bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rhizosphere enzyme activities and microorganisms drive the transformation of organic and inorganic carbon in saline–alkali soil region
Authors: Qu Yunke , Tang Jie , Liu Ben , Lyu Hang , Duan Yucong , Yang Yao , Wang Sining , Li Zhaoyang
Published: January 2022

Western Jilin Province is one of the world's three major saline–alkali land distribution areas, and is also an important area of global climate change and carbon cycle research. Rhizosphere soil microorganisms and enzymes are the most active components in soil, which are closely related to soil carbon cycle and can reflect soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics sensitively. Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) is the main existing form of soil carbon pool in arid saline–alkali land, and its quantity distribution affects the pattern of soil carbon accumulation and storage. Previous studies mostly focus on SOC, and pay little attention to SIC. Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to reveal the changes of community structure in three maize fields (M1, M2 and M3) and three rice fields (R1, R2 and R3), which were affected by different levels of salinization during soil development. It is a new research topic of soil carbon cycle in saline–alkali soil region to investigate the effects of soil microorganisms and soil enzymes on the transformation of SOC and SIC in the rhizosphere. The results showed that the root—soil—microorganism interaction was changed by saline–alkali stress. The activities of catalase, invertase, amylase and β-glucosidase decreased with increasing salinity. At the phylum level, most bacterial abundance decreases with increasing salinity. However, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Firmicutes in maize field and Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Nitrospirae in rice field increased sharply under saline–alkali stress. The results of redundancy analysis showed that the differences of rhizosphere soil between the three maize and three rice fields were mainly affected by ESP, pH and soil salt content. In saline–alkali soil region, β-glucosidase activity and amylase were significantly positively correlated with SOC content in maize fields, while catalase and β-glucosidase were significantly positively correlated with SOC content in rice fields. Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Verrucomicrobia had significant positive effects on SOC content of maize and rice fields. Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes and Nitrospirae were positively correlated with SIC content. These enzymes and microorganisms are beneficial to soil carbon sequestration in saline–alkali soils.
Wounding response in Porifera (sponges) activates ancestral signaling cascades involved in animal healing, regeneration, and cancer
Authors: Wu Yu-Chen , Franzenburg Soeren , Ribes Marta , Pita Lucía
Published: January 2022

Upon injury, the homeostatic balance that ensures tissue function is disrupted. Wound-induced signaling triggers the recovery of tissue integrity and offers a context to understand the molecular mechanisms for restoring tissue homeostasis upon disturbances. Marine sessile animals are particularly vulnerable to chronic wounds caused by grazers that can compromise prey’s health. Yet, in comparison to other stressors like warming or acidification, we know little on how marine animals respond to grazing. Marine sponges (Phylum Porifera) are among the earliest-diverging animals and play key roles in the ecosystem; but they remain largely understudied. Here, we investigated the transcriptomic responses to injury caused by a specialist spongivorous opisthobranch (i.e., grazing treatment) or by clipping with a scalpel (i.e., mechanical damage treatment), in comparison to control sponges. We collected samples 3 h, 1 d, and 6 d post-treatment for differential gene expression analysis on RNA-seq data. Both grazing and mechanical damage activated a similar transcriptomic response, including a clotting-like cascade (e.g., with genes annotated as transglutaminases, metalloproteases, and integrins), calcium signaling, and Wnt and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Wound-induced gene expression signature in sponges resembles the initial steps of whole-body regeneration in other animals. Also, the set of genes responding to wounding in sponges included putative orthologs of cancer-related human genes. Further insights can be gained from taking sponge wound healing as an experimental system to understand how ancient genes and regulatory networks determine healthy animal tissues.
Sensitivity of candling as routine method for the detection and recovery of ascaridoids in commercial fish fillets
Authors: Mercken E. , Van Damme I. , Šoba B. , Vangeenberghe S. , Serradell A. , De Sterck T. , Lumain J. P. L. , Gabriël S.
Published: January 2022

Ascaridoids are one of the main parasitic hazards in commercial fish. Candling is the current industrial screening method whereby visible ascaridoid larvae are detected on a light table and manually removed. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity (Se) and negative predictive value (NPV) of this method. To make targeted recommendations to the fish industry, the Se was calculated per fish part, larval genus, and fish species. All fish parts (n = 615) were first candled, and larvae were collected, followed by enzymatic digestion to recover the remaining larvae. A fish part was considered positive if at least one larva was detected using candling and/or enzymatic digestion, with both methods combined as reference standard. The overall Se of candling was 31% (95% CI 23–41%) and NPV was 87% (95% CI 85–90%). The Se increased with higher numbers of larvae/100 g infected muscle. A low NPV was found for the belly flaps, therefore we either advise the removal or proper freezing of this part. Lastly, the Se and larval recovery was the highest for the darker and larger Pseudoterranova spp. larvae. Due to the low overall efficacy of candling, further assessment of its cost–benefit and impact on consumers’ health risk should be conducted.
Predicting clinical outcomes of cancer patients with a p53 deficiency gene signature
Authors: Schaafsma Evelien , Takacs Eric M. , Kaur Sandeep , Cheng Chao , Kurokawa Manabu
Published: January 2022

The tumor suppressor p53, encoded by the TP53 gene, is mutated or nullified in nearly 50% of human cancers. It has long been debated whether TP53 mutations can be utilized as a biomarker to predict clinical outcomes of cancer patients. In this study, we applied computational methods to calculate p53 deficiency scores (PDSs) that reflect the inactivation of the p53 pathway, instead of TP53 mutation status. Compared to TP53 mutation status, the p53 deficiency gene signature is a powerful predictor of overall survival and drug sensitivity in a variety of cancer types and treatments. Interestingly, the PDSs predicted clinical outcomes more accurately than drug sensitivity in cell lines, suggesting that tumor heterogeneity and/or tumor microenvironment may play an important role in predicting clinical outcomes using p53 deficiency gene signatures.
Skin microbiome profile of healthy Cameroonians and Japanese
Authors: Ogai Kazuhiro , Nana Benderli Christine , Lloyd Yukie Michelle , Arios John Paul , Jiyarom Boonyanudh , Awanakam Honore , Esemu Livo Forgu , Hori Aki , Matsuoka Ayaka , Nainu Firzan , Megnekou Rosette , Leke Rose Gana Fomban , Ekali Gabriel Loni , Okamoto Shigefumi , Kuraishi Takayuki
Published: January 2022

The commensal microbes of the skin have a significant impact on dermal physiology and pathophysiology. Racial and geographical differences in the skin microbiome are suggested and may play a role in the sensitivity to dermatological disorders, including infectious diseases. However, little is known about the skin microbiome profiles of people living in Central Africa, where severe tropical infectious diseases impose a burden on the inhabitants. This study provided the skin profiles of healthy Cameroonians in different body sites and compared them to healthy Japanese participants. The skin microbiome of Cameroonians was distinguishable from that of Japanese in all skin sites examined in this study. For example, Micrococcus was predominantly found in skin samples of Cameroonians but mostly absent in Japanese skin samples. Instead, the relative abundance of Cutibacterium species was significantly higher in healthy Japanese. Principal coordinate analysis of beta diversity showed that the skin microbiome of Cameroonians formed different clusters from Japanese, suggesting a substantial difference in the microbiome profiles between participants of both countries. In addition, the alpha diversity in skin microbes was higher in Cameroonians than Japanese participants. These data may offer insights into the determinant factors responsible for the distinctness of the skin microbiome of people living in Central Africa and Asia.
Integrated deep learning framework for accelerated optical coherence tomography angiography
Authors: Kim Gyuwon , Kim Jongbeom , Choi Woo June , Kim Chulhong , Lee Seungchul
Published: January 2022

Label-free optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has become a premium imaging tool in clinics to obtain structural and functional information of microvasculatures. One primary technical drawback for OCTA, however, is its imaging speed. The current protocols require high sampling density and multiple acquisitions of cross-sectional B-scans to form one image frame, resulting in low acquisition speed. Recently, deep learning (DL)-based methods have gained attention in accelerating the OCTA acquisition process. They achieve faster acquisition using two independent reconstructing approaches: high-quality angiograms from a few repeated B-scans and high-resolution angiograms from undersampled data. While these approaches have shown promising results, they provide limited solutions that only partially account for the OCTA scanning mechanism. Herein, we propose an integrated DL method to simultaneously tackle both factors and further enhance the reconstruction performance in speed and quality. We designed an end-to-end deep neural network (DNN) framework with a two-staged adversarial training scheme to reconstruct fully-sampled, high-quality (8 repeated B-scans) angiograms from their corresponding undersampled, low-quality (2 repeated B-scans) counterparts by successively enhancing the pixel resolution and the image quality. Using an in-vivo mouse brain vasculature dataset, we evaluate our proposed framework through quantitative and qualitative assessments and demonstrate that our method can achieve superior reconstruction performance compared to the conventional means. Our DL-based framework can accelerate the OCTA imaging speed from 16 to 256$$\times $$
×
while preserving the image quality, thus enabling a convenient software-only solution to enhance preclinical and clinical studies.
A novel deep learning based hippocampus subfield segmentation method
Authors: Manjón José V. , Romero José E. , Coupe Pierrick
Published: January 2022

The automatic assessment of hippocampus volume is an important tool in the study of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Specifically, the measurement of hippocampus subfields properties is of great interest since it can show earlier pathological changes in the brain. However, segmentation of these subfields is very difficult due to their complex structure and for the need of high-resolution magnetic resonance images manually labeled. In this work, we present a novel pipeline for automatic hippocampus subfield segmentation based on a deeply supervised convolutional neural network. Results of the proposed method are shown for two available hippocampus subfield delineation protocols. The method has been compared to other state-of-the-art methods showing improved results in terms of accuracy and execution time.
Dynamics of adolescents’ smartphone use and well-being are positive but ephemeral
Authors: Marciano Laura , Driver Charles C. , Schulz Peter J. , Camerini Anne-Linda
Published: January 2022

Well-being and smartphone use are thought to influence each other. However, previous studies mainly focused on one direction (looking at the effects of smartphone use on well-being) and considered between-person effects, with self-reported measures of smartphone use. By using 2548 assessments of well-being and trace data of smartphone use collected for 45 consecutive days in 82 adolescent participants (Mage = 13.47, SDage = 1.62, 54% females), the present study disentangled the reciprocal and individual dynamics of well-being and smartphone use. Hierarchical Bayesian Continuous Time Dynamic Models were used to estimate how a change in frequency and duration of smartphone use predicted a later change in well-being, and vice versa. Results revealed that (i) when participants used the smartphone frequently and for a longer period, they also reported higher levels of well-being; (ii) well-being positively predicted subsequent duration of smartphone use; (iii) usage patterns and system dynamics showed heterogeneity, with many subjects showing reciprocal effects close to zero; finally, (iv) changes in well-being tend to persist longer than changes in the frequency and duration of smartphone use.
One step fabrication of aligned carbon nanotubes using gas rectifier
Authors: Fujimori Toshihiko , Yamashita Daiji , Kishibe Yoshiya , Sakai Momoko , Inoue Hirotaka , Onoki Takamasa , Otsuka Jun , Tanioka Daisuke , Hikata Takeshi , Okubo Soichiro , Akada Keishi , Fujita Jun-ichi
Published: January 2022

We report the one-step fabrication of aligned and high-quality carbon nanotubes (CNTs) using floating-catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FCCVD) with controlled fluidic properties assisted by a gas rectifier. The gas rectifier consists of one-dimensional straight channels for regulating the Reynolds number of the reaction gas. Our computational fluid dynamics simulation reveals that the narrow channels of the gas rectifier provide steady and accelerated laminar flow of the reaction gas. In addition, strong shear stress is induced near the side wall of the channels, resulting in the spontaneous formation of macroscopic CNT bundles aligned along the direction of the gas flow. After a wet-process using chlorosulfonic acid, the inter-tube voids inherently observed in as-grown CNT bundles are reduced from 16 to 0.3%. The resulting CNT fiber exhibits a tensile strength of 2.1 ± 0.1 N tex−1 with a Young’s modulus of 39 ± 4 N tex−1 and an elongation of 6.3 ± 0.6%. FCCVD coupled with the strong shear stress of the reaction gas is an important pre-processing route for the fabrication of high-performance CNT fibers.
Receptor-targeted nanoparticles modulate cannabinoid anticancer activity through delayed cell internalization
Authors: Durán-Lobato Matilde , Álvarez-Fuentes Josefa , Fernández-Arévalo Mercedes , Martín-Banderas Lucía
Published: January 2022

Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is known for its antitumor activity and palliative effects. However, its unfavorable physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties, including low bioavailability, psychotropic side effects and resistance mechanisms associated to dosing make mandatory the development of successful drug delivery systems. In this work, transferring (Tf) surface-modified Δ9-THC-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolic) nanoparticles (Tf-THC-PLGA NPs) were proposed and evaluated as novel THC-based anticancer therapy. Furthermore, in order to assess the interaction of both the nanocarrier and the loaded drug with cancer cells, a double-fluorescent strategy was applied, including the chemical conjugation of a dye to the nanoparticle polymer along with the encapsulation of either a lipophilic or a hydrophilic dye. Tf-THC PLGA NPs exerted a cell viability decreased down to 17% vs. 88% of plain nanoparticles, while their internalization was significantly slower than plain nanoparticles. Uptake studies in the presence of inhibitors indicated that the nanoparticles were internalized through cholesterol-associated and clathrin-mediated mechanisms. Overall, Tf-modification of PLGA NPs showed to be a highly promising approach for Δ9-THC-based antitumor therapies, potentially maximizing the amount of drug released in a sustained manner at the surface of cells bearing cannabinoid receptors.
Assessing differences in surgical outcomes following emergency abdominal exploration for complications of elective surgery and high-risk primary emergencies
Authors: Kassahun Woubet Tefera , Babel Jonas , Mehdorn Matthias
Published: January 2022

Irrespective of its etiology, emergency surgical abdominal exploration (EAE) is considered a high-risk procedure with mortality rates exceeding 20%. The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in outcomes in patients who required EAE due to complications of complex elective abdominal procedures and those who required EAE due to high-risk primary abdominal emergencies. Patients undergoing EAE for acute surgical complications of complex abdominal elective surgical procedures (N = 293; Elective group) and patients undergoing EAE for high-risk primary abdominal emergencies (N = 776; Emergency group) from 2012 to 2019 at our institution were retrospectively assessed for morbidity and mortality. Postoperative complications occurred in 196 patients (66.94%) in the elective group and 585 patients (75.4%) in the emergency group. The relatively low complication burden in the elective group was also evidenced by a significantly lower comprehensive complication index score (54.00 ± 37.36 vs. 59.25 ± 37.08, p = 0.040). The in-hospital mortality rates were 31% (91 of 293) and 38% (295 of 776) in the elective and emergency groups, respectively. This difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.035). In multivariate analysis, age, peripheral artery disease, pneumonia, thromboembolic events, ICU stay, ventilator dependence, acute kidney failure and liver failure were independent predictors of mortality. Our data show that patients undergoing EAE due to acute complications of major elective surgery tolerate the procedure relatively well compared with patients undergoing EAE due to primary high-risk abdominal emergencies.
DNA metabarcoding suggests dietary niche partitioning in the Adriatic European hake
Authors: Riccioni Giulia , Stagioni Marco , Manfredi Chiara , Tinti Fausto , Piccinetti Corrado , Libralato Simone
Published: January 2022

The Northern Adriatic Sea (FAO Geographical Sub-Area 17) is one of the most productive fishing areas of the Mediterranean Sea and it includes a broad diversity of habitats. In the Northern Adriatic basin, the Pomo Pit (200–273 m of depth) is one of the most important areas of aggregation for some demersal stocks shared in the Adriatic Sea and it is an important spawning/nursery area of the European hake (Merluccius merluccius). Through a metabarcoding approach we investigated the feeding habits of European hake, both inside and outside the Pomo Pit, and their temporal variability comparing samples collected in 2016 and 2014. Our analyses proved the presence of an ontogenetic shift from a diet based mainly on crustaceans in juveniles to a more piscivorous feeding behaviour in adult hakes and suggested the presence of a specific niche partitioning and food preferences between hakes living inside and outside the Pomo Pit. The main differences among adult hakes refer to the presence of molluscs in the stomachs of hakes collected within the Pomo Pit and the presence of high depth prey species (i.e., Micromesistius poutassou). Metabarcoding revealed the relevant ecological role played by the Pomo Pit in M. merluccius feeding behaviour and ontogenetic development, promoting a careful ecosystem-based management of fisheries in this area through focused conservation measures.
Modeling the disturbing effect on the aist small spacecraft based on the measurements data
Authors: Sedelnikov A. V. , Salmin V. V.
Published: January 2022

The paper considers the issues of reconstruction of the power disturbing effect on the prototype of the small spacecraft "Aist". The measurements data of the components of the induction vector of the Earth's magnetic field by means of two three-component magnetometers were used for the reconstruction. The obtained results can be used to assess microaccelerations in the internal environment of small spacecraft, as well as to study their uncontrolled rotational motion.
Development and validation of a hypoxia-associated signature for lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Lane Brian , Khan Mairah T. , Choudhury Ananya , Salem Ahmed , West Catharine M. L.
Published: January 2022

Hypoxia is common in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and an attractive therapeutic target. As hypoxia-targeting treatments are effective in patients with the most hypoxic tumours, we aimed to develop a lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) hypoxia-related gene expression signature. RNAseq was used to identify genes significantly differentially expressed under hypoxia (1% O2) in four LUAD cell lines. Identified genes were used for unsupervised clustering of a TCGA-LUAD training dataset (n = 252) and in a machine learning approach to build a hypoxia-related signature. Thirty-five genes were upregulated in common in three of the four lines and reduced in the training cohort to a 28-gene signature. The signature was prognostic in the TCGA training (HR 2.12, 95% CI 1.34–3.37, p = 0.0011) and test (n = 250; HR 2.13, 95% CI 1.32–3.45, p = 0.0016) datasets. The signature was prognostic for overall survival in a meta-analysis of nine other datasets (n = 1257; HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.60–2.70, p < 0.0001). The 28-gene LUAD hypoxia related signature can be taken forward for further validation using a suitable gene expression platform.
Eosinophil counts can be a predictive marker of immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced secondary adrenal insufficiency: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Takayasu Shinobu , Mizushiri Satoru , Watanuki Yutaka , Yamagata Satoshi , Usutani Mari , Nakada Yuki , Asari Yuko , Murasawa Shingo , Kageyama Kazunori , Daimon Makoto
Published: January 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment can result in endocrine immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including pituitary dysfunction. Quick diagnosis of secondary adrenal insufficiency (AI) is challenging because no universal definition of ICI-induced secondary AI has been agreed. The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical features of ICI-induced secondary AI that can be used for screening in standard clinical practice. This retrospective study was performed using the medical records of patients who received ICIs at Hirosaki University Hospital between 1 September 2014 and 31 January 2021. Longitudinal clinical data of patients who developed AI were analyzed and compared with the data of thyroid irAEs. Regression analysis showed a significant correlation between ICI-induced secondary AI and absolute or relative eosinophil counts at pre-onset of AI, as well as differences or rate of increase in eosinophil counts at baseline and at pre-onset. Absolute eosinophil counts > 198.36/µL or relative eosinophil counts > 5.6% at pre-onset, and a difference of 65.25/µL or a rate of eosinophil count increase of 1.97 between the baseline and at pre-onset showed the best sensitivity and specificity. This is the first report to demonstrate that eosinophil counts can be a predictor of ICI-induced secondary AI.
Uncovering emergent phenotypes in endothelial cells by clustering of surrogates of cardiovascular risk factors
Authors: Pinheiro-de-Sousa Iguaracy , Fonseca-Alaniz Miriam H. , Teixeira Samantha K. , Rodrigues Mariliza V. , Krieger Jose E.
Published: January 2022

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is a hallmark of atherosclerosis and is influenced by well-defined risk factors, including hypoxia, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and oscillatory flow. However, the individual and combined contributions to the molecular underpinnings of ED remain elusive. We used global gene expression in human coronary artery endothelial cells to identify gene pathways and cellular processes in response to chemical hypoxia, oxidized lipids, IL-1β induced inflammation, oscillatory flow, and these combined stimuli. We found that clustering of the surrogate risk factors differed from the sum of the individual insults that gave rise to emergent phenotypes such as cell proliferation. We validated these observations in samples of human coronary artery atherosclerotic plaques analyzed using single-cell RNA sequencing. Our findings suggest a hierarchical interaction between surrogates of CV risk factors and the advent of emergent phenotypes in response to combined stimulation in endothelial cells that may influence ED.
The association between local brain structure and disgust propensity
Authors: Wabnegger Albert , Schlintl Carina , Schienle Anne
Published: January 2022

Research has discovered structural differences in the brains of people with different personality types. In the present voxel-based morphometry study we focused on the association between disgust propensity (DP: the temporally stable tendency to experience disgust across different situations) and grey matter volume (GMV) in regions of interest [insula, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), basal ganglia]. We collected structural brain scans from 498 healthy individuals (352 females, 146 males; mean age = 27 years). Regression analyses were performed to test the association between three domains of DP (core, animal-reminder, contamination) and GMV. We observed negative correlations between animal-reminder DP and the volume of the insula, and contamination DP and OFC volume. Animal-reminder DP correlated positively with GMV in the basal ganglia (putamen). This study identified weak correlations between local brain volume and disgust propensity. The association between DP and insula volume concerned the posterior insula and was in the opposite of the expected direction. The findings of this study are inconsistent with the concept of the anterior insula as a region that specifically mediates DP.
Color appearance shifts depending on surface roughness, illuminants, and physical colors
Authors: Chae Youngjoo
Published: January 2022

Texture is an important synesthetic design element used in textile products. The three-dimensional surface of texture changes the amount and angle of reflected light causing a color appearance change from its original color. In this work, for a wide range of colors, it was quantitatively analyzed how the color appearances change depending on different textures and illumination, such as CIE standard illuminants A, F11, F2, and D65. It was found that strong-textured fabrics (with a surface roughness Ra of 0.46 mm) had larger hue appearance changes and consequent overall color appearance changes from their true colors due to illuminants than non-textured papers (with a surface roughness Ra of 0.03 mm). Between two types of fabrics with different textures of 0.21 and 0.46 mm, however, there was no significant difference in the magnitude of color appearance changes, indicating that the difference in surface roughness greater than 0.43 mm can produce significant differences in color appearance changes induced by illumination. It was also found that the magnitude and direction of color appearance changes under different CIE illuminants differed significantly according to the physical chroma and hue of the surface.
Association between maternal insecticide use and otitis media in one-year-old children in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study
Authors: Utsunomiya Takeshi , Taniguchi Naoko , Taniguchi Yohei , Fujino Tetsuro , Tanaka Yasuhiko , Hasunuma Hideki , Okuda Masumi , Shima Masayuki , Takeshima Yasuhiro ,   The Japan Environment, and Children’s Study Group, Kamijima Michihiro , Yamazaki Shin , Ohya Yukihiro , Kishi Reiko , Yaegashi Nobuo , Hashimoto Koichi , Mori Chisato , Ito Shuichi , Yamagata Zentaro , Inadera Hidekuni , Nakayama Takeo , Iso Hiroyasu , Shima Masayuki , Kurozawa Youichi , Suganuma Narufumi , Kusuhara Koichi , Katoh Takahiko
Published: January 2022

Otitis media (OM) is common among young children and is related to hearing loss. We investigated the association between maternal insecticide use, from conception to the first and second/third trimesters, and OM events in children in the first year of age. Data from Japan Environment and Children's Study were used in this prospective cohort study. Characteristics of patients with and without history of OM during the first year of age were compared. The association between history of OM in the first year and insecticide use was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. The study enrolled 98,255 infants. There was no significant difference in the frequency of insecticide use between groups. Insecticide use of more than once a week from conception to the first trimester significantly increased the occurrence of OM in children in the first year (odds ratio [OR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.67). The association between OM in the first year and insecticide use from conception to the first trimester was only significant in the group without daycare attendance (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.30–2.38). Maternal insecticide use more than once a week from conception to the first trimester significantly increased OM risk in offspring without daycare attendance.
Reliability of environmental DNA surveys to detect pond occupancy by newts at a national scale
Authors: Buxton Andrew , Diana Alex , Matechou Eleni , Griffin Jim , Griffiths Richard A.
Published: January 2022

The distribution assessment and monitoring of species is key to reliable environmental impact assessments and conservation interventions. Considerable effort is directed towards survey and monitoring of great crested newts (Triturus cristatus) in England. Surveys are increasingly undertaken using indirect methodologies, such as environmental DNA (eDNA). We used a large data set to estimate national pond occupancy rate, as well as false negative and false positive error rates, for commercial eDNA protocols. Additionally, we explored a range of habitat, landscape and climatic variables as predictors of pond occupancy. In England, 20% of ponds were estimated to be occupied by great crested newts. Pond sample collection error rates were estimated as 5.2% false negative and 1.5% false positive. Laboratory error indicated a negligible false negative rate when 12 qPCR replicates were used. Laboratory false positive error was estimated at 2% per qPCR replicate and is therefore exaggerated by high levels of laboratory replication. Including simple habitat suitability variables into the model revealed the importance of fish, plants and shading as predictors of newt presence. However, variables traditionally considered as important for newt presence may need more precise and consistent measurement if they are to be employed as reliable predictors in modelling exercises.
Development and validation of a machine learning method to predict intraoperative red blood cell transfusions in cardiothoracic surgery
Authors: Wang Zheng , Zhe Shandian , Zimmerman Joshua , Morrisey Candice , Tonna Joseph E. , Sharma Vikas , Metcalf Ryan A.
Published: January 2022

Accurately predicting red blood cell (RBC) transfusion requirements in cardiothoracic (CT) surgery could improve blood inventory management and be used as a surrogate marker for assessing hemorrhage risk preoperatively. We developed a machine learning (ML) method to predict intraoperative RBC transfusions in CT surgery. A detailed database containing time-stamped clinical variables for all CT surgeries from 5/2014–6/2019 at a single center (n = 2410) was used for model development. After random forest feature selection, surviving features were inputs for ML algorithms using five-fold cross-validation. The dataset was updated with 437 additional cases from 8/2019–8/2020 for validation. We developed and validated a hybrid ML method given the skewed nature of the dataset. Our Gaussian Process (GP) regression ML algorithm accurately predicted RBC transfusion amounts of 0 and 1–3 units (root mean square error, RMSE 0.117 and 1.705, respectively) and our GP classification ML algorithm accurately predicted 4 + RBC units transfused (area under the curve, AUC = 0.826). The final prediction is the regression result if classification predicted < 4 units transfused, or the classification result if 4 + units were predicted. We developed and validated an ML method to accurately predict intraoperative RBC transfusions in CT surgery using local data.
Metformin sensitizes leukemic cells to cytotoxic lymphocytes by increasing expression of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1)
Authors: Allende-Vega Nerea , Marco Brualla Joaquin , Falvo Paolo , Alexia Catherine , Constantinides Michael , de Maudave Alexis Fayd’herbe , Coenon Lois , Gitenay Delphine , Mitola Giulia , Massa Paul , Orecchioni Stefania , Bertolini Francesco , Marzo Isabel , Anel Alberto , Villalba Martin
Published: January 2022

Solid tumor cells have an altered metabolism that can protect them from cytotoxic lymphocytes. The anti-diabetic drug metformin modifies tumor cell metabolism and several clinical trials are testing its effectiveness for the treatment of solid cancers. The use of metformin in hematologic cancers has received much less attention, although allogeneic cytotoxic lymphocytes are very effective against these tumors. We show here that metformin induces expression of Natural Killer G2-D (NKG2D) ligands (NKG2DL) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), a ligand of the lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1). This leads to enhance sensitivity to cytotoxic lymphocytes. Overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members decrease both metformin effects. The sensitization to activated cytotoxic lymphocytes is mainly mediated by the increase on ICAM-1 levels, which favors cytotoxic lymphocytes binding to tumor cells. Finally, metformin decreases the growth of human hematological tumor cells in xenograft models, mainly in presence of monoclonal antibodies that recognize tumor antigens. Our results suggest that metformin could improve cytotoxic lymphocyte-mediated therapy.
Risk assessment of coal mine water inrush based on PCA-DBN
Authors: Zhang Ye , Tang Shoufeng , Shi Ke
Published: January 2022

To provide an effective risk assessment of water inrush for coal mine safety production, a BP neural network prediction method for water inrush based on principal component analysis and deep confidence network optimization was proposed. Because deep belief network (DBN) is disadvantaged by a long training time when establishing a high-dimensional data classification model, the principal component analysis (PCA) method is used to reduce the dimensionality of many factors affecting the water inrush of the coal seam floor, thus reducing the number of variables of the research object, redundancy and the difficulty of feature extraction and shortening the training time of the model. Then, a DBN network was used to extract secondary features from the processed nonlinear data, and a more abstract high-level representation was formed by combining low-level features to find the expression of the nonlinear relationship between the characteristics of water in bursts. Finally, a prediction model was established to predict the water inrush in coal mines. The superiority of this method was verified by comparing the prediction of the actual working face with the actual situation in typical mining areas of North China. The prediction accuracy of coal mine water inrush obtained by this algorithm is 94%, while the prediction accuracy of traditional BP algorithm is 70%, and the prediction accuracy of SVM algorithm is 88%.
Relaxation of stationary states on a quantum computer yields a unique spectroscopic fingerprint of the computer’s noise
Authors: Smart Scott E. , Hu Zixuan , Kais Sabre , Mazziotti David A.
Published: January 2022

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize computing, but its significant sensitivity to noise requires sophisticated error correction and mitigation. Traditionally, noise on the quantum device is characterized directly through qubit and gate measurements, but this approach has drawbacks in that it does not adequately capture the effect of noise on realistic multi-qubit applications. In this paper, we simulate the relaxation of stationary quantum states on a quantum computer to obtain a unique spectroscopic fingerprint of the computer’s noise. In contrast to traditional approaches, we obtain the frequency profile of the noise as it is experienced by the simulated stationary quantum states. Data from multiple superconducting-qubit IBM processors show that noise generates a bath within the simulation that exhibits both colored noise and non-Markovian behavior. Our results provide a direction for noise mitigation but also suggest how to use noise for quantum simulations of open systems.
Bioinspired nanocatalysts as hydrogen peroxide homeostasis regulators for tumor-specific synergistic therapy
Authors: Zhao Yajie , Xiao Xiao , Jiang Fan , Ding Binbin , Cheng Ziyong , Ma Ping'an , Lin Jun
Published: January 2022

CSD nanocatalysts mediate PTT/PDT/chemotherapy and promote intensive CDT.
Core–shell and heterostructured silver–nickel nanocatalysts fabricated by γ-radiation induced synthesis for oxygen reduction in alkaline media
Authors: Yang Yi , Montserrat-Sisó Gerard , Wickman Björn , Nikolaychuk Pavel Anatolyevich , Soroka Inna L.
Published: January 2022

Core–shell Ag@NiO and heterostructured Ag/Ni are produced using γ-radiation induced synthesis. The nanocatalysts show well-defined structures and a bifunctional enhancement in the electrochemical performance and good operational stability.
Charge compensation engineering for high-performance dolomite-type BaTi(BO3)2:Eu3+ red-emitting phosphor for backlight display applications with a wide color gamut
Authors: Yu Bin , Chen Jiale , Sun Minghao , Chen Nianmin , Li Yuchan , Wang Yunjian
Published: January 2022

The luminescent properties of BaTi(BO3)2:Eu3+ red phosphor were significantly improved by utilizing the charge compensation of the alkali metal Na+ ion, and a wide color gamut pc-WLED was successfully prepared using the BaTi(BO3)2:Eu3+,Na+ phosphor.
Surface solvation of Martian salt analogues at low relative humidities
Authors: Kong Xiangrui , Zhu Suyun , Shavorskiy Andrey , Li Jun , Liu Wanyu , Corral Arroyo Pablo , Signorell Ruth , Wang Sen , Pettersson Jan B. C.
Published: January 2022

Salt aerosols play important roles in many processes related to atmospheric chemistry and the climate systems on both Earth and Mars.
Oxygen vacancy enhances the catalytic activity of trimetallic oxide catalysts for efficient peroxymonosulfate activation
Authors: Li Mengke , He Zhiguo , Zhong Hui , Hu Liang , Sun Wei
Published: January 2022

The abundant OV could enlarge the Fe/Mn–O bond, further enhancing the degradation performance of the catalyst.
Consequences of chirality on the response of materials
Authors: Meskers Stefan C. J.
Published: January 2022

In chiral materials, mirror image symmetry is broken and as a result forbidden processes can become allowed. Here we review optoelectronic properties of materials affected by chirality.
Air-grown hybrid copper(i) halide single crystals: structural transformations and ultraviolet-pumped photoluminescence applications
Authors: Song Zhexin , Yu Binyin , Meng Lingqiang , Liu Guokui , Dang Yangyang
Published: January 2022

Gua3Cu2I5 single-crystals and their light emitting diodes (LEDs) showed strong yellow photoluminescence characteristics.
Nanohybrid biosensor based on mussel-inspired electro-cross-linking of tannic acid capped gold nanoparticles and enzymes
Authors: Savin Rémy , Benzaamia Nour-Ouda , Njel Christian , Pronkin Sergey , Blanck Christian , Schmutz Marc , Boulmedais Fouzia
Published: January 2022

The mussel-inspired electro-cross-linking process allows the specific functionalization of a single electrode out of a microelectrode array by a highly sensitive nanohybrid enzymatic biosensor, using a cheap and abundant natural molecule.
The electronic stability of tin-halide perovskite charged regions
Authors: Underwood Cameron , Wang Zhou , Shao Guosheng , Carey J. David , Silva S. Ravi P.
Published: January 2022

Evolution of the electronic structure and partial oxidation state of tin and iodine in ASnI3, where A = CH3NH3 (MA), CH(NH2)2 (FA) and Cs, is reported with a view to develop stable, long-term, non-toxic halide-perovskite solar cells.
Efficient infrared sunlight absorbers based on gold-covered, inverted silicon pyramid arrays
Authors: Hu Jinhui , Pérez Luis A. , Garcia-Pomar Juan Luis , Mihi Agustín , Garriga Miquel , Alonso M. Isabel , Goñi Alejandro R.
Published: January 2022

Arrays of gold-covered inverted silicon pyramids exhibit strong light absorption in the near infrared and large field enhancements at hot spots, due to resonant excitation of surface-plasmon polaritons at the metal/dielectric interface.
Anti-corrosive Prussian blue film modified by polydopamine for energy extraction and sensing in seawater
Authors: Shi Chunjing , Zhang Wei , Dang Qi , Hu Ming
Published: January 2022

The poor stability of Prussian blue films in marine environments has been overcome by coating with a poly-dopamine layer. The PB–PDA electrode with high stability and sensitivity was used to monitor the salinity and temperature of seawater.
A new MoCN monolayer containing stable cyano structural units as a high-efficiency catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Lou Huan , Chen Wei , Yu Guangtao , Yang Guochun
Published: January 2022

In the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), it is essential to find a high-efficiency and nonprecious electrocatalyst comparable to Pt, which needs to have rich inherently active sites and good conductivity.
A novel eco-friendly strategy on the interfacial modification of a carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composite via chitosan encapsulation
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Zhang Xueqin , Ling Youquan , Sun Tong , Liang Mei , Heng Zhengguang , Zou Huawei , Zeng Zhong , Liu Hui
Published: January 2022

The interfacial properties are the key factors affecting the properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites.
Spirobifluorene modified electron transport materials for high efficiency in phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Kang Ji Ae , Lim Junseop , Lee Jun Yeob
Published: January 2022

Spirobifluorene modified materials developed as electron transport layers lowered device driving voltage, enhanced quantum efficiency, and more than doubled the lifetime of green phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes.
Mechanism unravelling for highly efficient and selective 99TcO4− sequestration utilising crown ether based solvent system from nuclear liquid waste: experimental and computational investigations
Authors: Patra Kankan , Sengupta Arijit , Boda Anil , Ali Musharaf , Mittal V. K. , Valsala T. P. , Kaushik C. P.
Published: January 2022

Highly efficient and selective 99TcO4− sequestration utilising crown ether based solvent system from reprocessing low level liquid waste.
A rapid water bath PCR combined with lateral flow assay for the simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza B virus
Authors: Chen Hong , Wang Yunxiang , Wei Hongjuan , Rong Zhen , Wang Shengqi
Published: January 2022

Rapid and highly sensitive multiplex detection of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza B virus using water bath PCR-combined fluorescent lateral flow assay.
The effect of oxygen impurities on the stability and structural properties of vacancy-ordered and -disordered ZrCx
Authors: Davey Theresa , Chen Ying
Published: January 2022

First-principles calculations are used to explore vacancy ordering in zirconium carbide at various stoichiometries as affected by oxygen impurities. Atomic bonding and electronic charge distribution are linked to stability and volume trends as a function of O concentration.
3D reactive inkjet printing of aliphatic polyureas using in-air coalescence technique
Authors: Zawadzki Maciej , Zawada Krzysztof , Kowalczyk Sebastian , Plichta Andrzej , Jaczewski Jan , Zabielski Tomasz
Published: January 2022

In flight coalescence of polyurea inks in different volume ratios produces materials with varied degrees of elasticity.
A well-defined S-g-C3N4/Cu–NiS heterojunction interface towards enhanced spatial charge separation with excellent photocatalytic ability: synergetic effect, kinetics, antibacterial activity, and mechanism insights
Authors: Abubshait Haya A. , Iqbal Shahid , Abubshait Samar A. , Alotaibi Mohammed T. , Alwadai Norah , Alfryyan Nada , Alsaab Hashem O. , Awwad Nasser S. , Ibrahium Hala A.
Published: January 2022

A well-refined heterointerface combination of a 2D/1D SCN/CNS binary heterojunction is developed.
Voltammetric determination of Salmonella typhimurium in minced beef meat using a chip-based imprinted sensor
Authors: Khalid Shaimaa A. , Hassan Rabeay Y. A. , El Nashar Rasha Mohamed , El-Sherbiny Ibrahim M.
Published: January 2022

A bacterial imprinted polymer (BIP)-based biosensor was designed and fabricated for rapid and selective detection of Salmonella typhimurium in minced beef meat.
Synthesis and magnetic properties of sub-nanosized iron carbides on a carbon support
Authors: Wakizaka Masanori , Chun Wang-Jae , Imaoka Takane , Yamamoto Kimihisa
Published: January 2022

This study reports the synthesis and ferromagnetism of iron carbide clusters with near-subnanometer size by employing a dendrimer template and carbothermal hydrogen reduction (CHR).
Accelerating manufacturing for biomass conversion via integrated process and bench digitalization: a perspective
Authors: Batchu Sai Praneet , Hernandez Borja , Malhotra Abhinav , Fang Hui , Ierapetritou Marianthi , Vlachos Dionisios G.
Published: January 2022

This article provides a vision on how to accelerate the production of chemicals and fuels from biomass feedstocks using an integrated framework of data mining, retrosynthesis, lab automation, and process systems engineering.
Benefits of desirable difficulties: comparing the influence of mixed practice to that of categorized sets of questions on students’ problem-solving performance in chemistry
Authors: Gulacar O. , Wu Arista , Prathikanti V. , Vernoy B. , Kim H. , Bacha T. , Oentoro T. , Navarrete-Pleitez M. , Reedy K.
Published: January 2022

The questions in the practice assignments given to students in the form of worksheets or other formats are often grouped by chapter, topic, or concepts. There is a great emphasis on categorization. Most of the end-of-chapter problems in chemistry textbooks are organized by sections. Although this was done with the intention of helping students navigate the assignments more easily and practice in order, it is not what they are expected to do during the tests. There is a mismatch between what they practice on and how they are tested. The goal of this study is to examine the influence of the structure of the assignments on students’ problem-solving performances. Two groups of students from chemistry classes were recruited to participate in this study. Each group had the same length of practice and identical questions with only one difference. The experimental group had assignments with mixed organization of questions, while the control group had traditional assignments with the questions organized around chapters and topics. Students completed three two-hour long problem-solving sessions during the weekends. Evaluation of their progress consisted of their solutions obtained from one pre-test and three post-tests, with one given after each problem-solving session. The study revealed that students in the experimental group increased their problem-solving success more than those in the control group starting from the first intervention. The achievement gap widened as the study progressed. It is recommended that educators and textbook publishers create and utilize assignments that contain more mixed questions on different topics and chapters.
Banana split: biomass splitting with flash light irradiation
Authors: Silva Wanderson O. , Nagar Bhawna , Soutrenon Mathieu , Girault Hubert H.
Published: January 2022

Biomass splitting into gases and solids using flash light irradiation is introduced as an efficient photo-thermal process to photo-pyrolyze dried natural biomass powders to valuable syngas and conductive porous carbon (biochar).