bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disentangling the links between gastric emptying and binge eating v. purging in eating disorders using a case-control design
Authors: Keel Pamela K. , Eckel Lisa A. , Hildebrandt Britny A. , Haedt-Matt Alissa A. , Murry Daryl J. , Appelbaum Jonathan , Jimerson David C.
Published: September 2021

Background

Prior work supports delayed gastric emptying in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (BN) but not binge-eating disorder, suggesting that neither low body weight nor binge eating fully accounts for slowed gastric motility. Specifying a link between delayed gastric emptying and self-induced vomiting could offer new insights into the pathophysiology of purging disorder (PD).

Methods

Women (N = 95) recruited from the community meeting criteria for DSM-5 BN who purged (n = 26), BN with nonpurging compensatory behaviors (n = 18), PD (n = 25), or healthy control women (n = 26) completed assessments of gastric emptying, gut peptides, and subjective responses over the course of a standardized test meal under two conditions administered in a double-blind, crossover sequence: placebo and 10 mg of metoclopramide.

Results

Delayed gastric emptying was associated with purging with no main or moderating effects of binge eating in the placebo condition. Medication eliminated group differences in gastric emptying but did not alter group differences in reported gastrointestinal distress. Exploratory analyses revealed that medication caused increased postprandial PYY release, which predicted elevated gastrointestinal distress.

Conclusions

Delayed gastric emptying demonstrates a specific association with purging behaviors. However, correcting disruptions in gastric emptying may exacerbate disruptions in gut peptide responses specifically linked to the presence of purging after normal amounts of food.
Protest and Social Policies for Outsiders: The Expansion of Social Pensions in Latin America
Authors: CICCIA ROSSELLA , GUZMÁN-CONCHA CÉSAR
Published: September 2021

The expansion of social pensions in Latin America was part of a larger process aimed at extending protections to informal workers and other individuals not covered by social insurance. These reforms were enacted by governments of different colours, and varied considerably with regard to the scope of the new programmes. While previous comparative studies have privileged economic factors and electoral dynamics to explain these differences, this article extends these frameworks to incorporate the interplay between contentious and institutional politics. It uses a two-step qualitative comparative analysis to investigate the long-term effect of protests on reforms extending the coverage of social pensions under different constellations of political, economic and institutional conditions in 18 Latin American countries (2000-2011). The results show that protest was present in almost all configurations of expansion, but that its effect was contingent on the ideology of governments, the levels of political competition and the strength of unions.
Integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses of stance: A case study of Englishthat/zero variation
Authors: Gadanidis Timothy , Kiss Angelika , Konnelly Lex , Pabst Katharina , Schlegl Lisa , Umbal Pocholo , Tagliamonte Sali A.
Published: September 2021

Previous work has shown that stance—the way speakers position themselves with respect to what they are talking about and who they are talking to—provides powerful insights into why speakers choose certain linguistic variants, beyond correlations with macro-social categories such as gender, ethnicity, and social class. However, as stancetaking moves are highly context-dependent, they have rarely been explored quantitatively, making the observed variable patterns difficult to generalize. This article seeks to contribute to this methodological gap by proposing a formal guide to coding stance and demonstrating how it can be operationalized quantitatively. Drawing on a corpus of eight individuals, self-recorded in three situations with varying levels of social distance, we apply this method to variation between English complementizersthatand zero (i.e. no overt complementizer), providing a replicable and theoretically grounded protocol that incorporates both quantitative and qualitative analyses in a variationist sociolinguistic study. (Stance, complementizers,that, English)*
Politics and Landscape in the Argive Plain after the Battle of Sepeia
Authors: Frullini Stefano
Published: September 2021

Modern studies have emphasized the contradictory nature of the ancient traditions concerning the aftermath of the Battle of Sepeia (494 BC), in which the Argive army was destroyed by the Spartans. This article tackles the most significant point of agreement in these traditions: the theme of Argive ‘oligandry’, the demographic crisis caused by the battle. An analysis conducted on the basis of Ansley J. Coale and Paul Demeny’s Model Life Tables shows that the real impact of the demographic crisis was felt in the age structure of Argos’ population rather than in the sheer size of its citizen body. Consequently, this article argues that the political ramifications of the battle originated not from the demographic crisis alleged by the tradition, but from the state of powerlessness and regional isolation into which Argos was plunged by the defeat of 494. This argument, which supports a reappraisal of Plutarch’s(De mul. vir.4) version of Argos’ response to Sepeia, also helps explain why Argos embraced a markedly aggressive foreign policy towards the towns of the plain in the following decades.
Barriers to Help Seeking among Victims of Elder Abuse: A Scoping Review and Implications for Public Health Policy in Canada
Authors: Gill Jessica K.
Published: September 2021

Elder abuse is a serious public health concern requiring immediate intervention; however, the under-reporting of elder abuse by victims to formal and informal networks remains a major obstacle. This scoping review aims to identify barriers to help seeking that older adults experiencing abuse confront. The goal is to inform public policies and practices in the Canadian context and identify research gaps in the extant literature. Seven scholarly databases were searched from which 12 articles met the inclusion criteria and were extracted for analysis. The findings from this scoping review revealed three levels at which barriers exist: individual focused, abuser/family focused, and community/culture focused barriers. The results suggest that there are several complex obstacles that older adults face when contemplating disclosure of abuse. Future research into help seeking in the Canadian context should more readily incorporate the voices of elder abuse victim-survivors to develop effective assessment strategies and responsive service provisions.
Marqueurs reformulatifs en français et en russe: de quelques intéressants parallélismes entre les deux langues
Authors: Guryev Alexander
Published: September 2021

Cet article analyse, dans une perspective comparative, deux classes de marqueurs de reformulation en français et en russe. La première est construite autour d’un indéfini enautre(rus.inoj) : fr.autrement dit,en d’autres termes; rus.inače govorja,inymi slovami; la seconde est historiquement dérivée d’une clause verbale finiece + est(rus.to + estʹ) : fr.c’est-à-dire, rus.to estʹ. Il sera démontré que le français et le russe partagent bon nombre de propriétés dans le fonctionnement de ces marqueurs, qu’il s’agisse de leur fonctionnement grammatical ou sémantico-pragmatique. Il sera aussi argumenté que les marqueurs de la deuxième classe font l’objet d’un stade de grammaticalisation, mais aussi de pragmaticalisation, plus avancé et sont, par conséquent, plus appropriés à des interactions spontanées que les marqueurs construits autour d’un indéfini enautre.
Polarity Determination in EBSD Patterns Using the Hough Transformation
Authors: Zscheckel Tilman , Wisniewski Wolfgang , Rüssel Christian
Published: September 2021

Currently, the automated electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique only allows the differentiation of the Laue groups based on an electron backscatter pattern (EBSP). This article shows that information concerning the lattice plane polarity is not only stored in the EBSP, but also in the Hough transformed EBSP where it can be easily accessed for automated evaluation. Polar Kikuchi bands lead to asymmetric peaks during the Hough transformation that are dependent on the atomic number difference of the involved atoms. The effect can be strong enough to be detected when evaluating the intensities of the regular excess and deficiency lines. Polarity detection from the Hough transformation of an EBSP cannot only enhance the utility of the EBSD technique and expand the information gained from it, but also illustrates a path toward automated polarity determination during EBSD scans.
From Process to Centuries: Upscaling Field‐Calibrated Models of Fluvial Bedrock Erosion
Authors: Beer Alexander R. , Turowski Jens M.
Published: September 2021

Fluvial bedrock erosion formulas lack validation over space and time. We explore the performance of field‐calibrated models at the patch‐scale (<1) and from minutes to centuries. At the hour to annual scales (in 1‐min resolution), we verify predictions using linked discharge, bedload transport and at‐a‐point erosion, together with spatial erosion from a mountain streambed. Local and spatial erosion linearly scale with bedload mass. The unit stream power model (USP) fails to describe erosion dynamics without a threshold for its onset. Extrapolating over the decadal scale (14 years of discharge and bedload data), scaled models predict up to 12% of erosion for two exceptional floods. Erosion predictions for a bi‐centennial discharge varied over four orders of magnitude (extrapolated from 32.5 years discharge and 16 years bedload data at 10‐min resolution). Bi‐centennial erosion predictions summing up to 1 m for bedload models versus 0.1 m for USP highlight the likely dominance of large events in setting long‐term erosion under sediment‐starved conditions.
The Polar Cusp Seen by Cluster
Authors: Pitout F. , Bogdanova Y. V.
Published: September 2021

The investigation of the magnetospheric polar cusps was one of the main objectives of the Cluster mission. The four satellites have crossed those regions numerous times over the years and, with their suitable instrumentation, favorable orbits, and unique multipoint measurements, many aspects of the cusp have been unveiled. The first of those is its highly dynamic nature. With four satellites, whatever their altitude and thus their configuration, the spatial/temporal ambiguity has been lifted and a completely new insight into the motion of the cusp and evolution of the transient small‐scale structures within it was given. Second, the high altitude or exterior cusp, its properties and dynamics, magnetic configuration, the energetic particles observed within, and its boundary with the magnetosheath were characterized in a number of case studies and on a statistical basis. Third, the Cluster cusp observations brought a fresh eye on the reconnection process at the magnetopause, including its location and spatio‐temporal variability. Finally, the complete payload with particle, field and wave detectors have made it possible to treat cusp as a plasma physics laboratory to progress our understanding of wave‐particle interaction and turbulence within the cusp. We have no choice but to note that Cluster has been extremely successful for all these matters.
Effect of Merging Multiscale Models on Seismic Wavefield Predictions Near the Southern San Andreas Fault
Authors: Ajala R. , Persaud P.
Published: September 2021

Updating Earth models used by the scientific community in geologic studies and hazard assessment has a significant societal impact but is computationally prohibitive due to the large spatial scale. The advent of urban seismology allowed rapid development of local high‐resolution models using short‐term dense seismic arrays to become conventional. To incorporate the details in these local models in community models, we developed a technique for constructing window taper functions like the cosine taper in arbitrarily shaped spatial domains on regular grids. We apply our algorithm to the problem of low‐frequency ground shaking estimation near the southernmost San Andreas fault by creating two hybrid models. These models consist of basin‐scale (top 10 km or less) high‐resolution models developed using controlled source data embedded into two popular Southern California Earthquake Center community models. We evaluate the models by computing long period (6–30 s) wavefield energy misfits using 11 earthquakes with moment magnitudes between 3.5 and 5.5 not used in developing any of the models under consideration. One of the hybrid models produces an ∼24% decrease while the other has an ∼0.6% increase in the overall median misfit relative to their original community models. The overlapping misfit values between the models and variability in waveform fit for different events and stations emphasize the difficulties in model validation. Our approach can merge any type of gridded multiscale and multidimensional datasets, and represents a valuable tool for modeling in the computational sciences.
RBD-homodimer, a COVID-19 subunit vaccine candidate, elicits immunogenicity and protection in rodents and nonhuman primates
Authors: Pan Xiaoyan , Shi Jian , Hu Xue , Wu Yan , Zeng Liang , Yao Yanfeng , Shang Weijuan , Liu Kunpeng , Gao Ge , Guo Weiwei , Peng Yun , Chen Shaohong , Gao Xiaoxiao , Peng Cheng , Rao Juhong , Zhao Jiaxuan , Gong Cheng , Zhou Hui , Lu Yudong , Wang Zili , Hu Xiliang , Cong WenJuan , Fang Lijuan , Yan Yongxiang , Zhang Jing , Xiong Hui , Yi Jizu , Yuan Zhiming , Zhou Pengfei , Shan Chao , Xiao Gengfu
Published: September 2021

The pandemic of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 has raised a new challenges to the scientific and industrious fields after over 1-year spread across different countries. The ultimate approach to end the pandemic is the timely application of vaccines to achieve herd immunity. Here, a novel SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) homodimer was developed as a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate. Formulated with aluminum adjuvant, RBD dimer elicited strong immune response in both rodents and non-human primates, and protected mice from SARS-CoV-2 challenge with significantly reducing viral load and alleviating pathological injury in the lung. In the non-human primates, the vaccine could prevent majority of the animals from SARS-CoV-2 infection in the respiratory tract and reduce lung damage. In addition, antibodies elicited by this vaccine candidate showed cross-neutralization activities to SARS-CoV-2 variants. Furthermore, with our expression system, we provided a high-yield RBD homodimer vaccine without additional biosafety or special transport device supports. Thus, it may serve as a safe, effective, and low-cost SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate.
Efficient access to aliphatic esters by photocatalyzed alkoxycarbonylation of alkenes with alkyloxalyl chlorides
Authors: Chen Jian-Qiang , Tu Xiaodong , Tang Qi , Li Ke , Xu Liang , Wang Siyu , Ji Mingjuan , Li Zhiming , Wu Jie
Published: September 2021

Aliphatic esters are essential constituents of biologically active compounds and versatile chemical intermediates for the synthesis of drugs. However, their preparation from readily available olefins remains challenging. Here, we report a strategy to access aliphatic esters from olefins through a photocatalyzed alkoxycarbonylation reaction. Alkyloxalyl chlorides, generated in situ from the corresponding alcohols and oxalyl chloride, are engaged as alkoxycarbonyl radical fragments under photoredox catalysis. This transformation tolerates a broad scope of electron-rich and electron-deficient olefins and provides the corresponding β-chloro esters in good yields. Additionally, a formal β-selective alkene alkoxycarbonylation is developed. Moreover, a variety of oxindole-3-acetates and furoindolines are prepared in good to excellent yields. A more concise formal synthesis of (±)-physovenine is accomplished as well. With these strategies, a wide range of natural-product-derived olefins and alkyloxalyl chlorides are also successfully employed.
Deficiency of intestinal Bmal1 prevents obesity induced by high-fat feeding
Authors: Yu Fangjun , Wang Zhigang , Zhang Tianpeng , Chen Xun , Xu Haiman , Wang Fei , Guo Lianxia , Chen Min , Liu Kaisheng , Wu Baojian
Published: September 2021

The role of intestine clock in energy homeostasis remains elusive. Here we show that mice with Bmal1 specifically deleted in the intestine (Bmal1iKO mice) have a normal phenotype on a chow diet. However, on a high-fat diet (HFD), Bmal1iKO mice are protected against development of obesity and related abnormalities such as hyperlipidemia and fatty livers. These metabolic phenotypes are attributed to impaired lipid resynthesis in the intestine and reduced fat secretion. Consistently, wild-type mice fed a HFD during nighttime (with a lower BMAL1 expression) show alleviated obesity compared to mice fed ad libitum. Mechanistic studies uncover that BMAL1 transactivates the Dgat2 gene (encoding the triacylglycerol synthesis enzyme DGAT2) via direct binding to an E-box in the promoter, thereby promoting dietary fat absorption. Supporting these findings, intestinal deficiency of Rev-erbα, a known BMAL1 repressor, enhances dietary fat absorption and exacerbates HFD-induced obesity and comorbidities. Moreover, small-molecule targeting of REV-ERBα/BMAL1 by SR9009 ameliorates HFD-induced obesity in mice. Altogether, intestine clock functions as an accelerator in dietary fat absorption and targeting intestinal BMAL1 may be a promising approach for management of metabolic diseases induced by excess fat intake.
Prevalence of right ventricular dysfunction and impact on all-cause death in hospitalized patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Corica Bernadette , Marra Alberto Maria , Basili Stefania , Cangemi Roberto , Cittadini Antonio , Proietti Marco , Romiti Giulio Francesco
Published: September 2021

The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic imposed a high burden of morbidity and mortality. In COVID-19, direct lung parenchymal involvement and pulmonary microcirculation dysfunction may entail pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH and direct cardiac injury beget right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) occurrence, which has been frequently reported in COVID-19 patients; however, the prevalence of RVD and its impact on outcomes during COVID-19 are still unclear. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of RVD and associated outcomes in patients with COVID-19, through a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. MEDLINE and EMBASE were systematically searched from inception to 15th July 2021. All studies reporting either the prevalence of RVD in COVID-19 patients or all-cause death according to RVD status were included. The pooled prevalence of RVD and Odds Ratio (OR) for all-cause death according to RVD status were computed and reported. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were also performed. Among 29 studies (3813 patients) included, pooled prevalence of RVD was 20.4% (95% CI 17.1–24.3%; 95% PI 7.8–43.9%), with a high grade of heterogeneity. No significant differences were found across geographical locations, or according to the risk of bias. Severity of COVID-19 was associated with increased prevalence of RVD at meta-regression. The presence of RVD was found associated with an increased likelihood of all-cause death (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.94–5.70). RVD was found in 1 out of 5 COVID-19 patients, and was associated with all-cause mortality. RVD may represent one crucial marker for prognostic stratification in COVID-19; further prospective and larger are needed to investigate specific management and therapeutic approach for these patients.
Inhibition of ammonia and hydrogen sulphide as faecal sludge odour control in dry sanitation toilet facilities using plant waste materials
Authors: Senanu Bernice Mawumenyo , Boakye Patrick , Oduro-Kwarteng Sampson , Sewu Divine Damertey , Awuah Esi , Obeng Peter Appiah , Afful Kobina
Published: September 2021

On-site dry sanitation facilities, although cheaper than wet sanitation systems, suffer from high malodour and insect nuisance as well as poor aesthetics. The high odour deters users from utilizing dry sanitation toilets as an improved facility leading to over 20% open defecation in Sub-Saharan Africa. To address this malodour concern, this study first assessed odour levels, using hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) as indicators, on two dry sanitation facilities named T1 and T2. The potential of using biomass (sawdust, rice husk, moringa leaves, neem seeds), ash (coconut husk, cocoa husk) or biochar (sawdust, rice husk, bamboo) as biocovers to remove or suppress odour from fresh faecal sludge (FS) over a 12-day period was investigated. Results showed that the odour levels for H2S in both T1 (3.17 ppm) and T2 (0.22 ppm) were above the threshold limit of 0.05 ppm, for unpleasantness in humans and vice versa for NH3odour levels (T1 = 6.88 ppm; T2 = 3.16 ppm; threshold limit = 30 ppm limit). The biomasses exhibited low pH (acidic = 5–7) whereas the biochars and ashes had higher pHs (basic = 8–13). Basic biocovers were more effective at H2S emission reduction (80.9% to 96.2%) than acidic biocovers. The effect of pH on suppression of NH3was determined to be statistically insignificant at 95% confidence limit. In terms of H2S and NH3removal, sawdust biochar was the most effective biocover with odour abatement values of 96.2% and 74.7%, respectively. The results suggest that biochar produced from locally available waste plant-based materials, like sawdust, can serve as a cost-effective and sustainable way to effectively combat odour-related issues associated with dry sanitation facilities to help stop open defecation.
Aerobic exercise improves LPS-induced sepsis via regulating the Warburg effect in mice
Authors: Wang Xishuai , Wang Zhiqing , Tang Donghui
Published: September 2021

We investigated the impact of aerobic exercise (AE) on multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), aortic injury, pathoglycemia, and death during sepsis. ICR mice were randomized into four groups: Control (Con), Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), Exercise (Ex), and Exercise + LPS (Ex + LPS) groups. Mice were trained with low-intensity for 4 weeks. LPS and Ex + LPS mice received 5 mg/kg LPS intraperitoneally for induction of sepsis. Histopathological micrographs showed the organ morphology and damage. This study examined the effects of AE on LPS-induced changes in systemic inflammation, pulmonary inflammation, lung permeability, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cell count, oxidative stress-related indicators in the lung, blood glucose levels, plasma lactate levels, serum insulin levels, plasma high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) levels, glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) and HMGB1, silent information regulator 1 (Sirt-1), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf-2) mRNA expression levels in lung tissue. AE improved sepsis-associated multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), aortic injury, hypoglycemia, and death. AE prominently decreased pulmonary inflammation, pulmonary edema, and modulated redox balance during sepsis. AE prominently decreased neutrophil content in organ. AE prominently downregulated CXCL-1, CXCL-8, IL-6, TNF-α, Glu1, and HMGB1 mRNA expression but activated IL-1RN, IL-10, Sirt-1, and Nrf-2 mRNA expression in the lung during sepsis. AE decreased the serum levels of lactate and HMGB1 but increased blood glucose levels and serum insulin levels during sepsis. A 4-week AE improves sepsis-associated MODS, aortic injury, pathoglycemia, and death. AE impairs LPS-induced lactate and HMGB1 release partly because AE increases serum insulin levels and decreases the levels of Glut1. AE is a novel therapeutic strategy for sepsis targeting aerobic glycolysis.
The Hippo pathway regulates density-dependent proliferation of iPSC-derived cardiac myocytes
Authors: Neininger Abigail C. , Dai Xiaozhaun , Liu Qi , Burnette Dylan T.
Published: September 2021

Inducing cardiac myocytes to proliferate is considered a potential therapy to target heart disease, however, modulating cardiac myocyte proliferation has proven to be a technical challenge. The Hippo pathway is a kinase signaling cascade that regulates cell proliferation during the growth of the heart. Inhibition of the Hippo pathway increases the activation of the transcription factors YAP/TAZ, which translocate to the nucleus and upregulate transcription of pro-proliferative genes. The Hippo pathway regulates the proliferation of cancer cells, pluripotent stem cells, and epithelial cells through a cell–cell contact-dependent manner, however, it is unclear if cell density-dependent cell proliferation is a consistent feature in cardiac myocytes. Here, we used culturedhumaniPSC-derivedcardiacmyocytes (hiCMs) as a model system to investigate this concept. hiCMs have a comparable transcriptome to the immature cardiac myocytes that proliferate during heart development in vivo. Our data indicate that a dense syncytium of hiCMs can regain cell cycle activity and YAP expression and activity when plated sparsely or when density is reduced through wounding. We found that combining two small molecules, XMU-MP-1 and S1P, increased YAP activity and further enhanced proliferation of low-density hiCMs. Importantly, these compounds had no effect on hiCMs within a dense syncytium. These data add to a growing body of literature that link Hippo pathway regulation with cardiac myocyte proliferation and demonstrate that regulation is restricted to cells with reduced contact inhibition.
Synergy of diffraction and spectroscopic techniques to unveil the crystal structure of antimonic acid
Authors: Mayer S. F. , Rodrigues J. E. , Sobrados I. , Gainza J. , Fernández-Díaz M. T. , Marini C. , Asensio M. C. , Alonso J. A.
Published: September 2021

The elusive crystal structure of the so-called ‘antimonic acid’ has been investigated by means of robust and state-of-the-art techniques. The synergic results of solid-state magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a combined Rietveld refinement from synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data reveal that this compound contains two types of protons, in a pyrochlore-type structure of stoichiometric formula (H3O)1.20(7)H0.77(9)Sb2O6. Some protons belong to heavily delocalized H3O+ subunits, while some H+ are directly bonded to the oxygen atoms of the covalent framework of the pyrochlore structure, with O–H distances close to 1 Å. A proton diffusion mechanism is proposed relying on percolation pathways determined by bond-valence energy landscape analysis. X-ray absorption spectroscopy results corroborate the structural data around Sb5+ ions at short-range order. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry endorsed the conclusions on the water content within antimonic acid. Additional 0.7 water molecules per formula were assessed as moisture water by thermal analysis.
Susceptibility and cytokine responses of human neuronal cells to multiple circulating EV-A71 genotypes in India
Authors: Mohanty Madhu Chhanda , Varose Swapnil Yashavant , Saxena Vinay Kumar
Published: September 2021

Enterovirus-A71 (EV-A71) associated Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a highly contagious viral infection affecting children in Asia–Pacific region and has become a major threat to public health. Although several EV-A71 genotypes (C, D, and G) were isolated in India in recent years, no recognizable outbreak of EV-A71 caused HFMD, Acute Flaccid paralysis (AFP) or encephalitis have been reported so far. It is essential to study the pathogenicity or cell tropism of these Indian isolates in order to understand their tendency to cause disease. We investigated the susceptibility and cytokine responses of indigenous EV-A71 genotypes (D and G) isolated from cases of AFP and genotype C viruses isolated from cases of HFMD and encephalitis, in human cells in-vitro. Although all three EV-A71 genotypes could infect and replicate in human muscle and neuronal cells, the genotype D virus showed a delayed response in human neuronal cells. Quantification of cytokine secretion in response to these isolates followed by confirmation with gene expression assays in human neuronal cells revealed significantly higher secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α IL-8, IL-6, IP-10 (p < 0.001) in G genotype infected cells as compared to pathogenic C genotypes whereas the genotype D virus could not induce any of the inflammatory cytokines. These findings will help to better understand the host response to indigenous EV-A71 genotypes for management of future EV-A71 outbreaks in India, if any.
An interaction regression model for crop yield prediction
Authors: Ansarifar Javad , Wang Lizhi , Archontoulis Sotirios V.
Published: September 2021

Crop yield prediction is crucial for global food security yet notoriously challenging due to multitudinous factors that jointly determine the yield, including genotype, environment, management, and their complex interactions. Integrating the power of optimization, machine learning, and agronomic insight, we present a new predictive model (referred to as the interaction regression model) for crop yield prediction, which has three salient properties. First, it achieved a relative root mean square error of 8% or less in three Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa) in the US for both corn and soybean yield prediction, outperforming state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms. Second, it identified about a dozen environment by management interactions for corn and soybean yield, some of which are consistent with conventional agronomic knowledge whereas some others interactions require additional analysis or experiment to prove or disprove. Third, it quantitatively dissected crop yield into contributions from weather, soil, management, and their interactions, allowing agronomists to pinpoint the factors that favorably or unfavorably affect the yield of a given location under a given weather and management scenario. The most significant contribution of the new prediction model is its capability to produce accurate prediction and explainable insights simultaneously. This was achieved by training the algorithm to select features and interactions that are spatially and temporally robust to balance prediction accuracy for the training data and generalizability to the test data.
C60 fullerene against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus: an in silico insight
Authors: Hurmach Vasyl V. , Platonov Maksim O. , Prylutska Svitlana V. , Scharff Peter , Prylutskyy Yuriy I. , Ritter Uwe
Published: September 2021

Based on WHO reports the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is currently widespread all over the world. So far > 162 million cases have been confirmed, including > 3 million deaths. Because of the pandemic still spreading across the globe the accomplishment of computational methods to find new potential mechanisms of virus inhibitions is necessary. According to the fact that C60 fullerene (a sphere-shaped molecule consisting of carbon) has shown inhibitory activity against various protein targets, here the analysis of the potential binding mechanism between SARS-CoV-2 proteins 3CLpro and RdRp with C60 fullerene was done; it has resulted in one and two possible binding mechanisms, respectively. In the case of 3CLpro, C60 fullerene interacts in the catalytic binding pocket. And for RdRp in the first model C60 fullerene blocks RNA synthesis pore and in the second one it prevents binding with Nsp8 co-factor (without this complex formation, RdRp can’t perform its initial functions). Then the molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the stability of created complexes. The obtained results might be a basis for other computational studies of 3CLPro and RdRp potential inhibition ways as well as the potential usage of C60 fullerene in the fight against COVID-19 disease.
DNA-based taxonomy of a mangrove-associated community of fishes in Southeast Asia
Authors: Zainal Abidin Danial Hariz , Mohd. Nor Siti Azizah , Lavoué Sébastien , A. Rahim Masazurah , Jamaludin Noorul Azliana , Mohammed Akib Noor Adelyna
Published: September 2021

The Merbok Estuary comprises one of the largest remaining mangrove forests in Peninsular Malaysia. Its value is significant as it provides important services to local and global communities. It also offers a unique opportunity to study the structure and functioning of mangrove ecosystems. However, its biodiversity is still partially inventoried, limiting its research value. A recent checklist based on morphological examination, reported 138 fish species residing, frequenting or subject to entering the Merbok Estuary. In this work, we reassessed the fish diversity of the Merbok Estuary by DNA barcoding 350 specimens assignable to 134 species initially identified based on morphology. Our results consistently revealed the presence of 139 Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs). 123 of them are congruent with morphology-based species delimitation (one species = one MOTU). In two cases, two morphological species share the same MOTU (two species = one MOTU), while we unveiled cryptic diversity (i.e. COI-based genetic variability > 2%) within seven other species (one species = two MOTUs), calling for further taxonomic investigations. This study provides a comprehensive core-list of fish taxa in Merbok Estuary, demonstrating the advantages of combining morphological and molecular evidence to describe diverse but still poorly studied tropical fish communities. It also delivers a large DNA reference collection for brackish fishes occurring in this region which will facilitate further biodiversity-oriented research studies and management activities.
Expression of LGR5 in mammary myoepithelial cells and in triple-negative breast cancers
Authors: Lee Hyun Ju , Myung Jae Kyung , Kim Hye Sung , Lee Dong Hui , Go Hyun Su , Choi Jae Hyuck , Koh Hyun Min , Lee Su-Jae , Jang Bogun
Published: September 2021

Lineage tracing in mice indicates that LGR5 is an adult stem cell marker in multiple organs, such as the intestine, stomach, hair follicles, ovary, and mammary glands. Despite many studies exploring the presence of LGR5 cells in human tissues, little is known about its expression profile in either human mammary tissue or pathological lesions. In this study we aim to investigate LGR5 expression in normal, benign, and malignant lesions of the human breast using RNA in situ hybridization. LGR5 expression has not been observed in normal lactiferous ducts and terminal duct lobular units, whereas LGR5-positive cells have been specifically observed in the basal myoepithelium of ducts in the regenerative tissues, ductal carcinoma in situ, and in ducts surrounded by invasive cancer cells. These findings suggest LGR5 marks facultative stem cells that are involved in post injury regeneration instead of homeostatic stem cells. LGR5 positivity was found in 3% (9 of 278 cases) of invasive breast cancers (BC), and it showed positive associations with higher histologic grades (P = 0.001) and T stages (P < 0.001), while having negative correlations with estrogen receptor (P < 0.001) and progesterone receptor (P < 0.001) expression. Remarkably, all LGR5-positive BC, except one, belong to triple-negative BC (TNBC), representing 24% (9 of 38 cases) of all of them. LGR5 histoscores have no correlations with EGFR, CK5/6, Ki-67, or P53 expression. Additionally, no β-catenin nuclear localization was observed in LGR5-positive BC, indicating that canonical Wnt pathway activation is less likely involved in LGR5 expression in BC. Our results demonstrate that LGR5 expression is induced in regenerative conditions in the myoepithelium of human mammary ducts and that its expression is only observed in TNBC subtype among all invasive BC. Further studies regarding the functional and prognostic impact of LGR5 in TNBC are warranted.
Scoping review: the empowerment of Alzheimer’s Disease caregivers with mHealth applications
Authors: Kim Eunhee , Baskys Andrius , Law Anandi V. , Roosan Moom R. , Li Yan , Roosan Don
Published: September 2021

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative chronic diseases. As it progresses, patients become increasingly dependent, and their caregivers are burdened with the increasing demand for managing their care. Mobile health (mHealth) technology, such as smartphone applications, can support the need of these caregivers. This paper examines the published academic literature of mHealth applications that support the caregivers of AD patients. Following the PRISMA for scoping reviews, we searched published literature in five electronic databases between January 2014 and January 2021. Twelve articles were included in the final review. Six themes emerged based on the functionalities provided by the reviewed applications for caregivers. They are tracking, task management, monitoring, caregiver mental support, education, and caregiver communication platform. The review revealed that mHealth applications for AD patients’ caregivers are inadequate. There is an opportunity for industry, government, and academia to fill the unmet need of these caregiver.
Telomere-to-telomere gapless chromosomes of banana using nanopore sequencing
Authors: Belser Caroline , Baurens Franc-Christophe , Noel Benjamin , Martin Guillaume , Cruaud Corinne , Istace Benjamin , Yahiaoui Nabila , Labadie Karine , Hřibová Eva , Doležel Jaroslav , Lemainque Arnaud , Wincker Patrick , D’Hont Angélique , Aury Jean-Marc
Published: September 2021

Long-read technologies hold the promise to obtain more complete genome assemblies and to make them easier. Coupled with long-range technologies, they can reveal the architecture of complex regions, like centromeres or rDNA clusters. These technologies also make it possible to know the complete organization of chromosomes, which remained complicated before even when using genetic maps. However, generating a gapless and telomere-to-telomere assembly is still not trivial, and requires a combination of several technologies and the choice of suitable software. Here, we report a chromosome-scale assembly of a banana genome (Musa acuminata) generated using Oxford Nanopore long-reads. We generated a genome coverage of 177X from a single PromethION flowcell with near 17X with reads longer than 75 kbp. From the 11 chromosomes, 5 were entirely reconstructed in a single contig from telomere to telomere, revealing for the first time the content of complex regions like centromeres or clusters of paralogous genes.
Machine learning-based real-time object locator/evaluator for cryo-EM data collection
Authors: Yonekura Koji , Maki-Yonekura Saori , Naitow Hisashi , Hamaguchi Tasuku , Takaba Kiyofumi
Published: September 2021

In cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) data collection, locating a target object is error-prone. Here, we present a machine learning-based approach with a real-time object locator named yoneoLocr using YOLO, a well-known object detection system. Implementation shows its effectiveness in rapidly and precisely locating carbon holes in single particle cryo-EM and in locating crystals and evaluating electron diffraction (ED) patterns in automated cryo-electron crystallography (cryo-EX) data collection. The proposed approach will advance high-throughput and accurate data collection of images and diffraction patterns with minimal human operation.
Chemometric strategies for near infrared hyperspectral imaging analysis: classification of cotton seed genotypes
Authors: Rocha Priscilla Dantas , Medeiros Everaldo Paulo , Silva Carolina Santos , da Silva Simões Simone
Published: September 2021

Hyperspectral images have been increasingly employed in the agricultural sector for seed classification for different purposes.
Improved water oxidation with metal oxide catalysts via a regenerable and redox-inactive ZnOxHy overlayer
Authors: Nandy Swarnava , Wu Qianbao , Tilley S. David , Cui Chunhua
Published: September 2021

We report a regenerable and redox-inactive ZnOxHy layer that was in situ deposited onto metal oxides MOz (M = Co, Fe, and Ni) in alkaline media containing [Zn(OH)4]2− species during water oxidation.
Ultrafine Co6W6C as an efficient anode catalyst for direct hydrazine fuel cells
Authors: Zhang Mengrui , Zhu Jianping , Liu Bin , Hou Yongkang , Zhang Chao , Wang Jingping , Niu Jingyang
Published: September 2021

Ultrafine Co6W6C nanoparticles were successfully synthesized, and this ternary carbide exhibit high catalytic activities for hydrazine oxidation reaction in a practical oxygen–hydrazine fuel cell.
An 8-arylselenium BODIPY fluorescent probe for rapid and sensitive discrimination of biothiols in living cells
Authors: Mei Yuan , Li Hao , Song Cheng-Zhou , Chen Xiang-Gen , Song Qin-Hua
Published: September 2021

A fluorescent probe with arylselenium as the active group for ultrafast response, sensitive detection and dual-channel discrimination of GSH and Cys/Hcy in living cells.
Amplifying the reactivity of BODIPY photoremovable protecting groups
Authors: Goodwin Matthew J. , Zhang Xinzi , Shekleton Tayli B. , Kirr Delaney A. , Hannon Henry C. , Harbron Elizabeth J.
Published: September 2021

Conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs or Pdots) are used to sensitize the photorelease reaction of a BODIPY photoremovable protecting group.
Self-assembly of cuprous iodide cluster-based calix[4]resorcinarenes and photocatalytic properties
Authors: Hu Chu-Xing , Xuan Ya-Hui , Jiang Zi-Hao , Lu Tao , Yang Jie , Yuan Hui , Tian You-Ping , Sun Zheng-Guang , Jiang Xuan-Feng
Published: September 2021

Cluster-based complexes 1 and 2 with [Cu6I5] and [Cu8I8] polynuclear motifs were constructed via a conformation-adaptive self-assembly strategy, respectively. Two Cu(i) complexes exhibited photocatalytic activity to the CuAAC reaction in water solution.
Electronic spectroscopy of differential mobility-selected prototropic isomers of protonated para-aminobenzoic acid
Authors: Coughlan Neville J. A. , Fu Weiqiang , Guna Mircea , Schneider Bradley B. , Le Blanc J. C. Yves , Campbell J. Larry , Hopkins W. Scott
Published: September 2021

Differential mobility spectrometry is used to separate prototropic isomers of para-aminobenzoic acid prior to laser spectroscopic investigation.
DART: deep learning enabled topological interaction model for energy prediction of metal clusters and its application in identifying unique low energy isomers
Authors: Modee Rohit , Agarwal Sheena , Verma Ashwini , Joshi Kavita , Priyakumar U. Deva
Published: September 2021

We introduce a simple topological atomic descriptor, TAD, and a deep learning enabled topological interaction model (DART) for predicting energies of metal clusters for efficient identification of unique clusters.
Vapor-phase conversion of aqueous 3-hydroxybutyric acid and crotonic acid to propylene over solid acid catalysts
Authors: Leow Shijie , Koehler Andrew J. , Cronmiller Lauren E. , Huo Xiangchen , Lahti Gabriella D. , Li Yalin , Hafenstine Glenn R. , Vardon Derek R. , Strathmann Timothy J.
Published: September 2021

Vapor phase conversion of 3-hydroxybutyric and crotonic acid to propylene in a continuous-flow reactor over silica–alumina and niobium catalysts demonstrates a new strategy for producing renewable fuels and chemicals from wastewater carbon.
Janus -faced oxidant and antioxidant profiles of organo diselenides
Authors: Upadhyay Aditya , Kumar Jha Raushan , Batabyal Monojit , Dutta Tanoy , Koner Apurba Lal , Kumar Sangit
Published: September 2021

A series of trifunctional diselenides have been synthesized and exhibit Janus-faced antioxidant (hydrogen peroxide decomposer and radical quencher antioxidant) and oxidant (ROS generation) properties.
Intramolecular aurophilic interactions in dinuclear gold(i) complexes with twisted bridging 2,2′-bipyridine ligands
Authors: Shmelev Nikita Y. , Okubazghi Tesfu H. , Abramov Pavel A. , Komarov Vladislav Y. , Rakhmanova Mariana I. , Novikov Alexander S. , Gushchin Artem L.
Published: September 2021

Five new luminescent dinuclear gold(i) complexes with an atypical twisted bridging 2,2′-bipyridine ligand have been obtained and structurally characterized. The structures of these gold complexes have some similarities with a crab body.
Thermodynamic properties of sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N–A–S–H)
Authors: Walkley Brant , Ke Xinyuan , Hussein Oday , Provis John L.
Published: September 2021

This study presents for the first time a systematic investigation of the thermodynamic properties of sodium aluminosilicate hydrate (N–A–S–H), through dissolution of pure synthetic N–A–S–H gels.
Structural isolation of NIR absorbing ferrocenyl bridged N-confused fused expanded phlorin, N-confused porphodimethene and the π-extended corrorin isomer: synthesis and characterization
Authors: Chakraborty Buddhadeb , Sahoo Sumit , Narayansamy Raja , Usharani Dandamudi , Rath Harapriya
Published: September 2021

NIR absorbing homoconjugated ferroceno N-confused fused expanded phlorin vs. visible absorbing nonconjugated porphodimethene and helically conjugated π-extended corrorin.
Field-induced single-ion magnet based on a quasi-octahedral Co(ii) complex with mixed sulfur–oxygen coordination environment
Authors: Korchagin D. V. , Gureev Ya. E. , Yureva E. A. , Shilov G. V. , Akimov A. V. , Misochko E. Ya. , Morgunov R. B. , Zakharov K. V. , Vasiliev A. N. , Palii A. V. , Lohmiller T. , Holldack K. , Aldoshin S. M.
Published: September 2021

Novel (pipH2)[Co(TDA)2] is a rare example of a quasi-octahedral Co(ii) complex with mixed sulfur-oxygen environment exhibiting strong “easy-plane” type magnetic anisotropy and demonstrating field-induced single-ion magnet (SIM) behavior.
The crystal structure and thermal expansion of novel substitutionally disordered Ca10TM0.5(VO4)7 (TM = Co, Cu) orthovanadates
Authors: Rahimi Mosafer Houri S. , Paszkowicz Wojciech , Minikayev Roman , Kozłowski Mirosław , Diduszko Ryszard , Berkowski Marek
Published: September 2021

The crystal structure and thermal expansion are determined for Ca10TM0.5(VO4)7 (TM = Co, Cu) orthovanadates. We find a correlation of the behavior of unit cell volume plotted against the ionic radius for these compounds and isostructural phosphates.
A rare isostructural series of 3d–4f cyanido-bridged heterometallic squares obtained by assembling [FeIII{HB(pz)3}(CN)3]− and LnIII ions: synthesis, X-ray structure and cryomagnetic study
Authors: Alexandru Maria-Gabriela , Visinescu Diana , Cula Beatrice , Shova Sergiu , Rabelo Renato , Moliner Nicolás , Lloret Francesc , Cano Joan , Julve Miguel
Published: September 2021

A rare isostructural series of cyanido-bridged {FeIIILnIII}2 square-shaped heterobimetallic complexes were obtained, in which TbIII, DyIII and ErIII derivatives show slow magnetization relaxation under zero and non-zero static fields.
New isoreticular phosphonate MOFs based on a tetratopic linker
Authors: Steinke Felix , Javed Ali , Wöhlbrandt Stephan , Tiemann Michael , Stock Norbert
Published: September 2021

The reaction of Al3+, Ga3+ and Fe3+ salts with the linker H8TPPE led to three new isoreticular compounds, structurally characterized from powder X-ray diffraction data, that exhibit different H2O-sorption, thermal and proton conductivity properties.
Integration of redox cocatalysts for artificial photosynthesis
Authors: Qiu Bocheng , Du Mengmeng , Ma Yingxin , Zhu Qiaohong , Xing Mingyang , Zhang Jinlong
Published: September 2021

This review summarizes the design principle, emerging configurations, and photocatalytic applications of redox cocatalysts, and offers insights and perspectives on this topic.
Reviving electrocatalytic reductive amination: a sustainable route from biogenic levulinic acid to 1,5-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidone
Authors: Mürtz Sonja D. , Kurig Nils , Holzhäuser F. Joschka , Palkovits Regina
Published: September 2021

The electrocatalytic reductive amination offers a green pathway to N-containing platform and fine chemicals by using water as a hydrogen source and benign reaction conditions.
A chemo-enzymatic oxidation/aldol sequential process directly converts arylbenzyl alcohols and cyclohexanol into chiral β-hydroxy carbonyls
Authors: Wang Yu , Wang Chengyi , Cheng Qipeng , Su Yu , Li Hongyu , Xiao Rui , Tan Chunxia , Liu Guohua
Published: September 2021

An integrated laccase and prolines as a co-catalyst system enables an efficient oxidation/Aldol process to direct access chiral β-hydroxy carbonyls by using alcohols instead of environmentally unfriendly aldehydes and ketones.