bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing the Rate of Magnesium Intercalation Underneath Epitaxial Graphene on 6H‐SiC(0001)
Authors: Kotsakidis Jimmy C. , Currie Marc , Grubišić‐Čabo Antonija , Tadich Anton , Myers‐Ward Rachael L. , DeJarld Matthew , Daniels Kevin M. , Liu Chang , Edmonds Mark T. , Vázquez de Parga Amadeo L. , Fuhrer Michael S. , Gaskill D. Kurt
Published: November 2021

Magnesium intercalated “quasi‐freestanding” bilayer graphene on 6H‐SiC(0001) (Mg‐QFSBLG) has many favorable properties (e.g., highly n‐type doped, relatively stable in ambient conditions). However, intercalation of Mg underneath monolayer graphene is challenging, requiring multiple intercalation steps. Here, these challenges are overcome and the rate of Mg intercalation is significantly increased by laser patterning (ablating) the graphene to form micron‐sized discontinuities. Low energy electron diffraction is then used to verify Mg‐intercalation and conversion to Mg‐QFSBLG, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to determine the Mg intercalation rate for patterned and non‐patterned samples. By modeling Mg intercalation with the Verhulst equation, it is found that the intercalation rate increase for the patterned sample is 4.5 ± 1.7. Since the edge length of the patterned sample is ≈5.2 times that of the non‐patterned sample, the model implies that the increased intercalation rate is proportional to the increase in edge length. Moreover, Mg intercalation likely begins at graphene discontinuities in pristine samples (not step edges or flat terraces), where the 2D‐like crystal growth of Mg‐silicide proceeds. The laser patterning technique may enable the rapid intercalation of other atomic or molecular species, thereby expanding upon the library of intercalants used to modify the characteristics of graphene, or other 2D materials and heterostructures.
Spectral Stable Blue Perovskite Light‐Emitting Diodes by Introducing Organometallic Ligand
Authors: Zhou Yu‐Hang , Lou Yan‐Hui , Wang Xue‐Qi , Wang Kai‐Li , Chen Jing , Chen Chun‐Hao , Wang Zhao‐Kui
Published: November 2021

Compared with red and green perovskite light‐emitting diodes (PeLEDs), blue PeLEDs are still unable to well control spectral stability due to the issues of ion migration and phase separation under external operating conditions. Herein, a strategy using organometallic ligands is reported to achieve spectrally stable PeLEDs. The obtained perovskite film exhibits stable photoluminescence spectra under UV excitation (365nm) and continuous heating of 70 °C. The device delivers an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 6.7% with 50% lifetime (T50) of 21.6 min. Under high driving voltage (from 2 to 7.5 V), no obvious spectral shift has occurred for the electroluminescence spectrum at 481 nm. This work confirms the positive effect of organometallic ligands in quasi‐2D perovskite and provides a new idea for proposing effective ligands to act on the perovskite luminescence layer in the future.
Origin of Relaxor Behavior in Barium‐Titanate‐Based Lead‐Free Perovskites
Authors: Veerapandiyan Vignaswaran , Popov Maxim N. , Mayer Florian , Spitaler Jürgen , Svirskas Sarunas , Kalendra Vidmantas , Lins Jonas , Canu Giovanna , Buscaglia Maria Teresa , Pasciak Marek , Banys Juras , Groszewicz Pedro B. , Buscaglia Vincenzo , Hlinka Jiri , Deluca Marco
Published: November 2021

It is well known that disordered relaxor ferroelectrics exhibit local polar correlations. The origin of localized fields that disrupt long‐range polar order for different substitution types, however, is unclear. Currently, it is known that substituents of the same valence as Ti4+ at the B‐site of barium titanate lattice produce random disruption of TiOTi chains that induces relaxor behavior. On the other hand, investigating lattice disruption and relaxor behavior resulting from substituents of different valence at the B‐site is more complex due to the simultaneous occurrence of charge imbalances and displacements of the substituent cation. The existence of an effective charge mediated mechanism for relaxor behavior appearing at low (<10%) substituent contents in heterovalent modified barium titanate ceramics is presented in this work. These results will add credits to the current understanding of relaxor behavior in chemically modified ferroelectric materials and also acknowledge the critical role of defects (such as cation vacancies) in lattice disruption, paving the way for chemistry‐based materials design in the field of dielectric and energy storage applications.
The politics of belonging in Alcoholics Anonymous: A qualitative interview study
Authors: Glassman Hannah S. , Moensted Maja , Rhodes Paul , Buus Niels
Published: November 2021

A prevalent critique of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is that members must adopt an inflexible illness narrative, taking on an “alcoholic” identity and performing a set of practices to address this condition. Conversely, a small body of research suggests that, rather than comprising the uniform adoption of a rigid narrative, integration into AA is achieved by negotiating individual beliefs, values, and preferences with the AA model. To investigate such processes of negotiation, the current study aimed to explore the politics of belonging in AA. The study involved semi‐structured interviews with 15 AA members recruited from meetings across Sydney, Australia, and data were analyzed thematically. Findings illustrated how participants navigated the politics of inclusion/exclusion within AA. While some aspects of AA were found to be negotiable by participants, a non‐negotiable aspect of AA ideology that emerged was the axiom that “alcoholics” have no control over alcohol and therefore should maintain abstinence. Findings raise questions about how the politics of belonging in AA may shift over time following broader patterns of societal change.
Type I multivariate zero‐inflated COM–Poisson regression model
Authors: Santana Rogério A. , Conceição Katiane S. , Diniz Carlos A. R. , Andrade Marinho G.
Published: November 2021

In this paper, we present the Type I multivariate zero‐inflated Conway–Maxwell–Poisson distribution, whose development is based on the extension of the Type I multivariate zero‐inflated Poisson distribution. We developed important properties of the distribution and present a regression model. The AIC and BIC criteria are used to select the best fitted model. Two real data sets have been used to illustrate the proposed model. Moreover, we conclude by stating that the Type I multivariate zero‐inflated Conway–Maxwell–Poisson distribution produces a better fitted model for multivariate count data with excess of zeros.
Reducing special education costs by providing early intervention for autistic children
Authors: Cooper Michael
Published: November 2021

Autism symptoms vary from child to child, but the overall severity can be lessened through early intervention—often specifically early intensive behavioral intervention—when administered at a young enough age. The high costs and heavy time commitment of this intervention, however, tend to discourage public school districts from spending on these programs. In this paper, the cost of early intervention and its impact on the subsequent costs of special education, is compared to the costs of public school special education for autistic children who do not receive intervention. The analysis suggests that North Carolina potentially saves an estimate of over $250,000 per child in reduced annual special education costs by implementing early intervention for their autistic population.
Rapid Estimation of Membrane Protein Orientation in Liposomes
Authors: Deutschmann Sabina , Rimle Lukas , von Ballmoos Christoph
Published: November 2021

The topological organization of proteins embedded in biological membranes is crucial for the tight interplay between these enzymes and their accessibility to substrates in order to fulfil enzymatic activity. The orientation of a membrane protein reconstituted in artificial membranes depends on many parameters and is hardly predictable. Here, we present a convenient approach to assess this important property independent of the enzymatic activity of the reconstituted protein. Based on cysteine‐specific chemical modification of a target membrane protein with a cyanine fluorophore and a corresponding membrane‐impermeable fluorescence quencher, the novel strategy allows rapid evaluation of the distribution of the two orientations after reconstitution. The assay has been tested for the respiratory complexes bo3 oxidase and ATP synthase of Escherichia coli and the results agree well with other orientation determination approaches. Given the simple procedure, the proposed method is a powerful tool for optimization of reconstitution conditions or quantitative orientation information prior to functional measurements.
Organosilica Nanoparticles with Ordered Trimodal Porosity and Selectively Functionalized Mesopores
Authors: Timm Jana , Marschall Roland
Published: November 2021

Selective functionalization of hierarchical porous materials is of outmost importance for many different applications. A major problem of the functionalization arises from the functionalization process itself. A novel gas phase functionalization was used to modify the surface of newly developed inorganic‐organic hybrid nanomaterials with hierarchical trimodal porosity, using 3‐mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS). It was found that the functionalization of mesopores of the material is possible, while the micropores of the material stay selectively non‐functionalized after oxidation. Interestingly, the initial mesopores of the material are selectively modified, up to a degree that can be reached usually only by co‐condensation approaches, which are however difficult to perform on PMO‐derived porous materials.
Dimensional Reduction ofEu‐Based Metal‐OrganicFramework as Catalysts for Oxidation Catalysis of C(sp3)–H Bond
Authors: Zhang Yin , Yu Wei‐Dong , Zhao Cai‐Feng , Yan Jun
Published: November 2021

Comprehensive Summary

Developing new catalysts for highly selectivity and conversion of saturated C(sp3)–H bonds is of great significance. In order to obtain catalysts with high catalytic performance, six Eu‐based MOFs with different structural characteristics were obtained by using europium ions and different organic acid ligands, namelyEu‐1~Eu‐6.Eu‐1,Eu‐2andEu‐3featured three‐dimensional structures, whileEu‐4andEu‐5featured two‐dimensional structures. Differently, a one‐dimensional chain structure ofEu‐6was obtained by changing the ligand. All the six MOFs were applied to the catalytic reaction of C(sp3)–H bond, and it was found that the catalytic effect was gradually enhanced with the decrease of dimension and the increase of the size of channels. As expected,Eu‐6showed the highest selectivity (~99%) and conversion (~99%). Moreover, catalytic cycling and stability tests showedEu‐6can be a reliable catalyst.
Fluorescence Sensing of Glutathione Thiyl Radical by BODIPY‐Modified β‐Cyclodextrin
Authors: Liu Zhixue , Dai Xianyin , Xu Qiaoyan , Sun Xiaohan , Liu Yu
Published: November 2021

Comprehensive Summary

The fluorescence sensing of intracellular glutathione thiyl radical (GS•) is in great demand to seek the GS•‐related pathophysiological events. Herein, boron−dipyrromethene (BODIPY)‐modified β‐cyclodextrin was developed for high‐efficiency sensing of GS•, accompanied by a fast response time (t1/2 = 218 s), with the detection limit of 468 nmol/L. Cell experiments indicated that the BODIPY‐ modified β‐cyclodextrin could be applied to detect the GS• in live A549 cells.
Verifying multiple replica possession with public key segment under public cloud storage environment
Authors: Fu Wei , Xie Zhenjie , Xu Jianqiao
Published: November 2021

Replication is widely used in cloud storage systems to provide availability and reliability for outsourced cloud data. However, untrusted providers would like to maintain fewer replicas than promise for economic profits or other benefits. Since providers hardly ever offer remote checking tools, it becomes a challenge to validate from user side whether Providers are faithfully keeping enough replicas or not. Existing solutions have several disadvantages, including low efficiency, high computation overload, and lack of supporting for colluding attack. In this article, a collector‐based multiple replica storage model is introduced. Based on that, a novel multiple replica possession proving scheme public key segment is proposed in detail. Particularly, a public key is divided into several private segments, which will be distributed to corresponding storage servers for evidence generation. Only if every replica node shows its correct possession evidence, can the challenge be concluded as success. Theoretical analysis and prototype experiments show the correctness, security, and efficiency of the scheme.
To Be or Not To Be? that is the Entropic, Enthalpic, and Molecular Interaction Dilemma in the Formation of (Water)20Clusters and Methane Clathrate
Authors: Flórez Elizabeth , Acelas Nancy , Gómez Sara , Hadad Cacier , Restrepo Albeiro
Published: November 2021

A detailed analysis under a comprehensive set of theoretical and computational tools of the thermodynamical factors and of the intermolecular interactions behind the stabilization of a well known set of (water)20cavities and of the methane clathrate is offered in this work. Beyond the available reports of experimental characterization at extreme conditions of most of the systems studied here, all clusters should be amenable to experimental detection at 1 atm and moderate temperatures since 280 K marks the boundary at which, ignoring reaction paths, formation of all clusters is no longer spontaneous from the 20H2O→(H2O)20and CH4+20H2O→CH4@512processes. As a function of temperature, a complex interplay leading to the free energy of formation occurs between the destabilizing entropic contributions, mostly due to cluster vibrations, and the stabilizing enthalpic contributions, due to intermolecular interactions and thePVterm, is best illustrated by the highly symmetric 512cage consistently showing signs of stronger intermolecular bonding despite having smaller binding energy than the other clusters. A fluxional wall of attractive non‐covalent interactions, arising because of the cumulative effect of a large number of tiny individual charge transfers to the interstitial region, plays a pivotal role stabilizing the CH4@512clathrate.
The Persian COVID‐19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C‐19ASS): Psychometric properties in a general community sample of Iranians
Authors: Akbari Mehdi , Seydavi Mohammad , Zamani Elahe , Nikčević Ana V. , Spada Marcantonio M.
Published: November 2021

There is a potential for a long‐lasting psychological and social impact from the COVID‐19 pandemic. Recently, the COVID‐19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C19‐ASS) has been developed, which measures individuals' coping mechanisms in relation to the fear or threat of COVID‐19. The C19‐ASS was developed and has been used so far only in Western samples. Further psychometric evaluation is needed in ethnically diverse samples. Therefore, the current study sought to test the psychometric properties in a large sample of Iranians (n = 1429; female = 52.1%; Mean age = 35.83, ±12.89) who completed a cross‐sectional survey. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the Persian C19‐ASS has a two‐factor structure corresponding to the perseveration and avoidance subscales of the original scale. Confirmatory factor analyses also supported a two‐factor solution, which showed a firm model fit and high internal consistencies. Furthermore, it showed excellent divergent validity from generalized anxiety, indicating that it is concerned explicitly with COVID‐19, supported by correlational analyses and exploratory factor analysis. Test of incremental validity indicated the Persian C19‐ASS explained more variance in functional impairment and COVID‐19 anxiety than the gender, marital and educational status, generalized anxiety, neuroticism, openness, consciousness and having lost someone close due to COVID‐19. Also, based on a mediation test, it was found that C19‐ASS mediates the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (except openness and consciousness) and health anxiety, generalized anxiety, depression and COVID‐19 anxiety. Overall, the current findings provide further evidence for the construct of the COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome is discussed in light of the S‐REF model that provides an explanatory framework for this pandemic‐related construct.
Preclinical Solid Tumor Models to Study Novel Therapeutics in Brain Metastases
Authors: Singh Mohini , Dahal Ashish , Brastianos Priscilla K.
Published: November 2021

Metastases are the most common malignancy of the adult central nervous system and are becoming an increasingly troubling problem in oncology largely due to the lack of successful therapeutic options. The limited selection of treatments is a result of the currently poor understanding of the biological mechanisms of metastatic development, which in turn is difficult to achieve because of limited preclinical models that can accurately represent the clinical progression of metastasis. Described in this article are in vitro and in vivo model systems that are used to enhance the understanding of metastasis and to identify new therapies for the treatment of brain metastasis. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Races of small molecule clinical trials for the treatment of COVID‐19: An up‐to‐date comprehensive review
Authors: Hu Suwen , Jiang Songwei , Qi Xiang , Bai Renren , Ye Xiang‐Yang , Xie Tian
Published: November 2021

The coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) pandemic has become a global threat since its first outbreak at the end of 2019. Several review articles have been published recently, focusing on the aspects of target biology, drug repurposing, and mechanisms of action (MOAs) for potential treatment. This review gathers all small molecules currently in active clinical trials, categorizes them into six sub‐classes, and summarizes their clinical progress. The aim is to provide the researchers from both pharmaceutical industries and academic institutes with the handful information and dataset to accelerate their research programs in searching effective small molecule therapy for treatment of COVID‐19.
Parent strategies for expanding food variety: Reflections of 19,239 adults with symptoms of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Authors: Kim Young Kyung , Di Martino J. Matías , Nicholas Julia , Rivera‐Cancel Alannah , Wildes Jennifer E. , Marcus Marsha D. , Sapiro Guillermo , Zucker Nancy
Published: November 2021

Objective

To characterize helpful parent feeding strategies using reflections on childhood eating experiences of adults with symptoms of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).

Method

We explored a unique text‐based dataset gathered from a population of N = 19,239 self‐identified adult “picky eaters.” The sample included adults with symptoms of ARFID as evidenced by marked interference in psychosocial functioning, weight loss/sustained low weight, and/or nutritional deficiency (likely ARFID), and non‐ARFID participants. We leveraged state‐of‐the‐art natural language processing (NLP) methods to classify feeding strategies that were perceived as helpful or not helpful. The best classifiers that distinguished helpful approaches were further analyzed using qualitative coding according to a grounded theory approach.

Results

NLP reliably and accurately classified the perceived helpfulness of caregivers' feeding strategies (82%) and provided information about features of helpful parent strategies using recollections of adults with varying degrees of food avoidance. Strategies perceived as forceful were regarded as not helpful. Positive and encouraging strategies were perceived as helpful in improving attitudes toward food and minimizing social discomfort around eating. Although food variety improved, adults still struggled with a degree of avoidance/restriction.

Discussion

Adults perceived that positive parent feeding strategies were helpful even though they continued to experience some degree of food avoidance. Creating a positive emotional context surrounding food and eating with others may help to eliminate psychosocial impairment and increase food approach in those with severe food avoidance. Nevertheless, additional tools to optimize parent strategies and improve individuals' capacity to incorporate avoided foods and cope with challenging eating situations are needed.
Applying conservation reserve design strategies to define ecosystem monitoring priorities
Authors: Martín‐Forés Irene , Guerin Greg R. , Munroe Samantha E. M. , Sparrow Ben
Published: November 2021

In an era of unprecedented ecological upheaval, monitoring ecosystem change at large spatial scales and over long‐time frames is an essential endeavor of effective environmental management and conservation. However, economic limitations often preclude revisiting entire monitoring networks at high frequency. We aimed here to develop a prioritization strategy for monitoring networks to select a subset of existing sites that meets the principles of complementarity and representativeness of the whole ecological reality, and maximizes ecological complementarity (species accumulation) and the spatial and environmental representativeness. We applied two well‐known approaches for conservation design, the “minimum set” and the “maximal coverage” problems, using a suite of alpha and beta biodiversity metrics. We created a novel function for the R environment that performs biodiversity metric comparisons and site prioritization on a plot‐by‐plot basis. We tested our procedures using plot data provided by the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) AusPlots, an Australian long‐term monitoring network of 774 vegetation and soil monitoring plots. We selected 250 plots and 80% of the total species recorded as targets for the maximal coverage and minimum set problems, respectively. We compared the subsets selected by the different biodiversity metrics in terms of complementarity and spatial and environmental representativeness. We found that prioritization based on species turnover (i.e., iterative selection of the most dissimilar plot to a cumulative sample in terms of species replacement) maximized ecological complementarity and spatial representativeness, while also providing high environmental coverage. Species richness was an unreliable metric for spatial representation. Selection based on range‐rarity‐richness was balanced in terms of complementarity and representativeness, whereas its richness‐corrected implementation failed to capture ecological and environmental variation. Prioritization based on species turnover is desirable to cover the maximum variability of the whole network. Synthesis and applications: Our results inform monitoring design and conservation priorities, which can benefit by considering the turnover component of beta diversity in addition to univariate metrics. Our tool is computationally efficient, free, and can be readily applied to any species versus sites dataset, facilitating rapid decision‐making.
Macroinvertebrate and diatom indicators of baseline conditions for setting targets in agricultural BMP restoration
Authors: Kroll Stefanie A. , Oakland Hayley C. , Minerovic Frohn Alison
Published: November 2021

Recovery trajectories from restoration projects are poorly understood, making it difficult to set restoration targets as part of project planning. As part of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI), we collected baseline environmental and biological data at 84 sites in watersheds where agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) are being implemented and forested land is being preserved. The objective of this study was to understand which diatom and macroinvertebrate community measures best characterize biological integrity along a gradient of land cover, habitat measures, and water chemistry in order to later set targets for recovery. To this end, we ran separate Redundancy Analysis (RDA) ordinations in which environmental variables constrained (1) community metrics and (2) relative abundance (taxonomic composition) for macroinvertebrates and diatoms. To understand where along the environmental gradient the sites were represented differently by the respective biotic community measures (community metrics and taxonomic composition), the two constrained ordinations were then compared using Procrustes distance. For macroinvertebrate communities, we saw the most agreement in site characterization between the ordinations at intermediate % agricultural land, but disagreement at both high and low % agricultural land. For diatom communities, we saw the most agreement between the site characterizations at high to intermediate % agricultural land, with increasing disagreement associated with increasing % forested land cover. Use of baseline data to set targets for ecosystem recovery requires consideration of which data are most relevant for the site conditions and what amount of change is feasible based on project implementation and effectiveness. A key aspect of choosing endpoints is when the loss of information inherent to metrics makes them less useful for accurately evaluating ecological integrity, especially when looking to capture incremental changes. Based on our findings, we suggest the use of some community metrics and some key taxa to set targets of recovery in biotic communities in agricultural streams, and that these targets be adjusted to best fit the ecological conditions at a given site within a larger data set. Accordingly, monitoring must take place in the context of regional conditions and must be designed to inform target‐setting.
Toward a unified diversity–area relationship (DAR) of species and gene diversity illustrated with the human gut metagenome
Authors: Ma Zhanshan (Sam) , Ellison Aaron M.
Published: November 2021

The biogeographic diversity of the microbiome can be investigated from two perspectives: the spatiotemporal distribution of species (or any operational taxonomic unit) diversity and the spatiotemporal distribution of metagenomic gene diversity. Together, these provide a complementary understanding of taxonomic, ecological, evolutionary, and functional aspects of the microbiome. Here, we reformulate the species diversity–area relationship (DAR) to quantify and illustrate metagenomic diversity–area relationships (m‐DAR) with the gut metagenome from the human microbiome project (HMP). Using the m‐DAR, the estimated ranges of human gut metagenomic genes (MG) within and among individuals are 5.0–9.7 × 105 and 4.3–6.9 × 106, respectively; the among‐individual standard errors of these estimates (6.0–7.5 × 105) are of the same order of magnitude as the within‐individual ranges, suggesting high between‐individual variability. We similarly estimated the number of metagenome functional gene clusters (MFCG) to be 222–245 (SE = 1–2). More detailed analysis of the m‐DAR profile, pair‐wise diversity overlap (PDO), maximal accrual diversity (MAD), and ratio of individual‐ to population‐level diversity (RIP) of microbiomes of individuals with healthy guts and those with three microbiome‐associated diseases (obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease) identified differences in m‐DAR parameters between healthy and diseased individuals. Methodologically, the m‐DAR and its associated parameters offer a unified toolset with which to study and analyze microbiomes from both species and metagenomic perspectives and to explore spatial scaling of metagenomic diversity within and among individuals. To the best of our knowledge, our illustration of m‐DAR with the human gut metagenome is the first statistically‐based estimate of the richness of human metagenomic genes at population scale.
Intraspecific trait variation improves understanding and management of cover crop outcomes
Authors: Herrick Etienne , Blesh Jennifer
Published: November 2021

Understanding links between functional trait diversity and ecosystem services can inform more sustainable management of agroecosystems. The use of cover crops (i.e., non‐harvested crops) is a key strategy for increasing plant functional trait diversity in crop rotations. Variation in functional traits can be assessed in multiple ways—within a species (intraspecific), across species (interspecific), and across communities (community trait metrics). Recent evidence from the field of trait‐based research suggests that the role of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in explaining ecological dynamics deserves greater attention. We conducted a systematic literature review to determine whether this also applies to cover crops. While fewer than one‐third of the 30 studies we reviewed explicitly tested intraspecific trait questions, together they demonstrated that significant ITV occurs across populations and in response to environmental and management conditions. ITV is thus an understudied yet important aspect of cover crop performance. To address research gaps identified by the literature review, we conducted a complementary field experiment to evaluate cover crop functional trait variation and assess relationships between traits and ecosystem services. Significant ITV occurred among three cover crop species (buckwheat, cowpea, and sorghum sudangrass) planted alone and in mixtures, indicating that interactions between functionally diverse species in mixtures induced trait plasticity. We expected that traits such as plant height, root:shoot ratio, shoot C:N ratio, and specific leaf area (SLA) would be positively related to cover crop nitrogen (N) assimilation. Using community‐weighted means per common practice, our hypothesis was supported for the former three traits, while SLA was unexpectedly negatively associated with N assimilation. However, ITV revealed that this unexpected relationship was driven by higher SLA and lower N assimilation values of the broadleaf compared with the grass species. Across treatments, SLA for the grass species was positively related to N assimilation, as expected. In sum, we demonstrate that assessing ITV is critical for refining understanding and management of cover crop outcomes.
Viologen‐Based Uranyl Coordination Polymers: Anion‐Induced Structural Diversity and the Potential as a Fluorescent Probe
Authors: Hu Kong‐Qiu , Zeng Li‐Wen , Kong Xiang‐He , Huang Zhi‐Wei , Yu Ji‐Pan , Mei Lei , Chai Zhi‐Fang , Shi Wei‐Qun
Published: November 2021

Four novel uranyl coordination polymers (CPs) have been synthesized by the utilization of viologen derivative ligand, 1,1’‐bis(3,5‐dicarboxyphenyl)‐4,4’‐bipyridinium (H4bdbp ⋅ 2Cl), and uranyl nitrate under hydrothermal reactions through the regulation of different kinds of inorganic acids (HF, HCl, HNO3, HClO4, H2SO4). Compound 1 features a unique triple‐stranded helix structure with a helical pitch of 31.578 Å. The ligands in compounds 2–4 have similar configurations, while their 3D structures are completely different due to the presence of different kinds of anions. The anions play different roles in the frameworks of these uranyl CPs. In addition, compound 2 possesses strong fluorescence both in solid‐state and aqueous suspension‐state. It is demonstrated that compound 2 can selectively detect Fe3+ over several competing metal cations in aqueous solution.
Strategies to achieve high productivity, high conversion, and high yield in yeast fermentation of algal biomass hydrolysate
Authors: Huang Xing‐Feng , Reardon Kenneth F.
Published: November 2021

The conversion of carbohydrates in biomass via fermentation is an important component of an overall strategy to decarbonize the production of fuels and chemicals. Owing to the cost and resources required to produce biomass hydrolysates, the economic and environmental sustainability of these fermentation processes requires that they operate with high yields, sugar conversion, and productivity. Immobilized‐cell technology in a continuous bioprocess can achieve significantly higher volumetric productivities than is possible from standard batch fermentation using free cells. Here, we demonstrate approaches for improvement of ethanol yield from algal hydrolysates and a mock hydrolysate medium. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was immobilized in alginate and incorporated into a two‐column immobilized cell reactor system. Furthermore, the yeast quorum‐sensing molecule, 2‐phenylethanol, was added to improve ethanol yield by restricting growth and diverting sugar to ethanol. The bioreactor system could achieve high ethanol volumetric productivity (>20 g/Lreactor·h) and high glucose conversion (>99%) in mock hydrolysate, while the addition of 0.2% 2‐phenylethanol resulted in 4.9% higher ethanol yield. With an algal hydrolysate of <10 g/L sugar, the ethanol volumetric productivity reached 9.8 g/Lreactor·h, and the addition of 0.2% 2‐phenylethanol increased the ethanol yield by up to 7.4%. These results demonstrate the feasibility of novel strategies to achieve sustainability goals in biomass conversions.
Start‐ups and the art of ignoring the future: Commentary on Rowland and Spaniol 2021
Authors: Georgi‐Kröhl Rixa
Published: November 2021

Record amounts of money flowed into start‐ups in 2020 and yet, founders are acting detached from the future. At the same time, the range of entrepreneurship‐related programs has multiplied. Scenario‐based planning must become a mandatory part of those programs. To keep the strategic conversation with and about scenarios going.
C1q and SRPX2 regulate microglia mediated synapse elimination during early development in the visual thalamus but not the visual cortex
Authors: Cong Qifei , Soteros Breeanne M. , Huo Anran , Li Yang , Tenner Andrea J. , Sia Gek Ming
Published: November 2021

The classical complement cascade mediates synapse elimination in the visual thalamus during early brain development. However, whether the primary visual cortex also undergoes complement‐mediated synapse elimination during early visual system development remains unknown. Here, we examined microglia‐mediated synapse elimination in the visual thalamus and the primary visual cortex of early postnatal C1q and SRPX2 knockout mice. In the lateral geniculate nucleus, deletion of C1q caused a persistent decrease in synapse elimination and microglial synapse engulfment, while deletion of SRPX2 caused a transient increase in the same readouts. In the C1q‐SRPX2 double knockout mice, the C1q knockout phenotypes were dominant over the SRPX2 knockout phenotypes, a result which is consistent with SRPX2 being an inhibitor of C1q. We found that genetic deletion of either C1q or SRPX2 did not affect synapse elimination or microglial engulfment of synapses in layer 4 of the primary visual cortex in early brain development. Together, these results show that the classical complement pathway regulates microglia‐mediated synapse elimination in the visual thalamus but not the visual cortex during early development of the central nervous system.
A sub+cortical fMRI‐based surface parcellation
Authors: Lewis John D. , Bezgin Gleb , Fonov Vladimir S. , Collins D. Louis , Evans Alan C.
Published: November 2021

Both cortical and subcortical structures are organized into a large number of distinct areas reflecting functional and cytoarchitectonic differences. Mapping these areas is of fundamental importance to neuroscience. A central obstacle to this task is the inaccuracy associated with bringing results from individuals into a common space. The vast individual differences in morphology pose a serious problem for volumetric registration. Surface‐based approaches fare substantially better, but have thus far been used only for cortical parcellation, leaving subcortical parcellation in volumetric space. We extend the surface‐based approach to include also the subcortical deep gray‐matter structures, thus achieving a uniform representation across both cortex and subcortex, suitable for use with surface‐based metrics that span these structures, for example, white/gray contrast. Using data from the Enhanced Nathan Klein Institute—Rockland Sample, limited to individuals between 19 and 69 years of age, we generate a functional parcellation of both the cortical and subcortical surfaces. To assess this extended parcellation, we show that (a) our parcellation provides greater homogeneity of functional connectivity patterns than do arbitrary parcellations matching in the number and size of parcels; (b) our parcels align with known cortical and subcortical architecture; and (c) our extended functional parcellation provides an improved fit to the complexity of life‐span (6–85 years) changes in white/gray contrast data compared to arbitrary parcellations matching in the number and size of parcels, supporting its use with surface‐based measures. We provide our extended functional parcellation for the use of the neuroimaging community.
Assessing the impact of diversity and ageing population on health expenditure of United States
Authors: Amin Saqib , Yousaf Ruhamah , Anwar Muhammad Awais , Arshed Noman
Published: November 2021

Background

At the biological level, ageing results from a plodding decline in physical and mental capability, an emergent menace of malady, and eventually, fatality. Even though a few of the geriatric's health changes are hereditary, to a great extent is due to individual's physical and societal surroundings and their residence, locality, societies, gender, ethnicity or socio‐economic status. The current debate is well popular by the relationship between increasing diversity and the ageing population with healthcare expenditure in the United States. Higher diversity in society and increasing ageing population have various socio‐economic consequences. A good policy in this regard helpful to managed and get fruitful outcomes.

Objective

This study aims to examine the direct effects of diversity and ageing population on healthcare spending. The assortment observed in geriatrics is not arbitrary. A huge portion emerges from individual's physical and social settings and the influence of these environs on their prospect and well‐being demeanour.

Method

This study used the Bayesian‐vector autoregressive model, impulse response analysis, and variance decomposition and data over the period 1990–2018 for empirical analysis of the United States.

Results

The empirical findings indicate that diversity and ageing population are more persistent with health expenditure in the United States. This study concludes that an increase in diversity and ageing population will rely on the long‐term healthcare facility.

Conclusion

The study suggests that cohesive society and effective health intervention might aid in curtailing expenditure pressure linked with elderly population. Furthermore, a recommendation of this study is a good opportunity for healthcare policymakers and further researches.
Demography, inequalities and Global Health Security Index as correlates of COVID‐19 morbidity and mortality
Authors: Kumru Seda , Yiğit Pakize , Hayran Osman
Published: November 2021

Background

During a pandemic, the occurrence of infections and case fatality rates are expected to vary from one country to another due to several variables such as poverty, existing comorbidities, population density, access to health care, availability and quality of health system resources, and environmental factors.

Objectives

Our aim is to investigate the relationship between various demographic and socioeconomic factors and reported COVID‐19 morbidity and mortality indicators in different countries. Also, to determine the position of the countries relative to each other in terms of three indicators including COVID‐19 cases, deaths and tests.

Methods

Canonical correlation analysis is used to investigate the intercorrelations between independent variables and the COVID‐19 cases and deaths for 92 countries. Countries' performances are measured by MULTIMOORA.

Results

Human Development Index, smoking habits, percentage of elderly population and test frequency are the most significant variables associated with COVID‐19 morbidity and mortality according to our study findings. Singapore, New Zealand and Australia are the best performed countries.

Conclusions

Several significant and unexpected associations exist between socioeconomic factors and the COVID‐19 cases and deaths. Singapore, New Zealand and Australia are surrounded by water, have been more successful in the pandemic process compared to other countries.
Seeing the unseen with superb microvascular imaging: Ultrasound depiction of normal dermis vessels
Authors: Corvino Antonio , Varelli Carlo , Cocco Giulio , Corvino Fabio , Catalano Orlando
Published: November 2021

Purpose

Current color‐ and power‐Doppler techniques cannot demonstrate vascularization of the dermis. Aim of this prospective study was to investigate whether the new superb vascular imaging (SMI) technique improves the ultrasound (US) depiction of dermis vessels in healthy volunteers. SMI was compared side‐by‐side to conventional power‐Doppler (PD) imaging.

Methods

Thirty adult subjects (18 men and 12 women, mean age 45 years old) were evaluated with US at level of five body areas: forehead, forearm, palm, buttock, and thigh. The vascular index (VI) was employed to objectively quantify the difference between SMI and PD imaging in terms of dermis flow amount.

Results

Forehead VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 93% of cases, forearm VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 97% of cases, palm VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 87% of cases, buttock VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 100% of cases, thigh VI was higher for SMI than for PD in 100% of cases. SMI‐detected vascular signals in 100% of the body areas. PD failed to show any flow signals from the forehead in 23% of cases, forearm in 37% of cases, palm in 33% of cases, buttock in 47% of cases, and thigh in 50% of cases.

Conclusion

SMI can demonstrate normal dermis vascularization whereas conventional PD cannot. SMI is a sensitive and promising technique in the study of dermis abnormalities, particularly when quantifying the disease activity is important.
HIV‐1 drug resistance among individuals who seroconverted in the ASPIRE dapivirine ring trial
Authors: Parikh Urvi M. , Penrose Kerri J. , Heaps Amy L. , Halvas Elias K. , Goetz B. Jay , Gordon Kelley C. , Hardesty Russell , Sethi Rahil , Schwarzmann William , Szydlo Daniel W. , Husnik Marla J. , Chandran Uma , Palanee‐Phillips Thesla , Baeten Jared M. , Mellors John W. ,   the MTN‐020 Study Team
Published: November 2021

Introduction

A potential concern with the use of dapivirine (DPV) for HIV prevention is the selection of a drug‐resistant virus that could spread and reduce the effectiveness of non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase (NNRTI)‐based first‐line antiretroviral therapy. We evaluated HIV‐1 seroconversions in MTN‐020/ASPIRE for selection of drug resistance and evaluated the genetic basis for observed reductions in susceptibility to DPV.

Methods

MTN‐020/ASPIRE was a placebo‐controlled, Phase III safety and effectiveness study of DPV ring for HIV‐1 prevention conducted at 15 sites in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda between 2012 and 2015. Plasma from individuals who seroconverted in ASPIRE was analysed for HIV‐1 drug resistance using both population Sanger sequencing and next‐generation sequencing (NGS) with unique molecular identifiers to report mutations at ≥1% frequency. DPV susceptibility of plasma‐derived recombinant HIV‐1 containing bulk‐cloned full‐length reverse transcriptase sequences from MTN‐020/ASPIRE seroconversions was determined in TZM‐bl cells. Statistical significance was calculated using the Fisher's exact test.

Results

Plasma from all 168 HIV seroconversions were successfully tested by Sanger sequencing; 57 of 71 DPV arm and 82 of 97 placebo (PLB) arm participants had NGS results at 1% sensitivity. Overall, 18/168 (11%) had NNRTI mutations including K101E, K103N/S, V106M, V108I, E138A/G, V179D/I/T and H221Y. Five samples from both arms had low‐frequency NNRTI mutations that were not detected by Sanger sequencing. The frequency of NNRTI mutations from the DPV arm (11%) was not different from the PLB arm (10%; p = 0.80). The E138A mutation was detected in both the DPV (3 of 71 [4.2%]) and PLB arm (5 of 97 [5.2%]) and conferred modest reductions in DPV susceptibility in some reverse transcriptase backgrounds but not others.

Conclusions

HIV‐1 drug resistance including NNRTI resistance did not differ between the DPV and placebo arms of the MTN‐020/ASPIRE study, indicating that drug resistance was not preferentially acquired or selected by the DPV ring and that the preventive benefit of DPV ring outweighs resistance risk.
The structure–activity mechanism of the changes in the physicochemical properties of Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides during ultrasonic extraction
Authors: Chen Xin , Zhao Liyan , Hu Qiuhui , Xiao Jinrong , Kimatu Benard Muinde , Zheng Huihua
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

The high yield of ultrasonic extraction has been widely studied. However, the effects of ultrasound on the properties of products has generally been ignored. In this study, the structural characteristics, rheological properties, and thermal stability of Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides (FVPs) under different ultrasonic power (200, 600, 1000 W) and time (10, 20, 30 min) were investigated to explore the effects of ultrasonic extraction on FVPs and the structure–physicochemical properties relationship. The ultrasonic intensity at the corresponding rated power was also measured.

RESULTS

The results showed that the molecular weight, particle size, and zeta potential of FVPs decreased as the ultrasonic intensity or time increased. The galactose, mannose, and fucose contents were increased, but the glucose content was decreased by ultrasonic extraction. Viscosity and weak gel strength were positively correlated with molecular weight. Thermal degradation enthalpy was positively correlated with the galactose and fucose contents.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound reduced the viscosity and gel strength of FVPs by breaking the polysaccharide chain and improving the galactose and fucose contents, which improved the thermal stability of FVPs. This work provides a theoretical basis for the development of FVP foods with a clear structure–function relationship, which makes it possible to directionally produce FVPs by adjusting ultrasonic parameters during extraction. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.
Oligosaccharides in straw hydrolysate could improve the production of single‐cell protein with Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Yang Fan , Jin Zheng , Nawaz Muhammad , Xiao Ying , Jiang Yipeng , Hu Jiajun , Li Jixiang , Gao Min‐Tian
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND

Using agricultural wastes to produce single‐cell proteins (SCP) can reduce production costs effectively. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of enzyme loading on the components of rice straw (RS) hydrolysate and their effects on the growth of yeast.

RESULTS

At the same glucose concentration, the dry weight of cells produced in the hydrolysate was 2.89 times higher than that in 2 g L–1 yeast extract (YE) medium, indicating that the hydrolysate was a suitable substrate for yeast growth. Ethanol precipitation followed by analysis showed that there were many oligosaccharides in the hydrolysate. The amount of cellulase had an important effect on the production of monosaccharides but had a smaller effect on the amounts and compositions of oligosaccharides. Adding oligosaccharides to the medium had no effect on ethanol production, but it promoted yeast growth and increased SCP production effectively. The results indicate that oligosaccharides were an important growth factor for yeast in the hydrolysate. Compared with YE medium, the cost of the medium with the hydrolysate was reduced by 68.47% when the same dry cell weight was obtained.

CONCLUSION

Oligosaccharides in the hydrolysate can improve SCP production with low nutrient cost. This finding could reduce the amounts of cellulase required during saccharification and nutrients during culture, providing a new low‐cost method for SCP production. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry