bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioinformatics studies on structures, functions and diversifications of rolling leaf related genes in rice (Oryza sativaL.)
Authors: Alam Md. Jahangir , Alamin Md. , Sultana Most. Humaira , Ahsan Md. Asif , Hossain Md. Ripter , Islam S.M. Shahinul , Mollah Md. Nurul Haque
Published: November 2020

Leaf morphology of crop plants has significant value in agronomy. Leaf rolling in rice plays a vital role to increase grain yield. However, collective information on the rolling leaf (RL) genes reported to date and different comparative bioinformatics studies of their sequences are still incomplete. This bioinformatics study was designed to investigate structures, functions and diversifications of the RL related genes reported till now through several studies. We performed different comparative and functional analyses of the selected 42 RL genes among 103 RL genes using different bioinformatics techniques including gene structure, conserved domain, phylogenetic, gene ontology (GO), transcription factor (TF), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and protein–protein network. Exon-intron organization and conserved domain analysis showed diversity in structures and conserved domains of RL genes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the proteins into five major groups. GO and TF analyses revealed that regulation-related genes were remarkably enriched in biological process and 10 different TF families were involved in rice leaf rolling. KEGG analysis demonstrated that 14 RL genes were involved in the KEGG pathways, among which 50% were involved in the metabolism pathways. Of the selected RL proteins, 55% proteins were non-interacting with other RL proteins and OsRL9 was the most interacting RL protein. These results provide important information regarding structures, conserved domains, phylogenetic revolution, protein–protein interactions and other genetic bases of RL genes which might be helpful to the researchers for functional analysis of new candidate RL genes to explore their characteristics and molecular mechanisms for high yield rice breeding.
The interrelationship between diabetes mellitus and peripheral arterial disease
Authors: Stoberock Konstanze , Kaschwich Mark , Nicolay Shiva Sophia , Mahmoud Nazeh , Heidemann Franziska , Rieß Henrik C. , Debus Eike Sebastian , Behrendt Christian-Alexander
Published: November 2020

Summary: This systematic review examined the interrelationship between concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The objective was to determine differences in the prevalence as well as in the outcomes in diabetic vs. non-diabetic PAD patients. The current review followed a study protocol that was published online in German in 2017. The search included societal practice guidelines, consensus statements, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and observational studies published from 2007 to 2020 reporting symptomatic PAD and concomitant DM in patients undergoing invasive open-surgical and endovascular revascularizations. German and English literature has been considered. Eligibility criteria were verified by three independent reviewers. Disagreement was resolved by discussion involving a fourth reviewer. 580 articles were identified. After exclusion of non-eligible studies, 61 papers from 30 countries remained, respectively 850,072 patients. The included studies showed that PAD prevalence differed between diabetic vs. non-diabetic populations (20–50% vs. 10–26%), and further by age, gender, ethnicity, duration of existing diabetes, and geographic region. The included studies revealed worse outcomes regarding perioperative complications, amputation rate, and mortality rate in diabetic patients when compared to non-diabetic patients. In both groups, the amputation rates decreased during the research period. This review emphasizes an interrelationship between PAD and DM. To improve the outcomes, early detection of PAD in diabetic patients, and vice versa, should be recommended. The results of this systematic review may help to update societal practice guidelines.
Tablet-basierter Fehleridentifikationstest zur ökonomischen und validen Erfassung von Rechtschreibfähigkeiten in der Grundschule
Authors: Endlich Darius , Lenhard Wolfgang , Marx Peter , Richter Tobias
Published: November 2020

Zusammenfassung. Einleitung: In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde das Potenzial von tabletbasierten Fehleridentifikationstests zur Erfassung der Rechtschreibleistung in der Grundschule untersucht. Studien aus dem englischen Sprachraum belegen hohe Zusammenhänge zwischen Leistungen in klassischen Diktaten und Leistungen in Aufgaben, in denen Rechtschreibfehler in präsentierten Texten zu identifizieren sind (Fehleridentifikationstests). Im deutschen Sprachraum hingegen liegen ähnliche Untersuchungen bisher nur für die Sekundarstufe vor. Methode: Die vorliegende Arbeit untersuchte die produktive und rezeptive Rechtschreibleistung von 144 Schülerinnen und Schülern der Jahrgangsstufen 2 bis 4. Ergebnisse: Es konnten hohe Zusammenhänge für die deutsche Primarstufe nachgewiesen werden ( r = .69 bis r = .82), wobei als neuer Aspekt auch die Effizienz der Fehleridentifikation betrachtet wurde. Die Zusammenhänge stiegen über die Jahrgangsstufen hinweg an. Während Kinder Fehler, die Verstöße gegen die phonologische Wortform beinhalten, bereits in Jahrgangsstufe 2 zuverlässig erkannten, wurden Verstöße gegen Rechtschreibregeln erst im Verlauf der Grundschulzeit zuverlässiger erkannt. Um die diagnostisch besonders relevante Gruppe rechtschreibschwacher Kinder zu identifizieren, erwiesen sich jedoch auch Fehler mit Verstößen gegen die phonologische Wortform als bedeutsam. Diskussion: Computergestützte Fehleridentifikationstests stellen somit ein valides und ökonomisches Instrument zur Erfassung von Rechtschreibkompetenzen in der Primarstufe dar.
An Unfought Geoscience Battle in U.S. Prisons
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: November 2020

Prisoners, activists, and lawyers are fighting to protect incarcerated people from pollution and the dangers of climate change. There’s a place for geoscientists in the fight too.
Earthquake Swarms, Slow Slip and Fault Interactions at the Western‐End of the Hellenic Subduction System Precede the Mw 6.9 Zakynthos Earthquake, Greece
Authors: Mouslopoulou Vasiliki , Bocchini Gian Maria , Cesca Simone , Saltogianni Vasso , Bedford Jonathan , Petersen Gesa , Gianniou Michael , Oncken Onno
Published: November 2020

The month‐to‐year‐long deformation of the Earth's crust where active subduction zones terminate is poorly explored. Here we report on a multidisciplinary data set that captures the synergy of slow‐slip events, earthquake swarms and fault interactions during the ∼5 years leading up to the 2018 Mw 6.9 Zakynthos Earthquake at the western termination of the Hellenic Subduction System (HSS). It appears that this long‐lasting preparatory phase initiated due to a slow‐slip event that lasted ∼4 months and released strain equivalent to a ∼Mw 6.3 earthquake. We propose that the slow‐slip event, which is the first to be reported in the HSS, tectonically destabilized the upper 20–40 km of the crust, producing alternating phases of seismic and aseismic deformation, including intense microseismicity (Mw < 4) on neighboring faults, earthquake swarms in the epicentral area of the Mw 6.9 earthquake ∼1.5 years before the main event, another episode of slow slip immediately preceding the mainshock and, eventually, the large (Mw 6.9) Zakynthos Earthquake. Tectonic instability in the area is evidenced by a prolonged (∼4 years) period of overall suppressed b‐values (<1) and strong earthquake interactions on discrete strike‐slip, thrust and normal faults. We propose that composite faulting patterns accompanied by alternating (seismic/aseismic) deformation styles may characterize multifault subduction‐termination zones and may operate over a range of timescales (from individual earthquakes to millions of years).
Diurnal Variations in Tropical Cyclone Intensification
Authors: Wu Qiaoyan , Hong Jiacheng , Ruan Zhenxin
Published: November 2020

In this paper, diurnal variations in tropical cyclone (TC) intensification and decay over the ocean are considered for the global TC basins from 1982–2017 using best track data. Statistically significant diurnal variations are found for global TCs, with a maximum intensification over the period 03–09 local solar time (LST). No diurnal signals are detected for TC decay. The highest frequency of occurrence and highest rate of intensification at 03–09 LST for global TCs are associated with the largest coverage of the very deep convective clouds with IR BT < 208 K at 03–06 LST. TC vortex spin‐up is favored at early morning through diurnal circulation linked to very deep convection.
Weaker Links Between Zonal Convective Clustering and ITCZ Width in Climate Models Than in Observations
Authors: Popp Max , Lutsko Nicholas J. , Bony Sandrine
Published: November 2020

Strong links are seen in observations between convective clustering and several properties of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). These links suggest that biases in how climate models simulate the ITCZ may be related to model biases in convective clustering or that there may be biases in how models represent the relationship between clustering and the ITCZ. We investigate these issues by analyzing convective clustering, and the link between clustering and ITCZ properties in 18 climate models. We find that the links between variability in convective clustering and variability of ITCZ properties are generally weaker and less robust in models than in observations. By contrast, model biases in the climatological convective clustering explain a substantial fraction of the climatological double‐ITCZ bias, though they do not explain biases in the climatological ITCZ width.
The mechanism of m6A methyltransferase METTL3-mediated autophagy in reversing gefitinib resistance in NSCLC cells by β-elemene
Authors: Liu Shuiping , Li Qiujie , Li Guohua , Zhang Qin , Zhuo Lvjia , Han Xuemeng , Zhang Mingming , Chen Xiaying , Pan Ting , Yan Lili , Jin Ting , Wang Jianjun , Lv Qun , Sui Xinbing , Xie Tian
Published: November 2020

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification can alter gene expression by regulating RNA splicing, stability, translocation, and translation. Emerging evidence shows that m6A modification plays an important role in cancer development and progression, including cell proliferation, migration and invasion, cell apoptosis, autophagy, and drug resistance. Until now, the role of m6A modification mediated autophagy in cancer drug resistance is still unclear. In this study, we found that m6A methyltransferase METTL3-mediated autophagy played an important role in reversing gefitinib resistance by β-elemene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Mechanistically, in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that β-elemene could reverse gefitinib resistance in NSCLC cells by inhibiting cell autophagy process in a manner of chloroquine. β-elemene inhibited the autophagy flux by preventing autophagic lysosome acidification, resulting in increasing expression of SQSTM1 and LC3B-II. Moreover, both β-elemene and gefitinib decreased the level of m6A methylation of gefitinib resistance cells. METTL3 was higher expressed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues than that of paired normal tissues, and was involved in the gefitinib resistance of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, METTL3 positively regulated autophagy by increasing the critical genes of autophagy pathway such as ATG5 and ATG7. In conclusion, our study unveiled the mechanism of METTL3-mediated autophagy in reversing gefitinib resistance of NSCLC cells by β-elemene, which shed light on providing potential molecular-therapy target and clinical-treatment method in NSCLC patients with gefitinib resistance.
Stroma secreted IL6 selects for “stem-like” population and alters pancreatic tumor microenvironment by reprogramming metabolic pathways
Authors: Kesh Kousik , Garrido Vanessa T. , Dosch Austin , Durden Brittany , Gupta Vineet K. , Sharma Nikita S. , Lyle Michael , Nagathihalli Nagaraj , Merchant Nipun , Saluja Ashok , Banerjee Sulagna
Published: November 2020

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is a devastating disease with an abysmal survival rate of 9%. A robust fibro-inflammatory and desmoplastic stroma, characteristic of pancreatic cancer, contribute to the challenges in developing viable therapeutic strategies in this disease. Apart from constricting blood vessels and preventing efficient drug delivery to the tumor, the stroma also contributes to the aggressive biology of cancer along with its immune-evasive microenvironment. In this study, we show that in pancreatic tumors, the developing stroma increases tumor initiation frequency in pancreatic cancer cells in vivo by enriching for CD133 + aggressive “stem-like” cells. Additionally, the stromal fibroblasts secrete IL6 as the major cytokine, increases glycolytic flux in the pancreatic tumor cells, and increases lactate efflux in the microenvironment via activation of the STAT signaling pathway. We also show that the secreted lactate favors activation of M2 macrophages in the tumor microenvironment, which excludes CD8 + T cells in the tumor. Our data additionally confirms that the treatment of pancreatic tumors with anti-IL6 antibody results in tumor regression as well as decreased CD133 + population within the tumor. Furthermore, inhibiting the lactate efflux in the microenvironment reduces M2 macrophages, and makes pancreatic tumors more responsive to anti-PD1 therapy. This suggests that stromal IL6 driven metabolic reprogramming plays a significant role in the development of an immune-evasive microenvironment. In conclusion, our study shows that targeting the metabolic pathways affected by stromal IL6 can make pancreatic tumors amenable to checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Digital microfluidic isolation of single cells for -Omics
Authors: Lamanna Julian , Scott Erica Y. , Edwards Harrison S. , Chamberlain M. Dean , Dryden Michael D. M. , Peng Jiaxi , Mair Barbara , Lee Adam , Chan Calvin , Sklavounos Alexandros A. , Heffernan Austin , Abbas Farhana , Lam Charis , Olson Maxwell E. , Moffat Jason , Wheeler Aaron R.
Published: November 2020

We introduce Digital microfluidic Isolation of Single Cells for -Omics (DISCO), a platform that allows users to select particular cells of interest from a limited initial sample size and connects single-cell sequencing data to their immunofluorescence-based phenotypes. Specifically, DISCO combines digital microfluidics, laser cell lysis, and artificial intelligence-driven image processing to collect the contents of single cells from heterogeneous populations, followed by analysis of single-cell genomes and transcriptomes by next-generation sequencing, and proteomes by nanoflow liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The results described herein confirm the utility of DISCO for sequencing at levels that are equivalent to or enhanced relative to the state of the art, capable of identifying features at the level of single nucleotide variations. The unique levels of selectivity, context, and accountability of DISCO suggest potential utility for deep analysis of any rare cell population with contextual dependencies.
CT-ORG, a new dataset for multiple organ segmentation in computed tomography
Authors: Rister Blaine , Yi Darvin , Shivakumar Kaushik , Nobashi Tomomi , Rubin Daniel L.
Published: November 2020

Despite the relative ease of locating organs in the human body, automated organ segmentation has been hindered by the scarcity of labeled training data. Due to the tedium of labeling organ boundaries, most datasets are limited to either a small number of cases or a single organ. Furthermore, many are restricted to specific imaging conditions unrepresentative of clinical practice. To address this need, we developed a diverse dataset of 140 CT scans containing six organ classes: liver, lungs, bladder, kidney, bones and brain. For the lungs and bones, we expedited annotation using unsupervised morphological segmentation algorithms, which were accelerated by 3D Fourier transforms. Demonstrating the utility of the data, we trained a deep neural network which requires only 4.3 s to simultaneously segment all the organs in a case. We also show how to efficiently augment the data to improve model generalization, providing a GPU library for doing so. We hope this dataset and code, available through TCIA, will be useful for training and evaluating organ segmentation models.
DISPERSE, a trait database to assess the dispersal potential of European aquatic macroinvertebrates
Authors: Sarremejane Romain , Cid Núria , Stubbington Rachel , Datry Thibault , Alp Maria , Cañedo-Argüelles Miguel , Cordero-Rivera Adolfo , Csabai Zoltán , Gutiérrez-Cánovas Cayetano , Heino Jani , Forcellini Maxence , Millán Andrés , Paillex Amael , Pařil Petr , Polášek Marek , Tierno de Figueroa José Manuel , Usseglio-Polatera Philippe , Zamora-Muñoz Carmen , Bonada Núria
Published: November 2020

Dispersal is an essential process in population and community dynamics, but is difficult to measure in the field. In freshwater ecosystems, information on biological traits related to organisms’ morphology, life history and behaviour provides useful dispersal proxies, but information remains scattered or unpublished for many taxa. We compiled information on multiple dispersal-related biological traits of European aquatic macroinvertebrates in a unique resource, the DISPERSE database. DISPERSE includes nine dispersal-related traits subdivided into 39 trait categories for 480 taxa, including Annelida, Mollusca, Platyhelminthes, and Arthropoda such as Crustacea and Insecta, generally at the genus level. Information within DISPERSE can be used to address fundamental research questions in metapopulation ecology, metacommunity ecology, macroecology and evolutionary ecology. Information on dispersal proxies can be applied to improve predictions of ecological responses to global change, and to inform improvements to biomonitoring, conservation and management strategies. The diverse sources used in DISPERSE complement existing trait databases by providing new information on dispersal traits, most of which would not otherwise be accessible to the scientific community.
Author Correction: Micronuclei in germ cells of hybrid frogs from Pelophylax esculentus complex contain gradually eliminated chromosomes
Authors: Dedukh D. , Riumin S. , Chmielewska M. , Rozenblut-Kościsty B. , Kolenda K. , Kaźmierczak M. , Dudzik A. , Ogielska M. , Krasikova A.
Published: November 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Toxicity of the herbicides diuron, propazine, tebuthiuron, and haloxyfop to the diatom Chaetoceros muelleri
Authors: Thomas Marie C. , Flores Florita , Kaserzon Sarit , Reeks Timothy A. , Negri Andrew P.
Published: November 2020

Conventional photosystem II (PSII) herbicides applied in agriculture can pose significant environmental risks to aquatic environments. In response to the frequent detection of these herbicides in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment area, transitions towards ‘alternative’ herbicides are now widely supported. However, water quality guideline values (WQGVs) for alternative herbicides are lacking and their potential ecological impacts on tropical marine species are generally unknown. To improve our understanding of the risks posed by some of these alternative herbicides on marine species under tropical conditions, we tested the effects of four herbicides on the widely distributed diatom Chaetoceros muelleri. The PSII herbicides diuron, propazine, and tebuthiuron induced substantial reductions in both 24 h effective quantum yields (ΔF/Fm′) and 3-day specific growth rates (SGR). The effect concentrations, which reduced ΔF/Fm′ by 50% (EC50), ranged from 4.25 µg L−1 diuron to 48.6 µg L−1 propazine, while the EC50s for SGR were on average threefold higher, ranging from 12.4 µg L−1 diuron to 187 µg L−1 tebuthiuron. Our results clearly demonstrated that inhibition of ΔF/Fm′ in PSII is directly linked to reduced growth (R2 = 0.95) in this species, further supporting application of ΔF/Fm′ inhibition as a valid bioindicator of ecological relevance for PSII herbicides that could contribute to deriving future WQGVs. In contrast, SGR and ΔF/Fm′ of C. muelleri were nonresponsive to the non-PSII herbicide haloxyfop at the highest concentration tested (4570 µg L−1), suggesting haloxyfop does not pose a risk to C. muelleri. The toxicity thresholds (e.g. no effect concentrations; NECs) identified in this study will contribute to the derivation of high-reliability marine WQGVs for some alternative herbicides detected in GBR waters and support future assessments of the cumulative risks of complex herbicide mixtures commonly detected in coastal waters.
Utility of shape evolution and displacement in the classification of chronic multiple sclerosis lesions
Authors: Okuda Darin T. , Moog Tatum M. , McCreary Morgan , Bachand Jennifer N. , Wilson Andrew , Wright Katy , Winkler Mandy D. , Ramos Osniel Gonzalez , Blinn Aiden P. , Wang Yeqi , Stanley Thomas , Pinho Marco C. , Newton Braeden D. , Guo Xiaohu
Published: November 2020

The accurate recognition of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions is challenged by the high sensitivity and imperfect specificity of MRI. To examine whether longitudinal changes in volume, surface area, 3-dimensional (3D) displacement (i.e. change in lesion position), and 3D deformation (i.e. change in lesion shape) could inform on the origin of supratentorial brain lesions, we prospectively enrolled 23 patients with MS and 11 patients with small vessel disease (SVD) and performed standardized 3-T 3D brain MRI studies. Bayesian linear mixed effects regression models were constructed to evaluate associations between changes in lesion morphology and disease state. A total of 248 MS and 157 SVD lesions were studied. Individual MS lesions demonstrated significant decreases in volume < 3.75mm3 (p = 0.04), greater shifts in 3D displacement by 23.4% with increasing duration between MRI time points (p = 0.007), and greater transitions to a more non-spherical shape (p < 0.0001). If 62.2% of lesions within a given MRI study had a calculated theoretical radius > 2.49 based on deviation from a perfect 3D sphere, a 92.7% in-sample and 91.2% out-of-sample accuracy was identified for the diagnosis of MS. Longitudinal 3D shape evolution and displacement characteristics may improve lesion classification, adding to MRI techniques aimed at improving lesion specificity.
Multitask ATPases (NBDs) of bacterial ABC importers type I and their interspecies exchangeability
Authors: Leisico Francisco , Godinho Lia M. , Gonçalves Inês C. , Silva Sara P. , Carneiro Bruno , Romão Maria J. , Santos-Silva Teresa , de Sá-Nogueira Isabel
Published: November 2020

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) type I importers are widespread in bacteria and play a crucial role in its survival and pathogenesis. They share the same modular architecture comprising two intracellular nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), two transmembrane domains (TMDs) and a substrate-binding protein. The NBDs bind and hydrolyze ATP, thereby generating conformational changes that are coupled to the TMDs and lead to substrate translocation. A group of multitask NBDs that are able to serve as the cellular motor for multiple sugar importers was recently discovered. To understand why some ABC importers share energy-coupling components, we used the MsmX ATPase from Bacillus subtilis as a model for biological and structural studies. Here we report the first examples of functional hybrid interspecies ABC type I importers in which the NBDs could be exchanged. Furthermore, the first crystal structure of an assigned multitask NBD provides a framework to understand the molecular basis of the broader specificity of interaction with the TMDs.
Determinant components of newly onset versus improved metabolic syndrome in a population of Iran
Authors: Lankarani Kamran Bagheri , Honarvar Behnam , Keshani Parisa , Raeisi Shahraki Hadi
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to determine the risk factors related to regression and progression of metabolic syndrome, in a 4-year cohort study. A total of 540 individuals (≥ 18 years old) participated in both phase of the study. Participants were categorized into 3 categories of regressed, progressed and unchanged metabolic syndrome (MetS). Demographic, anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed for each individual in both phase. Variables differences (delta: Δ) between the two phase of study were calculated. Unchanged group was considered as baseline category. Based on IDF, MetS had been regressed and progressed in 42 participants (7.7%) and 112 (20.7%) participants respectively, in the second phase. More than 47% of people, whose MetS regressed, experienced also NAFLD regression. Results of multiple variable analysis revealed that increased age, positive Δ-TG, and Δ-FBS, significantly increased the odds of MetS progression based on IDF and ATP III definitions, while negative Δ-HDL and Δ-neutrophil to lymph ration increased the odds of progression. On the other hand, negative Δ-TG and positive Δ-HDL significantly increased the odds of Mets regression based of both IDF and ATP III. Management of hypertriglyceridemia, hyperglycemia, and HDL is a critical, non-invasive and accessible approach to change the trend of MetS.
UPLC/MS-based untargeted metabolomics reveals the changes of metabolites profile of Salvia miltiorrhiza bunge during Sweating processing
Authors: Cao Mengyang , Liu Yingying , Jiang Weimin , Meng Xiaoxi , Zhang Wei , Chen Weidong , Peng Daiyin , Xing Shihai
Published: November 2020

Salvia miltiorrhiza has numerous compounds with extensive clinical application. “Sweating”, a processing method of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), results in great changes in pharmacology and pharmacodynamics. Previously, chromatogram of 10 characteristic metabolites in S. miltiorrhiza showed a significant difference after “Sweating”. Due to the complexity of TCM, changes in metabolites should be investigated metabolome-wide after “Sweating”. An untargeted UPLC/MS-based metabolomics was performed to discover metabolites profile variation of S. miltiorrhiza after “Sweating”. Multivariate analysis was conducted to screen differential metabolites. Analysis indicated distinct differences between sweated and non-sweated samples. 10,108 substance peaks had been detected altogether, and 4759 metabolites had been identified from negative and positive ion model. 287 differential metabolites were screened including 112 up-regulated and 175 down-regulated and they belong to lipids and lipid-like molecules, and phenylpropanoid and polyketides. KEGG analysis showed the pathway of linoleic acid metabolism, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism were mainly enriched. 31 and 49 identified metabolites were exclusively detected in SSM and NSSM, respectively, which mainly belong to carboxylic acids and derivatives, polyketides and fatty acyls. By mapping tanshinones and salvianolic acids to 4759 identified metabolites library, 23 characteristic metabolites had been identified, among which 11 metabolites changed most. We conclude that “Sweating’’ has significant effect on metabolites content and composition of S. miltiorrhiza.
Effect and underlying mechanisms of airborne particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) on cultured human corneal epithelial cells
Authors: Kashiwagi Kenji , Iizuka Yoko
Published: November 2020

Health problems caused by airborne particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 (PM2.5), especially in the respiratory system, have become a worldwide problem, but the influence and mechanisms of PM2.5 on the ocular surface have not been sufficiently elucidated. We investigated in vitro the onset and pathogenesis of corneal damage induced by PM2.5. Two types of PM2.5 samples originating from Beijing (designated #28) and the Gobi Desert (designated #30) were added to the culture medium of immortalized cultured human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) to examine the effects on survival rates, autophagy, and proinflammatory cytokine production. Both types of PM2.5 significantly reduced the HCEC survival rate in a concentration-dependent manner by triggering autophagy. In particular, compared with #30, #28 induced much more severe damage in HCECs. Physical contact between PM2.5 and HCECs was not a primary contributor to PM2.5-induced HCEC damage. Among the 38 proinflammatory cytokines examined in this study, significant increases in the granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-6 levels and a significant reduction in the interleukin-8 level were detected in culture medium of PM2.5-exposed HCECs. Simultaneous addition of a GM-CSF inhibitor, suramin, alleviated the HCEC impairment induced by PM2.5. In conclusion, PM2.5 induces HCEC death by triggering autophagy. Some cytokines that are released from HCECs, including GM-CSF, may be involved in HCEC damage caused by PM2.5 exposure.
311 service requests as indicators of neighborhood distress and opioid use disorder
Authors: Li Yuchen , Hyder Ayaz , Southerland Lauren T. , Hammond Gretchen , Porr Adam , Miller Harvey J.
Published: November 2020

Opioid use disorder and overdose deaths is a public health crisis in the United States, and there is increasing recognition that its etiology is rooted in part by social determinants such as poverty, isolation and social upheaval. Limiting research and policy interventions is the low temporal and spatial resolution of publicly available administrative data such as census data. We explore the use of municipal service requests (also known as “311” requests) as high resolution spatial and temporal indicators of neighborhood social distress and opioid misuse. We analyze the spatial associations between georeferenced opioid overdose event (OOE) data from emergency medical service responders and 311 service request data from the City of Columbus, OH, USA for the time period 2008–2017. We find 10 out of 21 types of 311 requests spatially associate with OOEs and also characterize neighborhoods with lower socio-economic status in the city, both consistently over time. We also demonstrate that the 311 indicators are capable of predicting OOE hotspots at the neighborhood-level: our results show code violation, public health, and street lighting were the top three accurate predictors with predictive accuracy as 0.92, 0.89 and 0.83, respectively. Since 311 requests are publicly available with high spatial and temporal resolution, they can be effective as opioid overdose surveillance indicators for basic research and applied policy.
Machine-learning-based prediction models for high-need high-cost patients using nationwide clinical and claims data
Authors: Osawa Itsuki , Goto Tadahiro , Yamamoto Yuji , Tsugawa Yusuke
Published: November 2020

High-need, high-cost (HNHC) patients—usually defined as those who account for the top 5% of annual healthcare costs—use as much as half of the total healthcare costs. Accurately predicting future HNHC patients and designing targeted interventions for them has the potential to effectively control rapidly growing healthcare expenditures. To achieve this goal, we used a nationally representative random sample of the working-age population who underwent a screening program in Japan in 2013–2016, and developed five machine-learning-based prediction models for HNHC patients in the subsequent year. Predictors include demographics, blood pressure, laboratory tests (e.g., HbA1c, LDL-C, and AST), survey responses (e.g., smoking status, medications, and past medical history), and annual healthcare cost in the prior year. Our prediction models for HNHC patients combining clinical data from the national screening program with claims data showed a c-statistics of 0.84 (95%CI, 0.83–0.86), and overperformed traditional prediction models relying only on claims data.
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric identification of cyanide using a nucleophilic substitution based derivatization with S-phenyl benzenethiosulfonate
Authors: Goud D. Raghavender , Sinha Roy Kanchan , Pardasani Deepak , Purohit Ajay Kumar , Tak Vijay Kumar , Dubey Devendra Kumar
Published: November 2020

GC-MS based identification of cyanide using a new, simple and efficient single step nucleophilic substitution based derivatization with S-phenyl benzenethiosulfonate in aqueous medium.
An acetoxy functionalized Al(iii) based metal–organic framework showing selective “turn on” detection of perborate in environmental samples
Authors: Nandi Soutick , Reinsch Helge , Biswas Shyam
Published: November 2020

Al(iii) based acetoxy functionalized CAU-10 MOF is presented for selective turn-on fluorometric detection of perborate in environmental water samples.
Grape seed procyanidins suppress the apoptosis and senescence of chondrocytes and ameliorates osteoarthritis via the DPP4-Sirt1 pathway
Authors: Wang Ke , Chen Xibang , Chen Yu , Sheng Sunren , Huang Zhongsheng
Published: November 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complicated pathological condition affecting thousands of people around world, many with substantial unmet medical care needs and without any effective therapies.
Low-loss aluminum epitaxial film for scalable and sustainable plasmonics: direct comparison with silver epitaxial film
Authors: Raja Soniya S. , Cheng Chang-Wei , Gwo Shangjr
Published: November 2020

The epitaxial aluminum film exhibits long plasmon lengths in the full visible region and outperforms silver in the deep blue region.
Correction: Efficient NIR energy conversion of plasmonic silver nanostructures fabricated with the laser-assisted synthetic approach for endodontic applications
Authors: Bulavinets Tetiana , Kulpa-Greszta Magdalena , Tomaszewska Anna , Kus-Liśkiewicz Malgorzata , Bielatowicz Gabriela , Yaremchuk Iryna , Barylyak Adriana , Bobitski Yaroslav , Pązik Robert
Published: November 2020

Correction for ‘Efficient NIR energy conversion of plasmonic silver nanostructures fabricated with the laser-assisted synthetic approach for endodontic applications’ by Tetiana Bulavinets et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 38861–38872, DOI: 10.1039/D0RA06614A.
Is there a photochemical Hammond postulate?
Authors: Bochet Christian G. , Harvey Freya M.
Published: November 2020

In this work, a series of photochemical reactions were performed on isotopically labelled substrates to explore the validity of Hammond's postulate for the excited state.
Acoustical and Perceptual Analysis of Noise Reduction Strategies in Individuals With Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Jaisinghani Priyanka , Manjula P.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The conventional amplification devices render minimal or no benefit at abating the speech perception problems of individuals with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD). This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of noise reduction strategies (multiband spectral subtraction, Wiener-as, Karhunen–Loeve transform [Subspace], and ideal binary mask [IdBM] algorithm) on speech using speech perception measures and acoustic measure among individuals with ANSD.

Method

Two groups of participants (age: 17–43 years) were recruited in the study. Group I comprised 12 individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of ANSD and not exceeding moderate degree of hearing loss and Group II of 10 individuals with normal hearing in both ears. The signal-to-noise required for 50% speech recognition (SNR-50) was measured for the participants in five conditions, that is, unprocessed speech and speech processed with four noise reduction strategies. Additionally, an acoustic objective measure Extended Short-Time Objective Intelligibility algorithm was employed to estimate the intelligibility index across the conditions.

Results

Significant difference was found across conditions in both the groups. Pairwise comparison revealed significantly better speech perception on SNR-50 measure with IdBM strategy, for both the groups. No significant difference in SNR-50 was observed with other noise reduction strategies. IdBM condition also gave the highest intelligibility index (d) values using Extended Short-Time Objective Intelligibility algorithm. This finding needs to be verified on a larger group of individuals with ANSD.

Conclusions

IdBM noise reduction strategy rendered significantly lower SNR-50 compared to other noise reduction strategies for individuals with ANSD in this study. This provides clinical evidence for the same and also recommends trying on a larger group of participants before its implementation in hearing devices. Apart from this, the current strategies used in hearing aids provide no improvement in speech identification in noise for this population. Hence, though the present hearing aids may show benefit in quiet condition, chances of its rejection are high in noisy backgrounds.
Consideration of Structural Anomalies Related to Cleft and Craniofacial Conditions
Authors: Louw Brenda
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this introduction is to provide an overview of the topic and the articles contained within the Special Interest Group 5 Forum: Consideration of Structural Anomalies Related to Cleft and Craniofacial Conditions.
Finite mixture survival model for examining the variability of urban arterial travel time for buses, passenger cars and taxis
Authors: Zhong Xinzhi , Zou Yajie , Dong Zhi , Yuan Shaoxin , Ijaz Muhammad
Published: November 2020

Examining the travel time variability (TTV) of buses, passenger cars and taxis is essential to obtain reliable travel time in urban daily trips. TTV analyses of three travel modes are conducted using travel time data collected on two urban arterial roads in Xi'an City. Firstly, the TTV is evaluated using statistical indexes. The results reveal that the TTV differs from vehicle to vehicle, period to period and site to site. Secondly, the finite mixture survival model is proposed to address the heterogeneity of travel time data by decomposing the population into several sub‐populations. Wasserstein distance and Kolmogorov–Smirnov test are used to further compare the sub‐populations of different vehicle types during different periods on different roads. Finally, based on the model analysis, it can be found that the finite mixture survival model is an accurate tool to examine the variability by capturing the heterogeneity of travel time data. The difference among the sub‐populations suggests different travel behaviours. It concludes that more diverse travel behaviours result in higher TTV. An accurate investigation on TTV is valuable for travellers’ mode choices and transportation management agencies to obtain reliable travel time information and improve traffic efficiency.
Removal of heavy metal ions by porous sepiolite‐based membrane
Authors: Zhou Ji , Fan Zhenyu , Tian Qiong , Zhao Shijun , Jiang Yong
Published: November 2020

Natural clay sepiolite with high specific surface area and unique porous structure exhibits great potential for application in the fields of water treatment. However, the adsorption methods suffer from some drawbacks, such as the production of toxic sludge and secondary pollution. Electrospinning technology has been widely employed to fabricate porous composite fibres. Thus, the authors design a high‐efficiency electrospun polyurethane/sepiolite membrane that can remove heavy metal ions from drinking water. This kind of sepiolite‐based membrane not only exhibits high absorption capacity of Cr, Cd, As and Mn, but also offers several advantages such as minimising the risk of secondary pollution. Sepiolite‐based membrane shows great potential for applications including urgent drinking‐water treatment, field survival and disaster rescue.
Formation mechanism of ZnO nanosheets combined with regenerated cellulose through NaOH inner‐pore diffusion process
Authors: Li Xiaobao , Zhou Xiaolong , Gao Yanian
Published: November 2020

In the present work, regenerated cellulose films with different pore sizes were prepared using cellulose, which can control the synthesis reaction of nano‐ZnO and thus regulate its morphology. The results show that with 0, 4, and 8 g of cellulose applied, average pore sizes of samples increased from 7.0 nm to 14.4 and 20.1 nm, respectively. When no cellulose was used, only large Zn5(OH)8Cl2·H2O (ZHC) flakes were prepared. Long ZnO nano‐sheets and ZHC flakes with a mass fraction of 0.51 and 0.33, respectively, were prepared by adding 4 g cellulose; and ZnO nano‐sheets with a mass fraction of 0.73, with 0.04 ZHC, were synthesised while using 8 g cellulose. The results reveal that the addition of cellulose can improve the average pore diameter of films and enhance the reaction rate of ZnO, resulting in the formation of ZnO nano‐sheets/regenerated cellulose films.
Compact border termination for active‐edge planar radiation detectors with enhanced breakdown voltage
Authors: Boughedda Abderrezak , Lakhdara Maya , Latreche Saida , Dalla Betta Gian‐Franco
Published: November 2020

A design modification to an existing border termination for active‐edge planar radiation detectors is proposed, which enables a dead area reduction and a much larger breakdown voltage to be achieved, with a minor increase in the fabrication complexity. ‘Technology Computer‐Aided Design’ simulations allowed the device performance of different variants of the proposed structure to be investigated also in comparison with the existing one. Among considered designs, the new border terminations with 2(3) guard rings, featuring a dead area at the edge of ∼90(120) μm, can withstand more than 375(500) V for all oxide charge density values up to 3 × 1012 cm−2. These characteristics make them appealing for X‐ray imaging applications at free‐electron laser facilities.
PSP/WISPR observations of dust density depletion near the Sun
Authors: Stenborg G. , Howard R. A. , Hess P. , Gallagher B.
Published: November 2020

Context. In 1929, Russell predicted that dust particles cannot survive in a region close to any star, hence giving justification for a dust free zone to exist inside a certain distance from the star. This theoretical prediction has not been confirmed, even with our Sun.

Aims. We use the unique vantage points and new perspectives of the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission to study the dust environment close to the Sun with imaging observations from the Wide Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR) as PSP orbits, progressively closer to the Sun (PSP will ultimately reach a perihelion distance of 9.86 R⊙).

Methods. We analyze the radial brightness profile of the axis of symmetry of the F-corona in the WISPR images obtained from heliocentric distances between about 0.350 AU (75 R⊙) and 0.129 AU (28 R⊙) to detect any change from earlier observations. Historically, at observer locations between 1 and 0.3 AU, the brightness of the axis of symmetry has been shown to fall off as a power law of solar distance, r−n, with an exponent of n = 2.3.

Results. We show that as PSP approaches its perihelion distance of 28 R⊙ (orbits 4 and 5), the radial gradient of the brightness profile of the axis of symmetry of the F-corona gradually becomes less steep, starting at about 19 R⊙ down to the shortest elongations reached with current WISPR observations at about 7.65 R⊙. This observational signature is modeled with an ad hoc homogeneous dust density model (i.e., it is not based on any physical model) along the symmetry axis of the zodiacal dust cloud, which (1) varies as the historical density profile, r−1.3, down to 19 R⊙, then (2) stays approximately constant down to 10 R⊙, and finally (3) decreases exponentially to become zero at 3 R⊙. The density profile below 19 R⊙ is accomplished by using a multiplier on the historical density profile that decreases linearly down to 3 R⊙. The distance dependence and range of the multiplier were chosen to best match the brightness observations below 30 R⊙.

Conclusions. The observed brightness decrease in the axis of symmetry is interpreted as the signature of the existence of a dust density depletion zone between about 19 R⊙ and 3 R⊙, which at the inner limit of WISPR’s field of view of 7.65 R⊙ has a dust density that is ~5% lower than the density at 19 R⊙, instead of the expected density which is three times if no depletion zone exists. No noticeable variations in the brightness of the F-corona axis of symmetry were observed from 2018 to 2020.
Synthesis of real world drone signals based on lab recordings
Authors: Heutschi Kurt , Ott Beat , Nussbaumer Thomas , Wellig Peter
Published: November 2020

There is a great interest in the generation of plausible drone signals in various applications, e.g. for auralization purposes or the compilation of training data for detection algorithms. Here, a methodology is presented which synthesises realistic immission signals based on laboratory recordings and subsequent signal processing. The transformation of a lab drone signal into a virtual field microphone signal has to consider a constant pitch shift to adjust for the manoeuvre specific rotational speed and the corresponding frequency dependent emission strength correction, a random pitch shift variation to account for turbulence induced rotational speed variations in the field, Doppler frequency shift and time and frequency dependent amplitude adjustments according to the different propagation effects. By evaluation of lab and field measurements, the relevant synthesizer parameters were determined. It was found that for the investigated set of drone types, the vertical radiation characteristics can be successfully described by a generic frequency dependent directivity pattern. The proposed method is applied to different drone models with a total weight between 800 g and 3.4 kg and is discussed with respect to its abilities and limitations comparing both, recordings taken in the lab and the field.
Application of Remote Sensing Image in Civil Engineering
Authors: Wang Ting , Ma Lizhu , Qi Qinghui
Published: November 2020

Civil engineering occupies an unwavering position in the scientific and technological field. It not only has a deep tradition, but also has unlimited development potential in the future, and it covers numerous academic and application fields. With the advancement of science and technology, remote sensing technology is more and more widely used in people’s daily production and life. In civil engineering construction and research, remote sensing imagery also plays an important role as the basic data. Therefore, remote sensing technology has shown important support in land utilization, land construction planning, and coverage monitoring. According to the actual needs of civil engineering, this paper extracts targeted land information from satellite remote sensing images in a certain area, and analyzes the practical and reasonable needs of civil engineering construction.
Site Classification and Analysis in Beijing Based on Geological Factors
Authors: Sun Jiajun , Meng Yongqi , zhao Shuai , Li Zhanfei , Tan Xiaodi
Published: November 2020

The paper involves the application of the surface geological method for regional site classification in Beijing. Geological maps are collected through GIS to create a relationship of classification between the geological factors of the geological maps and the site classification index of the US NEHRP code. First, the site classification of the US NEHRP is obtained, and based on the relationship of conversion, given by Chinese researchers, between the site classification of the US NEHRP and the China’s Code for Seismic Design of Buildings (GB50011-2010), the results of the site classification of Beijing are obtained based on China’s Code (GB50011-2010). Finally, based on the collected borehole data in Beijing, the results of the site classification map are verified and analyzed.