bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machine learning for material characterization with an application for predicting mechanical properties
Authors: Stoll Anke , Benner Peter
Published: March 2021

Currently, the growth of material data from experiments and simulations is expanding beyond processable amounts. This makes the development of new data‐driven methods for the discovery of patterns among multiple lengthscales and time‐scales and structure‐property relationships essential. These data‐driven approaches show enormous promise within materials science. The following review covers machine learning (ML) applications for metallic material characterization. Many parameters associated with the processing and the structure of materials affect the properties and the performance of manufactured components. Thus, this study is an attempt to investigate the usefulness of ML methods for material property prediction. Material characteristics such as strength, toughness, hardness, brittleness, or ductility are relevant to categorize a material or component according to their quality. In industry, material tests like tensile tests, compression tests, or creep tests are often time consuming and expensive to perform. Therefore, the application of ML approaches is considered helpful for an easier generation of material property information. This study also gives an application of ML methods on small punch test (SPT) data for the determination of the property ultimate tensile strength for various materials. A strong correlation between SPT data and tensile test data was found which ultimately allows to replace more costly tests by simple and fast tests in combination with ML.
Thermoeconomic analysis of a modified jaggery making plant
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Kumar Mahesh
Published: March 2021

Jaggery is manufactured by continuous heating of sugarcane juice in an open pan of traditional plants. The lack of technological advancements in these plants leads to high bagasse consumption and low thermal efficiency. In the present study, a modified two‐pan jaggery manufacturing plant has been fabricated, tested, and evaluated. This plant has a modified gutter pan with internal fitting of copper tubes to enhance the rate of heat supply from hot flue gases to the bulk sugarcane juice during its preheating. An automatic fuel feeding system has also been implemented to optimize the rate of bagasse supply in the furnace. Experiments were performed with the same input and output operating parameters (mass, density, and temperature of sugarcane juice). From the analysis of experimental data, it is observed that the modified plant has a high thermal efficiency of 72.34%, low bagasse consumption of 1.39 kg/kg of jaggery produced, and good rate of jaggery production of 0.61 kg/min. The actual results have been compared with theoretical values and are found in well agreement. The unit cost for jaggery production and payback period of the plant were found to be 0.45 $/kg and 1.24 years, respectively. The experimental errors have also been evaluated.
Fabrication of hybrid scaffolds obtained from combinations of PCL with gelatin or collagen via electrospinning for skeletal muscle tissue engineering
Authors: Perez‐Puyana Victor , Wieringa Paul , Yuste Yaiza , de la Portilla Fernando , Guererro Antonio , Romero Alberto , Moroni Lorenzo
Published: March 2021

The creation of skeletal muscle tissue in vitro is a major topic of interest today in the field of biomedical research, due to the lack of treatments for muscle loss due to traumatic accidents or disease. For this reason, the intrinsic properties of nanofibrillar structures to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and cell alignment presents an attractive tool for regenerative medicine to recreate organized tissues such as muscle. Electrospinning is one of the processing techniques often used for the fabrication of these nanofibrous structures and the combination of synthetic and natural polymers is often required to achieve optimal mechanical and physiochemical properties. Here, polycaprolactone (PCL) is selected as a synthetic polymer used for the fabrication of scaffolds, and the effect of protein addition on the final scaffolds' properties is studied. Collagen and gelatin were the proteins selected and two different concentrations were analyzed (2 and 4 wt/vol%). Different PCL/protein systems were prepared, and a structural, mechanical and functional characterization was performed. The influence of fiber alignment on the properties of the final scaffolds was assessed through morphological, mechanical and biological evaluations. A bioreactor was used to promote cell proliferation and differentiation within the scaffolds. The results revealed that protein addition produced a decrease in the fiber size of the membranes, an increase in their hydrophilicity, and a softening of their mechanical properties. The biological study showed the ability of the selected systems to harbor cells, allow their growth and, potentially, develop musculoskeletal tissues.
Are liberal men not abusive toward their wives? Evidence from rural Bangladesh
Authors: Dey Shilpi R. , Rupa Israt J. , Habib Tanzima Z. , Karim Rabiul
Published: March 2021

Gender ideology has widely been discussed in the explanation of wife abuse. However, how men's gender ideology influences wife abuse is quite overlooked in Bangladeshi context. This study examined how various types of gender ideology among men are associated with wife abuse in Bangladesh. It included 342 married men randomly selected from 5 villages. Negative binomial regression was employed to predict the incidence‐rate ratio of wife abuse. Of the sample, 55.0% maintained traditional, 31.3% transitional, and 13.7% liberal gender ideologies. On average, the men perpetrated 6.10 abusive acts in a year. Data showed that the rates of overall wife abuse among liberal men were 41% and 48% lower than the traditional and transitional men, respectively. Liberal men also perpetrated less emotional, physical, and sexual abuses than both traditional and transitional men. The study shows that the promotion of liberal gender ideology among men is important for preventing wife abuse. Men should be targeted by diverse violence prevention interventions for enhancing gender equality attitudes. Though the study has provided novel findings in a Bangladeshi context, it was entirely based on male data. Future studies should examine both men's and women's views on the issues.
Peroral targeting of drug micro or nanocarriers to sites beyond the gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Zhang Zichen , Qi Jianping , Lu Yi , Wu Wei , Yuan Hailong
Published: March 2021

Targeted delivery of drug micro or nanocarriers has been attained via parenteral routes, especially the intravenous route. Conventionally, oral targeting refers to site‐specific delivery and triggered drug release at local sites within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), or targeting to the enteric epithelia through ligand‐receptor or transporter interactions. Beyond that barrier, the concept of peroral targeting has not been clarified. Nevertheless, this is possible as long as drug carriers are able to be absorbed into the systemic circulation intact. Recent findings on in vivo translocation of drug micro or nanocarriers shed light on potential peroral targeting to remote sites beyond the GIT. Sequential processes of penetration across the enteric epithelia, transportation via the lymphatics and ultimate convergence with the systemic circulation are involved in the underlying mechanisms. The microfold cell (M cell) pathway plays a leading role in breaking through the enteric epithelial barrier. Accumulating evidence confirms primary targeting of a series of lipid and polymeric micro or nanocarriers to organs and tissues of the mononuclear phagocyte systems (MPS), such as the liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys. The total amount of lymph‐bound particles could reach 8%, as evidenced by quantification of glucan microparticles that specifically bind M cell. Migration or translocation of micro or nanocarrier‐bearing macrophages attains secondary targeting of the engulfed micro or nanocarriers to distant sites far beyond the MPS. The current findings foresee a probability of targeting to sites beyond the GIT. However, the content of exposure of micro or nanocarriers at target sites and potential therapeutic or diagnostic promises are yet to be unraveled.
The relationship between the nursing practice environment and five nursing‐sensitive patient outcomes in acute care hospitals: A systematic review
Authors: Al‐ghraiybah Tamer , Sim Jenny , Lago Luise
Published: March 2021

Aim

To synthesize the available evidence on the relationship between the nursing practice environment in acute care hospitals and five selected nursing‐sensitive patient outcomes (mortality, medication error, pressure injury, hospital‐acquired infection and patient fall).

Design

A quantitative systematic review of literature was conducted using the PRISMA reporting guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42020143104).

Methods

A systematic review was undertaken up to October 2020 using: CINAHL, MEDLINE and Scopus. The review included studies exploring the relationship between the nursing practice environment in adult acute care settings and one of five selected patient outcomes using administrative data sources. Studies were published in English since 2000.

Results

Ten studies were included. Seven studies reported that a favourable nursing practice environment reduced the likelihood of mortality in acute care hospitals, but estimates of the effect size varied. Evidence on the association between the nursing practice environment and medication administration error, pressure injury and hospital‐acquired infection was mixed.
Numerical simulation of ground‐penetrating radar data for studying the geometry of fault zone
Authors: Bricheva Svetlana S. , Dubrovin Ivan O. , Lunina Oksana V. , Denisenko Ivan A. , Matasov Victor M. , Turova Irina V. , Entin Andrey L. , Panin Andrey V. , Deev Evgeny V.
Published: March 2021

Palaeoseismology studies the footprints of ancient earthquakes to improve the knowledge about the modern seismicity of the territory. A ground‐penetrating radar (GPR), among other geophysical methods, is used for quick determination of shallow stratigraphy – displaced, oblique layers within the fault zone. GPR data interpretation from diverse and complex reflection patterns of the fault zone heavily depends on the interpreter's experience. The range of different fault zone parameters in which this method can be successfully applied has not yet been investigated. We used a numerical simulation of GPR data to determine how GPR images the elements of faults (fault plane, hanging wall, footwall) in comparison with other reflections. Furthermore, we studied which parameters have the most significant impact on GPR wave patterns. We performed a series of numerical models of a fault, changing its geometry with increasing complexity from elementary models to realistic ones. The resulting synthetic profiles allowed finding specific GPR signatures from the fault plane, the hanging wall and the footwall. We collected field GPR data from two different fault zones and examined them for verification.
Citizen participation for the effectiveness of local governance system: A quantitative study of local health and sanitation sectors
Authors: Rosilawati Yeni , Rafique Zain , Habib Shahid , Mahmood Arshad
Published: March 2021

The current study is designed to explore the level of Citizens' Participation (CP) in the local governance system of Pakistan. The paper presents evidence from a case study of the health and sanitation sectors of a district by employing a quantitative research method. The techniques involve a survey conducted with 367 citizens of Pakistan. The paper has examined the relationship between indicators of CP (transparency, empowerment, and accountability) and effectiveness of local governance systems with the mediating role of local bureaucracy's efficacy and the moderating role of the influence of locally elected politicians. The findings have shown that CP has a very strong relationship with the effectiveness of local governance systems. The results revealed that transparency, empowerment, and accountability have a positive relationship with the efficiency of the local governance system. Overall, our study suggests that there are strong implications for citizens' participation as it increases the effectiveness of local governance systems with a particular reference to the local health and sanitation system.
What is going on with Middle Eastern solar prices, and what does it mean for the rest of us?
Authors: Apostoleris Harry , Al Ghaferi Amal , Chiesa Matteo
Published: March 2021

For the third time in a decade, solar energy pricing records are tumbling in the Persian Gulf. As each previous wave of new records was met with incredulity, only for these prices to become the new normal around the world within a few years, it would be unwise to once again dismiss low prices as unrepresentative outliers. In this study, we show how local conditions and global macroeconomic factors have conspired to bring solar energy into a new regime of extreme affordability in the region and argue that the Gulf market, especially the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, represents the leading edge of the global learning curve and therefore offers a window into the likely near future of large‐scale photovoltaics around the world. As this future increasingly appears to be one of previously unimaginably cheap energy, we conclude with a discussion of the ways in which the region and the world can seek to meet the opportunities and challenges of the coming renewable revolution.
Sustainable development and financial system: IntegratingESGrisks through sustainable investment strategies in a climate change context
Authors: Folqué Maria , Escrig‐Olmedo Elena , Corzo Santamaría Teresa
Published: March 2021

Sustainable Investment funds are one of the most appropriate ways for the financial system to contribute to sustainable development. However, the effective contribution of Sustainable Investment funds can vary widely depending on their management strategy. This paper aims to analyze which strategies or combinations of them allow practitioners to better manage ESG risks in ESG portfolios within a complete framework consistent with global challenges that focus on sustainability and carbon risk scores. To analyze the differences between Sustainable Investment strategies, we adopt a parametric analysis of variance method. We find that, on average, funds that only apply negative filters achieve worse ESG risk scores and show worse carbon risk. In sum, this study contributes with more in‐depth knowledge about the different outcomes in terms of sustainability risks of the different SI strategies.
Accounting for selection bias due to death in estimating the effect of wealth shock on cognition for the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: Tan Yaoyuan Vincent , Flannagan Carol A. C. , Pool Lindsay R. , Elliott Michael R.
Published: March 2021

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a longitudinal study of U.S. adults enrolled at age 50 and older. We were interested in investigating the effect of a sudden large decline in wealth on the cognitive ability of subjects measured using a dataset provided composite score. However, our analysis was complicated by the lack of randomization, time‐dependent confounding, and a substantial fraction of the sample and population will die during follow‐up leading to some of our outcomes being censored. The common method to handle this type of problem is marginal structural models (MSM). Although MSM produces valid estimates, this may not be the most appropriate method to reflect a useful real‐world situation because MSM upweights subjects who are more likely to die to obtain a hypothetical population that over time, resembles that would have been obtained in the absence of death. A more refined and practical framework, principal stratification (PS), would be to restrict analysis to the strata of the population that would survive regardless of negative wealth shock experience. In this work, we propose a new algorithm for the estimation of the treatment effect under PS by imputing the counterfactual survival status and outcomes. Simulation studies suggest that our algorithm works well in various scenarios. We found no evidence that a negative wealth shock experience would affect the cognitive score of HRS subjects.
Scattering amplitudes and simple canonical forms for simple polytopes
Authors: Salvatori Giulio , Stanojevic Stefan
Published: March 2021

Abstract

We provide an efficient recursive formula to compute the canonical forms of arbitrary d-dimensional simple polytopes, which are convex polytopes such that every vertex lies precisely on d facets. For illustration purposes, we explicitly derive recursive formulae for the canonical forms of Stokes polytopes, which play a similar role for a theory with quartic interaction as the Associahedron does in planar bi-adjoint ϕ3 theory. As a by-product, our formula also suggests a new way to obtain the full planar amplitude in ϕ4 theory by taking suitable limits of the canonical forms of constituent Stokes polytopes.
Emotionsregulation im Rettungsdienst
Authors: Behnke Alexander , Rojas Roberto , Gärtner Anne
Published: March 2021

Hintergrund

Rettungsdienstmitarbeiter*innen (RDM) sind wiederholt mit traumatischen Einsatzerlebnissen und chronischem arbeitsbedingtem Stress konfrontiert. Um dieser Belastung standzuhalten, ist die Bewältigung von emotionalem Stress entscheidend. Allerdings ist kaum bekannt, welche Strategien RDM zur Regulation unangenehmer Emotionen einsetzen und wie sich diese Strategien auf das Wohlbefinden und die Gesundheit der RDM auswirken.

Ziel der Arbeit

Wir untersuchten, inwieweit RDM die Emotionsregulationsstrategien Neubewerten, Akzeptanz, Problemlösen, Grübeln (Rumination), Unterdrücken und Vermeiden anwenden und welche Zusammenhänge diese Strategien mit dem Stresserleben, der Arbeitszufriedenheit und der Belastungssymptomatik der RDM zeigen.

Material und Methoden

In einer Querschnittserhebung schätzten 102 RDM zweier südwestdeutscher Rettungswachen anhand standardisierter Fragebogen ihren Emotionsregulationsstil, ihr berufliches Stresserleben, ihre Arbeitszufriedenheit und ihre depressiven, posttraumatischen und körperlichen Belastungssymptome ein.

Ergebnisse

Korrelationsanalysen ergaben, dass die Neigung zu häufigem Grübeln, Vermeiden und Unterdrücken mit höherem Stresserleben, stärkeren Belastungssymptomen und geringerer Arbeitszufriedenheit einhergeht. Die Akzeptanz unangenehmer Gefühle war mit geringeren Belastungssymptomen assoziiert, während Neubewerten und Problemlösen keine Korrelation mit dem Stresserleben, der Zufriedenheit und der Belastungssymptomatik der RDM zeigten.

Diskussion

Unsere Ergebnisse bestätigen die dysfunktionale Rolle von Grübeln, Vermeiden und Unterdrücken für das Wohlbefinden und die Gesundheit in Risikoberufen. Die kontextspezifische Wirksamkeit von Emotionsregulationsstrategien sollte bei der Planung zielgruppenspezifischer Präventionsmaßnahmen stärker berücksichtigt werden.
Generalized olfactory detection of floral volatiles in the highly specialized Greya-Lithophragma nursery pollination system
Authors: Schiestl Florian P. , Wallin Erika A. , Beck John J. , Friberg Magne , Thompson John N.
Published: March 2021

Volatiles are of key importance for host-plant recognition in insects. In the pollination system of Lithophragma flowers and Greya moths, moths are highly specialized on Lithophragma, in which they oviposit and thereby pollinate the flowers. Floral volatiles in Lithophragma are highly variable between species and populations, and moths prefer to oviposit into Lithophragma flowers from populations of the local host species. Here we used gas chromatography coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) to test whether Greya moths detect specific key volatiles or respond broadly to many volatiles of Lithophragma flowers. We also addressed whether olfactory detection in Greya moths varies across populations, consistent with a co-evolutionary scenario. We analyzed flower volatile samples from three different species and five populations of Lithophragma occurring across a 1400 km range in the Western USA, and their sympatric female Greya politella moths. We showed that Greya politella detect a broad range of Lithophragma volatiles, with a total of 23 compounds being EAD active. We chemically identified 15 of these, including the chiral 6, 10, 14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one (hexahydrofarnesyl acetone), which was not previously detected in Lithophragma. All investigated Lithophragma species produced the (6R, 10R)-enantiomer of this compound. We showed that Greya moths detected not only volatiles of their local Lithophragma plants, but also those from allopatric populations/species that they not encounter in local populations. In conclusion, the generalized detection of volatiles and a lack of co-divergence between volatiles and olfactory detection may be of selective advantage for moths in tracking hosts with rapidly evolving, chemically diverse floral volatiles.
Analysis of 13 Alternaria mycotoxins including modified forms in beer
Authors: Scheibenzuber Sophie , Dick Fabian , Asam Stefan , Rychlik Michael
Published: March 2021

A multi-mycotoxin LC-MS/MS method was developed to quantify 13 free and modifiedAlternariatoxins in different beer types by applying a combination of stable-isotope dilution assays (SIDAs) and matrix-matched calibration. With limits of detection (LODs) between 0.03 µg/L (alternariol monomethyl ether, AME) and 5.48 µg/L (altenuene, ALT), limits of quantitation (LOQs) between 0.09 µg/L (AME) and 16.24 µg/L (ALT), and recoveries between 72 and 113%, we obtained a sensitive and reliable method, which also covers the emerging toxins alternariol-3-glucoside (AOH-3-G), alternariol-9-glucoside (AOH-9-G), alternariol monomethyl ether-3-glucoside (AME-3-G) and alternariol-3-sulfate (AOH-3-S) and alternariol monomethylether-3-sulfate (AME-3-S). Furthermore, 50 different beer samples were analyzed, showing no contamination withAlternariatoxins apart from tenuazonic acid (TeA) in concentrations between 0.69 µg/L and 16.5 µg/L. According to this study, the exposure towards TeA through beer consumption can be considered as relatively low, as the threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) value of 1500 ng/kg body weight per day might not be reached when consuming reasonable amounts of beer.
The Woodlanders
Authors: Hardy Thomas
Published: March 2021

The Woodlanders (1887) was Thomas Hardy's elventh published novel and the one he claimed to like 'as a story, the best of all'. It is a story of wide appeal, having much to say on themes such as marriage and social class, and with a background revealing its author's profound knowledge and appreciation of many matters, particularly nature and country life. As part of The Cambridge Edition of the Novels and Stories of Thomas Hardy, this edition of the novel provides an authoritative and accurate text which aims to reflect Hardy's original artistic intention and represent the novel as it would have been read by his Victorian readers. The novel is supported by a comprehensive introduction, chronology and accompanying textual apparatus which allows the modern reader to trace the novel's evolution from composition to first publication and through several stages of revision in succeeding editions in the quarter of a century following its first publication.
“What Gets Measured Gets Done”: Metric Fixation and China’s Experiment in Quantified Judging
Authors: Ng Kwai Hang , Chan Peter C. H.
Published: March 2021

This article analyzes the ambitious Case Quality Assessment System (CQAS) that the Supreme People’s Court of China (SPC) promoted during the first half of the 2010s. It offers a case-study of Court J, a grassroots court located in an affluent urban metropolis of China that struggled to come out ahead in the CQAS competition. The article discusses how the SPC quantified judging and the problems created by the metricization process. The CQAS project is analyzed as a case of metric fixation. By identifying the problems that doomed the CQAS, the article points out the challenges facing the authoritarian regime in subjecting good judging to quantitative output standards. The CQAS is a metric that judges judging. It reveals how judging is viewed by the party-state. The article concludes by discussing the legacy of the CQAS. Though it nominally ended in 2014, key indicators that it introduced for supervising judges are still used by the Chinese courts today. The CQAS presaged the growing centralization that the Chinese judicial system is undergoing today. Though the SPC has terminated the tournament-style competition that defined the CQAS, the metric remains the template used to evaluate judging.
Going hard and early: Aotearoa New Zealand's response to Covid-19
Authors: Cumming Jacqueline
Published: March 2021

Aotearoa New Zealand went ‘hard’ and ‘early’ in its response to COVID-19 and has been highly successful in limiting the spread and impact of the virus. The response has ramped up over time, and has included various levels of: border control; advice on hygiene, physical distancing and mask wearing; advice to remain at home if unwell; and testing and tracing. A four-level Alert Level framework has guided key actions at different levels of risk. Strong leadership from the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Director-General of Health and high levels of community co-operation have supported the response. The country is most vulnerable at its borders, where arrangements have been of concern; advice on testing and the wearing of masks has changed over time; while the use and distribution of personal protective equipment has also been of concern. The country overall was not well prepared for a pandemic, but policy-making has been nimble. Key challenges for 2021 include swiftly rolling out a vaccine, catching up on delayed health care, and deciding how and when the border can reopen. The economic, and associated social, challenges will last many years.
Transglutaminase Type 2 regulates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in vertebrates
Authors: Rossin Federica , Costa Roberto , Bordi Matteo , D’Eletto Manuela , Occhigrossi Luca , Farrace Maria Grazia , Barlev Nickolai , Ciccosanti Fabiola , Muccioli Silvia , Chieregato Leonardo , Szabo Ildiko , Fimia Gian Maria , Piacentini Mauro , Leanza Luigi
Published: March 2021

TG2 is a multifunctional enzyme involved in several cellular processes and has emerging as a potential regulator of gene expression. In this regard, we have recently shown that TG2 is able to activate HSF1, the master transcriptional regulator of the stress‐responsive genes; however, its effect on the overall gene expression remains unclear. To address this point, we analyzed, by RNA-seq, the effect of TG2 on the overall transcriptome as well as we characterized the TG2 interactome in the nucleus. The data obtained from these omics approaches reveal that TG2 markedly influences the overall cellular transcriptome profile and specifically the Wnt and HSF1 pathways. In particular, its ablation leads to a drastic downregulation of many key members of these pathways. Interestingly, we found that key components of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway are also downregulated in cells lacking HSF1, thus confirming that TG2 regulates the HSF1 and this axis controls the Wnt signaling. Mechanistic studies revealed that TG2 can regulate the Wnt pathway by physically interacts with β-catenin and its nuclear interactome includes several proteins known to be involved in the regulation of the Wnt signaling. In order to verify whether this effect is playing a role in vivo, we ablated TG2 in Danio rerio. Our data show that the zebrafish lacking TG2 cannot complete the development and their death is associated with an evident downregulation of the Wnt pathway and a defective heat-shock response. Our findings show for the first time that TG2 is essential for the correct embryonal development of lower vertebrates, and its action is mediated by the Wnt/HSF1 axis.
Trauma-induced regulation of VHP-1 modulates the cellular response to mechanical stress
Authors: Egge Nathan , Arneaud Sonja L. B. , Fonseca Rene Solano , Zuurbier Kielen R. , McClendon Jacob , Douglas Peter M.
Published: March 2021

Mechanical stimuli initiate adaptive signal transduction pathways, yet exceeding the cellular capacity to withstand physical stress results in death. The molecular mechanisms underlying trauma-induced degeneration remain unclear. In the nematode C. elegans, we have developed a method to study cellular degeneration in response to mechanical stress caused by blunt force trauma. Herein, we report that physical injury activates the c-Jun kinase, KGB-1, which modulates response elements through the AP-1 transcriptional complex. Among these, we have identified a dual-specificity MAPK phosphatase, VHP-1, as a stress-inducible modulator of neurodegeneration. VHP-1 regulates the transcriptional response to mechanical stress and is itself attenuated by KGB-1-mediated inactivation of a deubiquitinase, MATH-33, and proteasomal degradation. Together, we describe an uncharacterized stress response pathway in C. elegans and identify transcriptional and post-translational components comprising a feedback loop on Jun kinase and phosphatase activity.
De novo design of a reversible phosphorylation-dependent switch for membrane targeting
Authors: Harrington Leon , Fletcher Jordan M. , Heermann Tamara , Woolfson Derek N. , Schwille Petra
Published: March 2021

Modules that switch protein-protein interactions on and off are essential to develop synthetic biology; for example, to construct orthogonal signaling pathways, to control artificial protein structures dynamically, and for protein localization in cells or protocells. In nature, the E. coli MinCDE system couples nucleotide-dependent switching of MinD dimerization to membrane targeting to trigger spatiotemporal pattern formation. Here we present a de novo peptide-based molecular switch that toggles reversibly between monomer and dimer in response to phosphorylation and dephosphorylation. In combination with other modules, we construct fusion proteins that couple switching to lipid-membrane targeting by: (i) tethering a ‘cargo’ molecule reversibly to a permanent membrane ‘anchor’; and (ii) creating a ‘membrane-avidity switch’ that mimics the MinD system but operates by reversible phosphorylation. These minimal, de novo molecular switches have potential applications for introducing dynamic processes into designed and engineered proteins to augment functions in living cells and add functionality to protocells.
MINFLUX nanometer-scale 3D imaging and microsecond-range tracking on a common fluorescence microscope
Authors: Schmidt Roman , Weihs Tobias , Wurm Christian A. , Jansen Isabelle , Rehman Jasmin , Sahl Steffen J. , Hell Stefan W.
Published: March 2021

The recently introduced minimal photon fluxes (MINFLUX) concept pushed the resolution of fluorescence microscopy to molecular dimensions. Initial demonstrations relied on custom made, specialized microscopes, raising the question of the method’s general availability. Here, we show that MINFLUX implemented with a standard microscope stand can attain 1–3 nm resolution in three dimensions, rendering fluorescence microscopy with molecule-scale resolution widely applicable. Advances, such as synchronized electro-optical and galvanometric beam steering and a stabilization that locks the sample position to sub-nanometer precision with respect to the stand, ensure nanometer-precise and accurate real-time localization of individually activated fluorophores. In our MINFLUX imaging of cell- and neurobiological samples, ~800 detected photons suffice to attain a localization precision of 2.2 nm, whereas ~2500 photons yield precisions <1 nm (standard deviation). We further demonstrate 3D imaging with localization precision of ~2.4 nm in the focal plane and ~1.9 nm along the optic axis. Localizing with a precision of <20 nm within ~100 µs, we establish this spatio-temporal resolution in single fluorophore tracking and apply it to the diffusion of single labeled lipids in lipid-bilayer model membranes.
Selective E to Z isomerization of 1,3-Dienes Enabled by A Dinuclear Mechanism
Authors: Kudo Eiji , Sasaki Kota , Kawamata Shiori , Yamamoto Koji , Murahashi Tetsuro
Published: March 2021

The E/Z stereocontrol in a C=C bond is a fundamental issue in olefin synthesis. Although the thermodynamically more stable E geometry is readily addressable by thermal Z to E geometric isomerization through equilibrium, it has remained difficult to undergo thermal geometric isomerization to the reverse E to Z direction in a selective manner, because it requires kinetic trapping of Z-isomer with injection of chemical energy. Here we report that a dinuclear PdI−PdI complex mediates selective isomerization of E-1,3-diene to its Z-isomer without photoirradiation, where kinetic trapping is achieved through rational sequences of dinuclear elementary steps. The chemical energy required for the E to Z isomerization can be injected from an organic conjugate reaction through sharing of common Pd species.
Tumor methionine metabolism drives T-cell exhaustion in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hung Man Hsin , Lee Joo Sang , Ma Chi , Diggs Laurence P. , Heinrich Sophia , Chang Ching Wen , Ma Lichun , Forgues Marshonna , Budhu Anuradha , Chaisaingmongkol Jittiporn , Ruchirawat Mathuros , Ruppin Eytan , Greten Tim F. , Wang Xin Wei
Published: March 2021

T-cell exhaustion denotes a hypofunctional state of T lymphocytes commonly found in cancer, but how tumor cells drive T-cell exhaustion remains elusive. Here, we find T-cell exhaustion linked to overall survival in 675 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with diverse ethnicities and etiologies. Integrative omics analyses uncover oncogenic reprograming of HCC methionine recycling with elevated 5-methylthioadenosine (MTA) and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to be tightly linked to T-cell exhaustion. SAM and MTA induce T-cell dysfunction in vitro. Moreover, CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of MAT2A, a key SAM producing enzyme, results in an inhibition of T-cell dysfunction and HCC growth in mice. Thus, reprogramming of tumor methionine metabolism may be a viable therapeutic strategy to improve HCC immunity.
Author Correction: Deep muscle-proteomic analysis of freeze-dried human muscle biopsies reveals fiber type-specific adaptations to exercise training
Authors: Deshmukh A. S. , Steenberg D. E. , Hostrup M. , Birk J. B. , Larsen J. K. , Santos A. , Kjøbsted R. , Hingst J. R. , Schéele C. C. , Murgia M. , Kiens B. , Richter E. A. , Mann M. , Wojtaszewski J. F. P.
Published: March 2021

A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22015-4
A combined theoretical/experimental study highlighting the formation of carbides on Ru nanoparticles during CO hydrogenation
Authors: Moraru Ionut-Tudor , Martínez-Prieto Luis M. , Coppel Yannick , Chaudret Bruno , Cusinato Lucy , del Rosal Iker , Poteau Romuald
Published: March 2021

According to advanced 13C MAS NMR experiments and DFT investigations of multi-step pathways as well as DFT-based NMR assignment of experimental spectra, it is shown that carbide formation can occur on ruthenium NPs during CO bond cleavage.
A window-space-directed assembly strategy for the construction of supertetrahedron-based zeolitic mesoporous metal–organic frameworks with ultramicroporous apertures for selective gas adsorption
Authors: Zhang Lei , Li Fangfang , You Jianjun , Hua Nengbin , Wang Qianting , Si Junhui , Chen Wenzhe , Wang Wenjing , Wu Xiaoyuan , Yang Wenbin , Yuan Daqiang , Lu Canzhong , Liu Yanrong , Al-Enizi Abdullah M. , Nafady Ayman , Ma Shengqian
Published: March 2021

A series of supertetrahedron (ST)-based sodalite (sod)-topology zeolitic MOFs specimens ST-sod-MOFs featuring ultramicroporous square windows and a mesoporous sodcage have been synthesized via a window-space-directed assembly approach.
Recent advances and rational design strategies of carbon dots towards highly efficient solar evaporation
Authors: Indriyati  , Primadona Indah , Permatasari Fitri Aulia , Irham Muhammad Alief , Nasir Muhamad , Iskandar Ferry
Published: March 2021

By rationally designing and modifying their heterostructures, carbon dots have the potential to be used as solar absorbers for solar evaporation. The roles of carbon dots to improve solar-to-vapor efficiency are thoroughly discussed.
Ice cream properties affected by carrageenan form seaweed deference type drying methods
Authors: Irawan I , Fitriyana
Published: March 2021

This study was aimed to investigate on physical properties of ice cream samples prepared with combined κ-carrageenan from seaweed by using two methods of drying seaweed which is direct sun-drying and drying using sauna techniques, the results the highest overrun was in ice cream with κ-carrageenan with sauna system (59.54±0.55 %). The highest melting rate was ice cream with Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (1.72±0.05 g/min). The highest of viscosity was κ-carrageenan with the sauna system (143.67±1.52 cP). The highest of hardness was κ-carrageenan with the Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (405.20±0.26 g/cm2). The sauna technique good for overrun, viscosity and direct sun-drying good for hardness.
Effect of the addition of crude fish oil (CFO) in feed to the content of EPA and DHA in mud crab (Scylla serrata)
Authors: Wijaya T , Agustono  , Arif M A A
Published: March 2021

Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) cannot synthesize essential fatty acids, so it needs a supply of Omega-3 fatty acids. One source of unsaturated fatty acids are Omega-3 in Crude Fish Oil (CFO). CFO is a source of essential fatty acids which contains EPA and DHA. The aim is to determine the provision of CFO on trash fish feed to the content of Omega-3 in mud crab. The method is experimentally using completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications. The number of CFO doses that added in a trash fish feed are P0 (0%), P1 (2%), P2 (4%), P3 (6%) and P4 (8%). Analysis of the content of EPA and DHA in mud crab performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry equipped with a column of silica and helium as a gas booster. The results showed that the addition of CFO on the feed provides a significantly different effect (P <0.05) of Omega-3 (EPA and DHA). Content of EPA and DHA in mud crab has shown the increased results when giving the smallest dose, 2% of CFO at P1 treatment, but when the dose was increased again to 4%, 6% and even 8% the results did not show any significant difference.
Depressive Symptoms Among Rural “Left-Behind” Older Adults: A Test of the High Outmigration Penalty Hypothesis
Authors: Song Qian , Wang Haowei , Burr Jeffery A
Published: March 2021

Objectives

We investigated whether there was a “high outmigration penalty” for psychological health among older adults in rural China by assessing 2 potential community stressors associated with major sociodemographic changes in the community—increased outmigration and older adult density. We also investigated whether disparities in community economic conditions moderated the association between community stressors and depressive symptoms.

Methods

We employed 3 waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (2011–2015), using multilevel negative binomial models to address our research questions.

Results

Our results supported the “high outmigration penalty” hypothesis. Older adults living in low-income rural communities may experience an aggravated mental health penalty compared to those living in high-income rural communities. Higher older adult density was also associated with more depressive symptoms but only in less wealthy communities. Community differences in economic conditions were key factors buffering the high outmigration disadvantage associated with the psychological health of older Chinese adults.

Discussion

Rural outmigration may have deepened existing intercommunity health disparities among older adults. Policies should be developed to address community-level factors negatively associated with the well-being of older Chinese adults living in high outmigration and less wealthy rural communities.
Article 3: Market Share Threshold
Authors: Wijckmans Frank , Tuytschaever Filip
Published: March 2021

This chapter discusses the market share limits that determine the applicability of Regulation 330/2010. Each of the supplier and the buyer must in principle remain below an individual limit of 30 per cent. In order to assess the market share limits, the chapter addresses the following steps of the analysis: (i) ninth step: definition of the relevant market; and (ii) tenth step: calculation of the market shares. It concludes by addressing the concrete and practical application of the market share limits in accordance with Regulation 330/2010 and offers easy-to-read overview tables illustrating the effect of changes in the market share levels over time.
1 Introduction
Authors: Renato Nazzini
Published: March 2021

This introductory chapter provides an overview of Article 102, which prohibits any abuse by one or more undertakings of a dominant position within the internal market. It is a fundamental element of the economic law of the European Union. However, its objective and scope are undefined. Only once the objective has been identified, can the legal tests for dominance and abuse be understood and developed consistently with the teleological hermeneutics that the case law mandates. This book then adopts an integrated and holistic approach to the analysis of the objective and the tests of Article 102, examines the objective and principles of Article 102 within the framework of the Treaties, and analyses Article 102 not only from a legal perspective but also under the lens of economics.
Part III Tests of Abuse, 7 The As Efficient Competitor Test
Authors: Renato Nazzini
Published: March 2021

This chapter looks at the as efficient competitor test. Under the as efficient competitor test, conduct is prima facie abusive if it is capable of excluding a competitor that is at least as efficient as the dominant undertaking. This test has received strong judicial endorsement in predatory pricing and margin squeeze but not in other pricing abuses, particularly rebates. The as efficient competitor test can be applied dynamically. This means that a practice can be exclusionary when it forecloses competitors that could become as efficient as the dominant undertaking within a reasonable period of time but are prevented from doing so by the allegedly abusive conduct. When this test applies, however, the only approach which is consistent with the purpose of Article 102 is to require proof of actual effects. The as efficient competitor test also applies to determine whether discrimination that is neither exclusionary nor exploitative is abusive under Article 102(c).
Part II Legal Challenges, 6 European Antitrust Criminalization and the Second Challenge of Due Process: Imposing Criminal Sanctions alongside Civil Sanctions
Authors: Peter Whelan
Published: March 2021

This chapter evaluates the ‘additional dynamic’ contention which holds that the introduction of criminal antitrust sanctions in a particular jurisdiction does not preclude the imposition of civil/administrative sanctions alongside criminal sanctions for a given cartel. After establishing the validity of this contention, the chapter determines the actual impact of the contention, and hence the extent of the challenge presented by this aspect of the legal requirement of due process. A potential due process issue was identified with the exchange of information from administrative antitrust regimes to criminal antitrust regimes. The second identified issue of due process concerned ‘double jeopardy’. It was argued that this issue becomes relevant due to: (i) the validity of the ‘additional dynamic’ contention; and (ii) the fact that an individual can in fact constitute an ‘undertaking’ for the purposes of EU law. The final identified issue of due process related to concurrent proceedings.
Part III Practical Challenges, 9 European Antitrust Criminalization and the Second Challenge of Design: Understanding the Complexities of Leniency/Immunity
Authors: Peter Whelan
Published: March 2021

This chapter focuses on the second challenge of design for European antitrust criminalization: articulating and overcoming the unique challenges of criminal immunity for cartelists and responding to the challenge of ensuring peaceful co-existence of both administrative leniency/immunity and criminal cartel sanctions. It identifies three mechanisms that can be useful in resolving any conflict between administrative leniency programmes and criminal sanctions. The first mechanism identified was the creation of a criminal immunity programme for cartel activity. The second mechanism which is designed to resolve any conflict between administrative leniency programmes and criminal sanctions is the linking of the criminal immunity policy with the administrative leniency policy. The third mechanism identified involves dealing with the issue of criminal disclosure.
Automatic detection of pituitary microadenoma from magnetic resonance imaging using deep learning algorithms
Authors: Li Qingling , Zhu Yanhua , Chen Minglin , Guo Ruomi , Hu Qingyong , Deng Zhenghui , Deng Songqing , Wen Huiquan , Gao Rong , Nie Yuanpeng , Li Haicheng , Zhang Tiecheng , Chen Jianning , Shi Guojun , Shen Jun , Cheung Wai Wilson , Guo Yulan , Chen Yanming
Published: March 2021

Pituitary microadenoma (PM) is often difficult to detect by MR imaging alone. We employed a computer-aided PM diagnosis (PM-CAD) system based on deep learning to assist radiologists in clinical workflow. We enrolled 1,228 participants and stratified into 3 non-overlapping cohorts for training, validation and testing purposes. Our PM-CAD system outperformed 6 existing established convolutional neural network models for detection of PM. In test dataset, diagnostic accuracy of PM-CAD system was comparable to radiologists with > 10 years of professional expertise (94% versus 95%). The diagnostic accuracy in internal and external dataset was 94% and 90%, respectively. Importantly, PM-CAD system detected the presence of PM that had been previously misdiagnosed by radiologists. This is the first report showing that PM-CAD system is a viable tool for detecting PM. Our results suggest that PM-CAD system is applicable to radiology departments, especially in primary health care institutions.