bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self‐regenerating black medic cover crop provides agronomic benefits at low nitrogen
Authors: May William E. , McConachie R. , Entz Martin
Published: May 2022

A black medic (Medicago lupulina L.) cover crop is able to regenerate from seed annually and produce biomass at the end of each growing season, but its long‐term effectiveness on crop productivity, water use efficiency (WUE), and soil nutrient status within a no‐till cropping system is unclear. A field experiment was established in 2003 in Saskatchewan in a 3‐yr crop rotation [flax (Linum usitatissimum L.)–oat (Avena sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)]. Treatments included cover crop (black medic or no medic), and N fertilizer (20, 60, and 100% of recommended N) arranged in a split‐split plot design. Over 10 yr, medic aboveground fall biomass averaged 625 kg ha–1 (range 0–1,868 kg ha–1) and was greatest at the lowest N rate, 879 kg ha–1. Medic increased grain yield at 20% N fertilizer; no effect was observed at higher N rates. Medic increased tiller density and kernel weight at 20% N, indicating that medic positively influenced the crop throughout the entire life cycle. Medic presence did not affect grain N or P status. Medic did not affect level of available soil N in fall but consistently increased level of soil available P. This extended to the 30–60 cm soil depth in the 100% vs. lower N rates, suggesting medic roots may have influenced P cycling. In oat stubble, medic increased spring soil water and WUE. In conclusion, black medic improved crop productivity at the low N rate but improved available soil P at all N rates, warranting further research.
Effects of heterospecific pollen on stigma behavior in Campsis radicans: Causes and consequences
Authors: Zou Ting‐Ting , Wang Chun‐Hui , Lyu Sen‐Tao , Yu Xiaolei , Deng Lu‐Xi , Liu Wei‐Qi , Dai Jie , Wang Xiao‐Fan
Published: May 2022

Premise

Pollinator sharing of co‐flowering plants may result in interspecific pollen receipt with a fitness cost. However, the underlying factors that determine the effects of heterospecific pollen (HP) are not fully understood. Moreover, the cost of stigma closure induced by HP may be more severe for plants with special touch‐sensitive stigmas than for plants with non‐touch‐sensitive stigmas. Very few studies have assessed HP effects on stigma behavior.

Methods

We conducted hand‐pollination experiments with 10 HP donors to estimate HP effects on stigma behavior and stigmatic pollen germination in Campsis radicans (Bignoniaceae) at low and high pollen loads. We assessed the role of phylogenetic distance between donor and recipient, pollen size, and pollen aperture number in mediating HP effects. Additionally, we observed pollen tube growth to determine the conspecific pollen‐tube‐growth advantage.

Results

Stigma behavior differed significantly with HP of different species. Pollen load increased, while pollen size decreased, the percentage of permanent closure and stigmatic germination of HP. Stigmatic HP germination increased with increasing aperture number. However, HP effects did not depend on phylogenetic distance. In addition, conspecific pollen had a pollen‐tube‐growth advantage over HP.

Conclusions

Our results provide a good basis for understanding the stigma‐pollen recognition process of plant taxa with touch‐sensitive stigmas. We concluded that certain flowering traits drive the HP effects on the post‐pollination period. To better understand the impact of pollinator sharing and interspecific pollen transfer on plant evolution, we highlight the importance of evaluating more factors that determine HP effects at the community level.
TP53‐altered chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with firstline Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor‐based therapy: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Cherng Hua‐Jay J. , Khwaja Raamis , Kanagal‐Shamanna Rashmi , Tang Guilin , Burger Jan , Thompson Philip , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Estrov Zeev , Sasaki Koji , Sampath Deepa , Wang Xuemei , Kantarjian Hagop , Keating Michael , Wierda William G. , Jain Nitin
Published: May 2022

Long‐term follow up of prospective studies has shown that continuous Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi) therapy leads to durable remissions in previously untreated patients with TP53‐altered chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL); however, it is unknown how variant allele frequency (VAF) of TP53 mutation (TP53‐m) or percentage of cells with deletion of chromosome 17p [del(17p)] influences efficacy of firstline BTKi. We performed a retrospective analysis of 130 patients with CLL with baseline del(17p) and/or TP53‐m treated with BTKi with or without the BCL2 inhibitor venetoclax (VEN) and with or without CD20 antibody in the firstline setting. A total of 104/130 (80%) patients had del(17p). TP53‐m was noted in 89/110 (81%) patients tested; there were 101 unique TP53‐m with an available VAF. The 4‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 72.9% and 83.6%. No baseline characteristics including IGHV mutation status and number of TP53 alterations were associated with significant differences in PFS or OS, though a trend toward shorter PFS with increasing karyotypic complexity (hazard ratio 1.08, p = .066) was observed. Del(17p) was identified in <25% of cells in 26/104 (25%) of patients, and 28/101 (28%) of TP53‐m were low‐burden with a VAF of <10%; outcomes of these patients were similar to those with high‐burden lesions. This study suggests that low‐burden TP53 alterations should not be ignored when assessing genomic risk in CLL in the era of targeted therapy.
Expanding ACTA2 genotypes with corresponding phenotypes overlapping with smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome
Authors: Kaw Anita , Kaw Kaveeta , Hostetler Ellen M. , Beleza‐Meireles Ana , Smith‐Collins Adam , Armstrong Catherine , Scurr Ingrid , Cotts Timothy , Aatre Rajani , Bamshad Michael J. , Earl Dawn , Groner Abraham , Agre Katherine , Raveh Yehuda , Kwartler Callie S. , Milewicz Dianna M.
Published: May 2022

Pathogenic variants in ACTA2, encoding smooth muscle α‐actin, predispose to thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections. ACTA2 variants altering arginine 179 predispose to a more severe, multisystemic disease termed smooth muscle dysfunction syndrome (SMDS; OMIM 613834). Vascular complications of SMDS include patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) or aortopulmonary window, early‐onset thoracic aortic disease (TAD), moyamoya‐like cerebrovascular disease, and primary pulmonary hypertension. Patients also have dysfunction of other smooth muscle‐dependent systems, including congenital mydriasis, hypotonic bladder, and gut hypoperistalsis. Here, we describe five patients with novel heterozygous ACTA2 missense variants, p.Arg179Gly, p.Met46Arg, p.Thr204Ile, p.Arg39Cys, and p.Ile66Asn, who have clinical complications that align or overlap with SMDS. Patients with the ACTA2 p.Arg179Gly and p.Thr204Ile variants display classic features of SMDS. The patient with the ACTA2 p.Met46Arg variant exhibits exclusively vascular complications of SMDS, including early‐onset TAD, PDA, and moyamoya‐like cerebrovascular disease. The patient with the ACTA2 p.Ile66Asn variant has an unusual vascular complication, a large fusiform internal carotid artery aneurysm. The patient with the ACTA2 p.Arg39Cys variant has pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and genitourinary complications of SMDS but no vascular manifestations. Identifying pathogenic ACTA2 variants associated with features of SMDS is critical for aggressive surveillance and management of vascular and nonvascular complications and delineating the molecular pathogenesis of SMDS.
Further phenotypic delineation of Alazami syndrome
Authors: Al‐Hinai Abdulhamid , Al‐Hashmi Samiya , Ganesh Anuradha , Al‐Hashmi Nadia , Al‐Saegh Abeer , Al‐Mamari Watfa , Al‐Murshedi Fathiya , Al‐Thihli Khalid , Al‐Kindi Adila , Al‐Maawali Almundher
Published: May 2022

Alazami syndrome (AS) is an autosomal recessive condition characterized by the cardinal features of severe growth restriction, moderate to severe intellectual disability, and distinctive facial features. Biallelic pathogenic variants of the LARP7, encoding a chaperone of 7SK noncoding RNA, is implicated in this disease. There are <35 reported cases in the literature. All reported cases share the same three cardinal features of the syndrome. Herein, we report on 12 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of AS from eight unrelated families. The cohort shares the same key feature of the syndrome. Moreover, we report additional phenotypic features, including genito‐renal anomalies, ophthalmological abnormalities, and congenital heart disease. Whole‐exome sequencing was used in all reported cases, implicating a clinical under‐recognition of the syndrome. This report further expands the clinical and molecular characteristics of Alazami syndrome.
Polymer Nanoparticles with Uniform Monomer Sequences for Sequence‐Specific Peptide Recognition
Authors: Saito Yusuke , Honda Ryutaro , Akashi Sotaro , Takimoto Hinata , Nagao Masanori , Miura Yoshiko , Hoshino Yu
Published: May 2022

Synthetic polymer nanoparticles (NPs) that recognize and neutralize target biomacromolecules are of considerable interest as “plastic antibodies”, synthetic mimics of antibodies. However, monomer sequences in the synthetic NPs are heterogeneous. The heterogeneity limits the target specificity and safety of the NPs. Herein, we report the synthesis of NPs with uniform monomer sequences for recognition and neutralization of target peptides. A multifunctional oligomer with a precise monomer sequence that recognizes the target peptide was prepared via cycles of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and flash chromatography. The oligomer or blend of oligomers was used as a chain transfer agent and introduced into poly(N‐isopropyl acrylamide) hydrogel NPs by radical polymerization. Evaluation of the interaction with the peptides revealed that multiple oligomers in NPs cooperatively recognized the sequence of the target peptide and neutralized its toxicity. Effect of sequence, combination, density and molecular weight distribution of precision oligomers on the affinity to the peptides was also investigated.
Studies on the processing of HTPB‐based fast‐burning propellant with trimodal oxidiser distribution and its rheological behaviour
Authors: Chauhan Deepak , Khan Lubna , Mandal Subir Kumar , Jauhari Ashish , Bhattacharyya Sibes Chandra
Published: May 2022

Composite propellants based on hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene/ aluminium powder/ammonium perchlorate (HTPB/Al/AP) are commonly used in solid rocket motors (SRM) in defence and space applications. The solid propellant is a polymeric matrix with high solid loadings of metallic fuel and oxidiser along with some additives. Due to high solid loading, the propellant slurry becomes highly viscous and thus becomes difficult to process. In the case of trimodal distribution of the oxidiser, the effect of viscosity becomes more pronounced and it is difficult to mix and cast the propellant under vacuum owing to its high viscosity. In this paper, rheology of the propellant slurry containing oxidiser in trimodal distribution has been studied and an attempt has been made to find the effect of mixing parameters such as oxidiser addition sequence, mixing temperature and plasticiser concentration on the propellant properties and in improving the ease of processing. The study shows that the processability and pot life can be improved by optimising mixing parameters.
Spatio‐temporal, ontogenetic and sex‐related patterns in resource use of Amazonian manatees across floodplains and estuaries as inferred by δ13C and δ15N isotopic values
Authors: de Carvalho Camila Carvalho , Marmontel Miriam , Botta Silvina , Emin‐Lima Renata , Costa Alexandra Fernandes , Crema Luciana Carvalho , da Silva Vera Maria Ferreira , Piedade Maria Teresa Fernandez , Secchi Eduardo Resende
Published: May 2022

Threats to aquatic mammals may occur in isolation or in combination, leading to cumulative effects on populations and their ecosystems. Thus, conservation actions must consider the complexity of factors involved in patterns of habitat use, including feeding ecology, such as ontogenetic, spatial and temporal dietary shifts.

The Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) occurs in a variety of environments, such as várzeas and igapós (flooded areas) and estuaries. Different environments can lead to variation in the diet of manatees according to the availability and abundance of plant species.

Stable isotope analysis (δ13C and δ15N) of manatee teeth was performed to assess spatio‐temporal, ontogenetic and sex‐related patterns in resource use. Mixing models were applied to identify the most consumed plant groups.

In várzeas, there were significant interactions between sex and ontogenetic class and ontogenetic class and time series for δ13C values. For manatees sampled from 1994 to 2004, males and adults showed the highest δ15N values, and aquatic C3, followed by C4 plants, were the groups that most contributed to the species’ diet.

Comparisons among the environments showed the highest δ13C values for manatees from várzeas and the lowest values for manatees from igapós. Várzeas had the highest abundance of C4 plants (high δ13C values), whereas they are scarce in igapós, leading manatees to consume mainly C3 species.

The isotopic values of manatees mirrored those of the most available food sources in each environment, supporting the generalist and opportunist behaviour described for the species. Therefore, threats to the diversity, distribution and abundance of aquatic macrophytes, such as contamination, cattle raising and changes in the hydrological cycle (as a consequence of dams and climate change), will affect the diet of the manatee and should be taken into account when designing conservation strategies for the species.
Revealing the role of the benzyloxy pharmacophore in the design of a new class of monoamine oxidase‐B inhibitors
Authors: Sudevan Sachithra T. , Rangarajan T. M. , Al‐Sehemi Abdullah G. , Nair Aathira S. , Koyiparambath Vishal P. , Mathew Bijo
Published: May 2022

The conceptual layout of monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors has been modified to explore their potential biological application in the case of neurological disorders for the time being. The current review article is an effort to display the summation of innovative conceptual prospects of MAO inhibitors and their intriguing chemistry and bioactivity. Based on this scenario, we emphasize the pivotal role of the benzyloxy moiety attached to scaffolds like oxadiazolones, indolalkylamines, safinamide, caffeine, benzofurans, α‐tetralones, β‐nitrostyrene, benzoquinones, coumarins, indoles, chromones, and chromanone analogs, while acting as an MAO inhibitor.
Syllabic quantity patterns as rhythmic features for Latin authorship attribution
Authors: Corbara Silvia , Moreo Alejandro , Sebastiani Fabrizio
Published: May 2022

It is well known that, within the Latin production of written text, peculiar metric schemes were followed not only in poetic compositions, but also in many prose works. Such metric patterns were based on so‐called syllabic quantity, that is, on the length of the involved syllables, and there is substantial evidence suggesting that certain authors had a preference for certain metric patterns over others. In this research we investigate the possibility to employ syllabic quantity as a base for deriving rhythmic features for the task of computational authorship attribution of Latin prose texts. We test the impact of these features on the authorship attribution task when combined with other topic‐agnostic features. Our experiments, carried out on three different datasets using support vector machines (SVMs) show that rhythmic features based on syllabic quantity are beneficial in discriminating among Latin prose authors.
Impact of Degree of Graphitization, Surface Properties and Particle Size Distribution on Electrochemical Performance of Carbon Anodes for Potassium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Wrogemann Jens M. , Fromm Olga , Deckwirth Fabian , Beltrop Kolja , Heckmann Andreas , Winter Martin , Placke Tobias
Published: May 2022

Invited for this month's cover picture is the group of Dr. Tobias Placke and Prof. Dr. Martin Winter from the MEET Battery Research Center (University of Münster, Münster, Germany). The cover picture shows two characters representing a potassium‐ and lithium‐ion in front of a variety of carbons. The impact of several material properties of carbonaceous materials on potassium‐ion storage is systematically investigated and compared to lithium‐ion chemistry. Read the full text of the Research Article at 10.1002/batt.202200045.
Prüfung von UHFB nach DIN EN 14651 – Zum Einfluss der Probekörperherstellung auf die Prüfergebnisse
Authors: Leutbecher Torsten , Heck Lennart , Schleiting Maximilian
Published: May 2022

Ultrahochfester Beton (UHFB) wird in der Praxis meist fließfähig bis sehr fließfähig verarbeitet. Der Entwurf der DAfStb‐Richtlinie „Ultrahochfester Beton“ sieht für diesen Fall vor, dass die Balken, an denen die residuelle Biegezugfestigkeit des stahlfaserbewehrten UHFB bestimmt wird, durch Befüllen der Schalung von einer Stirnseite aus hergestellt werden. Um sicherzustellen, dass mit diesem Verfahren reproduzierbare Prüfergebnisse erzielt werden, wurden im Rahmen eines vom Deutschen Ausschuss für Stahlbeton geförderten Forschungsvorhabens 3‐Punkt‐Biegeversuche an Balken aus Feinkorn‐ und Grobkorn‐UHFB durchgeführt und die Verteilung und Orientierung der Fasern ausgewertet. Im Zuge dieser Untersuchungen wurde auch ein alternatives Verfahren der Probekörperherstellung getestet. Für alle Probekörper wurden die residuellen Biegezugfestigkeiten sowie die Faseranzahl, der „effektive“ Fasergehalt und die Faserorientierung nahe dem Bruchquerschnitt bestimmt. Unterschiede zeigten sich in erster Linie in Hinblick auf den Größtkorndurchmesser, während ein signifikanter Einfluss der Herstellmethode nicht zu erkennen war. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass die untersuchten Methoden gleichermaßen für die Probekörperherstellung geeignet sind.
Verteilte Dehnungsmessungen von Spannbetonbauteilen mit faseroptischen Sensoren
Authors: Zdanowicz Katarzyna , Bednarski Łukasz , Howiacki Tomasz , Sieńko Rafał
Published: May 2022

Der Beitrag widmet sich der Anwendung der Technologie der verteilten Dehnungsmessung auf Spannbetonbauteilen. Die verteilte faseroptische Technologie, die auf Lichtrückstreuung basiert, ermöglicht Dehnungsmessungen mit hoher räumlicher Auflösung über die gesamte Länge der optischen Faser. Ein solcher Ansatz ersetzt tausende herkömmliche punktuelle Dehnmessstreifen, die in Reihe angeordnet werden, durch eine einzige optische Faser. Im Beitrag werden faseroptische Sensoren aus Verbundwerkstoffen und deren Einsatz für Dehnungsmessungen und Untersuchungen der Rissentwicklung dargestellt. Drei praktische Beispiele von vorgespannten Betonbauteilen werden beschrieben – Lkw‐Waagenplatten, Spannbetonträger mit einer Länge von 24 Metern und eine Brücke mit dem höchsten Pylon in Polen. Die Bauteile wurden in verschiedenen Bauphasen analysiert, während der Herstellung und Erhärtung, der Aktivierung der Spannglieder, des Einbaus und der Probebelastung. Auch als nachträglich installiertes Messsystem kommen die Sensoren zum Einsatz. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, die Möglichkeiten von Messungen mit faseroptischen Sensoren aus Verbundwerkstoffen zu schildern.
A seasonal simulation approach for culture depth influence on the temperature for different characterized microalgae strains
Authors: Rodríguez‐Miranda Enrique , Sánchez‐Zurano Ana , Guzmán José Luis , Acién Gabriel , Visioli Antonio
Published: May 2022

Irradiance and temperature are among the most important variables that affect microalgae growth, being both difficult to control in outdoor raceway reactors utilized for large‐scale production of microalgae biomass. They are mainly a function of the location of the reactors, thus, producing certain strains of microalgae in inappropriate places conduces to the failure of the systems. To be able to determine important parameters of any microalgae strains on the performance of the culture, such as the influence of irradiance and temperature, is a powerful tool in decision‐making processes. In addition, whatever the strain and location, operation strategies must be defined for each specific case, such as the imposed dilution rate and culture depth, both influencing the light availability and temperature of the culture as major variables determining the biomass productivity. In this paper, a simulation‐based methodology is proposed to establish the influence of season and culture depth on the 1‐year age irradiance and temperature of the culture, and thus on the biomass productivity of different microalgae strains. Up to five of the most frequently produced strains, such as Spirulina platensis, Chlorella vulgaris, Nannochloropsis gaditana, Isochrysis galbana, and Scenedesmus almeriensis have been considered. The challenge is to develop an easy‐to‐manage decision‐making tool for the optimal design and operation of large‐scale microalgae facilities. Especially, dates for microalgae production and culture depth at which the reactors must be operated will be provided, being valid for any microalgae strain. The proposed methodology will largely contribute to the risk of investment in this field, then to enlarge the relevance of the microalgae production industry.
Uncoordinated tetrazole ligands in metal–organic frameworks for proton‐conductivity studies
Authors: Lee Daeyeon , Lee Sangho , Son Younghu , Kim Jun Yeong , Cha Seungheon , Kwak Dongmin , Lee Jooyeon , Kwak Jaesung , Yoon Minyoung , Kim Min
Published: May 2022

Zr‐based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were modified with pendant tetrazole ligands for proton conductivity studies. Although tetrazolate ligands coordinated to metal cations have been widely utilized to construct MOFs or porous coordination polymers, to date, the use of uncoordinated tetrazole groups in MOFs has been limited. In this study, a benzene‐1,4‐dicarboxylic acid with pendant tetrazole groups (BDC‐N4) was synthesized and used to prepare a Zr‐based UiO‐66 MOF using a mixed‐ligand strategy. The tetrazole‐functionalized UiO‐66‐N4 was compared to MOFs containing other acidic functional groups (hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, and sulfonic acid) with respect to their proton conductivities and acidities (calculated pKa). Interestingly, UiO‐66‐N4 showed a significant decrease in the activation energy with increase in the amount of added tetrazole groups, suggesting the Grotthuss proton conduction mechanism for uncoordinated tetrazole‐containing MOFs.
Green financing for sustainable development: Insights from multiple cases of Vietnamese commercial banks
Authors: Nguyen Anh Huu , Do Mai Hoang Thi , Hoang Thinh Gia , Nguyen Loan Quynh Thi
Published: May 2022

Although the public sector is seen as the main party responsible for taking action on climate change and sustainable development, private commercial banks are in a unique position to support or shift the funding focus on green investment. By employing a qualitative research approach based on six commercial banks, this paper aims to investigate the current practices of how commercial banks are contributing to advance green business initiatives. Accordingly, this research examines and identifies the facilitators and challenges in domestic and foreign commercial banks in Vietnam which support green business initiatives. In addition to addressing the recent calls for the investigation of the role of commercial banks in facilitating green finance, our study expands the emerging literature by demonstrating the current efforts of Vietnam's commercial banks in fostering green finance during the Covid‐19 pandemic.
Changes to culture pH and dissolved oxygen can enhance chimeric antigen receptor T‐cell generation and differentiation
Authors: Lamas Rodrigo , Ulrey Robert , Ahuja Sanjeev , Sargent Alex
Published: May 2022

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy is growing clinically and commercially as a powerful new approach to treat cancer. Understanding how key culture conditions such as pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) affect CAR T‐cell generation and function is important in developing better CAR‐T manufacturing processes and CAR T‐cell therapies for patients. We used the automated mini‐bioreactor (AMBR) 15 platform to assess how differences in pH and DO affect CAR T‐cell transduction, proliferation, and differentiation. We found that higher pH can significantly improve CAR T‐cell transduction and proliferation, and also biases CAR T‐cells away from an effector memory and toward a more central memory phenotype. Both high and low DO negatively affect CAR T‐cell generation, with both hypoxic and hyperoxic conditions reducing T‐cell transduction into CAR T‐cells. Collectively, this data underscores how pH and DO can significantly affect CAR T‐cell expansion and differentiation, and provides insight into the optimal culture conditions to enhance CAR T‐cell yield and phenotype in clinical and commercial processes.
Two Novel Flavonoids and Cytotoxicity Evaluation from Cryptocarya yunnanensis
Authors: Su Yu , Song Wanbin , He Qian , Fan Yue , Rao Li , Liu Yu , Zhang Yinan , Zhang Chuan‐Rui
Published: May 2022

Two new flavonoids, cryunchalcone (1) and cryptoyunnanone I (2), were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Cryptocarya yunnanensis. Their structures were elucidated by the detailed spectroscopic data analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Cryunchalcone (1) is a biflavonoid constructed by a dihydrochalcone coupled with a chalcone through an unprecedented C‐2′′−C‐6 linkage. Cryptoyunnanone I (2) is a unique complex flavanone bearing a phenylpropanoid moiety.
Design, Synthesis and In Vivo Fluorescence Imaging Study of a Cytochrome P450 1B1 Targeted NIR Probe Containing a Chelator Moiety
Authors: Wang Zengtao , Chen Dongmei , Fan Qiqi , Wu Zhihao , Dong Jinyun , Cui Jiahua , Wang Jie , Xu Ting , Meng Qingqing , Li Shaoshun
Published: May 2022

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1B1 has been found to be overexpressed specifically in tumor tissues at an early stage, which makes it a potential cancer biomarker for molecular imaging. Multimodal imaging combines different imaging modalities and offers more comprehensive information. Thus, imaging probes bearing more than one kind of signal fragment have been extensively explored and display great promise. Herein, we developed a near infrared (NIR) probe with a chelator moiety targeting CYP1B1 by conjugating α‐naphthoflavone (ANF) derivatives with both an NIR dye and a chelator for potential application in bimodal imaging. Enzymatic inhibitory studies demonstrated inhibitory activity against CYP1B1 and selectivity among CYP1 were successfully retained after chemical modification. Cell‐based saturation studies indicated nanomolar range binding affinity between the probe and CYP1B1 overexpressed cancer cells. In vitro competitive binding assays monitored by confocal microscopy revealed that the probe could specifically accumulate in tumor cells. In vivo and ex vivo imaging studies demonstrated that the probe could effectively light‐up the tumor tissues as early as 2 hours post‐injection. In addition, the fluorescence was significantly blocked by co‐injection of CYP1B1 inhibitor, which indicated the probe accumulation in tumor sites was due to specific binding to CYP1B1.
Gas‐Phase Errors Affect DFT‐Based Electrocatalysis Models of Oxygen Reduction to Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Almeida Michell O. , Kolb Manuel J. , Lanza Marcos R. V. , Illas Francesc , Calle‐Vallejo Federico
Published: May 2022

Electrochemical production of H2O2 is more benign and affordable than the conventional route, yet its adoption requires the discovery of robust, cost‐effective catalysts. DFT‐based models lead to conspicuous breakthroughs but had some known limitations, for instance the poor description of molecules with certain chemical bonds. Here, the errors in H2O2 and O2 displayed by various GGAs, meta‐GGAs and hybrids were assessed and semi empirically corrected. The errors in O2 with respect to experiments were in the range of −0.95 to −0.22 eV, whereas those in H2O2 spanned from −0.53 to −0.04 eV. Thus, single and double O−O bonds were poorly described in general, and the errors were nearly twice as negative for double bonds. Furthermore, these errors introduced large deviations in the predictions of free energies for O2 reduction to H2O2, and the equilibrium potentials and optimal adsorption energies of *OOH could either be sizably overestimated or underestimated.
A Uranium(IV) Alkyl Complex: Synthesis and Catalytic Property in Carbonyl Hydroboration
Authors: Sun Xiong , Gong Xingxing , Xie Zhuoyi , Zhu Congqing
Published: May 2022

Comprehensive Summary

The strong oxophilicity of actinide complexes prevents their applications in the transformation of oxygen‐containing substrates. Herein, we report the use of a uranium(IV) alkyl complex as a catalyst for the hydroboration of carbonyl compounds. This reaction has good functional group tolerance and chemo‐selectivity under mild conditions. This study represents the rare example of catalytic reaction promoted by a uranium alkyl complex and highlights the potential of uranium complexes in synthetic chemistry.
Determination of UV Filters in Surface Water by VA‐DLLME‐SFOD Technique Coupled with GC‐MS/MS
Authors: Yücel Cemile , Ertaş Hasan , Ertaş Fatma Nil , Karapinar İlgi
Published: May 2022

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method is developed for the determination of UV filters in river waters by applying the vortex‐assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction based on solidified floating organic droplet technique followed by the injector port silylation (IPS) in a gas chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry system. Statistical experimental design methods including general factorial design, one factor at a time, and central composite face‐centered design are used for optimization purposes. Under optimized conditions, 460 µL of acetone and 30 µL of 2‐dodecanone are rapidly injected into a 10 mL water sample with 10% (w/v) NaCl at pH 2.5 and vortexed for 3 min. After centrifugation, 2 µL of the separated organic solvent is subjected to auto‐IPS with 1 µL of bis (trimethylsilyl) trifluoroacetamide containing 1% trimethylchlorosilane, at 260 °C for 4.5 min in programmable temperature vaporization mode. As a result of the validation studies, the intra‐day and inter‐day precision indicated as relative standard deviation are less than 12.4% and 18.8%, respectively. For all UV filters, detection limits are between 1.1 and 5.5 ng L−1 and limit of quantitation values are between 3.1 and 16.6 ng L−1. Successful recovery of extraction values (77.1%–107.4%) and good enrichment factors (231–350) are obtained.
The brain of the tree pangolin (Manis tricuspis). VII. The amygdaloid body
Authors: Imam Aminu , Bhagwandin Adhil , Ajao Moyosore S. , Manger Paul R.
Published: May 2022

Here, we describe the cytoarchitecture and chemoarchitecture of the amygdaloid body of the tree pangolin. Our definition of the amygdaloid body includes the pallial portions of the amygdala, and the centromedial group that is a derivative of the subpallium and part of the extended amygdala. The remainder of the extended amygdala is not described herein. Within the amygdaloid body of the tree pangolin, we identified the basolateral group (composed of the lateral, basal, and accessory basal amygdaloid nuclei), the superficial, or cortical nuclei (the anterior and posterior cortical nuclei, the periamygdaloid cortex, and nuclei of the olfactory tract), the centromedial group (the central amygdaloid nucleus and the medial nuclear cluster), and other amygdaloid nuclei (the anterior amygdaloid area, the amygdalohippocampal area, the intramedullary group, and intercalated islands). The location within and relative to each other within the amygdaloid body and the internal subdivisions of these groups were very similar to that reported in other mammalian species, with no clearly derived features specific to the tree pangolin. The only variation was the lack of an insular appearance of the intercalated islands, which in the tree pangolin were observed as a continuous band of neurons located dorsomedial to the basolateral group similar in appearance to and almost continuous with the intramedullary group. In carnivores, the closest relatives of the pangolins, and laboratory rats, a similar appearance of portions of the intercalated islands has been noted.
On the Yau‐Tian‐Donaldson Conjecture for Generalized Kähler‐Ricci Soliton Equations
Authors: Han Jiyuan , Li Chi
Published: May 2022

Let (X,D) be a polarized log variety with an effective holomorphic torus action, and Θ be a closed positive torus invariant (1,1) ‐current. For any smooth positive function g defined on the moment polytope of the torus action, we study the Monge‐Ampère equations that correspond to generalized and twisted Kähler‐Ricci g‐solitons. We prove a version of the Yau‐Tian‐Donaldson (YTD) conjecture for these general equations, showing that the existence of solutions is always equivalent to an equivariantly uniform Θ‐twisted g‐Ding‐stability. When Θ is a current associated to a torus invariant linear system, we further show that equivariant special test configurations suffice for testing the stability. Our results allow arbitrary klt singularities and generalize most of previous results on (uniform) YTD conjecture for (twisted) Kähler‐Ricci/Mabuchi solitons or Kähler‐Einstein metrics. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pharmacokinetics and Bioequivalence of Two Formulations of Rosuvastatin Following Single‐dose Administration in Healthy Chinese Subjects Under Fasted and Fed Conditions
Authors: Zhu Ke‐Wei , Wang Gan‐Mi , Li Chu‐Yuan , Liu Ju‐Yan , Huang Jin‐Ying , Wu Jia‐Rong , Song Wen‐Jie , Deng Jun , Wang Jian‐Song , Qin Fei
Published: May 2022

The main objective of the study was to evaluate the bioequivalence of two rosuvastatin calcium tablets in healthy Chinese subjects under fasted and fed conditions. The study was carried out using a randomized, open‐label, two‐formulation, two‐sequence, two‐period, single‐dose crossover design, with a washout period of 7 days. Both the fasted study and fed study enrolled 28 subjects. In each study period, the subjects were administrated a single oral dose of the test product or reference product of rosuvastatin 10 mg. Blood samples were collected from pre‐dose to 72 hours after administration with 16 time points in total. Bioequivalence evaluation was performed using ln‐transformed pharmacokinetic parameters of rosuvastatin, including Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0–∞. In the present study, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of test/reference geometric mean ratios (GMRs) of Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0–∞ under the fasted and fed conditions were all within the acceptance range of 80%–125%. Additionally, only one subject experienced one adverse event (AE). High‐fat meals reduced the Cmax, AUC0–t, and AUC0–∞, but had no significant effects on the λz, t1/2, or Tmax of rosuvastatin. In the current study, the test product was bioequivalent to the reference product, and a single dose of rosuvastatin (10 mg) was well‐tolerated. Food decreased the systemic exposure of rosuvastatin without the effects on the Tmax or elimination rate.
Recommendations for the Management of Drug–Drug Interactions Between the COVID‐19 Antiviral Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir (Paxlovid) and Comedications
Authors: Marzolini Catia , Kuritzkes Daniel R. , Marra Fiona , Boyle Alison , Gibbons Sara , Flexner Charles , Pozniak Anton , Boffito Marta , Waters Laura , Burger David , Back David J. , Khoo Saye
Published: May 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) antiviral nirmatrelvir/ritonavir (Paxlovid) has been granted authorization or approval in several countries for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID‐19 at high risk of progression to severe disease and with no requirement for supplemental oxygen. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir will be primarily administered outside the hospital setting as a 5‐day course oral treatment. The ritonavir component boosts plasma concentrations of nirmatrelvir through the potent and rapid inhibition of the key drug‐metabolizing enzyme cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. Thus nirmatrelvir/ritonavir, even given as a short treatment course, has a high potential to cause harm from drug–drug interactions (DDIs) with other drugs metabolized through this pathway. Options for mitigating risk from DDIs with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir are limited due to the clinical illness, the short window for intervention, and the related difficulty of implementing clinical monitoring or dosage adjustment of the comedication. Pragmatic options are largely confined to preemptive or symptom‐driven pausing of the comedication or managing any additional risk through counseling. This review summarizes the effects of ritonavir on drug disposition (i.e., metabolizing enzymes and transporters) and discusses factors determining the likelihood of having a clinically significant DDI. Furthermore, it provides a comprehensive list of comedications likely to be used in COVID‐19 patients which are categorized according to their potential DDI risk with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir. It also discusses recommendations for the management of DDIs which balance the risk of harm from DDIs with a short course of ritonavir, against unnecessary denial of nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment.
Parents need help from regulators: Unethical treatment
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: May 2022

When a child needs help for a drug problem, especially in this day of opioid overdoses, parents want help immediately; unfortunately, many fall victim to scams, according to a recent virtual conference.
A Simple Quantitative Assay for Measuring β‐Galactosidase Activity Using X‐Gal in Yeast‐Based Interaction Analyses
Authors: Trimborn Laura , Hoecker Ute , Ponnu Jathish
Published: May 2022

Yeast‐based interaction assays to determine protein‐protein and protein‐nucleic acid interactions commonly rely on the reconstitution of chimeric transcription factors that activate the expression of target reporter genes. The enzyme β‐galactosidase (β‐gal), coded by the LacZ gene of Escherichia coli, is a widely used reporter in yeast systems, and its expression is commonly assessed by evaluating its activity. X‐gal (5‐bromo‐4‐chloro‐3‐indolyl‐β‐d‐galactopyranoside) is an inexpensive and sensitive substrate of β‐gal, whose hydrolysis results in an intensely blue colored and easily detectable end product, 5,5′‐dibromo‐4,4′‐dichloro‐indigo. The insoluble nature of this end product, however, makes X‐gal‐based assays unsuitable for direct spectrophotometric absorbance quantification. As such, the use of X‐gal is mostly restricted to solid‐support approaches, such as colony lift or agar plate assays, which often only provide a qualitative readout. In this article, we describe a quantitative solid‐phase X‐gal assay to measure protein‐protein interaction strength in yeast cells using a simple and low‐cost experimental setup. We have optimized multiple aspects of the assay, namely sample preparation, reaction time, and quantification method, for speed and consistency. By integrating the use of a freely available ImageJ‐based plugin, we have further standardized the assay for reliability and reproducibility. This improved quantitative X‐gal assay can be performed in a standard molecular biology lab without the need for any specialized equipment other than an inexpensive and widely accessible smartphone camera. To exemplify the protocol, we provide detailed step‐by‐step instructions to perform a quantitative X‐gal assay to assess the interaction between two Arabidopsis thaliana proteins, SUPPRESSOR OF PHYA‐105 1 (SPA1) and PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT 2 (PAP2). To demonstrate the sensitivity of our assay in detecting weaker interactions, we also compare the results with a liquid‐phase assay that uses ONPG (ortho‐nitrophenyl‐β‐galactopyranoside) as a substrate for β‐gal. The quantitative X‐gal assay described here can easily be adapted for high‐throughout interaction studies and protein domain mapping, even in yeast strains with low levels of LacZ expression. © 2022 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Preparation of competent yeast cells and transformation

Alternate Protocol 1: In‐house preparation of yeast competent cells for use in lithium acetate (LiAc)–mediated yeast transformation

Support Protocol: Long‐term storage and revival of frozen yeast strain stocks

Basic Protocol 2: Measuring β‐galactosidase activity via the quantitative X‐gal assay

Alternate Protocol 2: Quantification of interaction strength using liquid ONPG assay
The three pillars of sustainability and agile project management: How do they influence each other
Authors: Gomes Silva Francisco José , Kirytopoulos Konstantinos , Pinto Ferreira Luis , Sá José Carlos , Santos Gilberto , Cancela Nogueira Maria Carolina
Published: May 2022

Companies face new challenges needing to find ways to stand out from the competitors. All companies face new projects, which need to be managed assertively and faster, launching new products on the market ahead of competitors. This strategy requires enormous dexterity and agility within teams, which are increasingly multifaceted, multidisciplinary, and multifunctional. However, teams need to conciliate apparent freedom for creation with the sustainability rules, which are increasingly demanding, such as legislation and image that companies want to pass on to the market in terms of corporate social responsibility, ensuring a sustainable development of the companies. The goal of this work is to investigate and correlate agile project management and sustainability, taking into account that there are strong relationships, as well as to learn how agile project management affects organization's social, environmental, and economical dynamics from the triple bottom line standpoint. The research examines how agile project management ideas are connected to the triple bottom line concepts based on the literature. The framework was based on the theoretical assumptions underpinning the present research. The basic structure of the developed framework is based on the framework of a matrix‐based method for ordering and synthesizing data. Thus, network diagrams have been developed reproducing the links existing in the literature, both explicitly and implicitly. However, they were deeply expanded considering links not previously referred in the literature. An explanation about these new links is also provided, justifying their inclusion. Hence, the new diagrams offer a more complete landscape about how the adoption of agile practices in project management can improve sustainability in its different aspects, and vice‐versa. The findings reveal that implementing agile project management induces direct effects on an organization's social, economic, and environmental dynamics of the companies, as well as in their teams, with a favorable effect on all of them.
Beyond carbon flux partitioning: Carbon allocation and nonstructural carbon dynamics inferred from continuous fluxes
Authors: Miao Guofang , Noormets Asko , Gavazzi Michael , Mitra Bhaskar , Domec Jean‐Christophe , Sun Ge , McNulty Steve , King John S.
Published: May 2022

Carbon (C) allocation and nonstructural carbon (NSC) dynamics play essential roles in plant growth and survival under stress and disturbance. However, quantitative understanding of these processes remains limited. Here we propose a framework where we connect commonly measured carbon cycle components (eddy covariance fluxes of canopy CO2 exchange, soil CO2 efflux, and allometry‐based biomass and net primary production) by a simple mass balance model to derive ecosystem‐level NSC dynamics (NSCi), C translocation (dCi), and the biomass production efficiency (BPEi) in above‐ and belowground plant (i = agp and bgp) compartments. We applied this framework to two long‐term monitored loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations of different ages in North Carolina and characterized the variations of NSC and allocation in years under normal and drought conditions. The results indicated that the young stand did not have net NSC flux at the annual scale, whereas the mature stand stored a near‐constant proportion of new assimilates as NSC every year under normal conditions, which was comparable in magnitude to new structural growth. Roots consumed NSC in drought and stored a significant amount of NSC post drought. The above‐ and belowground dCi and BPEi varied more from year to year in the young stand and approached a relatively stable pattern in the mature stand. The belowground BPEbgp differed the most between the young and mature stands and was most responsive to drought. With the internal C dynamics quantified, this framework may also improve biomass production estimation, which reveals the variations resulting from droughts. Overall, these quantified ecosystem‐scale dynamics were consistent with existing evidence from tree‐based manipulative experiments and measurements and demonstrated that combining the continuous fluxes as proposed here can provide additional information about plant internal C dynamics. Given that it is based on broadly available flux data, the proposed framework is promising to improve the allocation algorithms in ecosystem C cycle models and offers new insights into observed variability in soil–plant–climate interactions.
Ecological resilience of physical plant–soil feedback to chronic deer herbivory: Slow, partial, but functional recovery
Authors: Ohira Mitsuru , Gomi Takashi , Iwai Ayana , Hiraoka Marino , Uchiyama Yoshimi
Published: May 2022

Ecological resilience to ungulate overbrowsing is an important issue in forest ecosystems. After chronic herbivory, the recovery rate of understory vegetation and its related functions can be slow even with decreasing grazing intensity; thus, detecting elasticity during alternative successional trajectories is fundamental to understanding state perturbations. In this context, we focused on physical plant–soil feedback (functional interactions between plant growth and soil physical conditions) and evaluated elasticity and recovery processes according to deer density. The effects of 40 years of chronic herbivory by sika deer (average density 14.7 individuals km−2) on the recovery of understory plant communities and associated changes in soil physical properties in headwater catchments were assessed. Using 8 years of catchment‐wide exclusion (fenced) and reduction (only culled; average 4.3 individuals km−2) treatments, plot sampling was conducted in 2010 (before treatment) and 2018 (after treatment). The recovery of vegetation and soil physical properties were evaluated, and functional plant–soil relationships and spatial variability were assessed to detect recovery processes during alternative successional trajectory. Woody species increased only under the exclusion treatment and the average soil bulk density was lower than that under reduction treatments. Soil bulk density was negatively correlated with root biomass in the fenced catchment, and root biomass was positively associated with woody species richness. Reduced soil bulk density (~0.5 g cm−3) was observed with greater root biomass and woody species richness on upper hillslopes in the deer‐excluded catchment where plant coverage was minimal. Successional failure under the reduction treatment suggested slow recovery with a depressed threshold according to deer density, indicating a clockwise hysteretic response to deer density. Unlike plant coverage during the earlier period of overbrowsing, woody species root development led the recovery of functional physical plant–soil feedback; however, this was probably limited by the higher soil erosion rate in riparian areas and an under‐developed herb layer. Our results highlight an alternative recovery trajectory of physical plant–soil feedback driven by an alternative plant element (woody roots) to recovery trajectory with increasing plant cover. However, riparian erosion and herb layer would still suppress recovery. Therefore, recovery might be slower at the landscape scale.