bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visualizing orthogonal RNAs simultaneously in live mammalian cells by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)
Authors: Sarfraz Nadia , Moscoso Emilia , Oertel Therese , Lee Harrison J. , Ranjit Suman , Braselmann Esther
Published: February 2023

Visualization of RNAs in live cells is critical to understand biology of RNA dynamics and function in the complex cellular environment. Detection of RNAs with a fluorescent marker frequently involves genetically fusing an RNA aptamer tag to the RNA of interest, which binds to small molecules that are added to live cells and have fluorescent properties. Engineering efforts aim to improve performance and add versatile features. Current efforts focus on adding multiplexing capabilities to tag and visualize multiple RNAs simultaneously in the same cell. Here, we present the fluorescence lifetime-based platform Riboglow-FLIM. Our system requires a smaller tag and has superior cell contrast when compared with intensity-based detection. Because our RNA tags are derived from a large bacterial riboswitch sequence family, the riboswitch variants add versatility for using multiple tags simultaneously. Indeed, we demonstrate visualization of two RNAs simultaneously with orthogonal lifetime-based tags.
A wheat kinase and immune receptor form host-specificity barriers against the blast fungus
Authors: Arora Sanu , Steed Andrew , Goddard Rachel , Gaurav Kumar , O’Hara Tom , Schoen Adam , Rawat Nidhi , Elkot Ahmed F. , Korolev Andrey V. , Chinoy Catherine , Nicholson Martha H. , Asuke Soichiro , Antoniou-Kourounioti Rea , Steuernagel Burkhard , Yu Guotai , Awal Rajani , Forner-Martínez Macarena , Wingen Luzie , Baggs Erin , Clarke Jonathan , Saunders Diane G. O. , Krasileva Ksenia V. , Tosa Yukio , Jones Jonathan D. G. , Tiwari Vijay K. , Wulff Brande B. H. , Nicholson Paul
Published: February 2023

Since emerging in Brazil in 1985, wheat blast has spread throughout South America and recently appeared in Bangladesh and Zambia. Here we show that two wheat resistance genes, Rwt3 and Rwt4, acting as host-specificity barriers against non-Triticum blast pathotypes encode a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat immune receptor and a tandem kinase, respectively. Molecular isolation of these genes will enable study of the molecular interaction between pathogen effector and host resistance genes.
The evolution of pit morphology and growth kinetics in aluminum during atmospheric corrosion
Authors: Noell Philip J. , Karasz Erin , Schindelholz Eric J. , Polonsky Andrew T. , Campbell Ian , Katona Ryan M. , Melia Michael A.
Published: February 2023

Assessing the lifetimes of alloys in humid, corrosive environments requires growth kinetic information regarding individual instances of damage, e.g. pit growth rates. Corrosion rates measured at the continuum scale using mass change convolute the rate of pit nucleation and growth, providing limited information on local kinetics. The current study used in-situ X-ray computed tomography to measure growth rates of individual pits in aluminum over 100 h of exposure in a humid, chloride environment. While pits grew at relatively constant rates over the first hours after nucleation, significant growth-rate nonlinearities subsequently occurred. These were linked to both droplet spreading, which altered the cathode size, and changes in the mode of pit growth. Pit morphology appeared to influence the dominant growth mode and the duration of pit growth. Post-mortem serial sectioning revealed pits preferentially attacked grain-boundary triple junctions and dislocation boundaries.
A subwavelength atomic array switched by a single Rydberg atom
Authors: Srakaew Kritsana , Weckesser Pascal , Hollerith Simon , Wei David , Adler Daniel , Bloch Immanuel , Zeiher Johannes
Published: February 2023

Enhancing light–matter coupling at the level of single quanta is essential for numerous applications in quantum science. The cooperative optical response of subwavelength atomic arrays has been found to open new pathways for such strong light–matter couplings, while simultaneously offering access to multiple spatial modes of the light field. Efficient single-mode free-space coupling to such arrays has been reported, but spatial control over the modes of outgoing light fields has remained elusive. Here, we demonstrate such spatial control over the optical response of an atomically thin mirror formed by a subwavelength array of atoms in free space using a single controlled ancilla atom excited to a Rydberg state. The switching behaviour is controlled by the admixture of a small Rydberg fraction to the atomic mirror, and consequently strong dipolar Rydberg interactions with the ancilla. Driving Rabi oscillations on the ancilla atom, we demonstrate coherent control of the transmission and reflection of the array. These results represent a step towards the realization of quantum coherent metasurfaces, the demonstration of controlled atom–photon entanglement and deterministic engineering of quantum states of light.
Unravelling microalgal-bacterial interactions in aquatic ecosystems through 16S rRNA gene-based co-occurrence networks
Authors: Pushpakumara B. L. D. Uthpala , Tandon Kshitij , Willis Anusuya , Verbruggen Heroen
Published: February 2023

Interactions between microalgae and bacteria can directly influence the global biogeochemical cycles but the majority of such interactions remain unknown. 16S rRNA gene-based co-occurrence networks have potential to help identify microalgal-bacterial interactions. Here, we used data from 10 Earth microbiome projects to identify potential microalgal-bacterial associations in aquatic ecosystems. A high degree of clustering was observed in microalgal-bacterial modules, indicating densely connected neighbourhoods. Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes predominantly co-occurred with microalgae and represented hubs of most modules. Our results also indicated that species-specificity may be a global characteristic of microalgal associated microbiomes. Several previously known associations were recovered from our network modules, validating that biologically meaningful results can be inferred using this approach. A range of previously unknown associations were recognised such as co-occurrences of Bacillariophyta with uncultured Planctomycetes OM190 and Deltaproteobacteria order NB1-j. Planctomycetes and Verrucomicrobia were identified as key associates of microalgae due to their frequent co-occurrences with several microalgal taxa. Despite no clear taxonomic pattern, bacterial associates appeared functionally similar across different environments. To summarise, we demonstrated the potential of 16S rRNA gene-based co-occurrence networks as a hypothesis-generating framework to guide more focused research on microalgal-bacterial associations.
1′-O-methyl-averantin isolated from the endolichenic fungus Jackrogersella sp. EL001672 suppresses colorectal cancer stemness via sonic Hedgehog and Notch signaling
Authors: Varlı Mücahit , Lee Eun-Young , Yang Yi , Zhou Rui , Taş İsa , Pulat Sultan , Gamage Chathurika D. B. , Park So-Yeon , Hur Jae-Seoun , Nam Sang-Jip , Kim Hangun
Published: February 2023

Endolichenic fungi are host organisms that live on lichens and produce a wide variety of secondary metabolites. Colorectal cancer stem cells are capable of self-renewal and differentiation into cancer cells, which makes cancers difficult to eradicate. New alternative therapeutics are needed to inhibit the growth of tumor stem cells. This study examined the ability of an extract of Jackrogersella sp. EL001672 (derived from the lichen Cetraria sp.) and the isolated compound 1′-O-methyl-averantin to inhibit development of cancer stemness. The endolichenic fungus Jackrogersella sp. EL001672 (KACC 83021BP), derived from Cetraria sp., was grown in culture medium. The culture broth was extracted with acetone to obtain a crude extract. Column chromatography and reverse-phase HPLC were used to isolate an active compound. The anticancer activity of the extract and the isolated compound was evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blotting, and in cell viability, spheroid formation, and reporter assays. The acetone extract of EL001672 did not affect cell viability. However, 1′-O-methyl-averantin showed cytotoxic effects against cancer cell lines at 50 μg/mL and 25 μg/mL. Both the crude extract and 1′-O-methyl-averantin suppressed spheroid formation in CRC cell lines, and downregulated expression of stemness markers ALDH1, CD44, CD133, Lgr-5, Msi-1, and EphB1. To further characterize the mechanism underlying anti-stemness activity, we examined sonic Hedgehog and Notch signaling. The results showed that the crude extract and the 1′-O-methyl-averantin inhibited Gli1, Gli2, SMO, Bmi-1, Notch-1, Hes-1, and the CSL complex. Consequently, an acetone extract and 1′-O-methyl-averantin isolated from EL001672 suppresses colorectal cancer stemness by regulating the sonic Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways.
Optimized protocol for MALDI MSI of N-glycans using an on-tissue digestion in fresh frozen tissue sections
Authors: Grgic Andrej , Krestensen Kasper K. , Heeren Ron M. A.
Published: February 2023

Glycans play an important role in biology with multiple cellular functions ranging from cell signaling, mobility and growth to protein folding and localization. The N-glycosylation state within a tissue has been found to vary greatly between healthy and diseased patients and has proven to have an important clinical diagnostic value. Matrix assisted laser-desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) allows for untargeted analysis of biomolecules, including N-glycans, on a tissue section and provides a spatial context of the analyte. Until now, N-glycans have been predominantly analyzed using MALDI MSI on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue sections, however this greatly reduces the clinical applicability, as the FFPE embedding process alters the biological environment of the tissue. Here we developed a protocol that allows for MALDI MSI of N-glycans from fresh frozen tissue that matches the current standard of FFPE analysis. By optimizing several steps in the sample preparation, we see orders of magnitude increase in signal intensity. Furthermore, this method limits delocalization of released N-glycans, thus improving the effective spatial resolution of the label-free molecular images. This protocol provides a novel perspective towards clinical application of MALDI MSI and capitalizes on the diagnostic value of N-glycan analysis.
Climate-driven convergent evolution in riparian ecosystems on sky islands
Authors: Love S. J. , Schweitzer J. A. , Bailey J. K.
Published: February 2023

Climate-induced evolution will determine population persistence in a changing world. However, finding natural systems in which to study these responses has been a barrier to estimating the impact of global change on a broad scale. We propose that isolated sky islands (SI) and adjacent mountain chains (MC) are natural laboratories for studying long-term and contemporary climatic pressures on natural populations. We used greenhouse common garden trees to test whether populations on SI exposed to hot and dry climates since the end of the Pleistocene have phenotypically diverged from populations on MC, and if SI populations have converged in these traits. We show: (1) populations of Populus angustifolia from SI have diverged from MC, and converged across SI, in reproductive and productivity traits, (2) these traits (cloning and aboveground biomass, respectively) are significantly correlated, suggesting a genetic linkage between them, and (3) the trait variation is driven by both natural selection and genetic drift. These shifts represent potentially beneficial phenotypes for population persistence in a changing world. These results suggest that the SI–MC comparison is a natural laboratory, as well as a predictive framework, for studying long-term responses to climate change across the globe.
Effects of isolation housing stress and mouse strain on intravenous cocaine self-administration, sensory stimulus self-administration, and reward preference
Authors: Leonardo Michael , Brunty Sarah , Huffman Jessica , Lester Deranda B. , Dickson Price E.
Published: February 2023

Sensory stimuli are natural rewards in mice and humans. Consequently, preference for a drug reward relative to a sensory reward may be an endophenotype of addiction vulnerability. In this study, we developed a novel behavioral assay to quantify the preference for intravenous drug self-administration relative to sensory stimulus self-administration. We used founder strains of the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J) and a model of stress (isolation vs enriched housing) to assess genetic and epigenetic effects. Following 10 weeks of differential housing, all mice were tested under three reward conditions: sensory rewards available, cocaine rewards available, both rewards available. When a single reward was available (sensory stimuli or cocaine; delivered using distinct levers), DBA/2J mice self-administered significantly more rewards than C57BL/6J mice. When both rewards were available, DBA/2J mice exhibited a significant preference for cocaine relative to sensory stimuli; in contrast, C57BL/6J mice exhibited no preference. Housing condition influenced sensory stimulus self-administration and strain-dependently influenced inactive lever pressing when both rewards were available. Collectively, these data reveal strain effects, housing effects, or both on reward self-administration and preference. Most importantly, this study reveals that genetic mechanisms underlying preference for a drug reward relative to a nondrug reward can be dissected using the full BXD panel.
Wavefront shaping with nonlinear four-wave mixing
Authors: Shen Dongyi , Cao Jianjun , Wan Wenjie
Published: February 2023

Wavefront manipulations have enabled wide applications across many interdisciplinary fields ranging from optics and microwaves to acoustics. However, the realizations of such functional surfaces heavily rely on micro/nanofabrication to define the structured surfaces, which are fixed and only work within a limited spectrum. To address these issues, previous attempts combining tunable materials like liquid crystal or phase-change ones onto the metasurfaces have permitted extra tunability and working spectra, however, these additional layers bring in inevitable loss and complicate the fabrication. Here we demonstrate a fabrication-free tunable flat slab using a nonlinear four-wave mixing process. By wavefront-shaping the pump onto the flat slab, we can successfully tune the effective nonlinear refraction angle of the emitting FWM beams according to the phase-matching condition. In this manner, a focusing and a defocusing nonlinear of FWM beam through the flat slab have been demonstrated with a converging and a diverging pump wavefronts, respectively. Furthermore, a beam steering scheme over a 20° angle has been realized through a non-degenerate four-wave mixing process by introducing a second pump. These features open up a door to manipulating light propagation in an all-optical manner, paving the way to more functional and tunable flat slab devices in the applications of imaging and all-optical information.
Population genetic structure of a recent insect invasion: a gall midge, Asynapta groverae (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) in South Korea since the first outbreak in 2008
Authors: Kang Ji Hyoun , Ham Daseul , Park Sung Hwan , Hwang Jeong Mi , Park Sun-Jae , Baek Min Jeong , Bae Yeon Jae
Published: February 2023

Outbreaks ofAsynapta groverae, an invasive mycophagous gall midge, in South Korea have been repeatedly reported since the first occurrence in 2008. This species is a nuisance to residents owing to its mass emergence from newly built and furnished apartments. Here, the levels of genetic diversity, divergence, and structure of invasiveA. groveraepopulations were investigated to understand their ability to survive in novel locations. Population genetic analyses were performed on seven invasive populations, including the first outbreak, sporadically emerged, and two laboratory-isolated (quarantined) populations, using the mitochondrialCOIsequences and the ten novel microsatellite markers developed in this study. Non-indigenousA. groveraemanaged to maintain their populations for 12 years despite decreased genetic polymorphisms resulting from multiple incidences of founder effects by a small number of colonists. Additionally, the advantageous sustainability ofA. groveraein the particle boards from which they emerge suggests that human-mediated dispersal is plausible, which may allow for the successful spread or invasion ofA. groveraeto new locations. This study is one of the few examples to demonstrate that an insect species successfully invaded new regions despite exhibiting decreased genetic diversity that was maintained for a decade. These findings indicate that the high genetic diversity of the initial founding population and asexual reproduction would contribute to the successful invasion ofA. groveraein novel environments.
Impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the survival of patients with high-grade glioma and best practice recommendations
Authors: Vogel Marco M. E. , Wagner Arthur , Gempt Jens , Krenzlin Harald , Zeyen Thomas , Drexler Richard , Voss Martin , Nettekoven Charlotte , Abboud Tammam , Mielke Dorothee , Rohde Veit , Timmer Marco , Goldbrunner Roland , Steinbach Joachim P. , Dührsen Lasse , Westphal Manfred , Herrlinger Ulrich , Ringel Florian , Meyer Bernhard , Combs Stephanie E.
Published: February 2023

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has changed the clinical day-to-day practice. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) as well as to derive best practice recommendations. We compared a multi-institutional cohort with HGG (n = 251) from 03/2020 to 05/2020 (n = 119) to a historical cohort from 03/2019 to 05/2019 (n = 132). The endpoints were outcome (progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS)) as well as patterns of care and time intervals between treatment steps. The median OS for WHO grade 4 gliomas was 12 months in 2019 (95% Confidence Interval 9.7–14.3 months), and not reached in 2020 (p = .026). There were no other significant differences in the Kaplan–Meier estimates for OS and PFS between cohorts of 2019 and 2020, neither did stratification by WHO grade reveal any significant differences for OS, PFS or for patterns of care. The time interval between cranial magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) and biopsy was significantly longer in 2020 cohort (11 versus 21 days, p = .031). Median follow-up was 10 months (range 0–30 months). Despite necessary disease containment policies, it is crucial to ensure that patients with HGG are treated in line with the recent guidelines and standard of care (SOC) algorithms. Therefore, we strongly suggest pursuing no changes to SOC treatment, a timely diagnosis and treatment with short time intervals between first symptoms, initial diagnosis, and treatment, as well as a guideline-based cMRI follow-up.
Preschool children aged 4 to 5 years show discomfort with trypophobic images
Authors: Suzuki Chiharu , Shirai Nobu , Sasaki Kyoshiro , Yamada Yuki , Imura Tomoko
Published: February 2023

The fear or disgust of clustered patterns, such as honeycomb or lotus seed pods, is known as trypophobia. A previous developmental study reported that 4-year-old children prefer neutral images over clustered images. However, whether those results indicated higher rating scores for trypophobic images has been controversial. In this study, we examined discomfort with trypophobic images in adults and children aged 4–9 years using an identical experimental procedure. A modified rating scale applicable for children was used that was based on the established Trypophobia Scale for adults. The participants were required to rate five trypophobic and five neutral images on four rating items (disgusting, fear, feel itchiness, and like) on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much). The participants in all age groups indicated higher rate scores for trypophobic images than for neutral images in terms of ‘disgust’, ‘fear’, and ‘feeling itchiness’, whereas they indicated higher scores for neutral images than for trypophobic images in terms of ‘like’. These results suggest that children aged 4–5 years have responses comparable to the responses of adults with respect to trypophobic and neutral images; thus, trypophobia appears to emerge at least by the age of 4–5 years.
Deep learning for the ovarian lesion localization and discrimination between borderline and malignant ovarian tumors based on routine MR imaging
Authors: Wang Yida , Zhang He , Wang Tianping , Yao Liangqing , Zhang Guofu , Liu Xuefen , Yang Guang , Yuan Lei
Published: February 2023

To establish a deep learning (DL) model in differentiating borderline ovarian tumor (BOT) from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) on conventional MR imaging. We retrospectively enrolled 201 patients of 102 pathologically proven BOTs and 99 EOCs at OB/GYN hospital Fudan University, between January 2015 and December 2017. All imaging data were reviewed on picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) server. Both T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) MR images were used for lesion area determination. We trained a U-net++ model with deep supervision to segment the lesion area on MR images. Then, the segmented regions were fed into a classification model based on DL network to categorize ovarian masses automatically. For ovarian lesion segmentation, the mean dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of the trained U-net++ model in the testing dataset achieved 0.73 $$\pm$$
±
0.25, 0.76 $$\pm$$
±
0.18, and 0.60 $$\pm$$
±
0.24 in the sagittal T2WI, coronal T2WI, and axial T1WI images, respectively. The DL model by combined T2WI computerized network could differentiate BOT from EOC with a significantly higher AUC of 0.87, an accuracy of 83.7%, a sensitivity of 75.0% and a specificity of 87.5%. In comparison, the AUC yielded by radiologist was only 0.75, with an accuracy of 75.5%, a sensitivity of 96.0% and specificity of 54.2% (P < 0.001).The trained DL network model derived from routine MR imaging could help to distinguish BOT from EOC with a high accuracy, which was superior to radiologists’ assessment.
Protective effects of Pudilan Tablets against osteoarthritis in mice induced by monosodium iodoacetate
Authors: Fang Zhizheng , Li Xiangyu , Lei Shujun , Feng Shibin , Zhou Chenyu , Tong Xiaohui , Han Rongchun
Published: February 2023

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complicated disorder that is the most prevalent chronic degenerative joint disease nowadays. Pudilan Tablets (PDL) is a prominent traditional Chinese medicine formula used in clinical settings to treat chronic inflammatory illnesses. However, there is currently minimal fundamental research on PDL in the therapy of joint diseases. As a result, this study looked at the anti-inflammatory and anti-OA properties of PDL in vitro and in vivo, as well as the mechanism of PDL in the treatment of OA. We investigated the anti-OA properties of PDL in OA mice that were generated by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). All animals were administered PDL (2 g/kg or 4 g/kg) or the positive control drug, indomethacin (150 mg/kg), once daily for a total of 28 days starting on the day of MIA injection. The CCK-8 assay was used to test the vitality of PDL-treated RAW264.7 cells in vitro. RAW264.7 cells that had been activated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to assess the anti-inflammatory properties of PDL. In the MIA-induced OA model mice, PDL reduced pain, decreased OA-induced cartilage damages and degradation, decreased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in serum, and suppressed IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNA expression levels in tibiofemoral joint. In RAW264.7 cells, PDL treatment prevented LPS-induced activation of the ERK/Akt signaling pathway and significantly decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. In conclusion, these results suggest that PDL is involved in combating the development and progression of OA, exerts a powerful anti-inflammatory effect on the knee joint, and may be a promising candidate for the treatment of OA.
CD47 antisense oligonucleotide treatment attenuates obesity and its-associated metabolic dysfunction
Authors: Gwag Taesik , Li Dong , Ma Eric , Guo Zhenheng , Liang Ying , Wang Shuxia
Published: February 2023

Previous study from our lab has revealed a new role of CD47 in regulating adipose tissue function, energy homeostasis and the development of obesity and metabolic disease in CD47 deficient mice. In this study, the therapeutic potential of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting to CD47 in obesity and its-associated complications was determined in two obese mouse models (diet induced and genetic models). In diet induced obesity, male C57BL6 mice were fed with high fat (HF) diet to induce obesity and then treated with CD47ASO or control ASO for 8 weeks. In genetic obese mouse model, male six-week old ob/ob mice were treated with ASOs for 9 weeks. We found that CD47ASO treatment reduced HF diet-induced weight gain, decreased fat mass, prevented dyslipidemia, and improved glucose tolerance. These changes were accompanied by reduced inflammation in white adipose tissue and decreased hepatic steatosis. This protection was also seen in CD47ASO treated ob/ob mice. Mechanistically, CD47ASO treatment increased mice physical activity and energy expenditure, contributing to weight loss and improved metabolic outcomes in obese mice. Collectively, these findings suggest that CD47ASO might serve as a new treatment option for obesity and its-associated metabolic complications.
Translating transcriptomic findings from cancer model systems to humans through joint dimension reduction
Authors: Price Brandon A. , Marron J. S. , Mose Lisle E. , Perou Charles M. , Parker Joel S.
Published: February 2023

Model systems are an essential resource in cancer research. They simulate effects that we can infer into humans, but come at a risk of inaccurately representing human biology. This inaccuracy can lead to inconclusive experiments or misleading results, urging the need for an improved process for translating model system findings into human-relevant data. We present a process for applying joint dimension reduction (jDR) to horizontally integrate gene expression data across model systems and human tumor cohorts. We then use this approach to combine human TCGA gene expression data with data from human cancer cell lines and mouse model tumors. By identifying the aspects of genomic variation joint-acting across cohorts, we demonstrate how predictive modeling and clinical biomarkers from model systems can be improved.
Non-lethal fungal infection could reduce aggression towards strangers in ants
Authors: Csata Enikő , Casacci Luca Pietro , Ruther Joachim , Bernadou Abel , Heinze Jürgen , Markó Bálint
Published: February 2023

Many parasites interfere with the behaviour of their hosts. In social animals, such as ants, parasitic interference can cause changes on the level of the individual and also on the level of the society. The ant-parasitic fungusRickia wasmanniiinfluences the behaviour ofMyrmicaants by expanding the host’s nestmate recognition template, thereby increasing the chance of the colony accepting infected non-nestmates. Infected ants consistently show an increase of the alkane tricosane (n-C23) in their cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Although experimental application of single compounds often elicits aggression towards manipulated ants, we hypothesized that the increase ofn-C23 might underlie the facilitated acceptance of infected non-nestmates. To test this, we mimicked fungal infection inM. scabrinodisby applying syntheticn-C23 to fresh ant corpses and observed the reaction of infected and uninfected workers to control and manipulated corpses. Infected ants appeared to be more peaceful towards infected but not uninfected non-nestmates. Addingn-C23 to uninfected corpses resulted in reduced aggression in uninfected ants. This supports the hypothesis thatn-C23 acts as a ‘pacifying’ signal. Our study indicates that parasitic interference with the nestmate discrimination of host ants might eventually change colony structure by increasing genetic heterogeneity in infected colonies.
i-Motif folding intermediates with zero-nucleotide loops are trapped by 2′-fluoroarabinocytidine via F···H and O···H hydrogen bonds
Authors: El-Khoury Roberto , Macaluso Veronica , Hennecker Christopher , Mittermaier Anthony K. , Orozco Modesto , González Carlos , Garavís Miguel , Damha Masad J.
Published: February 2023

G-quadruplex and i-motif nucleic acid structures are believed to fold through kinetic partitioning mechanisms. Such mechanisms explain the structural heterogeneity of G-quadruplex metastable intermediates which have been extensively reported. On the other hand, i-motif folding is regarded as predictable, and research on alternative i-motif folds is limited. While TC5normally folds into a stable tetrameric i-motif in solution, we report that 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroarabinocytidine (araF-C) substitutions can prompt TC5to form an off-pathway and kinetically-trapped dimeric i-motif, thereby expanding the scope of i-motif folding landscapes. This i-motif is formed by two strands, associated head-to-head, and featuring zero-nucleotide loops which have not been previously observed. Through spectroscopic and computational analyses, we also establish that the dimeric i-motif is stabilized by fluorine and non-fluorine hydrogen bonds, thereby explaining the superlative stability of araF-C modified i-motifs. Comparative experimental findings suggest that the strength of these interactions depends on the flexible sugar pucker adopted by the araF-C residue. Overall, the findings reported here provide a new role for i-motifs in nanotechnology and also pose the question of whether unprecedented i-motif folds may exist in vivo.
Infinitene as two fused helicoidal trails of fused rings: evaluation of the magnetic behavior of [12]infinitene and anionic species displaying global aromaticity and antiaromaticity
Authors: Olea Ulloa Carolina , Muñoz-Castro Alvaro
Published: February 2023

The unique formation of an infinity-shaped carbon backbone made exclusively from fused benzene rings has recently been achieved, revealing an interesting global aromatic/antiaromatic shift upon charge variation.
Nanopores: synergy from DNA sequencing to industrial filtration – small holes with big impact
Authors: Siwy Zuzanna S. , Bruening Merlin L. , Howorka Stefan
Published: February 2023

Nanopores in thin membranes play important roles in science and industry.
Latent spaces for antimicrobial peptide design
Authors: Renaud Samuel , Mansbach Rachael A.
Published: February 2023

Understanding differences between search spaces for designing peptides to inhibit bacterial growth.
Facile synthesis of lead–tin nanoparticles for electrocatalyzing carbon dioxide reduction to formate
Authors: Wang Qilong , Guan Yayu , Yan Jiaying , Liu Yuyu , Shao Qinsi , Ning Fanghua , Yi Jin
Published: February 2023

Pb–Sn catalysts were synthesized via facile chemical reduction for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction.
Trisodium citrate as a modulation additive to increase the cycling capability of a Bi2S3 cathode in a zinc-ion battery
Authors: Gou Lei , Zhu Lin , Wang Wen-Yan , Liang Kai , Fan Xiao-Yong , Li Dong-Lin
Published: February 2023

Bi2S3 materials were prepared by the trisodium citrate (Na3Cit)-assisted solvothermal method and applied to aqueous zinc ion batteries to explore the effect of the electrode material morphology on the electrochemical performance.
3,5-Di(trifluoromethyl)phenyl(cyano)iodonium triflate as a novel and potential activator for p-tolyl thioglycoside donors
Authors: Tong Xiaowei , Li Zuowa , Xi Boting , Wang Zhaoyan , Li Yuan , Xue Weihua
Published: February 2023

3,5-Di(trifluoromethyl)phenyl(cyano)iodonium triflate is described as an accessible, stable, and powerful thiophile that can activate batches of p-tolyl thioglycoside donors at room temperature.
Efficient (Z)-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes catalyzed by air-stable imidazolyl amino molybdenum cluster sulfides
Authors: Gutiérrez-Blanco María , Guillamón Eva , Safont Vicent S. , Algarra Andrés G. , Fernández-Trujillo M. Jesús , Junge Kathrin , Basallote Manuel G. , Llusar Rosa , Beller Matthias
Published: February 2023

Efficient protocols for the semihydrogenation of internal alkynes and terminal alkynols are reported using the new [Mo3S4Cl3(ImNH2)3]+ complex as catalyst.
Near-infrared photothermal conversion of polyoxometalate-modified gold nanorods for plasmon-enhanced catalysis
Authors: Wang Gengxin , Chen Xiaofei , Li Bao , Wu Lixin
Published: February 2023

Polyoxometalates-modified gold nanorods are reported that integrate both a plasmon-enhanced near-infrared photothermal conversion center and catalytic center for the highly efficient oxidation of thioether derivatives.
Regioselective electrophilic aromatic borylation as a method for synthesising sterically hindered benzothiadiazole fluorophores
Authors: Taylor Dominic , Malcomson Thomas , Zhakeyev Adilet , Rosair Georgina M. , Paterson Martin J. , Marques-Hueso Jose , Dalgarno Scott J. , Vilela Filipe
Published: February 2023

A regioselective one-pot, three-step phenylation strategy has been applied to 4,7-diarylbenzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazoles to restrict internal bond rotation and alter the molecules' fluorescence properties.
Mechanistic studies of the palladium-catalyzed S,O-ligand promoted C–H olefination of aromatic compounds
Authors: Naksomboon Kananat , Gómez-Bengoa Enrique , Mehara Jaya , Roithová Jana , Otten Edwin , Fernández-Ibáñez M. Ángeles
Published: February 2023

A mechanistic study of the role of the S,O-ligand in promoting palladium catalyzed C–H activation of arenes is described. The data indicate that the S,O-ligand triggers the formation of more reactive palladium cationic species.
A novel covalent triazine-based frameworks as photocatalysts for the degradation of dyes under visible light irradiation
Authors: Du Yajing , Ai Haoqiang , Liu Yun , Liu Hongzhi
Published: February 2023

This work reported a material with efficient degradation ability to dyes, providing an effective way to construct highly active metal-free photocatalysts for environmental remediation and energy conversion.
Halide perovskite quantum dots for photocatalytic CO2reduction
Authors: Song Wentao , Qi Guobin , Liu Bin
Published: February 2023

This review focuses on halide perovskite quantum dots (QDs) for photocatalytic CO2reduction, discussing the structures and properties of perovskite QDs, the mechanism for CO2reduction, photocatalyst design, challenges and directions for future research.
High performance and self-powered photodetectors based on Se/CsPbBr3 heterojunctions
Authors: Zheng Tianxu , Du Qingyang , Wang Weiwei , Duan Wei , Feng Shiliang , Chen Rongpeng , Wan Xi , Jiang Yanfeng , Yu Pingping
Published: February 2023

The p–n–Se/CsPbBr3 heterojunction photodetectors exhibit a high on/off ratio of 235, a fast rise/decay time of 18 ms/40 ms, a maximum responsivity of 47.6 mA W−1 and a high specific detectivity of 4.9 × 1010 Jones at 550 nm under 0 V bias.
Synthesis and characterisation of group 11 metal complexes with a guanidine-tagged triphenylphosphine and evaluation of the isolated Au(i) complexes in gold-mediated organic reactions
Authors: Leitner Zdeněk , Císařová Ivana , Štěpnička Petr
Published: February 2023

Reactivity of a guanidine-tagged triphenylphosphine ligand towards group 11 metal ions differs for Cu(i)/Ag(i) and Au(i). A stable digold complex, stabilised by aurophilic interactions, converts into an active Au(i) catalyst upon protonation.
I2-mediated coupling of quinazolinone enamines with 2-aminopyridines: a new strategy to access spiroquinazolinones
Authors: Fang Jingxi , Pan Zhentao , Liu Tong , Rao Yingbo , Jiang Huajiang , Ma Yongmin
Published: February 2023

A novel metal-free and mild strategy for the construction of spiroquinazolinone iodides and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine via an umpolung strategy mediated by molecular iodine is described.
Brushite mineralised Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sapwood – revealing mineral crystallization within a wood matrix by in situ XRD
Authors: Garskaite Edita , Balciunas Giedrius , Drienovsky Marian , Sokol Denis , Sandberg Dick , Bastos Alexandre C. , Salak Andrei N.
Published: February 2023

Brushite mineral shows potential in wood reinforcement and development of hybrid calcium phosphate-based wood composites that could be particularly attractive in the construction sector as an environmentally friendly building material.
Protective mechanisms by glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor against the α-synuclein accumulation in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Er Safak , Airavaara Mikko
Published: February 2023

Synucleinopathies constitute a disease family named after alpha-synuclein protein, which is a significant component of the intracellular inclusions called Lewy bodies. Accompanying the progressive neurodegeneration, Lewy bodies and neurites are the main histopathologies of synucleinopathies. The complicated role of alpha-synuclein in the disease pathology makes it an attractive therapeutic target for disease-modifying treatments. GDNF is one of the most potent neurotrophic factors for dopamine neurons, whereas CDNF is protective and neurorestorative with entirely different mechanisms of action. Both have been in the clinical trials for the most common synucleinopathy, Parkinson's disease. With the AAV-GDNF clinical trials ongoing and the CDNF trial being finalized, their effects on abnormal alpha-synuclein accumulation are of great interest. Previous animal studies with an alpha-synuclein overexpression model have shown that GDNF was ineffective against alpha-synuclein accumulation. However, a recent study with cell culture and animal models of alpha-synuclein fibril inoculation has demonstrated the opposite by revealing that the GDNF/RET signaling cascade is required for the protective effect of GDNF on alpha-synuclein aggregation. CDNF, an ER resident protein, was shown to bind alpha-synuclein directly. CDNF reduced the uptake of alpha-synuclein fibrils by the neurons and alleviated the behavioral deficits induced by fibrils injected into the mouse brain. Thus, GDNF and CDNF can modulate different symptoms and pathologies of Parkinson's disease, and perhaps, similarly for other synucleinopathies. Their unique mechanisms for preventing alpha-synuclein-related pathology should be studied more carefully to develop disease-modifying therapies.
Allosteric regulation and inhibition of protein kinases
Authors: Mingione Victoria R. , Paung YiTing , Outhwaite Ian R. , Seeliger Markus A.
Published: February 2023

The human genome encodes more than 500 different protein kinases: signaling enzymes with tightly regulated activity. Enzymatic activity within the conserved kinase domain is influenced by numerous regulatory inputs including the binding of regulatory domains, substrates, and the effect of post-translational modifications such as autophosphorylation. Integration of these diverse inputs occurs via allosteric sites that relate signals via networks of amino acid residues to the active site and ensures controlled phosphorylation of kinase substrates. Here, we review mechanisms of allosteric regulation of protein kinases and recent advances in the field.
A robust RGB‐D visual odometry with moving object detection in dynamic indoor scenes
Authors: Zhang Xianglong , Yu Haiyang , Zhuang Yan
Published: February 2023

Simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) are the basis for many robotic applications. As the front end of SLAM, visual odometry is mainly used to estimate camera pose. In dynamic scenes, classical methods are deteriorated by dynamic objects and cannot achieve satisfactory results. In order to improve the robustness of visual odometry in dynamic scenes, this paper proposed a dynamic region detection method based on RGB‐D images. Firstly, all feature points on the RGB image are classified as dynamic and static using a triangle constraint and the epipolar geometric constraint successively. Meanwhile, the depth image is clustered using the K‐Means method. The classified feature points are mapped to the clustered depth image, and a dynamic or static label is assigned to each cluster according to the number of dynamic feature points. Subsequently, a dynamic region mask for the RGB image is generated based on the dynamic clusters in the depth image, and the feature points covered by the mask are all removed. The remaining static feature points are applied to estimate the camera pose. Finally, some experimental results are provided to demonstrate the feasibility and performance.
Global path guided vehicle obstacle avoidance path planning with artificial potential field method
Authors: Chen Yangde , Wang Peiliang , Lin Zichen , Sun Chenhao
Published: February 2023

An artificial potential field method based on global path guidance (G‐APF) is proposed for target unreachability and local minima problems of the conventional artificial potential field (APF) method in complex environments with dynamic obstacles. First, for the target unreachability problem, the global path attraction is added to the APF; second, an obstacle detection optimisation method is proposed and the optimal virtual target point is selected by setting the evaluation function to improve the local minima problem; finally, based on the obstacle detection optimisation method, the gravitational and repulsive processes are improved so that the path can pass through the narrow channel smoothly and remain collision‐free. Experiments show that the method optimises 40.8% of the total path corners, reduces 81.8% of the number of path oscillations, and shortens 4.3% of the path length in Map 1. It can be applied to the vehicle obstacle avoidance path planning problem in complex environments with dynamic obstacles.
Differential protection strategy for distribution network based on 5G communication
Authors: Zhiren Liu , Weilin Tong , Mingjun Xue , Chuyuan Xiang , Yinian Qi , Dong Chen , Bin Hu
Published: February 2023

With the high penetration of distributed generation and gradual increase in loop network structures, existing over‐current protection in distribution networks is difficult to apply. The use of current differential protection has become an ideal solution, and high performance and commercialization of 5G communication provides an effective way to solve the problem of differential protection channel transmission. Aiming at distribution network differential protection based on 5G, this paper adopted an adaptive frequency conversion transmission mechanism to significantly reduce the data flow of differential protection. In terms of protection strategy, the differential allowable signal and the differential protection startup logic are separated, and a novel action method and protection logic suitable for weak infeed distribution networks are proposed. The strategy significantly shortens the protection action time under wireless communication. Furthermore, a comprehensive synchronization scheme using zero‐crossing synchronization of forward sampling points and cycle numbers based on the second pulse signal was established. This scheme can effectively improve the reliability of data synchronization for differential protection. Finally, the method proposed in this study was verified using the dynamic model experiment of real‐time digital simulation (RTDS).
An improved distributed secondary control for multi‐voltage‐level DC distribution networks with virtual impedance arrangement
Authors: Hu Daner , Peng Yonggang , Wan Keting , Wang Xiaoming , Wei Wei
Published: February 2023

The distributed secondary control of the DC distribution network is becoming increasingly important in modern power systems to achieve accurate power sharing of each distributed unit. Here, an improved secondary control strategy for energy storage systems (ESSs) in the multi‐voltage‐level DC distribution network (MVL‐DCDN) is proposed. At the primary control level, the interlinked DC transformers (DCT) are controlled by difference‐of‐v2 to support bidirectional voltage making the MVL‐DCDN regarded as a single‐voltage‐level one using only the local information of DCT. At the secondary control level, it can be observed that the voltage correction term and virtual impedance correction term have a coupling relationship. In order to tackle this coupling effect, a distributed secondary control is imposed in an MVL‐DCDN based on improved droop control. Concretely, this proposed secondary control strategy contains a power sharing controller, a virtual impedance controller, an average voltage restoration controller, and a reference voltage consensus controller. With the proposed method, this coupling effect can be eliminated to ensure the steady operation of the virtual impedance. Furthermore, a steady‐state analysis is performed to discuss the unique solution of the DC distribution network and conduct hardware‐in‐loop experiments to demonstrate that this method achieves effective results.
KMT-2021-BLG-1122L: The first microlensing triple stellar system
Authors: Han Cheongho , Jung Youn Kil , Gould Andrew , Kim Doeon , Lee Chung-Uk , Albrow Michael D. , Chung Sun-Ju , Hwang Kyu-Ha , Kim Hyoun-Woo , Ryu Yoon-Hyun , Shin In-Gu , Shvartzvald Yossi , Yang Hongjing , Yee Jennifer C. , Zang Weicheng , Cha Sang-Mok , Kim Dong-Jin , Kim Seung-Lee , Lee Dong-Joo , Lee Yongseok , Park Byeong-Gon , Pogge Richard W.
Published: February 2023

Aims. We systematically inspected the microlensing data acquired by the KMTNet survey during the previous seasons in order to find anomalous lensing events for which the anomalies in the lensing light curves cannot be explained by the usual binary-lens or binary-source interpretations.

Methods. From the inspection, we find that interpreting the three lensing events OGLE-2018-BLG-0584, KMT-2018-BLG-2119, and KMT-2021-BLG-1122 requires four-body (lens+source) models, in which either both the lens and source are binaries (2L2S event) or the lens is a triple system (3L1S event). Following the analyses of the 2L2S events presented in our previous work, here we present the 3L1S analysis of the KMT-2021-BLG-1122.

Results. It is found that the lens of the event KMT-2021-BLG-1122 is composed of three masses, in which the projected separations (normalized to the angular Einstein radius) and mass ratios between the lens companions and the primary are (s2, q2)∼(1.4, 0.53) and (s3, q3)∼(1.6, 0.24). By conducting a Bayesian analysis, we estimate that the masses of the individual lens components are (M1, M2, M3)∼(0.47 M⊙, 0.24 M⊙, 0.11 M⊙). The companions are separated in projection from the primary by (a⊥, 2, a⊥, 3)∼(3.5, 4.0) AU. The lens of KMT-2018-BLG-2119 is the first triple stellar system detected via microlensing.
Study on influence factors of saline aquifer CO2 sequestration under the constraint of cap rock
Authors: Li Jinghong , Cui Chuanzhi
Published: February 2023

In view of the practical problems faced by the CO2 sequestration in aquifers, this paper considers the influence of injection rate, water production rate, and other factors on CO2 injection amount, residual sequestration amount, dissolution sequestration amount, and pressure evolution under the constraint of cap rock breakthrough pressure is studied by using a numerical simulation method, and the sequestration potential is evaluated. The results show that: (1) Water production measures can improve CO2 injection, dissolution sequestration, and residual sequestration. (2) Low ratio of vertical permeability to horizontal permeability is conducive to the security and stability of CO2 sequestration in the long term. The research content provides support for the evaluation of CO2 saline aquifer sequestration potential and field practice.