bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural and Functional Characterization of the Tongue and Digestive Tract ofPsammophis sibilans(Squamata, Lamprophiidae): Adaptive Strategies for Foraging and Feeding Behaviors
Authors: El-Mansi Ahmed A. , Al-Kahtani Mohamed A. , Abumandour Mohamed M. A. , Ahmed Ahmed E.
Published: May 2020

We describe the morphological adaptations of the tongue and gastrointestinal tract of the striped sand snakePsammophis sibilansand discuss their functional importance. Using standard histological, histochemical, and scanning electron microscopy techniques, we analyzed 11 adult snakes of both sexes. Our findings showed that the bifurcated non-papillate tongue exhibited chemoreceptive adaptions to squamate foraging behavior. The lingual apex tapered terminally with sensory spines, and the body of the tongue possesses a characteristic central odor–receptor chamber that might serve to trap and retain scent molecules. Furthermore, the intrinsic musculature showed interwoven and well-developed transverse, vertical and longitudinal muscle fibers that control contraction and retraction during probing and flicking. The esophagus displayed highly folded mucosa lined with columnar epithelium with goblet cells. In contrast, the stomach mucosa formed finger-like gastric rugae, encompassing tubular glands with dorsal gastric pits. The intestine is distinct from other vertebrates in lacking the crypts of Lieberkühn in the tunica mucosa and submucosa. The intestine mucosa is mostly arranged in interdigitating villi oriented perpendicular to the luminal surface. We extrapolated subtle variations for both acid and neutral mucopolysaccharides and glycoproteins localization as well as collagen fibers using histochemical analyses. The elaborate histo-morphological and functional adaptation of the tongue and digestive tract plays a pivotal role in foraging and feeding behavior.
Your Face and Moves Seem Happier When I Smile
Authors: Marmolejo-Ramos Fernando , Murata Aiko , Sasaki Kyoshiro , Yamada Yuki , Ikeda Ayumi , Hinojosa José A. , Watanabe Katsumi , Parzuchowski Michal , Tirado Carlos , Ospina Raydonal
Published: May 2020

Abstract. In this experiment, we replicated the effect of muscle engagement on perception such that the recognition of another’s facial expressions was biased by the observer’s facial muscular activity (Blaesi & Wilson, 2010). We extended this replication to show that such a modulatory effect is also observed for the recognition of dynamic bodily expressions. Via a multilab and within-subjects approach, we investigated the emotion recognition of point-light biological walkers, along with that of morphed face stimuli, while subjects were or were not holding a pen in their teeth. Under the “pen-in-the-teeth” condition, participants tended to lower their threshold of perception of happy expressions in facial stimuli compared to the “no-pen” condition, thus replicating the experiment by Blaesi and Wilson (2010). A similar effect was found for the biological motion stimuli such that participants lowered their threshold to perceive happy walkers in the pen-in-the-teeth condition compared to the no-pen condition. This pattern of results was also found in a second experiment in which the no-pen condition was replaced by a situation in which participants held a pen in their lips (“pen-in-lips” condition). These results suggested that facial muscular activity alters the recognition of not only facial expressions but also bodily expressions.
Saturn's Rings as a Seismograph to Probe Saturn's Internal Structure
Authors: Mankovich Christopher R.
Published: May 2020

As it has already done for Earth, the Sun, and the stars, seismology has the potential to radically change the way the interiors of giant planets are studied. In a sequence of events foreseen by only a few, observations of Saturn's rings by the Cassini spacecraft have rapidly broken ground on giant planet seismology. Gravity directly couples the planet's normal mode oscillations to the orbits of ring particles, generating spiral waves whose frequencies encode Saturn's internal structure and rotation. These modes have revealed a stably stratified region near Saturn's center and provided a new constraint on Saturn's rotation.
Evaluation of Data‐Based Estimates of Anthropogenic Carbon in the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Terhaar J. , Tanhua T. , Stöven T. , Orr J. C. , Bopp L.
Published: May 2020

The Arctic Ocean is particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification, a process that is mainly driven by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon (Cant) from the atmosphere. Although Cant concentrations cannot be measured directly in the ocean, they have been estimated using data‐based methods such as the transient time distribution (TTD) approach, which characterizes the ventilation of water masses with inert transient tracers, such as CFC‐12. Here, we evaluate the TTD approach in the Arctic Ocean using an eddying ocean model as a test bed. When the TTD approach is applied to simulated CFC‐12 in that model, it underestimates the same model's directly simulated Cant concentrations by up to 12%, a bias that stems from its idealized assumption of gas equilibrium between atmosphere and surface water, both for CFC‐12 and anthropogenic CO2. Unlike the idealized assumption, the simulated partial pressure of CFC‐12 (pCFC‐12) in Arctic surface waters is undersaturated relative to that in the atmosphere in regions and times of deep‐water formation, while the simulated equivalent for Cant is supersaturated. After accounting for the TTD approach's negative bias, the total amount of Cant in the Arctic Ocean in 2005 increases by 8% to 3.3 ± 0.3 Pg C. By combining the adjusted TTD approach with scenarios of future atmospheric CO2, it is estimated that all Arctic waters, from surface to depth, would become corrosive to aragonite by the middle of the next century even if atmospheric CO2 could be stabilized at 540 ppm.
Constraining Millennial‐Scale Changes in Northern Component Water Ventilation in the Western Tropical South Atlantic
Authors: Campos Marília C. , Chiessi Cristiano M. , Venancio Igor M. , Pinho Tainã M.L. , Crivellari Stefano , Kuhnert Henning , Schmiedl Gerhard , Díaz Rut A. , Albuquerque Ana Luiza S. , Portilho‐Ramos Rodrigo C. , Bahr André , Mulitza Stefan
Published: May 2020

Negative excursions in the stable carbon isotopic composition (δ13C) at Atlantic intermediate to mid‐depths are common features of millennial‐scale events named Heinrich Stadials. The mechanisms behind these excursions are not yet fully understood, but most hypotheses agree on the central role played by the weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation. Marine records registering millennial‐scale negative δ13C excursions in the Atlantic are mostly restricted to the Heinrich Stadials of the last deglacial, while the Heinrich Stadials of the last glacial are poorly studied. Here, we constrain changes in bottom water ventilation in the western tropical South Atlantic mid‐depth during Heinrich Stadials of the last glacial and deglacial by investigating marine core M125‐95‐3. The concurrent decreases in benthic foraminifera δ13C and increases in bulk sediment sulfur indicate an increased Northern Component Water (NCW) residence time in the western tropical South Atlantic mid‐depth during Heinrich Stadials. Furthermore, a coherent meridional pattern emerges from the comparison of our new data to previously published mid‐depth records from the western South Atlantic. While our record shows the largest negative δ13C excursions during almost all Heinrich Stadials, the western equatorialAtlantic showed medium and the subtropical South Atlantic showed the smallest negative excursions. This meridional pattern supports the notion that during Heinrich Stadials, a reduction in the NCW δ13C source signal together with the accumulation of respired carbon at NCW depths drove the negative δ13C excursions. We suggest that the negative δ13C excursions progressively increase along the NCW southwards pathway until the signal dissipates/dilutes by mixing with Southern Component Water.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Acetyl-CoA synthetase 3 promotes bladder cancer cell growth under metabolic stress
Authors: Zhang Jianhao , Duan Hongjian , Feng Zhipeng , Han Xinwei , Gu Chaohui
Published: May 2020

Cancer cells adapt to nutrient-deprived tumor microenvironment during progression via regulating the level and function of metabolic enzymes. Acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA) is a key metabolic intermediate that is crucial for cancer cell metabolism, especially under metabolic stress. It is of special significance to decipher the role acetyl-CoA synthetase short chain family (ACSS) in cancer cells confronting metabolic stress. Here we analyzed the generation of lipogenic AcCoA in bladder cancer cells under metabolic stress and found that in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) cells, the proportion of lipogenic AcCoA generated from glucose were largely reduced under metabolic stress. Our results revealed that ACSS3 was responsible for lipogenic AcCoA synthesis in BLCA cells under metabolic stress. Interestingly, we found that ACSS3 was required for acetate utilization and histone acetylation. Moreover, our data illustrated that ACSS3 promoted BLCA cell growth. In addition, through analyzing clinical samples, we found that both mRNA and protein levels of ACSS3 were dramatically upregulated in BLCA samples in comparison with adjacent controls and BLCA patients with lower ACSS3 expression were entitled with longer overall survival. Our data revealed an oncogenic role of ACSS3 via regulating AcCoA generation in BLCA and provided a promising target in metabolic pathway for BLCA treatment.
Insulin-like growth factor 1-induced enolase 2 deacetylation by HDAC3 promotes metastasis of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zheng Yan , Wu Chao , Yang Jimeng , Zhao Yue , Jia Huliang , Xue Min , Xu Da , Yang Feng , Fu Deliang , Wang Chaoqun , Hu Beiyuan , Zhang Ze , Li Tianen , Yan Shican , Wang Xuan , Nelson Peter J. , Bruns Christiane , Qin Lunxiu , Dong Qiongzhu
Published: May 2020

Enolase 2 (ENO2) is a key glycolytic enzyme in the metabolic process of glycolysis, but its potential function in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is unclear. In this study, we observed a significant overexpression of ENO2 in PDAC tissues, and its expression was correlated with metastasis and poor prognosis in PDAC patients. K394 was identified as a major acetylation site in ENO2 that regulates its enzymatic activity, cell metabolism and PDAC progression. Knockdown of ENO2 suppressed tumor growth and liver metastasis in PDAC. Re-expression of wild-type (WT) ENO2, but not the K394 acetylation mimetic mutant, could reverse the decreased tumor malignancy. We further characterized histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) and P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) as the potential deacetylase and acetyltransferase for ENO2, respectively. HDAC3-mediated deacetylation was shown to lead to ENO2 activation and enhancement of glycolysis. Importantly, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was found to decrease K394 acetylation and stimulate ENO2 activity in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway facilitated the phosphorylation of HDAC3 on S424, which promoted K394 deacetylation and activation of ENO2. Linsitinib, an oral small-molecule inhibitor of IGF-1R, could inhibit IGF-1-induced ENO2 deacetylation by HDAC3 and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, linsitinib showed a different effect on the growth and metastasis of PDAC depending on the overexpression of WT versus K394-mutant ENO2. Our results reveal a novel mechanism by which acetylation negatively regulates ENO2 activity in the metastasis of PDAC by modulating glycolysis. Blockade of IGF-1-induced ENO2 deacetylation represents a promising strategy to prevent the development of PDAC.
Right-sided brain lesions predominate among patients with lesional mania: evidence from a systematic review and pooled lesion analysis
Authors: Barahona-Corrêa J. Bernardo , Cotovio Gonçalo , Costa Rui M. , Ribeiro Ricardo , Velosa Ana , Silva Vera Cruz e. , Sperber Christoph , Karnath Hans-Otto , Senova Suhan , Oliveira-Maia Albino J.
Published: May 2020

Despite claims that lesional mania is associated with right-hemisphere lesions, supporting evidence is scarce, and association with specific brain areas has not been demonstrated. Here, we aimed to test whether focal brain lesions in lesional mania are more often right- than left-sided, and if lesions converge on areas relevant to mood regulation. We thus performed a systematic literature search (PROSPERO registration CRD42016053675) on PubMed and Web-Of-Science, using terms that reflect diagnoses and structures of interest, as well as lesional mechanisms. Two researchers reviewed the articles separately according to PRISMA Guidelines, selecting reports of adult-onset hypomania, mania or mixed state following a focal brain lesion, for pooled-analyses of individual patient data. Eligible lesion images were manually traced onto the corresponding MNI space slices, and lesion topography analyzed using standard brain atlases. Using this approach, data from 211 lesional mania patients was extracted from 114 reports. Among 201 cases with focal lesions, more patients had lesions involving exclusively the right (60.7%) than exclusively the left (11.4%) hemisphere. In further analyses of 56 eligible lesion images, while findings should be considered cautiously given the potential for selection bias of published lesion images, right-sided predominance of lesions was confirmed across multiple brain regions, including the temporal lobe, fusiform gyrus and thalamus. These, and several frontal lobe areas, were also identified as preferential lesion sites in comparisons with control lesions. Such pooled-analyses, based on the most comprehensive dataset of lesional mania available to date, confirm a preferential association with right-hemisphere lesions, while suggesting that several brain areas/circuits, relevant to mood regulation, are most frequently affected.
Exploiting immune-dependent effects of microtubule-targeting agents to improve efficacy and tolerability of cancer treatment
Authors: Serpico Angela Flavia , Visconti Roberta , Grieco Domenico
Published: May 2020

Microtubule-targeting agents (MTAs), like taxanes and vinca alkaloids, are tubulin-binding drugs that are very effective in the treatment of various types of cancers. In cell cultures, these drugs appear to affect assembly of the mitotic spindle and to delay progression through mitosis and this correlates with their ability to induce cell death. Their clinical efficacy is, however, limited by resistance and toxicity. For these reasons, other spindle-targeting drugs, affecting proteins such as certain kinesins like Eg5 and CENP-E, or kinases like Plk1, Aurora A and B, have been developed as an alternative to MTAs. However, these attempts have disappointed in the clinic since these drugs show poor anticancer activity and toxicity ahead of positive effects. In addition, whether efficacy of MTAs in cancer treatment is solely due to their ability to delay mitosis progression remains controversial. Here we discuss recent findings indicating that the taxane paclitaxel can promote a proinflammatory response by activation of innate immunity. We further describe how this can help adaptive antitumor immune response and suggest, on this basis and on the recent success of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment, that a combination therapy based on low doses of taxanes and immune checkpoint inhibitors may be of high clinical advantage in terms of wide applicability, reduced toxicity, and increased antitumor response.
Intravitreal ranibizumab and dexamethasone implant injections as primary treatment of diabetic macular edema: simultaneously double protocol
Authors: Kaya Mahmut , Kocak Nilufer , Ozturk Taylan , Bolluk Volkan , Ayhan Ziya , Kaynak Suleyman
Published: May 2020

Purpose

To assess the 12-month efficacy and safety of simultaneously administered intravitreal dexamethasone implant (DEX implant) and ranibizumab (simultaneous double protocol) injections in comparison with ranibizumab monotherapy as the first-line treatment of diabetic macular oedema (DMO).

Methods

Prospective, consecutive, clinical interventional study. Patients were randomized into two groups: 24 naive DMO patients (34 eyes) who received simultaneous double-protocol therapy and 22 DMO patients (34 eyes) who received ranibizumab monotherapy were included. Monthly ranibizumab (0.5 mg) was administered for the first 6 months and later on, an as-needed treatment basis. DEX implant injection was performed at any time during the loading dose of the three consecutive monthly injections of ranibizumab, and with as-needed reinjections of ranibizumab from 6th month onwards. Change in visual acuity was the primary efficacy endpoint. Secondary efficacy endpoints were a gain of ≥15 letters and a change in the central foveal thickness.

Results

Mean BCVA increased from baseline to month 12 in the simultaneously double-protocol therapy group compared with the ranibizumab monotherapy group (21.6 versus 9.6 letters [P < 0.001]). The corresponding proportions of eyes gaining ≥15 letters were 60% versus 29.4% (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the mean reductions in the central foveal thickness were 413 versus 282 µm (P = 0.001). At 12 month, the simultaneous double-protocol therapy decreased a significant number of foveal cysts and subfoveal neuroretinal detachment compared with those by ranibizumab monotherapy.

Conclusions

The simultaneous addition of DEX implant at any time during the three monthly loading doses of ranibizumab in patients with DMO significantly improved the visual outcomes and revealed superior anatomic outcomes than those with the ranibizumab monotherapy.
Mutations in CERKL and RP1 cause retinitis pigmentosa in Pakistani families
Authors: Nadeem Raheela , Kabir Firoz , Li Jiali , Gradstein Libe , Jiao Xiaodong , Rauf Bushra , Naeem Muhammad Asif , Assir Muhammad Zaman , Riazuddin Sheikh , Ayyagari Radha , Hejtmancik J. Fielding , Riazuddin S. Amer
Published: May 2020

This study was conducted to identify the genetic basis of retinal dystrophies in consanguineous Pakistani families. We recruited two families with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) displaying visual difficulties, including nyctalopia and constricted visual fields. Linkage analysis and Sanger sequencing resulted in the identification of a previously reported nonsense mutation, c.847C > T, in exon 5 of CERKL in one family and a novel four-base pair deletion in exon 4 of RP1, c.delAGAA4218_4221, leading to premature protein termination in the second family. Here, we report two RP-causing mutations extending the genetic heterogeneity of the disease.
GaitRec, a large-scale ground reaction force dataset of healthy and impaired gait
Authors: Horsak Brian , Slijepcevic Djordje , Raberger Anna-Maria , Schwab Caterine , Worisch Marianne , Zeppelzauer Matthias
Published: May 2020

The quantification of ground reaction forces (GRF) is a standard tool for clinicians to quantify and analyze human locomotion. Such recordings produce a vast amount of complex data and variables which are difficult to comprehend. This makes data interpretation challenging. Machine learning approaches seem to be promising tools to support clinicians in identifying and categorizing specific gait patterns. However, the quality of such approaches strongly depends on the amount of available annotated data to train the underlying models. Therefore, we present GaitRec, a comprehensive and completely annotated large-scale dataset containing bi-lateral GRF walking trials of 2,084 patients with various musculoskeletal impairments and data from 211 healthy controls. The dataset comprises data of patients after joint replacement, fractures, ligament ruptures, and related disorders at the hip, knee, ankle or calcaneus during their entire stay(s) at a rehabilitation center. The data sum up to a total of 75,732 bi-lateral walking trials and enable researchers to classify gait patterns at a large-scale as well as to analyze the entire recovery process of patients.
NMR insights into the pre-amyloid ensemble and secretion targeting of the curli subunit CsgA
Authors: Sewell Lee , Stylianou Fisentzos , Xu Yingqi , Taylor Jonathan , Sefer Lea , Matthews Steve
Published: May 2020

The biofilms of Enterobacteriaceae are fortified by assembly of curli amyloid fibres on the cell surface. Curli not only provides structural reinforcement, but also facilitates surface adhesion. To prevent toxic intracellular accumulation of amyloid precipitate, secretion of the major curli subunit, CsgA, is tightly regulated. In this work, we have employed solution state NMR spectroscopy to characterise the structural ensemble of the pre-fibrillar state of CsgA within the bacterial periplasm, and upon recruitment to the curli pore, CsgG, and the secretion chaperone, CsgE. We show that the N-terminal targeting sequence (N) of CsgA binds specifically to CsgG and that its subsequent sequestration induces a marked transition in the conformational ensemble, which is coupled to a preference for CsgE binding. These observations lead us to suggest a sequential model for binding and structural rearrangement of CsgA at the periplasmic face of the secretion machinery.
Spatial Distribution and Health Risk Assessment of Dissolved Trace Elements in Groundwater in southern China
Authors: Gu Congke , Zhang Yan , Peng Yu , Leng Peifang , Zhu Nong , Qiao Yunfeng , Li Zhao , Li Fadong
Published: May 2020

To understand the groundwater environmental quality and the impact of trace elements in the construction of urban agglomeration in China, this study collected 58 groundwater samples from the core area of the Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration (Changsha, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan) and quantitatively analyzed the content of 13 dissolved trace element and their spatial distribution characteristics. The health risk assessment model was further used to evaluate the human health risk caused by trace element pollution in groundwater. It was observed that Ba had the highest average concentration (0.28 mg·L−1), whereas Cd had the lowest (2.1 × 10−5 mg·L−1). Compared with China’s groundwater environmental quality standard, the exceeding rates of Se, Mn, Zn, and Ni concentrations were 37.93%, 17.24%, 1.72% and 1.72%, respectively. Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, and Pb did not exceed the corresponding standards. The 13 trace elements were distributed in a scattered pattern in space and the trace elements in both banks of the Xiang River, Zhuzhou, Weishui River and surrounding areas were relatively high. Health risk assessments showed that the carcinogenic risk values of Cd, Cr, and Pb and the health risk values of 10 non-carcinogenic elements were less than the corresponding maximum acceptable risk level. The health risks associated with non-carcinogenic substances through ingestion were higher than those associated with dermal absorption. Among the non-carcinogenic substances, Ba and Mn posed the greatest health risks. With respect to drinking water exposure, Cr had the highest carcinogenic risk, followed by Pb. Furthermore, Cd had the lowest carcinogenic risk. This study recommended that continuous monitoring of Ba, Mn, and Cr in groundwater should be practiced by assessing the risk of these elements in the Chang-Zhu-Tan urban agglomeration.
Interhemispheric symmetry of µ-rhythm phase-dependency of corticospinal excitability
Authors: Stefanou Maria-Ioanna , Galevska Dragana , Zrenner Christoph , Ziemann Ulf , Nieminen Jaakko O.
Published: May 2020

Oscillatory activity in the µ-frequency band (8–13 Hz) determines excitability in sensorimotor cortex. In humans, the primary motor cortex (M1) in the two hemispheres shows significant anatomical, connectional, and electrophysiological differences associated with motor dominance. It is currently unclear whether the µ-oscillation phase effects on corticospinal excitability demonstrated previously for the motor-dominant M1 are also different between motor-dominant and motor-non-dominant M1 or, alternatively, are similar to reflect a ubiquitous physiological trait of the motor system at rest. Here, we applied single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to the hand representations of the motor-dominant and the motor-non-dominant M1 of 51 healthy right-handed volunteers when electroencephalography indicated a certain µ-oscillation phase (positive peak, negative peak, or random). We determined resting motor threshold (RMT) as a marker of corticospinal excitability in the three µ-phase conditions. RMT differed significantly depending on the pre-stimulus phase of the µ-oscillation in both M1, with highest RMT in the positive-peak condition, and lowest RMT in the negative-peak condition. µ-phase-dependency of RMT correlated directly between the two M1, and interhemispheric differences in µ-phase-dependency were absent. In conclusion, µ-phase-dependency of corticospinal excitability appears to be a ubiquitous physiological trait of the motor system at rest, without hemispheric dominance.
Experimental taphonomy of fish - role of elevated pressure, salinity and pH
Authors: Gäb Fabian , Ballhaus Chris , Stinnesbeck Eva , Kral Anna Gabriele , Janssen Kathrin , Bierbaum Gabriele
Published: May 2020

Experiments are reported to reconstruct the taphonomic pathways of fish toward fossilisation. Acrylic glass autoclaves were designed that allow experiments to be carried out at elevated pressure up to 11 bar, corresponding to water depths of 110 m. Parameters controlled or monitored during decay reactions are pressure, salinity, proton activities (pH), electrochemical potentials (Eh), and bacterial populations. The most effective environmental parameters to delay or prevent putrefaction before a fish carcass is embedded in sediment are (1) a hydrostatic pressure in the water column high enough that a fish carcass may sink to the bottom sediment, (2) hypersaline conditions well above seawater salinity, and (3) a high pH to suppress the reproduction rate of bacteria. Anoxia, commonly assumed to be the key parameter for excellent preservation, is important in keeping the bottom sediment clear of scavengers but it does not seem to slow down or prevent putrefaction. We apply our results to the world-famous Konservat-Lagerstätten Eichstätt-Solnhofen, Green River, and Messel where fish are prominent fossils, and reconstruct from the sedimentary records the environmental conditions that may have promoted preservation. For Eichstätt-Solnhofen an essential factor may have been hypersaline conditions. Waters of the Green River lakes were at times highly alkaline and hypersaline because the lake stratigraphy includes horizons rich in sodium carbonate and halite. In the Messel lake sediments some fossiliferous horizons are rich in FeCO3 siderite, a mineral indicating highly reduced conditions and a high pH.
A comprehensive study to the assessment of Arrhenius activation energy and binary chemical reaction in swirling flow
Authors: Khan Noor Saeed , Shah Zahir , Shutaywi Meshal , Kumam Poom , Thounthong Phatiphat
Published: May 2020

Nanotechnology research has a huge impact upon biomedicine and at the forefront of this area are micro and nano devices that use active/controlled motion. In this connection, it is focus to investigate steady three dimensional rotating flow with heat and mass transfer incorporating gyrotactic microorganisms. Buongiorno’s nanofluid formulation is followed for thermophoresis and Brownian motion, porous space, Arrhenius activation energy and binary chemical reaction with some other effects. An enhanced analytical method is applied to solve the nondimensional equations. The non-dimensional parameters effects on the fields of velocity, temperature, nanoparticles concentration and gyrotactic microorganisms concentration are shown graphically. Velocity decreases while temperature and nanoparticles concentration increase with magnetic field strength. Gyrotatic microorganisms motion becomes slow with rotation parameter. Due to rotation, the present problem can be applied in microbial fuel cells, food processing, microbiology, biotechnology and environmental sciences, electric power generating and turbine systems, computer disk drives, mass spectromentries and jet motors.
The usefulness of the Deep Learning method of variational autoencoder to reduce measurement noise in glaucomatous visual fields
Authors: Asaoka Ryo , Murata Hiroshi , Asano Shotaro , Matsuura Masato , Fujino Yuri , Miki Atsuya , Tanito Masaki , Mizoue Shiro , Mori Kazuhiko , Suzuki Katsuyoshi , Yamashita Takehiro , Kashiwagi Kenji , Shoji Nobuyuki
Published: May 2020

The aim of the study was to investigate the usefulness of processing visual field (VF) using a variational autoencoder (VAE). The training data consisted of 82,433 VFs from 16,836 eyes. Testing dataset 1 consisted of test-retest VFs from 104 eyes with open angle glaucoma. Testing dataset 2 was series of 10 VFs from 638 eyes with open angle glaucoma. A VAE model to reconstruct VF was developed using the training dataset. VFs in the testing dataset 1 were then reconstructed using the trained VAE and the mean total deviation (mTD) was calculated (mTDVAE). In testing dataset 2, the mTD value of the tenth VF was predicted using shorter series of VFs. A similar calculation was carried out using a weighted linear regression where the weights were equal to the absolute difference between mTD and mTDVAE. In testing dataset 1, there was a significant relationship between the difference between mTD and mTDVAE from the first VF and the difference between mTD in the first and second VFs. In testing dataset 2, mean squared prediction errors with the weighted mTD trend analysis were significantly smaller than those form the unweighted mTD trend analysis.
Influence of local industrial changes on reef coral calcification
Authors: Ito Saori , Watanabe Tsuyoshi , Yano Megumi , Watanabe Takaaki K.
Published: May 2020

Coral reefs are currently facing multiple disturbances caused by natural/anthropogenic factors. Recent industrial development might influence reef environments and ecosystems; however, few direct comparisons of coral calcification with the histories of local industries exist. We show the coral Ba/Ca record and growth histories for 46 years collected from Sumiyo Bay, Amami-Oshima Island, Japan. Coral Ba/Ca was mainly controlled by the sediment loads in seawater, which are introduced through the two local rivers. Coral Ba/Ca records have been characterized by two distinct historical periods: the decadal fluctuation corresponding to the traditional silk fabric industry (1960s ~ 1995) and the increasing trend corresponding to the development of quarries and the construction industry (1996 ~). Coral Ba/Ca records and local industrial histories were also linked to coral calcification. A long-term quantitative assessment of reef environments and local industrial changes could provide an evaluation of the survival strategies of reef-building corals in the future.
Dynamic activity of human brain task-specific networks
Authors: Huang Jie
Published: May 2020

A simple motor behaviour or a more complex behaviour is the result of the neural activity of those neural networks responsible for the behaviour. To understand how the network activity is transformed into human behaviours, it is necessary to identify task-specific networks and analyse the dynamic network activity that changes with time. Here we report a novel task-fMRI technique to identify task-specific networks and analyse their dynamic activity. Nine subjects participated in a task-fMRI study in which the subjects were cued to perform three different tasks of word-reading, pattern-viewing and finger-tapping. A functional area of unitary pooled activity (FAUPA) is defined as an area in which the temporal variation of the activity is the same across the entire area, and a task-associated FAUPA plays the role of a functional unit for the task. A novel method is presented to (1) identify FAUPAs that are associated with each task as well as their functional groupings; (2) identify the three task-specific networks; and (3) analyse the network activity from trial to trial. Task-associated FAUPAs were identified for each task and each subject. A task-specific large-scale neural network across the whole brain consisted of all FAUPAs that were activated each time the task was performed, and all three task-specific networks were identified for each individual subject. The temporal changes of activation and functional connectivity of the FAUPAs within each network from trial to trial characterized the dynamic activity of the network. The results demonstrated a one-to-one relation between the network activity and the task performance from trial to trial, offering a means of testing the causal relationship between network activity and human task performance by systematically manipulating task performance and measuring corresponding network activity change.
Aggressive Behaviour of Drosophila suzukii in Relation to Environmental and Social Factors
Authors: Belenioti Maria , Chaniotakis Nikolaos
Published: May 2020

Aggression plays a crucial role in survival all across the animal kingdom. In this study, we investigate the aggressive behaviour of Drosophila suzukii, a known agricultural pest. Bioassays were performed between same sex pairs and the effect of environmental (food deprivation, sex, age and photophase) and social factors (non-social and social). Initially the inter-male and inter-female aggression was determined ethologically consisting of several behaviour patterns. Two hours starvation period increase locomotor activity of flies, promoting increased aggressive behaviour. Most of the behavioural patterns were common between males and females with a few sex-selective. Number of male encounters was higher in flies held in isolation than in those that had been reared with siblings whereas in case of females, only those that were isolated exhibited increased aggression. Females and males D. suzukii that were 4-day-old were more aggressive. In addition it is found that on the 3rd hour after the beginning of photophase, regardless of age, both males and females rise to high intensity aggression patterns.
Author Correction: EEG Decoding Reveals the Strength and Temporal Dynamics of Goal-Relevant Representations
Authors: Hubbard Jason , Kikumoto Atsushi , Mayr Ulrich
Published: May 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Rice 3D chromatin structure correlates with sequence variation and meiotic recombination rate
Authors: Golicz Agnieszka A. , Bhalla Prem L. , Edwards David , Singh Mohan B.
Published: May 2020

Genomes of many eukaryotic species have a defined three-dimensional architecture critical for cellular processes. They are partitioned into topologically associated domains (TADs), defined as regions of high chromatin inter-connectivity. While TADs are not a prominent feature ofA. thalianagenome organization, they have been reported for other plants including rice, maize, tomato and cotton and for which TAD formation appears to be linked to transcription and chromatin epigenetic status. Here we show that in the rice genome, sequence variation and meiotic recombination rate correlate with the 3D genome structure. TADs display increased SNP and SV density and higher recombination rate compared to inter-TAD regions. We associate the observed differences with the TAD epigenetic landscape, TE composition and an increased incidence of meiotic crossovers.
Omics-wide quantitative B-cell infiltration analyses identify GPR18 for human cancer prognosis with superiority over CD20
Authors: Liu Yuchen , Wang Li , Lo Kwok-Wai , Lui Vivian Wai Yan
Published: May 2020

Tumor-infiltrating B lymphocyte (TIL-B), and TIL-B-related biomarkers have clinical prognostic values for human cancers. CD20 (encoded by MS4A1) is a widely used TIL-B biomarker. Using TCGA-quantitative multiomics datasets, we first cross-compare prognostic powers of intratumoral CD20 protein, mRNA and TIL-B levels in pan-cancers. Here, we show that MS4A1 and TIL-B are consistently prognostic in 5 cancers (head and neck, lung, cervical, kidney and low-grade glioma), while unexpectedly, CD20 protein levels lack quantitative correlations with MS4A1/TIL-B levels and demonstrate limited prognosticity. Subsequent bioinformatics discovery for TIL-B prognostic gene identifies a single gene, GPR18 with stand-alone prognosticity across 9 cancers (superior over CD20), with further validations in multiple non-TCGA cohorts. GPR18's immune signature denotes major B-cell-T-cell interactions, with its intratumoral expression strongly tied to a “T-cell active”, likely cytolytic, status across human cancers, suggesting its functional link to cytolytic T-cell activity in cancer. GPR18 merits biological and clinical utility assessments over CD20.
Facile sonochemical assisted synthesis of a hybrid red–black phosphorus/sulfonated porous carbon composite for high-performance supercapacitors
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Arthi , Badhulika Sushmee
Published: May 2020

Low-cost novel synthesis of a hybrid red–black phosphorus/sulfonated porous carbon composite for supercapacitor application.
Formation of hydroperoxo (–OOH) species on the surface of self-doped Bi2.15WO6: reactivity towards As(iii) oxidation
Authors: Wang Xiang-Ming , Wu Song-Hai , Ren Hai-Tao , Zhu Peng-Yue , Wang Cong , Liu Yong , Sun Shi-Wei , Zhang Xiao-Cong , Lin Yi-Ying , Meng Zi-He , Jia Shao-Yi , Han Xu
Published: May 2020

The formation of –OOH groups and their high reactivity for As(iii) oxidation under visible light and alkaline conditions are demonstrated.
Tracking the interaction of drug molecules with individual mesoporous amorphous calcium phosphate/ATP nanocomposites – an X-ray spectromicroscopy study
Authors: Jiang Ying-Ying , Wang Zhi-Qiang , Chen Jia-Tang , Li Jun , Zhu Ying-Jie , Liu Li-Jia , Guo Xiao-Xuan , Hu Yong-Feng , He Shi-Sheng , Wu Jin , Chen Feng , Sham Tsun-Kong
Published: May 2020

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biomolecules play critical roles during the formation of amorphous calcium phosphate composites (ACPC), and ACPC is an important drug carrier due to its significant advantages of biocompatibility and biodegradability.
Effect of strain and defects on the thermal conductance of the graphene/hexagonal boron nitride interface
Authors: Song Jieren , Xu Zhonghai , He Xiaodong , Cai Chaocan , Bai Yujiao , Miao Linlin , Wang Rongguo
Published: May 2020

In-plane heterojunctions, obtained by seamlessly joining two or more nanoribbon edges of isolated two-dimensional atomic crystals such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride, are emerging as nanomaterials for the development of future multifunctional devices.
Novel luminescent homo/heterometallic platinum(ii) alkynyl complexes based on Y-shaped pyridyl diphosphines
Authors: Han Li-Jing , Wu Xiu-Xin , Ma Zheng-Gen , Li Yi , Wei Qiao-Hua
Published: May 2020

A series of homo/heterometallic platinum(ii) alkynyl complexes based on a Y-shaped pyridyl diphosphine were synthesized and characterized.
3d–4f heterometallic complexes by the reduction of transition metal carbonyls with bulky LnII amidinates
Authors: Yadav Ravi , Hossain Md Elius , Peedika Paramban Ramees , Simler Thomas , Schoo Christoph , Wang Jun , Deacon Glen B. , Junk Peter C. , Roesky Peter W.
Published: May 2020

Heterometallic lanthanide-transition metal carbonyl complexes [Sm2–Co2], [Yb–Co], and [Sm2–Fe3] have been synthesized by redox reactions between bulky amidinate stabilized divalent Ln and TM carbonyl complexes.
Determining the coordination environment and electronic structure of polymer-encapsulated cobalt phthalocyanine under electrocatalytic CO2 reduction conditions using in situ X-Ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Liu Yingshuo , Deb Aniruddha , Leung Kwan Yee , Nie Weixuan , Dean William S. , Penner-Hahn James E. , McCrory Charles C. L.
Published: May 2020

In situ X-ray absorbance spectroscopy measurements show that encapsulating cobalt phthalocyanine within coordinating polymers leads to axial ligation of Co and results in enhanced rates for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.
A ferrocene-templated Pd-bearing molecular reactor
Authors: Kasprzak Artur , Guńka Piotr A.
Published: May 2020

Synthesis of a novel ferrocene-templated cage and a palladium derivative of this cage, as well as the use of this cage as a molecular reactor toward efficient 1,1′-biphenyl synthesis, is presented.
Sulfur transfer reactions of a zinc tetrasulfanido complex
Authors: Ballesteros II Moises , Tsui Emily Y.
Published: May 2020

The sulfur transfer reactions of a zinc tetrasulfanido complex are explored and contrasted with those of metal polysulfidos.
Mirror-image magnetic circularly polarized luminescence (MCPL) from optically inactive EuIII and TbIIItris(β-diketonate)
Authors: Yoshikawa Hiroki , Nakajima Gaku , Mimura Yuki , Kimoto Takahiro , Kondo Yoshiro , Suzuki Satoko , Fujiki Michiya , Imai Yoshitane
Published: May 2020

Five optically inactive EuIII and TbIII complexes with achiral organic ligands revealed north-up/south-up magnet geometry dependent mirror-image magnetic circularly polarized luminescence in solutions, in films and bulk powder under 1.6 Tesla.
Synthesis, electronic structure and physical properties of two new layered compounds, EuFAgSe and EuFAg1−δTe, featuring the active redox pair Eu2+/Ag+
Authors: Plokhikh Igor V. , Tsirlin Alexander A. , Heletta Lukas , Klenner Steffen , Charkin Dmitri O. , Kuznetsov Alexey N. , Shevelkov Andrei V. , Pöttgen Rainer , Pfitzner Arno
Published: May 2020

Two layered compounds, EuFAgSe and EuFAg1−δTe, have been prepared for the first time and their properties have been elucidated.
Bio-inspired gas sensing: boosting performance with sensor optimization guided by “machine learning”
Authors: Potyrailo R. A. , Brewer J. , Cheng B. , Carpenter M. A. , Houlihan N. , Kolmakov A.
Published: May 2020

We analyze the capabilities of natural and fabricated photonic three-dimensional nanostructures as sensors for the detection of different gaseous species.
Pterostilbene alleviates cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats by modulating microglial activation
Authors: Liu Jingyu , Xu Jikai , Mi Yan , Yang Yanqiu , Li Qing , Zhou Di , Wei Kun , Chen Gang , Li Ning , Hou Yue
Published: May 2020

The study demonstrates the mechanism of pterostilbene alleviating cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats may associate with the inhibition of ROS/NF-κB-mediated inflammatory pathway.
Bioavailable phytoprostanes and phytofurans from Gracilaria longissima have anti-inflammatory effects in endothelial cells
Authors: Martínez Sánchez S. , Domínguez-Perles R. , Montoro-García S. , Gabaldón J. A. , Guy A. , Durand T. , Oger C. , Ferreres F. , Gil-Izquierdo A.
Published: May 2020

PhytoPs and PhytoFs display complex pharmacological profiles probably mediated through their different actions and affinities in endothelium.
Mitochondria-targeted artesunate conjugated cyclometalated iridium(iii) complexes as potent anti-HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma agents
Authors: Ye Rui-Rong , Peng Wan , Chen Bi-Chun , Jiang Ning , Chen Xuan-Qin , Mao Zong-Wan , Li Rong-Tao
Published: May 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a serious threat to people’s health worldwide. Artesunate (ART), one of the classical antimalarial drugs, has recently been shown to exert significant cytotoxicity in various cancers, but its bioavailability is low. Cyclometalated iridium(iii) complexes have emerged as a promising class of anticancer therapeutic agents. Herein, through conjugation of two of them, three novel Ir(iii)–ART conjugates, [Ir(C–N)2(bpy-ART)](PF6) (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine, C–N = 2-phenylpyridine (ppy, Ir-ART-1), 2-(2-thienyl)pyridine (thpy, Ir-ART-2), and 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine (dfppy, Ir-ART-3)) have been synthesized, and their potential as anti-HCC agents was evaluated. We demonstrate that Ir-ART-1–3 display higher cytotoxicity against HCC cell lines than normal liver cells, and they can especially locate to mitochondria of HepG2 cells and induce a series of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis events. Moreover, Ir-ART-1–3 can regulate the cell cycle and inhibit metastasis of HepG2 cells. Finally, in vivo antitumor evaluation also demonstrates the inhibitory activity of Ir-ART-1 on tumor growth. Taken together, these Ir(iii)–ART conjugates have the potential to become drug candidates for future anti-HCC treatments.
Huntington’s disease genotype suppresses global manganese-responsive processes in pre-manifest and manifest YAC128 mice
Authors: Pfalzer Anna C , Wilcox Jordyn M , Codreanu Simona G , Totten Melissa , Bichell Terry J V , Halbesma Timothy , Umashanker Preethi , Yang Kevin L , Parmalee Nancy L , Sherrod Stacy D , Erikson Keith M , Harrison Fiona E , McLean John A , Aschner Michael , Bowman Aaron B
Published: May 2020

Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient required for the proper function of several enzymes. Accumulating evidence demonstrates a selective decrease of bioavailable Mn in vulnerable cell types of Huntington’s Disease (HD), an inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder with no cure. Amelioration of underlying pathophysiology, such as alterations in Mn-dependent biology, may be therapeutic. We therefore sought to investigate global Mn-dependent and Mn-responsive biology following various Mn exposures in a mouse model of HD. YAC128 and wildtype (WT) littermate control mice received one of three different Mn exposure paradigms by subcutaneous injection of 50 mg kg−1 MnCl2·4(H2O) across two distinct HD disease stages. “Pre-manifest” (12-week old mice) mice received either a single (1 injection) or week-long (3 injections) exposure of Mn or vehicle (H2O) and were sacrificed at the pre-manifest stage. “Manifest” (32-week old) mice were sacrificed following either a week-long Mn or vehicle exposure during the manifest stage, or a 20-week-long chronic (2× weekly injections) exposure that began in the pre-manifest stage. Tissue Mn, mRNA, protein, and metabolites were measured in the striatum, the brain region most sensitive to neurodegeneration in HD. Across all Mn exposure paradigms, pre-manifest YAC128 mice exhibited a suppressed response to transcriptional and protein changes and manifest YAC128 mice showed a suppressed metabolic response, despite equivalent elevations in whole striatal Mn. We conclude that YAC128 mice respond differentially to Mn compared to WT as measured by global transcriptional, translational, and metabolomic changes, suggesting an impairment in Mn homeostasis across two different disease stages in YAC128 mice.
Physically and chemically dual-crosslinked hydrogels with superior mechanical properties and self-healing behavior
Authors: Zhang Xueqin , Zhang Ruqing , Wu Shu , Sun Ying , Yang Hong , Lin Baoping
Published: May 2020

Using SDS-C18 micelle as a physical crosslinker and SiPU as a multifunctional chemical crosslinker, a new type of dual-crosslinked self-healing hydrogel with excellent stretchability, strength and resilience was synthesized.
Linker-assisted structuration of tunable uranium-based hybrid lamellar nanomaterials
Authors: Ré Elisa , Le Goff Xavier , Toquer Guillaume , Maynadié Jérôme , Meyer Daniel
Published: May 2020

Linker-assisted formation of tunable uranium-based hybrid lamellar nano-sheets through a non-hydrolytic condensation process.
The first-principles study of the adsorption of NH3, NO, and NO2gas molecules on InSe-like phosphorus carbide
Authors: Kistanov Andrey A.
Published: May 2020

Novel γ-PC is a promising reversible material for room-temperature gas sensors.
Theoretical modeling of interactions at the bio-nano interface
Authors: Zhou Ruhong , Weikl Thomas , Ma Yu-qiang
Published: May 2020

Ruhong Zhou, Thomas Weikl and Yu-qiang Ma introduce the Nanoscale themed issue on Theoretical Modelling at Biointerfaces.
Ln(ii) and Ca(ii) NCsp3N pincer type diarylmethanido complexes – promising catalysts for C–C and C–E (E = Si, P, N, S) bond formation
Authors: Khristolyubov Dmitry O. , Lyubov Dmitry M. , Shavyrin Andrey S. , Cherkasov Anton V. , Fukin Georgy K. , Trifonov Alexander A.
Published: May 2020

The first examples of Ln(ii) (Ln = Yb, Sm) and Ca [NCsp3N] pincer type diarylmethanido complexes were synthesized and successfully used as efficient and selective precatalyst for intermolecular C–C and C–E bond formation.