bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interaction of dicamba, fluthiacet-methyl, and glyphosate for control of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) in dicamba/glyphosate–resistant soybean
Authors: de Sanctis Jose H. S. , Jhala Amit J.
Published: June 2021

Velvetleaf is an economically important weed in agronomic crops in Nebraska and the United States. Dicamba applied alone usually does not provide complete velvetleaf control, particularly when velvetleaf is taller than 15 cm. The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the interaction of dicamba, fluthiacet-methyl, and glyphosate applied alone or in a mixture in two- or three-way combinations for velvetleaf control in dicamba/glyphosate–resistant (DGR) soybean and to evaluate whether velvetleaf height (≤12 cm or ≤20 cm) at the time of herbicide application influences herbicide efficacy, velvetleaf density, biomass, and soybean yield. Field experiments were conducted near Clay Center, NE in 2019 and 2020. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot with velvetleaf height (≤12 cm or ≤20 cm) as the main plot treatment and herbicides as subplot treatment. Fluthiacet provided ≥94% velvetleaf control 28 d after treatment (DAT) and ≥96% biomass reduction regardless of application rate or velvetleaf height. Velvetleaf control was 31% to 74% at 28 DAT when dicamba or glyphosate was applied alone to velvetleaf ≤20 cm tall compared with 47% to 100% control applied to ≤12-cm-tall plants. Dicamba applied alone to ≤20-cm-tall velvetleaf provided <75% control and <87% biomass reduction 28 DAT compared with ≥90% control with dicamba at 560 g ae ha−1 + fluthiacet at 7.2 g ai ha−1 or glyphosate at 1,260 g ae ha−1. Dicamba at 280 g ae ha−1 + glyphosate at 630 g ae ha−1 applied to ≤20-cm-tall velvetleaf resulted in 86% control 28 DAT compared with the expected 99% control. The interaction of dicamba + fluthiacet + glyphosate was additive for velvetleaf control and biomass reduction regardless of application rate and velvetleaf height.
Dose responses of silvery-thread moss (Bryum argenteum) to carfentrazone-ethyl
Authors: Raudenbush Zane , Keeley Steven J. , Thompson Cole , Jugulam Mithila
Published: June 2021

Carfentrazone-ethyl is one of few herbicides labeled for control of silvery-thread moss (STM) in golf course putting greens, but common use rates are up to three times higher than for broadleaf weeds. Our objective was to determine the efficacy of a single POST application of carfentrazone-ethyl for STM control in greenhouse and field dose response studies. In the greenhouse, carfentrazone-ethyl was applied at 0, 14, 28, 56, 112, and 224 g ai ha–1 to pots containing established STM and creeping bentgrass. Percent gametophyte injury was visually estimated at 14, 28, 49, and 77 d after treatment (DAT). Shoot viability was determined by excising shoots from treated pots and plating them in Petri dishes containing sand. The 28- and 49-DAT ED90 (doses required to cause 90% gametophyte injury) were 26.8 and 54.3 g ha–1, respectively; both of these doses are substantially lower than the label rates for long- and short-term control, respectively. All doses reduced the viability of transplanted shoots at 10 DAT compared to untreated STM; however, regrowth occurred in all Petri dishes by 17 DAT. Field studies were initiated in Manhattan, KS and San Luis Obispo, CA to corroborate greenhouse results. Averaged across locations, carfentrazone-ethyl applied at 56 and 112 g ha–1 caused 76% and 84% STM injury at 14 DAT, but STM injury quickly lessened to 45% and 48% by 28 DAT, respectively. In greenhouse and field studies, STM recovery did not occur until 2 wk after treatment (WAT), which indicates the label-stipulated application interval of 2 wk is too short. Our research suggests that 56 g ha–1 can provide similar burndown control of STM as compared to the highest label rate (112 g ha–1), and turfgrass managers should consider extending the reapplication interval to 3 or 4 wk when moss recovery is observed.
Passive knee exoskeletons in functional tasks: Biomechanical effects of a SpringExo coil-spring on squats
Authors: Hidayah Rand , Sui Dongbao , Wade Kennedi A. , Chang Biing-Chwen , Agrawal Sunil
Published: June 2021

Passive wearable exoskeletons are desirable as they can provide assistance during user movements while still maintaining a simple and low-profile design. These can be useful in industrial tasks where an ergonomic device could aid in load lifting without inconveniencing them and reducing fatigue and stress in the lower limbs. The SpringExo is a coil-spring design that aids in knee extension. In this paper, we describe the muscle activation of the knee flexors and extensors from seven healthy participants during repeated squats. The outcome measures are the timings of the key events during squat, flexion angle, muscle activation of rectus femoris and bicep femoris, and foot pressure characteristics of the participants. These outcome measures assess the possible effects of the device during lifting operations where reduced effort in the muscles is desired during ascent phase of the squat, without changing the knee and foot kinematics. The results show that the SpringExo significantly decreased rectus femoris activation during ascent (−2%) without significantly affecting either the bicep femoris or rectus femoris muscle activations in descent. This implies that the user could perform a descent without added effort and ascent with reduced effort. The exoskeleton showed other effects on the biomechanics of the user, increasing average squat time (+0.02 s) and maximum squat time (+0.1 s), and decreasing average knee flexion angle (−4°). The exoskeleton has no effect on foot loading or placement, that is, the user did not have to revise their stance while using the device.
Interactions of Microtopography, Slope and Infiltration Cause Complex Rainfall‐Runoff Behavior at the Hillslope Scale for Single Rainfall Events
Authors: Caviedes‐Voullième Daniel , Ahmadinia Ebrahim , Hinz Christoph
Published: June 2021

Microtopography (MT) can govern runoff dynamics as a net result of local heterogeneities in the flow paths and ponding. This in turn controls the development of the surface water layer that connects and flows downslope. It is therefore important to understand which microtopographic features affect runoff generation dynamics and its macroscopic—hillslope scale—hydrological signatures (e.g., hydrographs, runoff and infiltration volumes). In this study, we numerically solve 2D overland flow from a single rain pulse on 1,460 idealized hillslopes with different slopes and sinusoidal microtopographies and different infiltration capacities. We assess hydrodynamic distributions, hydrographs and hydrological indices to assess the effects of MT and infiltration on the (local) hydrodynamic and (larger scale) hydrologic responses in terms of surface runoff regimes. The results show that MT enhances infiltration and that infiltration and runoff depend in a strong non‐linear way on slope and the properties of MT. Three regimes of influence of MT were identified: one in which MT plays a negligible role but there is a high sensitivity to the infiltration capacity curve, a second regime in which hydrological partitioning is highly sensitive to MT and the infiltration capacity curve, and a third regime in which MT increases infiltration, but the response is insensitive to particular features, and more affected by the average slopes. The regimes are the product of the interplay between small (MT) and large scale (slope) properties. Furthermore, the results suggest that hydrological signatures can be interpreted and explained by the spatiotemporal variation of surface connectivity.
Climate Clues from One of the Rainiest Places on Earth
Authors: Wight Andrew
Published: June 2021

One of the world’s rainiest places lies off Colombia’s Pacific coast. New field research sheds light on the Choc� low-level jet, a phenomenon responsible for the region’s precipitation.
Temperature Dependence of the Collision‐Induced Absorption Band of O2 Near 1.27 µm
Authors: Kassi S. , Guessoum S. , Abanto J. C. Acosta , Tran H. , Campargue A. , Mondelain D.
Published: June 2021

The 1.27 μm O2 band is increasingly called upon for air‐mass determination from ground‐based and space‐borne atmospheric spectra because of its spectral proximity to CO2, and CH4 bands at 1.6 μm, in contrast to the more distant A‐band at 0.76 μm. For this purpose, it is important to well characterize not only the narrow absorption lines but also the strong underlying broad collision‐induced absorption (CIA) structure and its temperature dependence. Spectra of pure O2, and of O2 in N2, were recorded by cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) at 271 K and 332 K, with the help of a newly developed temperature regulated cell. The quality of the spectra allowed determining the small variations (at the few percent level) of the , , and binary coefficients with temperature. Together with the binary coefficients at 297 K reported previously, they allow characterizing the temperature dependence of the O2 CIA at 1.27 µm in atmospheric conditions. The obtained results are compared with previous measurements by Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTS) and recent theoretical calculations. In the wings of the O2‐O2 CIA, an increase with temperature is observed in agreement with calculations but contrary to these calculations, a decrease is observed near the maximum of the CIA band. The temperature dependence is found in good agreement with the theoretical values and the experimental values derived from the FTS measurements. Binary coefficients integrated over the entire band show almost no variation with temperature for O2‐N2 and a small increase for pure O2, in agreement with the theoretical predictions.
Microbial community structure in hadal sediments: high similarity along trench axes and strong changes along redox gradients
Authors: Schauberger Clemens , Glud Ronnie N , Hausmann Bela , Trouche Blandine , Maignien Lois , Poulain Julie , Wincker Patrick , Arnaud-Haond Sophie , Wenzhöfer Frank , Thamdrup Bo
Published: June 2021

Hadal trench sediments are hotspots of biogeochemical activity in the deep sea, but the biogeochemical and ecological factors that shape benthic hadal microbial communities remain unknown. Here, we sampled ten hadal sites from two trench regions with a vertical resolution of down to 1 cm. We sequenced 16S rRNA gene amplicons using universal and archaea-specific primer sets and compared the results to biogeochemical parameters. Despite bathymetric and depositional heterogeneity we found a high similarity of microbial communities within each of the two trench axes, while composition at the phylum level varied strongly with sediment depth in conjunction with the redox stratification into oxic, nitrogenous, and ferruginous zones. As a result, communities of a given sediment horizon were more similar to each other across a distance of hundreds of kilometers within each trench, than to those of adjacent horizons from the same sites separated only by centimeters. Total organic carbon content statistically only explained a small part of the variation within and between trenches, and did not explain the community differences observed between the hadal and adjacent shallower sites. Anaerobic taxa increased in abundance at the top of the ferruginous zone, seeded by organisms deposited at the sediment surface and surviving burial through the upper redox zones. While an influence of other potential factors such as geographic isolation, hydrostatic pressure, and non-steady state depositional regimes could not be discerned, redox stratification and diagenesis appear to be the main selective forces that structure community composition in hadal sediments.
RIP3 impedes transcription factor EB to suppress autophagic degradation in septic acute kidney injury
Authors: Li Ruizhao , Zhao Xingchen , Zhang Shu , Dong Wei , Zhang Li , Chen Yuanhan , Li Zhilian , Yang Huan , Huang Ying , Xie Zhiyong , Wang Weidong , Li Chunling , Ye Zhiming , Dong Zheng , Liang Xinling
Published: June 2021

Autophagy is an important renal-protective mechanism in septic acute kidney injury (AKI). Receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) has been implicated in the renal tubular injury and renal dysfunction during septic AKI. Here we investigated the role and mechanism of RIP3 on autophagy in septic AKI. We showed an activation of RIP3, accompanied by an accumulation of the autophagosome marker LC3II and the autophagic substrate p62, in the kidneys of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic AKI mice and LPS-treated cultured renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs). The lysosome inhibitor did not further increase the levels of LCII or p62 in LPS-treated PTECs. Moreover, inhibition of RIP3 attenuated the aberrant accumulation of LC3II and p62 under LPS treatment in vivo and in vitro. By utilizing mCherry-GFP-LC3 autophagy reporter mice in vivo and PTECs overexpression mRFP-GFP-LC3 in vitro, we observed that inhibition of RIP3 restored the formation of autolysosomes and eliminated the accumulated autophagosomes under LPS treatment. These results indicated that RIP3 impaired autophagic degradation, contributing to the accumulation of autophagosomes. Mechanistically, the nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of the lysosome and autophagy pathway, was inhibited in LPS-induced mice and LPS-treated PTECs. Inhibition of RIP3 restored the nuclear translocation of TFEB in vivo and in vitro. Co-immunoprecipitation further showed an interaction of RIP3 and TFEB in LPS-treated PTECs. Also, the expression of LAMP1 and cathepsin B, two potential target genes of TFEB involved in lysosome function, were decreased under LPS treatment in vivo and in vitro, and this decrease was rescued by inhibiting RIP3. Finally, overexpression of TFEB restored the autophagic degradation in LPS-treated PTECs. Together, the present study has identified a pivotal role of RIP3 in suppressing autophagic degradation through impeding the TFEB-lysosome pathway in septic AKI, providing potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of septic AKI.
Structural basis for SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein recognition of human cell junction protein PALS1
Authors: Chai Jin , Cai Yuanheng , Pang Changxu , Wang Liguo , McSweeney Sean , Shanklin John , Liu Qun
Published: June 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has created global health and economic emergencies. SARS-CoV-2 viruses promote their own spread and virulence by hijacking human proteins, which occurs through viral protein recognition of human targets. To understand the structural basis for SARS-CoV-2 viral-host protein recognition, here we use cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) to determine a complex structure of the human cell junction protein PALS1 and SARS-CoV-2 viral envelope (E) protein. Our reported structure shows that the E protein C-terminal DLLV motif recognizes a pocket formed exclusively by hydrophobic residues from the PDZ and SH3 domains of PALS1. Our structural analysis provides an explanation for the observation that the viral E protein recruits PALS1 from lung epithelial cell junctions. In addition, our structure provides novel targets for peptide- and small-molecule inhibitors that could block the PALS1-E interactions to reduce E-mediated virulence.
Designing an irreversible metabolic switch for scalable induction of microbial chemical production
Authors: Mannan Ahmad A. , Bates Declan G.
Published: June 2021

Bacteria can be harnessed to synthesise high-value chemicals. A promising strategy for increasing productivity uses inducible control systems to switch metabolism from growth to chemical synthesis once a large population of cell factories are generated. However, use of expensive chemical inducers limits scalability of this approach for biotechnological applications. Switching using cheap nutrients is an appealing alternative, but their tightly regulated uptake and consumption again limits scalability. Here, using mathematical models of fatty acid uptake in E. coli as an exemplary case study, we unravel how the cell’s native regulation and program of induction can be engineered to minimise inducer usage. We show that integrating positive feedback loops into the circuitry creates an irreversible metabolic switch, which, requiring only temporary induction, drastically reduces inducer usage. Our proposed switch should be widely applicable, irrespective of the product of interest, and brings closer the realization of scalable and sustainable microbial chemical production.
A molecular pathology, neurobiology, biochemical, genetic and neuroimaging study of progressive apraxia of speech
Authors: Josephs Keith A. , Duffy Joseph R. , Clark Heather M. , Utianski Rene L. , Strand Edythe A. , Machulda Mary M. , Botha Hugo , Martin Peter R. , Pham Nha Trang Thu , Stierwalt Julie , Ali Farwa , Buciuc Marina , Baker Matthew , Fernandez De Castro Cristhoper H. , Spychalla Anthony J. , Schwarz Christopher G. , Reid Robert I. , Senjem Matthew L. , Jack Clifford R. , Lowe Val J. , Bigio Eileen H. , Reichard Ross R. , Polley Eric. J. , Ertekin-Taner Nilufer , Rademakers Rosa , DeTure Michael A. , Ross Owen A. , Dickson Dennis W. , Whitwell Jennifer L.
Published: June 2021

Progressive apraxia of speech is a neurodegenerative syndrome affecting spoken communication. Molecular pathology, biochemistry, genetics, and longitudinal imaging were investigated in 32 autopsy-confirmed patients with progressive apraxia of speech who were followed over 10 years. Corticobasal degeneration and progressive supranuclear palsy (4R-tauopathies) were the most common underlying pathologies. Perceptually distinct speech characteristics, combined with age-at-onset, predicted specific 4R-tauopathy; phonetic subtype and younger age predicted corticobasal degeneration, and prosodic subtype and older age predicted progressive supranuclear palsy. Phonetic and prosodic subtypes showed differing relationships within the cortico-striato-pallido-nigro-luysial network. Biochemical analysis revealed no distinct differences in aggregated 4R-tau while tau H1 haplotype frequency (69%) was lower compared to 1000+ autopsy-confirmed 4R-tauopathies. Corticobasal degeneration patients had faster rates of decline, greater cortical degeneration, and shorter illness duration than progressive supranuclear palsy. These findings help define the pathobiology of progressive apraxia of speech and may have consequences for development of 4R-tau targeting treatment.
Room temperature electrically pumped topological insulator lasers
Authors: Choi Jae-Hyuck , Hayenga William E. , Liu Yuzhou G. N. , Parto Midya , Bahari Babak , Christodoulides Demetrios N. , Khajavikhan Mercedeh
Published: June 2021

Topological insulator lasers (TILs) are a recently introduced family of lasing arrays in which phase locking is achieved through synthetic gauge fields. These single frequency light source arrays operate in the spatially extended edge modes of topologically non-trivial optical lattices. Because of the inherent robustness of topological modes against perturbations and defects, such topological insulator lasers tend to demonstrate higher slope efficiencies as compared to their topologically trivial counterparts. So far, magnetic and non-magnetic optically pumped topological laser arrays as well as electrically pumped TILs that are operating at cryogenic temperatures have been demonstrated. Here we present the first room temperature and electrically pumped topological insulator laser. This laser array, using a structure that mimics the quantum spin Hall effect for photons, generates light at telecom wavelengths and exhibits single frequency emission. Our work is expected to lead to further developments in laser science and technology, while opening up new possibilities in topological photonics.
Systematic benchmarking of tools for CpG methylation detection from nanopore sequencing
Authors: Yuen Zaka Wing-Sze , Srivastava Akanksha , Daniel Runa , McNevin Dennis , Jack Cameron , Eyras Eduardo
Published: June 2021

DNA methylation plays a fundamental role in the control of gene expression and genome integrity. Although there are multiple tools that enable its detection from Nanopore sequencing, their accuracy remains largely unknown. Here, we present a systematic benchmarking of tools for the detection of CpG methylation from Nanopore sequencing using individual reads, control mixtures of methylated and unmethylated reads, and bisulfite sequencing. We found that tools have a tradeoff between false positives and false negatives and present a high dispersion with respect to the expected methylation frequency values. We described various strategies to improve the accuracy of these tools, including a consensus approach, METEORE (https://github.com/comprna/METEORE), based on the combination of the predictions from two or more tools that shows improved accuracy over individual tools. Snakemake pipelines are also provided for reproducibility and to enable the systematic application of our analyses to other datasets.
Heteromeric HSFA2/HSFA3 complexes drive transcriptional memory after heat stress in Arabidopsis
Authors: Friedrich Thomas , Oberkofler Vicky , Trindade Inês , Altmann Simone , Brzezinka Krzysztof , Lämke Jörn , Gorka Michal , Kappel Christian , Sokolowska Ewelina , Skirycz Aleksandra , Graf Alexander , Bäurle Isabel
Published: June 2021

Adaptive plasticity in stress responses is a key element of plant survival strategies. For instance, moderate heat stress (HS) primes a plant to acquire thermotolerance, which allows subsequent survival of more severe HS conditions. Acquired thermotolerance is actively maintained over several days (HS memory) and involves the sustained induction of memory-related genes. Here we show that FORGETTER3/ HEAT SHOCK TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR A3 (FGT3/HSFA3) is specifically required for physiological HS memory and maintaining high memory-gene expression during the days following a HS exposure. HSFA3 mediates HS memory by direct transcriptional activation of memory-related genes after return to normal growth temperatures. HSFA3 binds HSFA2, and in vivo both proteins form heteromeric complexes with additional HSFs. Our results indicate that only complexes containing both HSFA2 and HSFA3 efficiently promote transcriptional memory by positively influencing histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) hyper-methylation. In summary, our work defines the major HSF complex controlling transcriptional memory and elucidates the in vivo dynamics of HSF complexes during somatic stress memory.
Large variation in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence among essential workers in Geneva, Switzerland
Authors: Stringhini Silvia , Zaballa María-Eugenia , Pullen Nick , de Mestral Carlos , Perez-Saez Javier , Dumont Roxane , Picazio Attilio , Pennacchio Francesco , Dibner Yaron , Yerly Sabine , Baysson Helene , Vuilleumier Nicolas , Balavoine Jean-François , Bachmann Delphine , Trono Didier , Pittet Didier , Chappuis François , Kherad Omar , Kaiser Laurent , Azman Andrew S. ,   SEROCoV-WORK + Study Group, Alber Victoria , Arm-Vernez Isabelle , Bachmann Delphine , Bachmann Donatien , Baggio Stéphanie , Monteiro Gil Barbosa , Baysson Hélène , Bleich Patrick , Boissel Isabelle , Collombet Prune , Courvoisier Delphine , Couson Philippine , Davidovic Alioucha , Deiri Clement , Del Rio Divina , de Mestral Carlos , De Ridder David , D’ippolito Paola , Duc Joséphine , Eckerle Isabella , El Merjani Nacira , Ferniot Gwennaelle , Flahault Antonie , Francioli Natalie , Frangville Marion , Garande Carine , Gétaz Laurent , Giraldo Pamela , Golaz Fanny , Guérin Julie , Haboury Ludivine , Harnal Séverine , Javet Victoria , Kaiser Laurent , Laboulais Amélie , Lamour Gaëlle , Lefebvre Xavier , Lescuyer Pierre , Loizeau Andrea Jutta , Lombard Fanny-Blanche , Lorthe Elsa , Martinez Chantal , Massiha Kourosh , Metral-Boffod Ludovic , Meyer Benjamin , Mostaguir Khaled , Nehme Mayssam , Noël Natacha , Oederlin Nicolas , Petrovic Dusan , Piumatti Giovanni , Portier Jane , Poulain Géraldine , Pugin Caroline , Rakotomiaramanana Barinjaka , Randrianandrasana Zo Francia , Richard Aude , Richard Viviane , Rodriguez-Velazquez Sabina , Salzmann-Bellard Lilas , Thorens Leonard , Torroni Simon , Vidonne David , Violot Guillemette , Waldmann Zoé , Will Manon , Wisniak Ania , Guessous Idris
Published: June 2021

Limited data exist on SARS-CoV-2 infection rates across sectors and occupations, hindering our ability to make rational policy, including vaccination prioritization, to protect workers and limit SARS-CoV-2 spread. Here, we present results from our SEROCoV-WORK + study, a serosurvey of workers recruited after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Geneva, Switzerland. We tested workers (May 18—September 18, 2020) from 16 sectors and 32 occupations for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Of 10,513 participants, 1026 (9.8%) tested positive. The seropositivity rate ranged from 4.2% in the media sector to 14.3% in the nursing home sector. We found considerable within-sector variability: nursing home (0%–31.4%), homecare (3.9%–12.6%), healthcare (0%–23.5%), public administration (2.6%–24.6%), and public security (0%–16.7%). Seropositivity rates also varied across occupations, from 15.0% among kitchen staff and 14.4% among nurses, to 5.4% among domestic care workers and 2.8% among journalists. Our findings show that seropositivity rates varied widely across sectors, between facilities within sectors, and across occupations, reflecting a higher exposure in certain sectors and occupations.
Sugar phosphate activation of the stress sensor eIF2B
Authors: Hao Qi , Heo Jin-Mi , Nocek Boguslaw P. , Hicks Kevin G. , Stoll Vincent S. , Remarcik Clint , Hackett Sean , LeBon Lauren , Jain Rinku , Eaton Dan , Rutter Jared , Wong Yao Liang , Sidrauski Carmela
Published: June 2021

The multi-subunit translation initiation factor eIF2B is a control node for protein synthesis. eIF2B activity is canonically modulated through stress-responsive phosphorylation of its substrate eIF2. The eIF2B regulatory subcomplex is evolutionarily related to sugar-metabolizing enzymes, but the biological relevance of this relationship was unknown. To identify natural ligands that might regulate eIF2B, we conduct unbiased binding- and activity-based screens followed by structural studies. We find that sugar phosphates occupy the ancestral catalytic site in the eIF2Bα subunit, promote eIF2B holoenzyme formation and enhance enzymatic activity towards eIF2. A mutant in the eIF2Bα ligand pocket that causes Vanishing White Matter disease fails to engage and is not stimulated by sugar phosphates. These data underscore the importance of allosteric metabolite modulation for proper eIF2B function. We propose that eIF2B evolved to couple nutrient status via sugar phosphate sensing with the rate of protein synthesis, one of the most energetically costly cellular processes.
When band convergence is not beneficial for thermoelectrics
Authors: Park Junsoo , Dylla Maxwell , Xia Yi , Wood Max , Snyder G. Jeffrey , Jain Anubhav
Published: June 2021

Band convergence is considered a clear benefit to thermoelectric performance because it increases the charge carrier concentration for a given Fermi level, which typically enhances charge conductivity while preserving the Seebeck coefficient. However, this advantage hinges on the assumption that interband scattering of carriers is weak or insignificant. With first-principles treatment of electron-phonon scattering in the CaMg2Sb2-CaZn2Sb2 Zintl system and full Heusler Sr2SbAu, we demonstrate that the benefit of band convergence can be intrinsically negated by interband scattering depending on the manner in which bands converge. In the Zintl alloy, band convergence does not improve weighted mobility or the density-of-states effective mass. We trace the underlying reason to the fact that the bands converge at a one k-point, which induces strong interband scattering of both the deformation-potential and the polar-optical kinds. The case contrasts with band convergence at distant k-points (as in the full Heusler), which better preserves the single-band scattering behavior thereby successfully leading to improved performance. Therefore, we suggest that band convergence as thermoelectric design principle is best suited to cases in which it occurs at distant k-points.
Exposure to screens and children’s language development in the EDEN mother–child cohort
Authors: Martinot Pauline , Bernard Jonathan Y. , Peyre Hugo , De Agostini Maria , Forhan Anne , Charles Marie-Aline , Plancoulaine Sabine , Heude Barbara
Published: June 2021

Studies in children have reported associations of screen time and background TV on language skills as measured by their parents. However, few large, longitudinal studies have examined language skills assessed by trained psychologists, which is less prone to social desirability. We assessed screen time and exposure to TV during family meals at ages 2, 3 and 5–6 years in 1562 children from the French EDEN cohort. Language skills were evaluated by parents at 2 years (Communicative Development Inventory, CDI) and by trained psychologists at 3 (NEPSY and ELOLA batteries) and 5–6 years (verbal IQ). Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were assessed by linear regression adjusted for important confounders. Overall, daily screen time was not associated with language scores, except in cross-sectional at age 2 years, where higher CDI scores were observed for intermediate screen time. Exposure to TV during family meals was consistently associated with lower language scores: TV always on (vs never) at age 2 years was associated with lower verbal IQ (− 3.2 [95% IC: − 6.0, − 0.3] points), independent of daily screen time and baseline language score. In conclusion, public health policies should better account for the context of screen watching, not only its amount.
Biophysical and structural studies reveal marginal stability of a crucial hydrocarbon biosynthetic enzyme acyl ACP reductase
Authors: Sharma Ashima , Shakeel Tabinda , Gupta Mayank , Rajacharya Girish H. , Yazdani Syed Shams
Published: June 2021

Acyl-ACP reductase (AAR) is one of the two key cyanobacterial enzymes along with aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (ADO) involved in the synthesis of long-chain alkanes, a drop-in biofuel. The enzyme is prone to aggregation when expressed in Escherichia coli, leading to varying alkane levels. The present work attempts to investigate the crucial structural aspects of AAR protein associated with its stability and folding. Characterization by dynamic light scattering experiment and intact mass spectrometry revealed that recombinantly expressed AAR in E. coli existed in multiple-sized protein particles due to diverse lipidation. Interestingly, while thermal- and urea-based denaturation of AAR showed 2-state unfolding transition in circular dichroism and intrinsic fluorescent spectroscopy, the unfolding process of AAR was a 3-state pathway in GdnHCl solution suggesting that the protein milieu plays a significant role in dictating its folding. Apparent standard free energy $$\left( {\Delta {\text{G}}_{{{\text{NU}}}}^{{{\text{H}}_{2} {\text{O}}}} } \right)$$

Δ

G

NU

H
2

O

of ~ 4.5 kcal/mol for the steady-state unfolding of AAR indicated borderline stability of the protein. Based on these evidences, we propose that the marginal stability of AAR are plausible contributing reasons for aggregation propensity and hence the low catalytic activity of the enzyme when expressed in E. coli for biofuel production. Our results show a path for building superior biocatalyst for higher biofuel production.
Author Correction: Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis in armadillos killed by motor vehicle collisions in Brazil
Authors: Navas‑Suárez Pedro Enrique , Sacristán Carlos , Díaz‑Delgado Josue , Yogui Débora R. , Alves Mario Henrique , Fuentes‑Castillo Danny , Ospina‑Pinto Catalina , Zamana Roberta Ramblas , Desbiez Arnaud Leonard Jean , Catão‑Dias Jose Luiz
Published: June 2021

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FH-1 significantly affects cucumber seedlings and the rhizosphere bacterial community but not soil
Authors: Wang Jingjing , Xu Song , Yang Rong , Zhao Wei , Zhu Dan , Zhang Xiaoxia , Huang Zhiyong
Published: June 2021

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) inoculants have been applied worldwide. However, the ecological roles of PGPB under different soil conditions are still not well understood. The present study aimed to explore the ecological roles of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens FH-1 (FH) on cucumber seedlings, rhizosphere soil properties, and the bacterial community in pot experiments. The results showed that FH had significant effects on cucumber seedlings and the rhizosphere bacterial community but not on soil properties. The FH promoted cucumber seedlings growth, reduced the rhizosphere bacterial diversity, increased Proteobacteria, and decreased Acidobacteria. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) revealed that FH enriched two taxa (GKS2_174 and Nannocystaceae) and inhibited 18 taxa (mainly Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, BRC1, Chloroflexi, Plantctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia). Co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that FH increased bacteria-bacteria interactions and that Bacillus (genus of FH) had few interactions with the enriched and inhibited taxa. This might indicate that FH does not directly affect the enriched and inhibited taxa. Correlation analysis results displayed that cucumber seedlings’ weight and height/length (except root length) were significantly correlated with the 18 inhibited taxa and the enriched taxa Nannocystaceae. It was speculated that FH might promote cucumber seedling growth by indirectly enriching Nannocystaceae and inhibiting some taxa from Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, BRC1, Chloroflexi, Plantctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia.
Relationship of the standard uptake value of 18F-FDG-PET-CT with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in breast tumors measuring ≥ 1 cm
Authors: Park Soeun , Min Eun-ki , Bae Soong June , Cha Chihwan , Kim Dooreh , Lee Janghee , Cha Yoon Jin , Ahn Sung Gwe , Jeong Joon
Published: June 2021

Evidence suggests that tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) compete for glucose in the tumor microenvironment and that tumor metabolic parameters correlate with localized immune markers in several solid tumors. We investigated the relationship of the standardized uptake value (SUV) of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET-CT) with stromal TIL levels in breast cancer. We included 202 patients who underwent preoperative 18F-FDG-PET-CT and had a tumor measuring ≥ 1 cm. Maximum SUV (SUVmax) was determined using 18F-FDG-PET-CT. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify factors related to high TIL levels (≥ 40%). All tumors were treatment naïve. A significant and weak correlation existed between continuous SUVmax and continuous TIL levels (p = 0.002, R = 0.215). Tumors with high SUVmax (≥ 4) had higher mean TIL levels than those with low SUVmax (< 4). In multivariable analysis, continuous SUVmax was an independent factor associated with high TIL levels; each 1-unit increment in SUVmax corresponded to an odds ratio of 1.14 (95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.29) for high TIL levels. Our study implies that SUV is associated with TILs in breast cancer and provides clinical evidence that elevated glucose uptake by breast tumors can predict the immune system-activated tumor micromilieu.
Use of Lactobacillus plantarum (strains 22F and 25F) and Pediococcus acidilactici (strain 72N) as replacements for antibiotic-growth promotants in pigs
Authors: Pupa Pawiya , Apiwatsiri Prasert , Sirichokchatchawan Wandee , Pirarat Nopadon , Maison Tanawong , Koontanatechanon Anantawat , Prapasarakul Nuvee
Published: June 2021

The lactic acid bacteria (LAB)Lactobacillus plantarum(strains 22F and 25F) andPediococcus acidilactici(strain 72N) have appeared promising as replacements for antibiotics in in vitro﻿ studies. Microencapsulation, especially by the spray-drying method, has been used to preserve their numbers and characteristics during storage and digestion. This study compared the efficacy of these strains and their microencapsulated form with antibiotic usage on growth performance, faecal microbial counts, and intestinal morphology in nursing-finishing pigs. A total of 240 healthy neonatal pigs were treated on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after cross-fostering. Sterile peptone water was delivered orally to the control and antibiotic groups. Spray-driedLactobacillus plantarumstrain 22F stored for 6-months was administered to piglets in the spraydry group. Three ml of each the three fresh strains (109 CFU/mL) were orally administered to piglets in each group. All pigs received the basal diets, but these were supplemented with routine antibiotic for the antibiotic group. Pigs in all the probiotic supplemented groups exhibited a better average daily gain and feed conversion ratio than those of the controls in the nursery and grower phases. Probiotic supplementation increased viable lactobacilli and decreased enterobacterial counts. Antibiotic additives reduced both enterobacterial and lactobacilli counts. Villous height and villous height:crypt depth ratio were greater in probiotic and antibiotic supplemented pigs comparing to the controls, especially in the jejunum. The results demonstrated the feasibility of using these strains as a substitute for antibiotics and the practicality of the microencapsulation protocol for use in swine farms.
Social inequalities and trends in pre-pregnancy body mass index in Swedish women
Authors: Lundberg Christina E. , Ryd Maria , Adiels Martin , Rosengren Annika , Björck Lena
Published: June 2021

Obesity rates in adolescence and young adulthood have increased in Sweden, reflecting global trends. To which extent this occurs across different socioeconomic strata has not been clarified. The aim of the present study was to investigate trends in social inequalities in body mass index (BMI) in young/mid-adulthood Swedish women. We obtained weight and height for all women aged 20–45 years, at their first registered pregnancy (< 12 weeks of gestation) in the Swedish Medical Birth Register 1982–2013 (1,022,330, mean age = 28.8 years), documenting education and county of residence. Trends in mean BMI and in the prevalence of BMI categories between 1982 and 2013 were estimated across education levels and geographical location. Overall, mean BMI increased from 22.7 kg/m2 (SD 3.2) to 24.3 kg/m2 (SD 4.4) between 1982 and 2013. Simultaneously, the prevalence of overweight and obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) increased from 18.1 to 33.4% while that of moderate obesity (BMI ≥ 30 to < 35 kg/m2) and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) increased markedly from 3.4 and 0.4% to 7.4 and 3.1%, respectively. The prevalence of moderate and severe obesity more than doubled during the study period across all educational levels. In conclusion, BMI and moderate and severe obesity increased markedly among young/mid-adulthood Swedish women regardless of education with a widening gap between those with lower and higher education. These growing social inequalities in BMI are likely to cause a rising divide in serious health problems following early and long-lasting obesity.
Expiratory aerosol particle escape from surgical masks due to imperfect sealing
Authors: Cappa Christopher D. , Asadi Sima , Barreda Santiago , Wexler Anthony S. , Bouvier Nicole M. , Ristenpart William D.
Published: June 2021

Wearing surgical masks or other similar face coverings can reduce the emission of expiratory particles produced via breathing, talking, coughing, or sneezing. Although it is well established that some fraction of the expiratory airflow leaks around the edges of the mask, it is unclear how these leakage airflows affect the overall efficiency with which masks block emission of expiratory aerosol particles. Here, we show experimentally that the aerosol particle concentrations in the leakage airflows around a surgical mask are reduced compared to no mask wearing, with the magnitude of reduction dependent on the direction of escape (out the top, the sides, or the bottom). Because the actual leakage flowrate in each direction is difficult to measure, we use a Monte Carlo approach to estimate flow-corrected particle emission rates for particles having diameters in the range 0.5–20 μm. in all orientations. From these, we derive a flow-weighted overall number-based particle removal efficiency for the mask. The overall mask efficiency, accounting both for air that passes through the mask and for leakage flows, is reduced compared to the through-mask filtration efficiency, from 93 to 70% for talking, but from only 94–90% for coughing. These results demonstrate that leakage flows due to imperfect sealing do decrease mask efficiencies for reducing emission of expiratory particles, but even with such leakage surgical masks provide substantial control.
Value of radiomics model based on enhanced computed tomography in risk grade prediction of gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Authors: Chu Hairui , Pang Peipei , He Jian , Zhang Desheng , Zhang Mei , Qiu Yingying , Li Xiaofen , Lei Pinggui , Fan Bing , Xu Rongchun
Published: June 2021

To explore the application of computed tomography (CT)-enhanced radiomics for the risk-grade prediction of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). GIST patients (n = 292) confirmed by surgery or endoscopic pathology during June 2013–2019 were reviewed and categorized into low-grade (very low to low risk) and high-grade (medium to high risk) groups. The tumor region of interest (ROI) was depicted layer by layer on each patient’s enhanced CT venous phase images using the ITK-SNAP. The texture features were extracted using the Analysis Kit (AK) and then randomly divided into the training (n = 205) and test (n = 87) groups in a ratio of 7:3. After dimension reduction by the least absolute shrinkage and the selection operator algorithm (LASSO), a prediction model was constructed using the logistic regression method. The clinical data of the two groups were statistically analyzed, and the multivariate regression prediction model was constructed by using statistically significant features. The ROC curve was applied to evaluate the prediction performance of the proposed model. A radiomics-prediction model was constructed based on 10 characteristic parameters selected from 396 quantitative feature parameters extracted from the CT images. The proposed radiomics model exhibited effective risk-grade prediction of GIST. For the training group, the area under curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rate were 0.793 (95%CI: 0.733–0.854), 83.3%, 64.3%, and 72.7%, respectively; the corresponding values for the test group were 0.791 (95%CI: 0.696–0.886), 84.2%, 69.3%, and 75.9%, respectively. There were significant differences in age (t value: − 3.133, P = 0.008), maximum tumor diameter (Z value: − 12.163, P = 0.000) and tumor morphology (χ2 value:10.409, P = 0.001) between the two groups, which were used to establish a clinical prediction model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the clinical model was 0.718 (95%CI: 0.659–0.776). The proposed CT-enhanced radiomics model exhibited better accuracy and effective performance than the clinical model, which can be used for the assessment of risk grades of GIST.
Impact of the female and hermaphrodite forms of Opuntia robusta on the plant defence hypothesis
Authors: Janczur Mariusz Krzysztof , González-Camarena Emilio , León-Solano Hector Javier , Sandoval-Molina Mario Alberto , Jenner Bartosz
Published: June 2021

The optimal defence hypothesis predicts that increased plant defence capabilities, lower levels of damage, and lower investment in vegetative biomass will occur more frequently in sexual forms with higher resource-demanding tissue production and/or younger plant parts. We aimed to examine the effects of sexual form, cladode, and flower age on growth rate, herbivore damage, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (4-HBA), chlorogenic acid, and quercetin (QUE) concentrations in Opuntia robusta plants in central Mexico. Our findings demonstrated that hermaphrodite flowers showed faster growth and lesser damage than female flowers. The effect of cladode sexual forms on 4-HBA and QUE occurrence was consistent with the predictions of the optimal defence hypothesis. However, chlorogenic acid occurrences were not significantly affected by sexual forms. Old cladodes exhibited higher QUE and 4-HBA occurrences than young cladodes, and hermaphrodites exhibited higher 4-HBA concentrations than females. Resource allocation for reproduction and secondary metabolite production, and growth was higher and lower, respectively, in females, compared to hermaphrodites, indicating a trade-off between investment in reproduction, growth, and secondary metabolite production. Secondary metabolite concentrations in O. robusta plants were not negatively correlated with herbivore damage, and the two traits were not accurate predictors of plant reproductive output.
Experimental demonstration of multiple dimensional coding decoding for image transfer with controllable vortex arrays
Authors: Zhu Long , Wang Andong , Deng Mingliang , Lu Bing , Guo Xiaojin
Published: June 2021

Vortex beams carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), which featuring helical phase front, have been regarded as an alternative spatial degree of freedom for optical mode coding and multiplexing. For most reported OAM-based mode coding schemes, data information is only encoded by different OAM mode states. In this paper, we introduce a novel design technique to construct vortex array phase grating (VAPGs) for the flexible generation of vortex arrays, and employ the proposed VAPGs to realize multi-dimensional space/mode/amplitude coding/decoding. By designing VAPGs with different parameters and loading them on to a single spatial light modulator (SLM), we successfully generate vortex array with different mode states and relative power in the experiments. Moreover, a 10-bit multi-dimensional space/mode/amplitude data coding/decoding scheme for image transfer in free-space link with a zero bit-error-rate is experimentally demonstrated, which confirm the feasibility of our proposed VAPG-based coding/decoding scheme.
Quinacrine directly dissociates amyloid plaques in the brain of 5XFAD transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Park Sohui , Kim Hye Yun , Oh Hyun-A , Shin Jisu , Park In Wook , Yoon Soljee , Woo Dong Ho , Kim YoungSoo
Published: June 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia characterized by the abnormal accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) in the brain. Aβ misfolding is associated with neuroinflammation and synaptic dysfunction, leading to learning and memory deficits. Therefore, Aβ production and aggregation have been one of the most popular drug targets for AD. Failures of drug candidates regulating the aforementioned Aβ cascade stimulated development of immunotherapy agents for clearance of accumulated Aβ in the brain. Here, we report that quinacrine, a blood–brain barrier penetrating antimalarial chemical drug, dissociates Aβ plaques in the brain of AD transgenic mice. When co-incubated with pre-formed Aβ fibrils, quinacrine decreased thioflavin T-positive β-sheets in vitro, on top of its inhibitory function on the fibril formation. We confirmed that quinacrine induced dissociation of high-molecular-weight Aβ aggregates into low-molecular-weight species by dot blots in association with size cut-off filtrations. Quinacrine was then administered to adult 5XFAD transgenic mice via weekly intravenous injections for 6 weeks, and we found a significant reduction of Aβ plaques and astrocytosis in their cortex and hippocampus. In western blots of quinacrine-administered mouse brains, amelioration of AD-related biomarkers, glial fibrillary acidic protein, postsynaptic protein 95, phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein, phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase were observed. Lastly, quinacrine-stimulated dissociation of misfolded aggregates induced recovery of synaptic function associated with Aβ in excitatory post-synaptic current recordings of primary rat cortical neurons treated with Aβ aggregates and quinacrine. Collectively, quinacrine can directly dissociate Aβ fibrils and alleviate decreased synaptic functions.