bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low-Cost iPhone-Assisted Processing to Obtain Radiotherapy Bolus Using Optical Surface Reconstruction and 3D-Printing
Authors: Kang Dehua , Wang Bin , Peng Yinglin , Liu Xiaowei , Deng Xiaowu
Published: May 2020

Patient specific boluses can increase the skin dose distribution better for treating tumors located just beneath the skin with high-energy radiation than a flat bolus. We introduce a low-cost, 3D-printed, patient-specific bolus made of commonly available materials and easily produced using the “structure from motion” and a simple desktop 3D printing technique. Nine pictures were acquired with an iPhone camera around a head phantom. The 3D surface of the phantom was generated using these pictures and the “structure from motion” algorithm, with a scale factor calculated by a sphere fitting algorithm. A bolus for the requested position and shape based on the above generated surface was 3D-printed using ABS material. Two intensity modulated radiation therapy plans were designed to simulate clinical treatment for a tumor located under the skin surface with a flat bolus and a printed bolus, respectively. The planned parameters of dose volume histogram, conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) were compared. The printed bolus plan gave a dose coverage to the tumor with a CI of 0.817 compared to the CI of 0.697 for the plan with flat bolus. The HIs of the plan with printed bolus and flat bolus were 0.910 and 0.887, respectively.
Whole genome bisulfite sequencing methylome analysis of mulberry (Morus alba) reveals epigenome modifications in response to drought stress
Authors: Li Ruixue , Hu Fei , Li Bing , Zhang Yuping , Chen Ming , Fan Tao , Wang Taichu
Published: May 2020

DNA methylation plays a significant role in many biological processes. Although some studies of DNA methylation have been performed in woody plant, none is known about the methylation patterns of mulberry (Morus alba). In this study, we performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing under drought stress to generate a methylated cytosines map and assessed the effects of the changes on gene expression combined with transcriptomics. We found that the percentage of methylated cytosines varied depending on the local sequence context (CG, CHG and CHH) and external treatment (control, CK; drought stress, DS). The methylation levels under DS were 8.64% higher than that of CK, and differences that were mainly due to the contribution of mCG (6.24%). Additionally, there were 3,243 different methylation and expression associated genes. In addition, methylated genes were enriched within GO subcategories including catalytic activity, cellular process, metabolic process, response to stimulus and regulation of biological process. This is the first study to comprehensively present methylation patterns in mulberry and reveal widespread DNA methylation changes in response to drought stress, which has the potential to enhance our understanding of links between DNA methylation and the modulation of gene expression in plants subjected to abiotic stresses.
Oral Feeding of Cow Milk Containing A1 Variant of β Casein Induces Pulmonary Inflammation in Male Balb/c Mice
Authors: Yadav Shikha , Yadav Nakul Dev S. , Gheware Atish , Kulshreshtha Ankur , Sharma Pankaj , Singh V. P.
Published: May 2020

Milk is globally consumed as a rich source of protein and calcium. A major protein component of milk is casein, with β-casein having 2 major variants A1 and A2. Of these, A1 casein variant has been implicated as a potential etiological factor in several pathologies, but direct effect on lungs has not been studied. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the A1and A2 β casein variants of cow milk as factors causing allergic airway disease in murine model. Mice fed with A1A1 milk exhibited increased airway hyperresponsiveness with increasing concentration of bronchoconstrictor (methacholine), which was not observed in mice fed with A2A2 milk. Significantly elevated levels of IL-4 and IL-5 were found in bronchoalveolar lavage and serum of A1A1 variant fed mice. Increased IgE and IgG levels along with increased infiltration of lymphocytes and eosinophils, leading to peribronchial inflammation was also observed in A1A1 variant fed mice, although, no goblet cell hyperplasia or airway remodeling was observed. In contrast, A2A2 milk fed mice presented phenotype matching the control group, while A1A2 milk fed group presented an intermediate phenotype. In summary, our results show that A1 form of cow milk has a proinflammatory effect on the lung resulting in phenotype closely matching with the typical allergic asthma phenotype.
Metabolomics analyses to characterize metabolic alterations in Korean native calves by oral vitamin A supplementation
Authors: Peng Dong Qiao , Kim Seong Jin , Lee Hong Gu
Published: May 2020

Previous studies have reported that vitamin A administration in the birth stage of calves could promote preadipocyte and muscle development. However, the metabolic change after vitamin A administration remains unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was to perform metabonomics analyses to investigate the effect of vitamin A in Korean native calves. Ten newborn calves (initial average body weight: 30.4 kg [SD 2.20]) were randomly divided into two groups treated with or without vitamin A supplementation (0 IU vs. 25,000 IU vitamin A/day) for two months until weaning. Metabolic changes in the serum and longissimus dorsi muscle of calves were investigated using GC-TOF-MS and multivariate statistical analysis. As a result, ten metabolic parameters in the serum and seven metabolic parameters in the longissimus dorsi muscle were down-regulated in the vitamin A treatment group compared to those in the control group (VIP value > 1.0, p < 0.05). Both serum and longissimus dorsi muscle showed lower levels of cholesterol and myo-inositol in the vitamin A treatment group than in the control group (p < 0.05). These results indicate that vitamin A supplementation in the early growth period of calf could maintain the preadipocyte status, which can contribute to future adipogenesis in the intramuscular fat production of Korean native cattle.
Pesticide Residues in Peri-Urban Bovine Milk from India and Risk Assessment: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Gill J. P. S. , Bedi J. S. , Singh Randhir , Fairoze Mohd Nadeem , Hazarika R. A. , Gaurav Abhishek , Satpathy Sudhir Kumar , Chauhan Abhimanyu Singh , Lindahl Johanna , Grace Delia , Kumar Amit , Kakkar Manish
Published: May 2020

Pesticides residue poses serious concerns to human health. The present study was carried out to determine the pesticide residues of peri-urban bovine milk (n = 1183) from five different sites (Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Ludhiana and Udaipur) in India and dietary exposure risk assessment to adults and children. Pesticide residues were estimated using gas chromatography with flame thermionic and electron capture detectors followed by confirmation on gas chromatography-mass spectrometer. The results noticed the contamination of milk with hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), dichloro-diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), endosulfan, cypermethrin, cyhalothrin, permethrin, chlorpyrifos, ethion and profenophos pesticides. The residue levels in some of the milk samples were observed to be higher than the respective maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticide. Milk samples contamination was found highest in Bhubaneswar (11.2%) followed by Bangalore (9.3%), Ludhiana (6.9%), Udaipur (6.4%) and Guwahati (6.3%). The dietary risk assessment of pesticides under two scenarios i.e. lower-bound scenario (LB) and upper-bound (UB) revealed that daily intake of pesticides was substantially below the prescribed acceptable daily intake except for fipronil in children at UB. The non-cancer risk by estimation of hazard index (HI) was found to be below the target value of one in adults at all five sites in India. However, for children at the UB level, the HI for lindane, DDT and ethion exceeded the value of one in Ludhiana and Udaipur. Cancer risk for adults was found to be in the recommended range of United States environment protection agency (USEPA), while it exceeded the USEPA values for children.
A sonic root detector for revealing tree coarse root distribution
Authors: Proto Andrea R. , Di Iorio Antonino , Abenavoli Lorenzo M. , Sorgonà Agostino
Published: May 2020

This study assesses the reliability of a non-destructive method for determining the in situ distribution of tree coarse roots within a scaled distance 6-fold the DBH by comparing the results with the actual 3D root architecture revealed by invasive methods. The root architecture of 22-year-old olive trees was determined non-destructively with a Root Detector device (Fakopp Enterprise Bt) using sonic speed and directly by a 3D digitizer (Fastrak, Polhemus) after soil removal. The radial and vertical distributions of the coarse root biomass and diameter in the soil as determined by the 3D digitizer were correlated with the root map detected by sonic speed. A highly significant correlation was observed between the coarse root biomass distribution and the sonic speed within 30 cm of soil depth, but this correlation decreased with increasing distance from the trunk, up to 120 cm. No correlations were observed between sonic speed and root diameter. The Root Detector was able to map the coarse roots of the olive tree in the soil environment, but only under certain conditions. First, root detection was more efficient within 30 cm of soil depth, provided that more than 35% of the total biomass of lateral roots occurs within this depth range. Second, the distance of 120 cm from the trunk, scaled as 6-fold the DBH, may be considered the threshold over which the sonic speed and the detection of roots markedly decreased. Third, Root Detector technology is unable to detect root size in terms of geometric parameters such as root diameter.
Accuracy of manual and automatic placement of an anatomical coordinate system for the full or partial radius in 3D space
Authors: de Roo Marieke G. A. , Dobbe Johannes G. G. , Peymani Abbas , van der Made Anne D. , Strackee Simon D. , Streekstra Geert J.
Published: May 2020

Accurate placement of a coordinate system on the radius is important to quantitatively report 3D surgical planning parameters or joint kinematics using 4D imaging techniques. In clinical practice, the scanned length of the radial shaft varies among scanning protocols and scientific studies. The error in positioning a radial coordinate system using a partially scanned radius is unknown. This study investigates whether the imaged length of the radius significantly affects the positioning of the coordinate system. For different lengths of the radius, the error of positioning a coordinate system was determined when placed automatically or manually. A total of 85 healthy radii were systematically shortened until 10% of the distal radius remained. Coordinate systems were placed automatically and manually at each shortening step. A linear mixed model was used to associate the positioning error with the length of the radial shaft. The accuracy and precision of radial coordinate system placement were compared between automatic and manual placement. For automatic placement of the radial coordinate system, an increasing positioning error was associated with an increased shortening of the radius (P = < 0.001). Automatic placement is superior to manual placement; however, if less than 20% of the radial shaft length remains, manual placement is more accurate.
Exposures to Dental Products, Stomatological Preparations, and in Dental Care and Toothache reported to the PIC Erfurt (1997 to 2017)
Authors: Budenz Beate , Deters Michael , Prasa Dagmar , Hentschel Helmut
Published: May 2020

We examined human exposures to dental products (EDP), stomatological preparations (ESP), and in the context of dental care (EDC) or toothache (ETA) registered by the Poisons Information Centre (PIC) Erfurt from 1997 to 2017. Dental products like dental technical and filling materials belong to medical devices. Stomatological preparations were classified according to the ATC code and symptom severity to the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS). In total, 156 cases of EDP (136 cases with different tooth filling materials), 1167 cases of ESP (55.6% fluoride containing products), 979 cases of EDC, and 331 cases of ETA were registered. Symptom severity in EDP and ESP were asymptomatic or mild. In ETA and EDC, however, 35 cases with moderate and 5 cases with severe symptoms were detected. 5 moderate and 3 severe cases were caused by prolonged paracetamol overdose. Severe bleeding occurred following tooth extraction in a 41 year-old phenprocoumon treated patient after self-medication with acetylsalicylic acid and metamizole. Gingival injection of lidocaine plus epinephrine in a 37 year-old healthy woman resulted in severe bradycardia and cardiac arrest. Acute toxicity of EDP and ESP appears to be low. Prolonged paracetamol overdose because of toothache, and some dental treatment can result in severe symptoms.
Comparison of the use of opioids only and pregabalin add-on for the treatment of neuropathic pain in cervical myelopathy patients: a pilot trial
Authors: Jung Jong-myung , Chung Chun Kee , Kim Chi Heon , Yang Seung Heon , Choi Yunhee
Published: May 2020

Among patients with cervical myelopathy who were diagnosed with neuropathic pain (NP) by the LANSS test, the study participants were randomly assigned to one of the two study groups. The participants in one study group received opioids only, while those in the other group received opioids and pregabalin. Thirty-nine patients were analyzed in the study (20 patients in the opioid-only group and 19 in the pregabalin add-on group). The LANSS, neck pain, and arm pain scores in the pregabalin add-on group improved significantly compared with those in the opioid-only group after the first 4 weeks (p = 0.005, 0.001 and 0.035, respectively), but there was no significant difference between the two groups during the next 4 weeks (p = 0.615, 0.377 and 0.716, respectively). There was no significant difference in the neck disability index and EuroQol-5Dimension scores after four weeks and eight weeks of follow-up. Adverse events were reported by four patients (20.0%) in the opioid-only group and five patients (26.3%) in the pregabalin add-on group (p = 0.716). However, over time, the occurrence of side effects and dropouts increased in the pregabalin add-on group. This exploratory pilot study suggests that pregabalin add-on treatment is more efficient than the use of opioids alone at the beginning of NP treatment in cervical myelopathy patients. However, prescribing pregabalin add-on treatment for more than four weeks should be done cautiously.
Development of an improved murine model of necrotizing enterocolitis shows the importance of neutrophils in NEC pathogenesis
Authors: Klinke Michaela , Vincent Deirdre , Trochimiuk Magdalena , Appl Birgit , Tiemann Bastian , Reinshagen Konrad , Pagerols Raluy Laia , Boettcher Michael
Published: May 2020

Various research models to induce necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in animals exist, yet significant differences in NEC severity between murine animal models and human patients persist. One possible explanation for the difference in severity may be the variance in neutrophil concentration among newborn humans (50–70%) in comparison to neonatal mice (10–25%). However, neutrophil activity has yet to be evaluated in NEC pathogenesis. Thus, the aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of altered neutrophil concentrations in neonatal mice while simultaneously undergoing a NEC induction. A total of 44 neonatal mice were included in this study and 40 were subjected to an established NEC induction paradigm and 4 were assigned a sham group. Of the 40 mice, 30 received granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on a daily basis, while 10 were used as controls (receiving inactivated G-CSF). Mice undergoing G-CSF treatment were further divided into two subgroups: (1) wildtype and (2) ELANE-knockout (KO). ELANE - KO mice are incapable of producing neutrophil elastase (NE) and were used to evaluate the role of neutrophils in NEC. For each of the groups, the following metrics were evaluated: survival, NEC severity, tissue damage, neutrophil count and activation, and NETs formation. An improved murine model of NEC was developed using (1) Lipopolysaccharides and Neocate gavage feeding, (2) hypoxia, and (3) G-CSF administration. The results suggest that the addition of G-CSF resulted in significantly elevated NEC manifestation rates with consequent tissue damage and intestinal inflammation, without affecting overall mortality. Animals without functioning NE (ELANE-KO) appeared to have been protected from NEC development. This study supports the importance of neutrophils in NEC pathogenesis. The optimized NEC induction paradigm, using G-CSF administration, resulted in elevated neutrophil counts, resembling those of neonatal humans. Elevation of neutrophil levels significantly improved NEC disease manifestation by modeling human physiology more accurately than current NEC models. Thus, in the future, murine NEC experiments should include the elevation of neutrophil levels to improve the transition of research findings from mice to humans.
Serelaxin activates eNOS, suppresses inflammation, attenuates developmental delay and improves cognitive functions of neonatal rats after germinal matrix hemorrhage
Authors: Xu Ming M. , Seyler L. , Bäuerle T. , Kalinichenko L. S. , Müller C. P. , Huttner H. B. , Schwab S. , Manaenko A.
Published: May 2020

Germinal matrix hemorrhage (GMH) is a detrimental form of neonatal CNS injury. Following GMH-mediated eNOS inhibition, inflammation arises, contributing to GMH-induced brain injury. We investigated the beneficial effects of Serelaxin, a clinical tested recombinant Relaxin-2 protein, on brain injury after GMH in rats. We investigated whether effects of Serelaxin are mediated by its ability to activate the GMH-suppressed eNOS pathway resulting in attenuation of inflammatory marker overproduction. GMH was induced by intraparenchymal injection of bacterial collagenase (0.3U). Seven day old Sprague–Dawley rat pups (P7) were used (n = 63). GMH animals were divided in vehicle or serelaxin treated (3 µg once, 30 µg once, 30 µg multiple, i.p., starting 30 after GMH and then daily). Sham operated animals were used. We monitored the developmental profile working memory and spatial function (T-maze and open field test respectively). At day 28, all rats underwent MRI-scans for assessment of changes in cortical thickness and white matter loss. Effects of Serelaxin on eNOS pathway activation and post-GMH inflammation were evaluated. We demonstrated that Serelaxin dose-dependently attenuated GMH-induced developmental delay, protected brain and improved cognitive functions of rats after GMH. That was associated with the decreased post-GMH inflammation, mediated at least partly by amelioration of GMH-induced eNOS inhibition.
Author Correction: Comparative analysis of HER2 copy number between plasma and tissue samples in gastric cancer using droplet digital PCR
Authors: Kim Boram , Nam Soo Kyung , Seo Soo Hyun , Park Kyoung Un , Ahn Sang-Hoon , Park Do Joong , Kim Hyung-Ho , Kim Woo Ho , Lee Hye Seung
Published: May 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Real-time multispectral fluorescence lifetime imaging using Single Photon Avalanche Diode arrays
Authors: Lagarto João L. , Villa Federica , Tisa Simone , Zappa Franco , Shcheslavskiy Vladislav , Pavone Francesco S. , Cicchi Riccardo
Published: May 2020

Autofluorescence spectroscopy has emerged in recent years as a powerful tool to report label-free contrast between normal and diseased tissues, both in vivo and ex vivo. We report the development of an instrument employing Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) arrays to realize real-time multispectral autofluorescence lifetime imaging at a macroscopic scale using handheld single-point fibre optic probes, under bright background conditions. At the detection end, the fluorescence signal is passed through a transmission grating and both spectral and temporal information are encoded in the SPAD array. This configuration allows interrogation in the spectral range of interest in real time. Spatial information is provided by an external camera together with a guiding beam that provides a visual reference that is tracked in real-time. Through fast image processing and data analysis, fluorescence lifetime maps are augmented on white light images to provide feedback of the measurements in real-time. We validate and demonstrate the practicality of this technique in the reference fluorophores and in articular cartilage samples mimicking the degradation that occurs in osteoarthritis. Our results demonstrate that SPADs together with fibre probes can offer means to report autofluorescence spectral and lifetime contrast in real-time and thus are suitable candidates for in situ tissue diagnostics.
Publisher Correction: Prokineticin receptor 2 affects GnRH3 neuron ontogeny but not fertility in zebrafish
Authors: Bassi Ivan , Luzzani Francesca , Marelli Federica , Vezzoli Valeria , Cotellessa Ludovica , Prober David A. , Persani Luca , Gothilf Yoav , Bonomi Marco
Published: May 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Cryo-EM structure of the volume-regulated anion channel LRRC8D isoform identifies features important for substrate permeation
Authors: Nakamura Ryoki , Numata Tomohiro , Kasuya Go , Yokoyama Takeshi , Nishizawa Tomohiro , Kusakizako Tsukasa , Kato Takafumi , Hagino Tatsuya , Dohmae Naoshi , Inoue Masato , Watanabe Kengo , Ichijo Hidenori , Kikkawa Masahide , Shirouzu Mikako , Jentsch Thomas J. , Ishitani Ryuichiro , Okada Yasunobu , Nureki Osamu
Published: May 2020

Members of the leucine-rich repeat-containing 8 (LRRC8) protein family, composed of the five LRRC8A-E isoforms, are pore-forming components of the volume-regulated anion channel (VRAC). LRRC8A and at least one of the other LRRC8 isoforms assemble into heteromers to generate VRAC transport activities. Despite the availability of the LRRC8A structures, the structural basis of how LRRC8 isoforms other than LRRC8A contribute to the functional diversity of VRAC has remained elusive. Here, we present the structure of the human LRRC8D isoform, which enables the permeation of organic substrates through VRAC. The LRRC8D homo-hexamer structure displays a two-fold symmetric arrangement, and together with a structure-based electrophysiological analysis, revealed two key features. The pore constriction on the extracellular side is wider than that in the LRRC8A structures, which may explain the increased permeability of organic substrates. Furthermore, an N-terminal helix protrudes into the pore from the intracellular side and may be critical for gating.
Exploiting symmetry in network analysis
Authors: Sánchez-García Rubén J.
Published: May 2020

Virtually all network analyses involve structural measures between pairs of vertices, or of the vertices themselves, and the large amount of symmetry present in real-world complex networks is inherited by such measures. This has practical consequences that have not yet been explored in full generality, nor systematically exploited by network practitioners. Here we study the effect of network symmetry on arbitrary network measures, and show how this can be exploited in practice in a number of ways, from redundancy compression, to computational reduction. We also uncover the spectral signatures of symmetry for an arbitrary network measure such as the graph Laplacian. Computing network symmetries is very efficient in practice, and we test real-world examples up to several million nodes. Since network models are ubiquitous in the Applied Sciences, and typically contain a large degree of structural redundancy, our results are not only significant, but widely applicable.
High-cycle fatigue damage accumulation in paper
Authors: Na Yoon Joo , Paluskiewicz Sarah A. , Muhlstein Christopher L.
Published: May 2020

The mechanical durability of paper is a key consideration for applications ranging from shipping boxes to disposable medical substrates. Paper commonly experiences fatigue loading in such applications, but a high-cycle fatigue mechanism has not been identified. This research details paper’s high-cycle fatigue degradation mechanism. Paper specimens were loaded with monotonically increasing, constant, and sinusoidally varying cyclic stresses, and the resulting tensile, creep, and fatigue damage accumulation rates were compared. The difficulty in defining the size and growth of cracks in paper’s cellulosic fiber network were overcome with optically measured strain fields. We found that fatigue damage can accumulate via a fiber fracture mechanism, while ratchetting, creep, and tensile overload damage accumulation occurs due to failure of inter-fiber bonds. We also discovered the synergistic interaction between creep and high-cycle fatigue damage accumulation mechanisms, which is critical for extending the high-cycle fatigue life of paper.
Simple and fast fabrication of single crystal VO2 microtube arrays
Authors: Zhao Chunwang , Ma Shuxiang , Li Zijian , Li Weiya , Li Jijun , Hou Qingyu , Xing Yongming
Published: May 2020

Single crystal VO2 is a strongly correlated electron material that has shown great potential for a wide range of high-performance modern device applications, such as microbolometers, lithium ion batteries, microactuators and strain sensors. However, the present fabrication methods for single crystal VO2 almost always require complicated procedures, strict conditions and long reaction times of up to one week. Here, we report a simple, fast, low-cost and green method for fabricating single crystal VO2 using a thermal oxidation route based on resistive heating of a vanadium foil in air. Our method not only reduces the complete fabrication time from hours to tens of seconds but also naturally forms single crystal VO2 microtube arrays that are nearly vertically aligned on the surface of a V2O5 substrate. Microstructure characteristics and the reversible phase transition between the monoclinic VO2 and rutile VO2 phases demonstrate that the obtained single crystal VO2 is the same as that achieved by other fabrication methods.
Electrochemical detection of bovine immunoglobulins G to determine passive transfer of antibodies to calves
Authors: Robinson Caoimhe , Creedon Niamh , Sayers Riona , Kennedy Emer , O'Riordan Alan
Published: May 2020

Bovine antibodies cannot pass the placental barrier and must be absorbed from colostrum postpartum. Monitoring of IgG absorption in calves is critical in the first 12 hours of life. Novel sensors are presented to measure this transfer process on-farm.
Multi-residue enantioselective determination of emerging drug contaminants in seawater by solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: McKenzie Katie , Moffat Colin F. , Petrie Bruce
Published: May 2020

This is the first enantioselective method for profiling chiral drugs in saline environmental waters (30–35 practical salinity units).
Solvent similarity index
Authors: Driver Mark D. , Hunter Christopher A.
Published: May 2020

The Solvent Similarity Index (SSI) is a quantitative parameter we introduce for the comparison of the solvation properties of any solvent or solvent mixture.
Photoresponsivity and antibiotic sensing properties of an entangled tris(pyridinium)-based metal–organic framework
Authors: Li Peng , Guo Meng-Yue , Gao Lu-Lu , Yin Xue-Mei , Yang Shuai-Liang , Bu Ran , Gao En-Qing
Published: May 2020

Novel 2D → 2D entanglement affords close donor–acceptor contacts for electron transfer based photochromism and photomodulable fluorescence of a MOF, which also serves as a regenerable and sensitive luminescent sensor for nitrofuran antibiotics.
MBenes: emerging 2D materials as efficient electrocatalysts for the nitrogen reduction reaction
Authors: Yang Xiaowei , Shang Chanjuan , Zhou Si , Zhao Jijun
Published: May 2020

MBenes hold many merits for electrocatalysis of the nitrogen reduction reaction, including outstanding stability in aqueous environments, excellent electrical conductivity, an inhibited hydrogen evolution reaction, and highly active boron and metal surfaces.
From BaAl2(BO3)2O to SnAl2(BO3)2F2: structure transformation based on ion regulation
Authors: Wang Ya , Han Jian , Huang Junben , Yang Zhihua , Huang Shuzhao , Pan Shilie
Published: May 2020

Sn atoms reside in each Al–B–O–F channel consisting of Al8B8O32F12cavities, which makes SnAl2(BO3)2F2possess a special structure.
Structure–property relationships of cellulose nanofibril hydro- and aerogels and their building blocks
Authors: Arcari Mario , Axelrod Robert , Adamcik Jozef , Handschin Stephan , Sánchez-Ferrer Antoni , Mezzenga Raffaele , Nyström Gustav
Published: May 2020

Structure-property studies of cellulose nanofibril (CNF) gels revealed the influence of CNF morphology on the gel properties and a transition point in the shear modulus of the gels was exploited to determine the mesh size of the fibril network.
Tiny Ir doping of sub-one-nanometer PtMn nanowires: highly active and stable catalysts for alcohol electrooxidation
Authors: Gao Fei , Zhang Yangping , Ren Fangfang , Song Tongxin , Du Yukou
Published: May 2020

We proposed a facile yet rational strategy to synthesize tiny Ir-doping PtMn 1D ultrathin NWs at an atomic level. The composition-optimized Pt74Mn21Ir5 NWs showed superior electrocatalytic performance for EOR and MOR.
Ring-expansion cationic cyclopolymerization for the construction of cyclic cyclopolymers
Authors: Kubota Hiroyuki , Yoshida Sho , Ouchi Makoto
Published: May 2020

A “cyclic cyclopolymer” was successfully synthesized via ring-expansion cationic cyclopolymerization with a cyclic initiator by using a divinyl ether carrying a gem-dimethyl group on the spacer as the monomer.
Solvent and additive-free efficient aerobic oxidation of alcohols by a perovskite oxide-based heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Kumar Nikhil , Naveen Kumari , Bhatia Anita , Muthaiah Senthilkumar , Siruguri Vasudeva , Paul Avijit Kumar
Published: May 2020

A perovskite oxide has been utilized for the solvent and additive-free heterogeneous oxidation of various alcohols.
Chemically induced repair, adhesion, and recycling of polymers made by inverse vulcanization
Authors: Tonkin Samuel J. , Gibson Christopher T. , Campbell Jonathan A. , Lewis David A. , Karton Amir , Hasell Tom , Chalker Justin M.
Published: May 2020

Polymers made by inverse vulcanization can be assembled, repaired, and recycled at room temperature through nucleophile-catalyzed S–S metathesis.
Ligand-centred redox activation of inert organoiridium anticancer catalysts
Authors: Zhang Wen-Ying , Banerjee Samya , Hughes George M. , Bridgewater Hannah E. , Song Ji-Inn , Breeze Ben G. , Clarkson Guy J. , Coverdale James P. C. , Sanchez-Cano Carlos , Ponte Fortuna , Sicilia Emilia , Sadler Peter J.
Published: May 2020

Organometallic complexes with novel activation mechanisms are attractive anticancer drug candidates.
Orbital-free photophysical descriptors to predict directional excitations in metal-based photosensitizers
Authors: Sánchez-Murcia Pedro A. , Nogueira Juan J. , Plasser Felix , González Leticia
Published: May 2020

We report the descriptor substituent-induced exciton localization, which together with the excited-electron delocalization length concept, is able to quantify how functional groups affect the directionality of light-driven electronic excitations.
Visualizing semipermeability of the cell membrane using a pH-responsive ratiometric AIEgen
Authors: Gu Yuan , Zhao Zheng , Niu Guangle , Zhang Han , Wang Yiming , Kwok Ryan T. K. , Lam Jacky W. Y. , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: May 2020

By utilizing a pH-responsive ratiometric AIEgen, dihydro berberine (dhBBR), ion trapping phenomenon was successfully visualized.
Insights into the scalability of catalytic upgrading of biomass pyrolysis vapors using micro and bench-scale reactors
Authors: Eschenbacher Andreas , Saraeian Alireza , Shanks Brent H. , Jensen Peter Arendt , Henriksen Ulrik Birk , Ahrenfeldt Jesper , Jensen Anker Degn
Published: May 2020

Comparison of catalytic upgrading of pyrolysis vapors in microscale Py-GC and continuous bench-scale reactor provides qualitative agreement in catalyst ranking between scales.
Hole transport layers for organic solar cells: recent progress and prospects
Authors: Xu Haitao , Yuan Feng , Zhou Dan , Liao Xunfan , Chen Lie , Chen Yiwang
Published: May 2020

The hole transport layer plays a crucial role in enhancing the PCE and stability of OSCs.
Gap-enhanced resonance Raman tags for live-cell imaging
Authors: Gu Yuqing , Bi Xinyuan , Ye Jian
Published: May 2020

Gap-enhanced resonance Raman tags enable long-term, high-resolution and high-speed (1 ms per pixel) live-cell imaging with a laser power of 50 μW.
Effect of conjugated (EK)10 peptide on structural and dynamic properties of ubiquitin protein: a molecular dynamics simulation study
Authors: Shao Qing
Published: May 2020

Peptide conjugation modulates the stability and biological acitivty of proteins via the allosteric effect.
Enhanced permittivity in polymer blends via tailoring the orderliness of semiconductive liquid crystalline polymers and intermolecular interactions
Authors: Qian Kun , Qiao Rui , Chen Sheng , Luo Hang , Zhang Dou
Published: May 2020

The dielectric properties of PVDF blend films with P-type triphenylene discotic side-chain liquid crystalline polymers (TD-SCLCPs) are dependent on the orderliness of TD-SCLCPs and the compatibility between polymer matrix and TD-SCLCPs.
Chemically bonding BaTiO3 nanoparticles in highly filled polymer nanocomposites for greatly enhanced dielectric properties
Authors: Chen Rui-Chao , Zhang Quan-Ping , Ke Kai , Sun Nan , Xu Wei-Di , Liu Dong-Liang , Yang Wenbin , Li Yin-Tao , Zhou Yuan-Lin , Yang Ming-Bo , Yuan Jinkai , Yang Wei
Published: May 2020

BaTiO3 nanoparticles with extremely high loading are chemically bonded with silicone rubber via “thiol–ene click”, leading to superior dielectric properties.
Anomalous photoluminescence from a K2LiInF6:Mn4+ phosphor
Authors: Zhu Yiwen , Huang Lin , Brik Mikhail. G. , Li Yinyue , Zhong Jiasong , Wang Jing , Wong Ka-Leung
Published: May 2020

A novel red fluoride nanophosphor, KLIFM, with interesting photoluminescent properties was synthesized via a cation exchange method.
Two‐region model for harmonic radar transponders
Authors: Lavrenko A. , Cavers J.
Published: May 2020

Harmonic radar transponders are passive RF tags that produce a harmonic response when illuminated with an RF signal. With a Schottky diode as the main component, the tag current is usually modelled as an exponential function of antenna voltage, resulting in an approximate polynomial function for small signals. The authors introduce the Lambert function that accounts for the resistive load and leads to a two‐region tag model: a power series representation for small signals and an asymptotic linear large‐signal model. Furthermore, they provide the relationship between the modulated bandpass signals at the input and output of the tag in the two regions by expressing the tag signals with complex envelopes. The derived expressions offer deeper insight of the transponder's impact on the operation of harmonic radar systems.
SiameseCCR: a novel method for one‐shot and few‐shot Chinese CAPTCHA recognition using deep Siamese network
Authors: Chen Zhe , Ma Weifeng , Xu Nanfan , Ji Caoting , Zhang Yulai
Published: May 2020

The research of CAPTCHA recognition is helpful to discover the security vulnerabilities in time and improve its safety. In comparison with digits and English letters, Chinese characters have many more categories which lead to the requirement of a large amount of training data. Therefore, this study proposes a novel method for one‐shot and few‐shot Chinese CAPTCHA recognition, using the deep Siamese network, based on the idea of template matching. In this method, the residual convolutional neural network branches are used for feature extraction of CAPTCHAs, a fully‐connected layer is used for calculating the similarity of features, and a hard negative mining algorithm is designed to promote convergence. Experiments are done on a self‐built small‐scale Chinese CAPTCHA dataset. The results show that this proposed method can achieve higher accuracy on the known characters than traditional methods. For the brand‐new characters, only one template is required to recognise them and the accuracy is close to known characters. To summarise, it is able to build a Chinese CAPTCHA recognition model with high accuracy and extensibility by using a small‐scale dataset.
Adaptive switching interpolation filter for restoring impulse corrupted digital images
Authors: Varghese Justin , Subash Saudia , Sridhar Kuttaiyur Palaniswamy , Balaji Narayanasamy Venkattaramanujam , Ashok Kumar Gopalakrishnan
Published: May 2020

The study introduces an adaptive switching interpolation filter (ASIF) for restoring images contaminated with salt & pepper impulse noise. The new method restores noisy pixels by applying a new interpolation scheme that combines Shepard's inverse distance weighting and Simpson's natural neighbour interpolation techniques. The new interpolation scheme is designed based on the percentage of the overlapping area and the distance between the sites created by noisy pixels with the sites of uncorrupted pixels in the Voronoi tessellation. Since natural neighbour‐based techniques do not support extrapolation, the proposed algorithm performs Shepard's inverse distance weighting‐based restoration when the noisy pixels fall outside the convex hull formed by uncorrupted pixels. As the proposed method combines the advantages of Simpson's natural neighbour and Shepard's inverse distance weighting interpolation methods, it better preserves the natural intensity variations in images and provides smoother approximation than other methods used in the comparative study. Visual and quantitative experimental analysis performed on various images with peak signal to noise ratio, mean structural similarity index measure, image enhancement factor, and feature‐similarity index measure demarcates the improved capability of ASIF over other comparative filters.
Stellar impact on disequilibrium chemistry and observed spectra of hot Jupiter atmospheres
Authors: Shulyak D. , Lara L. M. , Rengel M. , Nèmec N.-E.
Published: May 2020

Aims.We study the effect of disequilibrium processes (photochemistry and vertical transport) on mixing ratio profiles of neutral species and on the simulated spectra of a hot Jupiter exoplanet that orbits stars of various spectral types. We additionally address the impact of stellar activity that should be present, to various degrees, in all stars with convective envelopes.

Methods.We used the VULCAN chemical kinetic code to compute number densities of species in irradiated planetary atmospheres. The temperature-pressure profile of the atmosphere was computed with the HELIOS code. We also utilized theτ-REx forward model to predict the spectra of planets in primary and secondary eclipses. In order to account for the stellar activity, we made use of the observed solar extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectrum taken from Virtual Planetary Laboratory as a proxy for an active sun-like star.

Results.We find large changes in the mixing ratios of most chemical species in planets orbiting A-type stars, which radiate strong XUV flux thereby inducing a very effective photodissociation. For some species, these changes can propagate very deep into the planetary atmosphere to pressures of around 1 bar. To observe disequilibrium chemistry we favor hot Jupiters with temperaturesTeq= 1000 K and ultra-hot Jupiters, withTeq≈ 3000 K,which also have temperature inversion in their atmospheres. On the other hand, disequilibrium calculations predict no noticeable changes in spectra of planets with intermediate temperatures. We also show that stellar activity similar to that of the modern Sun drives important changes in mixing ratio profiles of atmospheric species. However, these changes take place at very high atmospheric altitudes and thus do not affect predicted spectra. Finally, we estimate that the effect of disequilibrium chemistry in planets orbiting nearby bright stars could be robustly detected and studied with future missions with spectroscopic capabilities in infrared such asJames WebbSpace Telescope and ARIEL.
Long-term evolution of the Galilean satellites: the capture of Callisto into resonance
Authors: Lari Giacomo , Saillenfest Melaine , Fenucci Marco
Published: May 2020

Context. The Galilean satellites have very complex orbital dynamics due to the mean-motion resonances and the tidal forces acting in the system. The strong dissipation in the couple Jupiter–Io is spread to all the moons involved in the so-called Laplace resonance (Io, Europa, and Ganymede), leading to a migration of their orbits.

Aims. We aim to characterize the future behavior of the Galilean satellites over the Solar System lifetime and to quantify the stability of the Laplace resonance. Tidal dissipation permits the satellites to exit from the current resonances or be captured into new ones, causing large variation in the moons’ orbital elements. In particular, we want to investigate the possible capture of Callisto into resonance.

Methods. We performed hundreds of propagations using an improved version of a recent semi-analytical model. As Ganymede moves outwards, it approaches the 2:1 resonance with Callisto, inducing a temporary chaotic motion in the system. For this reason, we draw a statistical picture of the outcome of the resonant encounter.

Results. The system can settle into two distinct outcomes: (A) a chain of three 2:1 two-body resonances (Io–Europa, Europa–Ganymede, and Ganymede–Callisto), or (B) a resonant chain involving the 2:1 two-body resonance Io–Europa plus at least one pure 4:2:1 three-body resonance, most frequently between Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In case A (56% of the simulations), the Laplace resonance is always preserved and the eccentricities remain confined to small values below 0.01. In case B (44% of the simulations), the Laplace resonance is generally disrupted and the eccentricities of Ganymede and Callisto can increase up to about 0.1, making this configuration unstable and driving the system into new resonances. In all cases, Callisto starts to migrate outward, pushed by the resonant action of the other moons.

Conclusions. From our results, the capture of Callisto into resonance appears to be extremely likely (100% of our simulations). The exact timing of its entrance into resonance depends on the precise rate of energy dissipation in the system. Assuming the most recent estimate of the dissipation between Io and Jupiter, the resonant encounter happens at about 1.5 Gyr from now. Therefore, the stability of the Laplace resonance as we know it today is guaranteed at least up to about 1.5 Gyr.
Tidal evolution of galaxies in the most massive cluster of IllustrisTNG-100
Authors: Łokas Ewa L.
Published: May 2020

We study the tidal evolution of galaxies in the most massive cluster of the IllustrisTNG-100 simulation. For the purpose of this work, we selected 112 galaxies with the largest stellar masses at present and followed their properties over time. Using their orbital history, we divided the sample into unevolved (infalling), weakly evolved (with one pericenter passage), and strongly evolved (with multiple pericenters). The samples are clearly separated by the value of the integrated tidal force from the cluster the galaxies experienced during their entire evolution and their properties depend strongly on this quantity. As a result of tidal stripping, the galaxies of the weakly evolved sample lost between 10 and 80% of their dark mass and less than 10% of stars, while those in the strongly evolved one lost more than 70% of dark mass and between 10 and 55% of stellar mass, and are significantly less, or not at all dark-matter dominated. While 33% of the infalling galaxies do not contain any gas, this fraction increases to 67% for the weakly evolved sample, and to 100% for the strongly evolved sample. The strongly evolved galaxies lose their gas earlier and faster (within 2–6 Gyr), but the process can take up to 4 Gyr from the first pericenter passage. These galaxies are redder and more metal rich, and at redshift z = 0.5, the population of galaxies in the cluster becomes predominantly red. As a result of tidal stirring, the morphology of the galaxies evolves from oblate to prolate and their rotation is diminished, thus the morphology-density relation is reproduced in the simulated cluster. The strongly evolved sample contains at least six convincing examples of tidally induced bars and six more galaxies that had their bars enhanced by their interaction with the cluster.
Populations of double white dwarfs in Milky Way satellites and their detectability with LISA
Authors: Korol V. , Toonen S. , Klein A. , Belokurov V. , Vincenzo F. , Buscicchio R. , Gerosa D. , Moore C. J. , Roebber E. , Rossi E. M. , Vecchio A.
Published: May 2020

Context.Milky Way dwarf satellites are unique objects that encode the early structure formation and therefore represent a window into the high redshift Universe. So far, their study has been conducted using electromagnetic waves only. The future Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has the potential to reveal Milky Way satellites through gravitational waves emitted by double white dwarf (DWD) binaries.

Aims.We investigate gravitational wave signals that will be detectable by LISA as a possible tool for the identification and characterisation of the Milky Way satellites.

Methods.We used the binary population synthesis technique to model the population of DWDs in dwarf satellites and we assessed the impact on the number of LISA detections when making changes to the total stellar mass, distance, star formation history, and metallicity of satellites. We calibrated predictions for the known Milky Way satellites on their observed properties.

Results.We find that DWDs emitting at frequencies ≳3 mHz can be detected in Milky Way satellites at large galactocentric distances. The number of these high frequency DWDs per satellite primarily depends on its mass, distance, age, and star formation history, and only mildly depends on the other assumptions regarding their evolution such as metallicity. We find that dwarf galaxies withM⋆ >  106 M⊙can host detectable LISA sources; the number of detections scales linearly with the satellite’s mass. We forecast that out of the known satellites, Sagittarius, Fornax, Sculptor, and the Magellanic Clouds can be detected with LISA.

Conclusions.As an all-sky survey that does not suffer from contamination and dust extinction, LISA will provide observations of the Milky Way and dwarf satellites galaxies, which will be valuable for Galactic archaeology and near-field cosmology.