bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative efficacy of inhalers in mild-to-moderate asthma: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Park Hyung Jun , Huh Jin-Young , Lee Ji Sung , Lee Jae Seung , Oh Yeon-Mok , Lee Sei Won
Published: April 2022

The comparative effectiveness of different inhaler therapies in mild-to-moderate asthma remains unclear. To assess this, we performed a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on the use of inhalers for mild-to-moderate asthma by searching PubMed, Cochrane, and Embase. A total of 29 trials including 43,515 patients and 12 types of inhaler therapies were included. For the prevention of severe and moderate-to-severe exacerbations, inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) as maintenance and reliever (SMART) showed the highest rank for effectiveness. As-needed ICS/LABA or short-acting β2-agonist (SABA) was similar to low-dose ICS and superior to as-needed SABA or LABA for the prevention of severe and moderate-severe exacerbations. As for lung function (FEV1), low-dose ICS/LABA had the highest rank; as-needed ICS/LABA was inferior to regular low-dose ICS but superior to placebo. Higher-dose ICS had a superior effect on the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) scores, and as-needed ICS/LABA and as-needed SABA or LABA had lower ranks in p-rankogram than did the regular use of low-dose ICS. As-needed ICS with LABA or SABA was more effective than a similar dose of regular ICS for preventing exacerbation in mild-to-moderate asthma. As-needed ICS showed some weakness in improving lung function and controlling asthma symptoms.
NFκB (RelA) mediates transactivation of hnRNPD in oral cancer cells
Authors: Kumar Vikas , Kumar Anurag , Kumar Manish , Lone Moien Rasheed , Mishra Deepika , Chauhan Shyam Singh
Published: April 2022

Heterogeneous Ribonucleoprotein D (hnRNPD) is an RNA binding protein involved in post-transcriptional regulation of multiple mediators of carcinogenesis. We previously demonstrated a strong association of hnRNPD over expression with poor outcome in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). However, hitherto the precise molecular mechanism of its overexpression in oral cancer was not clear. Therefore, in an attempt to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of hnRNPD expression, we cloned 1406 bp of 5ʹ flanking region of human hnRNPD gene along with 257 bp of its first exon upstream to promoterless luciferase reporter gene in pGL3-Basic. Transfection of the resulting construct in SCC-4 cells yielded 1271 fold higher luciferase activity over parent vector. By promoter deletion analysis, we identified a canonical TATA box containing 126 bp core promoter region that retained ~ 58% activity of the full length promoter. In silico analysis revealed the presence of four putative NFκB binding motifs in the promoter. Sequential deletion of these motifs from the full-length promoter reporter construct coupled with luciferase assays revealed an 82% decrease in promoter activity after deletion of the first (−1358/−1347) motif and 99% reduction after the deletion of second motif (−1052/−1041). In-vivo binding of NFκB (RelA) to these two motifs in SCC-4 cells was confirmed by ChIP assays. Site directed mutagenesis of even one of these two motifs completely abolished promoter activity, while mutagenesis of the remaining two motifs had marginal effect on the same. Consistent with these findings, treatment of SCC-4 cells with PDTC, a known inhibitor of NFκB dramatically reduced the levels hnRNPD mRNA and protein. Finally, the expression of hnRNPD and NFκB in clinical specimen from 37 oral cancer patients was assessed and subjected to Spearmen’s Correlation analysis which revealed a strong positive correlation between the two. Thus, results of the present study for the first time convincingly demonstrate NFκB (RelA) mediated transcriptional upregulation of hnRNPD expression in oral cancer.
Tumor blood flow and apparent diffusion coefficient histogram analysis for differentiating malignant salivary tumors from pleomorphic adenomas and Warthin’s tumors
Authors: Tanaka Fumine , Umino Maki , Maeda Masayuki , Nakayama Ryohei , Inoue Katsuhiro , Kogue Ryota , Obara Makoto , Sakuma Hajime
Published: April 2022

We aimed to assess the combined diagnostic value of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and tumor blood flow (TBF) obtained by pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) for differentiating malignant tumors (MTs) in salivary glands from pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) and Warthin’s tumors (WTs). We used pCASL imaging and ADC map to evaluate 65 patients, including 16 with MT, 30 with PA, and 19 with WT. We evaluated all tumors by histogram analyses and compared various characteristics by one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey post-hoc tests. Diagnostic performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. There were significant differences in the mean, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles of TBF among the tumor types, in the mean TBFs (mL/100 g/min) between MTs (57.47 ± 35.14) and PAs (29.88 ± 22.53, p = 0.039) and between MTs and WTs (119.31 ± 50.11, p < 0.001), as well as in the mean ADCs (× 10−3 mm2/s) between MTs (1.08 ± 0.28) and PAs (1.60 ± 0.34, p < 0.001), but not in the mean ADCs between MTs and WTs (0.87 ± 0.23, p = 0.117). In the ROC curve analysis, the highest areas under the curves (AUCs) were achieved by the 10th and 25th percentiles of ADC (AUC = 0.885) for differentiating MTs from PAs and the 50th percentile of TBF (AUC = 0.855) for differentiating MTs from WTs. The AUCs of TBF, ADC, and combination of TBF and ADC were 0.850, 0.885, and 0.950 for MTs and PAs differentiation and 0.855, 0.814, and 0.905 for MTs and WTs differentiation, respectively. The combination of TBF and ADC evaluated by histogram analysis may help differentiate salivary gland MTs from PAs and WTs.
Mapping combined with principal component analysis identifies excellent lines with increased rice quality
Authors: Wang Qi , Li Xiaonan , Chen Hongwei , Wang Feng , Li Zilong , Zuo Jiacheng , Fan Mingqian , Luo Bingbing , Feng Pulin , Wang Jiayu
Published: April 2022

Quality-related traits are some of the most important traits in rice, and screening and breeding rice lines with excellent quality are common ways for breeders to improve the quality of rice. In this study, we used 151 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) obtained by crossing the northern cultivated japonica rice variety ShenNong265 (SN265) with the southern indica rice variety LuHui99 (LH99) and simplified 18 common rice quality-related traits into 8 independent principal components (PCs) by principal component analysis (PCA). These PCs included peak and hot paste viscosity, chalky grain percentage and chalkiness degree, brown and milled rice recovery, width length rate, cooked taste score, head rice recovery, milled rice width, and cooked comprehensive score factors. Based on the weight ratio of each PC score, the RILs were classified into five types from excellent to poor, and five excellent lines were identified. Compared with SN265, these 5 lines showed better performance regarding the chalky grain percentage and chalkiness degree factor. Moreover, we performed QTL localization on the RIL population and identified 94 QTLs for quality-related traits that formed 6 QTL clusters. In future research, by combining these QTL mapping results, we will be using backcrossing to aggregate excellent traits and achieve quality improvement of SN265.
NT3 treatment alters spinal cord injury-induced changes in the gray matter volume of rhesus monkey cortex
Authors: Bao Shu-Sheng , Zhao Can , Chen Hao-Wei , Feng Ting , Guo Xiao-Jun , Xu Meng , Rao Jia-Sheng
Published: April 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) may cause structural alterations in brain due to pathophysiological processes, but the effects of SCI treatment on brain have rarely been reported. Here, voxel-based morphometry is employed to investigate the effects of SCI and neurotrophin-3 (NT3) coupled chitosan-induced regeneration on brain and spinal cord structures in rhesus monkeys. Possible association between brain and spinal cord structural alterations is explored. The pain sensitivity and stepping ability of animals are collected to evaluate sensorimotor functional alterations. Compared with SCI, the unique effects of NT3 treatment on brain structure appear in extensive regions which involved in motor control and neuropathic pain, such as right visual cortex, superior parietal lobule, left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), middle frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and bilateral caudate nucleus. Particularly, the structure of insula is significantly correlated with the pain sensitivity. Regenerative treatment also shows a protective effect on spinal cord structure. The associations between brain and spinal cord structural alterations are observed in right primary somatosensory cortex, SFG, and other regions. These results help further elucidate secondary effects on brain of SCI and provide a basis for evaluating the effects of NT3 treatment on brain structure.
Anticancer, antioxidant, antiviral and antimicrobial activities of Kei Apple (Dovyalis caffra) fruit
Authors: Qanash Husam , Yahya Reham , Bakri Marwah M. , Bazaid Abdulrahman S. , Qanash Sultan , Shater Abdullah F. , T. M. Abdelghany
Published: April 2022

Secondary plant metabolites remain one of the key sources of therapeutic agents despite the development of new approaches for the discovery of medicinal drugs. In the current study, chemical analysis, and biological activities of Kei apple (Dovyalis caffra) methanolic extract were evaluated. Chemical analysis was performed using HPLC and GC–MS. Antiviral and anticancer effect were assessed using the crystal violet technique and activity against human liver cells (HepG2), respectively. Antibacterial activity was tested with the disc diffusion method. The obtained results showed that chlorogenic acid (2107.96 ± 0.07 µg/g), catechin (168 ± 0.58 µg/g), and gallic acid (15.66 ± 0.02 µg/g) were the main bioactive compounds identified by HPLC techniques. While, compounds containing furan moieties, as well as levoglucosenone, isochiapin B, dotriacontane, 7-nonynoic acid and tert-hexadecanethiol, with different biological activities were identified by GC–MS. Additionally, inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) scavenging was 79.25% at 2000 µg/mL, indicating its antioxidant activity with IC50 of 728.20 ± 1.04 µg/mL. The tested extract exhibited potential anticancer activity (58.90% toxicity) against HepG2 cells at 1000 µg/mL. Potential bacterial inhibition was observed mainly against Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris, followed by Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis with a diameter of growth inhibition ranging from 13 to 24 mm. While weak activities were recorded for fungi Candida albicans (10 mm). The extract showed mild antiviral activity against human coronavirus 229E with a selective index (SI) of 10.4, but not against human H3N2 (SI of 0.67). The molecular docking study's energy ratings were in good promise with the experiment documents of antibacterial and antiviral activities. The findings suggest that D. caffra juice extract is a potential candidate for further experiments to assess its use as potential alternative therapeutic agent.
Mild-intensity physical activity prevents cardiac and osseous iron deposition without affecting bone mechanical property or porosity in thalassemic mice
Authors: Charoenphandhu Narattaphol , Sooksawanwit Supagarn , Aeimlapa Ratchaneevan , Thonapan Natchayaporn , Upanan Pornpailin , Adulyaritthikul Punyanuch , Krungchanuchat Saowalak , Panupinthu Nattapon , Teerapornpuntakit Jarinthorn , Rojviriya Catleya , Lertsuwan Kornkamon , Svasti Saovaros , Wongdee Kannikar
Published: April 2022

Thalassemia causes anemia, ineffective erythropoiesis, bone loss and iron accumulation in several tissues, e.g., liver, bone and heart, the last of which leads to lethal cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia. Although exercise reportedly improves bone density in thalassemic mice, exercise performance is compromised and might pose risk of cardiovascular accident in thalassemic patients. Therefore, we sought to explore whether mild-intensity physical activity (MPA) with 30–50% of maximal oxygen consumption was sufficient to benefit the heart and bone. Herein, male hemizygous β-globin knockout (BKO) mice and wild-type littermates were subjected to voluntary wheel running 1 h/day, 5 days/week for 3 months (MPA group) or kept sedentary (SDN; control). As determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy, BKO-MPA mice had less iron accumulation in heart and bone tissues compared with BKO-SDN mice. Meanwhile, the circulating level of fibroblast growth factor-23—a factor known to reduce serum iron and intestinal calcium absorption—was increased early in young BKO-MPA mice. Nevertheless, MPA did not affect duodenal calcium transport or body calcium retention. Although MPA restored the aberrant bone calcium-phosphorus ratio to normal range, it did not change vertebral calcium content or femoral mechanical properties. Microstructural porosity in tibia of BKO-MPA mice remained unaltered as determined by synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy. In conclusion, MPA prevents cardiac and bone iron accumulation, which is beneficial to thalassemic patients with limited physical fitness or deteriorated cardiac performance. However, in contrast to moderate-intensity exercise, MPA does not improve bone mechanical properties or reduce bone porosity.
Development and validation of a predictive nomogram for preoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in isolated calcaneal fracture
Authors: Cheng Xinqun , Lei Xiang , Wu Haifeng , Luo Hong , Fu Xiaorui , Gao Yicheng , Wang Xinhui , Zhu Yanbin , Yan Jincheng
Published: April 2022

The fact that most of the patients with preoperative DVTs after calcaneal fractures are asymptomatic brought challenges to the early intervention, and periodic imaging examinations aggravated the financial burden of the patients in preoperative detumescence period. This study aimed to use routine clinical data, obtained from the database of Surgical Site Infection in Orthopaedic Surgery (SSIOS), to construct and validate a nomogram for predicting preoperative DVT risk in patients with isolated calcaneal fracture. The nomogram was established base on 7 predictors independently related to preoperative DVT. The performance of the model was tested by concordance index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA), and the results were furtherly verified internally and externally. 952 patients were enrolled in this study, of which 711 were used as the training set. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.870 in the training set and 0.905 in the validation set. After internal verification, the modified C-index was 0.846. Calibration curve and decision curve analysis both performed well in the training set and validation set. In short, we constructed a nomogram for predicting preoperative DVT risk in patients with isolated calcaneal fracture and verified its accuracy and clinical practicability.
Integrative taxonomy reveals cryptic diversity in North American Lasius ants, and an overlooked introduced species
Authors: Schär Sämi , Talavera Gerard , Rana Jignasha D. , Espadaler Xavier , Cover Stefan P. , Shattuck Steven O. , Vila Roger
Published: April 2022

Biological invasions are a grave threat to ecosystems. The black garden ant (Lasiusniger) is a pest species in Europe. Current literature states that L. niger occupies a disjunct native distribution in the Holarctic, however, based on recent work, we re-evaluate this distribution. The native range of L. niger is reconsidered based on phylogenetic relationships (nine mitochondrial and nuclear markers, 5670 bp), DNA-barcoding (98 Holarctic specimens), morphometry (88 Holarctic specimens, 19 different measurements) and subjective assessment of phenotype. The potential spread of this species is estimated using ecological niche modeling. Lasius niger is more closely related to other Palearctic species than to the Nearctic ants known under this name. The latter are described as a distinct species, L. ponderosae sp. nov. However, DNA-barcoding discovered established populations of L. niger in metropolitan areas in Canada (Vancouver and Halifax). We describe a morphometrical method to delineate L. ponderosae sp. nov. and L. niger. MtDNA diversity and divergence is high within L. ponderosae sp. nov., but low within L. niger. More than 1,000,000 km2 are suitable as a habitat for L. niger in North America. This case emphasizes the critical role of integrative taxonomy to detect cryptic species and identify potential biological invasions in their nascent stages.
Rapid, automated nerve histomorphometry through open-source artificial intelligence
Authors: Daeschler Simeon Christian , Bourget Marie-Hélène , Derakhshan Dorsa , Sharma Vasudev , Asenov Stoyan Ivaylov , Gordon Tessa , Cohen-Adad Julien , Borschel Gregory Howard
Published: April 2022

We aimed to develop and validate a deep learning model for automated segmentation and histomorphometry of myelinated peripheral nerve fibers from light microscopic images. A convolutional neural network integrated in the AxonDeepSeg framework was trained for automated axon/myelin segmentation using a dataset of light-microscopic cross-sectional images of osmium tetroxide-stained rat nerves including various axonal regeneration stages. In a second dataset, accuracy of automated segmentation was determined against manual axon/myelin labels. Automated morphometry results, including axon diameter, myelin sheath thickness and g-ratio were compared against manual straight-line measurements and morphometrics extracted from manual labels with AxonDeepSeg as a reference standard. The neural network achieved high pixel-wise accuracy for nerve fiber segmentations with a mean (± standard deviation) ground truth overlap of 0.93 (± 0.03) for axons and 0.99 (± 0.01) for myelin sheaths, respectively. Nerve fibers were identified with a sensitivity of 0.99 and a precision of 0.97. For each nerve fiber, the myelin thickness, axon diameter, g-ratio, solidity, eccentricity, orientation, and individual x -and y-coordinates were determined automatically. Compared to manual morphometry, automated histomorphometry showed superior agreement with the reference standard while reducing the analysis time to below 2.5% of the time needed for manual morphometry. This open-source convolutional neural network provides rapid and accurate morphometry of entire peripheral nerve cross-sections. Given its easy applicability, it could contribute to significant time savings in biomedical research while extracting unprecedented amounts of objective morphologic information from large image datasets.
A machine-learning based objective measure for ALS disease severity
Authors: Vieira Fernando G. , Venugopalan Subhashini , Premasiri Alan S. , McNally Maeve , Jansen Aren , McCloskey Kevin , Brenner Michael P. , Perrin Steven
Published: April 2022

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease severity is usually measured using the subjective, questionnaire-based revised ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-R). Objective measures of disease severity would be powerful tools for evaluating real-world drug effectiveness, efficacy in clinical trials, and for identifying participants for cohort studies. We developed a machine learning (ML) based objective measure for ALS disease severity based on voice samples and accelerometer measurements from a four-year longitudinal dataset. 584 people living with ALS consented and carried out prescribed speaking and limb-based tasks. 542 participants contributed 5814 voice recordings, and 350 contributed 13,009 accelerometer samples, while simultaneously measuring ALSFRS-R scores. Using these data, we trained ML models to predict bulbar-related and limb-related ALSFRS-R scores. On the test set (n = 109 participants) the voice models achieved a multiclass AUC of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.85–0.88) on speech ALSFRS-R prediction, whereas the accelerometer models achieved a median multiclass AUC of 0.73 on 6 limb-related functions. The correlations across functions observed in self-reported ALSFRS-R scores were preserved in ML-derived scores. We used these models and self-reported ALSFRS-R scores to evaluate the real-world effects of edaravone, a drug approved for use in ALS. In the cohort of 54 test participants who received edaravone as part of their usual care, the ML-derived scores were consistent with the self-reported ALSFRS-R scores. At the individual level, the continuous ML-derived score can capture gradual changes that are absent in the integer ALSFRS-R scores. This demonstrates the value of these tools for assessing disease severity and, potentially, drug effects.
Natural language processing applied to mental illness detection: a narrative review
Authors: Zhang Tianlin , Schoene Annika M. , Ji Shaoxiong , Ananiadou Sophia
Published: April 2022

Mental illness is highly prevalent nowadays, constituting a major cause of distress in people’s life with impact on society’s health and well-being. Mental illness is a complex multi-factorial disease associated with individual risk factors and a variety of socioeconomic, clinical associations. In order to capture these complex associations expressed in a wide variety of textual data, including social media posts, interviews, and clinical notes, natural language processing (NLP) methods demonstrate promising improvements to empower proactive mental healthcare and assist early diagnosis. We provide a narrative review of mental illness detection using NLP in the past decade, to understand methods, trends, challenges and future directions. A total of 399 studies from 10,467 records were included. The review reveals that there is an upward trend in mental illness detection NLP research. Deep learning methods receive more attention and perform better than traditional machine learning methods. We also provide some recommendations for future studies, including the development of novel detection methods, deep learning paradigms and interpretable models.
CRISPRs in the human genome are differentially expressed between malignant and normal adjacent to tumor tissue
Authors: van Riet Job , Saha Chinmoy , Strepis Nikolaos , Brouwer Rutger W. W. , Martens-Uzunova Elena S. , van de Geer Wesley S. , Swagemakers Sigrid M. A. , Stubbs Andrew , Halimi Yassir , Voogd Sanne , Tanmoy Arif Mohammad , Komor Malgorzata A. , Hoogstrate Youri , Janssen Bart , Fijneman Remond J. A. , Niknafs Yashar S. , Chinnaiyan Arul M. , van IJcken Wilfred F. J. , van der Spek Peter J. , Jenster Guido , Louwen Rogier
Published: April 2022

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPRs) have been identified in bacteria, archaea and mitochondria of plants, but not in eukaryotes. Here, we report the discovery of 12,572 putative CRISPRs randomly distributed across the human chromosomes, which we termed hCRISPRs. By using available transcriptome datasets, we demonstrate that hCRISPRs are distinctively expressed as small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) in cell lines and human tissues. Moreover, expression patterns thereof enabled us to distinguish normal from malignant tissues. In prostate cancer, we confirmed the differential hCRISPR expression between normal adjacent and malignant primary prostate tissue by RT-qPCR and demonstrate that the SHERLOCK and DETECTR dipstick tools are suitable to detect these sncRNAs. We anticipate that the discovery of CRISPRs in the human genome can be further exploited for diagnostic purposes in cancer and other medical conditions, which certainly will lead to the development of point-of-care tests based on the differential expression of the hCRISPRs.
HPLC-DVD combined with chemometrics to analyze the correlation between the Q-marker content and color of Corni Fructus
Authors: Wang Ting , Bai Yilin , Du Yating , An Shujing , Han Binkai , Yang Xiaolin , He Changfen , Sun Haoqiang , Zhao Ke , Xue Xiaochang , Kang Jiefang
Published: April 2022

A standard colorimetric card related to Corni Fructus (CF) quality was established, which simplified the quality evaluation process and improved the accuracy of the visual evaluation of CF.
Black corn (Zea maysL.) whole flour improved the antioxidant capacity and prevented adipogenesis in mice fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Verediano Thaisa Agrizzi , Sant' Ana Cintia Tomaz , Grancieri Mariana , Parzanini Brilhante de São José Vinícius , Toledo Renata Celi Lopes , Dias Paes Maria Cristina , Duarte Martino Hércia Stampini
Published: April 2022

Black corn (Zea maysL.) is a source of anthocyanins, which have shown the ability to reduce metabolic disorders.
Development and structural analysis of dual-thermo-responsive self-assembled zwitterionic micelles
Authors: Zhao Dandan , Rajan Robin , Yusa Shin-ichi , Nakada Masaru , Matsumura Kazuaki
Published: April 2022

Zwitterionic polymer-based dual thermoresponsive micelles were synthesized. Structural investigations revealed that they exhibit both liquid–liquid phase separation and coil–globule transition and the size scale of each transition is different.
The role of structural order in heterogeneous ice nucleation
Authors: Sosso Gabriele C. , Sudera Prerna , Backes Anna T. , Whale Thomas F. , Fröhlich-Nowoisky Janine , Bonn Mischa , Michaelides Angelos , Backus Ellen H. G.
Published: April 2022

The freezing of water into ice is still not fully understood. Here, we investigate the role of structural disorder within the biologically relevant impurities that facilitate this fundamental phase transition.
Direct nitrogen interception from chitin/chitosan for imidazo[1,5-a]pyridines
Authors: Zeng Kui , Mei Ruhuai , Zhang Xizhou Cecily , Andreas Loren B. , Zhang Kai
Published: April 2022

A catalyst-free one-pot methodology that unprecedently enables direct nitrogen interception of chitosan/chitin for saturated 1-alkylimidazo[1,5-a]pyridines and deuterated products.
Asymmetric inverse-electron-demand 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of cyclopentadienones and thiophene-1,1-dioxide with C,N-cyclic azomethine imines
Authors: Chen Chen , Yang Xing-Xing , Zhao Zhi , Han Bo , Du Wei , Chen Ying-Chun
Published: April 2022

A Pd(0)-catalysed and ligand-controlled diastereodivergent inverse-electron-demand 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of carbonates of 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopentenones and C,N-cyclic azomethine imines was presented.
Multiple-turnover single nucleotide primer extension reactions to detect 8-oxo-2′-deoxyguanosine in DNA
Authors: Kikukawa Yoshiya , Kawazoe Ryoji , Miyahara Ryo , Sakurada Takato , Nagata Yusuke , Sasaki Shigeki , Taniguchi Yosuke
Published: April 2022

An artificial nucleic acid triphosphate was successfully developed that was possible to amplify the positional information of the damaged nucleic acid of 8-oxo-dG in DNA several hundred times.
Asymmetric heterojunctions between size different 2D flakes intensify the ionic diode behaviour
Authors: Ma He , Jin Xiaoheng , Du Yun-Zhe , Dong Ling-Yu , Hu Xu , Li Wen-Cui , Wang Dongqi , Joshi Rakesh , Hao Guang-Ping , Lu An-Hui
Published: April 2022

Placing 2D building blocks with lateral size differences leads to the formation of an asymmetric heterojunction, which enables evidently ionic current rectification behaviour.
Bis(4-carboxylpyrazol-1-yl)acetic acid: a scorpionate ligand for complexes with improved water solubility
Authors: Tzegai Wintana , Reil Michaela , Burzlaff Nicolai
Published: April 2022

A carboxyl-decorated bis(pyrazol-1-yl)acetic acid and carbonyl complexes derived thereof are reported. The peripheral carboxyl functionalities increase their solubility in water and especially in PBS buffer.
Navigating fast and uniform zinc deposition via a versatile metal–organic complex interphase
Authors: Liu Huanyan , Wang Jian-Gan , Hua Wei , Ren Lingbo , Sun Huanhuan , Hou Zhidong , Huyan Yu , Cao Yunjing , Wei Chunguang , Kang Feiyu
Published: April 2022

A universal and versatile metal–organic complex interphase strategy is proposed as a splendid dendrite and corrosion inhibitor for achieving ultrastable Zn anodes with substantially improved Coulombic efficiency and extended cycling lifetime.
Cascade dearomative [4 + 2] cycloaddition of indoles with in situ generated ortho-quinone methides: practical access to divergent indoline-fused polycycles
Authors: Dong Pei-Zhen , Qiu Bin , An Xiao-De , Xiao Jian
Published: April 2022

A rationally designed cascade dearomative [4 + 2] cycloaddition of indoles with in situ generated o-QM has been developed to assemble indoline-fused polycycles divergently with high yields and excellent diastereoselectivity in one step.
An environmentally responsible synthesis of the antitumor agent lapatinib (Tykerb)
Authors: Yu Julie , Iyer Karthik S. , Lipshutz Bruce H.
Published: April 2022

A green sequence to lapatinib has been developed as a representative example showcasing the technologies that are available today for applications to targets in the fine chemicals industry.
High-throughput and label-free enrichment of malignant tumor cells and clusters from pleural and peritoneal effusions using inertial microfluidics
Authors: Zhu Zhixian , Li Shuang , Wu Dan , Ren Hui , Ni Chen , Wang Cailian , Xiang Nan , Ni Zhonghua
Published: April 2022

We developed a polymer microfluidic chip with slanted spiral channels for high-throughput and label-free enrichment of malignant tumor cells and clusters from clinical effusions.
Blacklight sintering of ceramics
Authors: Porz Lukas , Scherer Michael , Huhn Daniel , Heine Luisa-Marie , Britten Simon , Rebohle Lars , Neubert Marcel , Brown Martin , Lascelles Peter , Kitson Ross , Rettenwander Daniel , Fulanovic Lovro , Bruder Enrico , Breckner Patrick , Isaia Daniel , Frömling Till , Rödel Jürgen , Rheinheimer Wolfgang
Published: April 2022

Illumination with photon energy above the band gap enables super-fast sintering of ceramics on-the-spot. This scalable container- and contactless process opens new design options and boosts flexibility while offering outstanding energy efficiency.
Free-standing large, ultrathin germanium selenide van der Waals ribbons by combined vapor–liquid–solid growth and edge attachment
Authors: Sutter Eli , French Jacob S. , Sutter Peter
Published: April 2022

High-yield synthesis of large, ultrathin GeSe ribbons combining longitudinal vapor–liquid–solid growth with lateral edge incorporation. Intense luminescence confirms high quality GeSe with low concentration of nonradiative recombination centers.
On-chip high ion sensitivity electrochromic nanophotonic light modulator
Authors: Hopmann Eric , Shahriar Basem Y. , Elezzabi Abdulhakem Y.
Published: April 2022

(a) Schematic of the WO3 based nanophotonic waveguide platform for ultra-high optical and ion concentration dependent modulation. (b) At a low operating voltage window (±1.5 V), the device achieves 106 orders of magnitude optical modulation.
Transamidation of thioamides with nucleophilic amines: thioamide N–C(S) activation by ground-state-destabilization
Authors: Zhang Jin , Zhao Hui , Li Guangchen , Zhu Xinhao , Shang Linqin , He Yang , Liu Xin , Ma Yangmin , Szostak Michal
Published: April 2022

We present a general strategy for activation of N–C(S) thioamide bonds by ground-state-destabilization in the context of a full study on transamidation of thioamides with nucleophilic amines.
Synthesis of 3-substituted 2-oxindoles from secondary α-bromo-propionanilides via palladium-catalyzed intramolecular cyclization
Authors: Shen Hui , Du Yu , Kan Jian , Su Weiping
Published: April 2022

A Pd-catalyzed cyclization of α-bromo-propionanilides for the synthesis of 3-substituted 2-oxindoles has been developed. This method features easy to prepare starting materials, broad substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.
Multi-activity cobalt ferrite/MXene nanoenzymes for drug-free phototherapy in bacterial infection treatment
Authors: Shi Jiacheng , Shu Rui , Shi Xiuyuan , Li Yunfei , Li Jiangge , Deng Yi , Yang Weizhong
Published: April 2022

The CM nanoenzymes are synthesized with electrostatic interactions. Bacteria can hardly survive synergistic phototherapy and multi-enzyme-mimicking catalytic therapy with CM, which reinforces the foundation of drug-free antibacterial strategies.
Redox properties of nano-sized biochar derived from wheat straw biochar
Authors: Wu Shiyin , Cai Xixi , Liao Zhiyang , He Wenjie , Shen Junhua , Yuan Yong , Ning Xunan
Published: April 2022

NBC exhibit significant efficiency in mediating MO or minerals reduction by accelerating electron transfer. NBC-700 has higher SSA, ETC and stronger redox property than NBC-400.
Preparation of graphene aerogel and application in photon-enhanced thermionic emission
Authors: Guo Shiwei , Zhao Hongli , Xu Yanpeng , Pei Xueqing , Li Shuang , Fu Yuechun , He Huan , Shen Xiaoming
Published: April 2022

Photon-enhanced thermionic emission (PETE) is a novel concept of solar energy conversion in recent years.
A concise and efficient total synthetic route of active stilbene dimer (±)-ε-viniferin
Authors: Zhu Qibin , Teng Binhao , Chen Ying , Su Fubao , Li Yanqiu , Yang Qingyun , Yao Chunsuo
Published: April 2022

Demethylation of the key intermediate methyl 3-arylbenzofuran-4-carboxylate resulted in a concise and efficient procedure for the total synthesis of active natural stilbene dimer (±)-ε-viniferin with MOM as a protecting group.
Exploration of expanded carbohydrate chemical space to access biological activity using microwave-induced acid condensation of simple sugars
Authors: London James Andrew , Taylor Sarah Louise , Barsukov Igor , Cartmell Alan , Yates Edwin Alexander
Published: April 2022

Condensation of simple sugars provides new polysaccharides with diverse biological activities, expanding access to carbohydrate chemical space.
Encapsulation of the Hoveyda–Grubbs 2nd generation catalyst in magnetically separable alginate/mesoporous carbon beads for olefin metathesis reactions in water
Authors: Tunalı Zeynep , Sagdic Kutay , Inci Fatih , Öztürk Bengi Özgün
Published: April 2022

A magnetically separable catalyst is developed through encapsulation of mesoporous carbon, HG2 and γ-Fe2O3within alginate gels. The catalytic showed superior performance in metathesis reactions of hydrophobic olefins in water under air atmosphere.
The Edwards volume ensemble in cyclically sheared granular experiments
Authors: Sun Aile , Wang Yinqiao , Chen Yangrui , Shang Jin , Zheng Jie , Yu Shuchang , Su Siyuan , Sun Xulai , Zheng Hu , Zhang Jie
Published: April 2022

We experimentally investigate the Edwards volume ensemble in cyclically sheared bidisperse disks of two friction coefficients (μ ≈ 0.3 and μ → ∞) subjected to a range of shear amplitudes γm.
A one-pot self-assembled AgNW aerogel electrode with ultra-high electric conductivity for intrinsically 500% super-stretchable high-performance Zn–Ag batteries
Authors: Zhu Wenbo , Wang Panpan , Chen Zhe , Xu Chengyan , Jiao Yan , Li Mingyu , Huang Yan
Published: April 2022

Ag cathodes with highly self-crosslinked networks are prepared by one-pot multi-directional growth of AgNWs. The constructed Zn–Ag battery exhibits super-stretchability, a high energy density of 3.15 mW h cm−2and a power density of 6.84 mW cm−2.
Supramolecular assemblies of histidine-containing peptides with switchable hydrolase and peroxidase activities through Cu(ii) binding and co-assembling
Authors: Zhang Yue , Tian Xin , Li Xinming
Published: April 2022

Supramolecular assemblies with switchable hydrolase and peroxidase activities were prepared from histidine-containing peptides.
The Reliability of Short Conversational Language Sample Measures in Children With and Without Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Wilder Amy , Redmond Sean M.
Published: April 2022

Purpose:

Language sample analysis (LSA) represents an ecologically valid method for diagnosing, identifying goals, and measuring progress in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). LSA is, however, time consuming. The purpose of this study was to determine the length of sample needed to obtain reliable LSA measures for children in kindergarten and first grade with typical language (TL) and DLD using automated analyses from the Systematic Analysis of Language Transcripts software.

Method:

Play-based conversational language samples collected on kindergarten to first-grade children with TL (
n
= 21) and DLD (
n
= 21) from a community-based sample were analyzed. Eight LSA measures were calculated from 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-min sample cuts and compared to 20-min samples for reliability.

Results:

Reliability estimates were similar for the TL and DLD groups except for errors and omissions, which showed overall higher levels of reliability in the DLD group and reached acceptable levels at 3 min. Percent grammatical utterances were reliable at 7 min in the DLD group and not reliable in shorter samples in the TL group. The subordination index was reliable at 10 min for both groups. Number of different words reached acceptable reliability at the 3-min length for the DLD group and at the 10-min length for the TL group. Utterances and words per minute were reliable at 3 min and mean length of utterance at 7 min in both groups.

Conclusions:

Speech-language pathologists can obtain reliable LSA measures from shorter, 7-min conversational language samples from kindergarten to first-grade children with DLD. Shorter language samples may encourage increased use of LSA.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.19529287
Transient analysis of dynamically switched frequency shift keyed transmitters
Authors: Srivastava Shruti , Adams Jacob J.
Published: April 2022

A dynamically switched matching network for transmitting a wideband frequency shift keyed (FSK) signal from an electrically small monopole antenna is studied. The effects of switch synchronization, frequency deviation, the antenna's impedance, and Q‐factor at the two carrier frequencies are studied. It is found that the average energy per bit of the transmitted FSK waveform is maximum when the loss of reactive energy between states transition is minimised by switching it at the instant of peak voltage across the antenna's terminals. However, a switching network topology that stores more energy is shown to be less sensitive to the synchronization condition. In addition, we show that this dynamically switched system transmits more bit energy when the carriers are closely spaced due to a smaller change in stored energy levels between states. Results are presented using a detailed analytical study and full wave simulation. Near field measurements from a monopole antenna circuit model show that under proper conditions, an FSK signal can be transmitted at a rate 7 times greater than the bandwidth of the transmit antenna with minimal signal quality degradation.
Disrupted myelination network in the cingulate cortex of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Xie Song , Yang Jiajun , Huang Shenghui , Fan Yuanlan , Xu Tao , He Jiangshuang , Guo Jiahao , Ji Xiang , Wang Zhibo , Li Peijun , Chen Jiangfan , Zhang Yi
Published: April 2022

The cingulate cortex is part of the conserved limbic system, which is considered as a hub of emotional and cognitive control. Accumulating evidence suggested that involvement of the cingulate cortex is significant for cognitive impairment of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, mechanistic studies of the cingulate cortex in PD pathogenesis are limited. Here, transcriptomic and regulatory network analyses were conducted for the cingulate cortex in PD. Enrichment and clustering analyses showed that genes involved in regulation of membrane potential and glutamate receptor signalling pathway were upregulated. Importantly, myelin genes and the oligodendrocyte development pathways were markedly downregulated, indicating disrupted myelination in PD cingulate cortex. Cell‐type‐specific signatures revealed that myelinating oligodendrocytes were the major cell type damaged in the PD cingulate cortex. Furthermore, downregulation of myelination pathways in the cingulate cortex were shared and validated in another independent RNAseq cohort of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In combination with ATACseq data, gene regulatory networks (GRNs) were further constructed for 32 transcription factors (TFs) and 466 target genes among differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using a tree‐based machine learning algorithm. Several transcription factors, including Olig2, Sox8, Sox10, E2F1, and NKX6‐2, were highlighted as key nodes in a sub‐network, which control many overlapping downstream targets associated with myelin formation and gliogenesis. In addition, the authors have validated a subset of DEGs by qPCRs in two PD mouse models. Notably, seven of these genes,TOX3, NECAB2 NOS1, CAPN3, NR4A2, E2F1 and FOXP2, have been implicated previously in PD or neurodegeneration and are worthy of further studies as novel candidate genes. Together, our findings provide new insights into the role of remyelination as a promising new approach to treat PD after demyelination.
Galactic ArchaeoLogIcaL ExcavatiOns (GALILEO)
Authors: Fernández-Trincado José G. , Beers Timothy C. , Barbuy Beatriz , Minniti Dante , Chiappini Cristina , Garro Elisa R. , Tang Baitian , Alves-Brito Alan , Villanova Sandro , Geisler Doug , Lane Richard R. , Diaz Danilo G.
Published: April 2022

We use the 17th data release of the second phase of the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE-2) to provide a homogenous census of N-rich red giant stars across the Milky Way (MW). We report a total of 149 newly identified N-rich field giants toward the bulge, metal-poor disk, and halo of our Galaxy. They exhibit significant enrichment in their nitrogen abundance ratios ([N/Fe] ≳ +0.5), along with simultaneous depletions in their [C/Fe] abundance ratios ([C/Fe] <  +0.15), and they cover a wide range of metallicities (−1.8 <  [Fe/H] <  −0.7). The final sample of candidate N-rich red giant stars with globular-cluster-like (GC-like) abundance patterns from the APOGEE survey includes a grand total of ∼412 unique objects. These strongly N-enhanced stars are speculated to have been stripped from GCs based on their chemical similarities with these systems. Even though we have not found any strong evidence for binary companions or signatures of pulsating variability yet, we cannot rule out the possibility that some of these objects were members of binary systems in the past and/or are currently part of a variable system. In particular, the fact that we identify such stars among the field stars in our Galaxy provides strong evidence that the nucleosynthetic process(es) producing the anomalous [N/Fe] abundance ratios occurs over a wide range of metallicities. This may provide evidence either for or against the uniqueness of the progenitor stars to GCs and/or the existence of chemical anomalies associated with likely tidally shredded clusters in massive dwarf galaxies such as “Kraken/Koala”, Gaia-Enceladus-Sausage, among others, before or during their accretion by the MW. A dynamical analysis reveals that the newly identified N-rich stars exhibit a wide range of dynamical characteristics throughout the MW, indicating that they were produced in a variety of Galactic environments.
Hanle rotation signatures in Sr I 4607 Å
Authors: Zeuner F. , Belluzzi L. , Guerreiro N. , Ramelli R. , Bianda M.
Published: April 2022

Context.Measuring small-scale magnetic fields and constraining their role in energy transport and dynamics in the solar atmosphere are crucial, albeit challenging, tasks in solar physics. To this aim, observations of scattering polarization and the Hanle effect in various spectral lines are increasingly used to complement traditional magnetic field determination techniques.

Aims.One of the strongest scattering polarization signals in the photosphere is measured in the Sr Iline at 4607.3 Å when observed close to the solar limb. Here, we present the first observational evidence of Hanle rotation in the linearly polarized spectrum of this line at several limb distances.

Methods.We used the Zurich IMaging POLarimeter, ZIMPOL at the IRSOL observatory, with exceptionally good seeing conditions and long integration times. We combined the fast-modulating polarimeter with a slow modulator installed in front of the telescope. This combination allows for a high level of precision and unprecedented accuracy in the measurement of spectropolarimetric data.

Results.Fixing the reference direction for positive StokesQparallel to the limb, we detected singly peakedU/Isignals well above the noise level. We can exclude any instrumental origins for suchU/Isignals. These signatures are exclusively found in the Sr Iline, but not in the adjoining Fe Iline, therefore eliminating the Zeeman effect as the mechanism responsible for their appearance. However, we find a clear spatial correlation between the circular polarization produced by the Zeeman effect and theU/Iamplitudes. This suggests that the detectedU/Isignals are the signatures of Hanle rotation caused by a spatially resolved magnetic field.

Conclusions.A novel measurement technique allows for determining the absolute level of polarization with unprecedented precision. Using this technique, high-precision spectropolarimetric observations reveal, for the first time, unambiguousU/Isignals attributed to Hanle rotation in the Sr Iline.
Refinement of the convex shape model and tumbling spin state of (99942) Apophis using the 2020–2021 apparition data
Authors: Lee H.-J. , Kim M.-J. , Marciniak A. , Kim D.-H. , Moon H.-K. , Choi Y.-J. , Zoła S. , Chatelain J. , Lister T. A. , Gomez E. , Greenstreet S. , Pál A. , Szakáts R. , Erasmus N. , Lees R. , Janse van Rensburg P. , Ogłoza W. , Dróżdż M. , Żejmo M. , Kamiński K. , Kamińska M. K. , Duffard R. , Roh D.-G. , Yim H.-S. , Kim T. , Mottola S. , Yoshida F. , Reichart D. E. , Sonbas E. , Caton D. B. , Kaplan M. , Erece O. , Yang H.
Published: April 2022

Context. The close approach of the near-Earth asteroid (99942) Apophis to Earth in 2029 will provide a unique opportunity to examine how the physical properties of the asteroid could be changed due to the Earth’s gravitational perturbation. As a result, the Republic of Korea is planning a rendezvous mission to Apophis.

Aims. Our aim was to use photometric data from the apparitions in 2020−2021 to refine the shape model and spin state of Apophis.

Methods. Using thirty-six 1- to 2-meter-class ground-based telescopes and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, we carried out a photometric observation campaign throughout the 2020−2021 apparition. The convex shape model and spin state were refined using the light-curve inversion method.

Results. According to our best-fit model, Apophis is rotating in a short-axis mode with rotation and precession periods of 264.178 h and 27.38547 h, respectively. The angular momentum vector orientation of Apophis was found to be (275°, −85°) in the ecliptic coordinate system. The ratio of the dynamic moments of inertia of this asteroid was fitted to Ia : Ib : Ic = 0.64 : 0.97 : 1, which corresponds to an elongated prolate ellipsoid. These findings regarding the spin state and shape model can be used to both design the space mission scenario and investigate the impact of the Earth’s tidal force during close encounters.