboratory is laborious, which ultimately restricts the temporal and spatial resolution. Quantification based on fast-acquisition and high-resolution provides a potential solution but is restricted to qualitative X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning data. Here, we apply machine learning (ML) to advance the quantification progress and target calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and total organic carbon (TOC) for quantification to test the potential of such an XRF-ML approach. Raw XRF spectra are used as input data instead of software-based extraction of elemental intensities to avoid bias and increase information. Our dataset comprises Pacific and Southern Ocean marine sediment cores from high- to mid-latitudes to extend the applicability of quantification models from a site-specific to a multi-regional scale. ML-built models are carefully evaluated with a training set, a test set and a case study. The acquired ML-models provide better results with R2 of 0.96 for CaCO3 and 0.78 for TOC than conventional methods. In our case study, the ML-performance for TOC is comparably lower but still provides potential for future optimization. Altogether, this study allows to conveniently generate high-resolution bulk chemistry records without losing accuracy.
Protein structure determination in human cells by in-cell NMR and a reporter system to optimize protein delivery or transexpression
Authors: Gerez Juan A. , Prymaczok Natalia C. , Kadavath Harindranath , Ghosh Dhiman , Bütikofer Matthias , Fleischmann Yanick , Güntert Peter , Riek Roland
Published: December 2022

Most experimental methods for structural biology proceed in vitro and therefore the contribution of the intracellular environment on protein structure and dynamics is absent. Studying proteins at atomic resolution in living mammalian cells has been elusive due to the lack of methodologies. In-cell nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (in-cell NMR) is an emerging technique with the power to do so. Here, we improved current methods of in-cell NMR by the development of a reporter system that allows monitoring the delivery of exogenous proteins into mammalian cells, a process that we called here “transexpression”. The reporter system was used to develop an efficient protocol for in-cell NMR which enables spectral acquisition with higher quality for both disordered and folded proteins. With this method, the 3D atomic resolution structure of the model protein GB1 in human cells was determined with a backbone root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) of 1.1 Å.
Angular orientation between the cores of iron oxide nanoclusters controls their magneto–optical properties and magnetic heating functions
Authors: Bertuit Enzo , Menguy Nicolas , Wilhelm Claire , Rollet Anne-Laure , Abou-Hassan Ali
Published: December 2022

Oriented attachment of nanobricks into hierarchical multi-scale structures such as inorganic nanoclusters is one of the crystallization mechanisms that has revolutionized the field of nano and materials science. Herein, we show that the mosaicity, which measures the misalignment of crystal plane orientation between the nanobricks, governs their magneto-optical properties as well as the magnetic heating functions of iron oxide nanoclusters. Thanks to high-temperature and time-resolved millifluidic, we were able to isolate and characterize (structure, properties, function) the different intermediates involved in the diverse steps of the nanocluster’s formation, to propose a detailed dynamical mechanism of their formation and establish a clear correlation between changes in mosaicity at the nanoscale and their resulting physical properties. Finally, we demonstrate that their magneto-optical properties can be described using simple molecular theories.
Low phase noise THz generation from a fiber-referenced Kerr microresonator soliton comb
Authors: Kuse Naoya , Nishimoto Kenji , Tokizane Yu , Okada Shota , Navickaite Gabriele , Geiselmann Michael , Minoshima Kaoru , Yasui Takeshi
Published: December 2022

THz oscillators generated via frequency-multiplication of microwaves are facing difficulty in achieving low phase noise. Photonics-based techniques, in which optical two tones are translated to a THz wave through opto-electronic conversion, are promising if the relative phase noise between the two tones is well suppressed. Here, a THz (≈560 GHz) wave with a low phase noise is provided by a frequency-stabilized, dissipative Kerr microresonator soliton comb. The repetition frequency of the comb is stabilized to a long fiber in a two-wavelength delayed self-heterodyne interferometer, significantly reducing the phase noise of the THz wave. A measurement technique to characterize the phase noise of the THz wave beyond the limit of a frequency-multiplied microwave is also demonstrated, showing the superior phase noise of the THz wave to any other photonic THz oscillators (>300 GHz).
A digital twin of electrical tomography for quantitative multiphase flow imaging
Authors: Wang Shengnan , Hu Delin , Zhang Maomao , Qiu Lin Jiawang , Chen Wei , Giorgio-Serchi Francesco , Peng Lihui , Li Yi , Yang Yunjie
Published: December 2022

Multiphase flow is ubiquitous in nature, industry and research, and accurate flow imaging is critical to understanding this complex phenomenon. Electrical tomography (ET) is a promising technique for multiphase flow visualization and characterization which provides a non-invasive and non-radiative way to unravel the internal physical properties at high temporal resolution. However, existing ET-based multiphase flow imaging methods are inadequate for quantitative imaging of multiphase flows due to inversion errors and limited ground truth data of fluid phases distribution. Here we report a digital twin (DT) framework of ET to address the challenges of real-time quantitative multiphase flow imaging. The proposed DT framework, building upon a synergistic integration of 3D field coupling simulation, model-based deep learning, and edge computing, allows ET to dynamically learn the flow features in the virtual space and implement the model in the physical system, thus providing excellent resolution and accuracy. The proposed DT framework is demonstrated using electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) of a gas-liquid two-phase flow. It can be readily extended to a broader range of tomography modalities, scenarios, and scales in biomedical, energy, and aerospace applications.
Investigating the Li+substructure and ionic transport in Li10GeP2−xSbxS12(0 ≤x≤ 0.25)
Authors: Helm Bianca , Gronych Lara M. , Banik Ananya , Lange Martin A. , Li Cheng , Zeier Wolfgang G.
Published: December 2022

Sb(+V) substitution in Li10GeP2S12has only a minor effect on the structure and ionic transport.
Theoretical investigation of the role of hydrogenation-induced strain in single-layer h10-Si
Authors: Zhang Deju , Jiang Peng , Huang Hong-Mei , Zhang Yanning , Li Yan-Ling
Published: December 2022

The hydrogenation-induced strain plays an important role in the structural deformation and electronic transition for hydrogenated two-dimensional materials.
Metamorphic oxygen-evolving molecular Ru and Ir catalysts
Authors: Vereshchuk Nataliia , Gil-Sepulcre Marcos , Ghaderian Abolfazl , Holub Jan , Gimbert-Suriñach Carolina , Llobet Antoni
Published: December 2022

Molecular water oxidation catalysts based on Ru complexes evolving dioxygen are transformed into new molecular species during turnover that in turn are also active catalysts towards the water oxidation reaction.
Sustainable ammonia synthesis through electrochemical dinitrogen activation using an Ag2VO2PO4 catalyst
Authors: Gupta Divyani , Kafle Alankar , Nagaiah Tharamani C.
Published: December 2022

An Ag2VO2PO4 catalyst synthesized via sonochemical route exhibits a nano rice-grain like morphology and presents electrochemical N2 activation at −0.2 V with a high NH3 yield rate of 1.48 mg h−1 mgcat.−1 and a F.E. of 37.46% in alkaline solution.
Anti-inflammatory potential of digested Brassica sprout extracts in human macrophage-like HL-60 cells
Authors: Garcia-Ibañez Paula , Núñez-Sánchez María A. , Oliva-Bolarín Alba , Martínez-Sánchez María A. , Ramos-Molina Bruno , Ruiz-Alcaraz Antonio J. , Moreno Diego A.
Published: December 2022

Cruciferous vegetables have been reported to be a great source of anti-inflammatory compounds.
Structure–function correlation of mononuclear nonheme copper(ii) compounds based on a ligand backbone effect and phenoxazinone synthase activity
Authors: Harmalkar Sarvesh S. , Chari Vishnu R. , Kunkalekar Rohan K. , Dhuri Sunder N.
Published: December 2022

Mononuclear nonheme Cu(ii) compounds 1 and 2 were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS, EPR, and single-crystal X-ray diffractrometry.
Deviation from Beer's law and relationship of aggregation with the effective TPA coefficient: UV-vis studies on a series of low symmetry monophthalocyanines bearing a cyclotriphosphazene substituent
Authors: Tolbin Alexander Yu. , Shestov Vladimir I. , Savelyev Mikhail S. , Gerasimenko Alexander Yu.
Published: December 2022

A new “Extinction model” was developed to calculate aggregation threshold. The possibility of creating a forecasting model is shown on the example of establishing a correlation between aggregation and NLO properties.
Color stability of blue aluminates obtained from recycling and applied as pigments
Authors: Horsth Dienifer F. L. , Primo Julia de O. , Balaba Nayara , Anaissi Fauze J. , Bittencourt Carla
Published: December 2022

Aluminates have been used as synthetic inorganic pigments due to their structural stability.
Cation synergy in Sr and Al substituted LaMnO3 during solar thermochemical CO2 splitting
Authors: Nair Mahesh Muraleedharan , Abanades Stéphane
Published: December 2022

The influence of bond polarity on the thermochemical redox properties of a series of cation substituted perovskite oxygen carriers is reported.
Spatial RNA sequencing methods show high resolution of single cell in cancer metastasis and the formation of tumor microenvironment
Authors: Zheng Yue , Yang Xiaofeng
Published: December 2022

Cancer metastasis often leads to death and therapeutic resistance. This process involves the participation of a variety of cell components, especially cellular and intercellular communications in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Using genetic sequencing technology to comprehensively characterize the tumor and TME is therefore key to understanding metastasis and therapeutic resistance. The use of spatial transcriptome sequencing enables the localization of gene expressions and cell activities in tissue sections. By examining the localization change as well as gene expression of these cells, it is possible to characterize the progress of tumor metastasis and TME formation. With improvements of this technology, spatial transcriptome sequencing technology has been extended from local regions to whole tissues, and from single sequencing technology to multimodal analysis combined with a variety of datasets. This has enabled the detection of every single cell in tissue slides, with high resolution, to provide more accurate predictive information for tumor treatments. In this review, we summarize the results of recent studies dealing with new multimodal methods and spatial transcriptome sequencing methods in tumors to illustrate recent developments in the imaging resolution of micro-tissues.
Localized and structured growth of polymer brushes using ink jet printing approach
Authors: Ali Azouaou Tarek , Lemarchand Justin , Noël Vincent , Mattana Giorgio , Decorse Philippe , Perruchot Christian
Published: December 2022

Inkjet printing (IJP) technique has been used for the deposition of silica nanoparticles with controlled position and shape onto flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrate. The printed silica areas have been chemically functionalized with a silane molecule bearing an ATRP initiator group. Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerisation (SI-ATRP) methodology has been betrothed to grow polymer brushes onto the silica printed areas. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used after each step of functionalisation in order to determine the elemental surface composition. In addition, IJP has been used to design specific pattern at 250 micrometer scale. By combining maskless IJP technic and XPS line-scan mode, this work clearly demonstrates that the position and the pattern shape of printed areas can be controlled on demand, and that, structurally polymer brushes are only generated onto the functionalised silica printed areas.