bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the need for a question prompt list that encourages end-of-life discussions between patients with advanced cancer and their physicians: A focus group interview study
Authors: Sato Ayako , Fujimori Maiko , Shirai Yuki , Umezawa Shino , Mori Masanori , Jinno Sayaka , Umehashi Mihoto , Okamura Masako , Okusaka Takuji , Majima Yoshiyuki , Miyake Satoshi , Uchitomi Yosuke
Published: December 2021

Objective

Early integration of palliative and cancer care improves the quality of life and is facilitated by discussions about the end of life after cessation of active cancer treatment between patients with advanced cancer and their physicians. However, both patients and physicians find end-of-life discussions challenging. The aim of this study was to assess the need for a question prompt list (QPL) that encourages end-of-life discussions between patients with advanced cancer and their physicians.

Methods

Focus group interviews (FGIs) were conducted with 18 participants comprising 5 pancreatic cancer patients, 3 family caregivers, 4 bereaved family members, and 6 physicians. Three themes were discussed: question items that should be included in the QPL that encourages end-of-life discussions with patients, family caregivers, and physicians after cessation of active cancer treatment; when the QPL should be provided; and who should provide the QPL. Each interview was audio-recorded, and content analysis was performed.

Results

The following 9 categories, with 57 question items, emerged from the FGIs: (1) preparing for the end of life, (2) treatment decision-making, (3) current and future quality of life, (4) current and future symptom management, (5) information on the transition to palliative care services, (6) coping with cancer, (7) caregivers’ role, (8) psychological care, and (9) continuity of cancer care. Participants felt that the physician in charge of the patient's care and other medical staff should provide the QPL early during active cancer treatment.

Significance of results

Data were collected to develop a QPL that encourages end-of-life discussions between patients with advanced cancer and their physicians.
Functional disability with systematic trends and uncertainty: a comparison between China and the US
Authors: Fu Yu , Sherris Michael , Xu Mengyi
Published: December 2021

China and the US are two contrasting countries in terms of functional disability and long-term care. China is experiencing declining family support for long-term care and developing private long-term care insurance. The US has a more developed public aged care system and private long-term care insurance market than China. Changes in the demand for long-term care are driven by the levels, trends and uncertainty in mortality and functional disability. To understand the future potential demand for long-term care, we compare mortality and functional disability experiences in China and the US, using a multi-state latent factor intensity model with time trends and systematic uncertainty in transition rates. We estimate the model with the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data. The estimation results show that if trends continue, both countries will experience longevity improvement with morbidity compression and a declining proportion of the older population with functional disability. Although the elderly Chinese have a shorter estimated life expectancy, they are expected to spend a smaller proportion of their future lifetime functionally disabled than the elderly Americans. Systematic uncertainty is shown to be significant in future trends in disability rates and our model estimates higher uncertainty in trends for the Chinese elderly, especially for urban residents.
Polar Vortices in Planetary Atmospheres
Authors: Mitchell Dann M. , Scott Richard K. , Seviour William J. M. , Thomson Stephen I. , Waugh Darryn W. , Teanby Nicholas A. , Ball Emily R.
Published: December 2021

Among the great diversity of atmospheric circulation patterns observed throughout the solar system, polar vortices stand out as a nearly ubiquitous planetary‐scale phenomenon. In recent years, there have been significant advances in the observation of planetary polar vortices, culminating in the fascinating discovery of Jupiter's polar vortex clusters during the Juno mission. Alongside these observational advances has been a major effort to understand polar vortex dynamics using theory, idealized and comprehensive numerical models, and laboratory experiments. Here, we review our current knowledge of planetary polar vortices, highlighting both the diversity of their structures, as well as fundamental dynamical similarities. We propose a new convention of vortex classification, which adequately captures all those observed in our solar system, and demonstrates the key role of polar vortices in the global circulation, transport, and climate of all planets. We discuss where knowledge gaps remain, and the observational, experimental, and theoretical advances needed to address them. In particular, as the diversity of both solar system and exoplanetary data increases exponentially, there is now a unique opportunity to unify our understanding of polar vortices under a single dynamical framework.
Observations of Pitch Angle Changes of Electrons and High‐Frequency Wave Activities in the Magnetotail Plasma Bubble
Authors: Wei Y. Y. , Huang S. Y. , Yuan Z. G. , Jiang K. , Xu S. B. , Deng X. H. , Zhang J. , Zhang Z. H. , Xiong Q. Y. , Yu L. , Lin T. R.
Published: December 2021

Plasma bubble, a low‐entropy flux tube, is usually regarded as the bearer of plasma flux transport in the magnetotail. In this study, we perform a complete analysis of electron dynamics in a plasma bubble in the Earth's magnetotail based on the high time‐resolution data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission. An electron jet is observed at the center of this plasma bubble. Simultaneously, intense electric field and significant current density, as well as the strong energy dissipation are detected associated with this electron jet. The pitch angle distributions (PADs) of high‐energy electrons exhibit different features at different substructures in this plasma bubble. In Region‐1 and Region‐3, pancake‐type PAD is formed; the PAD becomes isotropic type in Region‐2. The electrons pitch angle changes to field‐aligned distribution in Region‐4. All these changes of electron PADs in substructures can be interpreted mainly by the capture of magnetic mirror and betatron cooling. High‐frequency waves, including whistler waves and electrostatic waves, are detected in several parts of the plasma bubble. The observations of abundant electron‐scale phenomena or processes reveal that the electrons are very dynamic in the large‐scale plasma bubble.
Implications of Laterally Varying Scattering Properties for Subsurface Monitoring With Coda Wave Sensitivity Kernels: Application to Volcanic and Fault Zone Setting
Authors: van Dinther Chantal , Margerin Ludovic , Campillo Michel
Published: December 2021

Monitoring changes of seismic properties at depth can provide a first‐order insight into Earth’s dynamic evolution. Coda wave interferometry is the primary tool for this purpose. This technique exploits small changes of waveforms in the seismic coda and relates them to temporal variations of attenuation or velocity at depth. While most existing studies assume statistically homogeneous scattering strength in the lithosphere, geological observations suggest that this hypothesis may not be fulfilled in active tectonic or volcanic areas. In a numerical study we explore the impact of a non‐uniform distribution of scattering strength on the spatio‐temporal sensitivity of coda waves. Based on Monte Carlo simulation of the radiative transfer process, we calculate sensitivity kernels for three different observables, namely travel‐time, decorrelation, and intensity. Our results demonstrate that laterally varying scattering properties can have a profound impact on the sensitivities of coda waves. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the knowledge of the mean intensity, specific intensity, and energy flux, governed by spatial variation of scattering strength, is key to understanding the decorrelation, travel‐time, and scattering kernels, respectively. A number of previous works on coda wave sensitivity kernels neglect the directivity of energy fluxes by employing formulas extrapolated from the diffusion approximation. In this work, we demonstrate and visually illustrate the importance of the use of specific intensity for the travel‐time and scattering kernels, in the context of volcanic and fault zone setting models. Our results let us foresee new applications of coda wave monitoring in environments of high scattering contrast.
3D Seismic Anatomy of a Watershed Reveals Climate‐Topography Coupling That Drives Water Flowpaths and Bedrock Weathering
Authors: Wang Wei , Nyblade Andrew , Mount Greg , Moon Seulgi , Chen Po , Accardo Natalie , Gu Xin , Forsythe Brandon , Brantley Susan L.
Published: December 2021

To investigate how bedrock transforms to soil, we mapped the topography of the interface demarcating onset of weathering under an east‐west trending shale watershed in the Valley and Ridge province in the USA Using wave equation travel‐time tomography from a seismic array of >4,000 geophones, we obtained a 3D P‐wave velocity (Vp) model that resolves structures ∼20 m below land surface (mbls). The depth of mobile soil and the onset of dissolution of chlorite roughly match Vp = 600 m/s and Vp = 2,700 m/s, respectively. Chlorite dissolution initiates porosity growth in the shale matrix. Depth to the 2,700 m/s contour is greater under the N‐ as compared to S‐facing hillslopes and under sub‐planar as compared to concave‐up land surfaces. Broadly, the geometries of the ‘soil’ and ‘chlorite’ Vp contours are consistent with the calculated potential for shear fracture opening under weak regional compression. However, this calculated fracture potential does not consistently explain observations related to N‐ versus S‐facing aspect nor fracture density observed by borehole televiewer. Apparently, regional compression is only a secondary influence on Vp: the primary driver of P‐wave slowing in the upper layers of this catchment is topographic control of reactive water flowpaths and their integrated effects on weathering. The Vp result is best explained as the long‐term integrated effect of groundwater flow‐induced geochemical weathering of shale in response to climate‐driven patterns of micro‐ and macro‐topography.
Fast, Cheap, and Turbulent—Global Ocean Modeling With GPU Acceleration in Python
Authors: Häfner Dion , Nuterman Roman , Jochum Markus
Published: December 2021

Even to this date, most earth system models are coded in Fortran, especially those used at the largest compute scales. Our ocean model Veros takes a different approach: it is implemented using the high‐level programming language Python. Besides numerous usability advantages, this allows us to leverage modern high‐performance frameworks that emerged in tandem with the machine learning boom. By interfacing with the JAX library, Veros is able to run high‐performance simulations on both central processing units (CPU) and graphical processing unit (GPU) through the same code base, with full support for distributed architectures. On CPU, Veros is able to match the performance of a Fortran reference, both on a single process and on hundreds of CPU cores. On GPU, we find that each device can replace dozens to hundreds of CPU cores, at a fraction of the energy consumption. We demonstrate the viability of using GPUs for earth system modeling by integrating a global 0.1° eddy‐resolving setup in single precision, where we achieve 1.3 model years per day on a single compute instance with 16 GPUs, comparable to over 2,000 Fortran processes.
Alpha-(1,6)-fucosyltransferase (FUT8) affects the survival strategy of osteosarcoma by remodeling TNF/NF-κB2 signaling
Authors: Lin Shanyi , Zhou Lenian , Dong Yang , Yang Qingcheng , Yang Quanjun , Jin Hanqiang , Yuan Ting , Zhou Shumin
Published: December 2021

Glycosylation is an important modification of membrane proteins that results in functional changes in many cellular activities, from cell-cell recognition to regulatory signaling. Fucosyltransferase 8 (FUT8) is the sole enzyme responsible for core fucosylation, and aberrant fucosylation by dysregulated expression of fucosyltransferases is responsible for the growth of various types of carcinomas. However, the function of FUT8 in the progress of osteosarcoma (OS) has not been reported. In this study, we found that FUT8 is expressed at lower levels in patients with OS and in human OS cell lines such as MNNG/HOS, U2OS, and 143B, suggesting that attenuated expression of FUT8 is involved in the growth and progression of OS. Mechanistically, FUT8 affects the survival strategy of OS by modifying core-fucosylation levels of TNF receptors (TNFRs). Lower fucosylation of TNFRs activates the non-canonical NF-κB signaling pathway, and in turn, decreases mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in OS cells. Together, our results point to FUT8 being a negative regulator of OS that enhances OS-cell apoptosis and suggests a novel therapeutic strategy for treating OS.
Dynamic prostate cancer transcriptome analysis delineates the trajectory to disease progression
Authors: Bolis Marco , Bossi Daniela , Vallerga Arianna , Ceserani Valentina , Cavalli Manuela , Impellizzieri Daniela , Di Rito Laura , Zoni Eugenio , Mosole Simone , Elia Angela Rita , Rinaldi Andrea , Pereira Mestre Ricardo , D’Antonio Eugenia , Ferrari Matteo , Stoffel Flavio , Jermini Fernando , Gillessen Silke , Bubendorf Lukas , Schraml Peter , Calcinotto Arianna , Corey Eva , Moch Holger , Spahn Martin , Thalmann George , Kruithof-de Julio Marianna , Rubin Mark A. , Theurillat Jean-Philippe P.
Published: December 2021

Comprehensive genomic studies have delineated key driver mutations linked to disease progression for most cancers. However, corresponding transcriptional changes remain largely elusive because of the bias associated with cross-study analysis. Here, we overcome these hurdles and generate a comprehensive prostate cancer transcriptome atlas that describes the roadmap to tumor progression in a qualitative and quantitative manner. Most cancers follow a uniform trajectory characterized by upregulation of polycomb-repressive-complex-2, G2-M checkpoints, and M2 macrophage polarization. Using patient-derived xenograft models, we functionally validate our observations and add single-cell resolution. Thereby, we show that tumor progression occurs through transcriptional adaption rather than a selection of pre-existing cancer cell clusters. Moreover, we determine at the single-cell level how inhibition of EZH2 - the top upregulated gene along the trajectory – reverts tumor progression and macrophage polarization. Finally, a user-friendly web-resource is provided enabling the investigation of dynamic transcriptional perturbations linked to disease progression.
Ezh2 is essential for the generation of functional yolk sac derived erythro-myeloid progenitors
Authors: Neo Wen Hao , Meng Yiran , Rodriguez-Meira Alba , Fadlullah Muhammad Z. H. , Booth Christopher A. G. , Azzoni Emanuele , Thongjuea Supat , de Bruijn Marella F. T. R. , Jacobsen Sten Eirik W. , Mead Adam J. , Lacaud Georges
Published: December 2021

Yolk sac (YS) hematopoiesis is critical for the survival of the embryo and a major source of tissue-resident macrophages that persist into adulthood. Yet, the transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of YS hematopoiesis remains poorly characterized. Here we report that the epigenetic regulator Ezh2 is essential for YS hematopoiesis but dispensable for subsequent aorta–gonad–mesonephros (AGM) blood development. Loss of EZH2 activity in hemogenic endothelium (HE) leads to the generation of phenotypically intact but functionally deficient erythro-myeloid progenitors (EMPs), while the generation of primitive erythroid cells is not affected. EZH2 activity is critical for the generation of functional EMPs at the onset of the endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition but subsequently dispensable. We identify a lack of Wnt signaling downregulation as the primary reason for the production of non-functional EMPs. Together, our findings demonstrate a critical and stage-specific role of Ezh2 in modulating Wnt signaling during the generation of EMPs from YS HE.
Catalytic flexibility of rice glycosyltransferase OsUGT91C1 for the production of palatable steviol glycosides
Authors: Zhang Jinzhu , Tang Minghai , Chen Yujie , Ke Dan , Zhou Jie , Xu Xinyu , Yang Wenxian , He Jianxiong , Dong Haohao , Wei Yuquan , Naismith James H. , Lin Yi , Zhu Xiaofeng , Cheng Wei
Published: December 2021

Steviol glycosides are the intensely sweet components of extracts from Stevia rebaudiana. These molecules comprise an invariant steviol aglycone decorated with variable glycans and could widely serve as a low-calorie sweetener. However, the most desirable steviol glycosides Reb D and Reb M, devoid of unpleasant aftertaste, are naturally produced only in trace amounts due to low levels of specific β (1–2) glucosylation in Stevia. Here, we report the biochemical and structural characterization of OsUGT91C1, a glycosyltransferase from Oryza sativa, which is efficient at catalyzing β (1–2) glucosylation. The enzyme’s ability to bind steviol glycoside substrate in three modes underlies its flexibility to catalyze β (1–2) glucosylation in two distinct orientations as well as β (1–6) glucosylation. Guided by the structural insights, we engineer this enzyme to enhance the desirable β (1–2) glucosylation, eliminate β (1–6) glucosylation, and obtain a promising catalyst for the industrial production of naturally rare but palatable steviol glycosides.
Global patterns of potential future plant diversity hidden in soil seed banks
Authors: Yang Xuejun , Baskin Carol C. , Baskin Jerry M. , Pakeman Robin J. , Huang Zhenying , Gao Ruiru , Cornelissen Johannes H. C.
Published: December 2021

Soil seed banks represent a critical but hidden stock for potential future plant diversity on Earth. Here we compiled and analyzed a global dataset consisting of 15,698 records of species diversity and density for soil seed banks in natural plant communities worldwide to quantify their environmental determinants and global patterns. Random forest models showed that absolute latitude was an important predictor for diversity of soil seed banks. Further, climate and soil were the major determinants of seed bank diversity, while net primary productivity and soil characteristics were the main predictors of seed bank density. Moreover, global mapping revealed clear spatial patterns for soil seed banks worldwide; for instance, low densities may render currently species-rich low latitude biomes (such as tropical rain-forests) less resilient to major disturbances. Our assessment provides quantitative evidence of how environmental conditions shape the distribution of soil seed banks, which enables a more accurate prediction of the resilience and vulnerabilities of plant communities and biomes under global changes.
Mapping the temporal and spatial dynamics of the human endometrium in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Garcia-Alonso Luz , Handfield Louis-François , Roberts Kenny , Nikolakopoulou Konstantina , Fernando Ridma C. , Gardner Lucy , Woodhams Benjamin , Arutyunyan Anna , Polanski Krzysztof , Hoo Regina , Sancho-Serra Carmen , Li Tong , Kwakwa Kwasi , Tuck Elizabeth , Lorenzi Valentina , Massalha Hassan , Prete Martin , Kleshchevnikov Vitalii , Tarkowska Aleksandra , Porter Tarryn , Mazzeo Cecilia Icoresi , van Dongen Stijn , Dabrowska Monika , Vaskivskyi Vasyl , Mahbubani Krishnaa T. , Park Jong-eun , Jimenez-Linan Mercedes , Campos Lia , Kiselev Vladimir Yu. , Lindskog Cecilia , Ayuk Paul , Prigmore Elena , Stratton Michael R. , Saeb-Parsy Kourosh , Moffett Ashley , Moore Luiza , Bayraktar Omer A. , Teichmann Sarah A. , Turco Margherita Y. , Vento-Tormo Roser
Published: December 2021

The endometrium, the mucosal lining of the uterus, undergoes dynamic changes throughout the menstrual cycle in response to ovarian hormones. We have generated dense single-cell and spatial reference maps of the human uterus and three-dimensional endometrial organoid cultures. We dissect the signaling pathways that determine cell fate of the epithelial lineages in the lumenal and glandular microenvironments. Our benchmark of the endometrial organoids reveals the pathways and cell states regulating differentiation of the secretory and ciliated lineages both in vivo and in vitro. In vitro downregulation of WNT or NOTCH pathways increases the differentiation efficiency along the secretory and ciliated lineages, respectively. We utilize our cellular maps to deconvolute bulk data from endometrial cancers and endometriotic lesions, illuminating the cell types dominating in each of these disorders. These mechanistic insights provide a platform for future development of treatments for common conditions including endometriosis and endometrial carcinoma.
A cortical circuit for audio-visual predictions
Authors: Garner Aleena R. , Keller Georg B.
Published: December 2021

Learned associations between stimuli in different sensory modalities can shape the way we perceive these stimuli. However, it is not well understood how these interactions are mediated or at what level of the processing hierarchy they occur. Here we describe a neural mechanism by which an auditory input can shape visual representations of behaviorally relevant stimuli through direct interactions between auditory and visual cortices in mice. We show that the association of an auditory stimulus with a visual stimulus in a behaviorally relevant context leads to experience-dependent suppression of visual responses in primary visual cortex (V1). Auditory cortex axons carry a mixture of auditory and retinotopically matched visual input to V1, and optogenetic stimulation of these axons selectively suppresses V1 neurons that are responsive to the associated visual stimulus after, but not before, learning. Our results suggest that cross-modal associations can be communicated by long-range cortical connections and that, with learning, these cross-modal connections function to suppress responses to predictable input.
Multiscale interactome analysis coupled with off-target drug predictions reveals drug repurposing candidates for human coronavirus disease
Authors: Sugiyama Michael G. , Cui Haotian , Redka Dar’ya S. , Karimzadeh Mehran , Rujas Edurne , Maan Hassaan , Hayat Sikander , Cheung Kyle , Misra Rahul , McPhee Joseph B. , Viirre Russell D. , Haller Andrew , Botelho Roberto J. , Karshafian Raffi , Sabatinos Sarah A. , Fairn Gregory D. , Madani Tonekaboni Seyed Ali , Windemuth Andreas , Julien Jean-Philippe , Shahani Vijay , MacKinnon Stephen S. , Wang Bo , Antonescu Costin N.
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for the identification of new antiviral drug therapies for a variety of diseases. COVID-19 is caused by infection with the human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, while other related human coronaviruses cause diseases ranging from severe respiratory infections to the common cold. We developed a computational approach to identify new antiviral drug targets and repurpose clinically-relevant drug compounds for the treatment of a range of human coronavirus diseases. Our approach is based on graph convolutional networks (GCN) and involves multiscale host-virus interactome analysis coupled to off-target drug predictions. Cell-based experimental assessment reveals several clinically-relevant drug repurposing candidates predicted by the in silico analyses to have antiviral activity against human coronavirus infection. In particular, we identify the MET inhibitor capmatinib as having potent and broad antiviral activity against several coronaviruses in a MET-independent manner, as well as novel roles for host cell proteins such as IRAK1/4 in supporting human coronavirus infection, which can inform further drug discovery studies.
An Italian dinosaur Lagerstätte reveals the tempo and mode of hadrosauriform body size evolution
Authors: Chiarenza Alfio Alessandro , Fabbri Matteo , Consorti Lorenzo , Muscioni Marco , Evans David C. , Cantalapiedra Juan L. , Fanti Federico
Published: December 2021

During the latest Cretaceous, the European Archipelago was characterized by highly fragmented landmasses hosting putative dwarfed, insular dinosaurs, claimed as fossil evidence of the “island rule”. The Villaggio del Pescatore quarry (north-eastern Italy) stands as the most informative locality within the palaeo-Mediterranean region and represents the first, multi-individual Konservat-Lagerstätte type dinosaur-bearing locality in Italy. The site is here critically re-evaluated as early Campanian in age, thus preceding the final fragmentation stages of the European Archipelago, including all other European localities preserving hypothesized dwarfed taxa. New skeletal remains allowed osteohistological analyses on the hadrosauroid Tethyshadros insularis indicating subadult features in the type specimen whereas a second, herein newly described, larger individual is likely somatically mature. A phylogenetic comparative framework places the body-size of T. insularis in range with other non-hadrosaurid Eurasian hadrosauroids, rejecting any significant evolutionary trend towards miniaturisation in this clade, confuting its ‘pygmy’ status, and providing unmatched data to infer environmentally-driven body-size trends in Mesozoic dinosaurs.
A plasmonic gold nanofilm-based microfluidic chip for rapid and inexpensive droplet-based photonic PCR
Authors: Jalili Abbas , Bagheri Maryam , Shamloo Amir , Kazemipour Ashkezari Amir Hossein
Published: December 2021

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a powerful tool for nucleic acid amplification and quantification. However, long thermocycling time is a major limitation of the commercial PCR devices in the point-of-care (POC). Herein, we have developed a rapid droplet-based photonic PCR (dpPCR) system, including a gold (Au) nanofilm-based microfluidic chip and a plasmonic photothermal cycler. The chip is fabricated by adding mineral oil to uncured polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to suppress droplet evaporation in PDMS microfluidic chips during PCR thermocycling. A PDMS to gold bonding technique using a double-sided adhesive tape is applied to enhance the bonding strength between the oil-added PDMS and the gold nanofilm. Moreover, the gold nanofilm excited by two light-emitting diodes (LEDs) from the top and bottom sides of the chip provides fast heating of the PCR sample to 230 °C within 100 s. Such a design enables 30 thermal cycles from 60 to 95 °C within 13 min with the average heating and cooling rates of 7.37 ± 0.27 °C/s and 1.91 ± 0.03 °C/s, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate successful PCR amplification of the alcohol oxidase (AOX) gene using the rapid plasmonic photothermal cycler and exhibit the great performance of the microfluidic chip for droplet-based PCR.
Fractal grid-induced turbulence strength characterization via piezoelectric thin-film flapping velocimetry
Authors: Lee Ted Sian , Ooi Ean Hin , Chang Wei Sea , Foo Ji Jinn
Published: December 2021

The centerline streamwise and cross-sectional (x/Dh = 0.425) turbulence characteristics of a 2D planar space-filling square-fractal-grid (SFG) composed of self-similar patterns superimposed at multiple length-scales is experimentally unveiled via piezoelectric thin-film flapping velocimetry (PTFV). The fluid–structure-interaction between a flexible piezoelectric thin-film and SFG-generated turbulent flow at ReDh = 4.1 × 104 is investigated by analysis of the thin-film’s mechanical response. Measurements of the thin-film-tip deflection δ and induced voltage V demonstrate increasing flow fluctuation strength in the turbulence generation region, followed by rapid decay further downstream of the SFG. Interestingly, SFG-induced turbulence enables the generation of maximum centerline thin-film’s response (Vrms, δrms) and millinewton turbulence-forcing (turbulence-induced excitation force acting on the thin-film) Frms which are respectively, 7× and 2× larger than the classical square-regular-grid of similar blockage ratio. The low frequency, large-scale energy-containing eddies at SFG’s central opening plays a critical role in driving the thin-film vibration. Most importantly, the SFG-generated turbulence at (y/T = 0.106, z/T = 0.125) away from the centerline allows equivalent mechanical characteristics of turbulence generation and decay, with peak of 1.9× nearer from grid. In short, PTFV provides a unique expression of the SFG-generated turbulence, of which, the equivalent turbulence length-scale and induced-forcing deduced could aid in deciphering the flow dynamics for effective turbulence management.
Bone density and genomic analysis unfold cold adaptation mechanisms of ancient inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego
Authors: Watanabe Mikiko , Risi Renata , Tafuri Mary Anne , Silvestri Valentina , D’Andrea Daniel , Raimondo Domenico , Rea Sandra , Di Vincenzo Fabio , Profico Antonio , Tuccinardi Dario , Sciuto Rosa , Basciani Sabrina , Mariani Stefania , Lubrano Carla , Cinti Saverio , Ottini Laura , Manzi Giorgio , Gnessi Lucio
Published: December 2021

The Fuegians, ancient inhabitants of Tierra del Fuego, are an exemplary case of a cold-adapted population, since they were capable of living in extreme climatic conditions without any adequate clothing. However, the mechanisms of their extraordinary resistance to cold remain enigmatic. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) plays a crucial role in this kind of adaptation, besides having a protective role on the detrimental effect of low temperatures on bone structure. Skeletal remains of 12 adult Fuegians, collected in the second half of XIX century, were analyzed for bone mineral density and structure. We show that, despite the unfavorable climate, bone mineral density of Fuegians was close to that seen in modern humans living in temperate zones. Furthermore, we report significant differences between Fuegians and other cold-adapted populations in the frequency of the Homeobox protein Hox-C4 (HOXC4) rs190771160 variant, a gene involved in BAT differentiation, whose identified variant is predicted to upregulate HOXC4 expression. Greater BAT accumulation might therefore explain the Fuegians extreme cold-resistance and the protection against major cold-related damage. These results increase our understanding of how ecological challenges have been important drivers of human–environment interactions during Humankind history.
A new metal-free near-infrared fluorescent probe based on nitrofuran for the detection and bioimaging of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 in vivo
Authors: Tang Xiaojie , Li Zhao , Li Yangxiong , Zhang Yuan , Wang Qiuyue , Zhang Chengxiao
Published: December 2021

A new metal-free near-infrared fluorescent probe based on IR-780 is designed and applied for the imaging and detection of carbon monoxide releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) in paper chips, living cells, zebrafish and mice.
Target-driven assembly of DNAzyme probes for simultaneous electrochemical detection of multiplex microRNAs
Authors: Lin Qitian , Wu Junye , Jiang Lili , Kong Dexian , Xing Chao , Lu Chunhua
Published: December 2021

In this work, we employed target-driven assembly of a Mg2+-dependent DNAzyme to develop an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for the simultaneous detection of miRNA-21 and miRNA-141.
Electrosynthesis of S-thiocarbamates with disulfides as a sulfur source
Authors: Liu Xiaoying , Cai Tian-Cheng , Guo Dingyi , Nong Zhibin , Yang Yujie , Li Qiang , Jiang Hongmei , Liu Xingru , Gui Qing-Wen
Published: December 2021

An electrochemical oxidative synthesis of S-thiocarbamates via a three-component coupling reaction (disulfide, water and isocyanide) is developed, which avoids the use of external oxidants and generates only hydrogen gas as the by-product.
Michler's ethylketone as a novel negative-ion matrix for the enhancement of lipid MALDI tissue imaging
Authors: Shi Yiyang , Hu Hao , Hao Qichen , Wu Ran , Wang Lei , Qin Liang , Gu Wei , Liu Haiqiang , Jiang Dongxu , Hong Liya , Zhou Yijun , Liu Xiangyi , Feng Jinchao , Xue Kun , Wang Xiaodong
Published: December 2021

MEK (Michler's ethylketone), also named 4,4′-bis(diethylamino)benzophenone, was reported as a novel and powerful (−)MALDI matrix for lipid tissue imaging.
Quickstart guide to model structures and interactions of artificial molecular muscles with efficient computational methods
Authors: Kohn Julia , Spicher Sebastian , Bursch Markus , Grimme Stefan
Published: December 2021

Artificial molecular muscles are of interest in the nanosciences but their theoretical treatment is demanding. We present a standardized protocol on how to obtain reliable structures and free energies applying GFN quantum chemistry methods.
Ligand-controlled cobalt-catalyzed remote hydroboration and alkene isomerization of allylic siloxanes
Authors: Zhao Pei , Huang Jiaxin , Li Jie , Zhang Kezhuo , Yang Wen , Zhao Wanxiang
Published: December 2021

The Co-catalyzed remote hydroboration and alkene isomerization of allylic siloxanes were realized by a ligand-controlled strategy. The remote hydroboration with dcype provided borylethers, while xantphos favored the formation of silyl enol ethers.
Synthesis of a novel chiral DA-TD covalent organic framework for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography enantioseparation
Authors: Wang Guoxiu , Lv Wenjuan , Pan Congjie , Chen Hongli , Chen Xingguo
Published: December 2021

A novel chiral covalent organic framework (CCOF), DA-TD COF, with good chemical/thermal stability was synthesized and acts as a chiral stationary phase for open-tubular capillary electrochromatography enantioseparation.
A multifaceted application of designed coulomb explosion occurring on oxidized topological crystalline insulator SnTe
Authors: Zhang Guofeng , Chen Jianbin
Published: December 2021

Multifaceted application of designed coulomb explosion process occurred on the SnTe@oxide experimental model.
Polymorphism and distinct physicochemical properties of the phloretin–nicotinamide cocrystal
Authors: Aitipamula Srinivasulu , Shan Loke Pei , Gupta Krishna M.
Published: December 2021

Two novel polymorphs of a cocrystal involving phloretin and nicotinamide were identified and found where the polymorphs show distinct crystal structures, photoluminescence, and dissolution rates.
The excited-state dynamics of the radical anions of cyanoanthracenes
Authors: Beckwith Joseph S. , Aster Alexander , Vauthey Eric
Published: December 2021

The excited-state lifetime of the radical anion of cyanoanthracenes in liquids is at least three orders of magnitude shorter than previously deduced from indirect measurements. This limits their application in photoredox catalysis.
Theoretical study and application of 2-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives with optical and inhibitory activity against SHP1
Authors: Zhang Chun , Sun Yi-Tao , Gao Li-Xin , Feng Bo , Yan Xue , Guo Xue-Hui , Ren Ai-Min , Zhou Yu-Bo , Li Jia , Wang Wen-Long
Published: December 2021

This work offered a fluorescent and activated molecule PT10 against SHP1 firstly, which achieved the integration of visualization and inhibitory activity against SHP1 in enzyme molecular level.
Biobased furanic derivatives for sustainable development
Authors: Guigo Nathanael , Jérome François , Sousa Andreia F.
Published: December 2021

This themed issue includes a collection of articles on biobased furanic derivatives for sustainable development.
Towards highly active heterogeneous catalysts via a sequential noncovalent bonding strategy
Authors: Wang Ruixue , Yue Ying , Wei Huiying , Guo Jinxin , Yang Yanzhao
Published: December 2021

The synthesis strategy of Cu/CeO2 and Pd–Cu/CeO2 nanocatalysts.
Nano-flower S-scheme heterojunction NiAl-LDH/MoS2 for enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen production
Authors: Liu Xinyu , Xu Jing , Ma Lijun , Liu Ye , Hu Linying
Published: December 2021

The construction of heterojunctions can effectively improve the electron transport rate and photocatalytic activity.
Ratiometric fluorescence immunoassay based on MnO2–o-phenylenediamine–fluorescent carbon nanodots for the detection of α-fetoprotein via fluorescence resonance energy transfer
Authors: Liu Wenwen , Kang Qing , Wang Pengcheng , Zhou Feimeng
Published: December 2021

The ratiometric fluorescence immunoassay based on MnO2–o-phenylenediamine–fluorescent carbon nanodots is superior to the traditional single-wavelength-based method.
Coordination behaviour of a hybrid phosphinoguanidine ligand
Authors: Leitner Zdeněk , Císařová Ivana , Štěpnička Petr
Published: December 2021

A triphenylphosphine derivative equipped with a guanidine substituent in the ortho position readily forms P,N-chelate complexes with Pd(ii) and Pt(ii); however, the coordination of the guanidine moiety can be blocked by protonation.
Chiral diphenylacrylonitrile–perylene liquid crystal with circularly polarized luminescence in the aggregated state
Authors: Guo Hongyu , Wang Xue , Zhou Wenchao , Yang Fafu
Published: December 2021

Novel chiral diphenylacrylonitrile–perylene liquid crystal with excellent CPL propertyin aggregated state was reported.
Correction: Epitaxial growth of β-Ga2O3 (−201) thin film on four-fold symmetry CeO2 (001) substrate for heterogeneous integrations
Authors: Tang Xiao , Li Kuang-Hui , Liao Che-Hao , Zheng Dongxing , Liu Chen , Lin Rongyu , Xiao Na , Krishna Shibin , Tauboada Jose , Li Xiaohang
Published: December 2021

Correction for ‘Epitaxial growth of β-Ga2O3 (−201) thin film on four-fold symmetry CeO2 (001) substrate for heterogeneous integrations’ by Xiao Tang et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 15868–15876, DOI: 10.1039/D1TC02852A.
How a cell decides its own fate: a single-cell view of molecular mechanisms and dynamics of cell-type specification
Authors: Mircea Maria , Semrau Stefan
Published: December 2021

On its path from a fertilized egg to one of the many cell types in a multicellular organism, a cell turns the blank canvas of its early embryonic state into a molecular profile fine-tuned to achieve a vital organismal function. This remarkable transformation emerges from the interplay between dynamically changing external signals, the cell's internal, variable state, and tremendously complex molecular machinery; we are only beginning to understand. Recently developed single-cell omics techniques have started to provide an unprecedented, comprehensive view of the molecular changes during cell-type specification and promise to reveal the underlying gene regulatory mechanism. The exponentially increasing amount of quantitative molecular data being created at the moment is slated to inform predictive, mathematical models. Such models can suggest novel ways to manipulate cell types experimentally, which has important biomedical applications. This review is meant to give the reader a starting point to participate in this exciting phase of molecular developmental biology. We first introduce some of the principal molecular players involved in cell-type specification and discuss the important organizing ability of biomolecular condensates, which has been discovered recently. We then review some of the most important single-cell omics methods and relevant findings they produced. We devote special attention to the dynamics of the molecular changes and discuss methods to measure them, most importantly lineage tracing. Finally, we introduce a conceptual framework that connects all molecular agents in a mathematical model and helps us make sense of the experimental data.
Viscoelastic properties of epithelial cells
Authors: Janshoff Andreas
Published: December 2021

Epithelial cells form tight barriers that line both the outer and inner surfaces of organs and cavities and therefore face diverse environmental challenges. The response to these challenges relies on the cells’ dynamic viscoelastic properties, playing a pivotal role in many biological processes such as adhesion, growth, differentiation, and motility. Therefore, the cells usually adapt their viscoelastic properties to mirror the environment that determines their fate and vitality. Albeit not a high-throughput method, atomic force microscopy is still among the dominating methods to study the mechanical properties of adherent cells since it offers a broad range of forces from Piconewtons to Micronewtons at biologically significant time scales. Here, some recent work of deformation studies on epithelial cells is reviewed with a focus on viscoelastic models suitable to describe force cycle measurements congruent with the architecture of the actin cytoskeleton. The prominent role of the cortex in the cell’s response to external forces is discussed also in the context of isolated cortex extracts on porous surfaces.
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens to decrease the efficacy of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines
Authors: Murano Kensaku , Guo Youjia , Siomi Haruhiko
Published: December 2021

The novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As of August 2021, more than 200 million people have been infected with the virus and 4.3 million have lost their lives. Various monoclonal antibodies of human origin that neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 infection have been isolated from convalescent patients for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. Several vaccines have been developed to restrict the spread of the virus and have been rapidly administered. However, the rollout of vaccines has coincided with the spread of variants of concern. Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 present new challenges for therapeutic antibodies and threaten the efficacy of current vaccines. Here, we review the problems faced by neutralizing antibodies and vaccines in the midst of the increasing spread of mutant viruses.
A BiLSTM cardinality estimator in complex database systems based on attention mechanism
Authors: Zhou Qiang , Yang Guoping , Song Haiquan , Guo Jin , Zhang Yadong , Wei Shengjie , Qu Lulu , Gutierrez Louis Alberto , Qiao Shaojie
Published: December 2021

An excellent cardinality estimation can make the query optimiser produce a good execution plan. Although there are some studies on cardinality estimation, the prediction results of existing cardinality estimators are inaccurate and the query efficiency cannot be guaranteed as well. In particular, they are difficult to accurately obtain the complex relationships between multiple tables in complex database systems. When dealing with complex queries, the existing cardinality estimators cannot achieve good results. In this study, a novel cardinality estimator is proposed. It uses the core techniques with the BiLSTM network structure and adds the attention mechanism. First, the columns involved in the query statements in the training set are sampled and compressed into bitmaps. Then, the Word2vec model is used to embed the word vectors about the query statements. Finally, the BiLSTM network and attention mechanism are employed to deal with word vectors. The proposed model takes into consideration not only the correlation between tables but also the processing of complex predicates. Extensive experiments and the evaluation of BiLSTM‐Attention Cardinality Estimator (BACE) on the IMDB datasets are conducted. The results show that the deep learning model can significantly improve the quality of cardinality estimation, which is a vital role in query optimisation for complex databases.
Linear modelling of series FACTS devices in power system operation models
Authors: Rui Xinyang , Sahraei‐Ardakani Mostafa , Nudell Thomas R.
Published: December 2021

This paper presents injection‐shift‐factor‐based linear modelling for various types of series flexible ac transmission system (FACTS) devices within the DC power flow framework. The presented models allow FACTS devices to be properly integrated in current operation and planning software tools, which is key to harnessing the power flow capabilities provided by FACTS technology. Although recent literature has attempted to develop linear models for FACTS devices, the existing models do not accurately reflect the actual operating range for many FACTS devices. Compared to the existing models, the modelling approach presented here reflects the principle of operation of each type of series FACTS device in adjusting transmission line reactance. Through mathematical derivation, linear constraints for FACTS operation are formulated, which are used to formulate power system operation models. The formulated problems are then analysed through simulation studies on various test systems. The results highlight the significant computational efficiency improvements provided by linear FACTS modelling in DC‐based operation models.
Mechanism on improved surface flashover performances in vacuum of epoxy resin using fluorocarbon plasma treatment
Authors: Chen Sile , Cheng Tao , Chen Zhaoquan , Zhang Guanjun
Published: December 2021

To improve the insulation, strength of materials is a permanent topic in the fields of high voltage and insulation, and surface insulation is one of the difficulties. Research shows that the surface fluorination by a non‐equilibrium plasma is a promising method to enhance the surface flashover characteristics of insulating materials. However, the determinants of flashover characteristics are so many that the mechanism is not well known. This paper aims to find out the reasons for the surface insulation improvement and optimise the plasma process parameters. The epoxy resin surfaces are modified by a fluorocarbon plasma, and the flashover voltages in vacuum and secondary electron emission yield are tested experimentally. Combined with the state of the art and the authors' previous work, the mechanism of improved surface flashover performances is investigated in depth from three aspects: the plasma process parameters, the surface physical and chemical properties and the surface electrical performances. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanism is concluded, of which the whole processes from the plasma surface modification of materials to the surface insulation performances are taken into account. It is hopeful to promote the practical applications of plasma fluorination in electrical engineering through the findings of this paper.
Cyber‐physical description and CPS‐based pinning approach of mixed traffic
Authors: Liu Zhongcheng , Sun Dihua , Zhao Min , Zhao Hang , Wang Shihui , Liao Xiaoyong
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a cyber‐physical description of mixed traffic that can reflect the interaction between vehicles is first proposed. By treating vehicles as nodes and the cyber‐physical interaction between vehicles as directed edges between nodes, the network of vehicles in traffic is obtained. The small‐world and scale‐free characteristics of mixed traffic are found under this description. Then the CPS‐based pinning approach for achieving indirect control of HVs is proposed. Besides the control algorithm of pinning nodes, the impact of the spatial distribution of automated vehicles on traffic is studied. The approach is compatible with the existing control of automated vehicle in mixed vehicle platoon. Numerical simulation results under three‐lane scenario illustrated the effectiveness of the proposed pinning approach.