bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Active layer dynamics drives a transition to biofilm fingering
Authors: Young Ellen , Melaugh Gavin , Allen Rosalind J.
Published: April 2023

The emergence of spatial organisation in biofilm growth is one of the most fundamental topics in biofilm biophysics and microbiology. It has long been known that growing biofilms can adopt smooth or rough interface morphologies, depending on the balance between nutrient supply and microbial growth; this ‘fingering’ transition has been linked with the average width of the ‘active layer’ of growing cells at the biofilm interface. Here we use long-time individual-based simulations of growing biofilms to investigate in detail the driving factors behind the biofilm-fingering transition. We show that the transition is associated with dynamical changes in the active layer. Fingering happens when gaps form in the active layer, which can cause local parts of the biofilm interface to pin, or become stationary relative to the moving front. Pinning can be transient or permanent, leading to different biofilm morphologies. By constructing a phase diagram for the transition, we show that the controlling factor is the magnitude of the relative fluctuations in the active layer thickness, rather than the active layer thickness per se. Taken together, our work suggests a central role for active layer dynamics in controlling the pinning of the biofilm interface and hence biofilm morphology.
The MRN complex maintains the biliary-derived hepatocytes in liver regeneration through ATR-Chk1 pathway
Authors: Song Jingmei , Ma Jianlong , Liu Xing , Huang Zhuofu , Li Lianghui , Li Linke , Luo Lingfei , Ni Rui , He Jianbo
Published: April 2023

When the proliferation of residual hepatocytes is prohibited, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) transdifferentiate into nascent hepatocytes to accomplish liver regeneration. Despite significant interest in transdifferentiation, little is known about the maintenance of nascent hepatocytes in post-injured environments. Here, we perform an N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) forward genetic screen and identify a mutant containing a nonsense mutation in the gene nibrin (nbn), which encodes a component of the Mre11-Rad50-Nbn (MRN) complex that activates DNA damage response (DDR). The regenerated hepatocytes cannot be maintained and exhibit apoptosis in the mutant. Mechanistically, the nbn mutation results in the abrogation of ATR-Chk1 signaling and accumulations of DNA damage in nascent hepatocytes, which eventually induces p53-mediated apoptosis. Furthermore, loss of rad50 or mre11a shows similar phenotypes. This study reveals that the activation of DDR by the MRN complex is essential for the survival of BEC-derived hepatocytes, addressing how to maintain nascent hepatocytes in the post-injured environments.
Virtual-scanning light-field microscopy for robust snapshot high-resolution volumetric imaging
Authors: Lu Zhi , Liu Yu , Jin Manchang , Luo Xin , Yue Huanjing , Wang Zian , Zuo Siqing , Zeng Yunmin , Fan Jiaqi , Pang Yanwei , Wu Jiamin , Yang Jingyu , Dai Qionghai
Published: April 2023

High-speed three-dimensional (3D) intravital imaging in animals is useful for studying transient subcellular interactions and functions in health and disease. Light-field microscopy (LFM) provides a computational solution for snapshot 3D imaging with low phototoxicity but is restricted by low resolution and reconstruction artifacts induced by optical aberrations, motion and noise. Here, we propose virtual-scanning LFM (VsLFM), a physics-based deep learning framework to increase the resolution of LFM up to the diffraction limit within a snapshot. By constructing a 40 GB high-resolution scanning LFM dataset across different species, we exploit physical priors between phase-correlated angular views to address the frequency aliasing problem. This enables us to bypass hardware scanning and associated motion artifacts. Here, we show that VsLFM achieves ultrafast 3D imaging of diverse processes such as the beating heart in embryonic zebrafish, voltage activity in Drosophila brains and neutrophil migration in the mouse liver at up to 500 volumes per second.
A century and a half precipitation oxygen isoscape for China generated using data fusion and bias correction
Authors: Chen Jiacheng , Chen Jie , Zhang Xunchang J. , Peng Peiyi , Risi Camille
Published: April 2023

The precipitation oxygen isotopic composition is a useful environmental tracer for climatic and hydrological studies. However, accurate and high-resolution precipitation oxygen isoscapes are currently lacking in China. In this study, a precipitation oxygen isoscape in China for a period of 148 years is built by integrating observed and iGCMs-simulated isotope compositions using an optimal hybrid approach of three data fusion and two bias correction methods. The temporal and spatial resolutions of the isoscape are monthly and 50–60 km, respectively. Results show that the Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) fusion method performs the best (correlation coefficient larger than 0.95 and root mean square error smaller than 1‰), and the other two data fusion methods perform slightly better than the bias correction methods. Thus, the isoscape is generated by using the CNN fusion method for the common 1969–2007 period and by using the bias correction methods for remaining years. The generated isoscape, which shows similar spatio-temporal distributions to observations, is reliable and useful for providing strong support for tracking atmospheric and hydrological processes.
Forced-air prewarming prevents hypothermia during living donor liver transplantation: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Oh Eun Jung , Han Sangbin , Lee Sooyeon , Choi Eun Ah , Ko Justin S. , Gwak Mi Sook , Kim Gaab Soo
Published: April 2023

Despite various intraoperative thermal strategies, core heat loss is considerable during liver transplantation and hypothermia is common. We tested whether forced-air prewarming prevents hypothermia during liver transplantation. Adult patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation were randomly assigned to non-prewarming group (n = 20) or prewarming group (n = 20). Patients in prewarming group underwent 30-min forced-air warming before anesthetic induction. During surgery, core temperature was measured in the pulmonary artery. The primary outcome was intraoperative hypothermia (< 36.0 °C). The secondary outcomes included plasma lactate concentration. Intraoperative hypothermia risk was significantly lower in prewarming group than in non-prewarming group (60.0% vs. 95.0%, P = 0.020). The difference in hypothermia incidence between groups was greater in the post-induction phase (20.0% vs. 85.0%, P < 0.001) than in the anhepatic or post-reperfusion phase, suggesting that prewarming mainly acts on preventing post-induction core-to-peripheral heat redistribution. Hypothermia duration was significantly shorter in prewarming group (60 [0–221] min vs. 383 [108–426] min, P = 0.001). Lactate concentration decreased during 3 h after graft reperfusion in prewarming group, whereas it continuously increased in non-prewarming group (− 0.19 [− 0.48 to 0.13] mmol/L vs. 1.17 [3.31–0.77] mmol/L, P = 0.034). In conclusion, forced-air prewarming decreases the incidence and duration of intraoperative hypothermia with potential clinical benefit while mainly acting by preventing the core-to-peripheral heat redistribution.

Clinical trial registration: Registered at the Clinical Research Information Service (https://cris.nih.go.kr, [KCT0003230]) on 01/10/2018.
Prognostic factors and Doxorubicin involved in malignant progression of meningioma
Authors: Huo Xulei , Song Lairong , Wang Ke , Wang Hongyi , Li Da , Li Huan , Wang Wei , Wang Yali , Chen Lei , Zhao Zongmao , Wang Liang , Wu Zhen
Published: April 2023

Meningioma was the most primary intracranial tumor, but the molecular characteristics and the treatment of malignant meningioma were still unclear. Nine malignant progression-related genes based prognostic signatures were identified by transcriptome analysis between benign meningioma and malignant meningioma. The external dataset GEO136661 and quantitative Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction were used to verify the prognostic factors. has-miR-3605-5p, hsa-miR-664b-5p, PNRC2, BTBD8, EXTL2, SLFN13, DGKD, NSD2, and BVES were closed with malignant progression. Moreover, Doxorubicin was identified by Connectivity Map website with the differential malignant progression-related genes. CCK-8 assay, Edu assay, wound healing assay, and trans-well experiment were used to reveal that Doxorubicin could inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion of IOMM-Lee Cells.
Assessment of the tocolytic nifedipine in preclinical primary models of preterm birth
Authors: Arman Bridget M. , Binder Natalie K. , de Alwis Natasha , Beard Sally , Debruin Danielle A. , Hayes Alan , Tong Stephen , Kaitu’u-Lino Tu’uhevaha J. , Hannan Natalie J.
Published: April 2023

Spontaneous preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Tocolytics are drugs used in cases of imminent preterm birth to inhibit uterine contractions. Nifedipine is a calcium channel blocking agent used to delay threatened spontaneous preterm birth, however, has limited efficacy and lacks preclinical data regarding mechanisms of action. It is unknown if nifedipine affects the pro-inflammatory environment associated with preterm labour pathophysiology and we hypothesise nifedipine only targets myometrial contraction rather than also mitigating inflammation. We assessed anti-inflammatory and anti-contractile effects of nifedipine on human myometrium using in vitro and ex vivo techniques, and a mouse model of preterm birth. We show that nifedipine treatment inhibited contractions in myometrial in vitro contraction assays (P = 0.004 vs. vehicle control) and potently blocked spontaneous and oxytocin-induced contractions in ex vivo myometrial tissue in muscle myography studies (P = 0.01 vs. baseline). Nifedipine treatment did not reduce gene expression or protein secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in either cultured myometrial cells or ex vivo tissues. Although nifedipine could delay preterm birth in some mice, this was not consistent in all dams and was overall not statistically significant. Our data suggests nifedipine does not modulate preterm birth via inflammatory pathways in the myometrium, and this may account for its limited clinical efficacy.
Estimation of the depth of origin of fluids using noble gases in the surface sediments of submarine mud volcanoes off Tanegashima Island
Authors: Mitsutome Yuki , Toki Tomohiro , Kagoshima Takanori , Sano Yuji , Tomonaga Yama , Ijiri Akira
Published: April 2023

The helium isotope ratio (3He/4He), concentration ratio of neon-20 to helium-4 (20Ne/4He), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), and xenon (Xe) concentrations were measured in the porewater of surface sediments of several submarine mud volcanoes. From the 3He/4He values (0.18–0.93RA), the estimated He origin is almost 90% crustal He, with little contribution from mantle-derived He. The determined Ar, Kr, and Xe concentrations lie within the solubility equilibrium range expected for temperatures from 83 °C up to 230 °C and are consistent with the temperature range of the dehydration origin of clay minerals. Considering the geothermal gradient in the investigated region (25 °C/km), these gases are considered to have reached dissolution equilibrium at a depth of about 3.3 km to 9.2 km below the seafloor. As the depth of the plate boundary is 18 km below the seafloor, the noble gas signatures are likely to originate from the crust, not from the plate boundary. This is consistent with the results presented by the He isotope ratios.
Graph-BERT and language model-based framework for protein–protein interaction identification
Authors: Jha Kanchan , Karmakar Sourav , Saha Sriparna
Published: April 2023

Identification of protein–protein interactions (PPI) is among the critical problems in the domain of bioinformatics. Previous studies have utilized different AI-based models for PPI classification with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The input to these models is the features extracted from different sources of protein information, mainly sequence-derived features. In this work, we present an AI-based PPI identification model utilizing a PPI network and protein sequences. The PPI network is represented as a graph where each node is a protein pair, and an edge is defined between two nodes if there exists a common protein between these nodes. Each node in a graph has a feature vector. In this work, we have used the language model to extract feature vectors directly from protein sequences. The feature vectors for protein in pairs are concatenated and used as a node feature vector of a PPI network graph. Finally, we have used the Graph-BERT model to encode the PPI network graph with sequence-based features and learn the hidden representation of the feature vector for each node. The next step involves feeding the learned representations of nodes to the fully connected layer, the output of which is fed into the softmax layer to classify the protein interactions. To assess the efficacy of the proposed PPI model, we have performed experiments on several PPI datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach surpasses the existing PPI works and designed baselines in classifying PPI.
A temporal single cell transcriptome atlas of zebrafish anterior segment development
Authors: Vöcking Oliver , Famulski J. K.
Published: April 2023

Anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD), resulting in vision impairment, stems from maldevelopment of anterior segment (AS) tissues. Incidence of ASD has been linked to malfunction of periocular mesenchyme cells (POM). POM cells specify into anterior segment mesenchyme (ASM) cells which colonize and produce AS tissues. In this study we uncover ASM developmental trajectories associated with formation of the AS. Using a transgenic line of zebrafish that fluorescently labels the ASM throughout development, Tg[foxc1b:GFP], we isolated GFP+ ASM cells at several developmental timepoints (48–144 hpf) and performed single cell RNA sequencing. Clustering analysis indicates subdifferentiation of ASM as early as 48 hpf and subsequent diversification into corneal epithelium/endothelium/stroma, or annular ligament (AL) lineages. Tracking individual clusters reveals common developmental pathways, up to 72 hpf, for the AL and corneal endothelium/stroma and distinct pathways for corneal epithelium starting at 48 hpf. Spatiotemporal validation of over 80 genes found associated with AS development demonstrates a high degree of conservation with mammalian trabecular meshwork and corneal tissues. In addition, we characterize thirteen novel genes associated with annular ligament and seven with corneal development. Overall, the data provide a molecular verification of the long-standing hypothesis that POM derived ASM give rise to AS tissues and highlight the high degree of conservation between zebrafish and mammals.
Investigation of the body-centred tetragonal structure of Fe–Co–V–N Bulk foils using the rolling and ammonia-gas-nitriding method
Authors: Hasegawa Takashi
Published: April 2023

Improving the properties of permanent magnets is essential for the advancement of electric motors in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study investigated the effect of V and N addition to FeCo foils on the stability of tetragonally distorted FeCo-based bulk magnets. The incorporation of these two elements stabilised the body-centred tetragonal structure in thin-film and bulk systems. Fe–Co–V ingots were rolled and nitrided by ammonia gas at 650 °C for 5 h. A body-centred tetragonal lattice with an axial ratio of c/a ≈ 1.1 was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the collected data suggested the induction of a large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. This study is expected to improve our understanding of rare-earth-free magnets.
Self-isolated MIMO antenna using mixed coupling by close coupling technique
Authors: Singh Harsh Verdhan , Prasad D. Venkata Siva , Tripathi Shrivishal
Published: April 2023

A self-isolated multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna in a compact shared ground structure is proposed for 5G systems. The proposed MIMO antenna consists of customized M-pattern, closely coupled members. It benefits to attain good isolation of the targeted bandwidth transversely without additional de-coupling structures. It is discovered that the arm of M-pattern antenna members can cancel out the coupling on the system and achieve sound isolation among antenna members. A relevant matching circuit model is discussed to show how the suggested theory works in principle. The mixed couplings among antenna members neutralize by modifying the antenna shape with the help of electric and magnetic coupling and surface currents. The proposed self-isolated 2-member MIMO antenna demonstrates sound isolation superior to 15 dB transversely in the frequency bands dedicated to 5G NR: n48/n78 and long-term evolution (LTE) band 42/43/48/52 (3.2–3.98 GHz). Moreover, the proposed 2-member design structure has a scalability advantage. It is extended into an 8-members structure, where a pair of antennas located at each side of the frame offers orthogonality. The proposed 8-members M-pattern MIMO is validated using fabricated and simulated measurements. The investigational results show that the 8-members MIMO (M-shaped) system is effective in higher order MIMO antenna design and offers more than 20 dB isolation transversely in the frequency band 5G NR n48 and LTE band 42/43/52(3.29–3.66 GHz).
Effects of left anodal transcranial direct current stimulation on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity in depression: a randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Pedraz-Petrozzi Bruno , Sardinha Helena , Gilles Maria , Deuschle Michael
Published: April 2023

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of left anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (HPAA) activity in individuals with depression. We conducted a 3-week, randomized, triple-blind pilot trial with 47 participants (dropout rate: 14.89%) randomly assigned to either the tDCS or control group (sham stimulation). Salivary cortisol was used as an HPAA activity marker since cortisol is the effector hormone of the HPAA. The primary outcome was the effect of tDCS on the diurnal cortisol pattern (DCP and area under the curve with respect to ground -AUCg-). Secondary outcomes included tDCS effects on cortisol awakening response (CAR) and cortisol decline (CD), as well as the variation of cortisol concentrations between the initiation of tDCS and 2 weeks later. Intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were conducted. Our primary outcome showed an absent effect of tDCS on DCP and AUCg. Additionally, tDCS had an absent effect on CAR, CD, and cortisol concentration variation before-after stimulation. Our pilot study suggests that anodal tDCS showed an absent effect on HPAA activity in individuals with depression. More studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Monte Carlo simulations of synchrotron X-ray dose affecting root growth during in vivo tomographic imaging
Authors: Moraes Isabela C. , Hesterberg Dean , Bacchim Neto Fernando A. , Archilha Nathaly L. , Pérez Carlos A. , Araújo Maria Victória A. , Ferreira Talita R.
Published: April 2023

Synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (XCT) has been increasingly applied to study the in vivo dynamics of root growth and rhizosphere processes. However, minimizing radiation-induced damage to root growth warrants further investigation. Our objective was to develop a robust approach for modeling and evaluating ways to reduce synchrotron X-ray dose effects on root growth during in vivo imaging. Wheat roots growing in soil were exposed to X-rays during XCT experiments resolved in space (3D) plus time (4D). The dose rate and cumulative absorbed dose in roots were modelled using the Monte Carlo code FLUKA for different experimental conditions of polychromatic and quasi-monochromatic X-ray beam configurations. The most impactful factors affecting damage to roots were incident X-ray energy spectrum, stored current in the accelerator machine, position of the root in the soil, and possibly the number of exposures during the 4D XCT experiments. Our results imply that radiation dose during in vivo imaging of plant roots can be diminished by using monochromatic radiation at the highest energy suitable for a given sample thickness and field of view, and by controlling the rotation axis of off-centered roots to increase attenuation of radiation by the soil matrix.
Ketorolac modulates Rac-1/HIF-1α/DDX3/β-catenin signalling via a tumor suppressor prostate apoptosis response-4 (Par-4) in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Sonawane Vinay , Ghosalkar Jeevan , Achrekar Swati , Joshi Kalpana
Published: April 2023

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most difficult-to-treat form of kidney cancer with a median 5-year survival of 10% under metastatic setting. In RCC, although cytoreductive nephrectomy is common, approximately 20–30% of patients will develop recurrent cancer after surgery, which highlights the need for an effective therapy. Rho-GTPases viz, Rac-1 and Cdc42 are the central regulators of cancer cell migration and invasion and thus metastasis in multiple cancer types. Hence, we elucidated the role of Ketorolac, a modulator Rho-GTPases against RCC through potentiation of tumor suppressor Par-4. The effect of Ketorolac alone and in combination on proliferation, apoptosis, cell-cycle progression, migration, tumor inhibition and their related markers were studied. Moreover, Ketorolac’s impact on metastasis by influencing Rac-1/HIF-1α/DDX3/β-catenin signalling was studied with respect to its ability to modulate the expression of tumor suppressor Par-4, and this mechanism was confirmed by siRNA knockdown studies. Ketorolac induced cytotoxicity in a panel of renal cells including patient derived tumor cells with IC50 2.8 to 9.02 mM and 0.28 to 3.8 mM in monolayer and anchorage independent clonogenic assays respectively. Ketorolac caused significant down regulation of proliferation (Ki-67, Cyclin D1, pRB and DDX3), migration/invasion (Rac-1, Cdc42, and Tiam1), and angiogenesis (HIF-1α and VEGF) markers as studied by gene and protein expression. Moreover, it caused a significant upregulation of tumor suppressor Par-4 known to be downregulated in RCC. This mechanism was further confirmed by using siRNA knockdown studies where we could demonstrate a negative relation between the expression of Par-4 and Rac-1/Cdc42. Importantly, Ketorolac alone and in combination with Sunitinib showed tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of 73% and 86% respectively in xenograft model. This anti-tumor activity was further corroborated by down regulation of Rac-1/Cdc42/HIF-1α/DDX3/β-catenin signalling. This is the first report which implicates the role of Ketorolac against RCC by acting as a small molecule secretagogue causing upregulation of Par-4 in autocrine and paracrine manner. Consequently, these findings suggest that Par-4 can serve as a valuable therapeutic target and a prognostic marker for the treatment of RCC.
Rational design of phase separating peptides based on phase separating protein sequence of p53
Authors: Kamagata Kiyoto , Hando Atsumi , Ariefai Maulana , Iwaki Nanako , Kanbayashi Saori , Koike Ryotaro , Ikeda Keisuke
Published: April 2023

Artificial phase-separating (PS) peptides can be used in various applications such as microreactors and drug delivery; however, the design of artificial PS peptides remains a challenge. This can be attributed to the limitation of PS-relevant residues that drive phase separation by interactions of their pairs in short peptides and the difficulty in the design involving interaction with target PS proteins. In this study, we propose a rational method to design artificial PS peptides that satisfy the requirements of liquid droplet formation and co-phase separation with target PS proteins based on the target PS protein sequence. As a proof of concept, we designed five artificial peptides from the model PS protein p53 using this method and confirmed their PS properties using differential interference contrast and fluorescence microscopy. Single-molecule fluorescent tracking demonstrated rapid diffusion of the designed peptides in their droplets compared to that of p53 in p53 droplets. In addition, size-dependent uptake of p53 oligomers was observed in the designed peptide droplets. Large oligomers were excluded from the droplet voids and localized on the droplet surface. The uptake of high-order p53 oligomers into the droplets was enhanced by the elongated linker of the designed peptides. Furthermore, we found that the designed peptide droplets recruited p53 to suppress gel-like aggregate formation. Finally, we discuss aspects that were crucial in the successful design of the artificial PS peptides.
Context expectation influences the gait pattern biomechanics
Authors: Ciceri Tommaso , Malerba Giorgia , Gatti Alice , Diella Eleonora , Peruzzo Denis , Biffi Emilia , Casartelli Luca
Published: April 2023

Beyond classical aspects related to locomotion (biomechanics), it has been hypothesized that walking pattern is influenced by a combination of distinct computations including online sensory/perceptual sampling and the processing of expectations (neuromechanics). Here, we aimed to explore the potential impact of contrasting scenarios (“risky and potentially dangerous” scenario; “safe and comfortable” scenario) on walking pattern in a group of healthy young adults. Firstly, and consistently with previous literature, we confirmed that the scenario influences gait pattern when it is recalled concurrently to participants’ walking activity (motor interference). More intriguingly, our main result showed that participants’ gait pattern is also influenced by the contextual scenario when it is evoked only before the start of walking activity (motor expectation). This condition was designed to test the impact of expectations (risky scenario vs. safe scenario) on gait pattern, and the stimulation that preceded walking activity served as prior. Noteworthy, we combined statistical and machine learning (Support-Vector Machine classifier) approaches to stratify distinct levels of analyses that explored the multi-facets architecture of walking. In a nutshell, our combined statistical and machine learning analyses converge in suggesting that walking before steps is not just a paradox.
Drug-independent control strategy of clostridial infection in broiler chickens using anti-toxin environmentally friendly multienzymes
Authors: Saleh Ahmed A. , Hafez Abdelhaleem , Amber Khairy , Abdelhady AbdelRahman Y. , Salem Heba M. , Fathy M. , Kamal M. A. , Alagawany Mahmoud , Alzawqari Mohammed H.
Published: April 2023

The study investigated the effect of enzymes as a toxin detoxifier (DETOXIZYME) dietary supplementation on performance during growth, blood chemistry, and immunity under clostridia infection in chickens. A total of 480, day-old male chicks were randomly distributed to four groups, with six replicates of 20 birds each. The first control negative treatment (A) fed the basal formula as commercial feed prepared following the strain's needs, the second control positive group (B) fed the basal formula challenged with Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) type A, the third group (C) fed the basal formula with 100 g DETOXIZYME/ton of feed and challenged with clostridia, and the fourth group (D) fed the control basal formula with 100 g DETOXIZYME/ton of feed. DETOXIZYME dietary supplementation significantly boosted body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), and European production efficiency factor (EPEF) and improved the feed conversion rate (FCR) of the broilers. The dietary supplementation of DETOXIZYME significantly increased carcass trait and spleen. However, liver and abdominal fat weight significantly decreased compared with clostridia-challenged groups. The values of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), uric acid, creatinine, and Malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased. While calcium, phosphate, zinc, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were improved in birds that took basal formulas fortified with DETOXIZYME contrary to the other treatment groups during 35 days of age. Plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) values were reduced versus the other treatment groups. Dietary supplementation of DETOXIZYME increased total protein, albumin, globulin, and Newcastle Disease (ND) immunity titer levels in the overall period compared to other groups. Dietary DETOXIZYME supplementation decreased clostridia and E. coli bacteria counts and improved gut morphometry. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of DETOXIZYME had a positive impact on performance, blood biochemistry, immunity, and bacterial counts and improved the gut morphology in broilers under clostridia infection.
Atomistic nonlinear carrier dynamics in Ge
Authors: Srivastava Anshika , Srivastava Pankaj , Srivastava Anchal , Saxena P. K.
Published: April 2023

An atomistic technique to successfully demonstrate the ultrafast carrier dynamics in Ge photoconductive samples is reported here. The technique is validated against the experimental findings and with the Drude conductivities. The impact of the various different scattering mechanisms is used to calibrate the experimental results. It is observed that the total scattering rate is not a constant parameter as contrast to Drude model which uses constant scattering rate as the fitting parameter to demonstrate the ultrafast carrier dynamics, but strongly dependent on the applied peak THz field strength. It also contradicts with the relaxation time approximation (RTA) method which uses scattering rate chosen on the empirical basis as the fitting parameter to demonstrate the ultrafast carrier dynamics. On the other hand the limitations and challenges offered by various types of density functional theories (DFT) pose lot of challenges. In current manuscript various types of scattering mechanisms i.e. acoustic, intervalley, Coulomb and impact ionization on the behavior of carrier conductivity are studied in details. The proposed technique has shown capability to extract low and high frequency conductivities accurately which is impossible through the Drude model or DFT based theories. It is observed that the free carrier absorption coefficient depends on the refractive index of the material at low THz frequencies. The solution of Boltzmann transport equation through Monte Carlo technique provides valuable insights for better understanding of ultrafast carrier transportation mechanism. The free carrier absorption spectra are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results at various THz field strengths.
Drug-induced loss of imprinting revealed using bioluminescent reporters of Cdkn1c
Authors: Dimond Andrew , Van de Pette Mathew , Taylor-Bateman Victoria , Brown Karen , Sardini Alessandro , Whilding Chad , Feytout Amelie , Prinjha Rab K. , Merkenschlager Matthias , Fisher Amanda G.
Published: April 2023

Genomic imprinting is an epigenetically mediated mechanism that regulates allelic expression of genes based upon parent-of-origin and provides a paradigm for studying epigenetic silencing and release. Here, bioluminescent reporters for the maternally-expressed imprinted gene Cdkn1c are used to examine the capacity of chromatin-modifying drugs to reverse paternal Cdkn1c silencing. Exposure of reporter mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) to 5-Azacytidine, HDAC inhibitors, BET inhibitors or GSK-J4 (KDM6A/B inhibitor) relieved repression of paternal Cdkn1c, either selectively or by inducing biallelic effects. Treatment of reporter fibroblasts with HDAC inhibitors or GSK-J4 resulted in similar paternal Cdkn1c activation, whereas BET inhibitor-induced loss of imprinting was specific to mESCs. Changes in allelic expression were generally not sustained in dividing cultures upon drug removal, indicating that the underlying epigenetic memory of silencing was maintained. In contrast, Cdkn1c de-repression by GSK-J4 was retained in both mESCs and fibroblasts following inhibitor removal, although this impact may be linked to cellular stress and DNA damage. Taken together, these data introduce bioluminescent reporter cells as tools for studying epigenetic silencing and disruption, and demonstrate that Cdkn1c imprinting requires distinct and cell-type specific chromatin features and modifying enzymes to enact and propagate a memory of silencing.
Pharmacological inhibition of the inflammatory receptor CCR2 relieves the early deleterious consequences of status epilepticus
Authors: Alemán-Ruiz Carlos , Wang Wenyi , Dingledine Ray , Varvel Nicholas H.
Published: April 2023

Generalized status epilepticus (SE) triggers a robust neuroinflammatory response involving reactive astrocytosis, activation of brain-resident microglia, and brain infiltration of CCR2+ monocytes. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that quenching SE-induced neuroinflammation can alleviate the adverse consequences of SE, including neuronal damage and cognitive impairments. Our recent findings show that blocking monocyte brain entry after SE, via global Ccr2 KO, rescues several SE-induced adverse effects including blood–brain barrier (BBB) erosion, microgliosis and neuronal damage while enhancing weight regain. The goals of the present study were to determine if CCR2 antagonism with a small molecule after SE replicates the effects of the CCR2 knockout. Male Ccr2+/rfp heterozygous mice were subject to intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid, scored for seizure severity, weight recovery, and nest building capability. Surviving mice were randomized into CCR2 antagonist and vehicle groups. The CCR2 antagonist, or vehicle, was administered 24- and 48-h post-SE via oral gavage, and mice were sacrificed three days post-SE. Mice subject to the CCR2 antagonist displayed faster weight recovery between one- and three-days post-SE and modestly enhanced ability to build a nest on the third day after SE when compared to vehicle-treated controls. CCR2 antagonism limited monocyte recruitment to the hippocampus and reduced numbers of Iba1+ macrophages. The mRNA levels of inflammatory mediators were depressed by 47%, and glial markers were reduced by 30% in mice treated with the CCR2 antagonist compared to controls. Astrocytosis was reduced in four brain regions. Neuroprotection was observed in the hippocampus, and erosion of the BBB was lessened in mice subject to the antagonist. Our findings provide proof-of-concept that brief CCR2 antagonism beginning one day after SE can alleviate multiple adverse SE-induced effects, including functional impairment, and identify circulating CCR2+ monocytes as a viable therapeutic target.
Effects of groundwater and distilled water on the durability of evaporitic rocks
Authors: Arman Hasan , Abdelghany Osman , Mahmoud Bahaa , Aldahan Ala , Paramban Safwan , Gad Ahmed , Saima Mahmoud Abu
Published: April 2023

Evaporitic rock durability induced by groundwater cause several construction challenges, but representative experimental studies to evaluate such conditions are still missing. Therefore, this study intended to provide better and more realistic degradability features of evaporites with groundwater besides a comparison with distilled water as slaking fluids. Forty-eight evaporitic rock blocks were collected from Abu Dhabi area, United Arab Emirates. 96 slake durability index (SDI) tests were performed, 48 with each of the slaking fluids; groundwater and distilled water, and their textural, mineralogical, and geochemical attributes were also examined before and after the SDI tests. In comparison to mineralogical and textural modifications, slaking fluid had a greater impact on the chemical composition of evaporitic rock. The study shows that the degradability of evaporites with groundwater and distilled water indicates a wide range from very low to high. The mean weight loss values after four cycles with groundwater and distilled water vary from 11 to 77 and from 4 to 81 wt.%, respectively. Consequently, slaking with groundwater illustrates a wide range compared to the slaking with distilled water. This could be due to quick interactions between groundwater and evaporites and fast hydration-dehydration process than distilled water due to the chemical composition of the groundwater. It is recommended to investigate the attributes of evaporitic rocks as well as groundwater geochemistry for safe, cost-effective, and sustainable structures.
Research on the dynamic evolution law of fissures in shallow-buried and short-distance coal seam mining in Lijiahao Coal Mine
Authors: Wang Beifang , Zhou Duo , Zhang Jing , Liang Bing
Published: April 2023

Aiming at the problem of spontaneous combustion of coal relics caused by the overburden fracture network penetrating the upper and lower coal seams in the process of shallow-buried and short-distance coal seam mining, the 31114 working face of Lijiahao coal mine was used as the research background to study the characteristics of overburden transport and fracture development in shallow-buried and short-distance coal seam mining by using physical similar simulation test; the fractal dimension and image processing techniques were used to quantify the overburden fractures; the classical mechanical models of "solid support beam" and "masonry beam" were combined to analyze the causes of fracture dynamic evolution. The results show that: (1) Before the key seam fracture, the stress in the upper rock seam only changes in a small amount, and the stress in the lower rock seam evolves similarly to the single coal seam mining; when the key seam fracture is broken, the stress in the upper and lower rock seams will change by jumps. (2) The fractal dimension of the fissures rised from 1.4 to 1.5, the total area of fissures is increased from 16,638 pixels to 17,707 pixels, and the total length is increased from 2217 to 3071 pixels; after the main key layer of the overlying rock is broken, the fractal dimension of the fissures is reduced from 1.56 to 1.5, and the total area of fissures is reduced from 31,451 pixels to 29,089 pixels, the total length has increased from 5657 to 6619 pixels. (3) Before the key layer between the coal seams is broken, it will be suspended to form a "fixed beam". After the first break, the broken rock above it will settle synchronously until the rock blocks form a hinged structure and then collapse. After the fall stops, the key layer periodically breaks to form a "masonry beam" structure, and the overlying stratum settles synchronously.
Hard superconducting gap in germanium
Authors: Tosato Alberto , Levajac Vukan , Wang Ji-Yin , Boor Casper J. , Borsoi Francesco , Botifoll Marc , Borja Carla N. , Martí-Sánchez Sara , Arbiol Jordi , Sammak Amir , Veldhorst Menno , Scappucci Giordano
Published: April 2023

The co-integration of spin, superconducting, and topological systems is emerging as an exciting pathway for scalable and high-fidelity quantum information technology. High-mobility planar germanium is a front-runner semiconductor for building quantum processors with spin-qubits, but progress with hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices is hindered by the difficulty in obtaining a superconducting hard gap, that is, a gap free of subgap states. Here, we address this challenge by developing a low-disorder, oxide-free interface between high-mobility planar germanium and a germanosilicide parent superconductor. This superconducting contact is formed by the thermally-activated solid phase reaction between a metal, platinum, and the Ge/SiGe semiconductor heterostructure. Electrical characterization reveals near-unity transparency in Josephson junctions and, importantly, a hard induced superconducting gap in quantum point contacts. Furthermore, we demonstrate phase control of a Josephson junction and study transport in a gated two-dimensional superconductor-semiconductor array towards scalable architectures. These results expand the quantum technology toolbox in germanium and provide new avenues for exploring monolithic superconductor-semiconductor quantum circuits towards scalable quantum information processing.
National hydrologic connectivity classification links wetlands with stream water quality
Authors: Leibowitz Scott G. , Hill Ryan A. , Creed Irena F. , Compton Jana E. , Golden Heather E. , Weber Marc H. , Rains Mark C. , Jones Chas E. , Lee E. Henry , Christensen Jay R. , Bellmore Rebecca A. , Lane Charles R.
Published: April 2023

Wetland hydrologic connections to downstream waters influence stream water quality. However, no systematic approach for characterizing this connectivity exists. Here using physical principles, we categorized conterminous US freshwater wetlands into four hydrologic connectivity classes based on stream contact and flowpath depth to the nearest stream: riparian, non-riparian shallow, non-riparian mid-depth and non-riparian deep. These classes were heterogeneously distributed over the conterminous United States; for example, riparian dominated the south-eastern and Gulf coasts, while non-riparian deep dominated the Upper Midwest and High Plains. Analysis of a national stream dataset indicated acidification and organic matter brownification increased with connectivity. Eutrophication and sedimentation decreased with wetland area but did not respond to connectivity. This classification advances our mechanistic understanding of wetland influences on water quality nationally and could be applied globally.
Boil water alerts and their impact on the unexcused absence rate in public schools in Jackson, Mississippi
Authors: Kim M. , De Vito R. , Duarte F. , Tieskens K. , Luna M. , Salazar-Miranda A. , Mazzarello M. , Showalter Otts S. , Etzel C. , Burks S. , Crossley K. , Franzen Lee N. , Walker E. D.
Published: April 2023

The water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, has recently made national and international headlines as a major environmental catastrophe, impacting the public health and wellbeing of residents. Here we focus on Jackson’s most prevalent and vulnerable population, its children, by assessing how boil water alerts (BWAs) disrupt student learning. Using data on BWAs collected from the City of Jackson’s Water/Sewer Business Administration Office between 2015 and 2021, daily school attendance data from Jackson’s Public School District and community-level vulnerabilities from the American Community Survey, we add an important layer to the current conversation by analysing how BWAs disrupt student learning. After adjusting for community-level vulnerabilities, we show that each time a BWA is issued, unexcused absence rates statistically significantly increase by 1–10%. We also show statistically significant decreases in unexcused absences in schools where much of the student body receives free and reduced lunches. In a city that releases hundreds of BWAs each year, our findings highlight the urgency for addressing the root causes of the poor water quality in Jackson.
A low-cost automated titration system for colorimetric endpoint detection
Authors: Boppana Naga P. D. , Snow Robyn , Simone Paul S. , Emmert Gary L. , Brown Michael A.
Published: April 2023

The titrator was developed using Raspberry Pi® and 3D-printing which is capable of automated color end point detection with help of AS7262 and a machine learning model.
Discovery of a metastable van der Waals semiconductor via polymorphic crystallization of an amorphous film
Authors: Saito Yuta , Hatayama Shogo , Chang Wen Hsin , Okada Naoya , Irisawa Toshifumi , Uesugi Fumihiko , Takeguchi Masaki , Sutou Yuji , Fons Paul
Published: April 2023

Here, we report on the growth of GeTe2 thin films, a metastable phase. The GeTe2 film was found to be a semiconductor with a layered structure.
Ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl complexes with π-expansive ligands: synthesis and cubosome encapsulation for photodynamic therapy of non-melanoma skin cancer
Authors: Giacomazzo Gina Elena , Schlich Michele , Casula Luca , Galantini Luciano , Del Giudice Alessandra , Pietraperzia Giangaetano , Sinico Chiara , Cencetti Francesca , Pecchioli Sara , Valtancoli Barbara , Conti Luca , Murgia Sergio , Giorgi Claudia
Published: April 2023

Ru(ii) complexes featuring two π-expansive benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a:2′,3′-c]phenazine ligands are potent photosensitizers that can be encapsulated into cubosomes to achieve hybrid formulations with augmented biopharmaceutical properties.
Analysis and process evaluation of metal dopant (Zr, Cr)-promoted Ga-modified ZSM-5 for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane in the presence and absence of CO2
Authors: Jawad Abbas , Ahmed Sura
Published: April 2023

A systematic study of the comparative performances of 4% Ga-, 4% Zr-, and 1% Cr-impregnated H-ZSM-5 catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation of propane in the presence and absence of CO2 is presented.
Degradable copper(ii)-doped starch-based biopolymeric films with antibacterial activity
Authors: Trusau Kiryl I. , Jorge Paula , Sousa Ana Catarina , Fernandes Tiago A. , André Vânia , Kirillova Marina V. , Usevich Andrew I. , Cerca Nuno , Kirillov Alexander M.
Published: April 2023

New copper(ii) coordination compounds bearing ammonia and carboxylate ligands were assembled, fully characterized, and applied as antimicrobial dopants for producing sustainable starch-based biopolymeric films with remarkable antibacterial activity.
Optimization of 3D autologous chondrocyte-seeded polyglycolic acid scaffolds to mimic human ear cartilage
Authors: Melgar-Lesmes Pedro , Bosch Oriol , Zubajlo Rebecca , Molins Gemma , Comfort Sofia , Luque-Saavedra Ainara , López-Moya Mario , García-Polite Fernando , Parri Ferrandis Francisco José , Rogers Carolyn , Gelabertó Agata , Martorell Jordi , Edelman Elazer R. , Balcells Mercedes
Published: April 2023

An optimized methodology has been developed to obtain enough autologous cartilage mass to reconstruct a full-size ear using 3D-folded polyglycolic acid scaffolds and primary chondrocytes.
Regioselective coupling of benzyl chlorides with allyl and allenyl boronates catalysed by a bidentate phosphine ligand/palladium catalyst
Authors: Zhang Sheng , Yin Junchao , Wang Ziyang , Li Yang , Fu Yukang , Ma Ji , Xie Zhilong , Bao Ming
Published: April 2023

The first example of palladium-catalysed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions of simple chloromethylarenes to produce benzylic allylation products.
Defective Mo2C as a promising electrocatalyst for the nitrogen reduction reaction
Authors: Zhang Xuanyue , Zhao Tingting , Yan Likai , Su Zhongmin
Published: April 2023

In this work, we systematically investigated the electrocatalytic activity of VC-Mo2C for N2 reduction to NH3 through DFT calculations.
Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 on size-selected nanoclusters of first-row transition metal nanoclusters: a comprehensive mechanistic investigation
Authors: Raju Rajesh Kumar , Rodriguez Paramaconi , Brothers Edward N.
Published: April 2023

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 to various fuel molecules on first-row transition metal nanoclusters.
Green pepper-derived hierarchical porous carbon for supercapacitors with high performance
Authors: Zeng Yicheng , Zhang Fuming , Wu Jinggao , Huang Jing
Published: April 2023

Renewable, low-cost and environmentally friendly porous carbon for high performance carbon electrode materials has attracted considerable attention in the energy conversion and storage fields.
To achieve tunable-color emission in a novel tri-doped phosphate sulfate phosphor: Tb3+ as the energy transfer bridge
Authors: Kang Xiaojiao , Lü Wei , An Baichao , Zhu Zhennan , Pan Qiwen , Zhou Fei
Published: April 2023

A Tb3+ bridge can overcome the MMCT and realize the sensitization of Eu3+ ions.
Design and synthesis of iso-allo-DNJ and l-isoDALDP derivatives: pursuit of potent and selective inhibitors of α-glucosidase
Authors: Yang Lin-Feng , Zhang Ming , Shimadate Yuna , Kato Atsushi , Hou Tian-Yang Liu , Li Yi-Xian , Jia Yue-Mei , Fleet George W. J. , Yu Chu-Yi
Published: April 2023

Eight iso-allo-DNJ and l-isoDALDP derivatives were synthesized by a versatile synthetic route, and glycosidase inhibition assay found four of them as selective α-glucosidase inhibitors.