bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Customizing a self-healing soft pump for robot
Authors: Tang Wei , Zhang Chao , Zhong Yiding , Zhu Pingan , Hu Yu , Jiao Zhongdong , Wei Xiaofeng , Lu Gang , Wang Jinrong , Liang Yuwen , Lin Yangqiao , Wang Wei , Yang Huayong , Zou Jun
Published: April 2021

Recent advances in soft materials enable robots to possess safer human-machine interaction ways and adaptive motions, yet there remain substantial challenges to develop universal driving power sources that can achieve performance trade-offs between actuation, speed, portability, and reliability in untethered applications. Here, we introduce a class of fully soft electronic pumps that utilize electrical energy to pump liquid through electrons and ions migration mechanism. Soft pumps combine good portability with excellent actuation performances. We develop special functional liquids that merge unique properties of electrically actuation and self-healing function, providing a direction for self-healing fluid power systems. Appearances and pumpabilities of soft pumps could be customized to meet personalized needs of diverse robots. Combined with a homemade miniature high-voltage power converter, two different soft pumps are implanted into robotic fish and vehicle to achieve their untethered motions, illustrating broad potential of soft pumps as universal power sources in untethered soft robotics.
TIM4 expression by dendritic cells mediates uptake of tumor-associated antigens and anti-tumor responses
Authors: Caronni Nicoletta , Piperno Giulia Maria , Simoncello Francesca , Romano Oriana , Vodret Simone , Yanagihashi Yuichi , Dress Regine , Dutertre Charles-Antoine , Bugatti Mattia , Bourdeley Pierre , Del Prete Annalisa , Schioppa Tiziana , Mazza Emilia Maria Cristina , Collavin Licio , Zacchigna Serena , Ostuni Renato , Guermonprez Pierre , Vermi William , Ginhoux Florent , Bicciato Silvio , Nagata Shigekatzu , Benvenuti Federica
Published: April 2021

Acquisition of cell-associated tumor antigens by type 1 dendritic cells (cDC1) is essential to induce and sustain tumor specific CD8+ T cells via cross-presentation. Here we show that capture and engulfment of cell associated antigens by tissue resident lung cDC1 is inhibited during progression of mouse lung tumors. Mechanistically, loss of phagocytosis is linked to tumor-mediated downregulation of the phosphatidylserine receptor TIM4, that is highly expressed in normal lung resident cDC1. TIM4 receptor blockade and conditional cDC1 deletion impair activation of tumor specific CD8+ T cells and promote tumor progression. In human lung adenocarcinomas, TIM4 transcripts increase the prognostic value of a cDC1 signature and predict responses to PD-1 treatment. Thus, TIM4 on lung resident cDC1 contributes to immune surveillance and its expression is suppressed in advanced tumors.
Genetic basis of hypercholesterolemia in adults
Authors: Saadatagah Seyedmohammad , Jose Merin , Dikilitas Ozan , Alhalabi Lubna , Miller Alexandra A. , Fan Xiao , Olson Janet E. , Kochan David C. , Safarova Maya , Kullo Iftikhar J.
Published: April 2021

We investigated monogenic and polygenic causes of hypercholesterolemia in a population-based cohort, excluding secondary hypercholesterolemia, and using an established framework to identify pathogenic variants. We studied 1682 individuals (50.2 ± 8.6 years, 41.3% males) from southeast Minnesota with primary hypercholesterolemia (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥155 mg/dl in the absence of identifiable secondary causes). Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) phenotype was defined as a Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) score ≥6. Participants underwent sequencing of LDLR, APOB, and PCSK9, and genotyping of 12 LDL-C-associated single-nucleotide variants to construct a polygenic score (PGS) for LDL-C. The presence of a pathogenic/likely pathogenic variant was considered monogenic etiology and a PGS ≥90th percentile was considered polygenic etiology. The mean LDL-C level was 187.3 ± 32.3 mg/dl and phenotypic FH was present in 8.4% of the cohort. An identifiable genetic etiology was present in 17.1% individuals (monogenic in 1.5% and polygenic in 15.6%). Phenotypic and genetic FH showed poor overlap. Only 26% of those who met the clinical criteria of FH had an identifiable genetic etiology and of those with an identifiable genetic etiology only 12.9% met clinical criteria for FH. Genetic factors explained 7.4% of the variance in LDL-C. In conclusion, in adults with primary hypercholesterolemia, 17.1% had an identifiable genetic etiology and the overlap between phenotypic and genetic FH was modest.
Topologically driven linear magnetoresistance in helimagnetic FeP
Authors: Campbell D. J. , Collini J. , Sławińska J. , Autieri C. , Wang L. , Wang K. , Wilfong B. , Eo Y. S. , Neves P. , Graf D. , Rodriguez E. E. , Butch N. P. , Buongiorno Nardelli M. , Paglione J.
Published: April 2021

The helimagnet FeP is part of a family of binary pnictide materials with the MnP-type structure, which share a nonsymmorphic crystal symmetry that preserves generic band structure characteristics through changes in elemental composition. It shows many similarities, including in its magnetic order, to isostructural CrAs and MnP, two compounds that are driven to superconductivity under applied pressure. Here we present a series of high magnetic field experiments on high-quality single crystals of FeP, showing that the resistance not only increases without saturation by up to several hundred times its zero-field value by 35 T, but that it also exhibits an anomalously linear field dependence over the entire range when the field is aligned precisely along the crystallographic c-axis. A close comparison of quantum oscillation frequencies to electronic structure calculations links this orientation to a semi-Dirac point in the band structure, which disperses linearly in a single direction in the plane perpendicular to field, a symmetry-protected feature of this entire material family. We show that the two striking features of magnetoresistance—large amplitude and linear field dependence—arise separately in this system, with the latter likely due to a combination of ordered magnetism and topological band structure.
Characterizing chronological accumulation of comorbidities in healthy veterans: a computational approach
Authors: Hong Julian C. , Hauser Elizabeth R. , Redding Thomas S. , Sims Kellie J. , Gellad Ziad F. , O’Leary Meghan C. , Hyslop Terry , Madison Ashton N. , Qin Xuejun , Weiss David , Bullard A. Jasmine , Williams Christina D. , Sullivan Brian A. , Lieberman David , Provenzale Dawn
Published: April 2021

Understanding patient accumulation of comorbidities can facilitate healthcare strategy and personalized preventative care. We applied a directed network graph to electronic health record (EHR) data and characterized comorbidities in a cohort of healthy veterans undergoing screening colonoscopy. The Veterans Affairs Cooperative Studies Program #380 was a prospective longitudinal study of screening and surveillance colonoscopy. We identified initial instances of three-digit ICD-9 diagnoses for participants with at least 5 years of linked EHR history (October 1999 to December 2015). For diagnoses affecting at least 10% of patients, we calculated pairwise chronological relative risk (RR). iGraph was used to produce directed graphs of comorbidities with RR > 1, as well as summary statistics, key diseases, and communities. A directed graph based on 2210 patients visualized longitudinal development of comorbidities. Top hub (preceding) diseases included ischemic heart disease, inflammatory and toxic neuropathy, and diabetes. Top authority (subsequent) diagnoses were acute kidney failure and hypertensive chronic kidney failure. Four communities of correlated comorbidities were identified. Close analysis of top hub and authority diagnoses demonstrated known relationships, correlated sequelae, and novel hypotheses. Directed network graphs portray chronologic comorbidity relationships. We identified relationships between comorbid diagnoses in this aging veteran cohort. This may direct healthcare prioritization and personalized care.
Moving towards accurate and early prediction of language delay with network science and machine learning approaches
Authors: Borovsky Arielle , Thal Donna , Leonard Laurence B.
Published: April 2021

Due to wide variability of typical language development, it has been historically difficult to distinguish typical and delayed trajectories of early language growth. Improving our understanding of factors that signal language disorder and delay has the potential to improve the lives of the millions with developmental language disorder (DLD). We develop predictive models of low language (LL) outcomes by analyzing parental report measures of early language skill using machine learning and network science approaches. We harmonized two longitudinal datasets including demographic and standardized measures of early language skills (the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventories; MBCDI) as well as a later measure of LL. MBCDI data was used to calculate several graph-theoretic measures of lexico-semantic structure in toddlers’ expressive vocabularies. We use machine-learning techniques to construct predictive models with these datasets to identify toddlers who will have later LL outcomes at preschool and school-age. This approach yielded robust and reliable predictions of later LL outcome with classification accuracies in single datasets exceeding 90%. Generalization performance between different datasets was modest due to differences in outcome ages and diagnostic measures. Grammatical and lexico-semantic measures ranked highly in predictive classification, highlighting promising avenues for early screening and delineating the roots of language disorders.
Characterisation of S. aureus/MRSA CC1153 and review of mobile genetic elements carrying the fusidic acid resistance gene fusC
Authors: Monecke Stefan , Müller Elke , Braun Sascha D. , Armengol-Porta Marc , Bes Michèle , Boswihi Samar , El-Ashker Maged , Engelmann Ines , Gawlik Darius , Gwida Mayada , Hotzel Helmut , Nassar Rania , Reissig Annett , Ruppelt-Lorz Antje , Senok Abiola , Somily Ali M. , Udo Edet E. , Ehricht Ralf
Published: April 2021

While many data on molecular epidemiology of MRSA are available for North America, Western Europe and Australia, much less is known on the distribution of MRSA clones elsewhere. Here, we describe a poorly known lineage from the Middle East, CC1153, to which several strains from humans and livestock belong. Isolates were characterised using DNA microarrays and one isolate from the United Arab Emirates was sequenced using Nanopore technology. CC1153 carries agr II and capsule type 5 genes. Enterotoxin genes are rarely present, but PVL is common. Associated spa types include t504, t903 and t13507. PVL-positive CC1153-MSSA were found in Egyptian cattle suffering from mastitis. It was also identified among humans with skin and soft tissue infections in Saudi Arabia, France and Germany. CC1153-MRSA were mainly observed in Arabian Gulf countries. Some isolates presented with a previously unknown SCCmec/SCCfus chimeric element in which a mec B complex was found together with the fusidic acid resistance gene fusC and accompanying genes including ccrA/B-1 recombinase genes. Other isolates carried SCCmec V elements that usually also included fusC. Distribution and emergence of CC1153-MRSA show the necessity of molecular characterization of MRSA that are resistant to fusidic acid. These strains pose a public health threat as they combine resistance to beta-lactams used in hospitals as well as to fusidic acid used in the community. Because of the high prevalence of fusC-positive MRSA in the Middle East, sequences and descriptions of SCC elements harbouring fusC and/or mecA are reviewed. When comparing fusC and its surrounding regions from the CC1153 strain to available published sequences, it became obvious that there are four fusC alleles and five distinct types of fusC gene complexes reminiscent to the mec complexes in SCCmec elements. Likewise, they are associated with different sets of ccrA/B recombinase genes and additional payload that might include entire mec complexes or SCCmec elements.
Prediction of single-cell mechanisms for disease progression in hypertrophic remodelling by a trans-omics approach
Authors: Hamano Momoko , Nomura Seitaro , Iida Midori , Komuro Issei , Yamanishi Yoshihiro
Published: April 2021

Heart failure is a heterogeneous disease with multiple risk factors and various pathophysiological types, which makes it difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms involved. In this study, we proposed a trans-omics approach for predicting molecular pathological mechanisms of heart failure and identifying marker genes to distinguish heterogeneous phenotypes, by integrating multiple omics data including single-cell RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, and gene interactome data. We detected a significant increase in the expression level of natriuretic peptide A (Nppa), after stress loading with transverse aortic constriction (TAC), and showed that cardiomyocytes with high Nppa expression displayed specific gene expression patterns. Multiple NADH ubiquinone complex family, which are associated with the mitochondrial electron transport system, were negatively correlated with Nppa expression during the early stages of cardiac hypertrophy. Large-scale ChIP-seq data analysis showed that Nkx2-5 and Gtf2b were transcription factors characteristic of high-Nppa-expressing cardiomyocytes. Nppa expression levels may, therefore, represent a useful diagnostic marker for heart failure.
The Coronavirus Health and Impact Survey (CRISIS) reveals reproducible correlates of pandemic-related mood states across the Atlantic
Authors: Nikolaidis Aki , Paksarian Diana , Alexander Lindsay , Derosa Jacob , Dunn Julia , Nielson Dylan M. , Droney Irene , Kang Minji , Douka Ioanna , Bromet Evelyn , Milham Michael , Stringaris Argyris , Merikangas Kathleen R.
Published: April 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and its social and economic consequences have had adverse impacts on physical and mental health worldwide and exposed all segments of the population to protracted uncertainty and daily disruptions. The CoRonavIruS health and Impact Survey (CRISIS) was developed for use as an easy to implement and robust questionnaire covering key domains relevant to mental distress and resilience during the pandemic. Ongoing studies using CRISIS include international studies of COVID-related ill health conducted during different phases of the pandemic and follow-up studies of cohorts characterized before the COVID pandemic. In the current work, we demonstrate the feasibility, psychometric structure, and construct validity of this survey. We then show that pre-existing mood states, perceived COVID risk, and lifestyle changes are strongly associated with negative mood states during the pandemic in population samples of adults and in parents reporting on their children in the US and UK. These findings are highly reproducible and we find a high degree of consistency in the power of these factors to predict mental health during the pandemic.
Genetic changes are introduced by repeated exposure of Salmonella spiked in low water activity and high fat matrix to heat
Authors: Baert Leen , Gimonet Johan , Barretto Caroline , Fournier Coralie , Jagadeesan Balamurugan
Published: April 2021

WGS is used to define if isolates are “in” or “out” of an outbreak and/or microbial root cause investigation. No threshold of genetic differences is fixed and the conclusions on similarity between isolates are mainly based on the knowledge generated from previous outbreak investigations and reported mutation rates. Mutation rates in Salmonella when exposed to food processing conditions are lacking. Thus, in this study, the ability of heat and dry stress to cause genetic changes in two Salmonella serotypes frequently isolated from low moisture foods was investigated. S. enterica serovars S. Agona ATCC 51,957 and S. Mbandaka NCTC 7892 (ATCC 51,958) were repeatedly exposed to heat (90 °C for 5 min) in a low water activity and high fat matrix. No increased fitness of the strains was observed after 10 repeated heat treatments. However, genetic changes were introduced and the number of genetic differences increased with every heat treatment cycle. The genetic changes appeared randomly in the genome and were responsible for a population of diverse isolates with 0 to 28 allelic differences (0 to 38 SNPs) between them. This knowledge is key to interpret WGS results for source tracking investigations as part of a root cause analysis in a contamination event as isolates are exposed to stress conditions.
Differences in digit ratios between gay men who prefer receptive versus insertive sex roles indicate a role for prenatal androgen
Authors: Swift-Gallant Ashlyn , Di Rita Victor , Major Christina A. , Breedlove Christopher J. , Jordan Cynthia L. , Breedlove S. Marc
Published: April 2021

Among non-human mammals, exposure to androgens during critical periods of development leads to gynephilia (attraction to females), whereas the absence or low levels of prenatal androgens leads to androphilia (attraction to males). However, in humans, retrospective markers of prenatal androgens have only been associated with gynephilia among women, but not with androphilia among men. Here, we asked whether an indirect indication of prenatal androgen exposure, 2D:4D, differs between subsets of gay men delineated by anal sex role (ASR). ASR was used as a proxy for subgroups because ASR groups tend to differ in other measures affected by brain sexual differentiation, such as gender conformity. First, we replicated the finding that gay men with a receptive ASR preference (bottoms) report greater gender nonconformity (GNC) compared to gay men with an insertive ASR preference (tops). We then found that Tops have a lower (male-typical) average right-hand digit ratio than Bottoms, and that among all gay men the right-hand 2D:4D correlated with GNC, indicating that a higher (female-typical) 2D:4D is associated with increased GNC. Differences were found between non-exclusive and exclusive same-sex attraction and GNC, and ASR group differences on digit ratios do not reach significance when all non-heterosexual men are included in the analyses, suggesting greater heterogeneity in the development of non-exclusive same-sex sexual orientations. Overall, results support a role for prenatal androgens, as approximated by digit ratios, in influencing the sexual orientation and GNC of a subset of gay men.
Regulator of G protein signaling 17 represents a novel target for treating cisplatin induced hearing loss
Authors: Dhukhwa Asmita , Al Aameri Raheem F. H. , Sheth Sandeep , Mukherjea Debashree , Rybak Leonard , Ramkumar Vickram
Published: April 2021

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) accelerate the GTPase activity of G proteins to enable rapid termination of the signals triggered by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Activation of several GPCRs, including cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2R) and adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR), protects against noise and drug-induced ototoxicity. One such drug, cisplatin, an anticancer agent used to treat various solid tumors, produces permanent hearing loss in experimental animals and in a high percentage of cancer patients who undergo treatments. In this study we show that cisplatin induces the expression of the RGS17 gene and increases the levels of RGS17 protein which contributes to a significant proportion of the hearing loss. Knockdown of RGS17 suppressed cisplatin-induced hearing loss in male Wistar rats, while overexpression of RGS17 alone produced hearing loss in vivo. Furthermore, RGS17 and CB2R negatively regulate the expression of each other. These data suggest that RGS17 mediates cisplatin ototoxicity by uncoupling cytoprotective GPCRs from their normal G protein interactions, thereby mitigating the otoprotective contributions of endogenous ligands of these receptors. Thus, RGS17 represents a novel mediator of cisplatin ototoxicity and a potential therapeutic target for treating hearing loss.
Sex, population origin, age and average digit length as predictors of digit ratio in three large world populations
Authors: Butovskaya Marina , Burkova Valentina , Apalkova Yulia , Dronova Daria , Rostovtseva Victoria , Karelin Dmitriy , Mkrtchyan Ruzan , Negasheva Marina , Batsevich Valery
Published: April 2021

Recently, a number of authors have claimed that sexual dimorphism in the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is simply dependent on digit length and is an artifact of allometry. The goal of our study is to verify the validity of these assumptions. The study sample comprised 7,582 individuals (3,802 men and 3,780 women) from three large world populations: Europeans (n = 3043), East Africans (n = 2844), and Central Asians (n = 1695). The lengths of the second and fourth digits on both hands were measured. Digit ratios were computed according to standard procedures. Analyses were conducted separately for each hand for the whole sample and in succession for the three large populations. Additionally, we separately tested four age cohorts (≤ 13, 14–18, 19–30, and 31 ≥ years) to test the effect of developmental allometry. The second and fourth digits showed strong positive linear relationships on both hands, and demonstrated an increase with age; digit length in women from the youngest age cohort was longer or equal to that of men, and shorter than men in older age cohorts. However, the 2D:4D magnitude and its sexual dimorphism remained stable throughout the ontogeny. To test for an allometric effect on 2D:4D, the average digit lengths were calculated. Both sex and population origin were permanent reliable predictors of 2D:4D, whereas average digit length was not. Height was applied as another measure of allometric effect on the limited sample (≤ 30 years) from the European population, along with sex and age. No allometric effect was observed in this case. We conclude that sex differences in 2D:4D are not an artifact of allometry.
Experimental study of non-oxidized and oxidized bitumen obtained from heavy oil
Authors: Djimasbe Richard , Galiullin Eduard A. , Varfolomeev Mikhail A. , Fakhrutdinov Revo Z. , Al-Muntaser Ameen A. , Farhadian Abdolreza
Published: April 2021

Heavy oil and vacuum residue were used to obtain road bitumen BND 50/70 using two different methods of steam distillation at 323–362 °C and by oxidation, a method using packed column at temperature of 211–220 °C. The obtained residues using two methods steam distillation and oxidation are known as non-oxidized bitumen and oxidized bitumen, respectively. The products were evaluated using different standards including GOST 33133-2014, GOST 22245-90, and ASTM D5. The results showed that the yield of oxidized bitumen reached a maximal rate of 89.59% wt., while that of non-oxidized bitumen is 55% wt. The softening point of oxidized bitumen is 49–57 °C compared to non-oxidized bitumen (46–49 °C). Remarkably, the previous softening point and penetrability of 47–71 points of oxidized bitumen are consistent with norms to BND 50/70 bitumen, according standard. The non-oxidized bitumen has a relatively low softening point and a higher penetration value of 71–275, which refers to BND 200/300 bitumen. Comparatively, the use of a packed column is beneficial than the steam distillation, due to high capability of the nozzles to strengthens contact between feedstock and compressed air in the reaction zone and decreases the reaction time to 4.15 h.
Exhausting repetitive piano tasks lead to local forearm manifestation of muscle fatigue and negatively affect musical parameters
Authors: Goubault Etienne , Verdugo Felipe , Pelletier Justine , Traube Caroline , Begon Mickaël , Dal Maso Fabien
Published: April 2021

Muscle fatigue is considered as a risk factor for developing playing-related muscular disorders among professional pianists and could affect musical performance. This study investigated in 50 pianists the effect of fatiguing repetitive piano sequences on the development of forearm muscle fatigue and on piano performance parameters. Results showed signs of myoelectric manifestation of fatigue in the 42-electromyographic bipolar electrodes positioned on the forearm to record finger and wrist flexor and extensor muscles, through a significant non-constant decrease of instantaneous median frequency during two repetitiveDigital(right-hand 16-tones sequence) andChord(right-hand chords sequence) excerpts, with extensor muscles showing greater signs of fatigue than flexor muscles. In addition, muscle fatigue negatively affected key velocity, a central feature of piano sound intensity, in bothDigitalandChordexcerpts, and note-events, a fundamental aspect of musicians’ performance parameter, in theChordexcerpt only. This result highlights that muscle fatigue may alter differently pianists’ musical performance according to the characteristics of the piece played.
ANMAF: an automated neuronal morphology analysis framework using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Tong Ling , Langton Rachel , Glykys Joseph , Baek Stephen
Published: April 2021

Measurement of neuronal size is challenging due to their complex histology. Current practice includes manual or pseudo-manual measurement of somatic areas, which is labor-intensive and prone to human biases and intra-/inter-observer variances. We developed a novel high-throughput neuronal morphology analysis framework (ANMAF), using convolutional neural networks (CNN) to automatically contour the somatic area of fluorescent neurons in acute brain slices. Our results demonstrate considerable agreements between human annotators and ANMAF on detection, segmentation, and the area of somatic regions in neurons expressing a genetically encoded fluorophore. However, in contrast to humans, who exhibited significant variability in repeated measurements, ANMAF produced consistent neuronal contours. ANMAF was generalizable across different imaging protocols and trainable even with a small number of humanly labeled neurons. Our framework can facilitate more rigorous and quantitative studies of neuronal morphology by enabling the segmentation of many fluorescent neurons in thick brain slices in a standardized manner.
Studying information recurrence, gatekeeping, and the role of communities during internet outages in Venezuela
Authors: Thomas Pamela Bilo , Saldanha Emily , Volkova Svitlana
Published: April 2021

Many authoritarian regimes have taken to censoring internet access in order to stop the spread of misinformation, restrict citizens from discussing certain topics, and prevent mobilization, among other reasons. There are several theories about the effectiveness of censorship. Some suggest that censorship will effectively limit the flow of information, whereas others predict that a backlash will form, resulting in ultimately more discussion about the topic. In this work, we analyze the role of communities and gatekeepers during multiple internet outages in Venezuela in January 2019. First, we measure how critical information (e.g., entities and hashtags) spreads during outages focusing on information recurrence and burstiness within and across language and location communities. We discover that information bursts tend to cross both language and location community boundaries rather than being limited to a single community during several outages. Then we identify users who play central roles and propose a novel method to detect gatekeepers—users who prevent critical information from spreading across communities during outages. We show that bilingual and English-speaking users play more central roles compared to Spanish-speaking users, but users inside and outside Venezuela have similar distribution of centrality. Finally, we measure the differences in social network structure before and after each outage event and discuss its effect on how information spreads. We find that with each outage event social connections tend to get less connected with higher mean shortest path, indicating that the effect of censorship makes it harder for information to spread.
Prevalence and risk factors for myopia in Taiwanese diabetes mellitus patients: a multicenter case–control study in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Hsin-Ting , Zheng Cai-Mei , Fang Yu-Ann , Liu Ju-Chi , Wu Yun-Chun , Chang Yun-Hsiang , Chen Jiann-Torng , Liang Chang-Min , Chang Tian-Jong , Zheng Jing-Quan , Tai Ming-Cheng , Lin Yuh-Feng
Published: April 2021

This population-based retrospective cohort study investigated the prevalence of myopia among patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and evaluate risk factors for myopia in these groups. Records from 2000 to 2012 with at least one year of follow-up from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were included. This study included 35,538 patients with DM and 71,076 patients without DM. Patients with DM had a significantly higher adjusted hazard ratio for myopia in all age groups and both sexes compared with patients without DM. The subgroup analysis results revealed that the rates of myopia and astigmatism were significantly higher among patients with DM compared with patients without DM aged < 60 years. However, the rates of high myopia or myopia progression to high myopia did not differ significantly between the two groups. These findings indicate that DM is a critical risk factor for myopia and astigmatism among patients aged < 60 years. Therefore, active surveillance and earlier treatment of myopia are critical for patients with DM.
High-throughput kinase inhibitor screening reveals roles for Aurora and Nuak kinases in neurite initiation and dendritic branching
Authors: Blazejewski Sara M. , Bennison Sarah A. , Liu Xiaonan , Toyo-oka Kazuhito
Published: April 2021

Kinases are essential regulators of a variety of cellular signaling processes, including neurite formation—a foundational step in neurodevelopment. Aberrant axonal sprouting and failed regeneration of injured axons are associated with conditions like traumatic injury, neurodegenerative disease, and seizures. Investigating the mechanisms underlying neurite formation will allow for identification of potential therapeutics. We used a kinase inhibitor library to screen 493 kinase inhibitors and observed that 45% impacted neuritogenesis in Neuro2a (N-2a) cells. Based on the screening, we further investigated the roles of Aurora kinases A, B, and C and Nuak kinases 1 and 2. The roles of Aurora and Nuak kinases have not been thoroughly studied in the nervous system. Inhibition or overexpression of Aurora and Nuak kinases in primary cortical neurons resulted in various neuromorphological defects, with Aurora A regulating neurite initiation, Aurora B and C regulating neurite initiation and elongation, all Aurora kinases regulating arborization, and all Nuak kinases regulating neurite initiation and elongation and arborization. Our high-throughput screening and analysis of Aurora and Nuak kinases revealed their functions and may contribute to the identification of therapeutics.
Effect of glyphosate and P on the growth and nutrition of Coffea arabica cultivars and on weed control
Authors: da Costa Yanna Karoline Santos , Ribeiro Nagilla Moraes , de Moura Guilherme Cesar Pereira , Oliveira Artur Rodrigues , Bianco Silvano , Alcántara-de la Cruz Ricardo , de Carvalho Leonardo Bianco
Published: April 2021

The effect of the phosphorus (P) and glyphosate interactions on the growth and nutrition of Arabica coffee cultivars (Coffea arabica), as well as on the control of Ipomoea grandifolia and Urochloa decumbens, was evaluated. Catuaí-Amarelo/IAC-62 and Catuaí-Vermelho/IAC-144 cultivars did not show glyphosate poisoning, regardless of the soil P content. However, glyphosate reduced the growth of Catuaí-Vermelho/IAC-144. In addition, the soil P content influenced the height, leaf area and dry matter of Catuaí-Amarelo/IAC-62, and the absorption of P and Ca in both cultivars. On the other hand, glyphosate efficiently controlled U. decumbens but not I. grandifolia. Glyphosate effectiveness on I. grandifolia decreased as the soil P content increased. In addition, the soil P content and the glyphosate influenced the P content in I. grandifolia and U. decumbens plants. The soil P content influenced the growth and absorption of other nutrients by coffee plants as well as glyphosate effectiveness on weed control.
Enantiomers of 2-methylglutamate and 2-methylglutamine selectively impact mouse brain metabolism and behavior
Authors: Wawro Adam M. , Gajera Chandresh R. , Baker Steven A. , Leśniak Robert K. , Fischer Curt R. , Saw Nay L. , Shamloo Mehrdad , Montine Thomas J.
Published: April 2021

Imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission is implicated in a wide range of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. Here we tested the hypothesis that insertion of a methyl group on the stereogenic alpha carbon of l-Glu or l-Gln would impact the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt and the glutamate-glutamine cycle. (S)-2-methylglutamate, or (S)-2MeGlu, was efficiently transported into brain and synaptosomes where it was released by membrane depolarization in a manner equivalent to endogenous l-Glu. (R)-2MeGlu was transported less efficiently into brain and synaptosomes but was not released by membrane depolarization. Each enantiomer of 2MeGlu had limited activity across a panel of over 30 glutamate and GABA receptors. While neither enantiomer of 2MeGlu was metabolized along the GABA shunt, (S)-2MeGlu was selectively converted to (S)-2-methylglutamine, or (S)-2MeGln, which was subsequently slowly hydrolyzed back to (S)-2MeGlu in brain. rac-2MeGln was also transported into brain, with similar efficiency as (S)-2MeGlu. A battery of behavioral tests in young adult wild type mice showed safety with up to single 900 mg/kg dose of (R)-2MeGlu, (S)-2MeGlu, or rac-2MeGln, suppressed locomotor activity with single ≥ 100 mg/kg dose of (R)-2MeGlu or (S)-2MeGlu. No effect on anxiety or hippocampus-dependent learning was evident. Enantiomers of 2MeGlu and 2MeGln show promise as potential pharmacologic agents and imaging probes for cells that produce or transport l-Gln.
Intensifying cropping systems through doubled-up legumes in Eastern Zambia
Authors: Mwila Mulundu , Mhlanga Blessing , Thierfelder Christian
Published: April 2021

Declining soil fertility and negative impacts of climate effects threaten the food security of millions in Africa. Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a promising strategy to address these challenges. However, lack of viable economic entry points and short-term benefits for smallholders limit its adoption. Legume intensification can possibly increase the output per unit area, thus making the system more attractive. Rotations of maize with intensified legume systems were tested for three consecutive years under ridge and furrow (RF) tillage and CA to investigate: (a) increases in productivity of legumes and the subsequent maize crop; (b) changes in land equivalent ratios (LERs) and; (c) improved total system productivity. Results showed an increase in legume yields when growing two legumes simultaneously, leading to greater LERs (ranging between 1.13 and 1.29). However, there was only a significant season and not a main treatment effect as CA did not outperform RF in both phases of the rotation. Full populations of companion legumes improved overall system productivity, yielding 76.8 GJ ha−1 in a more conducive season while sole cropping of pigeonpea yielded only 4.4 GJ ha−1. We conclude that the doubled-up legumes systems have great potential to improve household food security when integrated into current smallholder farming.
Development of layer-by-layer assembled polyamide-imide membranes for oil sands produced water treatment
Authors: Helali Nusrat , Shamaei Laleh , Rastgar Masoud , Sadrzadeh Mohtada
Published: April 2021

The sustainable expansion of steam-assisted gravity drainage, as one of the most popular enhanced oil recovery methods, strongly depends on the proper management of the produced water. The strict environmental regulations have forced the oil sands industry to treat and reuse the produced water for oil extraction. Membrane separation as a single-step water treatment technique has played an important role in removing multiple-sized contaminants from wastewater. However, fouling limits the widespread application of this technology if the membrane is not modified properly to achieve antifouling propensities. Herein, we used the layer-by-layer assembly technique to sequentially coat the hydrophilic poly(diallyl dimethylammonium chloride) and polyacrylic acid on the surface of the polyamide-imide porous membrane to improve its fouling resistance. The effect of the number of bilayers on fouling and permeation properties was examined. The membrane with the highest fouling resistance and reasonable hydrodynamic permeability of 5.2 LMH/psi was achieved by coating four bilayers. This membrane exhibited a low flux decline of 50.2% and a high flux recovery ratio of 100%, while these numbers for the pristine PAI membrane were 75.9% and 97.8% under similar test conditions. The enhanced antifouling characteristics of the modified membranes indicate the viability of these membranes for oil sands produced water treatment with an easy cleaning procedure. The key parameter that contributed to the enhanced fouling resistance of the bilayer-coated membranes was the improved surface hydrophilicity, which manifests through the reduction of water contact angle from 62° ± 3° for the pristine membrane to 52° ± 2° for surface-modified membranes.
Ultra-high critical current densities of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films in the overdoped state
Authors: Stangl A. , Palau A. , Deutscher G. , Obradors X. , Puig T.
Published: April 2021

The functional properties of cuprates are strongly determined by the doping state and carrier density. We present an oxygen doping study of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) thin films from underdoped to overdoped state, correlating the measured charge carrier density, $${n}_{\mathrm{H}}$$

n
H

, the hole doping, p, and the critical current density, $${J}_{c}$$

J
c

. Our results show experimental demonstration of strong increase of $${J}_{c}$$

J
c

with $${n}_{\mathrm{H}}$$

n
H

, up to Quantum Critical Point (QCP), due to an increase of the superconducting condensation energy. The ultra-high $${J}_{c}$$

J
c

achieved, 90 MA cm−2 at 5 K corresponds to about a fifth of the depairing current, i.e. a value among the highest ever reported in YBCO films. The overdoped regime is confirmed by a sudden increase of $${n}_{\mathrm{H}}$$

n
H

, associated to the reconstruction of the Fermi-surface at the QCP. Overdoping YBCO opens a promising route to extend the current carrying capabilities of rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) coated conductors for applications.
Landscape structure affects the sunflower visiting frequency of insect pollinators
Authors: Lajos Károly , Samu Ferenc , Bihaly Áron Domonkos , Fülöp Dávid , Sárospataki Miklós
Published: April 2021

Mass-flowering crop monocultures, like sunflower, cannot harbour a permanent pollinator community. Their pollination is best secured if both managed honey bees and wild pollinators are present in the agricultural landscape. Semi-natural habitats are known to be the main foraging and nesting areas of wild pollinators, thus benefiting their populations, whereas crops flowering simultaneously may competitively dilute pollinator densities. In our study we asked how landscape structure affects major pollinator groups’ visiting frequency on 36 focal sunflower fields, hypothesising that herbaceous semi-natural (hSNH) and sunflower patches in the landscape neighbourhood will have a scale-dependent effect. We found that an increasing area and/or dispersion of hSNH areas enhanced the visitation of all pollinator groups. These positive effects were scale-dependent and corresponded well with the foraging ranges of the observed bee pollinators. In contrast, an increasing edge density of neighbouring sunflower fields resulted in considerably lower visiting frequencies of wild bees. Our results clearly indicate that the pollination of sunflower is dependent on the composition and configuration of the agricultural landscape. We conclude that an optimization of the pollination can be achieved if sufficient amount of hSNH areas with good dispersion are provided and mass flowering crops do not over-dominate the agricultural landscape.
Enhanced X-ray emission arising from laser-plasma confinement by a strong transverse magnetic field
Authors: Filippov Evgeny D. , Makarov Sergey S. , Burdonov Konstantin F. , Yao Weipeng , Revet Guilhem , Béard Jerome , Bolaños Simon , Chen Sophia N. , Guediche Amira , Hare Jack , Romanovsky Denis , Skobelev Igor Yu. , Starodubtsev Mikhail , Ciardi Andrea , Pikuz Sergey A. , Fuchs Julien
Published: April 2021

We analyze, using experiments and 3D MHD numerical simulations, the dynamic and radiative properties of a plasma ablated by a laser (1 ns, 10$$^{12}$$12–10$$^{13}$$13W/cm$$^2$$2) from a solid target as it expands into a homogeneous, strong magnetic field (up to 30 T) that is transverse to its main expansion axis. We find that as early as 2 ns after the start of the expansion, the plasma becomes constrained by the magnetic field. As the magnetic field strength is increased, more plasma is confined close to the target and is heated by magnetic compression. We also observe that after$$\sim 8$$∼8 ns, the plasma is being overall shaped in a slab, with the plasma being compressed perpendicularly to the magnetic field, and being extended along the magnetic field direction. This dense slab rapidly expands into vacuum; however, it contains only$$\sim 2\%$$∼2%of the total plasma. As a result of the higher density and increased heating of the plasma confined against the laser-irradiated solid target, there is a net enhancement of the total X-ray emissivity induced by the magnetization.
Silk films with nanotopography and extracellular proteins enhance corneal epithelial wound healing
Authors: Luo Yuncin , Kang Kai B. , Sartaj Rachel , Sun Michael G. , Zhou Qiang , Guaiquil Victor H. , Rosenblatt Mark I.
Published: April 2021

Corneal wound healing depends on extracellular matrix (ECM) and topographical cues that modulate migration and proliferation of regenerating cells. In our study, silk films with either flat or nanotopography patterned parallel ridge widths of 2000, 1000, 800 nm surfaces were combined with ECMs which include collagen type I (collagen I), fibronectin, laminin, and Poly-d-Lysine to accelerate corneal wound healing. Silk films with 800 nm ridge width provided better cell spreading and wound recovery than other size topographies. Coating 800 nm patterned silk films with collagen I proves to optimally further increased mouse and rabbit corneal epithelial cells growth and wound recovery. This enhanced cellular response correlated with redistribution and increase in size and total amount of focal adhesion. Transcriptomics and signaling pathway analysis suggested that silk topography regulates cell behaviors via actin nucleation ARP-WASP complex pathway, which regulate filopodia formation. This mechanism was further explored and inhibition of Cdc42, a key protein in this pathway, delayed wound healing and decreased the length, density, and alignment of filopodia. Inhibition of Cdc42 in vivo resulted in delayed re-epithelization of injured corneas. We conclude that silk film nanotopography in combination with collagen I constitutes a better substrate for corneal wound repair than either nanotopography or ECM alone.
Temporal oscillations in preference strength provide evidence for an open system model of constructed preference
Authors: Kvam Peter D. , Busemeyer Jerome R. , Pleskac Timothy J.
Published: April 2021

The decision process is often conceptualized as a constructive process in which a decision maker accumulates information to form preferences about the choice options and ultimately make a response. Here we examine how these constructive processes unfold by tracking dynamic changes in preference strength. Across two experiments, we observed that mean preference strength systematically oscillated over time and found that eliciting a choice early in time strongly affected the pattern of preference oscillation later in time. Preferences following choices oscillated between being stronger than those without prior choice and being weaker than those without choice. To account for these phenomena, we develop an open system dynamic model which merges the dynamics of Markov random walk processes with those of quantum walk processes. This model incorporates two sources of uncertainty: epistemic uncertainty about what preference state a decision maker has at a particular point in time; and ontic uncertainty about what decision or judgment will be observed when a person has some preference state. Representing these two sources of uncertainty allows the model to account for the oscillations in preference as well as the effect of choice on preference formation.
Topography modulates near-ground microclimate in the Mediterranean Fagus sylvatica treeline
Authors: Rita Angelo , Bonanomi Giuliano , Allevato Emilia , Borghetti Marco , Cesarano Gaspare , Mogavero Valentina , Rossi Sergio , Saulino Luigi , Zotti Maurizio , Saracino Antonio
Published: April 2021

Understanding processes controlling forest dynamics has become particularly important in the context of ongoing climate change, which is altering the ecological fitness and resilience of species worldwide. However, whether forest communities would be threatened by projected macroclimate change or unaffected due to the controlling effect of local site conditions is still a matter for debate. After all, forest canopy buffer climate extremes and promote microclimatic conditions, which matters for functional plant response, and act as refugia for understory species in a changing climate. Yet precisely how microclimatic conditions change in response to climate warming will depend on the extent to which vegetation structure and local topography shape air and soil temperature. In this study, we posited that forest microclimatic buffering is sensitive to local topographic conditions and canopy cover, and using meteorological stations equipped with data-loggers we measured this effect during 1 year across a climate gradient (considering aspect as a surrogate of local topography) in a Mediterranean beech treeline growing in contrasting aspects in southern Italy. During the growing season, the below-canopy near-ground temperatures were, on average, 2.4 and 1.0 °C cooler than open-field temperatures for south and north-west aspects, respectively. Overall, the temperature offset became more negative (that is, lower under-canopy temperatures at the treeline) as the open-field temperature increased, and more positive (that is, higher under-canopy temperatures at the treeline) as the open-field temperature decreased. The buffering effect was particularly evident for the treeline on the south-facing slope, where cooling of near-ground temperature was as high as 8.6 °C for the maximum temperature (in August the offset peaked at 10 °C) and as high as 2.5 °C for the average temperature. In addition, compared to the south-facing slope, the northern site exhibited less decoupling from free-air environment conditions and low variability in microclimate trends that closely track the free-air biophysical environment. Although such a decoupling effect cannot wholly isolate forest climatic conditions from macroclimate regional variability in the south-facing treeline, it has the potential to partly offset the regional macroclimatic warming experienced in the forest understory due to anthropogenic climate change.