bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on remote sensing classification of fruit trees based on Sentinel-2 multi-temporal imageries
Authors: Zhou Xin-Xing , Li Yang-Yang , Luo Yuan-Kai , Sun Ya-Wei , Su Yi-Jun , Tan Chang-Wei , Liu Ya-Ju
Published: July 2022

Accurately obtaining the spatial distribution information of fruit tree planting is of great significance to the development of fruit tree growth monitoring, disease and pest control, and yield estimation. In this study, the Sentenel-2 multispectral remote sensing imageries of different months during the growth period of the fruit trees were used as the data source, and single month vegetation indices, accumulated monthly vegetation indices (∑VIs), and difference vegetation indices between adjacent months (∆VIs) were constructed as input variables. Four conventional vegetation indices of NDVI, PSRI, GNDVI, and RVI and four improved vegetation indices of NDVIre1, NDVIre2, NDVIre3, and NDVIre4 based on the red-edge band were selected to construct a decision tree classification model combined with machine learning technology. Through the analysis of vegetation indices under different treatments and different months, combined with the attribute of Feature_importances_, the vegetation indices of different periods with high contribution were selected as input features, and the Max_depth values of the decision tree model were determined by the hyperparameter learning curve. The results have shown that when the Max_depth value of the decision tree model of the vegetation indices under the three treatments was 6, 8, and 8, the model classification was the best. The accuracy of the three vegetation index processing models on the training set were 0.8936, 0.9153, and 0.8887, and the accuracy on the test set were 0.8355, 0.7611, and 0.7940, respectively. This method could be applied to remote sensing classification of fruit trees in a large area, and could provide effective technical means for monitoring fruit tree planting areas with medium and high resolution remote sensing imageries.
EWAS of post-COVID-19 patients shows methylation differences in the immune-response associated gene, IFI44L, three months after COVID-19 infection
Authors: Lee Yunsung , Riskedal Espen , Kalleberg Karl Trygve , Istre Mette , Lind Andreas , Lund-Johansen Fridtjof , Reiakvam Olaug , Søraas Arne V. L. , Harris Jennifer R. , Dahl John Arne , Hadley Cathrine L. , Jugessur Astanand
Published: July 2022

Although substantial progress has been made in managing COVID-19, it is still difficult to predict a patient’s prognosis. We explored the epigenetic signatures of COVID-19 in peripheral blood using data from an ongoing prospective observational study of COVID-19 called the Norwegian Corona Cohort Study. A series of EWASs were performed to compare the DNA methylation profiles between COVID-19 cases and controls three months post-infection. We also investigated differences associated with severity and long-COVID. Three CpGs—cg22399236, cg03607951, and cg09829636—were significantly hypomethylated (FDR < 0.05) in COVID-19 positive individuals. cg03607951 is located in IFI44L which is involved in innate response to viral infection and several systemic autoimmune diseases. cg09829636 is located in ANKRD9, a gene implicated in a wide variety of cellular processes, including the degradation of IMPDH2. The link between ANKRD9 and IMPDH2 is striking given that IMPDHs are considered therapeutic targets for COVID-19. Furthermore, gene ontology analyses revealed pathways involved in response to viruses. The lack of significant differences associated with severity and long-COVID may be real or reflect limitations in sample size. Our findings support the involvement of interferon responsive genes in the pathophysiology of COVID-19 and indicate a possible link to systemic autoimmune diseases.
Tripling the light extraction efficiency of a deep ultraviolet LED using a nanostructured p-contact
Authors: López-Fraguas Eduardo , Binkowski Felix , Burger Sven , Hagedorn Sylvia , García-Cámara Braulio , Vergaz Ricardo , Becker Christiane , Manley Phillip
Published: July 2022

Despite a wide array of applications, deep ultra-violet light emitting diodes offer relatively poor efficiencies compared to their optical counterparts. A contributing factor is the lower light extraction efficiency due to both highly absorbing p-contacts and total internal reflection. Here, we propose a structure consisting of a hexagonal periodic array of cylindrical nanoholes in the multi-layered p-contact which are filled with platinum. This nanostructure reduces the absorption of the p-contact layer, leading to a higher emission into the n-contact compared to a planar reference. An optimum geometry of the nanostructure allows a light extraction efficiency of 15.0%, much higher than the typical 4.6% of a planar reference. While the nanostructure strongly decreases the light absorption in the p-contact, it is still not able to considerably reduce the total internal reflection. Consequently, the nanostructured p-contact should be combined with other optical strategies, such as nanopatterned sapphire substrates to increase the efficiency even further. Despite this, the nanostructure described in this work provides a readily realizable path to enhancing the light extraction efficiency of state-of-the-art deep ultra-violet light emitting diodes.
Anti-neoplastic action of Cimetidine/Vitamin C on histamine and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in Ehrlich breast cancer
Authors: Ibrahim Sherihan Salaheldin Abdelhamid , El-Aal Sarah A. Abd , Reda Ahmed M. , Achy Samar El , Shahine Yasmine
Published: July 2022

The main focus of our study is to assess the anti-cancer activity of cimetidine and vitamin C via combating the tumor supportive role of mast cell mediators (histamine, VEGF, and TNF-α) within the tumor microenvironment and their effect on the protein kinase A(PKA)/insulin receptor substrate-1(IRS-1)/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/serine/threonine kinase-1 (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) cue in Ehrlich induced breast cancer in mice. In vitro study was carried out to evaluate the anti-proliferative activity and combination index (CI) of the combined drugs. Moreover, the Ehrlich model was induced in mice via subcutaneous injection of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells (EAC) in the mammary fat pad, and then they were left for 9 days to develop obvious solid breast tumor. The combination therapy possessed the best anti-proliferative effect, and a CI < 1 in the MCF7 cell line indicates a synergistic type of drug interaction. Regarding the in vivo study, the combination abated the elevation in the tumor volume, and serum tumor marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level. The serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level and immunohistochemical staining for CD34 as markers of angiogenesis were mitigated. Additionally, it reverted the state of oxidative stress and inflammation. Meanwhile, it caused an increment in apoptosis, which prevents tumor survival. Furthermore, it tackled the elevated histamine and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels, preventing the activation of the (PKA/IRS-1/PI3K/AKT/mTOR) cue. Finally, we concluded that the synergistic combination provided a promising anti-neoplastic effect via reducing the angiogenesis, oxidative stress, increasing apoptosis,as well as inhibiting the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR cue, and suggesting its use as a treatment option for breast cancer.
Aptamer-antibody hybrid ELONA that uses hybridization chain reaction to detect a urinary biomarker EN2 for bladder and prostate cancer
Authors: Kim Eunseon , Kang Minji , Ban Changill
Published: July 2022

We report an EN2-specific (Kd = 8.26 nM) aptamer, and a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked oligonucleotide assay (ELONA) for rapid and sensitive colorimetric detection of bladder and prostate cancer biomarker EN2 in urine. The assay relies on an aptamer-mediated hybridization chain reaction (HCR) to generate DNA nanostructures that bind to EN2 and simultaneously amplify signals. The assay can be performed within 2.5 h, and has a limit of detection of 0.34 nM in buffer and 2.69 nM in artificial urine. Moreover, this assay showed high specificity as it did not detect other urinary proteins, including biomarkers of other cancers. The proposed ELONA is inexpensive, highly reproducible, and has great chemical stability, so it may enable development of a simple, sensitive and accurate diagnostic tool to detect bladder and prostate cancers early.
Hypo-osmotic stress induces the epithelial alarmin IL-33 in the colonic barrier of ulcerative colitis
Authors: Gundersen Mona Dixon , Larsen Kenneth Bowitz , Johnsen Kay Martin , Goll Rasmus , Florholmen Jon , Haraldsen Guttorm
Published: July 2022

Epithelial alarmins are gaining interest as therapeutic targets for chronic inflammation. The nuclear alarmin interleukin-33 (IL-33) is upregulated in the colonic mucosa of acute ulcerative colitis (UC) and may represent an early instigator of the inflammatory cascade. However, it is not clear what signals drive the expression of IL-33 in the colonic mucosa, nor is the exact role of IL-33 elucidated. We established an ex vivo model using endoscopic colonic biopsies from healthy controls and UC patients. Colonic biopsies exposed to hypo-osmotic medium induced a strong nuclear IL-33 expression in colonic crypts in both healthy controls and UC biopsies. Mucosal IL33 mRNA was also significantly increased following hypo-osmotic stress in healthy controls compared to non-stimulated biopsies (fold change 3.9, p-value < 0.02). We observed a modest induction of IL-33 in response to TGF-beta-1 stimulation, whereas responsiveness to inflammatory cytokines TNF and IFN-gamma was negligible. In conclusion our findings indicate that epithelial IL-33 is induced by hypo-osmotic stress, rather than prototypic proinflammatory cytokines in colonic ex vivo biopsies. This is a novel finding, linking a potent cytokine and alarmin of the innate immune system with cellular stress mechanisms and mucosal inflammation.
Performance evaluation of a non-invasive one-step multiplex RT-qPCR assay for detection of SARS-CoV-2 direct from saliva
Authors: Jenkins Harry H. , Lopez Ana A. Tellechea , Tarantini Francesco Saverio , Tomlin Hannah , Scales Danielle , Lee I-Ning , Wu Siyu , Hyde Ralph , Lis-Slimak Katarzyna , Byaruhanga Timothy , Thompson Jamie L. , Pijuan-Galito Sara , Doolan Lara , Kaneko Kazuyo , Gwynne Penny , Reffin Caroline , Park Emily , Dey Jayasree , Hill Jack , Arendt-Tranholm Asta , Stroud Amy , Petrie Moira , Denning Chris , Benest Andrew V. , Seedhouse Claire
Published: July 2022

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has proven to be the gold-standard for SARS-CoV-2 detection in clinical settings. The most common approaches rely on nasopharyngeal specimens obtained from swabs, followed by RNA extraction, reverse transcription and quantitative PCR. Although swab-based PCR is sensitive, swabbing is invasive and unpleasant to administer, reducing patient compliance for regular testing and resulting in an increased risk of improper sampling. To overcome these obstacles, we developed a non-invasive one-step RT-qPCR assay performed directly on saliva specimens. The University of Nottingham Asymptomatic Testing Service protocol simplifies sample collection and bypasses the need for RNA extraction, or additives, thus helping to encourage more regular testing and reducing processing time and costs. We have evaluated the assay against the performance criteria specified by the UK regulatory bodies and attained accreditation (BS EN ISO/IEC 17,025:2017) for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic testing by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service. We observed a sensitivity of 1 viral copy per microlitre of saliva, and demonstrated a concordance of > 99.4% between our results and those of other accredited testing facilities. We concluded that saliva is a stable medium that allows for a highly precise, repeatable, and robust testing method.
Expanding luciferase reporter systems for cell-free protein expression
Authors: Sato Wakana , Rasmussen Melanie , Deich Christopher , Engelhart Aaron E. , Adamala Katarzyna P.
Published: July 2022

Luciferases are often used as a sensitive, versatile reporter in cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) systems, for research and practical applications such as engineering genetic parts, validating genetic circuits, and biosensor outputs. Currently, only two luciferases (Firefly and Renilla) are commonly used without substrate cross-talk. Here we demonstrate the expansion of the cell-free luciferase reporter system, with two orthogonal luciferase reporters: N. nambi luciferase (Luz) and LuxAB. These luciferases do not have cross-reactivity with the Firefly and Renilla substrates. We also demonstrate a substrate regeneration pathway for one of the new luciferases, enabling long-term time courses of protein expression monitoring in the cell-free system. Furthermore, we reduced the number of genes required in TXTL expression, by engineering a cell extract containing part of the luciferase enzymes. Our findings lead to an expanded platform with multiple orthogonal luminescence translation readouts for in vitro protein expression.
Extreme value theory inspires explainable machine learning approach for seizure detection
Authors: Karpov Oleg E. , Grubov Vadim V. , Maksimenko Vladimir A. , Kurkin Semen A. , Smirnov Nikita M. , Utyashev Nikita P. , Andrikov Denis A. , Shusharina Natalia N. , Hramov Alexander E.
Published: July 2022

Epilepsy is one of the brightest manifestations of extreme behavior in living systems. Extreme epileptic events are seizures, that arise suddenly and unpredictably. Usually, treatment strategies start by analyzing brain activity during the seizures revealing their type and onset mechanisms. This approach requires collecting data for a representative number of events which is only possible during the continuous EEG monitoring over several days. A big part of the further analysis is searching for seizures on these recordings. An experienced medical specialist spends hours checking the data of a single patient and needs assistance from the automative systems for seizure detection. Machine learning methods typically address this issue in a supervised fashion and exhibit a lack of generalization. The extreme value theory allows addressing this issue with the unsupervised machine learning methods of outlier detection. Here, we make the first step toward using this approach for the seizure detection. Based on our recent work, we specified the EEG features showing extreme behavior during seizures and loaded them to the one-class SVM, a popular outlier detection algorithm. Testing the proposed approach on 83 patients, we reported 77% sensitivity and 12% precision. In 60 patients, sensitivity was 100%. In the rest 23 subjects, we observed deviations from the extreme behavior. The one-class SVM used a single subject’s data for training; therefore, it was stable against between-subject variability. Our results demonstrate an effective convergence between the extreme value theory, a physical concept, and the outlier detection algorithms, a machine learning concept, toward solving the meaningful task of medicine.
Endothelial reactive oxygen-forming NADPH oxidase 5 is a possible player in diabetic aortic aneurysm but not atherosclerosis
Authors: Ho Florence , Watson Anna M. D. , Elbatreek Mahmoud H. , Kleikers Pamela W. M. , Khan Waheed , Sourris Karly C. , Dai Aozhi , Jha Jay , Schmidt Harald H. H. W. , Jandeleit-Dahm Karin A. M.
Published: July 2022

Atherosclerosis and its complications are major causes of cardiovascular morbidity and death. Apart from risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia and inflammation, the causal molecular mechanisms are unknown. One proposed causal mechanism involves elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Indeed, early expression of the ROS forming NADPH oxidase type 5 (Nox5) in vascular endothelial cells correlates with atherosclerosis and aortic aneurysm. Here we test the pro-atherogenic Nox5 hypothesis using mouse models. Because Nox5 is missing from the mouse genome, a knock-in mouse model expressing human Nox5 in its physiological location of endothelial cells (eNOX5ki/ki) was tested as a possible new humanised mouse atherosclerosis model. However, whether just on a high cholesterol diet or by crossing in aortic atherosclerosis-prone ApoE−/− mice with and without induction of diabetes, Nox5 neither induced on its own nor aggravated aortic atherosclerosis. Surprisingly, however, diabetic ApoE−/− x eNOX5ki/ki mice developed aortic aneurysms more than twice as often correlating with lower vascular collagens, as assessed by trichrome staining, without changes in inflammatory gene expression, suggesting that endothelial Nox5 directly affects extracellular matrix remodelling associated with aneurysm formation in diabetes. Thus Nox5-derived reactive oxygen species are not a new independent mechanism of atherosclerosis but may enhance the frequency of abdominal aortic aneurysms in the context of diabetes. Together with similar clinical findings, our preclinical target validation opens up a first-in-class mechanism-based approach to treat or even prevent abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Prior exposure to microcystin alters host gut resistome and is associated with dysregulated immune homeostasis in translatable mouse models
Authors: Saha Punnag , Bose Dipro , Stebliankin Vitalii , Cickovski Trevor , Seth Ratanesh K. , Porter Dwayne E. , Brooks Bryan W. , Mathee Kalai , Narasimhan Giri , Colwell Rita , Scott Geoff I. , Chatterjee Saurabh
Published: July 2022

A strong association between exposure to the common harmful algal bloom toxin microcystin and the altered host gut microbiome has been shown. We tested the hypothesis that prior exposure to the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR may alter the host resistome. We show that the mice exposed to microcystin-LR had an altered microbiome signature that harbored antibiotic resistance genes. Host resistome genotypes such as mefA, msrD, mel, ant6, and tet40 increased in diversity and relative abundance following microcystin-LR exposure. Interestingly, the increased abundance of these genes was traced to resistance to common antibiotics such as tetracycline, macrolides, glycopeptide, and aminoglycosides, crucial for modern-day treatment of several diseases. Increased abundance of these genes was positively associated with increased expression of PD1, a T-cell homeostasis marker, and pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine IL-6 with a concomitant negative association with immunosurveillance markers IL-7 and TLR2. Microcystin-LR exposure also caused decreased TLR2, TLR4, and REG3G expressions, increased immunosenescence, and higher systemic levels of IL-6 in both wild-type and humanized mice. In conclusion, the results show a first-ever characterization of the host resistome following microcystin-LR exposure and its connection to host immune status and antimicrobial resistance that can be crucial to understand treatment options with antibiotics in microcystin-exposed subjects in clinical settings.
Patients deriving long-term benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors demonstrate conserved patterns of site-specific mutations
Authors: Principe Daniel R.
Published: July 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy and are now the preferred treatment for several tumor types. Though ICIs have shown remarkable efficacy in several cancer histologies, in many cases providing long-term disease control, not all patients will derive clinical benefit from such approaches. Given the lack of a reliable predictive biomarker for therapeutic responses to ICIs, we conducted a retrospective analysis of publicly available genomic data from a large pan-cancer cohort of patients receiving ICI-based immunotherapy. Consistent with previous results, patients in the combined cohort deriving a long-term survival benefit from ICIs were more likely to have a higher tumor mutational burden (TMB). However, this was not uniform across tumor-types, failing to predict for long-term survivorship in most non-melanoma cancers. Interestingly, long-term survivors in most cancers had conserved patterns of mutations affecting several genes. In melanoma, this included mutations affecting TET1 or PTPRD. In patients with colorectal cancer, mutations affecting TET1, RNF43, NCOA3, LATS1, NOTCH3, or CREBBP were also associated with improved prognosis, as were mutations affecting PTPRD, EPHA7, NTRK3, or ZFHX3 in non-small cell lung cancer, RNF43, LATS1, or CREBBP mutations in bladder cancer, and VHL mutations in renal cell carcinoma patients. Thus, this study identified several genes that may have utility as predictive biomarkers for therapeutic responses in patients receiving ICIs. As many have no known relationship to immunotherapy or ICIs, these genes warrant continued exploration, particularly for cancers in which established biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression or TMB have little predictive value.
Impact of walking speed and motion adaptation on optokinetic nystagmus-like head movements in the blowfly Calliphora
Authors: Longden Kit D. , Schützenberger Anna , Hardcastle Ben J. , Krapp Holger G.
Published: July 2022

The optokinetic nystagmus is a gaze-stabilizing mechanism reducing motion blur by rapid eye rotations against the direction of visual motion, followed by slower syndirectional eye movements minimizing retinal slip speed. Flies control their gaze through head turns controlled by neck motor neurons receiving input directly, or via descending neurons, from well-characterized directional-selective interneurons sensitive to visual wide-field motion. Locomotion increases the gain and speed sensitivity of these interneurons, while visual motion adaptation in walking animals has the opposite effects. To find out whether flies perform an optokinetic nystagmus, and how it may be affected by locomotion and visual motion adaptation, we recorded head movements of blowflies on a trackball stimulated by progressive and rotational visual motion. Flies flexibly responded to rotational stimuli with optokinetic nystagmus-like head movements, independent of their locomotor state. The temporal frequency tuning of these movements, though matching that of the upstream directional-selective interneurons, was only mildly modulated by walking speed or visual motion adaptation. Our results suggest flies flexibly control their gaze to compensate for rotational wide-field motion by a mechanism similar to an optokinetic nystagmus. Surprisingly, the mechanism is less state-dependent than the response properties of directional-selective interneurons providing input to the neck motor system.
Sex-specific cardiometabolic risk markers of left ventricular mass in physically active young adults: the CHIEF heart study
Authors: Tsai Kun-Zhe , Liu Pang-Yen , Huang Wei-Chun , Lima Joao A. C. , Lavie Carl J. , Lin Gen-Min
Published: July 2022

Greater physical fitness may lead to greater left ventricular mass (LVM) and reduce the effect of cardiometabolic risk factors on LVM. However, the cardiometabolic biomarkers associations for LVM have not been clarified in physically active young adults. This study included 2019 men and 253 women, aged 18–43 years, from the military in Taiwan. All participants underwent anthropometric and blood metabolic markers measurements, and completed a 3000-m run test for assessing fitness. LVM was calculated on the basis of an echocardiography. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the sex-specific associations between cardiometabolic risk markers and LVM indexed for the body height (g/m2.7). In men, age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), 3000-m running time, serum triglycerides, serum uric acid and waist circumference (WC) were correlated with LVM index (β = 0.07, 0.10, − 0.01, 0.01, 0.24 and 0.24, respectively; all p-values < 0.05). The correlations were not significant for fasting plasma glucose, total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In women, SBP, HDL-C and WC were correlated with LVM index in the univariate analysis (β = 0.07, − 0.05 and 0.32, respectively; all p-values < 0.05), whereas the correlation was only significant for WC in the multiple linear regression analysis (β = 0.20; p-value < 0.001). In physically active adults, the associations of cardiometabolic risk markers with LVM might vary by sex. Better endurance exercise performance associated with greater LVM was noted only in men, while greater WC was the only metabolic risk marker for greater LVM in both men and women.
The global, regional and national burden of stomach cancer and its attributable risk factors from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Song Yexun , Liu Xiajing , Cheng Wenwei , Li Heqing , Zhang Decai
Published: July 2022

We aimed to estimate the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of stomach cancer at the global, regional, and national levels. Stomach cancer resulted in 1.3 million (1.2–1.4 million) incident cases, 9.5 hundred thousand (8.7–10.4 hundred thousand) deaths, and 22.2 million (20.3–24.1 million) DALYs in 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate, death rate and DALY rate were 15.6 (14.1–17.2), 11.9 (10.8–12.8), and 268.4 (245.5–290.6) per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Between 1990 and 2019, the global age-standardized incidence rate, death rate, and DALY rate decreased by − 30.5% (− 36.7 to − 22.9), − 41.9% (− 47.2 to − 36.3), and − 45.6% (− 50.8 to − 39.8), respectively. In 2019, most of the global numbers of incidence, death and DALYs were higher among males than females. A considerable burden of stomach cancer was attributable to smoking and a high-sodium diet. Although the global age-standardized incidence and death rates have decreased, continued growth in absolute numbers in some regions, especially in East Asia, poses a major global public health challenge. To address this, public health responses should be tailored to fit each country’s unique situation. Primary and secondary prevention strategies with increased effectiveness are required to reduce the incidence and mortality of stomach cancer, particularly in populations with a high disease burden.
General circulation and global heat transport in a quadrupling CO2 pulse experiment
Authors: An Soon-Il , Park So-Eun , Shin Jongsoo , Yang Young-Min , Yeh Sang-Wook , Son Seok-Woo , Kug Jong-Seong
Published: July 2022

To investigate the response of the general circulation and global transport of heat through both atmosphere and ocean to two-types of carbon dioxide removal scenario, we performed an earth system model experiment in which we imposed a pulse-type quadrupling of CO2 forcing for 50 years and a gradual peak-and-decline of four-time CO2 forcing. We found that the results from two experiments are qualitatively similar to each other. During the forcing-on period, a dominant warming in the upper troposphere over the tropics and on the surface at high latitudes led to a slowdown in the Hadley circulation, but the poleward atmospheric energy transport was enhanced due to an increase in specific humidity. This counteracted the reduction in poleward oceanic energy transport owing to the suppression of the meridional overturning circulation in both Hemispheres. After returning the original CO2 level, the hemispheric thermal contrast was reversed, causing a southward shift of the intertropical convergence zone. To reduce the hemispheric thermal contrast, the northward energy transports in the atmosphere and ocean surface were enhanced while further weakening of the global-scale Atlantic meridional overturning circulation led to southward energy transport in the deep ocean.
Smooth muscle protein 22α-Cre recombination in resting cardiac fibroblasts and hematopoietic precursors
Authors: Ikeda Shinya , Sugioka Sachiko , Kimura Takeshi , Ashida Noboru
Published: July 2022

The Cre-loxP system has been widely used for cell- or organ-specific gene manipulation, but it is important to precisely understand what kind of cells the recombination takes place in. Smooth muscle 22α (SM22α)-Cre mice have been utilized to alter genes in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), activated fibroblasts or cardiomyocytes (CMs). Moreover, previous reports indicated that SM22α-Cre is expressed in adipocytes, platelets or myeloid cells. However, there have been no report of whether SM22α-Cre recombination takes place in nonCMs in hearts. Thus, we used the double-fluorescent Cre reporter mouse in which GFP is expressed when recombination occurs. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that recombination occurred in resting cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) or macrophages, as well as VSMCs and CMs. Flow cytometry showed that some CFs, resident macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, and B cells were positive for GFP. These results prompted us to analyze bone marrow cells, and we observed GFP-positive hematopoietic precursor cells (HPCs). Taken together, these results indicated that SM22α-Cre-mediated recombination occurs in resting CFs and hematopoietic cell lineages, including HPCs, which is a cautionary point when using SM22α-Cre mice.
Evaluation of polyvinyl chloride adhesion to 2D crystal flakes
Authors: Wakafuji Yusai , Onodera Momoko , Masubuchi Satoru , Moriya Rai , Zhang Yijin , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Machida Tomoki
Published: July 2022

We investigated the adhesion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to 2D crystal flakes on SiO2/Si substrates. Although the anchoring effect cannot be used to explain adhesion to atomically flat surfaces, PVC is sufficiently strongly adhesive to 2D crystal flake surfaces to allow pickup from SiO2/Si substrates via surface contact alone. Results of the pickup test, whether pickup is possible or impossible, were plotted on a map of contact surface area ratio vs. contact edge length ratio, which allowed us to identify the conditions under which flakes can be picked up using PVC and to discuss the adhesion strengths of the surface and edge. This study provides a method for the evaluation of adhesion forces between polymers and 2D flakes and demonstrates that PVC is a useful polymer for deterministic transfer and versatile manipulation of 2D flakes.
The performance of artificial intelligence-driven technologies in diagnosing mental disorders: an umbrella review
Authors: Abd-alrazaq Alaa , Alhuwail Dari , Schneider Jens , Toro Carla T. , Ahmed Arfan , Alzubaidi Mahmood , Alajlani Mohannad , Househ Mowafa
Published: July 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been successfully exploited in diagnosing many mental disorders. Numerous systematic reviews summarize the evidence on the accuracy of AI models in diagnosing different mental disorders. This umbrella review aims to synthesize results of previous systematic reviews on the performance of AI models in diagnosing mental disorders. To identify relevant systematic reviews, we searched 11 electronic databases, checked the reference list of the included reviews, and checked the reviews that cited the included reviews. Two reviewers independently selected the relevant reviews, extracted the data from them, and appraised their quality. We synthesized the extracted data using the narrative approach. We included 15 systematic reviews of 852 citations identified. The included reviews assessed the performance of AI models in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (n = 7), mild cognitive impairment (n = 6), schizophrenia (n = 3), bipolar disease (n = 2), autism spectrum disorder (n = 1), obsessive-compulsive disorder (n = 1), post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 1), and psychotic disorders (n = 1). The performance of the AI models in diagnosing these mental disorders ranged between 21% and 100%. AI technologies offer great promise in diagnosing mental health disorders. The reported performance metrics paint a vivid picture of a bright future for AI in this field. Healthcare professionals in the field should cautiously and consciously begin to explore the opportunities of AI-based tools for their daily routine. It would also be encouraging to see a greater number of meta-analyses and further systematic reviews on performance of AI models in diagnosing other common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety.
A kinetic descriptor for the electrolyte effect on the oxygen reduction kinetics on Pt(111)
Authors: Luo Mingchuan , Koper Marc T. M.
Published: July 2022

Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells demand efficient electrode–electrolyte interfaces to catalyse the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the kinetics of which depends on the energetics of surface adsorption and on electrolyte environment. Here we show an unanticipated effect of non-specifically adsorbed anions on the ORR kinetics on a Pt(111) electrode; these trends do not follow the usual ORR descriptor, that is *OH binding energy. We propose a voltammetry-accessible descriptor, namely reversibility of the *O ↔ *OH transition. This descriptor tracks the dependence of ORR rates on electrolyte, including the concentration/identity of anions in acidic media, cations in alkaline media and the effect of ionomers. We propose a model that relates the ORR rate on Pt(111) to the rate of the *O to *OH transition, in addition to the thermodynamic *OH binding energy descriptor. Our model also rationalizes different trends for the ORR rate on stepped Pt surfaces in acidic versus alkaline media.
Min waves without MinC can pattern FtsA-anchored FtsZ filaments on model membranes
Authors: Godino Elisa , Doerr Anne , Danelon Christophe
Published: July 2022

Although the essential proteins that drive bacterial cytokinesis have been identified, the precise mechanisms by which they dynamically interact to enable symmetrical division are largely unknown. In Escherichia coli, cell division begins with the formation of a proto-ring composed of FtsZ and its membrane-tethering proteins FtsA and ZipA. In the broadly proposed molecular scenario for ring positioning, Min waves composed of MinD and MinE distribute the FtsZ-polymerization inhibitor MinC away from mid-cell, where the Z-ring can form. Therefore, MinC is believed to be an essential element connecting the Min and FtsZ subsystems. Here, by combining cell-free protein synthesis with planar lipid membranes and microdroplets, we demonstrate that MinDE drive the formation of dynamic, antiphase patterns of FtsA-anchored FtsZ filaments even in the absence of MinC. These results suggest that Z-ring positioning may be achieved with a more minimal set of proteins than previously envisaged, providing a fresh perspective about synthetic cell division.
Semaphorin 3A: A potential target for prevention and treatment of nickel allergy
Authors: Liu Lipei , Watanabe Megumi , Minami Norikazu , Yunizar Mohammad Fadyl , Ichikawa Tetsuo
Published: July 2022

Metal allergy is one of the typical immune disorders encountered during the application of dental/medical materials and has a highly complex pathogenic mechanism. Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A), a member of the semaphorin family, is reported to be involved in various immune disorders. However, its role in metal allergy has not been clarified yet. Herein, we show that Sema3A expression was upregulated in nickel (Ni) allergy-induced mouse ear tissue and in NiCl2-stimulated mouse keratinocytes. Moreover, Sema3A regulated tumor necrosis factor-alpha production and mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in keratinocytes. The specific deletion of Sema3A in keratinocytes did not affect immune cell infiltration but reduced edema and ear swelling; it also impeded Th1 responses to cause a slight alleviation in Ni allergy in mice. Our results demonstrate that Sema3A promotes the development of metal allergy and should be explored as a potential target for the prevention and treatment of metal allergy.
Role of volatiles in highly explosive basaltic eruptions
Authors: La Spina Giuseppe , Arzilli Fabio , Burton Mike R. , Polacci Margherita , Clarke Amanda B.
Published: July 2022

Water and carbon dioxide are the most abundant volatile components in terrestrial magmas. As they exsolve into magmatic vapour, they promote magma buoyancy, accelerating ascent and modulating eruptive dynamics. It is commonly thought that an increase in pre-eruptive volatile content produces an increase in eruption intensity. Using a conduit model for basaltic eruptions, covering the upper 6 km of conduit, we show that for the same chamber conditions mass eruption rate is not affected by CO2 content, whereas an increase in H2O up to 10 wt.% produces an increase in eruption rate of an order of magnitude. It is only when CO2 is injected in the magma reservoir from an external source that the resulting pressurisation will generate a strong increase in eruption rate. Results also show that ascent velocity and fragmentation depth are strongly affected by pre-eruptive volatile contents demonstrating a link between volatile content and eruptive style.
Theoretical identification and understanding of catalytic active sites for water splitting reactions
Authors: Liu Junxian , Wang Yun
Published: July 2022

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a promising approach for clean hydrogen fuel production to satisfy the needs of sustainable and renewable energy. Many efforts have been devoted to developing efficient and economic technologies for water splitting. Theoretical identification and understanding of catalytic active sites at the atomic level are essential for advancing overall water splitting technologies. This chapter briefly introduces the density functional theory (DFT) method applied in this developing field. Using some examples from recent studies, the principles and applications of the computational hydrogen electrode (CHE) method for identifying and understanding the active sites of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction are discussed. This chapter further highlights the approaches beyond the CHE method due to the challenges caused by the complexity and the dynamic nature of the water splitting processes in electrified electrode–electrolyte interfaces.
Chemically labeled ThUBD permits rapid and super-sensitive imaging of polyubiquitination signals
Authors: Xiao Weidi , Huang Shuai , Gao Yuan , Liu Tong , Li Naikang , Sui Xinying , Wang Yonghong , Yang Guan , Chang Lei , Kang Xianjiang , Duan Changzhu , Qin Weijie , Xu Ping , Li Yanchang
Published: July 2022

The ThUBD-HRP probe and the consequential developed TUF-WB+ method can detect polyubiquitination signal through one-step incubation with hypersensitivity, unbiased detection and a shorter operation time compared with the antibody method.
Homocysteine-specific fluorescence detection and quantification for evaluating S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase activity
Authors: Gao Chunyu , Ding Ziyi , Tan Jiangkun , You Jinmao , Li Zan
Published: July 2022

The medium Ks value of copper complex contributed to the specific reduction of Cu2+ by homocysteine and the formation of a stable six-membered ring species.
Application of pyrrolo-protected amino aldehydes in the stereoselective synthesis of anti-1,2-amino alcohols
Authors: Sauer Maria , Beemelmanns Christine
Published: July 2022

Application of the 2,5-dimethylpyrrolo unit as a protecting group in the highly diastereoselective synthesis of anti-amino alcohols (63–90% yields with up to 20 : 1 dr).
Tumor microenvironment responsive nanocarriers for gene therapy
Authors: Li Yanhua , Tang Kun , Zhang Xia , Pan Wei , Li Na , Tang Bo
Published: July 2022

Stimulus conditions and stimuli responsive nanocarriers in the TME for cancer gene therapy were highlighted. Some suggestions for constructing new stimuli responsive nanocarriers were recommended to improve gene delivery and enhance cancer therapy.
Regulable cross-coupling of alcohols and benzothiazolesviaa noble-metal-free photocatalyst under visible light
Authors: Pan Zi-Tong , Qi Xu-Kuan , Xiao Qian , Liang Xi-Wen , Zhong Jian-Ji , Jian Jing-Xin , Tong Qing-Xiao
Published: July 2022

This work demonstrated a regulable cross-coupling of alcohols with benzothiazole under visible light. Two kinds of products, alkyl- and acetyl-derived benzothiazoles, are achieved with high yields up to 99% in Ar and 90% in air, respectively.
Temperature-dependent behavior in the local structure of BaTiO3 nanocrystals
Authors: Cottingham Patrick , Brutchey Richard L.
Published: July 2022

We use pair distribution function analysis of synchrotron X-ray total scattering data to inspect the local structure of BaTiO3 nanocrystals from 253 K < T < 413 K.
Correction: A 3-dimensional {42·84} lvt net built from a ditopic bis(3,2′:6′,3′′-terpyridine) tecton bearing long alkyl tails
Authors: Klein Y. Maximilian , Constable Edwin C. , Housecroft Catherine E. , Prescimone Alessandro
Published: July 2022

Correction for ‘A 3-dimensional {42·84} lvt net built from a ditopic bis(3,2′:6′,3′′-terpyridine) tecton bearing long alkyl tails’ by Y. Maximilian Klein et al., CrystEngComm, 2015, 17, 2070–2073, https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CE02347A.
Photoelectron spectroscopy of cryogenically cooled NiO2−via slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging
Authors: Babin Mark C. , DeWitt Martin , Lau Jascha A. , Weichman Marissa L. , Kim Jongjin B. , Cheng Lan , Neumark Daniel M.
Published: July 2022

High-resolution anion photoelectron spectra of cryogenically cooled NiO2− anions, obtained using slow photoelectron velocity-map imaging (cryo-SEVI), are presented in tandem with coupled cluster electronic structure calculations including relativistic effects.
Designing the structure and relevant properties of semiclathrate hydrates by partly asymmetric alkylammonium salts
Authors: Muromachi Sanehiro , Kida Masato , Morimoto Masato , Yamane Shogo , Takeya Satoshi
Published: July 2022

Semiclathrate hydrates of N4445Br and N3444Br have been characterized by a suite of chemical analyses. The structure and properties of semiclathrates have been controlled by asymmetric ionic guests.
Discovery of CRBN as a target of thalidomide: a breakthrough for progress in the development of protein degraders
Authors: Yamamoto Junichi , Ito Takumi , Yamaguchi Yuki , Handa Hiroshi
Published: July 2022

Thalidomide and its derivatives are the only protein degraders currently used in clinical practice. This tutorial review provides an overview of the mechanism of action of thalidomide-based degraders and their future perspectives.
Hydronium ion and water complexes vs. methanol on solid catalyst surfaces: how confinement influences stability and reactivity
Authors: Li Zheng , Dittmann Daniel , Rieg Carolin , Benz Michael , Dyballa Michael
Published: July 2022

Nature and stability of adsorbed water species on typical solid catalysts are assigned and their stability against desorption is compared with methanol by using quantitative 1H MAS NMR spectroscopy.
Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped CeO2 nanorods for efficient photocatalytic VOCs degradation
Authors: Yang Hui , Jia Lu , Haraguchi Jun , Wang Yue , Xu Bin , Zhang Qitao , Nan Zhaodong , Zhang Ming , Ohno Teruhisa
Published: July 2022

Nitrogen and sulfur-co-doped ceria with a regular nanorod morphology was prepared by one-step calcination treatment. N and S dopants can generate new impurity level states and promote the photocatalytic performance of CeO2 for VOCs degradation.
Solid-state cross-coupling reactions of insoluble aryl halides under polymer-assisted grinding conditions
Authors: Kubota Koji , Seo Tamae , Ito Hajime
Published: July 2022

The efficiency of challenging solid-state cross-coupling of insoluble aryl halides was improved by the addition of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a POLAG additive under high-temperature ball-milling conditions.
Iodine-induced electrical conductivity of novel columnar lanthanide metal–organic frameworks based on a butterfly-shaped π-extended tetrathiafulvalene ligand
Authors: Gordillo Monica A. , Benavides Paola A. , McMillen Colin , Saha Sourav
Published: July 2022

Novel columnar lanthanide metal–organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) based on a butterfly-shaped electron-rich π-extended tetrathiafulvalene ligand (ExTTFTB) were synthesized and their electronic properties were investigated.
Effect of crystal size on the acidity of nanometric Y zeolite: number of sites, strength, acid nature, and dehydration of 2-propanol
Authors: Mendoza Merlano C. J. , Zepeda T. A. , Alonso-Nuñez G. , Diaz de Leon J. Noe , Manrique C. , Echavarría Isaza A.
Published: July 2022

Crystallinity damage in acid Y zeolite affects the direct relationship between the number of acid sites or conversion of 2-propanol and the zeolite size and the selectivity of 2-propene in nanosized Y zeolite.
Size effect of Co–N–C-functionalized mesoporous silica hollow nanoreactors on the catalytic performance for the selective oxidation of ethylbenzene
Authors: Yi Chengfeng , Zhang Lushuang , Xiang Ganghua , Liu Zhigang
Published: July 2022

Only the nanoreactor with suitable void size can achieve an ideal balance between enrichment and diffusion and display superior catalytic performance.
Internal dual-emissive carbon dots for the double-signal detection of procainamide
Authors: Zhu Xiaolan , Zhang Zilong , Wang Xiang , Chen Piao , Chen Yaping , Fan Kun , Luo Pan , Yang Rui , Peng Jingdong
Published: July 2022

We fabricated internal dual-emission carbon dots (CDs) using a facile hydrothermal treatment of eosin Y and ethylenediamine (EDA).
Development, optimization and validation of modified QuEChERS based UPLC-MS/MS for simultaneous determination of nine steroid hormones in milk powder and milk
Authors: Zhang Jia , Xu Liwei , Xu Xinxin , Wu Xiaoling , Kuang Hua , Xu Chuanlai
Published: July 2022

The simultaneous detection of six estrogens (E1, E2, E3, EE, DES, HEX), two glucocorticoids (DXMS, HC), and 17α-hydoxyprogesterone (OHP).
Polypyrrole and a polypyrrole/nickel oxide composite – single-walled carbon nanotube enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light
Authors: Chakraborty Prasenjit , Ahamed Sk. Taheruddin , Mandal Pinaki , Mondal Anup , Banerjee Dipali
Published: July 2022

A novel NiO/PPy/SWCNT composite for removal of organic dyes with an emphasis on the effect of photocatalytic charge carrier transport and photoluminescence properties.
Hydrothermal treatment as a means of improving the solubility and enhancing the diaCEST MRI contrast efficiency
Authors: Pandey Shalini , Keerthana Anil C. , Madhulika Swati , Prasad Punit , Peruncheralathan S. , Ghosh Arindam
Published: July 2022

Carbon dot formation through the hydrothermal treatment of amino-thioamide improves the diaCEST contrast efficiency.
Sheet-like porous MoO2/MoP nanoparticles as counter electrocatalysts for dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Wang Xinyu , Zhang Qingxiao , Wang Wen , Zhang Hui , Wang Jie , Yang Qun , Zuo Xueqin , Li Guang , Jin Shaowei
Published: July 2022

The interfacial MoO2/MoP with high power conversion efficiency promotes the development of a low-power environmental-friendly Pt-free counter electrode.
Self-assembled morphologies of polyelectrolyte-grafted nanoparticles directed by oppositely charged polymer matrices
Authors: Hao Qing-Hai , Cheng Jie , Yang Fan , Tan Hong-Ge
Published: July 2022

Self-assembled structure of polymer grafted nanoparticles is an interesting and growing subject in the field of hybrid electronics and high energy density materials.
Antibacterial and plant growth-promoting properties of novel Fe3O4/Cu/CuO magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Liu Zhifeng , Guo Shaobo , Fang Xun , Shao Xianzhao , Zhao Zuoping
Published: July 2022

In this work, an Fe3O4/Cu/CuO (FC) antibacterial nano-agent was synthesized in a “one-pot” approach using copper sulfate and ferric chloride as raw materials, and it was studied using TEM, XRD, XPS, UV-vis, and VSM methods.
PdPbAg alloy NPs immobilized on reduced graphene oxide/In2O3 composites as highly active electrocatalysts for direct ethylene glycol fuel cells
Authors: Wu Zhirui , Zhong Yuting , Wang Zhiguo , Li Ling , Liu Xiaoguang
Published: July 2022

rGO-modified indium oxide (In2O3) anchored PdPbAg nanoalloy composites (PdPbAg@rGO/In2O3) were prepared by a facile hydrothermal, annealing and reduction method.
Organic radicals with inversion of SOMO and HOMO energies and potential applications in optoelectronics
Authors: Kasemthaveechok Sitthichok , Abella Laura , Crassous Jeanne , Autschbach Jochen , Favereau Ludovic
Published: July 2022

Recent experimental and theoretical results on SHI organic radicals are reported with electronic and structural insights regarding the key parameters leading to this specific (non-aufbau) electronic configuration.