bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optogenetic manipulation of a value-coding pathway from the primate caudate tail facilitates saccadic gaze shift
Authors: Amita Hidetoshi , Kim Hyoung F. , Inoue Ken-ichi , Takada Masahiko , Hikosaka Okihide
Published: April 2020

In the primate basal ganglia, the caudate tail (CDt) encodes the historical values (good or bad) of visual objects (i.e., stable values), and electrical stimulation of CDt evokes saccadic eye movements. However, it is still unknown how output from CDt conveys stable value signals to govern behavior. Here, we apply a pathway-selective optogenetic manipulation to elucidate how such value information modulates saccades. We express channelrhodopsin-2 in CDt delivered by viral vector injections. Selective optical activation of CDt-derived terminals in the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) inhibits SNr neurons. Notably, these SNr neurons show inhibitory responses to good objects. Furthermore, the optical stimulation causes prolonged excitation of visual-saccadic neurons in the superior colliculus (SC), and induces contralateral saccades. These SC neurons respond more strongly to good than to bad objects in the contralateral hemifield. The present results demonstrate that CDt facilitates saccades toward good objects by serial inhibitory pathways through SNr.
Heat stress-induced transposon activation correlates with 3D chromatin organization rearrangement in Arabidopsis
Authors: Sun Linhua , Jing Yuqing , Liu Xinyu , Li Qi , Xue Zhihui , Cheng Zhukuan , Wang Daowen , He Hang , Qian Weiqiang
Published: April 2020

In higher eukaryotes, heterochromatin is mainly composed of transposable elements (TEs) silenced by epigenetic mechanisms. But, the silencing of certain heterochromatin-associated TEs is disrupted by heat stress. By comparing genome-wide high-resolution chromatin packing patterns under normal or heat conditions obtained through Hi-C analysis, we show here that heat stress causes global rearrangement of the 3D genome inArabidopsis thaliana. Contacts between pericentromeric regions and distal chromosome arms, as well as proximal intra-chromosomal interactions along the chromosomes, are enhanced. However, interactions within pericentromeres and those between distal intra-chromosomal regions are decreased. Many inter-chromosomal interactions, including those within theKNOT, are also reduced. Furthermore, heat activation of TEs exhibits a high correlation with the reduction of chromosomal interactions involving pericentromeres, theKNOT, the knob, and the upstream and downstream flanking regions of the activated TEs. Together, our results provide insights into the relationship between TE activation and 3D genome reorganization.
Cable bacteria reduce methane emissions from rice-vegetated soils
Authors: Scholz Vincent V. , Meckenstock Rainer U. , Nielsen Lars Peter , Risgaard-Petersen Nils
Published: April 2020

Methane is the second most important greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide and approximately 11% of the global anthropogenic methane emissions originate from rice fields. Sulfate amendment is a mitigation strategy to reduce methane emissions from rice fields because sulfate reducers and methanogens compete for the same substrates. Cable bacteria are filamentous bacteria known to increase sulfate levels via electrogenic sulfide oxidation. Here we show that one-time inoculation of rice-vegetated soil pots with cable bacteria increases the sulfate inventory 5-fold, which leads to the reduction of methane emissions by 93%, compared to control pots lacking cable bacteria. Promoting cable bacteria in rice fields by enrichment or sensible management may thus become a strategy to reduce anthropogenic methane emissions.
Author Correction: Longitudinal assessment of tumor development using cancer avatars derived from genetically engineered pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Koga Tomoyuki , Chaim Isaac A. , Benitez Jorge A. , Markmiller Sebastian , Parisian Alison D. , Hevner Robert F. , Turner Kristen M. , Hessenauer Florian M. , D’Antonio Matteo , Nguyen Nam-phuong D. , Saberi Shahram , Ma Jianhui , Miki Shunichiro , Boyer Antonia D. , Ravits John , Frazer Kelly A. , Bafna Vineet , Chen Clark C. , Mischel Paul S. , Yeo Gene W. , Furnari Frank B.
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
CO oxidation activity of non-reducible oxide-supported mass-selected few-atom Pt single-clusters
Authors: Beniya Atsushi , Higashi Shougo , Ohba Nobuko , Jinnouchi Ryosuke , Hirata Hirohito , Watanabe Yoshihide
Published: April 2020

Platinum nanocatalysts play critical roles in CO oxidation, an important catalytic conversion process. As the catalyst size decreases, the influence of the support material on catalysis increases which can alter the chemical states of Pt atoms in contact with the support. Herein, we demonstrate that under-coordinated Pt atoms at the edges of the first cluster layer are rendered cationic by direct contact with the Al2O3 support, which affects the overall CO oxidation activity. The ratio of neutral to cationic Pt atoms in the Pt nanocluster is strongly correlated with the CO oxidation activity, but no correlation exists with the total surface area of surface-exposed Pt atoms. The low oxygen affinity of cationic Pt atoms explains this counterintuitive result. Using this relationship and our modified bond-additivity method, which only requires the catalyst–support bond energy as input, we successfully predict the CO oxidation activities of various sized Pt clusters on TiO2.
Effects of xylem embolism on the winter survival of Abies veitchii shoots in an upper subalpine region of central Japan
Authors: Maruta Emiko , Kubota Mitsumasa , Ikeda Takefumi
Published: April 2020

At high elevations, winter climatic conditions frequently cause excessive drought stress, which can induce embolism in conifer trees. We investigated the formation and repair of winter embolism in subalpine fir (Abies veitchii) growing near the timberline. We found a complete loss in xylem conductivity [100% percent loss of conductivity (PLC)] at the wind-exposed site (W+) and 40% PLC at the wind-protected site (W−). A PLC of 100% was far above the embolism rate expected from the drought-induced vulnerability analysis in the laboratory. At the W+ site, a PLC of 100% was maintained until May; this suddenly decreased to a negligible value in June, whereas the recovery at the W− site started in late winter and proceeded stepwise. The contrast between the two sites may have occurred because of the different underlying mechanisms of winter embolism. If most tracheids in the xylem of 100% PLC are air-filled, it will be difficult to refill quickly. However, embolism caused by pit aspiration could be restored rapidly, because aspirated pits isolate tracheids from each other and prevent the spread of cavitation. Although severe embolism may cause frost damage of needles, it may have a role in holding water within the stem.
Incorporating chemical sub-structures and protein evolutionary information for inferring drug-target interactions
Authors: Wang Lei , You Zhu-Hong , Li Li-Ping , Yan Xin , Zhang Wei
Published: April 2020

Accumulating evidence has shown that drug-target interactions (DTIs) play a crucial role in the process of genomic drug discovery. Although biological experimental technology has made great progress, the identification of DTIs is still very time-consuming and expensive nowadays. Hence it is urgent to develop in silico model as a supplement to the biological experiments to predict the potential DTIs. In this work, a new model is designed to predict DTIs by incorporating chemical sub-structures and protein evolutionary information. Specifically, we first use Position-Specific Scoring Matrix (PSSM) to convert the protein sequence into the numerical descriptor containing biological evolutionary information, then use Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) algorithm to extract the hidden features and integrate them with the chemical sub-structures descriptor, and finally utilize Rotation Forest (RF) classifier to accurately predict whether there is interaction between the drug and the target protein. In the 5-fold cross-validation (CV) experiment, the average accuracy of the proposed model on the benchmark datasets of Enzymes, Ion Channels, GPCRs and Nuclear Receptors reached 0.9140, 0.8919, 0.8724 and 0.8111, respectively. In order to fully evaluate the performance of the proposed model, we compare it with different feature extraction model, classifier model, and other state-of-the-art models. Furthermore, we also implemented case studies. As a result, 8 of the top 10 drug-target pairs with the highest prediction score were confirmed by related databases. These excellent results indicate that the proposed model has outstanding ability in predicting DTIs and can provide reliable candidates for biological experiments.
A cross-sectional study on selected child health outcomes in India: Quantifying the spatial variations and identification of the parental risk factors
Authors: Puri Parul , Khan Junaid , Shil Apurba , Ali Mohammad
Published: April 2020

This study examined association between selected child health indicators- anaemia, stunting and no/incomplete immunization by inter-linking maternal characteristics at district level and parental characteristics at individual level. A spatial analysis and a binary logit model estimation were employed to draw inferences using the data from the fourth round of National Family Health Survey, 2015–16 of India. Significant spatial clustering of the selected child health outcomes was observed in the country. Mother’s educational attainment explained significant district level differential in the selected child health outcomes. At the individual level, parents who are very young, not-educated, socially excluded, belong to poor class were found to be significantly associated with the poor child health outcomes. This study indicates that parental characteristics, such as age, educational attainment and employment substantially determine child health in India, suggesting that an intervention by targeting the households where children are vulnerable is important to improve child health in the country.
Dysregulated miRNA in a cancer-prone environment: A study of gastric non-neoplastic mucosa
Authors: Kim Binnari , Jang Jiryeon , Heo You Jeong , Kang So Young , Yoo Heejin , Sohn Insuk , Min Byung-Hoon , Kim Kyoung-Mee
Published: April 2020

Understanding cancer-prone environments is important to efficiently detect and prevent cancers. The associations between miRNA and cancer-prone environments are still largely unknown in gastric cancer (GC). Six miRNAs that are differentially expressed during gastric carcinogenesis were selected, and quantitative real-time PCR was performed in an independent training set (fresh non-tumor and tumor samples from 18 GC patients) and validation sets (set 1 with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded non-tumor and tumor samples from 19 solitary GC and set 2 with 37 multiple GC patients). The results were compared with those of 37 gastric mucosa from 20 healthy volunteers. The expression levels of miR-26a, miR-375, and miR-1260 in gastric mucosa from healthy volunteers were statistically higher than that of non-tumorous gastric mucosa located 3 cm apart from the GC in the training set (miR-26a,P < 0.0001; miR-375,P = 0.0049; miR-1260,P = 0.0172), validation set 1 (miR-26a and miR-375,P < 0.0001; miR-1260,P = 0.0008), and validation set 2 (miR-26a, miR-375, and miR-1260,P < 0.0001). And a combination of miR-26a and miR-1260 showed the highest area under the curve value of 0.89. miRNAs are differentially expressed in non-neoplastic gastric mucosa and can be used as a biomarker to predict cancer-prone environments.
High browsing skeletal adaptations in Spinophorosaurus reveal an evolutionary innovation in sauropod dinosaurs
Authors: Vidal D. , Mocho P. , Aberasturi A. , Sanz J. L. , Ortega F.
Published: April 2020

Sauropods were among the most diverse lineages of dinosaurs, with an ample geographic distribution throughout the Mesozoic. This evolutionary success is largely attributed to neck elongation and its impact on feeding efficiency. However, how neck elongation influenced exactly on feeding strategies is subject of debate. The process of mounting a nearly complete virtual skeleton of Spinophorosaurus nigerensis, from the Middle (?) Jurassic of Niger, has revealed several previously unknown osteological adaptations in this taxon. Wedged sacral and posterior dorsal vertebrae cause the presacral column to deflect antero-dorsally. This, together with elongated scapulae and humeri make the anterior region of the skeleton vertically lengthened. Also, elongated prezygapophyseal facets on the cervical vertebrae and a specialized first dorsal vertebra greatly increase the vertical range of motion of the neck. These characters support this early eusauropod as a more capable high browser than more basally branching sauropods. While limb proportions and zygapophyseal facets vary among Eusauropoda, the sacrum retained more than 10° of wedging in all Eusauropoda. This implied a functional constraint for sauropod species which evolved lower browsing feeding strategies: the antero-dorsal sloping caused by the sacrum had to be counteracted with further skeletal modifications, e.g. a ventrally curved mid to anterior presacral spine to hinder the dorsal slope of the whole presacral series caused by the wedged sacrum. This suggests that at least the last common ancestor of Eusauropoda developed high browsing capabilities, partially due to the modified wedged sacrum, likely a potential synapomorphy of the clade and key in the evolutionary history of the group.
Self-Assembled Electret for Vibration-Based Power Generator
Authors: Tanaka Yuya , Matsuura Noritaka , Ishii Hisao
Published: April 2020

The vibration-based electret generators (EGs) for energy harvesting have been extensively studied because they can obtain electrical energy from ambient vibrations. EGs exhibit a sandwich structure of electrodes surrounding an air gap and an electret, which is a dielectric material with a quasi-permanent electrical charge or dipole polarisation. Various charging processes have been developed because the surface charge density (σ) of the electret determines the output power of the device. However, such processes are considered to constitute a key productivity-limiting factor from the mass production viewpoint, making their simplification or elimination a highly desired objective. Herein, a model EG that does not require any charging process by utilising the spontaneous orientation polarisation of 1,3,5-tris(1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl)benzene (TPBi) is demonstrated. The surface potential (Vsp) of an evaporated TPBi film has reached 30.2 V at a film thickness of 500 nm without using a charging process. The estimated σ of 1.7 mC m−2 is comparable with that obtained using a conventional polymer-based electret after charging. Furthermore, Vsp is considerably stable in environmental conditions; thus, TPBi can be considered to be “self-assembled” electret (SAE). Application of SAE leads to developing an EG without requiring the charging process.
Siloxane crosslinks with dynamic bond exchange enable shape programming in liquid-crystalline elastomers
Authors: Saed Mohand O. , Terentjev Eugene M.
Published: April 2020

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCE) undergo reversible shape changes in response to stimuli, which enables a wide range of smart applications, in soft robotics, adhesive systems or biomedical medical devices. In this study, we introduce a new dynamic covalent chemistry based on siloxane equilibrium exchange into the LCE to enable processing (director alignment, remolding, and welding). Unlike the traditional siloxane based LCE, which were produced by reaction schemes with irreversible bonds (e.g. hydrosilylation), here we use a much more robust reaction (thiol-acrylate/thiol-ene ‘double-click’ chemistry) to obtain highly uniform dynamically crosslinked networks. Combining the siloxane crosslinker with click chemistry produces exchangeable LCE (xLCE) with tunable properties, low glass transition (−30 °C), controllable nematic to isotropic transition (33 to 70 °C), and a very high vitrification temperature (up to 250 °C). Accordingly, this class of dynamically crosslinked xLCE shows unprecedented thermal stability within the working temperature range (−50 to 140 °C), over many thermal actuation cycles without any creep. Finally, multiple xLCE sharing the same siloxane exchangeable bonds can be welded into single continuous structures to allow for composite materials that sequentially and reversibly undergo multiple phase transformations in different sections of the sample.
Real-time, functional intra-operative localization of rat cavernous nerve network using near-infrared cyanine voltage-sensitive dye imaging
Authors: Kang Jeeun , D. Le Hanh N. , Karakus Serkan , Malla Adarsha P. , Harraz Maged M. , Kang Jin U. , Burnett Arthur L. , Boctor Emad M.
Published: April 2020

Despite current progress achieved in the surgical technique of radical prostatectomy, post-operative complications such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence persist at high incidence rates. In this paper, we present a methodology for functional intra-operative localization of the cavernous nerve (CN) network for nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy using near-infrared cyanine voltage-sensitive dye (VSD) imaging, which visualizes membrane potential variations in the CN and its branches (CNB) in real time. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we demonstrate a functioning complex nerve network in response to electrical stimulation of the CN, which was clearly differentiated from surrounding tissues in anin vivorat prostate model. Stimulation of an erection was confirmed by correlative intracavernosal pressure (ICP) monitoring. Within 10 minutes, we performed trans-fascial staining of the CN by direct VSD administration. Our findings suggest the applicability of VSD imaging for real-time, functional imaging guidance during nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy.
Antibodies against a short region of PfRipr inhibit Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion and PfRipr interaction with Rh5 and SEMA7A
Authors: Nagaoka Hikaru , Kanoi Bernard N. , Ntege Edward H. , Aoki Masamitsu , Fukushima Akihisa , Tsuboi Takafumi , Takashima Eizo
Published: April 2020

Plasmodium falciparum merozoite invasion into erythrocytes is an essential step of the blood-stage cycle, survival of parasites, and malaria pathogenesis. P. falciparum merozoite Rh5 interacting protein (PfRipr) forms a complex with Rh5 and CyRPA in sequential molecular events leading to erythrocyte invasion. Recently we described PfRipr as a conserved protein that induces strain-transcending growth inhibitory antibodies in in vitro assays. However, being a large and complex protein of 1086 amino acids (aa) with 87 cysteine residues, PfRipr is difficult to express in conventional expression systems towards vaccine development. In this study we sought to identify the most potent region of PfRipr that could be developed to overcome difficulties related to protein expression, as well as to elucidate the invasion inhibitory mechanism of anti-PfRipr antibodies. Using the wheat germ cell-free system, Ecto- PfRipr and truncates of approximately 200 aa were expressed as soluble proteins. We demonstrate that antibodies against PfRipr truncate 5 (PfRipr_5: C720-D934), a region within the PfRipr C-terminal EGF-like domains, potently inhibit merozoite invasion. Furthermore, the antibodies strongly block PfRipr/Rh5 interaction, as well as that between PfRipr and its erythrocyte-surface receptor, SEMA7A. Taken together, PfRipr_5 is a potential candidate for further development as a blood-stage malaria vaccine.
Improving Treatment Efficacy of In Situ Forming Implants via Concurrent Delivery of Chemotherapeutic and Chemosensitizer
Authors: Jeganathan Selva , Budziszewski Emily , Hernandez Christopher , Dhingra Anshul , Exner Agata A.
Published: April 2020

P-glycoprotein (Pgp), a member of the ATP-binding cassette family, is one of the major causes of multidrug resistance in tumors. Current clinical treatments to overcome MDR involve the co-delivery of a Pgp inhibitor and a chemotherapeutic. A concern for this treatment that has led to varied clinical trial success is the associated systemic toxicities involving endogenous Pgp. Local drug delivery systems, such as in situ forming implants (ISFIs), alleviate this problem by delivering a high concentration of the drug directly to the target site without the associated systemic toxicities. ISFIs are polymeric drug solutions that undergo a phase transition upon injection into an aqueous environment to form a solid drug eluting depot allowing for a high initial intratumoral drug concentration. In this study, we have developed an ISFI capable of overcoming the Pgp resistance by co-delivering a chemotherapeutic, Doxorubicin (Dox), with a Pgp inhibitor, either Pluronic P85 or Valspodar (Val). Studies investigated in vitro cytotoxicity of Dox when combined with either Pgp inhibitor, effect of the inhibitors on release of Dox from implants in PBS, in vivo Dox distribution and retention in a subcutaneous flank colorectal murine tumor, and therapeutic response characterized by tumor growth curves and histopathology. Dox + Val showed a 4-fold reduction in the 50% lethal dose (LD50) after 48 hours. Concurrent delivery of Dox and Val showed the greatest difference at 16 days post injection for both Dox penetration and retention. This treatment group had a 5-fold maximum Dox penetration compared to Dox alone ISFIs (0.53 ± 0.22 cm vs 0.11 ± 0.11 cm, respectively, from the center of the ISFI). Additionally, there was a 3-fold increase in normalized total intratumoral Dox intensity with the Dox + Val ISFIs compared to Dox alone ISFIs (0.54 ± 0.11 vs 0.18 ± 0.09, respectively). Dox + Val ISFIs showed a 2-fold reduction in tumor growth and a 27.69% increase in necrosis 20 days post-injection compared to Dox alone ISFIs. These findings demonstrate that co-delivery of Dox and Val via ISFI can avoid systemic toxicity issues seen with clinical Pgp inhibitors.
Single Intratracheal Quartz Instillation Induced Chronic Inflammation and Tumourigenesis in Rat Lungs
Authors: Nakano-Narusawa Yuko , Yokohira Masanao , Yamakawa Keiko , Saoo Kousuke , Imaida Katsumi , Matsuda Yoko
Published: April 2020

Crystalline silica (quartz) is known to induce silicosis and cancer in the lungs. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between quartz-induced chronic inflammation and lung carcinogenesis in rat lungs after a single exposure to quartz. F344 rats were treated with a single intratracheal instillation (i.t.) of quartz (4 mg/rat), and control rats were treated with a single i.t. of saline. After 52 or 96 weeks, the animals were sacrificed, and the lungs and other organs were used for analyses. Quartz particles were observed in the lungs of all quartz-treated rats. According to our scoring system, the lungs of rats treated with quartz had higher scores for infiltration of lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils, oedema, fibrosis, and granuloma than the lungs of control rats. After 96 weeks, the quartz-treated rats had higher incidences of adenoma (85.7%) and adenocarcinoma (81.0%) than control rats (20% and 20%, respectively). Quartz-treated and control rats did not show lung neoplastic lesions at 52 weeks after treatment. The number of lung neoplastic lesions per rat positively correlated with the degree of macrophage and lymphocyte infiltration, oedema, fibrosis, and lymph follicle formation around the bronchioles. In conclusion, single i.t. of quartz may induce lung cancer in rat along with chronic inflammation.
Phylogenetic characteristics and molecular epidemiological analysis of novel enterovirus EV-B83 isolated from Tibet, China
Authors: Xiao Jinbo , Zhang Yong , Hong Mei , Han Zhenzhi , Zhang Man , Song Yang , Yan Dongmei , Zhu Shuangli , Xu Wenbo
Published: April 2020

Enterovirus B83 (EV-B83) is a new member of the enterovirus B group. Currently, there are only two full-length genomic sequences of EV-B83 in the GenBank database and few VP1 region sequences. The aetiology and epidemiology of EV-B83 is unclear. 24 stool specimens were collected from twelve AFP patients and 298 stool specimens were collected from 298 healthy children in support of polio eradication activities in Tibet in 1999. Two polioviruses (isolated by L20B cell) and one non-polio enterovirus (isolated by RD cell) were isolated from AFP patients and nine polioviruses (isolated by L20B cell) and 90 non-polio enteroviruses (isolated by RD cell) were isolated from health children. Through molecular typing, we confirmed that the six of non-polio enteroviruses belong to EV-B83. The sequence similarity between the VP1 region of the Tibet isolates and that of the EV-B83 prototype strain was 80%. The maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree of the partial VP1 region in EV-B83 demonstrated that EV-B83 formed four genotypes globally during the evolution process. The six Tibet EV-B83 strains formed the D genotype alone. Recombination analysis of Tibet EV-B83 showed that CV-B4, CV-A9, EV-B80, and EV-B106 may act as recombinant donors in multiple regions. The serum neutralization test showed that the antibody-positive rate was 58.8% and GMT was 1:19.70, which was higher than the previously reported results of EV-B106 and EV-B80. Temperature sensitivity test results showed that the six Tibet EV-B83 strains were temperature-insensitive with stronger virulence and potential infectivity, which was consistent with the results of the serum neutralization test. This study enriched the genome-wide sequence, epidemiological characteristics, and provided basic data for the follow-up study of EV-B83.
Identification of cadaveric liver tissues using thanatotranscriptome biomarkers
Authors: Javan Gulnaz T. , Hanson Erin , Finley Sheree J. , Visonà Silvia D. , Osculati Antonio , Ballantyne Jack
Published: April 2020

Thanatotranscriptome studies involve the examination of mRNA transcript abundance and gene expression patterns in the internal organs of deceased humans. Postmortem gene expression is indicative of the cellular status of a corpse at the time of death, a portion of which may represent a cascade of molecular events occasioned by death. Specific gene biomarkers identify perceptible transcriptional changes induced by stochastic responses to the cessation of biological functions. Transcriptome analyses of postmortem mRNA from a tissue fragment may determine unique molecular identifiers for specific organs and demonstrate unique patterns of gene expression that can provide essential contextual anatomical information. We evaluated the impact of targeted transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing to reveal global changes in postmortem gene expression in liver tissues from 27 Italian and United States corpses: 3.5-hour-old to 37-day-old. We found that our single blind study using eight liver tissue-specific gene biomarkers (e.g. AMBP and AHSG) is highly specific, with autopsy-derived organ samples correctly identified as tissues originating from postmortem livers. The results demonstrate that 98–100% of sequencing reads were mapped to these liver biomarkers. Our findings indicate that gene expression signatures of mRNA exposed up to 37 days of autolysis, can be used to validate the putative identity of tissue fragments.
Green synthesis of Ag NPs on magnetic polyallylamine decorated g-C3N4 by Heracleum persicum extract: efficient catalyst for reduction of dyes
Authors: Mohammadi Pourya , Heravi Majid M. , Sadjadi Samahe
Published: April 2020

Silver nanoparticles were immobilized on magnetic polyallylamine (PAA) decorated g-C3N4 by using Heracleum persicum extract as a biological reducing and stabilizing agent. The resulting nanocomposite, Fe3O4-g-C3N4-TCT-PAA-Ag, was then characterized using BET, VSM, XRD, TGA, FTIR, TEM, EDS and ICP. The catalytic performance of the synthesized nanocatalyst was considered in the reduction of rhodamine B, and methyl orange in the presence of sodium borohydride in the aqueous medium at room temperature. The results showed that Fe3O4-g-C3N4-TCT-PAA-Ag nanocomposite could promote both reduction reactions efficiently in very short reaction times (70–100 s). In addition, Fe3O4-g-C3N4-TCT-PAA-Ag could be magnetically recovered and recycled for several cycles with no significant decrease in its catalytic performance. Using the experimental results, the rate constant, enthalpy, and entropy of the reduction reactions of both dyes were estimated.
Clinical and echocardiographic benefit of Sacubitril/Valsartan in a real-world population with HF with reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Polito Maria Vincenza , Silverio Angelo , Rispoli Antonella , Vitulano Gennaro , Auria Federica D’ , De Angelis Elena , Loria Francesco , Gigantino Alberto , Bonadies Domenico , Citro Rodolfo , Carrizzo Albino , Galasso Gennaro , Iaccarino Guido , Vecchione Carmine , Ciccarelli Michele
Published: April 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Sacubitril/Valsartan (S/V) on clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic parameters and outcomes in a real-world population with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This was a prospective observational study enrolling patients with HFrEF undergoing treatment with S/V. The primary outcome was the composite of cardiac death and HF rehospitalization at 12 months follow-up; secondary outcomes were all-cause death, cardiac death and the occurrence of rehospitalization for worsening HF. The clinical outcome was compared with a retrospective cohort of 90 HFrEF patients treated with standard medical therapy. The study included 90 patients (66.1 ± 11.7 years) treated with S/V. The adjusted regression analysis showed a significantly lower risk for the primary outcome (HR:0.31; 95%CI, 0.11–0.83; p = 0.019) and for HF rehospitalization (HR:0.27; 95%CI, 0.08–0.94; p = 0.039) in S/V patients as compared to the control group. A significant improvement in NYHA class, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end systolic volume and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure was observed up to 6 months. S/V did not affect negatively renal function and was associated with a significantly lower dose of furosemide dose prescribed at 6- and 12-month follow-up. In this study, S/V reduced the risk of HF rehospitalization and cardiac death at 1 year in patients with HFrEF. S/V improved NYHA class, echocardiographic parameters and need of furosemide, and preserved renal function.
Tempo-spatial variations of the Ryukyu Current southeast of Miyakojima Island determined from mooring observations
Authors: Zhao Ruixiang , Nakamura Hirohiko , Zhu Xiao-Hua , Park Jae-Hun , Nishina Ayako , Zhang Chuanzheng , Na Hanna , Jeon Chanhyung , Zhu Ze-Nan , Min Hong Sik
Published: April 2020

The origin, structure, and variability of the Ryukyu Current (RC) have long been debated, mostly due to limited observations. A mooring array, deployed for two years southeast of Miyakojima in the southern portion of the Ryukyu Island chain, has provided, for the first time, data confirming the existence and revealing the characteristics of the RC in that upstream region, including its velocity structure and variability. The observations show a shoreward-intensified current flowing northeastward, with a subsurface core located near the 1,000 m isobath and having a record-long mean speed of up to 19.4 cm s−1 at 500 m depth. Estimated volume transport across the observation section had mean 9.0 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3 s−1) and standard deviation 8.7 Sv. The RC shows significant barotropic character compared with other similar mid-latitude currents.
Development and validation of a deep neural network model to predict postoperative mortality, acute kidney injury, and reintubation using a single feature set
Authors: Hofer Ira S. , Lee Christine , Gabel Eilon , Baldi Pierre , Cannesson Maxime
Published: April 2020

During the perioperative period patients often suffer complications, including acute kidney injury (AKI), reintubation, and mortality. In order to effectively prevent these complications, high-risk patients must be readily identified. However, most current risk scores are designed to predict a single postoperative complication and often lack specificity on the patient level. In other fields, machine learning (ML) has been shown to successfully create models to predict multiple end points using a single input feature set. We hypothesized that ML can be used to create models to predict postoperative mortality, AKI, reintubation, and a combined outcome using a single set of features available at the end of surgery. A set of 46 features available at the end of surgery, including drug dosing, blood loss, vital signs, and others were extracted. Additionally, six additional features accounting for total intraoperative hypotension were extracted and trialed for different models. A total of 59,981 surgical procedures met inclusion criteria and the deep neural networks (DNN) were trained on 80% of the data, with 20% reserved for testing. The network performances were then compared to ASA Physical Status. In addition to creating separate models for each outcome, a multitask learning model was trialed that used information on all outcomes to predict the likelihood of each outcome individually. The overall rate of the examined complications in this data set was 0.79% for mortality, 22.3% (of 21,676 patients with creatinine values) for AKI, and 1.1% for reintubation. Overall, there was significant overlap between the various model types for each outcome, with no one modeling technique consistently performing the best. However, the best DNN models did beat the ASA score for all outcomes other than mortality. The highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) models were 0.792 (0.775–0.808) for AKI, 0.879 (0.851–0.905) for reintubation, 0.907 (0.872–0.938) for mortality, and 0.874 (0.864–0.866) for any outcome. The ASA score alone achieved AUCs of 0.652 (0.636–0.669) for AKI, 0.787 (0.757–0.818) for reintubation, 0.839 (0.804–0.875) for mortality, and 0.76 (0.748–0.773) for any outcome. Overall, the DNN architecture was able to create models that outperformed the ASA physical status to predict all outcomes based on a single feature set, consisting of objective data available at the end of surgery. No one model architecture consistently performed the best.
Weak supervision as an efficient approach for automated seizure detection in electroencephalography
Authors: Saab Khaled , Dunnmon Jared , Ré Christopher , Rubin Daniel , Lee-Messer Christopher
Published: April 2020

Automated seizure detection from electroencephalography (EEG) would improve the quality of patient care while reducing medical costs, but achieving reliably high performance across patients has proven difficult. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) show promise in addressing this problem, but they are limited by a lack of large labeled training datasets. We propose using imperfect but plentiful archived annotations to train CNNs for automated, real-time EEG seizure detection across patients. While these weak annotations indicate possible seizures with precision scores as low as 0.37, they are commonly produced in large volumes within existing clinical workflows by a mixed group of technicians, fellows, students, and board-certified epileptologists. We find that CNNs trained using such weak annotations achieve Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC) values of 0.93 and 0.94 for pediatric and adult seizure onset detection, respectively. Compared to currently deployed clinical software, our model provides a 31% increase (18 points) in F1-score for pediatric patients and a 17% increase (11 points) for adult patients. These results demonstrate that weak annotations, which are sustainably collected via existing clinical workflows, can be leveraged to produce clinically useful seizure detection models.
Aggregating multiple real-world data sources using a patient-centered health-data-sharing platform
Authors: Dhruva Sanket S. , Ross Joseph S. , Akar Joseph G. , Caldwell Brittany , Childers Karla , Chow Wing , Ciaccio Laura , Coplan Paul , Dong Jun , Dykhoff Hayley J. , Johnston Stephen , Kellogg Todd , Long Cynthia , Noseworthy Peter A. , Roberts Kurt , Saha Anindita , Yoo Andrew , Shah Nilay D.
Published: April 2020

Real-world data sources, including electronic health records (EHRs) and personal digital device data, are increasingly available, but are often siloed and cannot be easily integrated for clinical, research, or regulatory purposes. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 60 patients undergoing bariatric surgery or catheter-based atrial fibrillation ablation at two U.S. tertiary care hospitals, testing the feasibility of using a patient-centered health-data-sharing platform to obtain and aggregate health data from multiple sources. We successfully obtained EHR data for all patients at both hospitals, as well as from ten additional health systems, which were successfully aggregated with pharmacy data obtained for patients using CVS or Walgreens pharmacies; personal digital device data from activity monitors, digital weight scales, and single-lead ECGs, and patient-reported outcome measure data obtained through surveys to assess post-procedure recovery and disease-specific symptoms. A patient-centered health-data-sharing platform successfully aggregated data from multiple sources.
Human access impacts biodiversity of microscopic animals in sandy beaches
Authors: Martínez Alejandro , Eckert Ester M. , Artois Tom , Careddu Giovanni , Casu Marco , Curini-Galletti Marco , Gazale Vittorio , Gobert Stefan , Ivanenko Viatcheslav N. , Jondelius Ulf , Marzano Marinella , Pesole Graziano , Zanello Aldo , Todaro M. Antonio , Fontaneto Diego
Published: April 2020

Whereas most work to understand impacts of humans on biodiversity on coastal areas has focused on large, conspicuous organisms, we highlight effects of tourist access on the diversity of microscopic marine animals (meiofauna). We used a DNA metabarcoding approach with an iterative and phylogeny-based approach for the taxonomic assignment of meiofauna and relate diversity patterns to the numbers of tourists accessing sandy beaches on an otherwise un-impacted island National Park. Tourist frequentation, independently of differences in sediment granulometry, beach length, and other potential confounding factors, affected meiofaunal diversity in the shallow “swash” zone right at the mean water mark; the impacts declined with water depth (up to 2 m). The indicated negative effect on meiofauna may have a consequence on all the biota including the higher trophic levels. Thus, we claim that it is important to consider restricting access to beaches in touristic areas, in order to preserve biodiversity.
Harnessing salinity gradient energy in coastal stormwater runoff to reduce pathogen loading
Authors: Dubrawski Kristian L. , Wang Wan , Xu Jianqiao , Criddle Craig S.
Published: April 2020

First demonstration of the capture of salinity gradient energy from stormwater runoff to the ocean, used to power UV-LED disinfection.
Optimized preparation and regeneration of MFI type base catalysts ford-glucose isomerization in water
Authors: Antunes Margarida M. , Fernandes Auguste , Falcão Diogo , Pillinger Martyn , Ribeiro Filipa , Valente Anabela A.
Published: April 2020

Eco-friendly solid bases possessing hierarchical MFI structure ford-glucose isomerization tod-fructose. Optimizing catalyst synthesis and composition for enhanced stability.
Stretchable and calibratable graphene sensors for accurate strain measurement
Authors: Qiu Aidong , Aakyiir Mathias , Wang Ruoyu , Yang Zhaokun , Umer Ayaz , Lee Ivan , Hsu Hung-Yao , Ma Jun
Published: April 2020

A stretchable and calibratable graphene sensor for accurate strain measurement.
Tunable electronic and magnetic properties of monolayer and bilayer Janus Cr2Cl3I3: a first-principles study
Authors: Guan Zhaoyong , Luo Nannan , Ni Shuang , Hu Shuanglin
Published: April 2020

ML Cr2Cl3I3 has ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic orders, and biaxial strain and stacking could tune from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic order.
First-principles study of superionic Na9+xSnxM3−xS12 (M = P, Sb)
Authors: Sorkin Anastassia , Adams Stefan
Published: April 2020

Among the Na9+xSnxM3−xS12 fast Na-ion conductors Na11Sn2MS12 (M = P, Sb) is thermodynamically preferred and due to a quenchable PS4 anion order–disorder transition its ion transport properties are controlled by the thermal history of the sample.
Multicationic AIEgens for unimolecular photodynamic theranostics and two-photon fluorescence bioimaging
Authors: Gao Yuting , Zhang Haoke , He Zhenyan , Fang Fang , Wang Chao , Zeng Kanghua , Gao Shangbang , Meng Fanling , Luo Liang , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: April 2020

This work reports multicationic AIEgens for unimolecular photodynamic theranostics, and an investigation of the relationship between their structures and activities, including PDT performance, 2-photon bioimaging, and self-reporting characteristics.
Synergy of PVP and ethanol to synthesize Ni3S4 quantum dots for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Zheng Jinfeng , Lian Xiao , Wu Mingzai , Zheng Fangcai , Gao Yuanhao , Niu Helin
Published: April 2020

Synergy of PVP and ethanol to synthesize Ni3S4 quantum dots for high-performance asymmetric supercapacitors.
Room-temperature preparation of a chiral covalent organic framework for the selective adsorption of amino acid enantiomers
Authors: Liu Fang , Qian Hai-Long , Yang Cheng , Yan Xiu-Ping
Published: April 2020

A chiral COF CTzDa was synthesized at room temperature for the selective enantioselective adsorption of amino acids.
A universal cross-linking binding polymer composite for ultrahigh-loading Li-ion battery electrodes
Authors: Wang Dong , Zhang Qian , Liu Jie , Zhao Erying , Li Zhenwei , Yang Yu , Guo Ziyang , Wang Lei , Zhang Shanqing
Published: April 2020

A general, facile-operability, and sustainable strategy to achieve ultrahigh-loading electrodes has been proposed that is simply replacing the traditional PVDF binder with an eco-friendly and robust c-PAA-XG binder with a high-efficiency damper.
Fish-inspired anti-icing hydrogel sensors with low-temperature adhesion and toughness
Authors: Xu Jiajun , Jing Rining , Ren Xiuyan , Gao Guanghui
Published: April 2020

Breaking through the conventional way of conferring anti-icing ability on hydrogels with addition of organic solvents or inorganic salts, a novel anti-icing hydrogel driven by antifreeze proteins was successfully fabricated and applied as sensors.
How to coordinate the trade-off between water permeability and salt rejection in nanofiltration?
Authors: Zhang Ruijun , Tian Jiayu , Gao Shanshan , Van der Bruggen Bart
Published: April 2020

Technical principles of coordinating the trade-off between water permeability and salt rejection in NF membranes have been proposed and elaborated.
Energy management strategy for a short‐route hybrid cruise ship: an IGDT‐based approach
Authors: Vahabzad Neda , Jadidbonab Mohammad , Mohammadi‐Ivatloo Behnam , Tohidi Sajjad , Anvari‐Moghaddam Amjad
Published: April 2020

The increments of the emission tiers and global warming, as well as the reduction of fossil fuels, have led to a change in the power system of vehicles. Even in maritime transportation, there are more restrictions due to environmental regulations of some ports. In this study, the energy management problem of a marine power system is investigated, such a system includes a diesel generator, solar system, energy storage system (ESS), electrical boiler system, and electrical heat pump. The proposed risk‐based strategy for scheduling multiple energy systems of a hybrid cruise ship (HCS) is able to provide the electrical and thermal demands related to the cruise services in a reliable and optimal way. The examined HCS travels daily in the Baltic Sea between Stockholm in Swedish mainland and Mariehamn on the Åland islands and carries hundreds of passengers in various tour programmes, representing an uncertain shipboard loading profile. Therefore, an information gap decision theory‐based (IGDT‐based) methodology is applied to model the uncertain HCS load. Furthermore, the proposed multiple energy system can adopt various strategies namely risk‐averse and risk‐seeker to face different consumption patterns. Finally, the numerical results obtained from actual test case validate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Operation risk assessment of active distribution networks considering probabilistic uncertainties of distributed generators‐loads and power management of VRB ESSs
Authors: Lei Jiazhi , Gong Qingwu , Gao David Wenzhong , Wang Baohua , Guan Xiangyu
Published: April 2020

This study aims at specifying the operational risk assessment of active distribution networks (ADNs). Correspondingly, an operational risk assessment model based on point estimate method (PEM) considering probabilistic uncertainties of distributed generators‐loads and power management of vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) energy storage systems (ESSs) was proposed. The probabilistic uncertainties of distributed generators and loads growth are mathematically modelled and discretised by PEM. Also, the distributed VRB ESSs are maximally used for the consumption of renewable energy and power supply of loads by the power management of VRB ESSs. The risk assessment indexes of expected energy not supplied and severity index for ADNs are constructed and the 2m + 1 PEM was used for the calculation. Finally, the case studies verified the effectiveness of PEM as the relative error is less than 1.75% and the excellent advantage on fast calculation. In addition, both the power management of distributed VRB ESSs and the dispersion of DGs or VRB ESSs have a significant influence on the operational risk assessment of ADNs.
Transient brightenings in the quiet Sun detected by ALMA at 3 mm
Authors: Nindos A. , Alissandrakis C. E. , Patsourakos S. , Bastian T. S.
Published: April 2020

Aims. We investigate transient brightenings, that is, weak, small-scale episodes of energy release, in the quiet solar chromosphere; these episodes can provide insights into the heating mechanism of the outer layers of the solar atmosphere.

Methods. Using Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations, we performed the first systematic survey for quiet Sun transient brightenings at 3 mm. Our dataset included images of six 87″ × 87″ fields of view of the quiet Sun obtained with angular resolution of a few arcsec at a cadence of 2 s. The transient brightenings were detected as weak enhancements above the average intensity after we removed the effect of the p-mode oscillations. A similar analysis, over the same fields of view, was performed for simultaneous 304 and 1600 Å data obtained with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly.

Results. We detected 184 3 mm transient brightening events with brightness temperatures from 70 K to more than 500 K above backgrounds of ∼7200 − 7450 K. All events showed light curves with a gradual rise and fall, strongly suggesting a thermal origin. Their mean duration and maximum area were 51.1 s and 12.3 Mm2, respectively, with a weak preference of appearing at network boundaries rather than in cell interiors. Both parameters exhibited power-law behavior with indices of 2.35 and 2.71, respectively. Only a small fraction of ALMA events had either 304 or 1600 Å counterparts but the properties of these events were not significantly different from those of the general population except that they lacked their low-end energy values. The total thermal energies of the ALMA transient brightenings were between 1.5 × 1024 and 9.9 × 1025 erg and their frequency distribution versus energy was a power law with an index of 1.67 ± 0.05. We found that the power per unit area provided by the ALMA events could account for only 1% of the chromospheric radiative losses (10% of the coronal ones).

Conclusions. We were able to detect, for the first time, a significant number of weak 3 mm quiet Sun transient brightenings. However, their energy budget falls short of meeting the requirements for the heating of the upper layers of the solar atmosphere and this conclusion does not change even if we use the least restrictive criteria possible for the detection of transient brightenings.