bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The C-inefficiency of the EU-VAT and what can be done about it
Authors: Cnossen Sijbren
Published: July 2021

It is widely agreed that in countries without major constraints on administrative capacity, a value-added tax (VAT) should tax all goods and services at a uniform rate. In these countries, VAT’s C-efficiency, that is, actual revenue over potential revenue, should be one if compliance is perfect. Under this approach, VAT’s C-inefficiency—the aggregate of the policy gap (exemptions, reduced rates, thresholds) and the compliance gap (revenue shortfalls due to laps in compliance and implementation)—is treated as a residual. This contribution shows that calculating VAT’s C-inefficiency independently of its C-efficiency produces a more telling benchmark, particularly of the policy gap. This is illustrated by an analysis of the revenues of the Dutch VAT, which, given the common VAT directive, should be representative of the VATs in other European Union Member States. The large policy gap, hovering around 0.50, forms the background for exploring three options to improve VAT’s performance: reforming the common directive, ceding VAT design to Member States, and introducing a common modern VAT which can be piggybacked by Member States.
Enhancing methane production from the invasive macroalga Rugulopteryx okamurae through anaerobic co-digestion with olive mill solid waste: process performance and kinetic analysis
Authors: de la Lama-Calvente D. , Fernández-Rodríguez M. J. , Llanos J. , Mancilla-Leytón J. M. , Borja R.
Published: July 2021

The biomass valorisation of the invasive brown alga Rugulopteryx okamurae (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) is key to curbing the expansion of this invasive macroalga which is generating tonnes of biomass on southern Spain beaches. As a feasible alternative for the biomass management, anaerobic co-digestion is proposed in this study. Although the anaerobic digestion of macroalgae barely produced 177 mL of CH4 g−1 VS, the co-digestion with a C-rich substrate, such as the olive mill solid waste (OMSW, the main waste derived from the two-phase olive oil manufacturing process), improved the anaerobic digestion process. The mixture improved not only the methane yield, but also its biodegradability. The highest biodegradability was found in the mixture 1 R. okamurae—1 OMSW, which improved the biodegradability of the macroalgae by 12.9% and 38.1% for the OMSW. The highest methane yield was observed for the mixture 1 R. okamurae—3 OMSW, improving the methane production of macroalgae alone by 157% and the OMSW methane production by 8.6%. Two mathematical models were used to fit the experimental data of methane production time with the aim of assessing the processes and obtaining the kinetic constants of the anaerobic co-digestion of different combination of R. okamurae and OMSW and both substrates independently. First-order kinetic and the transference function models allowed for appropriately fitting the experimental results of methane production with digestion time. The specific rate constant, k (first-order model) for the mixture 1 R. okamurae- 1.5 OMSW, was 5.1 and 1.3 times higher than that obtained for the mono-digestion of single OMSW and the macroalga, respectively. In the same way, the transference function model revealed that the maximum methane production rate (Rmax) was also found for the mixture 1 R. okamurae—1.5 OMSW (30.4 mL CH4 g−1 VS day−1), which was 1.6 and 2.2 times higher than the corresponding to the mono-digestions of the single OMSW and sole R. okamurae (18.9 and 13.6 mL CH4 g−1 VS day−1), respectively.
Oxidation Behavior of Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x High-Entropy Alloys Under Thermal-Cycling Conditions
Authors: Dąbrowa J. , Cieślak G. , Stygar M. , Zajusz M. , Jawańska M. , Gil A. , Jedliński J. , Mroczka K. , Matsuda K. , Kulik T. , Danielewski M.
Published: July 2021

The oxidation behavior of five different high-entropy alloys from the Al–Co–Cr–Fe–Ni metallic system, namely Alx(CoCrFeNi)100-x (x = 0; 3; 6; 9; 12), was studied under thermal-cycling conditions, at 1273 K in air atmosphere. The choice of selected compositions allowed for covering the chromia-to-alumina former transition, as well as the transition from the FCC single-phase solid solution structure to multiphase alloys with Al-enriched B2-structured constituent. The measurements were taken for 500 cycles (1 cycle - 1 h of heating, 20 min of cooling). The results indicate a profound influence of the thermal-cycling conditions on the oxidation products, with extremely complex scale structures and extensive internal oxidation and nitridation zones, as well as severe spallation of the oxide scale in most cases, showing the limited usefulness of these alloys for high-temperature applications at the current stage of their development.
Safety of growth hormone (GH) treatment in GH deficient children and adults treated for cancer and non-malignant intracranial tumors—a review of research and clinical practice
Authors: Boguszewski Margaret C. S. , Cardoso-Demartini Adriane A. , Boguszewski Cesar Luiz , Chemaitilly Wassim , Higham Claire E. , Johannsson Gudmundur , Yuen Kevin C. J.
Published: July 2021

Individuals surviving cancer and brain tumors may experience growth hormone (GH) deficiency as a result of tumor growth, surgical resection and/or radiotherapy involving the hypothalamic-pituitary region. Given the pro-mitogenic and anti-apoptotic properties of GH and insulin-like growth factor-I, the safety of GH replacement in this population has raised hypothetical safety concerns that have been debated for decades. Data from multicenter studies with extended follow-up have generally not found significant associations between GH replacement and cancer recurrence or mortality from cancer among childhood cancer survivors. Potential associations with secondary neoplasms, especially solid tumors, have been reported, although this risk appears to decline with longer follow-up. Data from survivors of pediatric or adult cancers who are treated with GH during adulthood are scarce, and the risk versus benefit profile of GH replacement of this population remains unclear. Studies pertaining to the safety of GH replacement in individuals treated for nonmalignant brain tumors, including craniopharyngioma and non-functioning pituitary adenoma, have generally been reassuring with regards to the risk of tumor recurrence. The present review offers a summary of the most current medical literature regarding GH treatment of patients who have survived cancer and brain tumors, with the emphasis on areas where active research is required and where consensus on clinical practice is lacking.
Sustainable use of CRISPR/Cas in fish aquaculture: the biosafety perspective
Authors: Okoli Arinze S. , Blix Torill , Myhr Anne I. , Xu Wenteng , Xu Xiaodong
Published: July 2021

Aquaculture is becoming the primary source of seafood for human diets, and farmed fish aquaculture is one of its fastest growing sectors. The industry currently faces several challenges including infectious and parasitic diseases, reduced viability, fertility reduction, slow growth, escapee fish and environmental pollution. The commercialization of the growth-enhanced AquAdvantage salmon and the CRISPR/Cas9-developed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) proffers genetic engineering and genome editing tools, e.g. CRISPR/Cas, as potential solutions to these challenges. Future traits being developed in different fish species include disease resistance, sterility, and enhanced growth. Despite these notable advances, off-target effect and non-clarification of trait-related genes among other technical challenges hinder full realization of CRISPR/Cas potentials in fish breeding. In addition, current regulatory and risk assessment frameworks are not fit-for purpose regarding the challenges of CRISPR/Cas notwithstanding that public and regulatory acceptance are key to commercialization of products of the new technology. In this study, we discuss how CRISPR/Cas can be used to overcome some of these limitations focusing on diseases and environmental release in farmed fish aquaculture. We further present technical limitations, regulatory and risk assessment challenges of the use of CRISPR/Cas, and proffer research strategies that will provide much-needed data for regulatory decisions, risk assessments, increased public awareness and sustainable applications of CRISPR/Cas in fish aquaculture with emphasis on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) breeding.
Drug-interaction between paclitaxel and goshajinkigan extract and its constituents
Authors: Nakayama Akiko , Tsuchiya Kazuaki , Xu Lingyu , Matsumoto Takashi , Makino Toshiaki
Published: July 2021

Paclitaxel, a standard chemotherapeutic agent for several types of cancer, including ovarian, breast, and non-small-cell lung cancer, causes peripheral neuropathy as an adverse effect in 60–70% of the patients. The utility of combination therapy with paclitaxel and goshajinkigan, a traditional Japanese Kampo medicine, in managing paclitaxel-induced neuropathy during chemotherapy has been explored. Paclitaxel is predominantly metabolized in the liver by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C8 to produce 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel and by CYP3A4 to produce 3′-p-hydroxypaclitaxel. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory or inducing effects of goshajinkigan extract (GJG) and its representative and bioavailable constituents, geniposidic acid, plantagoguanidinic acid, paeoniflorin, catalpol, loganin, and neoline, on the metabolism of paclitaxel via CYP2C8 and CYP3A4 using pooled human liver microsomes and cultured human cryopreserved hepatocytes to provide the drug information about the pharmacokinetic interaction of this combination therapy. GJG significantly inhibited the production of 3’-p-hydroxypaclitaxel and 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of GJG were 4.5 and 7.8 mg/ml, respectively, for 3′-p-hydroxypaclitaxel and 6α-hydroxypaclitaxel productions. Neoline inhibited the production of 3′-p-hydroxypaclitaxel at 50 μM, but not at lower concentrations. Apart from neoline, other GJG constituents (at concentrations up to 50 or 10 μM of all test substances) did not exhibit inhibitory or inducing effects. Since GJG showed the inhibitory effect on the metabolism of paclitaxel at much higher concentrations than those used clinically, it can be concluded that GJG product does not exhibit any pharmacokinetic interaction with paclitaxel in clinical practice.

Graphic abstract
An introduction to thermodynamic integration and application to dynamic causal models
Authors: Aponte Eduardo A. , Yao Yu , Raman Sudhir , Frässle Stefan , Heinzle Jakob , Penny Will D. , Stephan Klaas E.
Published: July 2021

In generative modeling of neuroimaging data, such as dynamic causal modeling (DCM), one typically considers several alternative models, either to determine the most plausible explanation for observed data (Bayesian model selection) or to account for model uncertainty (Bayesian model averaging). Both procedures rest on estimates of the model evidence, a principled trade-off between model accuracy and complexity. In the context of DCM, the log evidence is usually approximated using variational Bayes. Although this approach is highly efficient, it makes distributional assumptions and is vulnerable to local extrema. This paper introduces the use of thermodynamic integration (TI) for Bayesian model selection and averaging in the context of DCM. TI is based on Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling which is asymptotically exact but orders of magnitude slower than variational Bayes. In this paper, we explain the theoretical foundations of TI, covering key concepts such as the free energy and its origins in statistical physics. Our aim is to convey an in-depth understanding of the method starting from its historical origin in statistical physics. In addition, we demonstrate the practical application of TI via a series of examples which serve to guide the user in applying this method. Furthermore, these examples demonstrate that, given an efficient implementation and hardware capable of parallel processing, the challenge of high computational demand can be overcome successfully. The TI implementation presented in this paper is freely available as part of the open source software TAPAS.
Photosynthetic responses of durum wheat to chemical/microbiological fertilization management under salt and drought stresses
Authors: Yaghoubi Khanghahi Mohammad , Leoni Beniamino , Crecchio Carmine
Published: July 2021

The current research was carried out to evaluate the stress tolerance potential of durum wheat plants, in response to the inoculation of native plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), through assessing PSII photochemistry and photosynthetic traits, as well as grain yield and plant height, and to investigate the possibility of using PGPB as a sustainable alternative or in combination with traditional fertilization plans. A greenhouse experiment included chemical/microbiological fertilization and stress (salinity and drought) treatments. The results indicated that the application of bacterial consortium of four PGPB markedly augmented some biochemical and functional traits in photosystem II, such as effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Y(II)), electron transport rate of PSII (ETR), photosynthesis capacity, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance in unstressed plants, and prevented severe changes in the mentioned traits under drought and salinity conditions. The application of PGPB contributed to enhanced grain yield, too. Furthermore, a better performance of the PGPB inoculation was found in combination with half-dose of the recommended chemical fertilizers. In conclusion, PGPB inoculants maintain or improve the photosynthesis efficiency of durum wheat, grain yield and plant height, particularly under stress conditions, and can help to minimize the consumption of chemical fertilizers.
Chasing Certainty After Cardiac Arrest: Can a Technological Innovation Solve a Moral Dilemma?
Authors: Mertens Mayli , van Til Janine , Bouwers-Beens Eline , Boenink Marianne
Published: July 2021

When information on a coma patient’s expected outcome is uncertain, a moral dilemma arises in clinical practice: if life-sustaining treatment is continued, the patient may survive with unacceptably poor neurological prospects, but if withdrawn a patient who could have recovered may die. Continuous electroencephalogram-monitoring (cEEG) is expected to substantially improve neuroprognostication for patients in coma after cardiac arrest. This raises expectations that decisions whether or not to withdraw will become easier. This paper investigates that expectation, exploring cEEG’s impacts when it becomes part of a socio-technical network in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Based on observations in two ICUs in the Netherlands and one in the USA that had cEEG implemented for research, we interviewed 25 family members, healthcare professionals, and surviving patients. The analysis focuses on (a) the way patient outcomes are constructed, (b) the kind of decision support these outcomes provide, and (c) how cEEG affects communication between professionals and relatives. We argue that cEEG can take away or decrease the intensity of the dilemma in some cases, while increasing uncertainty for others. It also raises new concerns. Since its actual impacts furthermore hinge on how cEEG is designed and implemented, we end with recommendations for ensuring responsible development and implementation.
Development of Molecular Magnetic Resonance Imaging Tools for Risk Stratification of Carotid Atherosclerotic Disease Using Dual-Targeted Microparticles of Iron Oxide
Authors: Chan Joyce M. S. , Jin Park Sung , Ng Michael , Garnell Joanne , Ying Chan Wan , Tec Chong Tze , Bhakoo Kishore
Published: July 2021

Identification of patients with high-risk asymptomatic carotid plaques remains a challenging but crucial step in stroke prevention. Inflammation is the key factor that drives plaque instability. Currently, there is no imaging tool in routine clinical practice to assess the inflammatory status within atherosclerotic plaques. We have developed a molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tool to quantitatively report the inflammatory activity in atherosclerosis using dual-targeted microparticles of iron oxide (DT-MPIO) against P-selectin and VCAM-1 as a smart MRI probe. A periarterial cuff was used to generate plaques with varying degree of phenotypes, inflammation and risk levels at specific locations along the same single carotid artery in an Apolipoprotein-E-deficient mouse model. Using this platform, we demonstrated that in vivo DT-MPIO-enhanced MRI can (i) target high-risk vulnerable plaques, (ii) differentiate the heterogeneity (i.e. high vs intermediate vs low-risk plaques) within the asymptomatic plaque population and (iii) quantitatively report the inflammatory activity of local plaques in carotid artery. This novel molecular MRI tool may allow characterisation of plaque vulnerability and quantitative reporting of inflammatory status in atherosclerosis. This would permit accurate risk stratification by identifying high-risk asymptomatic individual patients for prophylactic carotid intervention, expediting early stroke prevention and paving the way for personalised management of carotid atherosclerotic disease.
Municipal solid waste management in Russia: potentials of climate change mitigation
Authors: Wünsch C. , Tsybina A.
Published: July 2021

The goal of this study was to assess the impact of the introduction of various waste management methods on the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from these activities. The assessment was carried out on the example of the Russian waste management sector. For this purpose, three scenarios had been elaborated for the development of the Russian waste management sector: Basic scenario, Reactive scenario and Innovative scenario. For each of the scenarios, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated during waste management was calculated. The calculation was based on the 2006 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. The results of the greenhouse gas net emissions calculation are as follows: 64 Mt CO2-eq./a for the basic scenario, 12.8 Mt CO2-eq./a for the reactive scenario, and 3.7 Mt CO2-eq./a for the innovative scenario. An assessment was made of the impact of the introduction of various waste treatment technologies on the amounts of greenhouse gas emissions generated in the waste management sector. An important factor influencing the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from landfills is the recovery and thermal utilization of 60% of the generated landfill gas. The introduction of a separate collection system that allows to separately collect 20% of the total amount of generated municipal solid waste along with twofold increase in the share of incinerated waste leads to a more than threefold reduction in total greenhouse gas emissions from the waste management sector.
Analysis of positioning of wayside charging stations for hybrid locomotive consists in heavy haul train operations
Authors: Ahmad Shah , Spiryagin Maksym , Cole Colin , Wu Qing , Wolfs Peter , Bosomworth Chris
Published: July 2021

Hybrid locomotive concepts have been considered as a step towards converting the railway industry into a green transport mode. One of the challenges in integrating a hybrid locomotive in the train consist is that the battery pack in the locomotive needs to be recharged during a long-haul trip which requires stopping of the train. A typical battery pack requires about 1 h to recharge which is unacceptable. With the improvement in the charging system, it is now possible that the same capacity battery pack could be recharged in 10–12 min which can be a competitive option for the railway companies. This paper proposes a method based on simulation to evaluate the positioning of charging stations on a train network. A typical example of a heavy haul train operation hauled by diesel-electric and hybrid locomotives is used to demonstrate the method by using simulation softwares. The result of the simulation study show that the method developed in this paper can be used to evaluate the state of charge (SoC) status of a hybrid locomotive along the track. It is also shown that the SoC status obtained by the simulation method can be further used to assess the positions of charging stations along the track at the design stage.
Two Cases of Fetal Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction (LUTO) with Similar Presentations Before But Contrasting Outcomes After Fetoscopic Laser Fulguration of Posterior Urethral Valves
Authors: Lall Jasmine , Abraham Mohan , Sreedhar Sarala , Kishore Sudha , Namdeo Sushmita , Seshadri Suresh , Krishnan Vivek
Published: July 2021

Posterior urethral valves (PUV) are the commonest cause of lower urinary tract obstruction detected during the antenatal and immediate postnatal period in male fetuses. Treatment options for PUV during the antenatal period include percutaneous vesico-amniotic shunt, fetoscopic fulguration of the valve and open fetal cystostomy. We report two cases of fetal cystoscopic laser valvotomy with fairly similar pre-operative profiles but contrasting postnatal outcomes, which re-iterates the fact that case selection in such cases continues to be a challenge. These are the first case reports on fetoscopic laser valvotomy in India to the best of our knowledge.
Dynamic immune cooperative scheduling of agricultural machineries
Authors: Liu Xiaoyan , Zhu Xinmeng , Hao Kuangrong
Published: July 2021

Considering the low flexibility and efficiency of the scheduling problem, an improved multi-objective immune algorithm with non-dominated neighbor-based selection and Tabu search (NNITSA) is proposed. A novel Tabu search algorithm (TSA)-based operator is introduced in both the local search and mutation stage, which improves the climbing performance of the NNTSA. Special local search strategies can prevent the algorithm from being caught in the optimal solution. In addition, considering the time costs of the TSA, an adapted mutation strategy is proposed to operate the TSA mutation according to the scale of Pareto solutions. Random mutations may be applied to other conditions. Then, a robust evaluation is adopted to choose an appropriate solution from the obtained Pareto solutions set. NNITSA is used to solve the problems of static partitioning optimization and dynamic cross-regional co-operative scheduling of agricultural machinery. The simulation results show that NNITSA outperforms the other two algorithms, NNIA and NSGA-II. The performance indicator C-metric also shows significant improvements in the efficiency of optimizing search.
COVID-19 and lockdown schooling: how digital learning environments influence semantic structures and sustainability knowledge
Authors: Fiedler Sonja T. , Heyne Thomas , Bogner Franz X.
Published: July 2021

Promoting sustainable lifestyles through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is part of the UN’s Agenda 2030. Earlier empirical studies proved direct interactions with and in natural environments to be effective ESD methods. Pandemic-related lockdowns rendered such courses nearly impossible, which raised concerns about achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in general. To evaluate what young learners know about the concept sustainability so far and how it can be taught effectively online, we designed an online learning module tackling sustainability issues and compared it with data from an on-site intervention module for Bavarian 5th graders (~ 10 years old). Cognitive learning as well as attitudinal preferences of 288 learners were monitored in a pretest–posttest design. The learning module comprised two sections: One about botany, plant characteristics, and plant families; the other about the advantages and disadvantages of traditional as well as sustainable farming methods. The customized cognitive test and semantic differentials for sustainability and environmental protection produced three major findings: (1) A digital learning environment successfully and significantly increased sustainability knowledge (2) Learners clearly distinguished the concepts Sustainability and Environmental Protection (3) There is no direct correlation between semantic differential scores and learning outcome.
Evolving the Geodetic Infrastructure
Authors: Lee Jack
Published: July 2021

Enhancements to the largely invisible framework will enable researchers to investigate pressing questions about our planet’s future.
Steepening Plasma Density Spectra in the Ionosphere: The Crucial Role Played by a Strong E‐Region
Authors: Ivarsen Magnus F. , St‐Maurice Jean‐Pierre , Jin Yaqi , Park Jaeheung , Miloch Wojciech , Spicher Andres , Kwak Young‐Sil , Clausen Lasse B. N.
Published: July 2021

Based on the Swarm 16 Hz Advanced Plasma Density data set, and using the Swarm A satellite, we apply automatic detection of spectral breaks in seven million sampled plasma density power spectra in the high‐latitude F‐region ionosphere. This way, we survey the presence of plasma irregularity dissipation due to an enhanced E‐region conductance, caused both by solar photoionization and particle precipitation. We introduce a new quantity named the steepening slope index (SSI) which we use to estimate the occurrence rate of break‐points in sampled plasma densities. We provide an interpretation of SSI in the context of solar photoionization‐induced conductance enhancements of the E‐region. We present a comprehensive climatology of the SSI occurrence rate, along with statistics documenting characteristic high‐latitude plasma density spectra. In the absence of steepening, the typical spectral index is 2.1. When density spectra steepen, the index is typically 1.6 at large scales, and 2.7 at small scales. We discuss the impact of high‐energy deeply penetrating electron precipitation in the diffuse aurora, and precipitating electrons in the aurora at large. Here, a key finding is that near the cusp, where the F‐region conductance is enhanced, spectra tend not to steepen. We find that both the diffuse and discrete aurora are modulating F‐region plasma irregularity dissipation through an enhancement of E‐region conductance, highlighting the role played by factors other than solar zenith angle in high‐latitude plasma dynamics. The influence of E‐region conductance on spectral shapes indicates the need for a new discussion of how particle precipitation can structure the local winter high‐latitude F‐region ionosphere.
Modeling the optical properties of twisted bilayer photonic crystals
Authors: Tang Haoning , Du Fan , Carr Stephen , DeVault Clayton , Mello Olivia , Mazur Eric
Published: July 2021

We demonstrate a photonic analog of twisted bilayer graphene that has ultra-flat photonic bands and exhibits extreme slow-light behavior. Our twisted bilayer photonic device, which has an operating wavelength in the C-band of the telecom window, uses two crystalline silicon photonic crystal slabs separated by a methyl methacrylate tunneling layer. We numerically determine the magic angle using a finite-element method and the corresponding photonic band structure, which exhibits a flat band over the entire Brillouin zone. This flat band causes the group velocity to approach zero and introduces light localization, which enhances the electromagnetic field at the expense of bandwidth. Using our original plane-wave continuum model, we find that the photonic system has a larger band asymmetry. The band structure can easily be engineered by adjusting the device geometry, giving significant freedom in the design of devices. Our work provides a fundamental understanding of the photonic properties of twisted bilayer photonic crystals and opens the door to the nanoscale-based enhancement of nonlinear effects.
The early hunting dog from Dmanisi with comments on the social behaviour in Canidae and hominins
Authors: Bartolini-Lucenti Saverio , Madurell-Malapeira Joan , Martínez-Navarro Bienvenido , Palmqvist Paul , Lordkipanidze David , Rook Lorenzo
Published: July 2021

The renowned site of Dmanisi in Georgia, southern Caucasus (ca. 1.8 Ma) yielded the earliest direct evidence of hominin presence out of Africa. In this paper, we report on the first record of a large-sized canid from this site, namely dentognathic remains, referable to a young adult individual that displays hypercarnivorous features (e.g., the reduction of the m1 metaconid and entoconid) that allow us to include these specimens in the hypodigm of the late Early Pleistocene species Canis (Xenocyon) lycaonoides. Much fossil evidence suggests that this species was a cooperative pack-hunter that, unlike other large-sized canids, was capable of social care toward kin and non-kin members of its group. This rather derived hypercarnivorous canid, which has an East Asian origin, shows one of its earliest records at Dmanisi in the Caucasus, at the gates of Europe. Interestingly, its dispersal from Asia to Europe and Africa followed a parallel route to that of hominins, but in the opposite direction. Hominins and hunting dogs, both recorded in Dmanisi at the beginning of their dispersal across the Old World, are the only two Early Pleistocene mammal species with proved altruistic behaviour towards their group members, an issue discussed over more than one century in evolutionary biology.
Ontology of the apelinergic system in mouse pancreas during pregnancy and relationship with β-cell mass
Authors: Strutt Brenda , Szlapinski Sandra , Gnaneswaran Thineesha , Donegan Sarah , Hill Jessica , Bennett Jamie , Hill David J.
Published: July 2021

The apelin receptor (Aplnr) and its ligands, Apelin and Apela, contribute to metabolic control. The insulin resistance associated with pregnancy is accommodated by an expansion of pancreatic β-cell mass (BCM) and increased insulin secretion, involving the proliferation of insulin-expressing, glucose transporter 2-low (Ins+Glut2LO) progenitor cells. We examined changes in the apelinergic system during normal mouse pregnancy and in pregnancies complicated by glucose intolerance with reduced BCM. Expression of Aplnr, Apelin and Apela was quantified in Ins+Glut2LO cells isolated from mouse pancreata and found to be significantly higher than in mature β-cells by DNA microarray and qPCR. Apelin was localized to most β-cells by immunohistochemistry although Aplnr was predominantly associated with Ins+Glut2LO cells. Aplnr-staining cells increased three- to four-fold during pregnancy being maximal at gestational days (GD) 9–12 but were significantly reduced in glucose intolerant mice. Apelin-13 increased β-cell proliferation in isolated mouse islets and INS1E cells, but not glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Glucose intolerant pregnant mice had significantly elevated serum Apelin levels at GD 9 associated with an increased presence of placental IL-6. Placental expression of the apelinergic axis remained unaltered, however. Results show that the apelinergic system is highly expressed in pancreatic β-cell progenitors and may contribute to β-cell proliferation in pregnancy.
Habitat monitoring and conservation prioritization of Western Hoolock Gibbon in upper Brahmaputra Valley, Assam, India
Authors: Sarma Kuladip , Saikia Malabika Kakati , Sarania Bidyut , Basumatary Himolin , Baruah Siddhartha Sankar , Saikia Bhrigu Prasad , Kumar Awadhesh , Saikia Prasanta Kumar
Published: July 2021

The present study aimed at predicting the potential habitat of Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) in the upper Brahmaputra River Valley, Assam, India, and identifying priority conservation areas for the species, taking canopy cover into account. We used the maximum entropy algorithm for the prediction of the potential habitat of the gibbon using its current distribution with 19 environmental parameters as primary predictors. Spatio-temporal analyses of the habitat were carried out using satellite-based remote sensing and GIS techniques for two decades (1998–2018) along with Terra Modis Vegetation Continuous Field product to examine land use land cover (LULC), habitat fragmentation, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and tree cover percentage of the study area. To identify the conservation priority area, we applied a cost-effective decision-making analysis using systematic conservation prioritization in R programming. The model predicted an area of 6025 km2under high potential habitat, a major part of which was found to overlap with dense forest (80%), followed by moderately open forest (74%) and open forest (66%). The LULC change matrix showed a reduction of forest area in the predicted high potential habitat during the study period, while agricultural class showed an increasing trend. The fragmentation analysis indicated that the number of patches and patch density increased from 2008 to 2018 in the ‘very dense’ and ‘dense’ canopy regions of the gibbon habitat. Based on the conservation priority analysis, a 640 km2area has been proposed to conserve a minimum of 10% of gibbon habitat. The current analysis revealed that in the upper Brahmaputra Valley most areas under dense forest and dense canopy have remained intact over the last two decades, at least within the high potential habitat zone of gibbons independent of the degree of area change in forest, agriculture and plantation.
Comprehensive evaluation of loess collapsibility of oil and gas pipeline based on cloud theory
Authors: Liu Xiaohui , Zhang Manyin , Sun Zhizhong , Zhang Huyuan , Zhang Yimin
Published: July 2021

The comprehensive evaluation of pipeline loess collapsibility risk is a necessary means to control the safety risks of pipelines in the collapsible loess section. It is also one of the critical scientific bases for risk prevention, control, and management. The comprehensive evaluation system of cloud theory consists of quantitative and qualitative indexes, and the evaluation system has the characteristics of randomness and fuzziness. In view of this problem, the standard qualitative and semi-quantitative evaluation methods have intense subjectivity in dealing with the uncertainty problems such as randomness and fuzziness of the system, the cloud theory, which can effectively reflect the randomness and fuzziness of things at the same time, is introduced. The state scale cloud and index importance weight cloud of pipeline loess collapse risk are constructed by the golden section method. The uncertainty cloud reasoning process of the quantitative indexes and the expert scoring method of the qualitative indexes are proposed. The comprehensive evaluation model of loess collapsibility risk of oil and gas pipeline is established, and the engineering example is analyzed. The complete evaluation results of 10 samples to be evaluated are consistent with the results of the semi-quantitative method and are compatible with the actual situation. The evaluation process softens the subjective division of index boundary, simplifies the preprocessing of index data, realizes the organic integration of quantitative and qualitative decisions, and improves the accuracy, rationality, and visualization of the results.
Robust chitinolytic activity of crab-eating monkey (Macaca fascicularis) acidic chitinase under a broad pH and temperature range
Authors: Uehara Maiko , Tabata Eri , Okuda Mikoto , Maruyama Yukari , Matoska Vaclav , Bauer Peter O. , Oyama Fumitaka
Published: July 2021

Diet of the crab-eating monkey (Macaca fascicularis) consists of both plants and animals, including chitin-containing organisms such as crabs and insects. This omnivorous monkey has a high expression of acidic chitinase (CHIA) in the stomach and here, we report on its enzymatic properties under different conditions. When we compared with Mus musculus CHIA (Mm-CHIA), Macaca fascicularis CHIA (Mf-CHIA) exhibits higher chitinolytic activity at broad pH (1.0–7.0) and temperature (30–70 ℃) range. Interestingly, at its optimum pH (5.0), Mf-CHIA showed the highest activity at 65 °C while maintaining it at robust levels between 50 and 70 °C. The degradation efficiency of Mf-CHIA was superior to Mm-CHIA toward both polymeric chitin as well as an artificial chromogenic substrate. Our results show that unique features of Mf-CHIA including its thermostability warrant the nomination of this enzyme for potential agricultural and biomedical applications.
DNA methylation profiling in mummified human remains from the eighteenth-century
Authors: Schmidt Marco , Maixner Frank , Hotz Gerhard , Pap Ildikó , Szikossy Ildikó , Pálfi György , Zink Albert , Wagner Wolfgang
Published: July 2021

Reconstruction of ancient epigenomes by DNA methylation (DNAm) can shed light into the composition of cell types, disease states, and age at death. However, such analysis is hampered by impaired DNA quality and little is known how decomposition affects DNAm. In this study, we determined if EPIC Illumina BeadChip technology is applicable for specimens from mummies of the eighteenth century CE. Overall, the signal intensity on the microarray was extremely low, but for one of two samples we were able to detect characteristic DNAm signals in a subset of CG dinucleotides (CpGs), which were selected with a stringent processing pipeline. Using only these CpGs we could train epigenetic signatures with reference DNAm profiles of multiple tissues and our predictions matched the fact that the specimen was lung tissue from a 28-year-old woman. Thus, we provide proof of principle that Illumina BeadChips are applicable for DNAm profiling in ancient samples.
Cellular pathways during spawning induction in the starlet sea anemone Nematostella vectensis
Authors: Reuven Shelly , Rinsky Mieka , Brekhman Vera , Malik Assaf , Levy Oren , Lotan Tamar
Published: July 2021

In cnidarians, long-term ecological success relies on sexual reproduction. The sea anemoneNematostella vectensis, which has emerged as an important model organism for developmental studies, can be induced for spawning by temperature elevation and light exposure. To uncover molecular mechanisms and pathways underlying spawning, we characterized the transcriptome ofNematostellafemales before and during spawning induction. We identified an array of processes involving numerous receptors, circadian clock components, cytoskeleton, and extracellular transcripts that are upregulated upon spawning induction. Concurrently, processes related to the cell cycle, fatty acid metabolism, and other housekeeping functions are downregulated. Real-time qPCR revealed that light exposure has a minor effect on expression levels of most examined transcripts, implying that temperature change is a stronger inducer for spawning inNematostella. Our findings reveal the potential mechanisms that may enable the mesenteries to serve as a gonad-like tissue for the developing oocytes and expand our understanding of sexual reproduction in cnidarians.
The interplay of carbophilic activation and Au(i)/Au(iii) catalysis: an emerging technique for 1,2-difunctionalization of C–C multiple bonds
Authors: Bhoyare Vivek W. , Tathe Akash G. , Das Avishek , Chintawar Chetan C. , Patil Nitin T.
Published: July 2021

This review highlights a decade-long journey of Au-catalyzed 1,2-difunctionalization reactions of C–C multiple bonds that have been realized due to the productive integration of Au(i)/Au(iii)catalysis with unique π-activation mode of gold complexes.
Inter-ligand charge-transfer interactions in a photochromic and redox active zinc–organic framework
Authors: Zhou Yan , Han Lei , Chen Wen-Jie
Published: July 2021

A novel Zn(ii)–organic framework with 1D stair-like structure displays reversible photochromic and redox active properties. And inter-ligands charge-transfer interactions exist in this material.
Scouting for strong light–matter coupling signatures in Raman spectra
Authors: Takele Wassie Mersha , Piatkowski Lukasz , Wackenhut Frank , Gawinkowski Sylwester , Meixner Alfred J. , Waluk Jacek
Published: July 2021

Changes in the Raman spectra under vibrational strong coupling do not necessarily result from the coupling effect but rather they can be caused by the surface enhancement effect.
Breaking inversion symmetry by protonation: experimental and theoretical NEXAFS study of the diazynium ion, N2H+
Authors: Couto Rafael C. , Hua Weijie , Lindblad Rebecka , Kjellsson Ludvig , Sorensen Stacey L. , Kubin Markus , Bülow Christine , Timm Martin , Zamudio-Bayer Vicente , von Issendorff Bernd , Söderström Johan , Lau J. Tobias , Rubensson Jan-Erik , Ågren Hans , Carravetta Vincenzo
Published: July 2021

As an example of symmetry breaking in NEXAFS spectra of protonated species we present a high resolution NEXAFS spectrum of protonated dinitrogen, the diazynium ion N2H+.
Continuous-flow processes for the S-alkynylation of cysteine-containing peptides and thioglycosides under catalyst-free, oxidant-free and mild conditions
Authors: Qin Long-Zhou , Yuan Xin , Liu Jie , Wu Meng-Yu , Sun Qi , Duan Xiu , Zhang Xin-Peng , Qiu Jiang-Kai , Guo Kai
Published: July 2021

Selective S-alkynylation of cysteine-containing peptides and 1-thioglycoside residues was developed using continuous flow.
GRAS-microparticle microarrays identify dendritic cell tolerogenic marker-inducing formulations
Authors: Carstens Matthew R. , Wasserfall Clive H. , Acharya Abhinav P. , Lewis Jamal , Agrawal Nikunj , Koenders Kevin , Bracho-Sanchez Evelyn , Keselowsky Benjamin G.
Published: July 2021

Microarrays, miniaturized platforms used for high-content studies, provide potential advantages over traditionalin vitroinvestigation in terms of time, cost, and parallel analyses.
Influence of chemical composition on the proton conductivity of microporous organic polymers entrapped in nitrilotrimethylphosphonic acid
Authors: Du Jiarui , Zhang Feng , Liang Xiaoqiang , Qu Fengyu
Published: July 2021

The construction of acid–base interactions is critical for developing proton-conducting COF materials with high loading and stable electrolytes, which is influenced by the chemical composition of conductors.
Bioactive glass doped with noble metal nanoparticles for bone regeneration: in vitro kinetics and proliferative impact on human bone cell line
Authors: Mostafa Amany A. , El-Sayed Mayyada M. H. , Emam Ahmed N. , Abd-Rabou Ahmed A. , Dawood Reham M. , Oudadesse Hassane
Published: July 2021

This work investigates the bioactivity of novel silver-doped (BG-Ag) and gold-doped (BG-Au) quaternary 46S6 bioactive glasses synthesized via a semi-solid-state technique.
Pairing double hybrid functionals with a tailored basis set for an accurate thermochemistry of hydrocarbons
Authors: Li Hanwei , Brémond Eric , Sancho-García Juan Carlos , Adamo Carlo
Published: July 2021

The pairing of the PBE-QIDH double-hybrid functional with a tailored split-valence basis set leads to a fast computational protocol for the accurate evaluation of hydrocarbon thermochemistry, without resorting to any empirical correction.
Scalable and hierarchically designed MOF fabrics by netting MOFs into nanofiber networks for high-performance solar-driven water purification
Authors: Xiong Jian , Li Ailin , Liu Ye , Wang Liming , Qin Xiaohong , Yu Jianyong
Published: July 2021

High-performance MOF fabrics were prepared by a novel “netting MOF” strategy and exhibited enhanced capacity for the solar-driven production of potable water from CWA simulant sewage.
Phototherapy and multimodal imaging of cancers based on perfluorocarbon nanomaterials
Authors: Han Zhaoguo , Tu Xianshuang , Qiao Lina , Sun Yige , Li Zibo , Sun Xilin , Wu Zhanhong
Published: July 2021

PFC-based nanoplatforms demonstrate great value in oxygen carrying and delivering, which makes them promising agents in enhancing phototherapy and combined multimodal imaging.
Innovative strategies for enhanced tumor photodynamic therapy
Authors: Li Guo , Wang Qi , Liu Jinxia , Wu Mingmin , Ji Haiwei , Qin Yuling , Zhou Xiaobo , Wu Li
Published: July 2021

We summarized the recent research progress concerning innovative strategies for enhanced PDT.
Fabrication and stability of base metal electrode (Ni) on a perovskite oxide co-fired multilayer piezoelectric device
Authors: Shin Dong-Jin , Lim Dong-Hwan , Saleem Mohsin , Jeong Soon-Jong
Published: July 2021

Conventional co-fired devices comprising a base metal electrode ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramic are fabricated under specific reducing atmospheres.
Revealing the structure of the lensed quasar Q 0957+561
Authors: Fian C. , Mediavilla E. , Jiménez-Vicente J. , Motta V. , Muñoz J. A. , Chelouche D. , Hanslmeier A.
Published: July 2021

Aims. We intend to use the impact of microlensing on the Fe III λλ2039−2113 emission line blend along with a measure of its gravitational redshift to estimate the mass of the quasar’s central supermassive black hole (SMBH).

Methods. We fit the Fe III feature in multiple spectroscopic observations between 2008 and 2016 of the gravitationally lensed quasar Q 0957+561 with relatively high signal-to-noise ratios (at the adequate wavelength). Based on the statistics of microlensing magnifications, we used a Bayesian method to derive the size of its emitting region.

Results. The Fe III λλ2039−2113 spectral feature appears systematically redshifted in all epochs of observation by a value of Δλ ∼ 17 Å on average. We find clear differences in the shape of the Fe III line blend between images A and B. Measuring the strength of those magnitude differences, we conclude that this blend may arise from a region of half-light radius of R1/2 ∼ 15 lt-days, which is in good agreement with the accretion disk dimensions for this system. We obtain a mass for the central SMBH of MBH = 1.5−0.5+0.5 × 109 M⊙, consistent within uncertainties with previous mass estimates based on the virial theorem. The relatively small uncertainties in the mass determination (< 35%) make this method a compelling alternative to other existing techniques (e.g., the virial plus reverberation mapping based size) for measuring black hole masses. Combining the Fe III λλ2039−2113 redshift based method with the virial, we estimate a virial factor in the f ∼ 1.2 − 1.7 range for this system.
Ovarian Tissue Reservation and Risk of Reimplantation in a Young Girl with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia after 6-Month Chemotherapy: A Case Report
Authors: Karimi-Zarchi Mojgan , Khalili Mohammad Ali , Binesh Fariba , Vatanparast Mahboubeh
Published: July 2021

In the fertility preservation programs, ovarian cryopreservation is usually offered when the risk of premature ovarian failure is high (>30–50%) while the risk of ovarian metastasis is low. According to the guidelines, it must be done before the patient receives chemotherapy. A 22-year-old girl with acute lymphocytic leukemia was a candidate for ovarian cryopreservation after 6 months of chemotherapy. Despite chemotherapy, the anti-Mullerian hormone survey was within normal range. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation was done. In the histology survey, follicular density was 7.48. This case shows that only having a history of chemotherapy does not exclude the patient from the fertility preservation program. Regarding referring the patients for fertility preservation, cumulative factors such as a history of gonadotoxic treatment, age, and treatment protocol should be considered. In addition, the case was negative for assessing of CD45 marker. New data may challenge previous strict criteria, and extend the indications of this effective method in preserving fertility among cancer patients.