bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biophysical characterization of the inactivation of E. coli transketolase by aqueous co-solvents
Authors: Morris Phattaraporn , García-Arrazola Ribia , Rios-Solis Leonardo , Dalby Paul A.
Published: December 2021

Transketolase (TK) has been previously engineered, using semi-rational directed evolution and substrate walking, to accept increasingly aliphatic, cyclic, and then aromatic substrates. This has ultimately led to the poor water solubility of new substrates, as a potential bottleneck to further exploitation of this enzyme in biocatalysis. Here we used a range of biophysical studies to characterise the response of both E. coli apo- and holo-TK activity and structure to a range of polar organic co-solvents: acetonitrile (AcCN), n-butanol (nBuOH), ethyl acetate (EtOAc), isopropanol (iPrOH), and tetrahydrofuran (THF). The mechanism of enzyme deactivation was found to be predominantly via solvent-induced local unfolding. Holo-TK is thermodynamically more stable than apo-TK and yet for four of the five co-solvents it retained less activity than apo-TK after exposure to organic solvents, indicating that solvent tolerance was not simply correlated to global conformational stability. The co-solvent concentrations required for complete enzyme inactivation was inversely proportional to co-solvent log(P), while the unfolding rate was directly proportional, indicating that the solvents interact with and partially unfold the enzyme through hydrophobic contacts. Small amounts of aggregate formed in some cases, but this was not sufficient to explain the enzyme inactivation. TK was found to be tolerant to 15% (v/v) iPrOH, 10% (v/v) AcCN, or 6% (v/v) nBuOH over 3 h. This work indicates that future attempts to engineer the enzyme to better tolerate co-solvents should focus on increasing the stability of the protein to local unfolding, particularly in and around the cofactor-binding loops.
INTS8 is a therapeutic target for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma via the integration of bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation
Authors: Zhou Qi , Ji Li , Shi Xueying , Deng Dawei , Guo Fangyue , Wang Zhengpeng , Liu Wenhui , Zhang Jinnan , Xia Shilin , Shang Dong
Published: December 2021

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) remains a rare malignancy, ranking as the leading lethal primary liver cancer worldwide. However, the biological functions of integrator complex subunit 8 (INTS8) in CHOL remain unknown. Thus, this research aimed to explore the potential role of INTS8 as a novel diagnostic or therapeutic target in CHOL. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in two Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were obtained by the “RRA” package in R software. The “maftools” package was used to visualize the CHOL mutation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression of INTS8 was detected by performing quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry in cell lines and human samples. The association between subtypes of tumour-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and INTS8 expression in CHOL was determined by using CIBERSORT tools. We evaluated the correlations between INTS8 expression and mismatch repair (MMR) genes and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) in pan-cancer analysis. Finally, the pan-cancer prognostic signature of INTS8 was identified by univariate analysis. We obtained the mutation landscapes of an RRA gene set in CHOL. The expression of INTS8 was upregulated in CHOL cell lines and human CHOL samples. Furthermore, INTS8 expression was closely associated with a distinct landscape of TIICs, MMR genes, and DNMTs in CHOL. In addition, the high INTS8 expression group presented significantly poor outcomes, including overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and disease-free interval (DFI) (p < 0.05) in pan-cancer. INTS8 contributes to the tumorigenesis and progression of CHOL. Our study highlights the significant role of INTS8 in CHOL and pan-cancers, providing a valuable molecular target for cancer research.
Morphogenetic and physiological effects of LED spectra on the apical buds of Ficus carica var. Black Jack
Authors: Parab Ankita Rajendra , Han Kho Ying , Chew Bee Lynn , Subramaniam Sreeramanan
Published: December 2021

The use of artificial light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) has become a prerequisite in tissue culture studies to obtain morphogenetic enhancements on in vitro plants. This technology is essential for developmental enhancements in the growing plant cultures due to its light quality and intensity greatly influencing the in vitro growing explants at a cellular level. The current study investigates the effects of different light-emitting diode (LED) spectra on the growth of apical buds of Ficus carica var. Black Jack. Ficus carica, commonly known as figs is rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals capable of treating microbial infections and gastric, inflammatory, and cardiac disorders. Apical buds of Ficus carica var. Black Jack, presented morphogenetic changes when grown under six different LED spectra. The highest multiple shoots (1.80 per growing explant) and healthy growing cultures were observed under the blue + red LED spectrum. Wound-induced callus formation was observed on apical buds grown under green LED spectrum and discolouration of the growing shoots were observed on the cultures grown under far-red LED spectrum. Multiple shoots obtained from the blue + red LED treatment were rooted using 8 µM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and the rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatised. Compared with the other monochromatic LEDs, blue + red proved to be significantly better for producing excellent plant morphogeny. It is apparent that blue and red LED is the most suitable spectra for the healthy development of plants. The findings have confirmed that the combination of blue + red LED can potentially be used for enhancing growth yields of medicinally and commercially important plants.
Disturbance and distribution gradients influence resource availability and feeding behaviours in corallivore fishes following a warm-water anomaly
Authors: MacDonald Chancey , Pinheiro Hudson T. , Shepherd Bart , Phelps Tyler A. Y. , Rocha Luiz A.
Published: December 2021

Understanding interactions between spatial gradients in disturbances, species distributions and species’ resilience mechanisms is critical to identifying processes that mediate environmental change. On coral reefs, a global expansion of coral bleaching is likely to drive spatiotemporal pulses in resource quality for obligate coral associates. Using technical diving and statistical modelling we evaluated how depth gradients in coral distribution, coral bleaching, and competitor density interact with the quality, preference and use of coral resources by corallivore fishes immediately following a warm-water anomaly. Bleaching responses varied among coral genera and depths but attenuated substantially between 3 and 47 m for key prey genera (Acropora and Pocillopora). While total coral cover declined with depth, the cover of pigmented corals increased slightly. The abundances of three focal obligate-corallivore butterflyfish species also decreased with depth and were not related to spatial patterns in coral bleaching. Overall, all species selectively foraged on pigmented corals. However, the most abundant species avoided feeding on bleached corals more successfully in deeper waters, where bleaching prevalence and conspecific densities were lower. These results suggest that, as coral bleaching increases, energy trade-offs related to distributions and resource acquisition will vary with depth for some coral-associated species.
PET imaging of brain aromatase in humans and rhesus monkeys by 11C-labeled cetrozole analogs
Authors: Takahashi Kayo , Hosoya Takamitsu , Onoe Kayo , Mori Tomoko , Tazawa Shusaku , Mawatari Aya , Wada Yasuhiro , Watanabe Yumiko , Doi Hisashi , Watanabe Yasuyoshi
Published: December 2021

Aromatase is an estrogen synthetic enzyme that plays important roles in brain functions. To quantify aromatase expression in the brain by positron emission tomography (PET), we had previously developed [11C]cetrozole, which showed high specificity and affinity. To develop more efficient PET tracer(s) for aromatase imaging, we synthesized three analogs of cetrozole. We synthesized meta-cetrozole, nitro-cetrozole, and iso-cetrozole, and prepared the corresponding 11C-labeled tracers. The inhibitory activities of these three analogs toward aromatase were evaluated using marmoset placenta, and PET imaging of brain aromatase was performed using the 11C-labeled tracers in monkeys. The most promising analog in the monkey study, iso-cetrozole, was evaluated in the human PET study. The highest to lowest inhibitory activity of the analogs toward aromatase in the microsomal fraction from marmoset placenta was in the following order: iso-cetrozole, nitro-cetrozole, cetrozole, and meta-cetrozole. This order showed good agreement with the order of the binding potential (BP) of each 11C-labeled analog to aromatase in the rhesus monkey brain. A human PET study using [11C]iso-analog showed a similar distribution pattern of binding as that of [11C]cetrozole. The time–activity curves showed that elimination of [11C]iso-cetrozole from brain tissue was faster than that of 11C-cetrozole, indicating more rapid metabolism of [11C]iso-cetrozole. [11C]Cetrozole has preferable metabolic stability for brain aromatase imaging in humans, although [11C]iso-cetrozole might also be useful to measure aromatase level in living human brain because of its high binding potential.
Migratory chondroprogenitors retain superior intrinsic chondrogenic potential for regenerative cartilage repair as compared to human fibronectin derived chondroprogenitors
Authors: Vinod Elizabeth , Johnson Noel Naveen , Kumar Sanjay , Amirtham Soosai Manickam , James Jithu Varghese , Livingston Abel , Rebekah Grace , Daniel Alfred Job , Ramasamy Boopalan , Sathishkumar Solomon
Published: December 2021

Cell-based therapy for articular hyaline cartilage regeneration predominantly involves the use of mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes. However, the regenerated repair tissue is suboptimal due to the formation of mixed hyaline and fibrocartilage, resulting in inferior long-term functional outcomes. Current preclinical research points towards the potential use of cartilage-derived chondroprogenitors as a viable option for cartilage healing. Fibronectin adhesion assay-derived chondroprogenitors (FAA-CP) and migratory chondroprogenitors (MCP) exhibit features suitable for neocartilage formation but are isolated using distinct protocols. In order to assess superiority between the two cell groups, this study was the first attempt to compare human FAA-CPs with MCPs in normoxic and hypoxic culture conditions, investigating their growth characteristics, surface marker profile and trilineage potency. Their chondrogenic potential was assessed using mRNA expression for markers of chondrogenesis and hypertrophy, glycosaminoglycan content (GAG), and histological staining. MCPs displayed lower levels of hypertrophy markers (RUNX2 and COL1A1), with normoxia-MCP exhibiting significantly higher levels of chondrogenic markers (Aggrecan and COL2A1/COL1A1 ratio), thus showing superior potential towards cartilage repair. Upon chondrogenic induction, normoxia-MCPs also showed significantly higher levels of GAG/DNA with stronger staining. Focused research using MCPs is required as they can be suitable contenders for the generation of hyaline-like repair tissue.
Electro-osmotic flow of biological fluid in divergent channel: drug therapy in compressed capillaries
Authors: Xu Yun-Jie , Nazeer Mubbashar , Hussain Farooq , Khan M. Ijaz , Hameed M. K. , Shah Nehad Ali , Chung Jae Dong
Published: December 2021

The multi-phase flow of non-Newtonian through a divergent channel is studied in this article. Jeffrey fluid is considered as the base liquid and tiny gold particles for the two-phase suspension. Application of external electric field parallel to complicated capillary with net surface charge density causes the bulk motion of the bi-phase fluid. In addition to, electro-osmotic flow with heat transfer, the simultaneous effects of viscous dissipation and nonlinear thermal radiation have also been incorporated. Finally, cumbersome mathematical manipulation yields a closed-form solution to the nonlinear differential equations. Parametric study reveals that more thermal energy is contributed in response to Brinkman number which significantly assists gold particles to more heat attain high temperature, as the remedy for compressed or swollen capillaries/arteries.
Stability and bifurcation analysis of super- and sub-harmonic responses in a torsional system with piecewise-type nonlinearities
Authors: Yoon Jong-Yun , Kim Byeongil
Published: December 2021

The nonlinear dynamic behaviors induced by piecewise-type nonlinearities generally reflect super- and sub-harmonic responses. Various inferences can be drawn from the stability conditions observed in nonlinear dynamic behaviors, especially when they are projected in physical motions. This study aimed to investigate nonlinear dynamic characteristics with respect to variational stability conditions. To this end, the harmonic balance method was first implemented by employing Hill’s method, and the time histories under stable and unstable conditions were examined using a numerical simulation. Second, the super- and sub-harmonic responses were investigated according to frequency upsweeping based on the arc-length continuation method. While the stability conditions vary along the arc length, the bifurcation phenomena also show various characteristics depending on their stable or unstable status. Thus, the study findings indicate that, to determine the various stability conditions along the direction of the arc length, it is fairly reasonable to determine nonlinear dynamic behaviors such as period-doubling, period-doubling cascade, and quasi-periodic (or chaotic) responses. Overall, this study suggests analytical and numerical methods to understand the super- and sub-harmonic responses by comparing the arc length of solutions with the variational stability conditions.
Plasmonic color filter array based visible light spectroscopy
Authors: Shakya Jyotindra R. , Shashi Farzana H. , Wang Alan X.
Published: December 2021

Compared with traditional Fabry–Perot optical filters, plasmonic color filters could greatly remedy the complexity and reduce the cost of manufacturing. In this paper we present end-to-end demonstration of visible light spectroscopy based on highly selective plasmonic color filter array based on resonant grating structure. The spectra of 6 assorted samples were measured using an array of 20 narrowband color filters and detected signals were used to reconstruct original spectra by using new unmixing algorithm and by solving least squares problem with smoothing regularization. The original spectra were reconstructed with less than 0.137 root mean squared error. This works shows promise towards fully integrating plasmonic color filter array in imagers used in hyperspectral cameras.
New explainability method for BERT-based model in fake news detection
Authors: Szczepański Mateusz , Pawlicki Marek , Kozik Rafał , Choraś Michał
Published: December 2021

The ubiquity of social media and their deep integration in the contemporary society has granted new ways to interact, exchange information, form groups, or earn money—all on a scale never seen before. Those possibilities paired with the widespread popularity contribute to the level of impact that social media display. Unfortunately, the benefits brought by them come at a cost. Social Media can be employed by various entities to spread disinformation—so called ‘Fake News’, either to make a profit or influence the behaviour of the society. To reduce the impact and spread of Fake News, a diverse array of countermeasures were devised. These include linguistic-based approaches, which often utilise Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Deep Learning (DL). However, as the latest advancements in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) domain show, the model’s high performance is no longer enough. The explainability of the system’s decision is equally crucial in real-life scenarios. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present a novel explainability approach in BERT-based fake news detectors. This approach does not require extensive changes to the system and can be attached as an extension for operating detectors. For this purposes, two Explainable Artificial Intelligence (xAI) techniques, Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations (LIME) and Anchors, will be used and evaluated on fake news data, i.e., short pieces of text forming tweets or headlines. This focus of this paper is on the explainability approach for fake news detectors, as the detectors themselves were part of previous works of the authors.
Comfortable and dermatological effects of hot spring bathing provide demonstrative insight into improvement in the rough skin of Capybaras
Authors: Inaka Kengo , Kimura Tohru
Published: December 2021

The purpose of this study was to clarify dermatologically the favorable effects of hot spring bathing on the rough skin in Capybaras. Non-volcanic hot springs used in this study showed alkaline quality of water (pH 9.3), containing sodium and chloride ions. The normal skin in Capybaras was characterized by the presence of relatively thick epidermis with mild alkaline state (pH 8.26). The dorsal skin had melanin granules in the basal layer. Their rough skin affected in the Japanese cold winter was improved by daily bathing in an alkaline hot spring. The skin properties returned to the normal skin conditions (moisture, melanin and erythema values) observed in the summer. The facial expression mainly changes in the eyes was scored to evaluate comfortable status. The comfortable status during hot spring bathing significantly increased as compared with that observed before bathing (p < 0.01). The thermography revealed a heat retention effect of body temperature after hot spring bathing for 30 min. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that hot spring had significantly comfortable and dermatological effects on the basis of evaluation for the skin and body conditions in Capybaras.
Effect of a 3% gelatin solution on urinary KIM-1 levels in patients after thyroidectomy: a preliminary randomized controlled trial
Authors: Leśnik Patrycja , Woźnica-Niesobska Ewa , Janc Jarosław , Mierzchała-Pasierb Magdalena , Łysenko Lidia
Published: December 2021

Optimal fluid therapy significantly affects the maintenance of proper tissue perfusion and, consequently, kidney function. An adverse effect of colloids on kidney function is related to the incidence of postoperative kidney failure. The study aimed to assess the effect of a 3% gelatin solution on kidney function based on the urinary kidney injury molecule-1 (uKIM-1) level. This study used a parallel design and enrolled 64 adult patients with a mean age of 52.5 ± 13.1 years, all of whom underwent a thyroidectomy procedure under general anesthesia. Patients were randomly assigned to three comparison groups, each receiving a different dose of 3% gelatin solution during the thyroidectomy procedure. The patients from study groups A (n = 21) and B (n = 21) received a 3% gelatin solution at a dose of 30 ml/kg and 15 ml/kg body weight, respectively, during the first hour of the procedure. The patients from the control group C (n = 22) received an isotonic multi-electrolyte solution. Serum creatinine levels were determined, and urine samples were collected to determine levels of uKIM-1 before, 2 h, and 24 h after surgery. The patients’ demographic data, type and volume of fluid and hemodynamic status during the surgery were collected from relevant anesthesia protocols and were included in the study data. There were no statistically significant changes between groups in hemodynamic parameters such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation values. A statistically significant increase in uKIM-1 level was noted in patients receiving the 3% gelatin solution regardless of the dose. A statistically significant difference in uKIM-1 level was observed between groups A, B, and C measured 24 h after surgery, with the highest uKIM-1 level in group A. Measurement of uKIM-1 level could be an early and sensitive biomarker of kidney injury. Kidney toxicity of a 3% gelatin solution, evaluated based on the level of uKIM-1 in urine, correlates with transfused fluid volume. This study was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN clinical trials registry (ISRCTN73266049, 08/04/2021: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN73266049).
Prediction of hemodynamic tolerance of intermittent hemodialysis in critically ill patients: a cohort study
Authors: da Hora Passos Rogerio , Caldas Juliana Ribeiro , Ramos Joao Gabriel Rosa , dos Santos Galvão de Melo Erica Batista , Silveira Marcelo Augusto Duarte , Batista Paulo Benigno Pena
Published: December 2021

The evaluation and management of fluid balance are key challenges when caring for critically ill patients requiring renal replacement therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of clinical judgment and other variables to predict the occurrence of hypotension during intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) in critically ill patients. This was a prospective, observational, single-center study involving critically ill patients undergoing IHD. The clinical judgment of hypervolemia was determined by the managing nephrologists and critical care physicians in charge of the patients on the basis of the clinical data used to calculate the ultrafiltration volume and rate for each dialysis treatment. Seventy-nine (31.9%) patients presented with hypotension during IHD. Patients were perceived as being hypervolemic in 109 (43.9%) of the cases by nephrologists and in 107 (43.1%) by intensivists. The agreement between nephrologists and intensivists was weak (kappa = 0.561). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded an AUC of 0.81 (95% CI 0.75 to 0.84; P < 0.0001), and a cutoff value of 70 mm for the vascular pedicle width (VPW) had the highest accuracy for the prediction of the absence of hypotension. The clinical judgment of hypervolemia did not predict hypotension during IHD. The high predictive ability of the VPW may assist clinicians with critical thinking.
Seasonal calibration of the end-cretaceous Chicxulub impact event
Authors: DePalma Robert A. , Oleinik Anton A. , Gurche Loren P. , Burnham David A. , Klingler Jeremy J. , McKinney Curtis J. , Cichocki Frederick P. , Larson Peter L. , Egerton Victoria M. , Wogelius Roy A. , Edwards Nicholas P. , Bergmann Uwe , Manning Phillip L.
Published: December 2021

The end-Cretaceous Chicxulub impact triggered Earth’s last mass-extinction, extinguishing ~ 75% of species diversity and facilitating a global ecological shift to mammal-dominated biomes. Temporal details of the impact event on a fine scale (hour-to-day), important to understanding the early trajectory of mass-extinction, have largely eluded previous studies. This study employs histological and histo-isotopic analyses of fossil fish that were coeval with a unique impact-triggered mass-death assemblage from the Cretaceous-Paleogene (KPg) boundary in North Dakota (USA). Patterns of growth history, including periodicity of ẟ18O and ẟ13C and growth band morphology, plus corroborating data from fish ontogeny and seasonal insect behavior, reveal that the impact occurred during boreal Spring/Summer, shortly after the spawning season for fish and most continental taxa. The severity and taxonomic symmetry of response to global natural hazards are influenced by the season during which they occur, suggesting that post-impact perturbations could have exerted a selective force that was exacerbated by seasonal timing. Data from this study can also provide vital hindsight into patterns of extant biotic response to global-scale hazards that are relevant to both current and future biomes.
Portable paper-in-tip spray ionization for the direct mass spectrometric analysis of target analytes in biofluid samples
Authors: Lu Fangfang , Zheng Yajun , Zhang Yuan , Ma Qiang , Zhang Zhiping
Published: December 2021

Portable sampling of target analytes in complex biofluid samples makes mass spectrometric analysis more efficient.
Conductive and anti-freezing hydrogels constructed by pseudo-slide-ring networks
Authors: Lin Qianming , Ke Chenfeng
Published: December 2021

A pseudo-slide-ring network is introduced to enhance the hydrogel's mechanical performance, providing anti-freezing property and ionic conductivity.
Three-component 1,2-dicarbofunctionalization of alkenes involving alkyl radicals
Authors: Gao Pin , Niu Yue-Jie , Yang Fan , Guo Li-Na , Duan Xin-Hua
Published: December 2021

This article provides a comprehensive perspective on three-component 1,2-dicarbofunctionalization of alkenes involving alkyl radicals, which generated from structurally diverse electrophilic and nucleophilic precursors under mild conditions.
Chirality inversion in hydrogen-bonded rhodanine–oligothiophene derivatives by solvent and temperature
Authors: Garcia Ana M. , Ruiz-Carretero Amparo
Published: December 2021

Inversion of supramolecular chirality with a single enantiomer of a hydrogen-bonded pi-conjugated system is achieved by applying external stimuli such as solvent and temperature.
RPnet: a reverse-projection-based neural network for coarse-graining metastable conformational states for protein dynamics
Authors: Gu Hanlin , Wang Wei , Cao Siqin , Unarta Ilona Christy , Yao Yuan , Sheong Fu Kit , Huang Xuhui
Published: December 2021

RPnet: a deep neural network algorithm based on the reverse projection of protein dynamics to efficiently identify metastable conformational states.
Optical microscopy imaging of the thermally-induced spin transition and isothermal multi-stepped relaxation in a low-spin stabilized spin-crossover material
Authors: Chakraborty Pradip , Sy Mouhamadou , Fourati Houcem , Delgado Teresa , Dutta Mousumi , Das Chinmoy , Besnard Céline , Hauser Andreas , Enachescu Cristian , Boukheddaden Kamel
Published: December 2021

A low-spin stabilized Fe(ii) spin-crossover material shows a single-step cooperative thermal transition and multi-stepped photoinduced high-spin – low-spin relaxation.
Porous polyelectrolyte frameworks: synthesis, post-ionization and advanced applications
Authors: Zhou Ting , Huang Xingye , Ding Ning , Lin Zheng , Yao Ying , Guo Jia
Published: December 2021

This review surveys approaches to the design and synthesis of emerging porous polyelectrolyte frameworks, and provides an overview of the recent advances in energy, environmental and biomedical fields.
Stable 3D neutral gallium thioantimonate frameworks decorated with transition metal complexes for a tunable photocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Li Juan , Liu Chengdong , Wang Xiang , Ding Yayun , Wu Zhou , Sun Peipei , Tang Jiaqi , Zhang Jiaxu , Li Dong-Sheng , Chen Ning , Wu Tao
Published: December 2021

Three novel stable isostructural 3D neutral gallium thioantimonate frameworks decorated with transition metal complexes, exhibiting tunable photocatalytic H2 activity, were synthesized.
Battery-type hollow Prussian blue analogues for asymmetric supercapacitors
Authors: Tian Guofu , Ran Xuan , Wang Qiufan , Zhang Daohong
Published: December 2021

Hollow CuO/Co3O4 and Fe2O3 nanoframes derived from Co/Fe-based PBAs precursor according to the nanoscale Kirkendall effect have been fabricated. The asymmetric supercapacitor delivers a high electrochemical properties.
Investigations of the reactivity, stability and biological activity of halido (NHC)gold(i) complexes
Authors: Goetzfried Sina Katharina , Kapitza Paul , Gallati Caroline Marie , Nindl Anna , Cziferszky Monika , Hermann Martin , Wurst Klaus , Kircher Brigitte , Gust Ronald
Published: December 2021

The significance of the halido ligand (Cl−, Br−, I−) in (NHC)gold(i) complexes in ligand exchange reactions, including the ligand scrambling to the bis(NHC)gold(i) complex 5, was evaluated by HPLC and discussed in relation to the biological activity in A2780 cell lines.
Reversible colour/luminescence colour changes of tetracyanoruthenium(ii) complexes by sorption/desorption of water molecules in crystals
Authors: Hattori Shingo , Nagai Tomoya , Sekine Akiko , Otsuka Takuhiro , Shinozaki Kazuteru
Published: December 2021

We report reversible vapochromic behaviour of tetracyanorutenium(ii) complexes by the sorption/desorption of water molecules in crystal.
A critical review on surface-modified nano-catalyst application for the photocatalytic degradation of volatile organic compounds
Authors: Zhao Weichen , Adeel Muhammad , Zhang Peng , Zhou Pingfan , Huang Lili , Zhao Yongwen , Ahmad Muhammad Arslan , Shakoor Noman , Lou Benzhen , Jiang Yaqi , Lynch Iseult , Rui Yukui
Published: December 2021

Surface modified nano-catalysts to improve the performance of photocatalytic degradation of VOC.
Formulation of infant formula with different casein fractions and their effects on physical properties and digestion characteristics
Authors: Zhang Junpeng , Du Xinyu , Jiang Shilong , Xie Qinggang , Mu Guangqing , Wu Xiaomeng
Published: December 2021

This study investigated whether casein (CN) fractions exhibit better physical properties and digestibility than native casein micelles presently used in the production of infant formula.
An ultrafast photodetector driven by interlayer exciton dissociation in a van der Waals heterostructure
Authors: Lopriore Edoardo , Marin Enrique G. , Fiori Gianluca
Published: December 2021

We model interlayer exciton transport in van der Waals heterostructures to propose devices based on interlayer exciton dissociation in split-gate geometries for ultrafast photodetector applications.
Photo-controlled self-assembly behavior of novel amphiphilic polymers with a rosin-based azobenzene group
Authors: Li Wanbing , Zhang Haibo , Zhai Zhaolan , Huang Xujuan , Shang Shibin , Song Zhanqian
Published: December 2021

Novel ‘bola’ rosin-based photo-responsive amphiphilic polymers PMPn show an extremely high photoresponsive efficiency and various assembly morphological changes.
A wide-temperature-range sensor based on wide-strain-range self-healing and adhesive organogels
Authors: Ge Jun , Dai Shengping , Dong Xu , Li Meng , Xu Yida , Jiang Yaoyao , Yuan Ningyi , Ding Jianning
Published: December 2021

Adaptable physicochemically double cross-linked network organogels for use at different temperatures are demonstrated.
High-resolution in situ patterning of perovskite quantum dots via femtosecond laser direct writing
Authors: Liang Shu-Yu , Liu Yue-Feng , Wang Shen-Yuan , Xia Hong , Sun Hong-Bo
Published: December 2021

Perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) have exhibited great potential for optoelectronic applications. Here, a femtosecond laser direct writing strategy was demonstrated for the in-situ fabrication of high-resolution patterned PQDs.
Anion binding to a cationic europium(iii) probe enables the first real-time assay of heparan sulfotransferase activity
Authors: Wheeler Simon , Breen Colum , Li Yong , Hewitt Sarah H. , Robertson Erin , Yates Edwin A. , Barsukov Igor L. , Fernig David G. , Butler Stephen J.
Published: December 2021

We present a new luminescent europium(iii)-based anion receptor that binds to PAP (adenosine-3′,5′-diphosphate). The increased emission intensity and lifetime of the receptor-PAP complex was used to develop the first real-time assay of heparan sulfotransferase activity.
Atomically-dispersed NiN4–Cl active sites with axial Ni–Cl coordination for accelerating electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Li Min , Wang Minmin , Liu Dongyuan , Pan Yuan , Liu Shoujie , Sun Kaian , Chen Yanju , Zhu Houyu , Guo Wenyue , Li Yanpeng , Cui Zhiming , Liu Bin , Liu Yunqi , Liu Chenguang
Published: December 2021

The NiN4–Cl SAs/N–C electrocatalyst consisting of NiN4–Cl active sites with axial Ni–Cl coordination was synthesized. The axial Cl-coordination modulates the electronic configuration of Ni–N4 sites and enhances the interaction of Ni–H efficiently.
Controlling the excited-state relaxation for tunable single-molecule dual fluorescence in both the solution and film states
Authors: Wang Gang , Ding Nannan , Hao Hongxing , Jiang Qingwei , Feng Qianqian , Liu Ke , Hua Chunxia , Bian Hongtao , Fang Yu , Liu Fengyi
Published: December 2021

Substitution-, temperature- and excitation wavelength-tunable dual fluorescence at the unimolecular level in both the solution and film states was achieved through controlling the excited-state relaxation pathways.
Multifunctional photoresponsive organic molecule for electric field sensing and modulation
Authors: Zhang Yingmu , He Jinghan , Saris Patrick J. G. , Chae Hyun Uk , Das Subrata , Kapadia Rehan , Armani Andrea M.
Published: December 2021

A multifunctional nonlinear organic molecular device is designed and demonstrated for electric field sensing and modulating. The molecule consists of a TPE-derived module connected by an alkyl chain to an NAI-derived module.
Line graph theory reveals hidden spin frustration and bond frustration in molecular crystals with strong isotropy
Authors: Suizu Rie , Awaga Kunio
Published: December 2021

Line graphs of the strong isotropic lattices, namely honeycomb, K4, and diamond, correspond to kagome, hyper-kagome, and pyrochlore, respectively. This relation indicates “hidden” spin and/or bond frustrations in these materials.
The journey from next-generation sequencing to personalized medicine?
Authors: Vandeputte Marion
Published: December 2021

Following the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, sequencing has become one of the most influential tools in biomedical research. Sequencing took off in earnest with the development of next-generation sequencing techniques in the early 2000s, making sequencing high throughput, faster, more affordable and commercially available to individual laboratories. With the improved understanding of the role of genetics in human disease, coupled with rapid advancement in sequencing technology, we are progressively unlocking the secrets of how our genes control the development of diseases. This has the potential to revolutionize medicine and healthcare, providing a significant step towards personalized medicine. How did we arrive here? What are the major achievements of sequencing technologies of the past two decades and how does it help us to piece the clues together towards personalized treatments and diagnosis?
Hypoxic preconditioning in renal ischaemia–reperfusion injury: a review in pre-clinical models
Authors: Bruzzese Laurie , Lumet Gwénaël , Vairo Donato , Guiol Claire , Guieu Régis , Faure Alice
Published: December 2021

Ischaemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) is a major cause of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease, which consists of cellular damage and renal dysfunction. AKI is a major complication that is of particular concern after cardiac surgery and to a lesser degree following organ transplantation in the immediate post-transplantation period, leading to delayed graft function. Because effective therapies are still unavailable, several recent studies have explored the potential benefit of hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) on IRI. HPC refers to the acquisition of increased organ tolerance to subsequent ischaemic or severe hypoxic injury, and experimental evidences suggest a potential benefit of HPC. There are three experimental forms of HPC, and, for better clarity, we named them as follows: physical HPC, HPC via treated-cell administration and stabilised hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α HPC, or mimicked HPC. The purpose of this review is to present the latest developments in the literature on HPC in the context of renal IRI in pre-clinical models. The data we compiled suggest that preconditional activation of hypoxia pathways protects against renal IRI, suggesting that HPC could be used in the treatment of renal IRI in transplantation.
Primary prevention of chronic anthracycline cardiotoxicity with ACE inhibitor is temporarily effective in rabbits, but benefits wane in post-treatment follow-up
Authors: Pokorná Zuzana , Kollárová-Brázdová Petra , Lenčová-Popelová Olga , Jirkovský Eduard , Kubeš Jan , Mazurová Yvona , Adamcová Michaela , Holečková Magdalena , Palička Vladimír , Šimůnek Tomáš , Štěrba Martin
Published: December 2021

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) have been used to treat anthracycline (ANT)-induced cardiac dysfunction, and they appear beneficial for secondary prevention in high-risk patients. However, it remains unclear whether they truly prevent ANT-induced cardiac damage and provide long-lasting cardioprotection. The present study aimed to examine the cardioprotective effects of perindopril on chronic ANT cardiotoxicity in a rabbit model previously validated with the cardioprotective agent dexrazoxane (DEX) with focus on post-treatment follow-up (FU). Chronic cardiotoxicity was induced by daunorubicin (DAU; 3 mg/kg/week for 10 weeks). Perindopril (0.05 mg/kg/day) was administered before and throughout chronic DAU treatment. After the completion of treatment, significant benefits were observed in perindopril co-treated animals, particularly full prevention of DAU-induced mortality and prevention or significant reductions in cardiac dysfunction, plasma cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels, morphological damage, and most of the myocardial molecular alterations. However, these benefits significantly waned during 3 weeks of drug-free FU, which was not salvageable by administering a higher perindopril dose. In the longer (10-week) FU period, further worsening of left ventricular function and morphological damage occurred together with heart failure (HF)-related mortality. Continued perindopril treatment in the FU period did not reverse this trend but prevented HF-related mortality and reduced the severity of the progression of cardiac damage. These findings contrasted with the robust long-lasting protection observed previously for DEX in the same model. Hence, in the present study, perindopril provided only temporary control of ANT cardiotoxicity development, which may be associated with the lack of effects on ANT-induced and topoisomerase II β (TOP2B)-dependent DNA damage responses in the heart.
Countering the classical renin–angiotensin system
Authors: Noto Natalia M. , Restrepo Yazmin M. , Speth Robert C.
Published: December 2021

It is well-established that Ang-(1-7) counteracts the effects of Ang II in the periphery, while stimulating vasopressin release and mimicking the activity of Ang II in the brain, through interactions with various receptors. The rapid metabolic inactivation of Ang-(1-7) has proven to be a limitation to therapeutic administration of the peptide. To circumvent this problem, Alves et al. (Clinical Science (2021) 135(18), https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20210599) developed a new transgenic rat model that overexpresses an Ang-(1-7)-producing fusion protein. In this commentary, we discuss potential concerns with this model while also highlighting advances that can ensue from this significant technical feat.
Resource electronic database for measuring regional cultural influence based on machine learning big data
Authors: Chen Tingting , Dong Yujing , Wen Xianchun
Published: December 2021

With the advent of the information age, the use of various mobile terminal devices has accelerated the integration of local cultures, which has also brought many unstable factors to society while promoting cultural diversification. This article aims to build a resource electronic database to measure regional cultural influence through the current popular big data technology, and to provide some reference suggestions and data resources for the harmonious development of regional culture. Based on the status quo of regional cultural development, this paper determines the key functional requirements for constructing an electronic database of regional cultural influence measurement resources. In the specific process of database design, big data mining algorithms and machine learning classification prediction algorithms are used to collect, classify and process the data resources of the regional cultural influence measurement database. Through case analysis, it is concluded that the electronic database of regional cultural influence measurement resources based on machine learning big data constructed in this paper is rich in data resources, and the relative mean square error of its classification algorithm is only 13.58%.
Study on the influence mechanism of ambient humidity on the temperature rise of decay‐like composite insulators
Authors: Zhong Zheng , Chen Yuan , Liu Yunpeng , Hou Sizu , Geng Jianghai
Published: December 2021

At present, observing the temperature rise of composite insulators is an effective method for the detection of decay‐like defects. However, ambient humidity will affect the temperature rise of composite insulators, which will cause problems in screening the decay‐like composite insulators. Therefore, it is urgent to study the temperature rise principle of decay‐like insulators and find out the influence mechanism of humidity on temperature rise. In this study, a four‐electrode system is designed to measure the surface current, volume current and interface current of the decay‐like short sample and the intact short sample under different humidity. Then the equivalent circuit models of short samples and the 500 kV full‐size decay‐like composite insulator are built to analyse the contribution rates of leakage conductance loss and polarisation loss to temperature rise. The results show that the contribution rates of the polarisation loss to the temperature rise of two samples are 35.8% and 23.6% in low humidity, while they are 98.3% and 64.4% in high humidity. For the full‐size decay‐like composite insulator, the contribution rates of polarisation loss to its temperature rise in high or low humidity are more than 99%. In addition, the proportion of polarisation loss increases at first and then decreases with the increase of the length of the decay‐like section. The conclusions of this study provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the corresponding relationship between decay‐like defects and temperature rise and improve the detection rate of decay‐like insulators.
Micro-concentrated photovoltaics based on Cu(In,Ga)Se2microcells: an optical study
Authors: Li Ning , Wang Chao , Tu Ye , Zhang Jinming , Yin Guanchao
Published: December 2021

Micro-concentrated Cu(In,Ga)Se2(µCPV-CIGSe) solar cells offer the potential to greatly reduce the consumption of raw materials while maintaining high efficiencies. A theoretical model of µCPV-CIGSe solar cells, consisting of hexagonally spaced micro-CIGSe (µ-CIGSe) solar cells embedded in the low-index dielectric matrix and µ-lenses placed on top, is proposed for optical study. It is discovered that µ-lenses enable to effectively concentrate the incident light due to the inherent nanojet phenomenon, and the µ-CIGSe absorbers trap the penetrated light within absorbers arising from wave-guided modes. The two effects co-contribute to an optimized absorption for µCPV-CIGSe solar cells with a µ-CIGSe absorber diameter of 800 nm and a pitch of 1500 nm. Short-circuit current density reaches 36.5 mA/cm2and accounts for 98.8% compared to their plain counterparts without lenses, corresponding to an absorber material saving by a factor of 3/4. Notably, a large contacting area between lenses and CIGSe solar cells are recommended for an improved angular tolerance. Those findings will recommend design principles for further experiments.
UML knowledge model for measurement process including uncertainty of measurement
Authors: Bharti Priyanka , Yang QingPing , Forbes Alistair B. , Koucha Yacine
Published: December 2021

Measurement technology has made an enormous progress in the last decade. With the advent of knowledge representation, various object-oriented models for measurement systems have been developed in the past. Most common limitations of all these models were not incorporating the uncertainty in the measurement process. In this paper, we proposed an object-oriented model depicting the information and knowledge flow in the measurement process, including the measurement uncertainty. The model has three major object classes, namely measurement planning, measurement system and analysis & documentation. These are further classified into sub-classes and relationships amongst them. Attributes and operations are also defined within the classes. This gives a practical and conceptual view of knowledge in the form of object-model for measurement processes. A case study is presented which evaluates the uncertainty of the measurement of a 100 mm gauge block, using both Type A and Type B evaluation methods of the GUM approach.This case study is very similar to the evaluation of calibration uncertainty of CMM. This model can be converted into semantic knowledge representation such as ontology of measurement process domain. Other use of this model is to support the quality engineering in manufacturing industry and research.
Identification de nouveaux facteurs entraînant des contractions CTG.CAG dans la dystrophie myotonique de type 1
Authors: de Pontual Laure , Gourdon Geneviève , Tomé Stéphanie
Published: December 2021

La dystrophie myotonique de type 1 (DM1 ou maladie de Steinert) est une maladie neuromusculaire multi-systémique causée par une expansion anormale de triplets CTG instables dans la région 3’UTR du gèneDMPK. Le nombre de répétitions augmente au cours des générations (instabilité intergénérationnelle) mais également avec l’âge du patient (instabilité somatique). Chez les patients, la taille des répétitions CTG est généralement corrélée à l’âge d’apparition et à la sévérité des symptômes. Ainsi, les expansions les plus grandes sont souvent associées à la forme clinique la plus grave de la DM1 (forme congénitale). Notre projet de thèse vise à identifier des nouveaux facteurs génétiques et chimiques capables de diminuer la taille des répétitions, et de mieux comprendre les mécanismes d’instabilité. Pour cela, un criblage génétique et pharmacologique est réalisé dans un modèle cellulaire HEK293 permettant de détecter rapidement les expansions (augmentation de la taille des triplets CTG) et les contractions (diminution de la taille des CTG). Les effets des différents gènes et facteurs chimiques, sélectionnés au cours du criblage, sur la dynamique de l’instabilité des triplets CTG seront étudiés dans un modèle cellulaire DM1. Les résultats de nos travaux permettront de mieux comprendre les mécanismes à l’origine des contractions. Par ailleurs, l’identification de nouveaux composés pharmacologiques susceptibles de favoriser les contractions CTG et ainsi réduire, voire inverser, la progression de la maladie, offrira de nouvelles perspectives thérapeutiques pour la DM1 mais aussi pour d’autres maladies à triplets répétés.
Contrôle du métabolisme oxydatif musculaire par les peptides natriurétiques
Authors: Moro Cédric
Published: December 2021

En marge de leur effet sur la régulation de la volémie, les peptides natriurétiques émergent depuis une vingtaine d’années comme des hormones métaboliques reliant l’activité cardiaque au métabolisme énergétique. Des travaux récents de notre équipe soulignent un nouveau rôle de ces peptides dans le contrôle du métabolisme oxydatif musculaire et ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives dans l’étude des maladies chroniques affectant les muscles squelettiques.