bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A combinatory ferroelectric compound bridging simple ABO3 and A-site-ordered quadruple perovskite
Authors: Zhao Jianfa , Gao Jiacheng , Li Wenmin , Qian Yuting , Shen Xudong , Wang Xiao , Shen Xi , Hu Zhiwei , Dong Cheng , Huang Qingzhen , Cao Lipeng , Li Zhi , Zhang Jun , Ren Chongwen , Duan Lei , Liu Qingqing , Yu Richeng , Ren Yang , Weng Shih-Chang , Lin Hong-Ji , Chen Chien-Te , Tjeng Liu-Hao , Long Youwen , Deng Zheng , Zhu Jinlong , Wang Xiancheng , Weng Hongming , Yu Runze , Greenblatt Martha , Jin Changqing
Published: February 2021

The simple ABO3 and A-site-ordered AA′3B4O12 perovskites represent two types of classical perovskite functional materials. There are well-known simple perovskites with ferroelectric properties, while there is still no report of ferroelectricity due to symmetry breaking transition in A-site-ordered quadruple perovskites. Here we report the high pressure synthesis of an A-site-ordered perovskite PbHg3Ti4O12, the only known quadruple perovskite that transforms from high-temperature centrosymmetric paraelectric phase to low-temperature non-centrosymmetric ferroelectric phase. The coordination chemistry of Hg2+ is changed from square planar as in typical A-site-ordered quadruple perovskite to a rare stereo type with 8 ligands in PbHg3Ti4O12. Thus PbHg3Ti4O12 appears to be a combinatory link from simple ABO3 perovskites to A-site-ordered AA′3Ti4O12 perovskites, sharing both displacive ferroelectricity with former and structure coordination with latter. This is the only example so far showing ferroelectricity due to symmetry breaking phase transition in AA′3B4O12-type A-site-ordered perovskites, and opens a direction to search for ferroelectric materials.
A safety cap protects hydrogenase from oxygen attack
Authors: Winkler Martin , Duan Jifu , Rutz Andreas , Felbek Christina , Scholtysek Lisa , Lampret Oliver , Jaenecke Jan , Apfel Ulf-Peter , Gilardi Gianfranco , Valetti Francesca , Fourmond Vincent , Hofmann Eckhard , Léger Christophe , Happe Thomas
Published: February 2021

[FeFe]-hydrogenases are efficient H2-catalysts, yet upon contact with dioxygen their catalytic cofactor (H-cluster) is irreversibly inactivated. Here, we combine X-ray crystallography, rational protein design, direct electrochemistry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy to describe a protein morphing mechanism that controls the reversible transition between the catalytic Hox-state and the inactive but oxygen-resistant Hinact-state in [FeFe]-hydrogenase CbA5H of Clostridium beijerinckii. The X-ray structure of air-exposed CbA5H reveals that a conserved cysteine residue in the local environment of the active site (H-cluster) directly coordinates the substrate-binding site, providing a safety cap that prevents O2-binding and consequently, cofactor degradation. This protection mechanism depends on three non-conserved amino acids situated approximately 13 Å away from the H-cluster, demonstrating that the 1st coordination sphere chemistry of the H-cluster can be remote-controlled by distant residues.
Under-reporting of greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. cities
Authors: Gurney Kevin Robert , Liang Jianming , Roest Geoffrey , Song Yang , Mueller Kimberly , Lauvaux Thomas
Published: February 2021

Cities dominate greenhouse gas emissions. Many have generated self-reported emission inventories, but their value to emissions mitigation depends on their accuracy, which remains untested. Here, we compare self-reported inventories from 48 US cities to independent estimates from the Vulcan carbon dioxide emissions data product, which is consistent with atmospheric measurements. We found that cities under-report their own greenhouse gas emissions, on average, by 18.3% (range: −145.5% to +63.5%) – a difference which if extrapolated to all U.S. cities, exceeds California’s total emissions by 23.5%. Differences arise because city inventories omit particular fuels and source types and estimate transportation emissions differently. These results raise concerns about self-reported inventories in planning or assessing emissions, and warrant consideration of the new urban greenhouse gas information system recently developed by the scientific community.
Surface-bound reactive oxygen species generating nanozymes for selective antibacterial action
Authors: Gao Feng , Shao Tianyi , Yu Yunpeng , Xiong Yujie , Yang Lihua
Published: February 2021

Acting by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) in situ, nanozymes are promising as antimicrobials. ROS’ intrinsic inability to distinguish bacteria from mammalian cells, however, deprives nanozymes of the selectivity necessary for an ideal antimicrobial. Here we report that nanozymes that generate surface-bound ROS selectively kill bacteria over mammalian cells. This result is robust across three distinct nanozymes that universally generate surface-bound ROS, with an oxidase-like silver-palladium bimetallic alloy nanocage, AgPd0.38, being the lead model. The selectivity is attributable to both the surface-bound nature of ROS these nanozymes generate and an unexpected antidote role of endocytosis. Though surface-bound, the ROS on AgPd0.38 efficiently eliminated antibiotic-resistant bacteria and effectively delayed the onset of bacterial resistance emergence. When used as coating additives, AgPd0.38 enabled an inert substrate to inhibit biofilm formation and suppress infection-related immune responses in mouse models. This work opens an avenue toward biocompatible nanozymes and may have implication in our fight against antimicrobial resistance.
Histone Parylation factor 1 contributes to the inhibition of PARP1 by cancer drugs
Authors: Rudolph Johannes , Roberts Genevieve , Luger Karolin
Published: February 2021

Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 and 2 (PARP1 and PARP2) are key enzymes in the DNA damage response. Four different inhibitors (PARPi) are currently in the clinic for treatment of ovarian and breast cancer. Recently, histone PARylation Factor 1 (HPF1) has been shown to play an essential role in the PARP1- and PARP2-dependent poly-(ADP-ribosylation) (PARylation) of histones, by forming a complex with both enzymes and altering their catalytic properties. Given the proximity of HPF1 to the inhibitor binding site both PARPs, we hypothesized that HPF1 may modulate the affinity of inhibitors toward PARP1 and/or PARP2. Here we demonstrate that HPF1 significantly increases the affinity for a PARP1 – DNA complex of some PARPi (i.e., olaparib), but not others (i.e., veliparib). This effect of HPF1 on the binding affinity of Olaparib also holds true for the more physiologically relevant PARP1 – nucleosome complex but does not extend to PARP2. Our results have important implications for the interpretation of PARP inhibition by current PARPi as well as for the design and analysis of the next generation of clinically relevant PARP inhibitors.
3D bioprinting of high cell-density heterogeneous tissue models through spheroid fusion within self-healing hydrogels
Authors: Daly Andrew C. , Davidson Matthew D. , Burdick Jason A.
Published: February 2021

Cellular models are needed to study human development and disease in vitro, and to screen drugs for toxicity and efficacy. Current approaches are limited in the engineering of functional tissue models with requisite cell densities and heterogeneity to appropriately model cell and tissue behaviors. Here, we develop a bioprinting approach to transfer spheroids into self-healing support hydrogels at high resolution, which enables their patterning and fusion into high-cell density microtissues of prescribed spatial organization. As an example application, we bioprint induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac microtissue models with spatially controlled cardiomyocyte and fibroblast cell ratios to replicate the structural and functional features of scarred cardiac tissue that arise following myocardial infarction, including reduced contractility and irregular electrical activity. The bioprinted in vitro model is combined with functional readouts to probe how various pro-regenerative microRNA treatment regimes influence tissue regeneration and recovery of function as a result of cardiomyocyte proliferation. This method is useful for a range of biomedical applications, including the development of precision models to mimic diseases and the screening of drugs, particularly where high cell densities and heterogeneity are important.
Non-linear Terahertz driving of plasma waves in layered cuprates
Authors: Gabriele Francesco , Udina Mattia , Benfatto Lara
Published: February 2021

The hallmark of superconductivity is the rigidity of the quantum-mechanical phase of electrons, responsible for superfluid behavior and Meissner effect. The strength of the phase stiffness is set by the Josephson coupling, which is strongly anisotropic in layered cuprates. So far, THz light pulses have been used to achieve non-linear control of the out-of-plane Josephson plasma mode, whose frequency lies in the THz range. However, the high-energy in-plane plasma mode has been considered insensitive to THz pumping. Here, we show that THz driving of both low-frequency and high-frequency plasma waves is possible via a general two-plasmon excitation mechanism. The anisotropy of the Josephson couplings leads to markedly different thermal effects for the out-of-plane and in-plane response, linking in both cases the emergence of non-linear photonics across Tc to the superfluid stiffness. Our results show that THz light pulses represent a preferential knob to selectively drive phase excitations in unconventional superconductors.
Molecular mechanism for vitamin C-derived C5-glyceryl-methylcytosine DNA modification catalyzed by algal TET homologue CMD1
Authors: Li Wenjing , Zhang Tianlong , Sun Mingliang , Shi Yu , Zhang Xiao-Jie , Xu Guo-Liang , Ding Jianping
Published: February 2021

C5-glyceryl-methylcytosine (5gmC) is a novel DNA modification catalyzed by algal TET homologue CMD1 using vitamin C (VC) as co-substrate. Here, we report the structures of CMD1 in apo form and in complexes with VC or/and dsDNA. CMD1 exhibits comparable binding affinities for DNAs of different lengths, structures, and 5mC levels, and displays a moderate substrate preference for 5mCpG-containing DNA. CMD1 adopts the typical DSBH fold of Fe2+/2-OG-dependent dioxygenases. The lactone form of VC binds to the active site and mono-coordinates the Fe2+ in a manner different from 2-OG. The dsDNA binds to a positively charged cleft of CMD1 and the 5mC/C is inserted into the active site and recognized by CMD1 in a similar manner as the TET proteins. The functions of key residues are validated by mutagenesis and activity assay. Our structural and biochemical data together reveal the molecular mechanism for the VC-derived 5gmC DNA modification by CMD1.
A multi-center cross-platform single-cell RNA sequencing reference dataset
Authors: Chen Xin , Yang Zhaowei , Chen Wanqiu , Zhao Yongmei , Farmer Andrew , Tran Bao , Furtak Vyacheslav , Moos Malcolm , Xiao Wenming , Wang Charles
Published: February 2021

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is developing rapidly, and investigators seeking to use this technology are left with a variety of options for both experimental platform and bioinformatics methods. There is an urgent need for scRNA-seq reference datasets for benchmarking of different scRNA-seq platforms and bioinformatics methods. To be broadly applicable, these should be generated from renewable, well characterized reference samples and processed in multiple centers across different platforms. Here we present a benchmark scRNA-seq dataset that includes 20 scRNA-seq datasets acquired either as mixtures or as individual samples from two biologically distinct cell lines for which a large amount of multi-platform whole genome sequencing data are also available. These scRNA-seq datasets were generated from multiple popular platforms across four sequencing centers. We believe the datasets we describe here will provide a resource that meets this need by allowing evaluation of various bioinformatics methods for scRNA-seq analyses, including but not limited to data preprocessing, imputation, normalization, clustering, batch correction, and differential analysis.
The 10-m crop type maps in Northeast China during 2017–2019
Authors: You Nanshan , Dong Jinwei , Huang Jianxi , Du Guoming , Zhang Geli , He Yingli , Yang Tong , Di Yuanyuan , Xiao Xiangming
Published: February 2021

Northeast China is the leading grain production region in China where one-fifth of the national grain is produced; however, consistent and reliable crop maps are still unavailable, impeding crop management decisions for regional and national food security. Here, we produced annual 10-m crop maps of the major crops (maize, soybean, and rice) in Northeast China from 2017 to 2019, by using (1) a hierarchical mapping strategy (cropland mapping followed by crop classification), (2) agro-climate zone-specific random forest classifiers, (3) interpolated and smoothed 10-day Sentinel-2 time series data, and (4) optimized features from spectral, temporal, and texture characteristics of the land surface. The resultant maps have high overall accuracies (OA) spanning from 0.81 to 0.86 based on abundant ground truth data. The satellite estimates agreed well with the statistical data for most of the municipalities (R2 ≥ 0.83, p < 0.01). This is the first effort on regional annual crop mapping in China at the 10-m resolution, which permits assessing the performance of the soybean rejuvenation plan and crop rotation practice in China.
Social network structure and composition in former NFL football players
Authors: Dhand Amar , McCafferty Liam , Grashow Rachel , Corbin Ian M. , Cohan Sarah , Whittington Alicia J. , Connor Ann , Baggish Aaron , Weisskopf Mark , Zafonte Ross , Pascual-Leone Alvaro , Barabási Albert-László
Published: February 2021

Social networks have broad effects on health and quality of life. Biopsychosocial factors may also modify the effects of brain trauma on clinical and pathological outcomes. However, social network characterization is missing in studies of contact sports athletes. Here, we characterized the personal social networks of former National Football League players compared to non-football US males. In 303 former football players and 269 US males, we found that network structure (e.g., network size) did not differ, but network composition (e.g., proportion of family versus friends) did differ. Football players had more men than women, and more friends than family in their networks compared to US males. Black players had more racially diverse networks than White players and US males. These results are unexpected because brain trauma and chronic illnesses typically cause diminished social relationships. We anticipate our study will inform more multi-dimensional study of, and treatment options for, contact sports athletes. For example, the strong allegiances of former athletes may be harnessed in the form of social network interventions after brain trauma. Because preserving health of contact sports athletes is a major goal, the study of social networks is critical to the design of future research and treatment trials.
Electric field assisted motion of a mercury droplet
Authors: Holló Gábor , Suematsu Nobuhiko J. , Ginder Elliott , Lagzi István
Published: February 2021

Field-assisted self-assembly, motion, and manipulation of droplets have gained much attention in the past decades. We exhibit an electric field manipulation of the motion of a liquid metal (mercury) droplet submerged in a conductive liquid medium (a solution of sulfuric acid). A mercury droplet moves toward the cathode and its path selection is always given by the steepest descent of the local electric field potential. Utilizing this unique behavior, we present several examples of droplet motions, including maze solving, electro-levitation, and motion on a diverted path between parallel electrodes by controlling the conductivity of the medium. We also present an experimental demonstration of Fermat's principle in a non-optical system, namely a mercury droplet moving along a refracted path between electrodes in a domain having two different conductivities.
Algorithmic and human prediction of success in human collaboration from visual features
Authors: Saveski Martin , Awad Edmond , Rahwan Iyad , Cebrian Manuel
Published: February 2021

As groups are increasingly taking over individual experts in many tasks, it is ever more important to understand the determinants of group success. In this paper, we study the patterns of group success in Escape The Room, a physical adventure game in which a group is tasked with escaping a maze by collectively solving a series of puzzles. We investigate (1) the characteristics of successful groups, and (2) how accurately humans and machines can spot them from a group photo. The relationship between these two questions is based on the hypothesis that the characteristics of successful groups are encoded by features that can be spotted in their photo. We analyze >43K group photos (one photo per group) taken after groups have completed the game—from which all explicit performance-signaling information has been removed. First, we find that groups that are larger, older and more gender but less age diverse are significantly more likely to escape. Second, we compare humans and off-the-shelf machine learning algorithms at predicting whether a group escaped or not based on the completion photo. We find that individual guesses by humans achieve 58.3% accuracy, better than random, but worse than machines which display 71.6% accuracy. When humans are trained to guess by observing only four labeled photos, their accuracy increases to 64%. However, training humans on more labeled examples (eight or twelve) leads to a slight, but statistically insignificant improvement in accuracy (67.4%). Humans in the best training condition perform on par with two, but worse than three out of the five machine learning algorithms we evaluated. Our work illustrates the potentials and the limitations of machine learning systems in evaluating group performance and identifying success factors based on sparse visual cues.
A new framework for MR diffusion tensor distribution
Authors: Magdoom Kulam Najmudeen , Pajevic Sinisa , Dario Gasbarra , Basser Peter J.
Published: February 2021

The ability to characterize heterogeneous and anisotropic water diffusion processes within macroscopic MRI voxels non-invasively and in vivo is a desideratum in biology, neuroscience, and medicine. While an MRI voxel may contain approximately a microliter of tissue, our goal is to examine intravoxel diffusion processes on the order of picoliters. Here we propose a new theoretical framework and efficient experimental design to describe and measure such intravoxel structural heterogeneity and anisotropy. We assume that a constrained normal tensor-variate distribution (CNTVD) describes the variability of positive definite diffusion tensors within a voxel which extends its applicability to a wide range of b-values while preserving the richness of diffusion tensor distribution (DTD) paradigm unlike existing models. We introduce a new Monte Carlo (MC) scheme to synthesize realistic 6D DTD numerical phantoms and invert the MR signal. We show that the signal inversion is well-posed and estimate the CNTVD parameters parsimoniously by exploiting the different symmetries of the mean and covariance tensors of CNTVD. The robustness of the estimation pipeline is assessed by adding noise to calculated MR signals and compared with the ground truth. A family of invariant parameters and glyphs which characterize microscopic shape, size and orientation heterogeneity within a voxel are also presented.
Impact of root-associated strains of three Paraburkholderia species on primary and secondary metabolism of Brassica oleracea
Authors: Jeon Je-Seung , Carreno-Quintero Natalia , van Eekelen Henriëtte D. L. M. , De Vos Ric C. H. , Raaijmakers Jos M. , Etalo Desalegn W.
Published: February 2021

Several root-colonizing bacterial species can simultaneously promote plant growth and induce systemic resistance. How these rhizobacteria modulate plant metabolism to accommodate the carbon and energy demand from these two competing processes is largely unknown. Here, we show that strains of three Paraburkholderia species, P. graminis PHS1 (Pbg), P. hospita mHSR1 (Pbh), and P. terricola mHS1 (Pbt), upon colonization of the roots of two Broccoli cultivars led to cultivar-dependent increases in biomass, changes in primary and secondary metabolism and induced resistance against the bacterial leaf pathogen Xanthomonas campestris. Strains that promoted growth led to greater accumulation of soluble sugars in the shoot and particularly fructose levels showed an increase of up to 280-fold relative to the non-treated control plants. Similarly, a number of secondary metabolites constituting chemical and structural defense, including flavonoids, hydroxycinnamates, stilbenoids, coumarins and lignins, showed greater accumulation while other resource-competing metabolite pathways were depleted. High soluble sugar generation, efficient sugar utilization, and suppression or remobilization of resource-competing metabolites potentially contributed to curb the tradeoff between the carbon and energy demanding processes induced by Paraburkholderia-Broccoli interaction. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive and integrated view of the temporal changes in plant metabolome associated with rhizobacteria-mediated plant growth promotion and induced resistance.
Size distribution dependence of collective relaxation dynamics in a two-dimensional wet foam
Authors: Yanagisawa Naoya , Kurita Rei
Published: February 2021

Foams can be ubiquitously observed in nature and in industrial products. Despite the relevance of their properties to deformation, fluidity, and collapse, all of which are essential for applications, there are few experimental studies of collective relaxation dynamics in a wet foam. Here, we directly observe how the relaxation dynamics changes with increasing liquid fraction in both monodisperse and polydisperse two-dimensional foams. As we increase the liquid fraction, we quantitatively characterize the slowing-down of the relaxation, and the increase of the correlation length. We also find two different relaxation modes which depend on the size distribution of the bubbles. It suggests that the bubbles which are simply near to each other play an important role in large rearrangements, not just those in direct contact. Finally, we confirm the generality of our experimental findings by a numerical simulation for the relaxation process of wet foams.
Effects of marathon race on selected myokines and sclerostin in middle-aged male amateur runners
Authors: Śliwicka Ewa , Cisoń Tomasz , Pilaczyńska-Szcześniak Łucja , Ziemba Andrzej , Straburzyńska-Lupa Anna
Published: February 2021

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the homeostatic response to extreme exercises, especially in the integrated function of muscle and bone. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a marathon race on selected myokines and sclerostin in 10 male recreational runners (mean age 41 ± 7.7 years). Body composition, bone mineral density (BMD), and the serum concentration of myostatin, irisin, sclerostin, osteoprotegerin (OPG), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), parathyroid hormone (PTH), high-sensitivity interleukin-6 (hsIL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and myoglobin, were determined 24 h before and 24 h and 72 h after a marathon race. Post-marathon increases were observed in the levels of myostatin (1.2-fold), OPG (1.5-fold), and PTH (1.3-fold), hsIL-6 (1.9-fold), myoglobin (4.1-fold), hsCRP (fivefold), TNFα (2.6-fold), after 24 h; and in myostatin (1.2-fold), irisin (1.1-fold), sclerostin (1.3-fold), OPG (1.3-fold), and PTH (1.4-fold), hsIL-6 (1.4-fold), TNFα (1.9-fold), after 72 h compared to the baseline level. The results show that in response to the marathon run, a complex network of endocrine interactions is initiated. Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term impact of prolonged high intensity exercise on the human body.
Functional traits explain crayfish invasive success in the Netherlands
Authors: van Kuijk Tiedo , Biesmeijer Jacobus C. , van der Hoorn Berry B. , Verdonschot Piet F. M.
Published: February 2021

Biological invasions by nonindigenous species can have negative effects on economies and ecosystems. To limit this impact, current research on biological invasions uses functional traits to facilitate a mechanistic understanding of theoretical and applied questions. Here we aimed to assess the role of functional traits in the progression of crayfish species through different stages of invasion and determine the traits associated with invasive success. A dataset of thirteen functional traits of 15 species currently occurring or available for sale in the Netherlands was evaluated. Six of these crayfish appeared invasive. Important traits distinguishing successful from unsuccessful invaders were a temperate climate in the native range, a medium to high egg count and producing more than one egg clutch per year. The most successful invaders had different functional trait combinations: Procambarus clarkii has a higher reproductive output, can migrate over longer distances and possesses a higher aggression level; Faxonius limosus is adapted to a colder climate, can reproduce parthenogetically and has broader environmental tolerances. Using a suit of functional traits to analyse invasive potential can help risk management and prevention. For example, based on our data Procambarus virginalis is predicted to become the next successful invasive crayfish in the Netherlands.
Automated digital TIL analysis (ADTA) adds prognostic value to standard assessment of depth and ulceration in primary melanoma
Authors: Moore Michael R. , Friesner Isabel D. , Rizk Emanuelle M. , Fullerton Benjamin T. , Mondal Manas , Trager Megan H. , Mendelson Karen , Chikeka Ijeuru , Kurc Tahsin , Gupta Rajarsi , Rohr Bethany R. , Robinson Eric J. , Acs Balazs , Chang Rui , Kluger Harriet , Taback Bret , Geskin Larisa J. , Horst Basil , Gardner Kevin , Niedt George , Celebi Julide T. , Gartrell-Corrado Robyn D. , Messina Jane , Ferringer Tammie , Rimm David L. , Saltz Joel , Wang Jing , Vanguri Rami , Saenger Yvonne M.
Published: February 2021

Accurate prognostic biomarkers in early-stage melanoma are urgently needed to stratify patients for clinical trials of adjuvant therapy. We applied a previously developed open source deep learning algorithm to detect tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) images of early-stage melanomas. We tested whether automated digital (TIL) analysis (ADTA) improved accuracy of prediction of disease specific survival (DSS) based on current pathology standards. ADTA was applied to a training cohort (n = 80) and a cutoff value was defined based on a Receiver Operating Curve. ADTA was then applied to a validation cohort (n = 145) and the previously determined cutoff value was used to stratify high and low risk patients, as demonstrated by Kaplan–Meier analysis (p ≤ 0.001). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed using ADTA, depth, and ulceration as co-variables and showed that ADTA contributed to DSS prediction (HR: 4.18, CI 1.51–11.58, p = 0.006). ADTA provides an effective and attainable assessment of TILs and should be further evaluated in larger studies for inclusion in staging algorithms.
Systematic review with network meta-analysis of antivascular endothelial growth factor use in managing polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy
Authors: Chi Sheng-Chu , Kang Yi-No , Huang Yi-Ming
Published: February 2021

Polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) is a vision-threatening disease common in Asian populations. However, the optimal treatment for PCV remains under debate. We searched the databases with optimal searching strategy. The study included randomized clinical trials and prospective studies that recruited patients with active PCV who had received interventions, including PDT, anti-VEGF, or a combination of PDT and anti-VEGF. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation methodology was used for rating the quality of evidence. Our study included 11 studies involving 1277 patients. The network meta-analysis of RCTs revealed the anti-VEGF group, early combination group, and late combination group had significant BCVA changes compared with the PDT group. Early combination therapy led to a significant decrease in CRT compared with PDT, anti-VEGF, and late combination therapy. Additionally, the early combination group had a significantly higher complete polyp regression rate than the anti-VEGF group. No significant differences were detected in the analysis of the number of anti-VEGF injections and safety profile. This network meta-analysis revealed that early combination therapy exhibited better efficacy related to anatomical outcomes than other therapies. Nonetheless, no significant differences related to BCVA change could be detected between anti-VEGF and late combination therapy.
Discordant phenotypes in twins with infantile nystagmus
Authors: Aamir Abdullah , Kuht Helen J. , McLean Rebecca J. , Maconachie Gail D. E. , Sheth Viral , Dawar Basu , Purohit Ravi , Sylvius Nicolas , Hisaund Michael , Zubcov-Iwantscheff Alina , Proudlock Frank A. , Gottlob Irene , Thomas Mervyn G.
Published: February 2021

Infantile nystagmus (IN) may result from aetiologies including albinism and FRMD7 mutations. IN has low prevalence, and twins with IN are rare. Whilst discordant presentation has been previously reported for IN, we present for the first time the comprehensive assessment of diagnostically discordant monozygotic twins. From a cohort of over 2000 patients, we identified twins and triplets discordant for nystagmus. Using next-generation sequencing, high-resolution infra-red pupil tracking and optical coherence tomography, we characterised differences in genotype and phenotype. Monozygotic twins (n = 1), dizygotic twins (n = 3) and triplets (n = 1) were included. The monozygotic twins had concordant TYR variants. No causative variants were identified in the triplets. Dizygotic twins had discordant variants in TYR, OCA2 and FRMD7. One unaffected co-twin demonstrated sub-clinical nystagmus. Foveal hypoplasia (FH) was noted in four of five probands. Both co-twins of the monozygotic pair and triplets displayed FH. In three families, at least one parent had FH without nystagmus. FH alone may be insufficient to develop nystagmus. Whilst arrested optokinetic reflex pathway development is implicated in IN, discordant twins raise questions regarding where differences in development have arisen. In unaffected monozygotes therefore, genetic variants may predispose to oculomotor instability, with variable expressivity possibly responsible for the discordance observed.
New insights in the expression of stromal caveolin 1 in breast cancer spread to axillary lymph nodes
Authors: Scatena Cristian , Fanelli Giovanni , Fanelli Giuseppe Nicolò , Menicagli Michele , Aretini Paolo , Ortenzi Valerio , Civitelli Sara Piera , Innocenti Lorenzo , Sotgia Federica , Lisanti Michael P. , Naccarato Antonio Giuseppe
Published: February 2021

Recent evidence suggests that a loss of expression of caveolin in the stromal compartment (sCav-1) of human invasive breast carcinoma (IBC) may be a predictor of disease recurrence, metastasis and poor outcome. At present, there is little knowledge regarding the expression of sCav-1 at the metastatic sites. We therefore studied sCav-1 expression in IBCs and in their axillary lymph nodes to seek a correlation with cancer metastasis. 189 consecutive invasive IBCs (53 with axillary lymph node metastases and 136 without) were studied by immunohistochemistry, using a rabbit polyclonal anti-Cav-1 antibody. In IBCs sCav-1 was evaluated in fibroblasts scattered in the tumor stroma whereas in lymph nodes sCav-1 was assessed in fibroblast-like stromal cells. For the first time, we observed a statistically significant progressive loss of sCav-1 from normal/reactive axillary lymph nodes of tumors limited to the breast to metastatic axillary lymph nodes, through normal/reactive axillary lymph nodes of tumors with axillary metastatic spread. These data indicate that Cav-1 expressed by the stromal compartment of lymph nodes, somehow, may possibly contribute to metastatic spread in IBC.
Randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of mass and spaced learning in microsurgical procedures using computer aided assessment
Authors: Teo Wendy Z. W. , Dong Xiaoke , Yusoff Siti Khadijah Bte Mohd , Das De Soumen , Chong Alphonsus K. S.
Published: February 2021

Spaced-learning refers to teaching spread over time, compared to mass-learning where the same duration of teaching is completed in one session. Our hypothesis is that spaced-learning is better than mass-learning in retaining microsurgical suturing skills. Medical students were randomized into mass-learning (single 8-h session) and spaced-learning (2-h weekly sessions over 4 weeks) groups. They were taught to place 9 sutures in a 4 mm-wide elastic strip. The primary outcome was precision of suture placement during a test conducted 1 month after completion of sessions. Secondary outcomes were time taken, cumulative performance, and participant satisfaction. 42 students (24 in the mass-learning group; 18 in spaced-learning group) participated. 3 students in the spaced-learning group were later excluded as they did not complete all sessions. Both groups had comparable baseline suturing skills but at 1 month after completion of teaching, the total score for suture placement were higher in spaced-learning group (27.63 vs 31.60,p = 0.04). There was no statistical difference for duration and satisfaction in either group. Both groups showed an improvement in technical performance over the sessions, but this did not differ between both groups. Microsurgical courses are often conducted in mass-learning format so spaced learning offers an alternative that enhances retention of complex surgical skills.
Neuroendocrine prostate cancer has distinctive, non-prostatic HOX code that is represented by the loss of HOXB13 expression
Authors: Cheng Siyuan , Yang Shu , Shi Yingli , Shi Runhua , Yeh Yunshin , Yu Xiuping
Published: February 2021

HOX gene-encoded homeobox proteins control body patterning during embryonic development; the specific expression pattern of HOX genes may correspond to tissue identity. In this study, using RNAseq data of 1019 human cancer cell lines that originated from 24 different anatomic sites, we established HOX codes for various types of tissues. We applied these HOX codes to the transcriptomic profiles of prostate cancer (PCa) samples and found that the majority of prostate adenocarcinoma (AdPCa) samples sustained a prostate-specific HOX code whereas the majority of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPCa) samples did not, which reflects the anaplastic nature of NEPCa. Also, our analysis showed that the NEPCa samples did not correlate well with the HOX codes of any other tissue types, indicating that NEPCa tumors lose their prostate identities but do not gain new tissue identities. Additionally, using immunohistochemical staining, we evaluated the prostatic expression of HOXB13, the most prominently changed HOX gene in NEPCa. We found that HOXB13 was expressed in both benign prostatic tissues and AdPCa but its expression was reduced or lost in NEPCa. Furthermore, we treated PCa cells with all trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and found that the reduced HOXB13 expression can be reverted. This suggests that ATRA is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of NEPCa tumors by reversing them to a more treatable AdPCa.
Smile dimensions affect self-perceived smile attractiveness
Authors: Horn Simone , Matuszewska Natalia , Gkantidis Nikolaos , Verna Carlalberta , Kanavakis Georgios
Published: February 2021

Facial expressions play a leading role in human interactions because they provide signaling information of emotion and create social perceptions of an individuals’ physical and personality traits. Smiling increases socially perceived attractiveness and is considered a signal of trustworthiness and intelligence. Despite the ample information regarding the social importance of an attractive smile, little is known about the association between smile characteristics and self-assessed smile attractiveness. Here we investigate the effect of smile dimensions on ratings of self-perceived smile attractiveness, in a group of 613 young adults using 3D facial imaging. We show a significant effect of proportional smile width (ratio of smile width to facial width) on self-perceived smile attractiveness. In fact, for every 10% increase in proportional smile width, self-perceived attractiveness ratings increased by 10.26%. In the present sample, this association was primarily evident in females. Our results indicate that objective characteristics of the smile influence self-perception of smile attractiveness. The increased strength of the effect in females provides support to the notion that females are overall more aware of their smile and the impact it has on their public image.
On the effect of antiresorptive drugs on the bone remodeling of the mandible after dental implantation: a mathematical model
Authors: Ashrafi Mehran , Ghalichi Farzan , Mirzakouchaki Behnam , Doblare Manuel
Published: February 2021

Bone remodeling identifies the process of permanent bone change with new bone formation and old bone resorption. Understanding this process is essential in many applications, such as optimizing the treatment of diseases like osteoporosis, maintaining bone density in long-term periods of disuse, or assessing the long-term evolution of the bone surrounding prostheses after implantation. A particular case of study is the bone remodeling process after dental implantation. Despite the overall success of this type of implants, the increasing life expectancy in developed countries has boosted the demand for dental implants in patients with osteoporosis. Although several studies demonstrate a high success rate of dental implants in osteoporotic patients, it is also known that the healing time and the failure rate increase, necessitating the adoption of pharmacological measures to improve bone quality in those patients. However, the general efficacy of these antiresorptive drugs for osteoporotic patients is still controversial, requiring more experimental and clinical studies. In this work, we investigate the effect of different doses of several drugs, used nowadays in osteoporotic patients, on the evolution of bone density after dental implantation. With this aim, we use a pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) mathematical model that includes the effect of antiresorptive drugs on the RANK/RANK-L/OPG pathway, as well as the mechano-chemical coupling with external mechanical loads. This mechano-PK/PD model is then used to analyze the evolution of bone in normal and osteoporotic mandibles after dental implantation with different drug dosages. We show that using antiresorptive agents such as bisphosphonates or denosumab increases bone density and the associated mechanical properties, but at the same time, it also increases bone brittleness. We conclude that, despite the many limitations of these very complex models, the one presented here is capable of predicting qualitatively the evolution of some of the main biological and chemical variables associated with the process of bone remodeling in patients receiving drugs for osteoporosis, so it could be used to optimize dental implant design and coating for osteoporotic patients, as well as the drug dosage protocol for patient-specific treatments.
Genomic scans for selective sweeps through haplotype homozygosity and allelic fixation in 14 indigenous sheep breeds from Middle East and South Asia
Authors: Eydivandi Sirous , Roudbar Mahmoud Amiri , Karimi Mohammad Osman , Sahana Goutam
Published: February 2021

The performance and productivity of livestock have consistently improved by natural and artificial selection over the centuries. Both these selections are expected to leave patterns on the genome and lead to changes in allele frequencies, but natural selection has played the major role among indigenous populations. Detecting selective sweeps in livestock may assist in understanding the processes involved in domestication, genome evolution and discovery of genomic regions associated with economically important traits. We investigated population genetic diversity and selection signals in this study using SNP genotype data of 14 indigenous sheep breeds from Middle East and South Asia, including six breeds from Iran, namely Iranian Balochi, Afshari, Moghani, Qezel, Zel, and Lori-Bakhtiari, three breeds from Afghanistan, namely Afghan Balochi, Arabi, and Gadik, three breeds from India, namely Indian Garole, Changthangi, and Deccani, and two breeds from Bangladesh, namely Bangladeshi Garole and Bangladesh East. The SNP genotype data were generated by the Illumina OvineSNP50 Genotyping BeadChip array. To detect genetic diversity and population structure, we used principal component analysis (PCA), admixture, phylogenetic analyses, and Runs of homozygosity. We applied four complementary statistical tests, FST(fixation index), xp-EHH (cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity), Rsb (extended haplotype homozygosity between-populations), and FLK (the extension of the Lewontin and Krakauer) to detect selective sweeps. Our results not only confirm the previous studies but also provide a suite of novel candidate genes involved in different traits in sheep. On average, FST, xp-EHH, Rsb, and FLK detected 128, 207, 222, and 252 genomic regions as candidates for selective sweeps, respectively. Furthermore, nine overlapping candidate genes were detected by these four tests, especially TNIK, DOCK1, USH2A, and TYW1B which associate with resistance to diseases and climate adaptation. Knowledge of candidate genomic regions in sheep populations may facilitate the identification and potential exploitation of the underlying genes in sheep breeding.
Peroxidase- and UV-triggered oxidase mimetic activities of the UiO-66-NH2/chitosan composite membrane for antibacterial properties
Authors: Wang Xiaojuan , Zhou Xuejian , Yang Kai , Li Qiong , Wan Rongxin , Hu Guoying , Ye Jin , Zhang Yue , He Jiahui , Gu Hanqing , Yang Yongfang , Zhu Lei
Published: February 2021

In this study, UiO-66-NH2 metal–organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles with peroxidase and oxidase mimetic activities were incorporated into a chitosan (CS) matrix by a simple and environmentally friendly method.
Metathramycin, a new bioactive aureolic acid discovered by heterologous expression of a metagenome derived biosynthetic pathway
Authors: Stevenson Luke J. , Bracegirdle Joe , Liu Liwei , Sharrock Abigail V. , Ackerley David F. , Keyzers Robert A. , Owen Jeremy G.
Published: February 2021

Heterologous expression of an aromatic polyketide biosynthetic gene cluster recovered from a New Zealand soil metagenome library resulted in the discovery of new bioactive aureolic acids.
cDNA TRAP display for rapid and stable in vitro selection of antibody-like proteins
Authors: Kondo Taishi , Eguchi Minori , Kito Seita , Fujino Tomoshige , Hayashi Gosuke , Murakami Hiroshi
Published: February 2021

Rapid in vitro selection of antibody-like proteins using a stable version of the transcription–translation coupled with association of puromycin linker (TRAP) display.
Understanding substrate binding and the role of gatekeeping residues in PigC access tunnels
Authors: Brands Stefanie , Sikkens Jarno G. , Davari Mehdi D. , Brass Hannah U. C. , Klein Andreas S. , Pietruszka Jörg , Ruff Anna Joëlle , Schwaneberg Ulrich
Published: February 2021

Prodigiosin ligase PigC has been engineered by semi-rational design to accept short chain-pyrroles, providing molecular understanding of access tunnels and the substrate-binding pocket.
Crystal mosaicity determined by a novel layer deconvolution Williamson–Hall method
Authors: Magalhães S. , Cabaço J. S. , Mateus R. , Faye D. Nd. , Pereira D. R. , Peres M. , Lorenz K. , Díaz-Guerra C. , Araújo J. P. , Alves E.
Published: February 2021

An improvement to the classical Williamson–Hall method is developed to study several samples of AlGaN and α-MoO3.
Sign inversion of magnetic circularly polarized luminescence in Iridium(iii) complexes bearing achiral ligands
Authors: Matsudaira Kana , Izumoto Atsushi , Mimura Yuki , Kondo Yoshiro , Suzuki Satoko , Yagi Shigeyuki , Fujiki Michiya , Imai Yoshitane
Published: February 2021

MCPL signs of Ir(iii) luminophores can be controlled by the magnetic field's direction and the type of achiral ligands.
Solute-adsorption enhanced heterogeneous nucleation: the effect of Cu adsorption on α-Al nucleation at the sapphire substrate
Authors: Ma Sida , Dong Zihui , Zong Nanfu , Jing Tao , Dong Hongbiao
Published: February 2021

Formation of an Al–Cu adsorption layer at the (0001) sapphire/liquid Al–Cu interface enhances the nucleation potency.
Defect engineering: an effective tool for enhancing the catalytic performance of copper-MOFs for the click reaction and the A3 coupling
Authors: Fan Zhiying , Wang Zheng , Cokoja Mirza , Fischer Roland A.
Published: February 2021

A series of Cu(i)-enriched and Lewis basic site-containing defect-engineering MOFs was investigated for significantly enhanced catalytic performance in the click reaction and the A3 coupling.
A highly efficient photoelectrochemical sensor for detection of chlorpyrifos based on 2D/2D β-Bi2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions
Authors: Wang Haixia , Liang Dong , Xu Yan , Liang Xiang , Qiu Xiaoqing , Lin Zhang
Published: February 2021

Construction of 2D/2D β-Bi2O3/g-C3N4 heterojunctions has been demonstrated to be beneficial to achieve high PEC performance for chlorpyrifos detection.
Effects of brown seaweed polyphenols, a class of phlorotannins, on metabolic disordersviaregulation of fat function
Authors: Chen Lei , Liu Run , He Xin , Pei Shengjie , Li Duo
Published: February 2021

It is well known that fat dysfunction is the main driver of development of metabolic disorders.
Biodegradable nanocomposite of poly(ester-co-carbonate) and cellulose nanocrystals for tough tear-resistant disposable bags
Authors: Kim Hyeri , Jeon Hyeonyeol , Shin Giyoung , Lee Minkyung , Jegal Jonggeon , Hwang Sung Yeon , Oh Dongyeop X. , Koo Jun Mo , Eom Youngho , Park Jeyoung
Published: February 2021

The “3C-tuning” via chemical designing and nanocompositing upgrades mechanical performances of poly(butylene succinate) to a remarkable level with accelerated biodegradation.
Pragmatic method based on on-line leaching and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for risk assessment of the impact of short-term pollution
Authors: Althobiti Randa A. , Beauchemin Diane
Published: February 2021

On-line leaching with gastro-intestinal fluids and real-time measurement by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry readily reveal different sources of elements.
The energy landscape governs ductility in disordered materials
Authors: Tang Longwen , Liu Han , Ma Gang , Du Tao , Mousseau Normand , Zhou Wei , Bauchy Mathieu
Published: February 2021

We reveal that the brittle or ductile behavior of disordered materials is quantitively encoded in the topography of the static energy landscape before loading.
Deterministic synthesis of Cu9S5 flakes assisted by single-layer graphene arrays
Authors: Portone A. , Bellucci L. , Convertino D. , Mezzadri F. , Piccinini G. , Giambra M. A. , Miseikis V. , Rossi F. , Coletti C. , Fabbri F.
Published: February 2021

The employment of 2D materials, as growth substrates or buffer layers, enables the epitaxial growth of layered materials with different crystalline symmetries with a preferential crystalline orientation and the synthesis of heterostructures with a large lattice constant mismatch.
Synthesis of carbon dot-ZnO-based nanomaterials for antibacterial application
Authors: Gao Xuewei , Ma Xiaotong , Han Xinyu , Wang Xinrui , Li Shujing , Yao Jian , Shi Wenying
Published: February 2021

ZnO-based antibacterial materials have attracted significant attention in academia and industry.