bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tracking Fluid Flow in Shallow Crustal Fault Zones: 1. Insights From Single‐Hole Permeability Estimates
Authors: Brixel B. , Klepikova M. , Jalali M. R. , Lei Q. , Roques C. , Kriestch H. , Loew S.
Published: April 2020

New in situ measurements to constrain the range, distribution, and spatial (meter‐scale) variations of permeability in shallow crustal fault zones are reported based on systematic downhole tests at 0.5‐km depth in crystalline rock. Single and cross‐hole hydraulic packer tests were performed at a new dedicated test facility hosted in the Grimsel Test Site, in the Swiss Alps, following the technical instrumentation and isolation of discrete fault zones accessed by an array of boreholes. Single‐hole test results are presented in this paper, while cross‐hole experiments are reported in the companion paper. Our results reveal a sharp spatial falloff in permeability, from 10‐13 to 10‐21 m2, with off‐fault distances of 1–5 m and characterized by a power‐law relation with fracture density. Fractures linking subparallel faults were detected as high‐permeability discrete spots several meters away from off‐fault damage. Due to the narrow (centimeter‐wide) thickness of fault cores, the hydraulic tests presented in this study do not characterize the permeability of fault core materials. The transmissivity of single fractures spans six orders of magnitude (10‐12 to 10‐6 m2/s) and is systematically higher in damage zones. In situ stresses appear to have a minor effect on natural, present‐day fracture transmissivity at the borehole scale. We suggest that the geometrical and topological properties of fracture systems instead tend to control the permeability of the shallow crustal faults studied.
Contributions of Rock Mass Structure to the Emplacement of Fragmenting Rockfalls and Rockslides: Insights From Laboratory Experiments
Authors: Lin Qiwen , Cheng Qiangong , Li Kun , Xie Yu , Wang Yufeng
Published: April 2020

Rockfalls and rockslides often occur in mountainous areas, and they may develop into rock avalanches because of fragmentation. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to study the contributions of rock mass structure to the emplacement of fragmenting rockfalls and rockslides. In these experiments, we considered the process of breakable analog blocks with different structures sliding along an inclined plane, impacting at the kink point with a horizontal plane where deposition occurs. The results show that the initial geometrical subdivision (i.e., the rock mass structure) of the source rock can greatly influence the impact of the fragmentation process and total runout, while the degree of fragmentation controls the travel distance of the center of mass. The occurrence of transversal discontinuities enhances the momentum transfer efficiency from the rear to the front part of the rock mass. A negative correlation between the apparent friction coefficient (linked to the total runout) and equivalent friction coefficient (linked to the center of mass runout) was found, which appears to be induced by fragmentation. We proposed a new fragmentation‐spreading model to describe this negative correlation. This simple physical model supports the importance of fragmentation in rock fragment trajectories and the runout of rockfalls and rockslides. Fragmentation is an energy‐sinking process that will shorten the runout of the center of mass. Thus, we suggest that impact fragmentation does not fully account for the long runout of large rockfalls and rockslides.
Turbulence and Particle Deposition Under Steady Flow Along a Submerged Seagrass Meadow
Authors: Zhang Jiao , Lei Jiarui , Huai Wenxin , Nepf Heidi
Published: April 2020

Seagrass meadows can retain fine particles, improving water clarity and promoting carbon sequestration. Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of velocity and meadow density on the retention of fine particles within a meadow. Vertical profiles of velocity and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) were measured along a model meadow. The net deposition was measured using microscope slides positioned inside and outside the meadow. The deposition was correlated with the evolution of velocity along the meadow. At the leading edge, the net deposition decreased over a distance Lr, relative to the bare bed, which was associated with a region of vertical updraft and elevated TKE. Net deposition increased with the distance from the leading edge, associated with a decrease in vertical velocity and TKE. In some cases, a distinct peak in the deposition was observed at distance Lp from the leading edge, associated with a minimum in TKE. Both Lr and Lp decreased with increasing meadow density. Deposition in the fully developed region of the meadow decreased with decreasing stem density and increasing channel velocity, and for the lowest stem density and highest channel velocity the deposition in the meadow was less than that in the bare channel. Diminished deposition was linked to resuspension driven by stem‐generated turbulence. A model for canopy‐averaged TKE was validated and used to explore the range of field conditions for which TKE within a meadow would be reduced, relative to the bare bed, which would support the accumulation of fine organic material within the meadow.
Characteristic and Spatiotemporal Variation of Air Pollution in Northern China Based on Correlation Analysis and Clustering Analysis of Five Air Pollutants
Authors: Tian Dayong , Fan Junhui , Jin Hangbiao , Mao Haichen , Geng Dan , Hou Shaogang , Zhang Peng , Zhang Yifeng
Published: April 2020

Air quality in Northern China has become a global hot spot issue due to a series of air pollution events in the recent years. In this study, five representative air pollutants (PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, and O3) were employed to reveal the spatial and temporal distribution of air pollution in Northern China. Periodic decline in PM2.5, SO2, CO, and NO2 from 2016 to 2018 indicated that air pollution control measures have achieved desired results. In addition, PM2.5 was significantly positively correlated with SO2, CO, and NO2 (p < 0.001), and O3 had negative correlations with the other four pollutants. Furthermore, the heavy pollution phenomenon in Shijiazhuang, Anyang, Xingtai, and Handan was attributed to their industrial structures (e.g., steel industry) and geographical location based on clustering analysis. Contrary to above four pollutants, the annual average concentrations of O3 increased in all the nine cities (1.4–35.9%) from 2016 to 2018. It is necessary to plan mitigation strategy for O3 based on further investigation of source and formation mechanism of O3.
Pan-cancer analysis reveals synergistic effects of CDK4/6i and PARPi combination treatment in RB-proficient and RB-deficient breast cancer cells
Authors: Li Songyu , Zhang Yixiang , Wang Na , Guo Rong , Liu Qiaoling , Lv Changsheng , Wang Jinguang , Wang Lina , Yang Qing-kai
Published: April 2020

DNA damage results in mutations and plays critical roles in cancer development, progression, and treatment. Targeting DNA damage response in cancers by inhibiting poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) offers an important therapeutic strategy. However, the failure of PARP inhibitors to markedly benefit patients suggests the necessity for developing new strategies to improve their efficacy. Here, we show that the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) complex members significantly correlates with mutations (as proxies of DNA damages), and that the combination of CDK4/6 and PARP inhibitors shows synergy in both RB-proficient and RB-deficient breast cancer cells. As PARPs constitute sensors of DNA damage and are broadly involved in multiple DNA repair pathways, we hypothesized that the combined inhibition of PARPs and DNA repair (or repair-related) pathways critical for cancer (DRPCC) should show synergy. To identify druggable candidate DRPCC(s), we analyzed the correlation between the genome-wide expression of individual genes and the mutations for 27 different cancer types, assessing 7146 exomes and over 1,500,000 somatic mutations. Pathway enrichment analyses of the top-ranked genes correlated with mutations indicated “cell cycle pathway” as the top candidate DRPCC. Additionally, among functional cell-cycle complexes, the CDK4/6 complex showed the most significant negative correlation with mutations, also suggesting that combined CDK4/6 and PARP inhibition might exhibit synergy. Furthermore, combination treatment showed synergy in not only RB-proficient but also RB-deficient breast cancer cells in a reactive oxygen species-dependent manner. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of PARP and CDK4/6 inhibitors in cancer treatment.
Rapid detection of African swine fever virus using Cas12a-based portable paper diagnostics
Authors: Lu Shuhan , Li Fang , Chen Qiubing , Wu Jing , Duan Junyi , Lei Xinlin , Zhang Ying , Zhao Dongming , Bu Zhigao , Yin Hao
Published: April 2020

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a dsDNA virus responsible for a severe, highly contagious, and lethal disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs. ASFV has brought enormous economic loss to a number of countries, and effective vaccine and therapy are still lacking. Therefore, a rapid, sensitive, and field-deployable detection of ASFV is important for disease surveillance and control. Herein, we developed a Cas12a-mediated portable paper assay to rapidly and precisely detect ASFV. We identified a robust set of crRNAs that recognized the highly conserved region of essential ASFV genes. The Cas12a-mediated detection assay showed low tolerance for mismatch mutations, and no cross-reactivity against other common swine pathogens. We further developed a paper-based assay to allow instrument-free detection of ASFV. Specifically, we applied gold nanoparticle–antibody conjugate to engineer homemade strips and combined it with Cas12a-mediated ASFV detection. This portable paper, instrument-free diagnostics, faithfully detected ASFV in swine samples, showing comparable sensitivity to the traditionally instrument-dependent qPCR method. Taking together, we developed a highly sensitive, instant, and economic Cas12a-mediated paper diagnostics of ASFV, with a great application potential for monitoring ASFV in the field.
Identifying degradation patterns of lithium ion batteries from impedance spectroscopy using machine learning
Authors: Zhang Yunwei , Tang Qiaochu , Zhang Yao , Wang Jiabin , Stimming Ulrich , Lee Alpha A.
Published: April 2020

Forecasting the state of health and remaining useful life of Li-ion batteries is an unsolved challenge that limits technologies such as consumer electronics and electric vehicles. Here, we build an accurate battery forecasting system by combining electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)—a real-time, non-invasive and information-rich measurement that is hitherto underused in battery diagnosis—with Gaussian process machine learning. Over 20,000 EIS spectra of commercial Li-ion batteries are collected at different states of health, states of charge and temperatures—the largest dataset to our knowledge of its kind. Our Gaussian process model takes the entire spectrum as input, without further feature engineering, and automatically determines which spectral features predict degradation. Our model accurately predicts the remaining useful life, even without complete knowledge of past operating conditions of the battery. Our results demonstrate the value of EIS signals in battery management systems.
Noradrenergic-dependent functions are associated with age-related locus coeruleus signal intensity differences
Authors: Liu Kathy Y. , Kievit Rogier A. , Tsvetanov Kamen A. , Betts Matthew J. , Düzel Emrah , Rowe James B. ,   Cam-CAN, Tyler Lorraine K. , Brayne Carol , Bullmore Edward T. , Calder Andrew C. , Cusack Rhodri , Dalgleish Tim , Duncan John , Henson Richard N. , Matthews Fiona E. , Marslen-Wilson William D. , Rowe James B. , Shafto Meredith A. , Campbell Karen , Cheung Teresa , Davis Simon , Geerligs Linda , Kievit Rogier , McCarrey Anna , Mustafa Abdur , Price Darren , Samu David , Taylor Jason R. , Treder Matthias , Tsvetanov Kamen A. , Belle Janna van , Williams Nitin , Bates Lauren , Emery Tina , Erzinçlioglu Sharon , Gadie Andrew , Gerbase Sofia , Georgieva Stanimira , Hanley Claire , Parkin Beth , Troy David , Auer Tibor , Correia Marta , Gao Lu , Green Emma , Henriques Rafael , Allen Jodie , Amery Gillian , Amunts Liana , Barcroft Anne , Castle Amanda , Dias Cheryl , Dowrick Jonathan , Fair Melissa , Fisher Hayley , Goulding Anna , Grewal Adarsh , Hale Geoff , Hilton Andrew , Johnson Frances , Johnston Patricia , Kavanagh-Williamson Thea , Kwasniewska Magdalena , McMinn Alison , Norman Kim , Penrose Jessica , Roby Fiona , Rowland Diane , Sargeant John , Squire Maggie , Stevens Beth , Stoddart Aldabra , Stone Cheryl , Thompson Tracy , Yazlik Ozlem , Barnes Dan , Dixon Marie , Hillman Jaya , Mitchell Joanne , Villis Laura , Howard Robert , Hämmerer Dorothea
Published: April 2020

The locus coeruleus (LC), the origin of noradrenergic modulation of cognitive and behavioral function, may play an important role healthy ageing and in neurodegenerative conditions. We investigated the functional significance of age-related differences in mean normalized LC signal intensity values (LC-CR) in magnetization-transfer (MT) images from the Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) cohort - an open-access, population-based dataset. Using structural equation modelling, we tested the pre-registered hypothesis that putatively noradrenergic (NA)-dependent functions would be more strongly associated with LC-CR in older versus younger adults. A unidimensional model (within which LC-CR related to a single factor representing all cognitive and behavioral measures) was a better fit with the data than the a priori two-factor model (within which LC-CR related to separate NA-dependent and NA-independent factors). Our findings support the concept that age-related reduction of LC structural integrity is associated with impaired cognitive and behavioral function.
Anomalous fractionation of mercury isotopes in the Late Archean atmosphere
Authors: Zerkle Aubrey L. , Yin Runsheng , Chen Chaoyue , Li Xiangdong , Izon Gareth J. , Grasby Stephen E.
Published: April 2020

Earth’s surface underwent a dramatic transition ~2.3 billion years ago when atmospheric oxygen first accumulated during the Great Oxidation Event, but the detailed composition of the reducing early atmosphere is not well known. Here we develop mercury (Hg) stable isotopes as a proxy for paleoatmospheric chemistry and use Hg isotope data from 2.5 billion-year-old sedimentary rocks to examine changes in the Late Archean atmosphere immediately prior to the Great Oxidation Event. These sediments preserve evidence of strong photochemical transformations of mercury in the absence of molecular oxygen. In addition, these geochemical records combined with previously published multi-proxy data support a vital role for methane in Earth’s early atmosphere.
Organoid cultures from normal and cancer-prone human breast tissues preserve complex epithelial lineages
Authors: Rosenbluth Jennifer M. , Schackmann Ron C. J. , Gray G. Kenneth , Selfors Laura M. , Li Carman Man-Chung , Boedicker Mackenzie , Kuiken Hendrik J. , Richardson Andrea , Brock Jane , Garber Judy , Dillon Deborah , Sachs Norman , Clevers Hans , Brugge Joan S.
Published: April 2020

Recently, organoid technology has been used to generate a large repository of breast cancer organoids. Here we present an extensive evaluation of the ability of organoid culture technology to preserve complex stem/progenitor and differentiated cell types via long-term propagation of normal human mammary tissues. Basal/stem and luminal progenitor cells can differentiate in culture to generate mature basal and luminal cell types, including ER+ cells that have been challenging to maintain in culture. Cells associated with increased cancer risk can also be propagated. Single-cell analyses of matched organoid cultures and native tissues by mass cytometry for 38 markers provide a higher resolution representation of the multiple mammary epithelial cell types in the organoids, and demonstrate that protein expression patterns of the tissue of origin can be preserved in culture. These studies indicate that organoid cultures provide a valuable platform for studies of mammary differentiation, transformation, and breast cancer risk.
Hydrogen-accelerated spontaneous microcracking in high-strength aluminium alloys
Authors: Tsuru Tomohito , Shimizu Kazuyuki , Yamaguchi Masatake , Itakura Mitsuhiro , Ebihara Kenichi , Bendo Artenis , Matsuda Kenji , Toda Hiroyuki
Published: April 2020

Aluminium alloys are re-evaluated as most feasible way to satisfy the industrial needs of light-weight structural materials. However, unlike conventional structural metals such as iron and titanium, aluminium does not have easily accessible secondary phases, which means that aluminium-based alloys cannot be strengthened by harnessing multiple phases. This leaves age hardening as the only feasible strengthening approach. Highly concentrated precipitates generated by age hardening generally play a dominant role in shaping the mechanical properties of aluminium alloys. In such precipitates, it is commonly believed that the coherent interface between the matrix and precipitate does not contribute to crack initiation and embrittlement. Here, we show that this is not the case. We report an unexpected spontaneous fracture process associated with hydrogen embrittlement. The origin of this quasi-cleavage fracture involves hydrogen partitioning, which we comprehensively investigate through experiment, theory and first-principles calculations. Despite completely coherent interface, we show that the aluminium–precipitate interface is a more preferable trap site than void, dislocation and grain boundary. The cohesivity of the interface deteriorates significantly with increasing occupancy, while hydrogen atoms are stably trapped up to an extremely high occupancy over the possible trap site. Our insights indicate that controlling the hydrogen distribution plays a key role to design further high-strength and high-toughness aluminium alloys.
Models with environmental drivers offer a plausible mechanism for the rapid spread of infectious disease outbreaks in marine organisms
Authors: Aalto E. A. , Lafferty K. D. , Sokolow S. H. , Grewelle R. E. , Ben-Horin T. , Boch C. A. , Raimondi P. T. , Bograd S. J. , Hazen E. L. , Jacox M. G. , Micheli F. , De Leo G. A.
Published: April 2020

The first signs of sea star wasting disease (SSWD) epidemic occurred in just few months in 2013 along the entire North American Pacific coast. Disease dynamics did not manifest as the typical travelling wave of reaction-diffusion epidemiological model, suggesting that other environmental factors might have played some role. To help explore how external factors might trigger disease, we built a coupled oceanographic-epidemiological model and contrasted three hypotheses on the influence of temperature on disease transmission and pathogenicity. Models that linked mortality to sea surface temperature gave patterns more consistent with observed data on sea star wasting disease, which suggests that environmental stress could explain why some marine diseases seem to spread so fast and have region-wide impacts on host populations.
Comparative effectiveness of branded vs. generic versions of antihypertensive, lipid-lowering and hypoglycemic substances: a population-wide cohort study
Authors: Tian Yuxi , Reichardt Berthold , Dunkler Daniela , Hronsky Milan , Winkelmayer Wolfgang C. , Bucsics Anna , Strohmaier Susanne , Heinze Georg
Published: April 2020

Generic medications offer substantial potential cost savings to health systems compared to their branded counterparts. In Europe and the US, they are only approved if they are bioequivalent to the respective originator product. Nevertheless, the lack of clinical outcomes is sometimes used as the reason for hesitancy in prescribing generics. We performed an observational retrospective study on 17 branded vs. generic pharmaceutical substances for the treatment of hypertension/heart failure, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus in a dataset of 9,413,620 insured persons, representing nearly the full population of Austria, from 2007 to 2012. We compared generic vs. branded medications using hazard ratios for all-cause death and major adverse cardiac and cardiovascular events (MACCE) as outcomes of interest. Using patient demographics, health characteristics from hospitalization records, and pharmacy records as covariates, we controlled for confounding in Cox models through inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) using high-dimensional propensity scores. We observed that the unadjusted hazard ratios strongly favor generic drugs for all three pooled treatment indications (hypertension/heart failure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus), but were attenuated towards unity with increasingly larger covariate sets used for confounding control. We found that after IPTW adjustment the generic formulation was associated with significantly fewer deaths in 10 of 17 investigated drugs, and with fewer MACCE in 11 of 17 investigated drugs. This result favoring generic drugs was also present in a number of sub-analyses based on gender, prior disease status, and treatment discontinuation. E-value sensitivity analyses suggested that only strong unmeasured confounding could fully explain away the observed results. In conclusion, generic medications were at least similar, and in some cases superior, to their branded counterparts regarding mortality and major cardiovascular events.
Induced osteogenic differentiation of human smooth muscle cells as a model of vascular calcification
Authors: Pustlauk Wera , Westhoff Timm H. , Claeys Luc , Roch Toralf , Geißler Sven , Babel Nina
Published: April 2020

Vascular calcification is a severe pathological event in the manifestation of atherosclerosis. Pathogenic triggers mediating osteogenic differentiation of arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) in humans remain insufficiently understood and are to a large extent investigated in animal models or cells derived thereof. Here, we describe anin vitromodel based on SMC derived from healthy and diseased humans that allows to comprehensively investigate vascular calcification mechanisms. Comparing the impact of the commonly used SMC culture media VascuLife, DMEM, and M199, cells were characterised by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, qPCR, and regarding their contractility and proliferative capacity. Irrespective of the arterial origin, the clinical background and the expansion medium used, all cells expressed typical molecular SMC marker while contractility varied between donors. Interestingly, the ability to induce an osteogenic differentiation strongly depended on the culture medium, with only SMC cultured in DMEM depositing calcified matrix upon osteogenic stimulation, which correlated with increased alkaline phosphatase activity, increased inorganic phosphate level and upregulation of osteogenic gene markers. Our optimized model is suitable for donor-oriented as well as broader screening of potential pathogenic mediators triggering vascular calcification. Translational studies aiming to identify and to evaluate therapeutic targets in a personalized fashion would be feasible.
In vitro dual (anticancer and antiviral) activity of the carotenoids produced by haloalkaliphilic archaeon Natrialba sp. M6
Authors: Hegazy Ghada E. , Abu-Serie Marwa M. , Abo-Elela Gehan M. , Ghozlan Hanan , Sabry Soraya A. , Soliman Nadia A. , Abdel-Fattah Yasser R.
Published: April 2020

Halophilic archaea are a promising natural source of carotenoids. However, little information is available about the biological impacts of these archaeal metabolites. Here, carotenoids of Natrialba sp. M6, which was isolated from Wadi El-Natrun, were produced, purified and identified by Raman spectroscopy, GC-mass spectrometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, LC–mass spectrometry and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The C50 carotenoid bacterioruberin was found to be the predominant compound. Because cancer and viral hepatitis are serious diseases, the anticancer, anti-HCV and anti-HBV potentials of these extracted carotenoids (pigments) were examined for the first time. In vitro results indicated that the caspase-mediated apoptotic anticancer effect of this pigment and its inhibitory efficacy against matrix metalloprotease 9 were significantly higher than those of 5-fluorouracil. Furthermore, the extracted pigment exhibited significantly stronger activity for eliminating HCV and HBV in infected human blood mononuclear cells than currently used drugs. This antiviral activity may be attributed to its inhibitory potential against HCV RNA and HBV DNA polymerases, which thereby suppresses HCV and HBV replication, as indicated by a high viral clearance % in the treated cells. These novel findings suggest that the C50 carotenoid of Natrialba sp. M6 can be used as an alternative source of natural metabolites that confer potent anticancer and antiviral activities.
Selective attention for affiliative and agonistic interactions of dominants and close affiliates in macaques
Authors: Schülke Oliver , Dumdey Natalie , Ostner Julia
Published: April 2020

Monitoring conspecifics is a crucial process in social learning and a building block of social cognition. Selective attention to social stimuli results from interactions of subject and stimulus characteristics with dominance rank often emerging as an important predictor. We extend previous research by providing as stimuli naturally occurring affiliative interactions between group members instead of pictorial or auditory representations of conflicts, and by extending to the affiliative relationship, i.e. social bond, between subject and stimulus instead of just their dominance relations. Our observational data on adult female rhesus macaques support the prediction that subjects pay more attention to affiliative interactions of others than to solitary controls. Exceedingly more attention was paid to conflicts unfolding in the group which can have more prompt and direct consequences than others’ friendly interactions. The valence of the stimulus (affiliative vs. agonistic) affected biases towards individuals dominant over the subject, but not the ubiquitous bias towards close affiliates of the subject. Keeping track of the whereabouts and interactions of key social partners has been proposed as a prerequisite for behavioral coordination among bonded partners. In groups of socially very active monkeys, social attention is gated by both social dominance and social bonding.
Transcriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed genes associated with high rates of egg production in chicken hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis
Authors: Mishra Shailendra Kumar , Chen Binlong , Zhu Qing , Xu Zhongxian , Ning Chunyou , Yin Huadong , Wang Yan , Zhao Xiaoling , Fan Xiaolan , Yang Mingyao , Yang Deying , Ni Qingyong , Li Yan , Zhang Mingwang , Li Diyan
Published: April 2020

The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis regulates the breeding process cycle of laying hens. However, the key regulatory genes of the HPO axis and pathways that drive chicken egg laying performance remain elusive. A total of 856 Chinese Luhua chicken was raised and the highest two hundred and the lowest two hundred chicken egg production were considered as high egg production (HEP) and low egg production (LEP) according to the total egg number at 300 days of age, respectively. RNA-seq sequencing (RNA-Seq) was conducted to explore the chicken transcriptome from the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovary tissue of 6 Chinese Luhua chicken with 3 high and low-rate egg production. In total, 76.09 Gb RNA-seq sequences were generated from 15 libraries with an average of 5.07 Gb for each library. Further analysis showed that 414, 356 and 10 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in pituitary gland, ovary and hypothalamus between HEP and LEP chickens, respectively. In pituitary gland, DEGs were involve in regulation of cellular glucose homeostasis, Ras protein signal transduction, negative regulation of hormone secretion. In Ovary DEGs were mainly involved in embryonic organ development, regulation of canonical Wnt signaling, response to peptide hormone. Our study identified DEGs that regulate mTOR signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, Tryptophan metabolism and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways at HPO-axis in laying hens. These important data contribute to improve our understanding of reproductive biology of chicken and isolating effective molecular markers that can be used for genetic selection in Chinese domestic Luhua chicken.
Author Correction: Immunotoxicological impact and biodistribution assessment of bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) nanoparticles following intratracheal instillation in mice
Authors: Mishra Vani , Baranwal Vikas , Mishra Rohit K. , Sharma Shivesh , Paul Bholanath , Pandey Avinash C.
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: Reconstruction of residents’ thyroid equivalent doses from internal radionuclides after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station accident
Authors: Ohba Takashi , Ishikawa Tetsuo , Nagai Haruyasu , Tokonami Shinji , Hasegawa Arifumi , Suzuki Gen
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
End-to-end vascular anastomosis using a novel magnetic compression device in rabbits: a preliminary study
Authors: Lu Qiang , Liu Kang , Zhang Wei , Li Tao , Shi Ai-Hua , Ding Hong-Fan , Yan Xiao-Peng , Zhang Xu-Feng , Wu Rong-Qian , Lv Yi , Wang Shan-Pei
Published: April 2020

Magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA) has been appreciated as an innovative alternative to manual suturing in vascular reconstruction. However, magnetic devices have limitations in their applications. The present study aimed to introduce a newly developed magnetic device for end-to-end vascular anastomosis. Twenty male New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to receive end-to-end postcaval vein anastomosis using either a newly designed MCA device (Group MCA) or continuous-interrupted suturing (Group CIS). The anastomotic patency was evaluated by Doppler or venography immediately, 1 week, and 12 weeks after surgery. Anastomotic quality was evaluated gross and microscopic histological study 12 weeks after surgery. The procedure was successfully performed and all animals survived until sacrifice. The duration of surgery and anastomosis time in Group MCA were significantly shorter compared to Group CIS (all p < 0.001), and the incidence of anastomotic patency and postoperative morbidity were comparable between the two groups (all p > 0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that anastomotic intima from Group MCA was much smoother with more regularly arranged endothelial cells than from compared to the Group CIS. A novel MCA device was successfully applied in rabbit vascular anastomosis. We demonstrated the reliability and effectiveness of this newly developed MCA in this study.
Association of periodic limb movements during sleep and tinnitus in humans
Authors: Hwang Sheng-Wei , Chu Yia-Chi , Hwang Shang-Rung , Hwang Juen-Haur
Published: April 2020

Both of periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) and tinnitus were related with dopaminergic system dysfunction. However, it was still unclear whether PLMS, one kind of sleep disturbances, was associated with chronic tinnitus or not. Thus, we aimed to investigate this issue in humans. Clinical and overnight polysomnographic data of 2849 adults from a community hospital during Nov. 2011 to Jun 2017 in Taiwan was collected retrospectively. The association of PLMS and chronic tinnitus was analyzed by Student’s t-test, Pearson’s Chi-Square test, and multivariate logistic regression. The results showed that the mean age was 50.6 years old (standard deviation, SD = 13.3, range = 18~91) for all subjects. There were 1886 subjects without tinnitus and 963 subjects with tinnitus in this study. The PLMS was not significantly different between subjects without tinnitus (mean = 1.0/h, SD = 3.5/h) and subjects with tinnitus mean = 1.1/h, SD = 3.4/h) by Student’s t-test. The severity of PLMS was not significantly between non-tinnitus and tinnitus subjects by Pearson’s Chi-Square test. Multivariate logistic regression also showed that PLMS was not significantly associated with tinnitus after adjusting age, sex, subjective hearing loss, Parkinson’s disease, and insomnia. In conclusion, PLMS was not associated with chronic tinnitus in humans.
Author Correction: All semiconductor enhanced high-harmonic generation from a single nanostructured cone
Authors: Franz Dominik , Kaassamani Shatha , Gauthier David , Nicolas Rana , Kholodtsova Maria , Douillard Ludovic , Gomes Jean-Thomas , Lavoute Laure , Gaponov Dmitry , Ducros Nicolas , Février Sebastien , Biegert Jens , Shi Liping , Kovacev Milutin , Boutu Willem , Merdji Hamed
Published: April 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Renal-clearable hyaluronic acid functionalized NaGdF4nanodots with enhanced tumor accumulation
Authors: Yan Yining , Ding Lei , Liu Lin , Abualrejal Murad M. A. , Chen Hongda , Wang Zhenxin
Published: April 2020

Hyaluronic acid functionalized NaGdF4nanodots were synthesized and evaluated as an active tumor-targeting magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent.
Synthesis of anti-photolysis lignin-based dispersant and its application in pesticide suspension concentrate
Authors: Peng Ruifen , Pang Yuxia , Qiu Xueqing , Qian Yong , Zhou Mingsong
Published: April 2020

Hindered amine grafted lignosulfonate was synthesized and used as functional dispersant in suspension concentrate of photosensitive pesticide avermectin.
A fluidic demultiplexer for controlling large arrays of soft actuators
Authors: Bartlett Nicholas W. , Becker Kaitlyn P. , Wood Robert J.
Published: April 2020

This work proposes a soft microfluidic demultiplexer as a potential control system for soft robotics.
A facile way for scalable fabrication of silver nanowire network electrodes for high-performance and foldable smart windows
Authors: Huang Shengyun , Zhang Qingzhe , Yang Fan , Gangadharan Deepak Thrithamarassery , Li Pandeng , Ren Fuqiang , Sun Baoquan , Ma Dongling
Published: April 2020

Ag NW TCE based SPDs show high performance (optical modulation 60.2%; switching time 21 s) and excellent flexibility (folded 180°).
Biomolecule conjugated metal nanoclusters: bio-inspiration strategies, targeted therapeutics, and diagnostics
Authors: Zhang Shan , Zhang Xiaoyuan , Su Zhiqiang
Published: April 2020

To help those suffering from viral infections and cancers, scientists are exploring enhanced therapeutic methods via metal nanoclusters (MNCs).
Retraction: Ni/Ti layered double hydroxide: synthesis, characterization and application as a photocatalyst for visible light degradation of aqueous methylene blue
Authors: Shore Andrew
Published: April 2020

Retraction of ‘Ni/Ti layered double hydroxide: synthesis, characterization and application as a photocatalyst for visible light degradation of aqueous methylene blue’ by Priyadarshi Roy Chowdhury and Krishna G. Bhattacharyya, Dalton Trans., 2015, 44, 6809–6824.
Theoretical study of the mechanical properties of CrFeCoNiMox (0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.3) alloys
Authors: Liu Yu , Wang Kai , Xiao Hui , Chen Gang , Wang Zhipeng , Hu Te , Fan Touwen , Ma Li
Published: April 2020

There is a dramatic change of the elastic constants when Mo content increases from 0.26 to 0.28, indicating that the deformation resistance of CrFeCoNiMox (0.26 ≤ x ≤ 0.28) HEAs has changed greatly.
Biointerface topography mediates the interplay between endothelial cells and monocytes
Authors: Liu Yan , Deng Wenshuai , Yang Liangliang , Fu Xiuxiu , Wang Zhibin , van Rijn Patrick , Zhou Qihui , Yu Tao
Published: April 2020

This study offers a new in vitro system to understand the interplay between HUVEC monolayer and monocytes mediated by aligned topographies, which may be useful for vascular repair and disease modeling for drug testing.
pH-Responsive hyperbranched polypeptides based on Schiff bases as drug carriers for reducing toxicity of chemotherapy
Authors: Yan Rui , Liu Xinyi , Xiong Junjie , Feng Qiyi , Xu Junhuai , Wang Haibo , Xiao Kai
Published: April 2020

Polymeric micelles have great potential in drug delivery systems because of their multifunctional adjustability, excellent stability, and biocompatibility.
MOF-derived Bi2O3@C microrods as negative electrodes for advanced asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Yu Xianbo , Sun Jie , Zhao Wenna , Zhao Shihang , Chen Hongmei , Tao Kai , Hu Yaoping , Han Lei
Published: April 2020

Bi2O3 microrods with a carbon coat (Bi2O3@C) exhibit ultrahigh specific capacity (1378 C g−1 at 0.5 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (93% retention at 4000 cycles) as negative electrodes for supercapacitors.
A sol–gel synthesis to prepare size and shape-controlled mesoporous nanostructures of binary (II–VI) metal oxides
Authors: Yarbrough Ryan , Davis Klinton , Dawood Sheeba , Rathnayake Hemali
Published: April 2020

A base-catalyzed sol–gel approach combined with a solvent-driven self-assembly process at low temperature is augmented to make highly mesoporous metal oxide nanostructures of manganese and copper, and hydroxide nanostructures of magnesium.
Highly efficient catalyst-free domino conjugate addition, decarboxylation and esterification/amidation of coumarin carboxylic acid/esters with pyrazolones: a green chemistry approach
Authors: Lakshmi Shanta Raj , Singh Vipin , Chowhan L. Raju
Published: April 2020

Tandem conjugate addition, decarboxylation and esterification/amidation of coumarin 3-carboxylic acid derivatives with pyrazolones have been developed.
Hard X-ray excited optical luminescence from protein-directed Au∼20 clusters
Authors: Liu Zuoyue , Jung Kyung Oh , Takahata Ryo , Sakamoto Masanori , Teranishi Toshiharu , Fujitsuka Mamoru , Pratx Guillem , Osakada Yasuko
Published: April 2020

We investigated the luminescence properties of protein-directed Au∼20 clusters upon hard X-ray irradiation, demonstrating the further possible application toward nanomaterial based bio-imaging and diagnostics.
Quantification of amino groups on halloysite surfaces using the Fmoc-method
Authors: Fidecka Katarzyna , Giacoboni Jessica , Picconi Pietro , Vago Riccardo , Licandro Emanuela
Published: April 2020

The functionalization of halloysite nanotube (HNT) surfaces with aminosilanes is an important strategy for their further decoration with organic molecules to obtain hybrid inorganic–organic nanoarchitectures to be used in catalysis and drug delivery.
Understanding CO2 capture kinetics and energetics by ionic liquids with molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Yang Fan , Wang Xianjuan , Liu Yang , Yang Yanmei , Zhao Mingwen , Liu Xiangdong , Li Weifeng
Published: April 2020

The interactions between ionic liquids (ILs) and CO2 were studied by molecular dynamics simulations. Several key characters, including the volumes of cations and anions, the length of the alkyl chain have been assessed on CO2 capture capability.
Synthesis of 1,3-diaryl-spiro[azetidine-2,3′-indoline]-2′,4-dionesviathe Staudinger reaction:cis- ortrans-diastereoselectivity with different addition modes
Authors: Filatov Vadim , Kukushkin Maksim , Kuznetsova Juliana , Skvortsov Dmitry , Tafeenko Viktor , Zyk Nikolay , Majouga Alexander , Beloglazkina Elena
Published: April 2020

Two experimental techniques of the ketene–imine Staudinger reaction allowed different diastereomers of spiro-indolinone-β-lactams to be obtained.
Engineering bio-mimicking functional vesicles with multiple compartments for quantifying molecular transport
Authors: Mohanan Gayathri , Nair Karthika S. , Nampoothiri K. Madhavan , Bajaj Harsha
Published: April 2020

Giant vesicle functional models mimicking a bacterial membrane under physiological conditions are constructed.
Solid-state NMR spectroscopy: an advancing tool to analyse the structure and properties of metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Brunner Eike , Rauche Marcus
Published: April 2020

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) gain increasing interest due to their outstanding properties like extremely high porosity, structural variability, and various possibilities for functionalization.
Modulated self-assembly of metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Forgan Ross S.
Published: April 2020

This Perspective gives an overview of the modulated self-assembly of MOFs – incorporating additives and alternative precursors into syntheses – focusing on its varying influences on crystallization mechanisms, physical properties, and applications.
Evolution of different defect clusters in Eu3+ doped KMgF3 and Eu3+, Li+ co-doped KMgF3 compounds and the immediate impact on the phosphor characteristics
Authors: Pathak Nimai , Mukherjee Sumanta , Das Debarati , Dutta Dhanadeep , Dash Smruti , Kadam Ramakant Mahadeo
Published: April 2020

Different type of defect clusters were found to exist in Eu3+:KMgF3 and Li+, Eu3+:KMgF3 compounds, which can change the surrounding local structure of Eu3+ dopant ion. This resulted in different emission characteristics of Eu3+ ions, which can change the phosphor characteristics of the compounds.
Changing picture of energy generation in Australia and the United States
Authors: Riedinger Lee L.
Published: April 2020

The energy portfolio is changing for both the United States and Australia. Both countries are rich in fossil fuel reserves and both depend on burning them as a large source of energy. Both export coal and natural gas. Both are moving to more renewable supply of energy, although with different drivers and different degrees of government leadership. The United States has a sizeable nuclear component to its energy generation portfolio, but Australia does not due to a legal prohibition. How each country meets its goals of reduced carbon emissions (official or unofficial goals) is not clear at this time.
Neutron stars from crust to core within the Quark-meson coupling model
Authors: Antić S. , Stone J. R. , Thomas A. W.
Published: April 2020

Recent years continue to be an exciting time for the neutron star physics, providing many new observations and insights to these natural ‘laboratories’ of cold dense matter. To describe them, there are many models on the market but still none that would reproduce all observed and experimental data. The quark-meson coupling model stands out with its natural inclusion of hyperons as dense matter building blocks, and fewer parameters necessary to obtain the nuclear matter equation of state. The latest advances of the QMC model and its application to the neutron star physics will be presented, within which we build the neutron star’s outer crust from finite nuclei up to the neutron drip line. The appearance of different elements and their position in the crust of a neutron star is explored and compared to the predictions of various models, giving the same quality of the results for the QMC model as for the models when the nucleon structure is not taken into account.
Weniger Bürokratie in Sicht? – Neue Heilmittel-Richtlinie
Authors: Laquai Sophia
Published: April 2020

In der Heilmittel-Richtlinie (HeilM-RL) sind die Voraussetzungen, Grundsätze und Inhalte der ärztlichen Verordnungsmöglichkeiten festgelegt. Im Heilmittelkatalog (Bestandteil der HeilM-RL) sind Art und Umfang der Therapien beschrieben, die ein Arzt verordnen darf. Am 1. Oktober 2020 wird die überarbeitete Heilmittel-Richtlinie in Kraft treten. ergopraxis hat die wichtigsten Änderungen zusammengefasst.
Addition of Caffeine to a Carbohydrate Feeding Strategy Prior to
Intermittent Exercise
Authors: Hulton Andrew T. , Vitzel Kaio , Doran Dominic A. , MacLaren Don P. M.
Published: April 2020

The ergogenic effect of caffeine is well established, although no investigations
providing a high carbohydrate feeding strategy (pre-exercise
meal=2 g/kg BM) co-ingested with caffeine exist for
soccer. This investigation examines the effect of caffeine in addition to a
pre-exercise carbohydrate meal and drink mid-way through a soccer simulation.
Eight recreational soccer players completed an 85-minute soccer simulation
followed by an exercise capacity test (Yo-yo Intermittent Endurance test level
2) on two occasions. Prior to exercise participants consumed a high carbohydrate
meal, with placebo or 5 mg/kg BM-1 caffeine. No
significant performance effect was identified (p=0.099) despite a
12.8% (109 m) improvement in exercise capacity following
caffeine. Rates of carbohydrate and fat oxidation did not differ between
conditions and nor were differences apparent for plasma glucose, fatty acids,
glycerol, β-hydroxybutyrate (p>0.05). However, an increase in
lactate was observed for caffeine (p=0.039). A significant condition
effect on rating of perceived exertion was identified (p<0.001), with
the overall mean for the protocol lowered to 11.7±0.9 au for
caffeine compared to 12.8±1.3 au. Caffeine supplementation with
a carbohydrate feeding strategy failed to affect metabolic and metabolite
responses, although reductions in perception of exercise were observed. While a
12.8% increase in exercise capacity was noted the findings were not
significant, possibly due to the small sample size.
Endoscopic negative pressure therapy with open-pore film drainage and open-pore polyurethane sponge drainage for iatrogenic perforation of the esophagus
Authors: Wichmann Dörte , Stüker Dietmar , Schempf Ulrike , Werner Christoph R. , Steger Volker , Königsrainer Alfred , Schweizer Ulrich , Archid Rami
Published: April 2020

Background Management of iatrogenic esophageal perforation (IEP) is challenging. Endoscopic negative pressure therapy (ENPT) is an emerging and effective tool for the treatment of gastrointestinal and anastomotic leaks. We have used ENPT as first-line therapy for IEP since 2017. The aim of this study was to present our results with this strategy in patients with IEP.

Methods Nine patients were treated with ENPT for IEP between August 2017 and August 2019. Their treatment characteristics, including duration of therapy, strategy used, and outcomes, were analyzed. Treatment included ENPT with open-pore film drainage (OFD) and open-pore polyurethane foam drainage (OPD).

Results Early diagnosis (< 24 hours) of IEP occurred in four patients. After a mean (standard deviation) of 19.0 (13.5) days of ENPT, 6.4 (3.4) endoscopies, and 38.1 (40.3) days of hospitalization, endoscopic treatment was effective and successful in all of the patients. Additional video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was done in four patients.

Conclusions ENPT is an effective new method for the management of IEP. ENPT with OFD and OPD can be combined with minimally invasive operative methods for sepsis control in IEP.