bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insights into the genetic architecture of haematological traits from deep phenotyping and whole-genome sequencing for two Mediterranean isolated populations
Authors: Kuchenbaecker Karoline , Gilly Arthur , Suveges Daniel , Southam Lorraine , Giannakopoulou Olga , Kilian Britt , Tsafantakis Emmanouil , Karaleftheri Maria , Farmaki Aliki-Eleni , Gurdasani Deepti , Kundu Kousik , Sandhu Manjinder S. , Danesh John , Butterworth Adam , Barroso Inês , Dedoussis George , Zeggini Eleftheria
Published: January 2022

Haematological traits are linked to cardiovascular, metabolic, infectious and immune disorders, as well as cancer. Here, we examine the role of genetic variation in shaping haematological traits in two isolated Mediterranean populations. Using whole-genome sequencing data at 22× depth for 1457 individuals from Crete (MANOLIS) and 1617 from the Pomak villages in Greece, we carry out a genome-wide association scan for haematological traits using linear mixed models. We discover novel associations (p < 5 × 10–9) of five rare non-coding variants with alleles conferring effects of 1.44–2.63 units of standard deviation on red and white blood cell count, platelet and red cell distribution width. Moreover, 10.0% of individuals in the Pomak population and 6.8% in MANOLIS carry a pathogenic mutation in the Haemoglobin Subunit Beta (HBB) gene. The mutational spectrum is highly diverse (10 different mutations). The most frequent mutation in MANOLIS is the common Mediterranean variant IVS-I-110 (G>A) (rs35004220). In the Pomak population, c.364C>A (“HbO-Arab”, rs33946267) is most frequent (4.4% allele frequency). We demonstrate effects on haematological and other traits, including bilirubin, cholesterol, and, in MANOLIS, height and gestation age. We find less severe effects on red blood cell traits for HbS, HbO, and IVS-I-6 (T>C) compared to other b+ mutations. Overall, we uncover allelic diversity of HBB in Greek isolated populations and find an important role for additional rare variants outside of HBB.
A diagnostic LAMP assay for rapid identification of an invasive plant pest, fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Agarwal Arati , Rako Lea , Schutze Mark K. , Starkie Melissa L. , Tay Wee Tek , Rodoni Brendan C. , Blacket Mark J.
Published: January 2022

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a highly polyphagous invasive plant pest that has expanded its global geographic distribution, including recently into much of Australia. Rapid diagnostic tests are required for identification of FAW to assist subsequent management and control. We developed a new loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for accurate and timely diagnosis of FAW in the field. The specificity of the new assay was tested against a broad panel of twenty non-target noctuids, including eight other Spodoptera species. Only S. frugiperda samples produced amplification within 20 min, with an anneal derivative temperature of 78.3 ± 0.3 °C. A gBlock dsDNA fragment was developed and trialled as a synthetic positive control, with a different anneal derivative of 81 °C. The new FAW LAMP assay was able to detect FAW DNA down to 2.4 pg, similar to an existing laboratory-based real-time PCR assay. We also trialled the new FAW assay with a colorimetric master mix and found it could successfully amplify positive FAW samples in half the time compared to an existing FAW colorimetric LAMP assay. Given the high sensitivity and rapid amplification time, we recommend the use of this newly developed FAW LAMP assay in a portable real-time fluorometer for in-field diagnosis of FAW.
A comparative analysis of complete chloroplast genomes of seven Ocotea species (Lauraceae) confirms low sequence divergence within the Ocotea complex
Authors: Trofimov Dimitrij , Cadar Daniel , Schmidt-Chanasit Jonas , Rodrigues de Moraes Pedro Luís , Rohwer Jens G.
Published: January 2022

The genus Ocotea (Lauraceae) includes about 450 species, of which about 90% are Neotropical, while the rest is from Macaronesia, Africa and Madagascar. In this study we present the first complete chloroplast genome sequences of seven Ocotea species, six Neotropical and one from Macaronesia. Genome sizes range from 152,630 (O. porosa) to 152,685 bp (O. aciphylla). All seven plastomes contain a total of 131 (114 unique) genes, among which 87 (80 unique) encode proteins. The order of genes (if present) is the same in all Lauraceae examined so far. Two hypervariable loci were found in the LSC region (psbA-trnH, ycf2), three in the SSC region (ycf1, ndhH, trnL(UAG)-ndhF). The pairwise cp genomic alignment between the taxa showed that the LSC and SSC regions are more variable compared to the IR regions. The protein coding regions comprise 25,503–25,520 codons in the Ocotea plastomes examined. The most frequent amino acids encoded in the plastomes were leucine, isoleucine, and serine. SSRs were found to be more frequent in the two dioecious Neotropical Ocotea species than in the four bisexual species and the gynodioecious species examined (87 vs. 75–84 SSRs). A preliminary phylogenetic analysis based on 69 complete plastomes of Lauraceae species shows the seven Ocotea species as sister group to Cinnamomum sensu lato. Sequence divergence among the Ocotea species appears to be much lower than among species of the most closely related, likewise species-rich genera Cinnamomum, Lindera and Litsea.
Petri nets and ODEs as complementary methods for comprehensive analysis on an example of the ATM–p53–NF-$$\kappa$$B signaling pathways
Authors: Gutowska Kaja , Kogut Daria , Kardynska Malgorzata , Formanowicz Piotr , Smieja Jaroslaw , Puszynski Krzysztof
Published: January 2022

Intracellular processes are cascades of biochemical reactions, triggered in response to various types of stimuli. Mathematical models describing their dynamics have become increasingly popular in recent years, as tools supporting experimental work in analysis of pathways and regulatory networks. Not only do they provide insights into general properties of these systems, but also help in specific tasks, such as search for drug molecular targets or treatment protocols. Different tools and methods are used to model complex biological systems. In this work, we focus on ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and Petri nets. We consider specific methods of analysis of such models, i.e., sensitivity analysis (SA) and significance analysis. So far, they have been applied separately, with different goals. In this paper, we show that they can complement each other, combining the sensitivity of ODE models and the significance analysis of Petri nets. The former is used to find parameters, whose change results in the greatest quantitative and qualitative changes in the model response, while the latter is a structural analysis and allows indicating the most important subprocesses in terms of information flow in Petri net. Ultimately, both methods facilitate finding the essential processes in a given signaling pathway or regulatory network and may be used to support medical therapy development. In the paper, the use of dual modeling is illustrated with an example of ATM/p53/NF-$$\kappa$$
κ
B pathway. Each method was applied to analyze this system, resulting in finding different subsets of important processes that might be prospective targets for changing this system behavior. While some of the processes were indicated in each of the approaches, others were found by one method only and would be missed if only that method was applied. This leads to the conclusion about the complementarity of the methods under investigation. The dual modeling approach of comprehensive structural and parametric analysis yields results that would not be possible if these two modeling approaches were applied separately. The combined approach, proposed in this paper, facilitates finding not only key processes, with which significant parameters are associated, but also significant modules, corresponding to subsystems of regulatory networks. The results provide broader insight into therapy targets in diseases in which the natural control of intracellular processes is disturbed, leading to the development of more effective therapies in medicine.
Targeted isolation of photoactive pigments from mushrooms yielded a highly potent new photosensitizer: 7,7′-biphyscion
Authors: Hammerle Fabian , Bingger Isabella , Pannwitz Andrea , Magnutzki Alexander , Gstir Ronald , Rutz Adriano , Wolfender Jean-Luc , Peintner Ursula , Siewert Bianka
Published: January 2022

Pigments of fungi are a fertile ground of inspiration: they spread across various chemical backbones, absorption ranges, and bioactivities. However, basidiomycetes with strikingly colored fruiting bodies have never been explored as agents for photodynamic therapy (PDT), even though known photoactive compound classes (e.g., anthraquinones or alkaloids) are used as chemotaxonomic markers. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the dyes of skin-heads (dermocyboid Cortinarii) can produce singlet oxygen under irradiation and thus are natural photosensitizers. Three photosensitizers based on anthraquinone structures were isolated and photopharmaceutical tests were conducted. For one of the three, i.e., (–)-7,7′-biphyscion (1), a promising photoyield and photocytotoxicity of EC50 = 0.064 µM against cancer cells (A549) was found under blue light irradiation (λexc = 468 nm, 9.3 J/cm2). The results of molecular biological methods, e.g., a viability assay and a cell cycle analysis, demonstrated the harmlessness of 1 in the dark and highlighted the apoptosis-inducing PDT potential under blue light irradiation. These results demonstrate for the first time that pigments of dermocyboid Cortinarii possess a so far undescribed activity, i.e., photoactivity, with significant potential for the field of PDT. The dimeric anthraquinone (–)-7,7′-biphyscion (1) was identified as a promising natural photosensitizer.
Ultra-low-power switching circuits based on a binary pattern generator with spiking neurons
Authors: Yajima Takeaki
Published: January 2022

Research on various neuro-inspired technologies has received much attention. However, while higher-order neural functions such as recognition have been emphasized, the fundamental properties of neural circuits as advanced control systems have not been fully exploited. Here, we applied the functions of central pattern generators, biological neural circuits for motor control, to the control technology of switching circuits for extremely power-saving terminal edge devices. By simply applying a binary waveform with an arbitrary temporal pattern to the transistor gate, low-power and real-time switching control can be achieved. This binary pattern generator consists of a specially designed spiking neuron circuit that generates spikes after a pre-programmed wait time in the six-order range, but consumes negligible power, with an experimental record of 1.2 pW per neuron. This control scheme has been successfully applied to voltage conversion circuits consuming only a few nanowatts, providing an ultra-low power technology for trillions of self-powered edge systems.
Towards plasma jet controlled charging of a dielectric target at grounded, biased, and floating potential
Authors: Slikboer Elmar , Guaitella Olivier , Garcia-Caurel Enrique , Sobota Ana
Published: January 2022

Electric field and surface charge measurements are presented to understand the dynamics in the plasma–surface interaction of a plasma jet and a dielectric surface. The ITO coated backside of the dielectric allowed to impose a DC bias and thus compare the influence of a grounded, biased and floating potential. When imposing a controlled potential at the back of the target, the periodical charging is directly dependent on the pulse length, irrespective of that control potential. This is because the plasma plume is sustained throughout the pulse. When uncontrolled and thus with a floating potential surface, charge accumulation and potential build-up prevents a sustained plasma plume. An imposed DC bias also leads to a continuous surface charge to be present accumulated on the plasma side to counteract the bias. This can lead to much higher electric fields (55 kV/cm) and surface charge (200 nC/cm$$^2$$

2

) than observed previously. When the plasma jet is turned off, the continuous surface charge decreased to half its value in 25 ms. These results have implications for surface treatment applications.
Twenty seconds of visual behaviour on social media gives insight into personality
Authors: Woods Callum , Luo Zhiyuan , Watling Dawn , Durant Szonya
Published: January 2022

Eye tracking allows the researcher to capture individual differences in the expression of visual exploration behaviour, which in certain contexts has been found to reflect aspects of the user’s preferences and personality. In a novel approach, we recorded the eye movements of 180 participants whilst they browsed their Facebook News Feed and employed a machine learning approach to predict each of the self-reported Big Five personality traits from this viewing behaviour. We identify that specific visual behaviours are informative of an individual’s personality trait information, and can be used to psychologically profile social networking site users significantly better than chance after collecting only 20 seconds of viewing behaviour. We discuss potential applications for user engagement during human–computer interactions, and highlight potential privacy concerns.
Remote triggering of high magnitude earthquakes along plate boundaries
Authors: O’Malley Robert T. , Choudhury Ayush , Zhang Yue
Published: January 2022

It has been shown that large magnitude earthquakes can remotely trigger other large magnitude earthquakes within three days. Such triggering of high magnitude earthquakes is potentially indicative of fault systems at the end of their seismic cycles. Here a method is developed to examine local earthquake history to determine how susceptible a given area is to remote triggering of high magnitude earthquakes. The method is applied to all plate boundaries. Only 14% of global tectonic boundaries are not susceptible to remote triggering, while 86% show susceptibility to varying degrees. The most highly susceptible locations begin triggering at lower magnitudes, dependent on the type of plate boundary. Varying patterns in susceptibility to remote triggering are observed around individual plates. Finite element modeling of the Cocos Plate reveals normal modes which appear consistent with its spatial patterns of high susceptibility. Many of the natural frequencies of the Cocos Plate are closely associated with the frequencies of free oscillations of the earth and could be induced by large earthquakes. Analysis of the stress tensors generated by the normal modes supports a delayed triggering mechanism involving one-sided negative (compressive) stress normal to the plane of the fault.
Association between sleep duration on workdays and blood pressure in non-overweight/obese population in NHANES: a public database research
Authors: Su Yingjie , Li Changluo , Long Yong , He Liudang , Ding Ning
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to explore the association between sleep duration on workdays and blood pressure (BP) including systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in non-overweight/obese population. A cross-sectional study composed of 2887 individuals from NHANES was conducted. Subjective sleep duration on workdays were evaluated by the questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were done to explore the relationship between sleep duration and BP. Compared with sleep duration of 6–8 h, both sleep duration < 6 h and ≥ 8 h on workdays were significantly associated with increased SBP (β, 3.58 [95% CI 1.60, 5.56] and 1.70 [95% CI 0.76, 2.64], respectively). However, the significant association was not founded in DBP. The stratified analyses showed that in females, sleep duration (< 6 h or ≥ 8 h) on workdays were associated with SBP (β = 5.99 and 2.41, respectively, both P < 0.0005). In addition, the SBP levels were much higher among participants aged (≥ 60) with sleep duration < 6 h. The effect size was 7.23 (P = 0.0217). In the subgroup classified by race, a significantly positive association between sleep duration (< 6 h, ≥ 8 h) and SBP can be seen in the White population (β = 6.64 (P = 0.0007) and 1.91 (P = 0.0215), respectively). In non-overweight/obese population, both short sleep duration (< 6 h) and long sleep duration (≥ 8 h) on workdays were correlated with higher level of SBP.
Health improvements of type 2 diabetic patients through diet and diet plus fecal microbiota transplantation
Authors: Su Lili , Hong Zhifan , Zhou Tong , Jian Yuanyuan , Xu Mei , Zhang Xuanping , Zhu Xiaoyan , Wang Jiayin
Published: January 2022

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major public health problem, and gut microbiota dysbiosis has been implicated in the emergence of T2D in humans. Dietary interventions can indirectly influence the health status of patients with type 2 diabetes through their modulatory effects on the intestinal microbiota. In recent years, fecal microbiota transplantation is becoming familiar as a new medical treatment that can rapidly improve intestinal health. We conducted a 90-day controlled open-label trial to evaluate the health improvement ability of a specially designed diet, and the diet combined with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). According to our study, both diet and diet plus FMT treatments showed great potential in controlling blood glucose and blood pressure levels. Sequencing the V4 region of 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina MiniSeq platform revealed a shift of intestinal microbial community in T2D patients, and the changes were also observed in response to the treatments. FMT changed the gut microbiota more quickly than diet. Beneficial bacterium, such asBifidobacterium, increased along the study and was negatively correlated with blood glucose, blood pressure, blood lipid and BMI. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB),BilophilaandDesulfovibrio, decreased significantly after treatment, showed a positive correlation with blood glucose indices. Thus, the specially designed diet is beneficial to improve blood glucose control in diabetic patients, it also showed the potential to reverse dyslipidemia and dysarteriotony.
Changes in the sediment microbial community structure of coastal and inland sinkholes of a karst ecosystem from the Yucatan peninsula
Authors: Suárez-Moo Pablo , Remes-Rodríguez Claudia A. , Márquez-Velázquez Norma A. , Falcón Luisa I. , García-Maldonado José Q. , Prieto-Davó Alejandra
Published: January 2022

The karst underground river ecosystem of Yucatan peninsula is composed of cave systems and sinkholes. The microbial diversity of water from this underground river has been studied, but, structure of the microbial community in its cave sediments remained largely unknown. Here we describe how the microbial community structure of these sediments changes due to different environmental conditions found in sediment zones along the caves of a coastal and an inland sinkhole. We found that dominant microbial groups varied according to the type of sinkhole (Coastal: Chloroflexi and Crenarchaeota; inland: Methylomirabilota and Acidobacteriota) and that the community structures differed both among sinkhole types, and within the sediment zones that were studied. These microorganisms are associated with different types of metabolism, and differed from a microbial community dominated by sulfate reducers at the coastal sinkhole, to one dominated by methylotrophs at the inland sinkhole, suggesting there are biogeochemical processes in the coastal and inland sinkholes that lead to changes in the microbial composition of the underground river ecosystem’s sediments. Our results suggest sediments from unexplored sinkhole caves are unique environmental niches with distinct microbial assemblages that putatively play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles of these ecosystems.
Dielectricity of a molecularly crowded solution accelerates NTP misincorporation during RNA-dependent RNA polymerization by T7 RNA polymerase
Authors: Takahashi Shuntaro , Matsumoto Saki , Chilka Pallavi , Ghosh Saptarshi , Okura Hiromichi , Sugimoto Naoki
Published: January 2022

In biological systems, the synthesis of nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, is catalyzed by enzymes in various aqueous solutions. However, substrate specificity is derived from the chemical properties of the residues, which implies that perturbations of the solution environment may cause changes in the fidelity of the reaction. Here, we investigated non-promoter-based synthesis of RNA using T7 RNA polymerase (T7 RNAP) directed by an RNA template in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) of various molecular weights, which can affect polymerization fidelity by altering the solution properties. We found that the mismatch extensions of RNA propagated downstream polymerization. Furthermore, PEG promoted the polymerization of non-complementary ribonucleoside triphosphates, mainly due to the decrease in the dielectric constant of the solution. These results indicate that the mismatch extension of RNA-dependent RNA polymerization by T7 RNAP is driven by the stacking interaction of bases of the primer end and the incorporated nucleotide triphosphates (NTP) rather than base pairing between them. Thus, proteinaceous RNA polymerase may display different substrate specificity with changes in dielectricity caused by molecular crowding conditions, which can result in increased genetic diversity without proteinaceous modification.
Influence of methane seepage on isotopic signatures in living deep-sea benthic foraminifera, 79° N
Authors: Melaniuk Katarzyna , Sztybor Kamila , Treude Tina , Sommer Stefan , Rasmussen Tine L.
Published: January 2022

Fossil benthic foraminifera are used to trace past methane release linked to climate change. However, it is still debated whether isotopic signatures of living foraminifera from methane-charged sediments reflect incorporation of methane-derived carbon. A deeper understanding of isotopic signatures of living benthic foraminifera from methane-rich environments will help to improve reconstructions of methane release in the past and better predict the impact of future climate warming on methane seepage. Here, we present isotopic signatures (δ13C and δ18O) of foraminiferal calcite together with biogeochemical data from Arctic seep environments from c. 1200 m water depth, Vestnesa Ridge, 79° N, Fram Strait. Lowest δ13C values were recorded in shells of Melonis barleeanus, − 5.2‰ in live specimens and − 6.5‰ in empty shells, from sediments dominated by aerobic (MOx) and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM), respectively. Our data indicate that foraminifera actively incorporate methane-derived carbon when living in sediments with moderate seepage activity, while in sediments with high seepage activity the poisonous sulfidic environment leads to death of the foraminifera and an overgrowth of their empty shells by methane-derived authigenic carbonates. We propose that the incorporation of methane-derived carbon in living foraminifera occurs via feeding on methanotrophic bacteria and/or incorporation of ambient dissolved inorganic carbon.
Empirical study of employee loyalty and satisfaction in the mining industry using structural equation modeling
Authors: Chen Shoukun , Xu Kaili , Yao Xiwen
Published: January 2022

Mining is a high-risk industry and a crucial economic driver that has a crucial role in the economies of countries worldwide. The implications of the labor market on the sustainability of the mining industry have increased the importance of sustainable human resource management at the strategic level of mining and safety management. In this article, from the perspective of management research in an energy production enterprise, we investigated the relationship between employee loyalty and employee satisfaction through a survey that targets employee loyalty, work quality, and job satisfaction and the relationship between enterprise image and switching costs. Based on service profit chain theory, we established a research model for mining employee loyalty, and 500 miners in a typical extreme mining environment in China were surveyed. The study hypotheses were tested using a structural equation model and an employee loyalty model, followed by empirical testing of the models. Employee loyalty was significantly associated with enterprise image and employee satisfaction, work quality indirectly affected loyalty through satisfaction, and the impact of switching costs on employee loyalty was not significant. We provide strong empirical evidence to help enterprises improve sustainable human resource management and regulatory policies, with important implications for safety production. Our study also provides a useful reference for further studies of sustainable human resource management in mining.
Identification of N-glycan positional isomers by combining IMS and vibrational fingerprinting of structurally determinant CID fragments
Authors: Bansal Priyanka , Ben Faleh Ahmed , Warnke Stephan , Rizzo Thomas R.
Published: January 2022

We combine high-resolution IMS-IMS with cryogenic vibrational spectroscopy for the indentification of N-glycan positional isomers.
A smartphone-adaptable fluorescent sensing tag for non-contact and visual monitoring of the freshness of fish
Authors: Jiang Lirong , Ye Huan , Ma Dini , Rodrigues João , Sheng Ruilong , Min Douyong
Published: January 2022

Fish-based food products play important roles in our daily diet. The related food safety is vitally essential for human health, thus it is very necessary to screen the freshness of fish-based foods.
MnO2 coated nanotheranostic LDH for synergistic cascade chemo/chemodynamic cancer therapy under the guidance of MRI-targeted diagnosis
Authors: Zhu Bengao , Lv Xuefei , Zhang Mengmeng , Wang Huiying , Chen Senbin , Zhu Jintao
Published: January 2022

Using MnO2 coated layered dihydroxide (LDH) as carrier to load 5-fluraracil (5-FU), a tumor microenvironment regulating “all-in-one” nanodrug (LDH/5-FU@MnO2) is formed, integrating chemo/chemodynamic therapy and magnetic resonance imaging properties.
Synergy and sensitivity-balance in concatenating experiments in NO relaxation delay NMR (NORD)
Authors: Timári István , Nagy Tamás Milán , Kövér Katalin E. , Sørensen Ole W.
Published: January 2022

The NMR experiment design strategy of NO Relaxation Delay (NORD), introduced mostly as an idealized theoretical approach, is extended and put to practical use by considering synergy and sensitivity-balance in concatenation of experiments.
DFT-based microkinetic model analysis of dry reforming of methane over Ru7/CeO2(111) and Ru7/CeO2(110): key role of surface lattice oxygen vacancy
Authors: Qu Peng-Fei , Wang Gui-Chang
Published: January 2022

Surface oxygen vacancies play a crucial role in the step of CO2 activation, and DRM activity on the CeO2(110) facet is higher than that on the CeO2(111) facet-supported Ru cluster.
Methanol oxidation on Au(332): methyl formate selectivity and surface deactivation under isothermal conditions
Authors: Feldt Christoph D. , Kirschbaum Thorren , Low Jian Liang , Riedel Wiebke , Risse Thomas
Published: January 2022

Surface deactivation for partial methanol oxidation to methyl formate on Au(332) under oxygen-deficient conditions at low temperatures suggests a small number of highly active sites for methyl formate formation.
Reaction classification and yield prediction using the differential reaction fingerprint DRFP
Authors: Probst Daniel , Schwaller Philippe , Reymond Jean-Louis
Published: January 2022

Differential Reaction Fingerprint DRFP is a chemical reaction fingerprint enabling simple machine learning models running on standard hardware to reach DFT- and deep learning-based accuracies in reaction yield prediction and reaction classification.
A preliminary study of rapid measurements of aqueous 210Po by accelerator mass spectrometry
Authors: Zhou Zilin , Zhao Xiaolei , Kieser William E. , Cornett R. Jack
Published: January 2022

This study covers the preliminary assessment of a novel accelerator mass spectrometry technique for rapid quantitation of polonium-210 in water samples.
Fabrication of syntactic foam fillers via integrated on/off-chip microfluidic methods for optimized geopolymer composites
Authors: Wu Hao , Ren Yukun , Jiang Tianyi , Wu Wenlong , Lu Yang , Jiang Hongyuan
Published: January 2022

A novel microfluidic expansion coupled thermal contraction method is proposed to optimize the fabrication of fillers and the corresponding composites.
Synthesis and photophysical properties of multimetallic gold/zinc complexes of (P,N,N,N,P) and (P,N,N) ligands
Authors: Walg Simon P. , Dietrich Fabian , Grün Anneken , Cayir Kücükdisli Merve , Sun Yu , Thiel Werner R. , Gerhards Markus
Published: January 2022

Orthogonal coordination of gold and zinc yields mono- and bimetallic complexes, which are investigated concerning their photophysics.
Designing a novel Eu2+-doped hafnium-silicate phosphor for an energy-down-shift layer of CsPbI3 solar cells
Authors: Li Yixin , Wang Shichuan , Wang Yuhua
Published: January 2022

Novel cyan-green emitting Eu2+ doped K2HfSiO5 phosphors were synthesized and applied in CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells as an energy-down-shift layer.
N-Heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective dearomatizing annulation of benzoxazoles with enals
Authors: Chu Yunpeng , Hu Fang , Feng Peng , Hui Xin-Ping
Published: January 2022

The first N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed enantioselective dearomatizing annulation of benzoxazoles with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes has been developed.
Lipase-catalyzed acylation of levoglucosan in continuous flow: antibacterial and biosurfactant studies
Authors: do Nascimento Marcelo A. , Vargas Juan P. C. , Rodrigues José G. A. , Leão Raquel A. C. , de Moura Patricia H. B. , Leal Ivana C. R. , Bassut Jonathan , de Souza Rodrigo O. M. A. , Wojcieszak Robert , Itabaiana Ivaldo
Published: January 2022

Ipase-catalyzed transesterification of LG under continuous flow conditions.
A new highly selective “off–on” typical chemosensor of Al3+, 1-((Z)-((E)-(3,5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)hydrazono)methyl) naphthalene-2-ol, an experimental and in silico study
Authors: Al Anshori Jamaludin , Ismalah Daliah , Abror Ajar Faflul , Zainuddin Achmad , Wiani Hidayat Ika , Yusuf Muhammad , Maharani Rani , Tatang Hidayat Ace
Published: January 2022

A new promising fluorescent chemosensor of Al3+ based on a 2-hydroxynaphthaldehyde skeleton was successfully synthesized through double imine formation and demonstrated excellent sensing properties through the ESIPT inhibition mechanism.
Natural parsley oil as a green and safe inhibitor for corrosion of X80 carbon steel in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution: a chemical, electrochemical, DFT and MC simulation approach
Authors: Abdallah M. , Soliman K. A. , Al Jahdaly B. A. , Al-Fahemi Jabir H. , Hawsawi H. , Altass H. M. , Motawea M. S. , Al-Juaid Salih S.
Published: January 2022

This work focuses on the use of natural parsley oil as a safe, eco-friendly and cost-effective inhibitor for dissolution of X80 carbon steel (X80CS) in 0.5 M H2SO4 solution.
A spherical multishell hollow carbon-based catalyst with a controllable N-species content for the oxygen reduction reaction in air-breathing cathode microbial fuel cells
Authors: Wang Wenyi , Wang Xueqin , Wang Yuanyuan , Jiang Bolong , Song Hua
Published: January 2022

Schematic illustration of the fabrication of a spherical metal–organic framework.
A systematic examination of the impacts of MOF flexibility on intracrystalline molecular diffusivities
Authors: Yang Yuhan , Sholl David S.
Published: January 2022

Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to systematically assess the impact of framework flexibility on molecular diffusion in MOFs.
Poly-phosphocholination of liposomes leads to highly-extended retention time in mice joints
Authors: Lin Weifeng , Goldberg Ronit , Klein Jacob
Published: January 2022

PMPCylated liposomes injected into mice joints show a massive increase in retention half-life compared with PEGylated liposomes (or hyaluronan, HA), making them promising candidates as boundary lubricants at articular cartilage, or as drug carriers.
A high-performance humidity sensor based on alkalized MXenes and poly(dopamine) for touchless sensing and respiration monitoring
Authors: Li Tongkuai , Zhao Tingting , Tian Xuemin , Yuan Li , Xue Xianyang , Wang Zhigan , Yin Luqiao , Zhang Jianhua
Published: January 2022

A high-performance humidity sensor is realized based on the synergistic effect of alkalized MXenes and polydopamine, which can be used to control a noncontact switch system and monitor human breathing patterns.
Enhancing the photocatalytic hydrogen generation performance and strain regulation of the vertical GeI2/C2N van der Waals heterostructure: insights from first-principles study
Authors: Opoku Francis , Oppong Samuel Osei-Bonsu , Asare-Donkor Noah Kyame , Akoto Osei , Adimado Anthony Apeke
Published: January 2022

The band edges of GeI2/C2N vdW are favourable to generate H2at pH 0 to 9 with transition from a type-II indirect to type-I direct bandgap semiconductor under tensile biaxial strain.
The merging process of chromospheric fibrils into a filament
Authors: Fang Y. , Zhang J. , Song Z. P. , Hou Y. J. , Li T.
Published: January 2022

Context. Although solar filaments have been intensively studied, detailed observations that show an entire process of filament maintenance are rare.

Aims. The aim of this paper is to study the whole process of the material supply and the magnetic flux injection from chromospheric fibrils to a nearby filament.

Methods. Based on multiwavelength observations from the New Vacuum Solar Telescope and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), we tracked the evolution of the chromospheric fibrils involved in the process of filament maintenance and estimated the relevant kinetic parameters. The possible reconnection process was further analyzed in detail by using the SDO magnetic field and extreme ultraviolet observations.

Results. In the southeast of the filament, two sets of chromospheric fibrils approach and interact with each other, accompanied by weak brightening at the interacting region. Subsequently, a long fibril is formed, keeps moving toward the filament, and finally merges into it. The mergence results in a disturbance in the filament, for example, some of the original filament fibrils move northward. Ten minutes later, a similar process occurs again. By checking the photospheric magnetograms, we find that the two sets of chromospheric fibrils are rooted in a pair of opposite-polarity magnetic patches, and magnetic cancellation takes place between them. We propose that magnetic reconnection could occur between chromospheric fibrils and that it plays an important role in the formation of the new longer fibrils.

Conclusions. Magnetic reconnections between chromospheric fibrils produce new fibrils, which then merge into a nearby filament. Such observations imply that filament material and magnetic flux can be supplied from surrounding chromospheric fibrils.
Ces bons mutants qui éliminent les tumeurs
Authors: Jordan Bertrand
Published: January 2022

Most (>90%) of the nascent tumours present in murine oesophageal epithelium after mutagen treatment disappear during the following months. This elimination is driven by mutant (but phenotypically normal) clones that gradually outcompete and eliminate the neoplastic clones. This novel mechanism, demonstrated in the mouse, is probably active in humans as well and may have important clinical implications.
Enrichissement des essais cliniques par simulations numériques
Authors: Maquer Ghislain , Favre Philippe
Published: January 2022

Les fabricants de dispositifs médicaux doivent démontrer, bien souvent au moyen d’essais cliniques, la sécurité, la performance et les avantages cliniques de leurs produits. Pour pallier les limitations des essais cliniques traditionnels, tout en satisfaisant des exigences réglementaires devenues plus strictes, des données supplémentaires peuvent être acquises par le biais de simulations informatiques. Dans cette revue, l’utilisation de la simulation sera mise en perspective afin d’expliquer comment, à partir de l’exemple de l’industrie des prothèses orthopédiques, il est désormais techniquement possible de modéliser des populations virtuelles de patients. Nous décrivons ainsi les multiples avantages de cette approche de recherche translationnelle, ainsi que les défis qui restent à relever.
Les Langerhanoïdes, des organoïdes d’îlots pancréatiques
Authors: Papoz Anastasia , Clément Flora , Laporte Camille , Tubbs Emily , Gidrol Xavier , Pitaval Amandine
Published: January 2022

Les îlots de Langerhans isolés de donneurs en état de mort encéphalique constituent actuellement la seule source de cellules pour la transplantation de patients atteints de diabète de type 1. Cette approche thérapeutique reste cependant compromise par la rareté des donneurs et par certains aspects techniques. L’utilisation de sources alternatives de cellules productrices d’insuline est donc un enjeu tant thérapeutique que pour la recherche pharmacologique. Plusieurs équipes dans le monde, dont la nôtre, développent des modèles de culture cellulaire en 3D, les Langerhanoïdes, qui sont physiologiquement proches des îlots pancréatiques humains. Dans cette revue, nous décrivons les récentes avancées mimant la niche pancréatique (matrice extracellulaire, vascularisation, microfluidique), permettant ainsi d’accroître la fonctionnalité de ces Langerhanoïdes.
A Comparative Analysis of Transcranial and Endoscopic Repair for Traumatic CSF Rhinorrhea
Authors: Vasu Srivatsan Thirumalai , Krishnamoorthy Venkidesh , Karunakaran Sudish , Pillay Haroon M.
Published: January 2022

Background Surgical treatment of anterior cranial base traumatic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is challenging and is fraught with complications. Whether a person should be offered open craniotomy or endoscopic endonasal repair is a dilemma faced by most surgeons. This study is one of the few to directly compare the two forms of management.

Methods Data were collected from two groups of 15 patients each who underwent transcranial CSF leak repair and endoscopic endonasal CSF leak repair in a tertiary care hospital over a 3-year period. Information including demographics, recurrence rates, complications, and hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay was recorded and analyzed. Outcome was assessed up to 6 months.

Results Recurrence was seen in 9/30 patients, 6 in the transcranial group and 3 in the endoscopic group. Hospital stay was longer than 1 week in all the transcranially operated patients and only in 73% of the endoscopically operated patients (p = 0.439) although ICU stay was reduced in the endoscopic group (p = 0.066). Complications were more common with transcranial repair (seven of eight patients who underwent transcranial repair, p = 0.035) with anosmia being the most common (33.3%, p = 0.042).

Conclusion The transcranial open repair is a reasonable choice especially for leaks that occur through the frontal sinus and extend backward into the frontoethmoidal region. However, this approach has the drawbacks of greater number of complications, higher recurrence rate, and longer ICU and overall hospital stay. The endoscopic endonasal repair enjoys a lower morbidity profile although it may not be an adequate treatment for leaks that are placed far laterally in the frontal sinus.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa Pneumonia: Evolution of Antimicrobial Resistance and Implications for Therapy
Authors: Lynch Joseph P. , Zhanel George G.
Published: January 2022

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), a non–lactose-fermenting gram-negative bacillus, is a common cause of nosocomial infections in critically ill or debilitated patients, particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and infections of urinary tract, intra-abdominal, wounds, skin/soft tissue, and bloodstream. PA rarely affects healthy individuals, but may cause serious infections in patients with chronic structural lung disease, comorbidities, advanced age, impaired immune defenses, or with medical devices (e.g., urinary or intravascular catheters, foreign bodies). Treatment of pseudomonal infections is difficult, as PA is intrinsically resistant to multiple antimicrobials, and may acquire new resistance determinants even while on antimicrobial therapy. Mortality associated with pseudomonal VAP or bacteremias is high (> 35%) and optimal therapy is controversial. Over the past three decades, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among PA has escalated globally, via dissemination of several international multidrug resistant “epidemic” clones. We discuss the importance of PA as a cause of pneumonia including health care–associated pneumonia, hospital-acquired pneumonia, VAP, the emergence of AMR to this pathogen, and approaches to therapy (both empirical and definitive).
Magnetron sputtered yttria stabilized zirconia doped with Mn
Authors: Wertheim O. P. Levi , Gelberg V. , Pelleg J.
Published: January 2022

8 at. % yttria stabilized zirconia (8YSZ), doped with 0.25 at. % Mn, was deposited on a Si (100) substrate using radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction (XRD). They were used in order to obtain information regarding the composition and uniformity of the samples, determine their crystal structure, and measure the film thicknesses, respectively. In addition, the kinetics of the YSZ phase growth was investigated. Several samples were heat treated for 1 h in air at various temperatures in the range of 750–900 °C, which made it possible to estimate the apparent activation energy of the process. The activation energies were determined by intensity change and thickness variation with temperature. A decrease in film thickness was observed, and the growth of the YSZ phase showed low activation energies of 0.61 and 0.51 eV by thickness and intensity measurements, respectively. As expected, the composition complies with the composition of 8YSZ since the sputtering target was 8YSZ. No XRD shift of peaks was observed relative to undoped 8YSZ, apparently because the concentration of Mn was low.
Van der Waals epitaxy growth of 2D ferromagnetic Cr(1+δ)Te2 nanolayers with concentration-tunable magnetic anisotropy
Authors: Lasek Kinga , Coelho Paula M. , Gargiani Pierluigi , Valvidares Manuel , Mohseni Katayoon , Meyerheim Holger L. , Kostanovskiy Ilya , Zberecki Krzysztof , Batzill Matthias
Published: January 2022

Cr(1+δ)Te2 are pseudo-layered compounds consisting of CrTe2 transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) layers with additional (δ) self-intercalated Cr atoms. The recent search for ferromagnetic 2D materials revived the interest into chromium tellurides. Here, Cr(1+δ)Te2 nanolayers are epitaxially grown on MoS2 (0001), forming prototypical van der Waals heterostructures. Under optimized growth conditions, ultrathin films of only two TMD layers with a single intercalated Cr-layer are achieved, forming a 2D sheet with van der Waals surfaces. Detailed compositional and structural characterization by scanning tunneling microscopy, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, and high-resolution Rutherford backscattering indicate the layer-by-layer growth and that the δ can be tuned by post-growth annealing in a range between ∼0.5 and 1. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and magnetometry measurements demonstrate that all self-intercalated Cr(1+δ)Te2 nanolayers exhibit strong ferromagnetism with magnetic moments larger than 3μB per Cr-atom. The magnetic properties are maintained in the ultrathin limit of a material with a single intercalation layer. Interestingly, the magnetic anisotropy can be tuned from close to isotropic (δ = 1) to a desirable perpendicular anisotropy for low δ values. Thus, the bottom-up growth of these 2D Cr(1+δ)Te2 sheets is a promising approach for designing magnetic van der Waals heterostructures.
Orthogonalization of far-field detection in tapered optical fibers for depth-selective fiber photometry in brain tissue
Authors: Bianco Marco , Pisanello Marco , Balena Antonio , Montinaro Cinzia , Pisano Filippo , Spagnolo Barbara , Sabatini Bernardo L. , De Vittorio Massimo , Pisanello Ferruccio
Published: January 2022

The field of implantable optical neural interfaces has recently enabled the interrogation of neural circuitry with both cell-type specificity and spatial resolution in sub-cortical structures of the mouse brain. This generated the need to integrate multiple optical channels within the same implantable device, motivating the requirement of multiplexing and demultiplexing techniques. In this article, we present an orthogonalization method of the far-field space to introduce mode-division demultiplexing for collecting fluorescence from the implantable tapered optical fibers. This is achieved by exploiting the correlation between the transversal wavevector kt of the guided light and the position of the fluorescent sources along the implant, an intrinsic property of the taper waveguide. On these bases, we define a basis of orthogonal vectors in the Fourier space, each of which is associated with a depth along the taper, to simultaneously detect and demultiplex the collected signal when the probe is implanted in fixed mouse brain tissue. Our approach complements the existing multiplexing techniques used in silicon-based photonics probes with the advantage of a significant simplification of the probe itself.
Magnetic-field-free spin–orbit torque-driven magnetization dynamics in CoFeB/β-W-based nanoelements
Authors: Aryal M. , Choi B. C. , Speliotis Th.
Published: January 2022

A full numerical analysis, which takes into account the effects of the spin Hall effect, interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction, and thermal fluctuations, is carried out in in-plane magnetized CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB/high-resistivity tungsten (β-W) nanoelements. The analysis is focused on the investigation of the underlying mechanisms of magnetic-field-free spin–orbit torque (SOT)-driven magnetization reversal process on subnanosecond time scales. It is found that the magnetization in the free magnetic layer can be electrically toggled between the parallel and antiparallel alignment with respect to the fixed magnetic layer without the assistance of an external magnetic field, in which the out-of-plane canting of the magnetic moments at the element edges plays a significant role in the nucleation and subsequent expansion of the reversed magnetization. Furthermore, the thermally activated magnetization process combined with the SOT effect is found to significantly reduce the effective energy barrier to the magnetization reversal and alter the details of the SOT-driven magnetization process in nanomagnets.
Spatial and temporal evolution of three-dimensional thermovibrational convection in a cubic cavity with various thermal boundary conditions
Authors: Crewdson Georgie , Lappa Marcello
Published: January 2022

Thermovibrational flow in a differentially heated cubic cavity with vibrations applied in a direction parallel to the imposed temperature gradient is investigated by solving numerically the governing equations for mass, momentum, and energy in their original nonlinear form. A parametric analysis is conducted through the stepwise examination of the following degrees of freedom: magnitude of the Rayleigh number and the thermal behavior of the sidewalls. A complete characterization of the emerging time-varying convective structures is attempted in terms of spatial symmetries broken or retained, related temporal evolution, and global parameters, such as the Nusselt number. It is shown that the intrinsically three-dimensional nature of the problem and its sensitivity to the thermal boundary conditions can have a remarkable influence on the multiplicity of emerging solutions and the system temporal response.