bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bladder and bowel responses to lumbosacral epidural stimulation in uninjured and transected anesthetized rats
Authors: Hoey Robert F. , Medina-Aguiñaga Daniel , Khalifa Fahmi , Ugiliweneza Beatrice , Zdunowski Sharon , Fell Jason , Naglah Ahmed , El-Baz Ayman S. , Herrity April N. , Harkema Susan J. , Hubscher Charles H.
Published: February 2021

Spinal cord epidural stimulation (scES) mapping at L5-S1 was performed to identify parameters for bladder and bowel inhibition and/or contraction. Using spinally intact and chronic transected rats of both sexes in acute urethane-anesthetized terminal preparations, scES was systematically applied using a modified Specify 5–6–5 (Medtronic) electrode during bladder filling/emptying cycles while recording bladder and colorectal pressures and external urethral and anal sphincter electromyography activity. The results indicate frequency-dependent effects on void volume, micturition, bowel peristalsis, and sphincter activity just above visualized movement threshold intensities that differed depending upon neurological intactness, with some sex-dependent differences. Thereafter, a custom-designed miniature 15-electrode array designed for greater selectivity was tested and exhibited the same frequency-dependent urinary effects over a much smaller surface area without any concurrent movements. Thus, select activation of autonomic nervous system circuitries with scES is a promising neuromodulation approach for expedient translation to individuals with SCI and potentially other neurologic disorders.
Computer modeling of whole-cell voltage-clamp analyses to delineate guidelines for good practice of manual and automated patch-clamp
Authors: Montnach Jérôme , Lorenzini Maxime , Lesage Adrien , Simon Isabelle , Nicolas Sébastien , Moreau Eléonore , Marionneau Céline , Baró Isabelle , De Waard Michel , Loussouarn Gildas
Published: February 2021

The patch-clamp technique and more recently the high throughput patch-clamp technique have contributed to major advances in the characterization of ion channels. However, the whole-cell voltage-clamp technique presents certain limits that need to be considered for robust data generation. One major caveat is that increasing current amplitude profoundly impacts the accuracy of the biophysical analyses of macroscopic ion currents under study. Using mathematical kinetic models of a cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel and a cardiac voltage-gated potassium channel, we demonstrated how large current amplitude and series resistance artefacts induce an undetected alteration in the actual membrane potential and affect the characterization of voltage-dependent activation and inactivation processes. We also computed how dose–response curves are hindered by high current amplitudes. This is of high interest since stable cell lines frequently demonstrating high current amplitudes are used for safety pharmacology using the high throughput patch-clamp technique. It is therefore critical to set experimental limits for current amplitude recordings to prevent inaccuracy in the characterization of channel properties or drug activity, such limits being different from one channel type to another. Based on the predictions generated by the kinetic models, we draw simple guidelines for good practice of whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings.
Assessing biophysical and socio-economic impacts of climate change on regional avian biodiversity
Authors: Kapitza Simon , Van Ha Pham , Kompas Tom , Golding Nick , Cadenhead Natasha C. R. , Bal Payal , Wintle Brendan A.
Published: February 2021

Climate change threatens biodiversity directly by influencing biophysical variables that drive species’ geographic distributions and indirectly through socio-economic changes that influence land use patterns, driven by global consumption, production and climate. To date, no detailed analyses have been produced that assess the relative importance of, or interaction between, these direct and indirect climate change impacts on biodiversity at large scales. Here, we apply a new integrated modelling framework to quantify the relative influence of biophysical and socio-economically mediated impacts on avian species in Vietnam and Australia and we find that socio-economically mediated impacts on suitable ranges are largely outweighed by biophysical impacts. However, by translating economic futures and shocks into spatially explicit predictions of biodiversity change, we now have the power to analyse in a consistent way outcomes for nature and people of any change to policy, regulation, trading conditions or consumption trend at any scale from sub-national to global.
Meta-analysis cum machine learning approaches address the structure and biogeochemical potential of marine copepod associated bacteriobiomes
Authors: Sadaiappan Balamurugan , PrasannaKumar Chinnamani , Nambiar V. Uthara , Subramanian Mahendran , Gauns Manguesh U.
Published: February 2021

Copepods are the dominant members of the zooplankton community and the most abundant form of life. It is imperative to obtain insights into the copepod-associated bacteriobiomes (CAB) in order to identify specific bacterial taxa associated within a copepod, and to understand how they vary between different copepods. Analysing the potential genes within the CAB may reveal their intrinsic role in biogeochemical cycles. For this, machine-learning models and PICRUSt2 analysis were deployed to analyse 16S rDNA gene sequences (approximately 16 million reads) of CAB belonging to five different copepod genera viz., Acartia spp., Calanus spp., Centropages sp., Pleuromamma spp., and Temora spp.. Overall, we predict 50 sub-OTUs (s-OTUs) (gradient boosting classifiers) to be important in five copepod genera. Among these, 15 s-OTUs were predicted to be important in Calanus spp. and 20 s-OTUs as important in Pleuromamma spp.. Four bacterial s-OTUs Acinetobacter johnsonii, Phaeobacter, Vibrio shilonii and Piscirickettsiaceae were identified as important s-OTUs in Calanus spp., and the s-OTUs Marinobacter, Alteromonas, Desulfovibrio, Limnobacter, Sphingomonas, Methyloversatilis, Enhydrobacter and Coriobacteriaceae were predicted as important s-OTUs in Pleuromamma spp., for the first time. Our meta-analysis revealed that the CAB of Pleuromamma spp. had a high proportion of potential genes responsible for methanogenesis and nitrogen fixation, whereas the CAB of Temora spp. had a high proportion of potential genes involved in assimilatory sulphate reduction, and cyanocobalamin synthesis. The CAB of Pleuromamma spp. and Temora spp. have potential genes accountable for iron transport.
Comprehensive evaluation of candidate reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR-based analysis in Caucasian clover
Authors: Yin Xiujie , He Taotao , Yi Kun , Zhao Yihang , Hu Yao , Liu Jiaxue , Zhang Xiaomeng , Meng Lingdong , Wang Lina , Liu Haoyue , Li Yonggang , Cui Guowen
Published: February 2021

The forage species Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.), a groundcover plant, is resistant to both cold and drought. However, reference genes for qRT-PCR-based analysis of Caucasian clover are lacking. In this study, 12 reference genes were selected on the basis of transcriptomic data. These genes were used to determine the most stably expressed genes in various organs of Caucasian clover under cold, salt and drought stress for qRT-PCR-based analysis. Reference gene stability was analyzed by geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, the ∆Ct method and RefFinder. Under salt stress, RCD1 and PPIL3 were the most stable reference genes in the leaves, and NLI1 and RCD1 were the most stable references genes in the roots. Under low-temperature stress, APA and EFTu-GTP were the most stable reference genes in the leaves, and the RCD1 and NLI2 genes were highly stable in the roots. Under 10% PEG-6000 stress, NLI1 and NLI2 were highly stable in the leaves, and RCD1 and PPIL3 were the most stable in the roots. Overall, RCD1 and NLI2 were the most stable reference genes in organs under normal conditions and across all samples. The most and least stable reference genes were validated by assessing their appropriateness for normalization via WRKY genes.
MEG signatures of long-term effects of agreement and disagreement with the majority
Authors: Gorin A. , Klucharev V. , Ossadtchi A. , Zubarev I. , Moiseeva V. , Shestakova A.
Published: February 2021

People often change their beliefs by succumbing to an opinion of others. Such changes are often referred to as effects of social influence. While some previous studies have focused on the reinforcement learning mechanisms of social influence or on its internalization, others have reported evidence of changes in sensory processing evoked by social influence of peer groups. In this study, we used magnetoencephalographic (MEG) source imaging to further investigate the long-term effects of agreement and disagreement with the peer group. The study was composed of two sessions. During the first session, participants rated the trustworthiness of faces and subsequently learned group rating of each face. In the first session, a neural marker of an immediate mismatch between individual and group opinions was found in the posterior cingulate cortex, an area involved in conflict-monitoring and reinforcement learning. To identify the neural correlates of the long-lasting effect of the group opinion, we analysed MEG activity while participants rated faces during the second session. We found MEG traces of past disagreement or agreement with the peers at the parietal cortices 230 ms after the face onset. The neural activity of the superior parietal lobule, intraparietal sulcus, and precuneus was significantly stronger when the participant’s rating had previously differed from the ratings of the peers. The early MEG correlates of disagreement with the majority were followed by activity in the orbitofrontal cortex 320 ms after the face onset. Altogether, the results reveal the temporal dynamics of the neural mechanism of long-term effects of disagreement with the peer group: early signatures of modified face processing were followed by later markers of long-term social influence on the valuation process at the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.
IE-Map: a novel in-vivo atlas and template of the human inner ear
Authors: Ahmadi Seyed-Ahmad , Raiser Theresa Marie , Rühl Ria Maxine , Flanagin Virginia Lee , zu Eulenburg Peter
Published: February 2021

Brain atlases and templates are core tools in scientific research with increasing importance also in clinical applications. Advances in neuroimaging now allowed us to expand the atlas domain to the vestibular and auditory organ, the inner ear. In this study, we present IE-Map, an in-vivo template and atlas of the human labyrinth derived from multi-modal high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, in a fully non-invasive manner without any contrast agent or radiation. We reconstructed a common template from 126 inner ears (63 normal subjects) and annotated it with 94 established landmarks and semi-automatic segmentations of all relevant macroscopic vestibular and auditory substructures. We validated the atlas by comparing MRI templates to a novel CT/micro-CT atlas, which we reconstructed from 21 publicly available post-mortem images of the bony labyrinth. Templates in MRI and micro-CT have a high overlap, and several key anatomical measures of the bony labyrinth in IE-Map are in line with micro-CT literature of the inner ear. A quantitative substructural analysis based on the new template, revealed a correlation of labyrinth parameters with total intracranial volume. No effects of gender or laterality were found. We provide the validated templates, atlas segmentations, surface meshes and landmark annotations as open-access material, to provide neuroscience researchers and clinicians in neurology, neurosurgery, and otorhinolaryngology with a widely applicable tool for computational neuro-otology.
Mapping barrier island soil moisture using a radiative transfer model of hyperspectral imagery from an unmanned aerial system
Authors: Eon Rehman S. , Bachmann Charles M.
Published: February 2021

The advent of remote sensing from unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has opened the door to more affordable and effective methods of imaging and mapping of surface geophysical properties with many important applications in areas such as coastal zone management, ecology, agriculture, and defense. We describe a study to validate and improve soil moisture content retrieval and mapping from hyperspectral imagery collected by a UAS system. Our approach uses a recently developed model known as the multilayer radiative transfer model of soil reflectance (MARMIT). MARMIT partitions contributions due to water and the sediment surface into equivalent but separate layers and describes these layers using an equivalent slab model formalism. The model water layer thickness along with the fraction of wet surface become parameters that must be optimized in a calibration step, with extinction due to water absorption being applied in the model based on equivalent water layer thickness, while transmission and reflection coefficients follow the Fresnel formalism. In this work, we evaluate the model in both field settings, using UAS hyperspectral imagery, and laboratory settings, using hyperspectral spectra obtained with a goniometer. Sediment samples obtained from four different field sites representing disparate environmental settings comprised the laboratory analysis while field validation used hyperspectral UAS imagery and coordinated ground truth obtained on a barrier island shore during field campaigns in 2018 and 2019. Analysis of the most significant wavelengths for retrieval indicate a number of different wavelengths in the short-wave infra-red (SWIR) that provide accurate fits to measured soil moisture content in the laboratory with normalized root mean square error (NRMSE)< 0.145, while independent evaluation from sequestered test data from the hyperspectral UAS imagery obtained during the field campaign obtained an average NRMSE = 0.169 and median NRMSE = 0.152 in a bootstrap analysis.
Non-linearity of end-systolic pressure–volume relation in afterload increases is caused by an overlay of shortening deactivation and the Frank–Starling mechanism
Authors: Habigt Moriz A. , Krieger Michelle , Gesenhues Jonas , Ketelhut Maike , Mechelinck Mare , Hein Marc
Published: February 2021

The linearity and load insensitivity of the end-systolic pressure–volume-relationship (ESPVR), a parameter that describes the ventricular contractile state, are controversial. We hypothesize that linearity is influenced by a variable overlay of the intrinsic mechanism of autoregulation to afterload (shortening deactivation) and preload (Frank-Starling mechanism). To study the effect of different short-term loading alterations on the shape of the ESPVR, experiments on twenty-four healthy pigs were executed. Preload reductions, afterload increases and preload reductions while the afterload level was increased were performed. The ESPVR was described either by a linear or a bilinear regression through the end-systolic pressure volume (ES-PV) points. Increases in afterload caused a biphasic course of the ES-PV points, which led to a better fit of the bilinear ESPVRs (r20.929 linear ESPVR vs. r20.96 and 0.943 bilinear ESPVR). ES-PV points of a preload reduction on a normal and augmented afterload level could be well described by a linear regression (r20.974 linear ESPVR vs. r20.976 and 0.975 bilinear ESPVR). The intercept of the second ESPVR (V0) but not the slope demonstrated a significant linear correlation with the reached afterload level (effective arterial elastance Ea). Thus, the early response to load could be described by the fixed slope of the ESPVR and variable V0, which was determined by the actual afterload. The ESPVR is only apparently nonlinear, as its course over several heartbeats was affected by an overlay of SDA and FSM. These findings could be easily transferred to cardiovascular simulation models to improve their accuracy.
A machine learning method based on the genetic and world competitive contests algorithms for selecting genes or features in biological applications
Authors: Masoudi-Sobhanzadeh Yosef , Motieghader Habib , Omidi Yadollah , Masoudi-Nejad Ali
Published: February 2021

Gene/feature selection is an essential preprocessing step for creating models using machine learning techniques. It also plays a critical role in different biological applications such as the identification of biomarkers. Although many feature/gene selection algorithms and methods have been introduced, they may suffer from problems such as parameter tuning or low level of performance. To tackle such limitations, in this study, a universal wrapper approach is introduced based on our introduced optimization algorithm and the genetic algorithm (GA). In the proposed approach, candidate solutions have variable lengths, and a support vector machine scores them. To show the usefulness of the method, thirteen classification and regression-based datasets with different properties were chosen from various biological scopes, including drug discovery, cancer diagnostics, clinical applications, etc. Our findings confirmed that the proposed method outperforms most of the other currently used approaches and can also free the users from difficulties related to the tuning of various parameters. As a result, users may optimize their biological applications such as obtaining a biomarker diagnostic kit with the minimum number of genes and maximum separability power.
Validation of UAV-based alfalfa biomass predictability using photogrammetry with fully automatic plot segmentation
Authors: Tang Zhou , Parajuli Atit , Chen Chunpeng James , Hu Yang , Revolinski Samuel , Medina Cesar Augusto , Lin Sen , Zhang Zhiwu , Yu Long-Xi
Published: February 2021

Alfalfa is the most widely cultivated forage legume, with approximately 30 million hectares planted worldwide. Genetic improvements in alfalfa have been highly successful in developing cultivars with exceptional winter hardiness and disease resistance traits. However, genetic improvements have been limited for complex economically important traits such as biomass. One of the major bottlenecks is the labor-intensive phenotyping burden for biomass selection. In this study, we employed two alfalfa fields to pave a path to overcome the challenge by using UAV images with fully automatic field plot segmentation for high-throughput phenotyping. The first field was used to develop the prediction model and the second field to validate the predictions. The first and second fields had 808 and 1025 plots, respectively. The first field had three harvests with biomass measured in May, July, and September of 2019. The second had one harvest with biomass measured in September of 2019. These two fields were imaged one day before harvesting with a DJI Phantom 4 pro UAV carrying an additional Sentera multispectral camera. Alfalfa plot images were extracted by GRID software to quantify vegetative area based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The prediction model developed from the first field explained 50–70% (R Square) of biomass variation in the second field by incorporating four features from UAV images: vegetative area, plant height, Normalized Green–Red Difference Index, and Normalized Difference Red Edge Index. This result suggests that UAV-based, high-throughput phenotyping could be used to improve the efficiency of the biomass selection process in alfalfa breeding programs.
Metal doped layered MgB2 nanoparticles as novel electrocatalysts for water splitting
Authors: Sadeghi Ebrahim , Peighambardoust Naeimeh Sadat , Khatamian Masoumeh , Unal Ugur , Aydemir Umut
Published: February 2021

Growing environmental problems along with the galloping rate of population growth have raised an unprecedented challenge to look for an ever-lasting alternative source of energy for fossil fuels. The eternal quest for sustainable energy production strategies has culminated in the electrocatalytic water splitting process integrated with renewable energy resources. The successful accomplishment of this process is thoroughly subject to competent, earth-abundant, and low-cost electrocatalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), preferably, in the same electrolyte. The present contribution has been dedicated to studying the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of newfangled electrocatalysts with the formal composition of Mg1−xTMxB2 (x = 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1; TM (transition metal) = Fe and Co) primarily in HER as well as OER under 1 M KOH medium. The electrochemical tests revealed that among all the metal-doped MgB2 catalysts, Mg0.95Co0.05B2 has the best HER performance showing an overpotential of 470 mV at − 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 80 mV dec−1 on account of its high purity and fast electron transport. Further investigation shed some light on the fact that Fe concentration and overpotential for HER have adverse relation meaning that the highest amount of Fe doping (x = 0.1) displayed the lowest overpotential. This contribution introduces not only highly competent electrocatalysts composed of low-cost precursors for the water-splitting process but also a facile scalable method for the assembly of highly porous electrodes paving the way for further stunning developments in the field.
Pulsed production of antihydrogen
Authors: Amsler Claude , Antonello Massimiliano , Belov Alexander , Bonomi Germano , Brusa Roberto Sennen , Caccia Massimo , Camper Antoine , Caravita Ruggero , Castelli Fabrizio , Cheinet Patrick , Comparat Daniel , Consolati Giovanni , Demetrio Andrea , Di Noto Lea , Doser Michael , Fanì Mattia , Ferragut Rafael , Fesel Julian , Gerber Sebastian , Giammarchi Marco , Gligorova Angela , Glöggler Lisa Theresa , Guatieri Francesco , Haider Stefan , Hinterberger Alexander , Kellerbauer Alban , Khalidova Olga , Krasnický Daniel , Lagomarsino Vittorio , Malbrunot Chloé , Mariazzi Sebastiano , Matveev Viktor , Müller Simon , Nebbia Giancarlo , Nedelec Patrick , Nowak Lilian , Oberthaler Markus , Oswald Emmanuel , Pagano Davide , Penasa Luca , Petracek Vojtech , Povolo Luca , Prelz Francesco , Prevedelli Marco , Rienäcker Benjamin , Røhne Ole , Rotondi Alberto , Sandaker Heidi , Santoro Romualdo , Testera Gemma , Tietje Ingmari , Toso Valerio , Wolz Tim , Yzombard Pauline , Zimmer Christian , Zurlo Nicola
Published: February 2021

Antihydrogen atoms with K or sub-K temperature are a powerful tool to precisely probe the validity of fundamental physics laws and the design of highly sensitive experiments needs antihydrogen with controllable and well defined conditions. We present here experimental results on the production of antihydrogen in a pulsed mode in which the time when 90% of the atoms are produced is known with an uncertainty of ~250 ns. The pulsed source is generated by the charge-exchange reaction between Rydberg positronium atoms—produced via the injection of a pulsed positron beam into a nanochanneled Si target, and excited by laser pulses—and antiprotons, trapped, cooled and manipulated in electromagnetic traps. The pulsed production enables the control of the antihydrogen temperature, the tunability of the Rydberg states, their de-excitation by pulsed lasers and the manipulation through electric field gradients. The production of pulsed antihydrogen is a major landmark in the AE$$\bar{g}$$
ḡ
IS experiment to perform direct measurements of the validity of the Weak Equivalence Principle for antimatter.
A proton-responsive ligand becomes a dimetal linker for multisubstrate assembly via nitrate deoxygenation
Authors: Cabelof Alyssa C. , Carta Veronica , Caulton Kenneth G.
Published: February 2021

A bidentate pyrazolylpyridine ligand (HL) was installed on divalent nickel to give [(HL)2Ni(NO3)]NO3. This species is reacted with TMS2Pz to simultaneously reduce one of the nitrate anions and deprotonate one of the ligands.
Non-symmetric mechanophores prepared from radical-type symmetric mechanophores: bespoke mechanofunctional polymers
Authors: Yanada Kosaku , Kato Sota , Aoki Daisuke , Mikami Koichiro , Sugita Hajime , Otsuka Hideyuki
Published: February 2021

Non-symmetric radical-type mechanophores were synthesized by molecular crossing between two radical-type mechanophores toward the design of bespoke mechanofunctional polymers.
Effect of temperature on the transformation of amorphous calcium magnesium carbonate with near-dolomite stoichiometry into high Mg-calcite
Authors: Purgstaller Bettina , Mavromatis Vasileios , Goetschl Katja E. , Steindl Florian R. , Dietzel Martin
Published: February 2021

Amorphous calcium magnesium carbonate (ACMC) transformation into high Mg-calcite (HMC) proceeds via dissolution and re-precipitation at the ACMC-solution interface.
Ultrathin 2D flower-like CoP@C with the active (211) facet for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting
Authors: Shi Xiaowei , Yang Ping , Cao Yongyong , Dai Chao , Ye Weiqing , Zheng Lingxia , Zhao Zhefei , Wang Jianguo , Zheng Huajun
Published: February 2021

Due to the more exposed (211) facet, the electrocatalytic water splitting activity of 2D CoP@C is superior to that of its counterpart 3D structure.
Structural and mechanical parameters of lipid bilayer membranes using a lattice refined self-consistent field theory
Authors: de Lange N. , Kleijn J. M. , Leermakers F. A. M.
Published: February 2021

New implementation of SCF equations allows for improved predictions for the lipid bilayer structure and mechanical parameters. The stability window of membranes requires bothJm0 ∼ 0 (no break-up into micelles) and< 0 (no ‘saddles’ are formed).
Cycloaddition between nitrogen-doped graphene (6π-component) and benzene (4π-component): a theoretical approach using density functional theory with vdW-DF correction
Authors: Rangel-Cortes E. , Pescador-Rojas J. A. , Cardozo-Mata V. A. , Hernández-Hernández A. , Vallejo-Castañeda E. , Hernández-Hernández L. A. , Romero-Cortes T.
Published: February 2021

Cycloaddition [6+4] between nitrogen-doped graphene [6π] and benzene [4π].
Low lattice thermal conductivity of a 5–8-peanut-shaped carbon nanotube
Authors: Sun Jie , Chen Yanyan , Wang Qian
Published: February 2021

A metallic peanut-shaped CNT composed entirely of 5- and 8-membered rings, named 5–8-PSNT, is designed. Its lattice thermal conductivity is 95.87 W m−1K−1, much lower than that of (6, 6) CNT. The mechanism of the low thermal conductivity is uncovered.
New insights into the structural evolution of TiO2–Ti3O5–Ti2O3–TiO–TixOyCz–TiC systems at the nanoscale during the reduction process
Authors: Xiao Yuanyou , Jin Pengliang , Wang Guocheng , Zhang Lifeng
Published: February 2021

We report on the evolutionary mechanisms and the resulting structures of TiO2–Ti3O5–Ti2O3–TiO–TixOyCz–TiC systems at the nanoscale during reduction processes.
Mechanistic insight into the influence of O2 on N2O formation in the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 over Pd/CeO2 catalyst
Authors: Sheng Liping , Li Songda , Ma Zhaoxia , Wang Fei , He Hu , Gao Yi , Zhu Beien , Wang Yong , Yang Hangsheng
Published: February 2021

O2 greatly affected the pathway for NO reduction over the Pd/CeO2 catalyst and resulted in a temperature-dependent NH3-SCR performance and formation of N2O.
Facile syntheses of silver thioantimonates exhibiting second-harmonic generation responses and large birefringence
Authors: Yang Gang , Jiang Xingxing , Wu Chao , Lin Zheshuai , Huang Zhipeng , Humphrey Mark G. , Zhang Chi
Published: February 2021

A phase-matchable SHG-active chalcogenide [enH][Ag2SbS3], which possesses the largest birefringence among noncentrosymmetric thioantimonates, has been successfully synthesized by mild solvothermal means.
Carbon–titanium dioxide (C/TiO2) nanofiber composites for chemical oxidation of emerging organic contaminants in reactive filtration applications
Authors: Greenstein Katherine E. , Nagorzanski Matthew R. , Kelsay Bailey , Verdugo Edgard M. , Myung Nosang V. , Parkin Gene F. , Cwiertny David M.
Published: February 2021

Electrospun carbon nanofibers with integrated titanium dioxide nanoparticles are used for water treatment in a photoactive membrane filtration system.
Benzoic acid resin (BAR): a heterogeneous redox organocatalyst for continuous flow synthesis of benzoquinones from β-O-4 lignin models
Authors: Dias Kevin de Aquino , Pereira Junior Marcus Vinicius Pinto , Andrade Leandro Helgueira
Published: February 2021

Benzoic acid resin (BAR), a redox organocatalyst for both Baeyer–Villiger and phenol oxidation, is described. BAR enabled the continuous-flow synthesis of benzoquinones from β-O-4 lignin models in a one-pot protocol via auto-tandem catalysis.
Disparity in piezofluorochromism for twisted mono-carbazole-based AIEgens resulting from interchanging electron-rich substituents: effect of coplanarity on twisted π-conjugates
Authors: Prusti Banchhanidhi , Chakravarty Manab
Published: February 2021

Newly established carbazole-based aggregation-induced emission-active fluorogens are recognized with piezo-fluorochromic features that vary with the effect of planarity. Suitable probe is demonstrated as a platform for rewritable optical recording.
Hybrid chemoenzymatic heterogeneous catalyst prepared in one step from zeolite nanocrystals and enzyme–polyelectrolyte complexes
Authors: Van der Verren Margot , Smeets Valentin , vander Straeten Aurélien , Dupont-Gillain Christine , Debecker Damien P.
Published: February 2021

A suspension of TS-1 zeolite nanocrystals and glucose oxidase–polyelectrolyte complexes is spray-dried to form, in one step, a hybrid chemo-enzymatic heterogeneous catalyst utilized for the production of H2O2 cascaded with allyl alcohol epoxidation.
Tuning dimensionality between 2D and 1D MOFs by lanthanide contraction and ligand-to-metal ratio
Authors: González Chávez Fernando , Beltrán Hiram Isaac
Published: February 2021

2D/1D dimensionality tuning in LnMOFs is related to both (i) ligand-to-metal ratio and (ii) lanthanide contraction, this is only possible with Er/Tm, lighter lanthanides e.g. Pr only produced 2D MOFs, despite different ligand-to-metal ratios were used.
Synthesis of α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates via CO2 fixation under ambient conditions promoted by an easily available silver carbamate
Authors: Bresciani Giulio , Bortoluzzi Marco , Ghelarducci Claudia , Marchetti Fabio , Pampaloni Guido
Published: February 2021

A series of α-alkylidene cyclic carbonates has been synthesized under mild conditions using silver carbamate Ag(O2CNEt2) in combination with PPh3.
Significantly boosting the energy storage capacity of N-doped graphene by non-covalent modification of fused heterocyclic small molecules
Authors: Xu Liming , Cai Yue , Jiang Fengxing , Kang Huan , Xu Jingkun , Zhou Weiqiang , Duan Xuemin
Published: February 2021

The effect of different substituents of indoles on the performance of functionalized GN was explored. The as-obtained 5-AIFGN had a high specific capacitance of 831.5 F g−1. 5-AIFGN//5-AIFGN exhibited a high energy density of 43.4 W h kg−1 at a power density of 800 W kg−1.
An isomerized alkyl side chain enables efficient nonfullerene organic photovoltaics with good tolerance to pre/post-treatments
Authors: Han Chenyu , Jiang Huanxiang , Wang Pengchao , Yu Lu , Wang Jianxiao , Han Jianhua , Shen Wenfei , Zheng Nan , Wen Shuguang , Li Yonghai , Bao Xichang
Published: February 2021

An alkyl isomerization strategy is reported to finely modulate the crystallinity of nonfullerene acceptors as well as their photovoltaic responses to post-treatments.
Microwave-assisted synthesis of titania–amorphous carbon nanotubes/amorphous nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes nanohybrids for photocatalytic degradation of textile wastewater
Authors: Zikalala Sithembela A. , Chabalala Mandla B. , Gumbi Nozipho N. , Coville Neil J. , Mamba Bhekie B. , Mutuma Bridget K. , Nxumalo Edward N.
Published: February 2021

The synthesis of TiO2 nanohybrids fabricated using amorphous carbon nanotubes (aCNTs) and amorphous nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes (aNCNTs) via a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method is reported.
Trioxatriangulenium (TOTA+) as a robust carbon-based Lewis acid in frustrated Lewis pair chemistry
Authors: Shaikh Aslam C. , Veleta José M. , Moutet Jules , Gianetti Thomas L.
Published: February 2021

Frustration at carbon! Herein, we present a frustrated Lewis pair system derived from a water stable carbon-based Lewis acid, trioxatriangulene (TOTA+), and a variety of Lewis bases, which successfully promotes bond cleavage and molecule fixation.
Single-molecule junctions of multinuclear organometallic wires: long-range carrier transport brought about by metal–metal interaction
Authors: Tanaka Yuya , Kato Yuya , Sugimoto Kaho , Kawano Reo , Tada Tomofumi , Fujii Shintaro , Kiguchi Manabu , Akita Munetaka
Published: February 2021

Multinuclear organometallic molecular wires having (diethynylthiophene)diyl-Ru(dppe)2 repeating units show high conductance with small attenuation factors. The strong Ru–Ru interaction is the key for the long-range carrier transport.
Recent developments in ionic liquid pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass for enhanced bioconversion
Authors: Zhang Jinxu , Zou Dongzhe , Singh Seema , Cheng Gang
Published: February 2021

Lignocellulosic biomass has been used as starting materials in the processes of producing biofuels and chemicals.
Measurement of the interconnected turgor pressure and envelope elasticity of live bacterial cells
Authors: Zhang Huanxin , Wang Huabin , Wilksch Jonathan J. , Strugnell Richard A. , Gee Michelle L. , Feng Xi-Qiao
Published: February 2021

Explicit expressions are established to extract the turgor pressure and envelope's elastic modulus of a live bacterium from AFM nanoindentation curves. It is found that the two parameters change significantly in different external osmotic conditions.
Fluorescence assay based on the thioflavin T-induced conformation switch of G-quadruplexes for TET1 detection
Authors: Chen Xue , Cheng Ying , Wang Yafen , Tang Jing , Wang Fang , Chen Zilin
Published: February 2021

A simple and label-free fluorescence method is developed for the highly sensitive detection of TET1 based on ThT/G-quadruplexes in combination with the specific design of oligonucleotides.
UV-induced photolysis of polyurethanes
Authors: Petit Charlotte , Bachmann Julian , Michalek Lukas , Catel Yohann , Blasco Eva , Blinco James P. , Unterreiner Andreas-N. , Barner-Kowollik Christopher
Published: February 2021

Herein, we incorporate photosensitiveortho-Nitrobenzyl units into polyurethanes to achieve controllable photodegradability. We performed their photolysis in solution and thin films which can inform the design of degradable adhesives.
Correction: MOF-derived PtCo/Co3O4 nanocomposites in carbonaceous matrices as high-performance ORR electrocatalysts synthesized via laser ablation techniques
Authors: Ribeiro Erick L. , Davis Elijah M. , Mokhtarnejad Mahshid , Hu Sheng , Mukherjee Dibyendu , Khomami Bamin
Published: February 2021

Correction for ‘MOF-derived PtCo/Co3O4 nanocomposites in carbonaceous matrices as high-performance ORR electrocatalysts synthesized via laser ablation techniques’ by Erick L. Ribeiro et al., Catal. Sci. Technol., 2021, DOI: 10.1039/d0cy02099k.
Visible-light induced metal-free cascade Wittig/hydroalkylation reactions
Authors: Miao Pannan , Li Ruining , Lin Xianfeng , Rao Liangming , Sun Zhankui
Published: February 2021

Through a relay olefination and radical addition process, we developed cascade Wittig/hydroalkylation reactions induced by visible light. This metal-free radical approach features mild conditions, robustness, and excellent functionality tolerance.
Carbon-coated Fe3O4core–shell super-paramagnetic nanoparticle-based ferrofluid for heat transfer applications
Authors: Imran Mohd , Zouli Nasser , Ahamad Tansir , Alshehri Saad M. , Chandan Mohammed Rehaan , Hussain Shahir , Aziz Abdul , Dar Mushtaq Ahmad , Khan Afzal
Published: February 2021

Ferrofluids prepared by dispersing superparamagnetic Fe3O4@C core–shell nanoparticles in water exhibited exceptional enhancement in thermal conductivity without an external magnetic field.
Gold nanoparticle based colorimetric assay of telomerase activity using the cyclic strand displacement reaction
Authors: Huang Rui , Wang Mingyuan , Chen Xifeng , Yu Nong , Jiang Chenyu
Published: February 2021

A facile colorimetric assay is developed for the detection of telomerase activity based on the cyclic strand displacement reaction.
Ammonia-free fabrication of ultrafine vanadium nitride nanoparticles as interfacial mediators for promoting electrochemical behaviors of lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Meng Xueping , Li Zhonglin , Cheng Zhibin , Li Pengyue , Wang Ruihu , Li Xiaoju
Published: February 2021

One ammonia-free approach has been developed for the synthesis of ultrafine vanadium nitride (VN) nanoparticles. The presence of VN nanoparticles remarkably upgrades the electrochemical performance of lithium–sulfur batteries.
Finding new edges: systems approaches to MTOR signaling
Authors: Heberle Alexander Martin , Rehbein Ulrike , Rodríguez Peiris Maria , Thedieck Kathrin
Published: February 2021

Cells have evolved highly intertwined kinase networks to finely tune cellular homeostasis to the environment. The network converging on the mechanistic target of rapamycin (MTOR) kinase constitutes a central hub that integrates metabolic signals and adapts cellular metabolism and functions to nutritional changes and stress. Feedforward and feedback loops, crosstalks and a plethora of modulators finely balance MTOR-driven anabolic and catabolic processes. This complexity renders it difficult — if not impossible — to intuitively decipher signaling dynamics and network topology. Over the last two decades, systems approaches have emerged as powerful tools to simulate signaling network dynamics and responses. In this review, we discuss the contribution of systems studies to the discovery of novel edges and modulators in the MTOR network in healthy cells and in disease.
The ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling network: the final frontier in RAS signal transduction
Authors: Klomp Jennifer E. , Klomp Jeff A. , Der Channing J.
Published: February 2021

The RAF–MEK–ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is aberrantly activated in a diverse set of human cancers and the RASopathy group of genetic developmental disorders. This protein kinase cascade is one of the most intensely studied cellular signaling networks and has been frequently targeted by the pharmaceutical industry, with more than 30 inhibitors either approved or under clinical evaluation. The ERK–MAPK cascade was originally depicted as a serial and linear, unidirectional pathway that relays extracellular signals, such as mitogenic stimuli, through the cytoplasm to the nucleus. However, we now appreciate that this three-tiered protein kinase cascade is a central core of a complex network with dynamic signaling inputs and outputs and autoregulatory loops. Despite our considerable advances in understanding the ERK–MAPK network, the ability of cancer cells to adapt to the inhibition of key nodes reveals a level of complexity that remains to be fully understood. In this review, we summarize important developments in our understanding of the ERK–MAPK network and identify unresolved issues for ongoing and future study.
Promotion of cancer cell stemness by Ras
Authors: Chippalkatti Rohan , Abankwa Daniel
Published: February 2021

Cancer stem cells (CSC) may be the most relevant and elusive cancer cell population, as they have the exquisite ability to seed new tumors. It is plausible, that highly mutated cancer genes, such as KRAS, are functionally associated with processes contributing to the emergence of stemness traits. In this review, we will summarize the evidence for a stemness driving activity of oncogenic Ras. This activity appears to differ by Ras isoform, with the highly mutated KRAS having a particularly profound impact. Next to established stemness pathways such as Wnt and Hedgehog (Hh), the precise, cell cycle dependent orchestration of the MAPK-pathway appears to relay Ras activation in this context. We will examine how non-canonical activities of K-Ras4B (hereafter K-Ras) could be enabled by its trafficking chaperones calmodulin and PDE6D/PDEδ. Both dynamically localize to the cellular machinery that is intimately linked to cell fate decisions, such as the primary cilium and the centrosome. Thus, it can be speculated that oncogenic K-Ras disrupts fundamental polarized signaling and asymmetric apportioning processes that are necessary during cell differentiation.
Rhizobia: highways to NO
Authors: Ruiz Bryan , Frostegård Åsa , Bruand Claude , Meilhoc Eliane
Published: February 2021

The interaction between rhizobia and their legume host plants conduces to the formation of specialized root organs called nodules where rhizobia differentiate into bacteroids which fix atmospheric nitrogen to the benefit of the plant. This beneficial symbiosis is of importance in the context of sustainable agriculture as legumes do not require the addition of nitrogen fertilizer to grow. Interestingly, nitric oxide (NO) has been detected at various steps of the rhizobium–legume symbiosis where it has been shown to play multifaceted roles. Both bacterial and plant partners are involved in NO synthesis in nodules. To better understand the role of NO, and in particular the role of bacterial NO, at all steps of rhizobia–legumes interaction, the enzymatic sources of NO have to be elucidated. In this review, we discuss different enzymatic reactions by which rhizobia may potentially produce NO. We argue that there is most probably no NO synthase activity in rhizobia, and that instead the NO2− reductase nirK, which is part of the denitrification pathway, is the main bacterial source of NO. The nitrate assimilation pathway might contribute to NO production but only when denitrification is active. The different approaches to measure NO in rhizobia are also addressed.
Effects of the Age, Sex, and Maternal Education of Monolingual Spanish-Speaking Preschool Children on Oral Narrative Production
Authors: Mendoza Manuel , Beltran-Navarro Beatriz , Matute Esmeralda , Rosselli Monica
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The aim of the present cross-sectional study was to determine the effects of age, sex, and maternal education of monolingual Spanish-speaking preschoolers on both macrostructural (oral narrative quality) and microstructural measures (number of different words, communication units, mean length of utterance in both words and morphemes, and number of conjunctions) of their oral narrative production.

Method

A total of 277 monolingual Spanish-speaking Mexican children aged 2;06–5;11 (years;months) and divided into four age groups (ages 2, 3, 4, and 5 years) were asked to retell a fictional story from the oral narrative ability task of theEvaluación Neuropsicológica Infantil–Preescolar.

Results

Appropriate internal consistency and interrater reliability were demonstrated. Pearson correlations between macro- and microstructural measures showed a positive association. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed a main effect for age, but not for sex, maternal education, or between-variables interactions. Partial eta-squared showed that age had a medium effect size on oral narrative quality and the number of different words and conjunctions, with a small effect size on communication units and mean length of utterance in words and morphemes. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that age explained the largest percentage of variance across the oral narrative measures.

Conclusions

The measures found to be most sensitive to the effect of age (number of different words, oral narrative quality, communication units, conjunctions) are also those most easily assessed by clinicians with limited training in linguistics. Results obtained for the number of different words and communication units were similar to those reported previously for English-speaking children.
Age‐optimal path planning for finite‐battery UAV‐assisted data dissemination in IoT networks
Authors: Changizi Abolfazl , Emadi Mohammad Javad
Published: February 2021

Unmanned aerial vehicles have been widely used to assist wireless sensor networks due to ever‐increasing demands for Internet‐of‐things applications. To support timely delivery of information characterised by a recently introduced metric, termed as the age of information, this paper explores freshness of data in an unmanned aerial vehicle assisted wireless sensor network. Specifically, the authors consider a limited‐energy unmanned aerial vehicle moving towards the Internet‐of‐things devices to disseminate data packets provided by a data centre. Since the unmanned aerial vehicle cannot visit all the nodes in each flight turn due to its finite‐sized battery, the best sequence of nodes, from an age of information perspective, should be selected at the beginning of each flight turn. Thus, an unmanned aerial vehicle trajectory planning for data dissemination is proposed taking into account both maximal use of energy and freshness of data. To minimise the weighted sum age of information metric, by utilising the well‐known knapsack and travelling salesman problems, the authors propose an algorithm to efficiently select devices and the corresponding visiting order in each flight turn. Finally, to highlight performance of the proposed algorithm, and to investigate the effect of limited‐energy unmanned aerial vehicles, the number of nodes and flight turns, and simulation results are also provided and compared with other benchmark algorithms.
Coordination of multi‐agent systems with arbitrary convergence time
Authors: Nguyen Thanh Truong , Trinh Minh Hoang , Nguyen Chuong Van , Nguyen Nam Hoai , Ðặng Mỹ Văn
Published: February 2021

This paper proposes fixed‐time solutions to several problems in multi‐agent systems. First, a fixed‐time consensus protocol is investigated and under the assumption that the lower bound of smallest positive eigenvalue of the Laplacian matrix is known in advance, the consensus time of the protocol can be arbitrarily selected. Second, the consensus law to attenuate bounded disturbances acting on the system is modified. Third, the fixed‐time design method is applied to the orientation alignment and network localization problems. Finally, several simulations are provided to support the mathematical analysis.
Finite‐time consensus of leader‐following non‐linear multi‐agent systems via event‐triggered impulsive control
Authors: Chen Tao , Peng Shiguo , Zhang Zhenhua
Published: February 2021

This work is concerned with the finite‐time consensus of leader‐following non‐linear multi‐agent systems by means of distributed event‐triggered impulsive control. The finite‐time consensus protocol is first put forward based on event‐triggered impulsive strategies, where the impulsive instants are determined by the proposed event‐triggered condition. For the event‐triggered condition, it not only determines the impulsive instants but also effects the update time of the finite‐time control. Moreover, compared with the existing finite‐time controllers, the controller designed in this work does not contain any sign function, thereby overcoming the chattering phenomenon. In addition, without finding Zeno behaviour, the feasibility of the proposed control protocol is demonstrated. Lastly, simulations are employed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.