bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Architecture and Operational Model for Smart Campus Digital Infrastructure
Authors: Jurva Risto , Matinmikko-Blue Marja , Niemelä Ville , Nenonen Suvi
Published: March 2020

Nations and cities are eagerly joining the global trend of transition to digitized society. Through digitalization, societies aim to streamline their key functions and to develop modern services to inhabitants. 5G wireless networks are being built globally with lots of expectations put on them. It is anticipated that at the first phase of 5G, the technology will benefit the most different verticals like factories, hospitals and campuses. Universities have likewise awoken to establish digitalization projects to respond to the disruption of education and to overcome in the growing global competition. The transition to digital campus will inevitably rely on campus ICT and IoT infrastructures. Additionally, the number of terminals, devices, sensors and robots will multiply. This article proposes a technical architecture for future Smart Campus consisting of 5G and IoT networks complemented by distributed computing and data analytics. Increasing complexity of digital environment calls for a specific actor to operate the Smart Campus infrastructure and also services, which has not been widely discussed. It is foreseen that the university IT Administration is probably not willing to adopt the responsibility of enlarging infra and growing number of devices. Similarly, mobile network operators are not seen appropriate to take this role being commonly profiled to offer merely connectivity. To tackle this question, a novel operational model for the Smart Campuses is presented based on the recently proposed micro operator concept. Moreover, a case study of the University of Oulu campus is presented, where smart technology in the form of 5G test network has been deployed.
Robotic Process Mining: Vision and Challenges
Authors: Leno Volodymyr , Polyvyanyy Artem , Dumas Marlon , La Rosa Marcello , Maggi Fabrizio Maria
Published: March 2020

Robotic process automation (RPA) is an emerging technology that allows organizations automating repetitive clerical tasks by executing scripts that encode sequences of fine-grained interactions with Web and desktop applications. Examples of clerical tasks include opening a file, selecting a field in a Web form or a cell in a spreadsheet, and copy-pasting data across fields or cells. Given that RPA can automate a wide range of routines, this raises the question of which routines should be automated in the first place. This paper presents a vision towards a family of techniques, termed robotic process mining (RPM), aimed at filling this gap. The core idea of RPM is that repetitive routines amenable for automation can be discovered from logs of interactions between workers and Web and desktop applications, also known as user interactions (UI) logs. The paper defines a set of basic concepts underpinning RPM and presents a pipeline of processing steps that would allow an RPM tool to generate RPA scripts from UI logs. The paper also discusses research challenges to realize the envisioned pipeline.
The Right to Be Forgotten in the Digital Age: The Challenges of Data Protection Beyond Borders
Authors: Fabbrini Federico , Celeste Edoardo
Published: March 2020

This article explores the challenges of the extraterritorial application of the right to be forgotten and, more broadly, of EU data protection law in light of the recent case law of the ECJ. The paper explains that there are good arguments for the EU to apply its high data protection standards outside its borders, but that such an extraterritorial application faces challenges, as it may clash with duties of international comity, legal diversity, or contrasting rulings delivered by courts in other jurisdictions. As the article points out from a comparative perspective, the protection of privacy in the digital age increasingly exposes a tension between efforts by legal systems to impose their high standards of data protection outside their borders – a dynamic which could be regarded as ‘imperialist’ – and claims by other legal systems to assert their own power over data – a dynamic which one could name ‘sovereigntist’. As the article suggests, navigating between the Scylla of imperialism and the Charybdis of sovereigntism will not be an easy task. In this context, greater convergence in the data protection framework of liberal democratic systems worldwide appears as the preferable path to secure privacy in the digital age.
Developments in The EU-German Judicial Love Story: The Right To Be Forgotten II
Authors: Bobić Ana
Published: March 2020

The relationship between the Court of Justice and the Bundesverfassungsgericht is perhaps one of the most explored relationships in all of EU’s legal history. In attempting to understand and operationalize the uncertainty surrounding the positioning between EU and national constitutional orders, they have in some respects followed the footsteps of a typical life-long love story: in the early years of European integration, both courts appeared to be in denial of any romance, and entered into a conflict over the question of the final arbiter; they subsequently turned to flirting by moving away from an institutionally based conflict towards finding a common substantive ground; which resulted in finally abandoning the competition for domination, but rather embracing mutual respect and a heterarchical relationship. This brief piece follows these developments in fundamental rights review that for now end with the second German decision concerning the right to be forgotten.
The 1921–1923 Famine and the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine: Common and Distinctive Features
Authors: Rudnytskyi Omelian , Kulchytskyi Stanislav , Gladun Oleksandr , Kulyk Natalia
Published: March 2020

This article covers the preconditions, causes, and consequences of the famine of 1921–1923 and of the Holodomor of 1932–1933. Significant attention is paid to the geography and scale of the famine. For the first time in the historiography of the famine of 1921–1923, a thorough assessment is conducted of the demographic loss of population for Ukraine as a whole, seven oblasts, and the Moldova Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR). A comparative analysis of the research results of the 1921–1923 famine and the Holodomor of 1932–1933 is presented. The discussion consists of three parts. The first part addresses the famine of 1921–1923. It examines the historico-political and economic context of the famine, its scale, and its uneven effect on different parts of the country. Special attention is paid to the sanitary-epidemiological situation which was closely tied to the famine itself. The second part is devoted to the Holodomor of 1932–1933. A comparative analysis of losses during the famines of 1921–1923 and 1932–1933 is presented in the third part.
Lay Sanctity in the Central Middle Ages, 970–1120
Authors: CORNELL DU HOUX ADRIAN
Published: March 2020

This article surveys a collection of lay saints who were neither martyrs nor born into a royal family to show that, despite previous assumptions, this type of sainthood was possible before developments of the twelfth century. Two main themes emerge from their cults, namely an attempt to promote pious role models for the lay aristocracy and the growth of pilgrimage as an expression of wider devotion. The cults are also situated in the context of the Gregorian reform movement, showing that they contribute to a picture of clergy and laity working symbiotically rather than in opposition.
Centralized Regionalism: The rise of regional fiscal-military states in China, 1916–28
Authors: LI HUAIYIN
Published: March 2020

Warlordism in early Republican China was more than political fragmentation and intensive warfare. It involved serious efforts and breakthroughs in state-making at the regional level. Warlords or regional forces that centralized and bureaucratized their fiscal and governing institutions would eventually outcompete those who did not. Geopolitical advantages and access to modern economic and financial resources added to their competitiveness. The Guangdong-based Guomindang force prevailed over all others precisely because of a combination of all these factors in its state-building efforts by 1928. Central to state-making in early twentieth-century China, therefore, was the rise of regional fiscal-military states and their rivals for national dominance. China joined some of the most prominent latecomers to nation states in other parts of the modern world in their shared bottom-up path of state-building.
The causal nature of the association between resting pulse in late adolescence and risk for internalizing and externalizing disorders: a co-relative analysis in a national male Swedish sample
Authors: Kendler Kenneth S. , Lönn Sara L. , Sundquist Jan , Sundquist Kristina
Published: March 2020

Background

Resting pulse is robustly and inversely associated with the risk for externalizing disorders and may be positively associated with internalizing disorders. We know little about the causal nature of these associations.

Methods

We examined resting pulse at conscription examination in 369 301 males born 1960–80 with a mean (s.d.) follow-up of 29.1 (7.7) years. From pulse rates, we predicted, using Cox models, the risk for criminal behavior (CB), drug abuse (DA), alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depression (MD), and anxiety disorders (AD), assessed from medical, criminal, and pharmacy registries. Co-relative analyses were conducted on the general population, cousin, half-sibling, full-sibling, and monozygotic pairs discordant for the outcome. Twin/sibling modeling for pulse was performed using OpenMX.

Results

Familial resemblance for pulse resulted entirely from genetic factors. In the general population, the risk for externalizing disorders (CB, DA, and AUD) and internalizing disorders (MD and AD) were, respectively, significantly associated with low and high resting pulse rate. For CB, DA, and AUD, co-relative analyses showed that the inverse association with pulse resulted entirely from familial common causes (aka ‘confounders’). By contrast, co-relative analyses found that the association between higher pulse and MD and AD resulted from direct causal effects.

Conclusions

Resting pulse has a negative and positive association with, respectively, the risk for externalizing and for internalizing disorders. Co-relative analyses indicate that the nature of these associations differ, suggesting that elevated pulse appears to directly increase the risk for internalizing disorders while the reduced pulse is a risk index for underlying traits that predispose to externalizing disorders.
Maria Theresa and the Love of Her Subjects
Authors: Stollberg-Rilinger Barbara
Published: March 2020

Ihave been askedto speak about the life of the Empress-Queen Maria Theresa. I would like to start by directing your attention to the cover pictures of three recent biographies (Figures 1‒3). If you look at these pictures you will find one astonishing commonality. I am sure that this is neither a coincidence, nor just a fad: on each of the three covers, you only see a part of the portrait. For me, this perfectly symbolizes a specific, skeptical view of biography writing. As a biographer, these cover pictures say, you never get the whole picture of a person. It's always up to the author not only to choose the material but also to establish a certain narrative structure. A life is not a story, and a biography does not simply tell itself. There is always more than one true life story of a person. As the Swiss historian Valentin Groebner recently put it: “The past is a big untidy cellar. It is a bit damp and dark and smells a bit strange there. We go down and get what we want.” What you choose and how you arrange it—which story you tell—depends on which perspective you take and in what you are interested.
The task of critique in times of post-truth politics
Authors: Schindler Sebastian
Published: March 2020

Post-truth politics poses a specific problem for critical theories. The problem is that the relativisation of facts – the claim that knowledge is merely a product of power, history, and perspective – is a core aspect of present-day ideological thinking. Critical theories have been unable to respond to this challenge, because their critique has been directed against the opposite claim, namely the naturalisation of facts. While acknowledging this problem, this article argues that post-truth discourse actually combines relativisation and naturalisation. It does not simply relativise truth, but also naturalises the belief in specific ‘facts’ – notably the belief that ‘conspiracies are behind it all’. Once we recognise the twin character of post-truth, we must reject the view of Bruno Latour and others who have made critique responsible for the crisis. Instead, it then becomes apparent that there are deep and disconcerting similarities between post-truth politics and the totalitarian and authoritarian ideologies of the twentieth century. The task of critique is to confront and counter this resurgent ideology, thereby providing direction and orientation in the struggle for emancipation.
A MINIMAL CONGRUENCE LATTICE REPRESENTATION FOR
Authors: BUNN ROGER , GROW DAVID , INSALL MATT , THIEM PHILIP
Published: March 2020

Let$p$be an odd prime. The unary algebra consisting of the dihedral group of order$2p$, acting on itself by left translation, is a minimal congruence lattice representation of $\mathbb{M}_{p+1}$.
Using Space‐Based Observations and Lagrangian Modeling to Evaluate Urban Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the Middle East
Authors: Yang Emily G. , Kort Eric A. , Wu Dien , Lin John C. , Oda Tomohiro , Ye Xinxin , Lauvaux Thomas
Published: March 2020

Improved observational understanding of urban CO2 emissions, a large and dynamic global source of fossil CO2, can provide essential insights for both carbon cycle science and mitigation decision making. Here we compare three distinct global CO2 emissions inventory representations of urban CO2 emissions for five Middle Eastern cities (Riyadh, Mecca, Tabuk, Jeddah, and Baghdad) and use independent satellite observations from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory‐2 (OCO‐2) satellite to evaluate the inventory representations of afternoon emissions. We use the column version of the Stochastic Time‐Inverted Lagrangian Transport (X‐STILT) model to account for atmospheric transport and link emissions to observations. We compare XCO2 simulations with observations to determine optimum inventory scaling factors. Applying these factors, we find that the average summed emissions for all five cities are 100 MtC year−1 (50–151, 90% CI), which is 2.0 (1.0, 3.0) times the average prior inventory magnitudes. The total adjustment of the emissions of these cities comes out to ~7% (0%, 14%) of total Middle Eastern emissions (~700 MtC year−1). We find our results to be insensitive to the prior spatial distributions in inventories of the cities' emissions, facilitating robust quantitative assessments of urban emission magnitudes without accurate high‐resolution gridded inventories.
Data Assimilation for Streamflow Forecasting Using Extreme Learning Machines and Multilayer Perceptrons
Authors: Boucher M.‐A. , Quilty J. , Adamowski J.
Published: March 2020

Data assimilation allows for updating state variables in a model to represent the initial condition of a catchment more accurately than the initial OpenLoop simulation. In hydrology, data assimilation is often a prerequisite for forecasting. According to Hornik (1991,https://doi.org/10.1016/0893-6080(91)90009-T) artificial neural networks can learn any nonlinear relationship between inputs and outputs. Here, we hypothesize that neural networks could learn the relationship between the simulated streamflow (from a hydrological model) and the corresponding state variables. Once learned, this relationship can be used to obtain corrected state variables by applying it to observed rather than simulated streamflow. Based on this, we propose a novel, ensemble‐based, data assimilation approach. As a proof of concept and to verify the abovementioned hypothesis, we used an international testbed comprising four hydrologically dissimilar catchments. We applied the new data assimilation method to the lumped hydrological model GR4J, which has two state variables. Within this framework, we compared two types of neural networks, namely, Extreme Learning Machine and the Multilayer Perceptron. Using well‐known metrics such as the continuous ranked probability score, we compared the assimilated streamflow series with the OpenLoop streamflow series and with the observed streamflow. We show that neural networks can be successfully used for data assimilation, with a noticeable improvement over the OpenLoop simulation for all catchments.
Hypoxia-induced release, nuclear translocation, and signaling activity of a DLK1 intracellular fragment in glioma
Authors: Grassi Elisa Stellaria , Pantazopoulou Vasiliki , Pietras Alexander
Published: March 2020

Glioblastoma multiforme is characterized in part by severe hypoxia associated with tumor necrosis. The cellular response to hypoxia can influence several properties of tumor cells associated with aggressive tumor growth, including metabolic adaptations and tumor cell migration and invasion. Here, we found that Delta Like Non-Canonical Notch Ligand 1 (DLK1) expression was elevated as compared with normal brain in a genetically engineered mouse model of glioma, and that DLK1 expression increased with tumor grade in human glioma samples. DLK1 expression was highest in hypoxic and perivascular tumor areas, and we found that hypoxia induced the release and nuclear translocation of an intracellular fragment of DLK1 in murine glioma as well as in human glioma cultures. Release of the intracellular fragment was dependent on ADAM17 and Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1alpha and 2alpha (HIF-1alpha/HIF-2alpha), as ADAM17 inhibitors and HIF1A/HIF2A siRNA blocked DLK1 cleavage. Expression of a cleavable form of DLK1 amplified several hypoxia-induced traits of glioma cells such as colony formation, stem cell marker gene expression, a PI3K-pathway-mediated metabolic shift, and enhanced invasiveness. Effects of DLK1 were dependent on DLK1-cleavage by ADAM17, as expression of non-cleavable DLK1 could not replicate the DLK1-induced hypoxic phenotype. Finally, forced expression of DLK1 resulted in more invasive tumor growth in a PDGFB-induced glioma mouse model without affecting overall survival. Together, our findings suggest a previously undescribed role for DLK1 as an intracellular signaling molecule.
Maternal carriage of Prevotella during pregnancy associates with protection against food allergy in the offspring
Authors: Vuillermin Peter J. , O’Hely Martin , Collier Fiona , Allen Katrina J. , Tang Mimi L. K. , Harrison Leonard C. , Carlin John B. , Saffery Richard , Ranganathan Sarath , Sly Peter D. , Gray Lawrence , Molloy John , Pezic Angela , Conlon Michael , Topping David , Nelson Karen , Mackay Charles R. , Macia Laurence , Koplin Jennifer , Dawson Samantha L. , Moreno-Betancur Margarita , Ponsonby Anne-Louise ,   the J. Craig Venter Institute, Vashee Sanjay , Torralba Manolito , Gomez Andres ,   the BIS Investigator Group, Dwyer Terrence , Burgner David , Forrester Michael , Symeonides Christos , Bandala Sanchez Esther
Published: March 2020

In mice, the maternal microbiome influences fetal immune development and postnatal allergic outcomes. Westernized populations have high rates of allergic disease and low rates of gastrointestinal carriage of Prevotella, a commensal bacterial genus that produces short chain fatty acids and endotoxins, each of which may promote the development of fetal immune tolerance. In this study, we use a prebirth cohort (n = 1064 mothers) to conduct a nested case-cohort study comparing 58 mothers of babies with clinically proven food IgE mediated food allergy with 258 randomly selected mothers. Analysis of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene in fecal samples shows maternal carriage of Prevotella copri during pregnancy strongly predicts the absence of food allergy in the offspring. This association was confirmed using targeted qPCR and was independent of infant carriage of P. copri. Larger household size, which is a well-established protective factor for allergic disease, strongly predicts maternal carriage of P. copri.
Transient non-integrative expression of nuclear reprogramming factors promotes multifaceted amelioration of aging in human cells
Authors: Sarkar Tapash Jay , Quarta Marco , Mukherjee Shravani , Colville Alex , Paine Patrick , Doan Linda , Tran Christopher M. , Chu Constance R. , Horvath Steve , Qi Lei S. , Bhutani Nidhi , Rando Thomas A. , Sebastiano Vittorio
Published: March 2020

Aging is characterized by a gradual loss of function occurring at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organismal levels. At the chromatin level, aging associates with progressive accumulation of epigenetic errors that eventually lead to aberrant gene regulation, stem cell exhaustion, senescence, and deregulated cell/tissue homeostasis. Nuclear reprogramming to pluripotency can revert both the age and the identity of any cell to that of an embryonic cell. Recent evidence shows that transient reprogramming can ameliorate age-associated hallmarks and extend lifespan in progeroid mice. However, it is unknown how this form of rejuvenation would apply to naturally aged human cells. Here we show that transient expression of nuclear reprogramming factors, mediated by expression of mRNAs, promotes a rapid and broad amelioration of cellular aging, including resetting of epigenetic clock, reduction of the inflammatory profile in chondrocytes, and restoration of youthful regenerative response to aged, human muscle stem cells, in each case without abolishing cellular identity.
Single-atom catalysts reveal the dinuclear characteristic of active sites in NO selective reduction with NH3
Authors: Qu Weiye , Liu Xiaona , Chen Junxiao , Dong Yangyang , Tang Xingfu , Chen Yaxin
Published: March 2020

High-performance catalysts are extremely required for controlling NO emission via selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and to acquire a common structural feature of catalytic sites is one key prerequisite for developing such catalysts. We design a single-atom catalyst system and achieve a generic characteristic of highly active SCR catalytic sites. A single-atom Mo1/Fe2O3 catalyst is developed by anchoring single acidic Mo ions on (001) surfaces of reducible α-Fe2O3, and the individual Mo ion and one neighboring Fe ion are thus constructed as one dinuclear site. As the number of the dinuclear sites increases, SCR rates increase linearly but the apparent activation energy remains almost unchanged, evidencing the identity of the dinuclear active sites. We further design W1/Fe2O3 and Fe1/WO3 and find that tuning acid or/and redox properties of dinuclear sites can alter SCR rates. Therefore, this work provides a design strategy for developing improved SCR catalysts via optimizing acid-redox properties of dinuclear sites.
Ultrasensitive detection of nucleic acids using deformed graphene channel field effect biosensors
Authors: Hwang Michael Taeyoung , Heiranian Mohammad , Kim Yerim , You Seungyong , Leem Juyoung , Taqieddin Amir , Faramarzi Vahid , Jing Yuhang , Park Insu , van der Zande Arend M. , Nam Sungwoo , Aluru Narayana R. , Bashir Rashid
Published: March 2020

Field-effect transistor (FET)-based biosensors allow label-free detection of biomolecules by measuring their intrinsic charges. The detection limit of these sensors is determined by the Debye screening of the charges from counter ions in solutions. Here, we use FETs with a deformed monolayer graphene channel for the detection of nucleic acids. These devices with even millimeter scale channels show an ultra-high sensitivity detection in buffer and human serum sample down to 600 zM and 20 aM, respectively, which are ∼18 and ∼600 nucleic acid molecules. Computational simulations reveal that the nanoscale deformations can form ‘electrical hot spots’ in the sensing channel which reduce the charge screening at the concave regions. Moreover, the deformed graphene could exhibit a band-gap, allowing an exponential change in the source-drain current from small numbers of charges. Collectively, these phenomena allow for ultrasensitive electronic biomolecular detection in millimeter scale structures.
Electro-enhanced leaching method for the mobilization of Cr(VI) in contaminated groundwater aquifer
Authors: Hu Liyang , Zhang Tingting , Zhang Dayi , Jiang Mengyun , Tan Jie , Li Jie , Lin Zuhong , Li Zetang
Published: March 2020

Removal of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] from soils and water has been widely studied for its high toxicity. Although leaching method is viewed as an effective approach to eliminate Cr(VI) and some studies attempted to enhance leaching performance via the external electric field, there is little knowledge about the influential factor in electro-leaching system on Cr(VI) removal performance. In this study, an electro-leaching technology was developed for removing Cr(VI) from groundwater aquifer to comprehensively discuss the correlation between the operational parameters and Cr(VI) removal efficiency. When the applied voltage was 20 V and the initial Cr(VI) concentration was 40 mg/kg, Cr(VI) removal efficiency achieved 99.9% in 120 min in the electro-leaching system, 15% higher than the system without the electric field. Cr(VI) removal efficiencies increased with the voltage demonstrating the significant enhancement of the electro-leaching method in removing Cr(VI). When Cr(VI) concentration climbed to 120 mg/kg, Cr(VI) removal efficiency remained above 85%. The effects of different voltages, Cr(VI) concentrations, pollutant distribution and salt content of leaching solution on the leaching effect were also investigated. Meanwhile, the relationship between the current intensity change and the amount of removed Cr(VI) during the electro-leaching process was first investigated, and the relevant model was fitted. There is a quadratic linear correlation between the amount of current change and the amount of removed Cr(VI). This novel electro-enhanced leaching method can effectively remove Cr(VI) from contaminated groundwater aquifer by enhancing the migration of charged contaminant ions during the leaching process, and it is worthy of further study of heavy metal remediation.
Visualization of cell-type dependent effects of anti-E2 antibody and interferon-gamma treatments on localization and expression of Broccoli aptamer-tagged alphavirus RNAs
Authors: Nilaratanakul Voraphoj , Hauer Debra A. , Griffin Diane E.
Published: March 2020

Sindbis virus (SINV) is an alphavirus that causes age-dependent encephalomyelitis in mice. Within 7–8 days after infection infectious virus is cleared from neurons through the antiviral effects of antibody and interferon-gamma (IFNγ), but RNA persists. To better understand changes in viral RNA associated with immune-mediated clearance we developed recombinant strains of SINV that have genomic and subgenomic viral RNAs tagged with the Broccoli RNA aptamer that binds and activates a conditional fluorophore for live cell imaging of RNA. Treatment of SINV-Broccoli-infected cells with antibody to the SINV E2 glycoprotein had cell type-specific effects. In BHK cells, antibody increased levels of intracellular viral RNA and changed the primary location of genomic RNA from the perinuclear region to the plasma membrane without improving cell viability. In undifferentiated and differentiated AP7 (dAP7) neuronal cells, antibody treatment decreased levels of viral RNA. Occasional dAP7 cells escaped antibody-mediated clearance by not expressing cell surface E2 or binding antibody to the plasma membrane. IFNγ decreased viral RNA levels only in dAP7 cells and synergized with antibody for RNA clearance and improved cell survival. Therefore, analysis of aptamer-tagged SINV RNAs identified cell type- and neuronal maturation-dependent responses to immune mediators of virus clearance.
Parallels in the interactive effect of highly sensitive personality and social factors on behaviour problems in dogs and humans
Authors: Bräm Dubé Maya , Asher Lucy , Würbel Hanno , Riemer Stefanie , Melotti Luca
Published: March 2020

Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait in humans characterised by a tendency to process information deeply, to be easily overstimulated, and to have strong emotional responses and an enhanced sensitivity to subtle stimuli. A trait similar to SPS has recently been identified in dogs (“canine Sensory Processing Sensitivity”, cSPS). In children, this trait interacts with parenting factors to influence emotional and mental development, which in turn are linked to behaviour problems. Paralleling these findings in humans, we demonstrate that cSPS interacts with owner personality and use of aversive communication to influence the likelihood of behaviour problems in dogs. More behaviour problems were reported for more highly sensitive dogsper se, when there was a relative mismatch between owner and dog personality, and when use of “negative punishment” was reported. These findings indicate that a dog’s personality might moderate how an individual is affected by environmental factors, particularly owner personality and communication style, emphasising the importance of considering individuality in prevention, development and treatment of behaviour problems in dogs.
DNA methylation ambiguity in the Fibrillin-1 (FBN1) CpG island shore possibly involved in Marfan syndrome
Authors: Arai Yoshikazu , Umeyama Kazuhiro , Okazaki Natsumi , Nakano Kazuaki , Nishino Koichiro , Nagashima Hiroshi , Ohgane Jun
Published: March 2020

Fibrillin-1 (FBN1) is responsible for haploinsufficient and autosomal dominant Marfan syndrome. Even in the same Marfan pedigree, penetrance and expressivity in heterozygous individuals can differ and result in variable disease onset and severity. Thus, other factors in addition to mutations in FBN1 are likely to contribute to the disease. In this study, we examined the regulation of FBN1 in porcine Marfan syndrome model, focusing on DNA methylation patterns distinguishable as wild-type (WT) and FBN1 null (KO) alleles in heterozygous cells. Most importantly, the ratio of the transcriptionally active hypomethylated WT allele was altered during cellular passage and highly correlated with FBN1 mRNA level compared with that in the KO allele. Transcribed FBN1 RNA from the KO allele was abolished after splicing coupled with translational initiation, suggesting that the functional FBN1 mRNA levels were affected by DNA methylation of the WT allele.
The association between alcohol consumption and sleep disorders among older people in the general population
Authors: Britton Annie , Fat Linda Ng , Neligan Aidan
Published: March 2020

The relationship between alcohol consumption and sleep disturbance is complex. The association of alcohol dependence with insomnia is likely to be bidirectional in nature. Alcohol use is common among older people in many societies and the prevalence of insomnia tends to increase with age, therefore this group warrants particular consideration. We explored the cross sectional and long term (30 years) associations between alcohol drinking (volume and hazardous drinking) and sleep duration and insomnia in a general population study of older adults (6,117 male and female civil servants followed for 30 years). For men, drinking more than 21 units (approximately 168 grams) of alcohol per week, compared with not drinking, was associated with waking several times a night (odds ratio 1.30, confidence intervals 1.02–1.66). Men who maintained a heavy volume of drinking over the three decades of observation, or who had an unstable consumption pattern, tended to have worse sleep profiles in terms of waking tired and waking several times. Sustained male hazardous drinking (as measured by the AUDIT-C scale) was also associated with worse sleep profiles. Findings for women were not so clear. In this population based setting, drinking high volumes of alcohol may contribute to the prevalence of sleep problems in older age, particularly for men. People in this age group should be discouraged from using alcohol as a sleep aid.
QTL-seq for identification of loci associated with resistance to Phytophthora crown rot in squash
Authors: Ramos Alexis , Fu Yuqing , Michael Vincent , Meru Geoffrey
Published: March 2020

Phytophthora capsici Leonian, the causal agent of foliar blight, root rot, fruit rot and crown rot syndromes in squash (Cucurbita moschata), is a devastating pathogen worldwide. Resistance to Phytophthora crown rot in University of Florida breeding line #394-1-27-12 (C. moschata) is conferred by three independent dominant genes (R1R2R3). Availability of DNA markers linked to R1R2R3 genes would allow efficient breeding for Phytophthora crown rot resistance through marker-assisted selection (MAS). The goal of the current study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with resistance to Phytophthora crown rot in an F2 population (n = 168) derived from a cross between #394-1-27-12 (R) and Butter Bush (S) using QTL-seq bulk segregant analysis. Whole-genome resequencing of the resistant (n = 20) and susceptible (n = 20) bulk segregants revealed ~900,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms distributed across C. moschata genome. Three QTLs significantly (P < 0.05) associated with resistance to Phytophthora crown rot were detected on chromosome 4 (QtlPC-C04), 11 (QtlPC-C11) and 14 (QtlPC-C14). Several markers linked to these QTLs are potential targets for MAS against Phytophthora crown rot in C. moschata. The present study reports the first QTLs associated with Phytophthora crown rot resistance in C. moschata.
Haemorrhagic transformation following ischaemic stroke: A retrospective study
Authors: Pande S. D. , Win M. M. , Khine A. A. , Zaw E. M. , Manoharraj N. , Lolong L. , Tin A. S.
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of haemorrhagic transformation (HT) in patients with ischaemic stroke, and evaluate its association with medical comorbidities, stroke subtypes, premorbid medication, and long-term survival. To achieve this, we performed a retrospective analysis of 527 consecutive stroke rehabilitation patients. Of these, 102 (19.4%) developed HT. Older patients, and those with large artery strokes, had a higher risk of HT. Forty-one patients received alteplase (rtPA), of which 15 (36.6%) developed HT. A total of 129 (24.5%) patients were taking aspirin prior to their stroke and, of these, 39 (30.2%) developed HT. Twenty-three (4.36%) patients were taking vitamin k antagonists, prior to stroke, of which 14 (60.9%) developed HT. There were 102 patients (19.35%) with underlying atrial fibrillation, of whom 55 (53.9%) developed HT. Patients with known ischaemic heart disease had an increased risk of HT, and patients with HT had significantly lower total cholesterol levels (4.96 vs. 5.34) and lower LDL cholesterol levels (3.20 vs. 3.5). In conclusion, older age, atrial fibrillation, treatment with oral anticoagulants and antiplatelet medications prior to stroke, low total and LDL cholesterol, and rtPA use, are all associated with HT. Survival was not affected by the presence of HT.
Longitudinal Study of Body Composition and Energy Expenditure in Overweight or Obese Young Adults
Authors: Fernández-García José Carlos , Gálvez-Fernández Ismael , Mercadé-Melé Pere , Gavala-González Juan
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an aerobic training program with a strength training program on body composition and energy expenditure in overweight or obese (29.06 ± 3.49 kg/m2) young adults (21.96 ± 1.90 years). Subjects (N = 109) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: a control group (CG), an aerobic training (AT) group and a strength training (ST) group. Training took place over twelve weeks comprising three sessions per week with each session lasting 60 to 90 minutes. Before and after the program, weight, height, body mass index, lean mass percentage and fat mass percentage were evaluated. In addition, The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to estimate energy expenditure. The results of both aerobic training and strength training produced statistically significant improvements in weight (AT-CG = −2.892 kg; ST-CG = −2.986 kg); BMI (AT-CG = −1.075 kg/m2; ST-CG = −1.118 kg/m2); total body fat (AT-CG = −1529.172 g; ST-CG = −763.815); and total body fat percentage (AT-CG = −1.421%; AT-ST = −0.855%). These two exercise prescription models were therefore useful in reducing overweight and obesity, which could have an impact on improving the health and quality of life of individuals with these characteristics.
Validation of automated whole-body analysis of metabolic and morphological parameters from an integrated FDG-PET/MRI acquisition
Authors: Guglielmo P. , Ekström S. , Strand R. , Visvanathar R. , Malmberg F. , Johansson E. , Pereira M. J. , Skrtic S. , Carlsson B. C. L. , Eriksson J. W. , Ahlström H. , Kullberg J.
Published: March 2020

Automated quantification of tissue morphology and tracer uptake in PET/MR images could streamline the analysis compared to traditional manual methods. To validate a single atlas image segmentation approach for automated assessment of tissue volume, fat content (FF) and glucose uptake (GU) from whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/MR images. Twelve subjects underwent whole-body [18F]FDG-PET/MRI during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Automated analysis of tissue volumes, FF and GU were achieved using image registration to a single atlas image with reference segmentations of 18 volume of interests (VOIs). Manual segmentations by an experienced radiologist were used as reference. Quantification accuracy was assessed with Dice scores, group comparisons and correlations. VOI Dice scores ranged from 0.93 to 0.32. Muscles, brain, VAT and liver showed the highest scores. Pancreas, large and small intestines demonstrated lower segmentation accuracy and poor correlations. Estimated tissue volumes differed significantly in 8 cases. Tissue FFs were often slightly but significantly overestimated. Satisfactory agreements were observed in most tissue GUs. Automated tissue identification and characterization using a single atlas segmentation performs well compared to manual segmentation in most tissues and will be valuable in future studies. In certain tissues, alternative quantification methods or improvements to the current approach is needed.
Time-resolved fluorescence microscopy with phasor analysis for visualizing multicomponent topical drug distribution within human skin
Authors: Jeong Sinyoung , Greenfield Daniel A. , Hermsmeier Maiko , Yamamoto Akira , Chen Xin , Chan Kin F. , Evans Conor L.
Published: March 2020

Understanding a drug candidate’s pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters is a challenging but essential aspect of drug development. Investigating the penetration and distribution of a topical drug’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) allows for evaluating drug delivery and efficacy, which is necessary to ensure drug viability. A topical gel (BPX-05) was recently developed to treat moderate to severe acne vulgaris by directly delivering the combination of the topical antibiotic minocycline and the retinoid tazarotene to the pilosebaceous unit of the dermis. In order to evaluate the uptake of APIs within human facial skin and confirm accurate drug delivery, a selective visualization method to monitor and quantify local drug distributions within the skin was developed. This approach uses fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) paired with a multicomponent phasor analysis algorithm to visualize drug localization. As minocycline and tazarotene have distinct fluorescence lifetimes from the lifetime of the skin’s autofluorescence, these two APIs are viable targets for distinct visualization via FLIM. Here, we demonstrate that the analysis of the resulting FLIM output can be used to determine local distributions of minocycline and tazarotene within the skin. This approach is generalizable and can be applied to many multicomponent fluorescence lifetime imaging targets that require cellular resolution and molecular specificity.
Combined Raman and AFM detection of changes in HeLa cervical cancer cells induced by CeO2 nanoparticles – molecular and morphological perspectives
Authors: Miletić Mirjana , Aškrabić Sonja , Rüger Jan , Vasić Borislav , Korićanac Lela , Mondol Abdullah Saif , Dellith Jan , Popp Jürgen , Schie Iwan W. , Dohčević-Mitrović Zorana
Published: March 2020

Raman and AFM analyses represent a tool for the evaluation of cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects in cells induced by CeO2 nanoparticles.
Versatile surface-active ionic liquid: construction of microemulsions and their applications in light harvesting
Authors: Damarla Krishnaiah , Mehra Sanjay , Bahadur Pratap , Ray Debes , Aswal V. K. , Kumar Arvind
Published: March 2020

This article outlines a sustainable method towards the synthesis of advanced materials such as core/shell Quantum Dots (QDs) and theirin situstabilization using microemulsions (MEs).
Coherent polarization transfer in chemically exchanging systems
Authors: Pravdivtsev Andrey N. , Hövener Jan-Bernd
Published: March 2020

Simulation of the interplay of coherent polarization transfer and chemical exchange described by superoperators and Monte Carlo simulations alike.
The high-accuracy prediction of carbon content in semi-coke by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Xu Xiangjun , Li Angze , Wang Xianshuang , Ding Chunjie , Qiu Suling , He Yage , Lu Tianqi , He Feng , Zou Bingsuo , Liu Ruibin
Published: March 2020

LIBS technology is used in the realization process of semi-coke detection.
A facile and label-free electrochemical aptasensor for tumour-derived extracellular vesicle detection based on the target-induced proximity hybridization of split aptamers
Authors: Zhang Hui , Qiao Bin , Guo Qunqun , Jiang Juqian , Cai Chenxin , Shen Jian
Published: March 2020

A facile and label-free electrochemical aptasensor was developed for the detection of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles.
Quantitative viability detection for a single microalgae cell by two-level photoexcitation
Authors: Ding Gege , Wang Junsheng , Wang Lanlan , Zou Jiang , Tian Peitao , Zhang Yichi , Pan Xinxiang , Li Dongqing
Published: March 2020

A novel method for quantitative detection of the viability of a single microalgae cell by two-level photoexcitation is proposed in this paper.
Visualization of penicillin G acylase in bacteria and high-throughput screening of natural inhibitors using a ratiometric fluorescent probe
Authors: Li Lu , Feng Lei , Zhang Ming , He Xin , Luan Shengqiao , Wang Chao , James Tony D. , Zhang Houli , Huang Huilian , Ma Xiaochi
Published: March 2020

A ratiometric fluorescent probe (PNA) has been developed to sense and image bacterial penicillin G acylase in addition to the high-throughput screening of PGA inhibitors.
A heteroleptic diradical Cr(iii) complex with extended spin delocalization and large intramolecular magnetic exchange
Authors: Ma Xiaozhou , Suturina Elizaveta A. , Rouzières Mathieu , Wilhelm Fabrice , Rogalev Andrei , Clérac Rodolphe , Dechambenoit Pierre
Published: March 2020

Ligand-based successive reductions in a heteroleptic Cr(iii) complex give rise to intended extremely strong metal–radical magnetic interactions.
Operando characterization of chemical reactions in single living cells using SERS
Authors: Liao Pei-Hsuan , Tseng Ching-Yu , Ke Zi-Yu , Hsieh Chang-Lin , Kong Kien Voon
Published: March 2020

Operando probing of chemical reactions for the delivery of gaseous signaling molecules in living cells that is critical for understanding the physiological metabolic processes.
Lewis acid capping of a uranium(v) nitride via a uranium(iii) azide molecular square
Authors: Boreen Michael A. , Rao Guodong , Villarreal David G. , Watt Fabian A. , Britt R. David , Hohloch Stephan , Arnold John
Published: March 2020

Addition of B(C6F5)3 to a tetrameric uranium(iii) azide-bridged molecular square induced N2 loss and formation of a uranium(v) borane-capped nitride.
Comparative high-throughput analysis of the Trypanosoma cruzi response to organometallic compounds
Authors: Mosquillo M Florencia , Smircich Pablo , Ciganda Martín , Lima Analía , Gambino Dinorah , Garat Beatriz , Pérez-Díaz Leticia
Published: March 2020

There is an urgent need to develop new drugs against Chagas’ disease. In addition, the mechanisms of action of existing drugs have not been completely worked out at the molecular level. High throughput approaches have been demonstrated to be powerful tools not only for understanding the basic biology of Trypanosoma cruzi, but also for the identification of drug targets such as proteins or pathways that are essential for parasite infection and survival within the mammalian host. Here, we have applied these tools towards the discovery of the effects of two organometallic compounds with trypanocidal activity, Pd–dppf–mpo and Pt–dppf–mpo, on the transcriptome and proteome of T. cruzi epimastigotes. These approaches have not yet been reported for any other prospective metal-based anti T. cruzi drug. We found differentially expressed transcripts and proteins in treated parasites. Pd–dppf–mpo treatment resulted in more modulated transcripts (2327 of 10 785 identified transcripts) than Pt–dppf–mpo treatment (201 of 10 773 identified transcripts) suggesting a mechanism of action for Pd–dppf–mpo at the transcriptome level. Similar numbers of differentially expressed proteins (342 and 411 for Pd–dppf–mpo and Pt–dppf–mpo respectively) were also observed. We further functionally categorized differentially expressed transcripts and identified cellular processes and pathways significantly impacted by treatment with the compounds. Transcripts involved in DNA binding, protein metabolism, transmembrane transport, oxidative defense, and the ergosterol pathways were found to be modulated by the presence of the compounds. Our transcriptomic dataset also contained previously validated essential genes. These data allowed us to hypothesize a multimodal mechanism of action for the trypanocidal activity of Pd–dppf–mpo and Pt–dppf–mpo, and a differential contribution of the metal moiety of each compound.
Correction: Bis(ethylmaltolato)oxidovanadium(iv) inhibited the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease in triple transgenic model mice
Authors: He Zhijun , Han Shuangxue , Wu Chong , Liu Lina , Zhu Huazhang , Liu Ang , Lu Qiying , Huang Jingqiang , Du Xiubo , Li Nan , Xie Qingguo , Wan Lu , Ni Jiazuan , Chen Lingling , Yang Xiaogai , Liu Qiong
Published: March 2020

Correction for ‘Bis(ethylmaltolato)oxidovanadium(iv) inhibited the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease in triple transgenic model mice’ by Zhijun He et al., Metallomics, 2020, DOI: 10.1039/c9mt00271e.
Synthesis, crystal structure, and optical properties of fluorinated poly(pyrazole) ligands andin silicoassessment of their affinity for volatile organic compounds
Authors: Pedrini Alessandro , Maspero Angelo , Bracco Silvia , Comotti Angelina , Galli Simona , Marchiò Luciano , Nardo Luca , Penoni Andrea , Scapinello Luca , Sozzani Piero , Vesco Guglielmo , Mella Massimo
Published: March 2020

Increasing fluorination of an organic ligand forming porous coordination polymers results in enhanced affinity for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) without affecting the fluorescence properties, thus opening new perspectives for VOC sensing.
A facile synthesis of mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride supported palladium nanoparticles as highly effective and reusable catalysts for Stille coupling reactions under mild conditions
Authors: Kalay Erbay , Cetin Sultan , Kolemen Safacan , Metin Önder
Published: March 2020

This paper reports a facile one-pot synthesis of mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride (mpg-CN) supported Pd NPs, denoted as mpg-CN/Pd, as highly efficient catalysts for Stille C–C coupling reactions under mild conditions.
Ca2+ participating self-assembly of an apoferritin nanostructure for nucleic acid drug delivery
Authors: Huang Haiqin , Sha Kang , Veroniaina Hanitrarimalala , Wu Ziheng , Wu Zhenghong , Qi Xiaole
Published: March 2020

One of the most encountered obstacles for utilizing nano-sized vehicles to implement the in vivo delivery of nucleic acid drugs (NADs) is overcoming the possible steric hindrance caused by their intrinsic size and charge.