bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Convolution structures for an Orlicz space with respect to vector measures on a compact group
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Kumar N. Shravan
Published: March 2021

The aim of this paper is to present some results about the space $L^{\varPhi }(\nu ),$ where $\nu$ is a vector measure on a compact (not necessarily abelian) group and $\varPhi$ is a Young function. We show that under natural conditions, the space $L^{\varPhi }(\nu )$ becomes an $L^{1}(G)$-module with respect to the usual convolution of functions. We also define one more convolution structure on $L^{\varPhi }(\nu ).$
Reframing Antarctica’s ice loss: impacts of cryospheric change on local human activity
Authors: Provant Zachary , Elderbrock Evan , Willingham Andrea , Carey Mark , Antonello Alessandro , Moffat Carlos , Sutherland Dave , Shahid Sakina
Published: March 2021

Physical scientists, social scientists, humanities scholars, and journalists have all framed Antarctica as a place of global importance—as a laboratory for scientific research, as a strategic site for geopolitical agendas, and more recently as a source of melting ice that could catastrophically inundate populations worldwide. Yet, the changing cryosphere impacts society within Antarctica as well, and this article expands the focus of Antarctic ice research to include human activities on and around the continent. It reframes Antarctica as a place with human history and local activities that are being affected by melting ice, even if the consequences are much smaller in scale than the effects of global sea level rise. Specifically focused on tourism and conservation along the west Antarctica Peninsula (wAP), this article demonstrates the impacts of changing glaciers and sea ice on the timing, location, and type of tourism as well as the ability of changing ice to mediate human experiences through conservation agendas. As future ice conditions influence Antarctic tourism and conservation, an attention to issues emerging within the wAP region offers a new perspective on climate change impacts and the management of Antarctic activities in the 21st-century Anthropocene.
Culture and psychopathology: An attempt at reconsidering the role of social learning
Authors: Fonagy Peter , Campbell Chloe , Constantinou Matthew , Higgitt Anna , Allison Elizabeth , Luyten Patrick
Published: March 2021

This paper proposes a model for developmental psychopathology that is informed by recent research suggestive of a single model of mental health disorder (the p factor) and seeks to integrate the role of the wider social and cultural environment into our model, which has previously been more narrowly focused on the role of the immediate caregiving context. Informed by recently emerging thinking on the social and culturally driven nature of human cognitive development, the ways in which humans are primed to learn and communicate culture, and a mentalizing perspective on the highly intersubjective nature of our capacity for affect regulation and social functioning, we set out a cultural-developmental approach to psychopathology.
THE MAUSOLEUM ARCHITECTURAL PROJECT: REINTERPRETING PALENQUE'S TEMPLE OF THE INSCRIPTIONS THROUGH 3D DATA-DRIVEN ARCHITECTURAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Campiani Arianna , Liendo Stuardo Rodrigo , Lercari Nicola
Published: March 2021

The Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque, Mexico, is an outstanding example of Classic Maya architecture erected in the seventh century as the funerary building for ruler K'inich Janab Pakal. For decades, scholars have speculated on its construction sequence and the potential existence of hidden rooms on either side of Pakal's mortuary chamber. This article aims to advance understanding of the Temple's architectural context in light of new 3D data. After reviewing the application of drone-based photogrammetry and terrestrial Light Detection and Ranging in the Maya area, we argue that these techniques are capable of enhancing the architectural analysis of the Temple of the Inscriptions and showing that this structure was part of a larger architectural project, encompassing the adjacent Temple XIII, and the connecting stepped building platform. Our findings demonstrate that the basal platforms for the Temple of the Inscriptions and Temple XIII were erected contemporaneously and that the design of their mortuary chambers follows a tripartite layout we identified in Palenque's elite funerary architecture and associated mortuary practices. We conclude that these three buildings were part of a mausoleum architectural project, the construction of which was initiated by Pakal to reshape Palenque's site-core and enshrine the ruling family's power and ancestors.
Glacial Dust Surpasses Both Volcanic Ash and Desert Dust in Its Iron Fertilization Potential
Authors: Koffman Bess G. , Yoder Meg F. , Methven Taylor , Hanschka Lena , Sears Helen B. , Saylor Patrick L. , Wallace Kristi L.
Published: March 2021

The subarctic Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea comprise the second‐largest high nitrate, low chlorophyll region in the world, where primary production is limited by the availability of iron (Fe). To estimate the potential impact of different terrestrial aerosol Fe sources on marine ecosystems, we performed a suite of laboratory assessments following established protocols, including: (1) leaching with Milli‐Q water, (2) sequential extractions, (3) complete acid digestions, (4) X‐ray diffraction, and (5) grain size analysis. Measurements were performed on 20 fine‐grained (<5 μm) glacier‐derived sediments from Alaska and the Yukon, two fresh, never‐wetted volcanic ashes (Redoubt 2009 and Pavlof 2016), and six weathered ashes (Redoubt and Augustine) which span the past ∼8,700 years. We compared results to published data on Asian desert‐derived sediments, finding that the glacier‐derived sediments have five times higher easily reducible Fe (median 2.3 ± 0.6 wt.%) than desert‐derived samples (0.49 ± 0.1 wt.%) and fourteen times higher easily reducible Fe than fresh ash (0.16 ± 0.1 wt.%). In addition, fractional Fe solubility was higher in glacial sediment (median cumulative 0.31 ± 0.11% FeS) than volcanic ash (0.04 ± 0.02% FeS). Glacial sediments contained higher concentrations of other bioactive metals including Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Cd, and Pb. Results suggest that glacier‐derived dust may provide the subarctic Pacific with more bioavailable iron per unit mass than either volcanic ash or Asian desert‐derived dust.
Mutability of demographic noise in microbial range expansions
Authors: Yu QinQin , Gralka Matti , Duvernoy Marie-Cécilia , Sousa Megan , Harpak Arbel , Hallatschek Oskar
Published: March 2021

Demographic noise, the change in the composition of a population due to random birth and death events, is an important driving force in evolution because it reduces the efficacy of natural selection. Demographic noise is typically thought to be set by the population size and the environment, but recent experiments with microbial range expansions have revealed substantial strain-level differences in demographic noise under the same growth conditions. Many genetic and phenotypic differences exist between strains; to what extent do single mutations change the strength of demographic noise? To investigate this question, we developed a high-throughput method for measuring demographic noise in colonies without the need for genetic manipulation. By applying this method to 191 randomly-selected single gene deletion strains from the E. coli Keio collection, we find that a typical single gene deletion mutation decreases demographic noise by 8% (maximal decrease: 81%). We find that the strength of demographic noise is an emergent trait at the population level that can be predicted by colony-level traits but not cell-level traits. The observed differences in demographic noise from single gene deletions can increase the establishment probability of beneficial mutations by almost an order of magnitude (compared to in the wild type). Our results show that single mutations can substantially alter adaptation through their effects on demographic noise and suggest that demographic noise can be an evolvable trait of a population.
Characterization of the first cultured free-living representative of Candidatus Izemoplasma uncovers its unique biology
Authors: Zheng Rikuan , Liu Rui , Shan Yeqi , Cai Ruining , Liu Ge , Sun Chaomin
Published: March 2021

Candidatus Izemoplasma, an intermediate in the reductive evolution from Firmicutes to Mollicutes, was proposed to represent a novel class of free-living wall-less bacteria within the phylum Tenericutes. Unfortunately, the paucity of pure cultures has limited further insights into their physiological and metabolic features as well as ecological roles. Here, we report the first successful isolation of an Izemoplasma representative from the deep-sea methane seep, strain zrk13, using a DNA degradation-driven method given Izemoplasma’s prominent DNA-degradation potentials. We further present a detailed description of the physiological, genomic and metabolic traits of the novel strain, which allows for the first time the reconstruction of the metabolic potential and lifestyle of a member of the tentatively defined Candidatus Izemoplasma. On the basis of the description of strain zrk13, the novel species and genus Xianfuyuplasma coldseepsis is proposed. Using a combined biochemical and transcriptomic method, we further show the supplement of organic matter, thiosulfate or bacterial genomic DNA could evidently promote the growth of strain zrk13. In particular, strain zrk13 could degrade and utilize the extracellular DNA for growth in both laboraterial and deep-sea conditions. Moreover, the predicted genes determining DNA-degradation broadly distribute in the genomes of other Izemoplasma members. Given that extracellular DNA is a particularly crucial phosphorus as well as nitrogen and carbon source for microorganisms in the seafloor, Izemoplasma bacteria are thought to be important contributors to the biogeochemical cycling in the deep ocean.
Functional tissue-engineered bone-like graft made of a fibrin scaffold and TG2 gene-modified EMSCs for bone defect repair
Authors: Shi Wentao , Que Yunduan , Zhang Xuan , Bian Lu , Yu Xuejian , Tang Xue , Yang Guofeng , Dai Yao , Bi Shiqi , Lv Demin , Weng Yuyan , Wu Weijiang , Zhang Zhijian , Lu Xiaojie , Lu Naiyan
Published: March 2021

The transplantation of tissue-engineered scaffolds with stem cells is a promising therapeutic approach for bone defect repair. To improve the therapeutic efficacy of this approach, in this study, a novel biofunctional live tissue-engineered bone-like graft was designed and constructed using a fibrin scaffold loaded with TG2 gene-modified ectomesenchymal stem cells (TG2-EMSCs) derived from nasal respiratory mucosa for bone defect repair. Autocalcification of the cell-free fibrin gel in osteogenic medium with additional alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the osteogenic differentiation of TG2-EMSCs on the fibrin scaffold were assessed in vitro. The results indicated that the cell-free fibrin gel could autocalcify in the osteogenic medium with ALP and that the overexpression of TG2 by TG2-EMSCs could promote the osteogenic differentiation of these stem cells in the fibrin scaffold. Moreover, TG2 could enhance the deposition of extracellular matrix proteins in the fibrin scaffold, followed by calcification of the bone matrix in vitro. After transplantation into critical-sized cranial defects in rats, the functional tissue-engineered bone-like grafts improved bone regeneration. These results indicate that this tissue-engineered bone-like graft could improve the process of bone defect repair.
Ocular coloboma—a comprehensive review for the clinician
Authors: Lingam Gopal , Sen Alok C. , Lingam Vijaya , Bhende Muna , Padhi Tapas Ranjan , Xinyi Su
Published: March 2021

Typical ocular coloboma is caused by defective closure of the embryonal fissure. The occurrence of coloboma can be sporadic, hereditary (known or unknown gene defects) or associated with chromosomal abnormalities. Ocular colobomata are more often associated with systemic abnormalities when caused by chromosomal abnormalities. The ocular manifestations vary widely. At one extreme, the eye is hardly recognisable and non-functional—having been compressed by an orbital cyst, while at the other, one finds minimalistic involvement that hardly affects the structure and function of the eye. In the fundus, the variability involves the size of the coloboma (anteroposterior and transverse extent) and the involvement of the optic disc and fovea. The visual acuity is affected when coloboma involves disc and fovea, or is complicated by occurrence of retinal detachment, choroidal neovascular membrane, cataract, amblyopia due to uncorrected refractive errors, etc. While the basic birth anomaly cannot be corrected, most of the complications listed above are correctable to a great extent. Current day surgical management of coloboma-related retinal detachments has evolved to yield consistently good results. Cataract surgery in these eyes can pose a challenge due to a combination of microphthalmos and relatively hard lenses, resulting in increased risk of intra-operative complications. Prophylactic laser retinopexy to the border of choroidal coloboma appears to be an attractive option for reducing risk of coloboma-related retinal detachment. However, a majority of the eyes have the optic disc within the choroidal coloboma, thus making it difficult to safely administer a complete treatment.
Bora phosphorylation substitutes in trans for T-loop phosphorylation in Aurora A to promote mitotic entry
Authors: Tavernier N. , Thomas Y. , Vigneron S. , Maisonneuve P. , Orlicky S. , Mader P. , Regmi S. G. , Van Hove L. , Levinson N. M. , Gasmi-Seabrook G. , Joly N. , Poteau M. , Velez-Aguilera G. , Gavet O. , Castro A. , Dasso M. , Lorca T. , Sicheri F. , Pintard L.
Published: March 2021

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) is instrumental for mitotic entry and progression. Plk1 is activated by phosphorylation on a conserved residue Thr210 in its activation segment by the Aurora A kinase (AURKA), a reaction that critically requires the co-factor Bora phosphorylated by a CyclinA/B-Cdk1 kinase. Here we show that phospho-Bora is a direct activator of AURKA kinase activity. We localize the key determinants of phospho-Bora function to a 100 amino acid region encompassing two short Tpx2-like motifs and a phosphoSerine-Proline motif at Serine 112, through which Bora binds AURKA. The latter substitutes in trans for the Thr288 phospho-regulatory site of AURKA, which is essential for an active conformation of the kinase domain. We demonstrate the importance of these determinants for Bora function in mitotic entry both in Xenopus egg extracts and in human cells. Our findings unveil the activation mechanism of AURKA that is critical for mitotic entry.
The oncogene AAMDC links PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling with metabolic reprograming in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer
Authors: Golden Emily , Rashwan Rabab , Woodward Eleanor A. , Sgro Agustin , Wang Edina , Sorolla Anabel , Waryah Charlene , Tie Wan Jun , Cuyàs Elisabet , Ratajska Magdalena , Kardaś Iwona , Kozlowski Piotr , Johnstone Elizabeth K. M. , See Heng B. , Duffy Ciara , Parry Jeremy , Lagerborg Kim A. , Czapiewski Piotr , Menendez Javier A. , Gorczyński Adam , Wasag Bartosz , Pfleger Kevin D. G. , Curtis Christina , Lee Bum-Kyu , Kim Jonghwan , Cursons Joseph , Pavlos Nathan J. , Biernat Wojciech , Jain Mohit , Woo Andrew J. , Redfern Andrew , Blancafort Pilar
Published: March 2021

Adipogenesis associated Mth938 domain containing (AAMDC) represents an uncharacterized oncogene amplified in aggressive estrogen receptor-positive breast cancers. We uncover that AAMDC regulates the expression of several metabolic enzymes involved in the one-carbon folate and methionine cycles, and lipid metabolism. We show that AAMDC controls PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling, regulating the translation of ATF4 and MYC and modulating the transcriptional activity of AAMDC-dependent promoters. High AAMDC expression is associated with sensitization to dactolisib and everolimus, and these PI3K-mTOR inhibitors exhibit synergistic interactions with anti-estrogens in IntClust2 models. Ectopic AAMDC expression is sufficient to activate AKT signaling, resulting in estrogen-independent tumor growth. Thus, AAMDC-overexpressing tumors may be sensitive to PI3K-mTORC1 blockers in combination with anti-estrogens. Lastly, we provide evidence that AAMDC can interact with the RabGTPase-activating protein RabGAP1L, and that AAMDC, RabGAP1L, and Rab7a colocalize in endolysosomes. The discovery of the RabGAP1L-AAMDC assembly platform provides insights for the design of selective blockers to target malignancies having the AAMDC amplification.
Multi-pronged neuromodulation intervention engages the residual motor circuitry to facilitate walking in a rat model of spinal cord injury
Authors: Bonizzato Marco , James Nicholas D. , Pidpruzhnykova Galyna , Pavlova Natalia , Shkorbatova Polina , Baud Laetitia , Martinez-Gonzalez Cristina , Squair Jordan W. , DiGiovanna Jack , Barraud Quentin , Micera Silvestro , Courtine Gregoire
Published: March 2021

A spinal cord injury usually spares some components of the locomotor circuitry. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the midbrain locomotor region and epidural electrical stimulation of the lumbar spinal cord (EES) are being used to tap into this spared circuitry to enable locomotion in humans with spinal cord injury. While appealing, the potential synergy between DBS and EES remains unknown. Here, we report the synergistic facilitation of locomotion when DBS is combined with EES in a rat model of severe contusion spinal cord injury leading to leg paralysis. However, this synergy requires high amplitudes of DBS, which triggers forced locomotion associated with stress responses. To suppress these undesired responses, we link DBS to the intention to walk, decoded from cortical activity using a robust, rapidly calibrated unsupervised learning algorithm. This contingency amplifies the supraspinal descending command while empowering the rats into volitional walking. However, the resulting improvements may not outweigh the complex technological framework necessary to establish viable therapeutic conditions.
Single-cell analyses of Crohn’s disease tissues reveal intestinal intraepithelial T cells heterogeneity and altered subset distributions
Authors: Jaeger Natalia , Gamini Ramya , Cella Marina , Schettini Jorge L. , Bugatti Mattia , Zhao Shanrong , Rosadini Charles V. , Esaulova Ekaterina , Di Luccia Blanda , Kinnett Baylee , Vermi William , Artyomov Maxim N. , Wynn Thomas A. , Xavier Ramnik J. , Jelinsky Scott A. , Colonna Marco
Published: March 2021

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic transmural inflammation of intestinal segments caused by dysregulated interaction between microbiome and gut immune system. Here, we profile, via multiple single-cell technologies, T cells purified from the intestinal epithelium and lamina propria (LP) from terminal ileum resections of adult severe CD cases. We find that intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) contain several unique T cell subsets, including NKp30+γδT cells expressing RORγt and producing IL-26 upon NKp30 engagement. Further analyses comparing tissues from non-inflamed and inflamed regions of patients with CD versus healthy controls show increased activated TH17 but decreased CD8+T, γδT, TFH and Treg cells in inflamed tissues. Similar analyses of LP find increased CD8+, as well as reduced CD4+T cells with an elevated TH17 over Treg/TFH ratio. Our analyses of CD tissues thus suggest a potential link, pending additional validations, between transmural inflammation, reduced IEL γδT cells and altered spatial distribution of IEL and LP T cell subsets.
Cardiac macrophages prevent sudden death during heart stress
Authors: Sugita Junichi , Fujiu Katsuhito , Nakayama Yukiteru , Matsubara Takumi , Matsuda Jun , Oshima Tsukasa , Liu Yuxiang , Maru Yujin , Hasumi Eriko , Kojima Toshiya , Seno Hiroshi , Asano Keisuke , Ishijima Ayumu , Tomii Naoki , Yamazaki Masatoshi , Kudo Fujimi , Sakuma Ichiro , Nagai Ryozo , Manabe Ichiro , Komuro Issei
Published: March 2021

Cardiac arrhythmias are a primary contributor to sudden cardiac death, a major unmet medical need. Because right ventricular (RV) dysfunction increases the risk for sudden cardiac death, we examined responses to RV stress in mice. Among immune cells accumulated in the RV after pressure overload-induced by pulmonary artery banding, interfering with macrophages caused sudden death from severe arrhythmias. We show that cardiac macrophages crucially maintain cardiac impulse conduction by facilitating myocardial intercellular communication through gap junctions. Amphiregulin (AREG) produced by cardiac macrophages is a key mediator that controls connexin 43 phosphorylation and translocation in cardiomyocytes. Deletion of Areg from macrophages led to disorganization of gap junctions and, in turn, lethal arrhythmias during acute stresses, including RV pressure overload and β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. These results suggest that AREG from cardiac resident macrophages is a critical regulator of cardiac impulse conduction and may be a useful therapeutic target for the prevention of sudden death.
Non-equilibrium properties of an active nanoparticle in a harmonic potential
Authors: Schmidt Falko , Šípová-Jungová Hana , Käll Mikael , Würger Alois , Volpe Giovanni
Published: March 2021

Active particles break out of thermodynamic equilibrium thanks to their directed motion, which leads to complex and interesting behaviors in the presence of confining potentials. When dealing with active nanoparticles, however, the overwhelming presence of rotational diffusion hinders directed motion, leading to an increase of their effective temperature, but otherwise masking the effects of self-propulsion. Here, we demonstrate an experimental system where an active nanoparticle immersed in a critical solution and held in an optical harmonic potential features far-from-equilibrium behavior beyond an increase of its effective temperature. When increasing the laser power, we observe a cross-over from a Boltzmann distribution to a non-equilibrium state, where the particle performs fast orbital rotations about the beam axis. These findings are rationalized by solving the Fokker-Planck equation for the particle’s position and orientation in terms of a moment expansion. The proposed self-propulsion mechanism results from the particle’s non-sphericity and the lower critical point of the solution.
Co-dependency for MET and FGFR1 in basal triple-negative breast cancers
Authors: Sung Vanessa Y. C. , Knight Jennifer F. , Johnson Radia M. , Stern Yaakov E. , Saleh Sadiq M. , Savage Paul , Monast Anie , Zuo Dongmei , Duhamel Stéphanie , Park Morag
Published: March 2021

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous disease that lacks both effective patient stratification strategies and therapeutic targets. Whilst elevated levels of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase are associated with TNBCs and predict poor clinical outcome, the functional role of MET in TNBC is still poorly understood. In this study, we utilise an established Met-dependent transgenic mouse model of TNBC, human cell lines and patient-derived xenografts to investigate the role of MET in TNBC tumorigenesis. We find that in TNBCs with mesenchymal signatures, MET participates in a compensatory interplay with FGFR1 to regulate tumour-initiating cells (TICs). We demonstrate a requirement for the scaffold protein FRS2 downstream from both Met and FGFR1 and find that dual inhibition of MET and FGFR1 signalling results in TIC depletion, hindering tumour progression. Importantly, basal breast cancers that display elevated MET and FGFR1 signatures are associated with poor relapse-free survival. Our results support a role for MET and FGFR1 as potential co-targets for anti-TIC therapies in TNBC.
The HSP70-fused foot-and-mouth disease epitope elicits cellular and humoral immunity and drives broad-spectrum protective efficacy
Authors: Jo Hyundong , Kim Bong Yoon , Park So Hui , Kim Hyun Mi , Shin Sung Ho , Hwang Seong Yun , Kim Su-Mi , Kim Byounghan , Park Jong-Hyeon , Lee Min Ja
Published: March 2021

Current foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines have significant limitations, including side effects due to oil emulsions at the vaccination site, a narrow spectrum of protective efficacy, and incomplete host defenses mediated by humoral immunity alone. To overcome these limitations, new FMD vaccines must ensure improved safety with non-oil-based adjuvants, a broad spectrum of host defenses within/between serotypes, and the simultaneous induction of cellular and humoral immunity. We designed a novel, immune-potent, recombinant protein rpHSP70-AD that induces robust cellular immunity and elicits a broad spectrum of host defenses against FMD virus (FMDV) infections. We demonstrated that an oil emulsion-free vaccine containing rpHSP70-AD mediates early, mid-term, and long-term immunity and drives potent host protection against FMDV type O and A, suggesting its potential as an FMD vaccine adjuvant in mice and pigs. These results suggest a key strategy for establishing next-generation FMD vaccines, including novel adjuvants.
Downscaling GRACE total water storage change using partial least squares regression
Authors: Vishwakarma Bramha Dutt , Zhang Jinwei , Sneeuw Nico
Published: March 2021

The Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission recorded temporal variations in the Earth’s gravity field, which are then converted to Total Water Storage Change (TWSC) fields representing an anomaly in the water mass stored in all three physical states, on and below the surface of the Earth. GRACE provided a first global observational record of water mass redistribution at spatial scales greater than 63000 km2. This limits their usability in regional hydrological applications. In this study, we implement a statistical downscaling approach that assimilates 0.5° × 0.5° water storage fields from the WaterGAP hydrology model (WGHM), precipitation fields from 3 models, evapotranspiration and runoff from 2 models, with GRACE data to obtain TWSC at a 0.5° × 0.5° grid. The downscaled product exploits dominant common statistical modes between all the hydrological datasets to improve the spatial resolution of GRACE. We also provide open access to scripts that researchers can use to produce downscaled TWSC fields with input observations and models of their own choice.
A novel causality-centrality-based method for the analysis of the impacts of air pollutants on PM2.5 concentrations in China
Authors: Wang Bocheng
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we analyzed the spatial and temporal causality and graph-based centrality relationship between air pollutants and PM2.5 concentrations in China from 2013 to 2017. NO2, SO2, CO and O3 were considered the main components of pollution that affected the health of people; thus, various joint regression models were built to reveal the causal direction from these individual pollutants to PM2.5 concentrations. In this causal centrality analysis, Beijing was the most important area in the Jing-Jin-Ji region because of its developed economy and large population. Pollutants in Beijing and peripheral cities were studied. The results showed that NO2 pollutants play a vital role in the PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing and its surrounding areas. An obvious causality direction and betweenness centrality were observed in the northern cities compared with others, demonstrating the fact that the more developed cities were most seriously polluted. Superior performance with causal centrality characteristics in the recognition of PM2.5 concentrations has been achieved.
Amikacin nebulization for the adjunctive therapy of gram-negative pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Qin Jun-Ping , Huang Hui-Bin , Zhou Hua , Zhu Yuan , Xu Yuan , Du Bin
Published: March 2021

Treatment of ventilated patients with gram-negative pneumonia (GNP) is often unsuccessful. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of nebulized amikacin (NA) as adjunctive therapy to systemic antibiotics in this patient population. PubMed, Embase, China national knowledge infrastructure, Wanfang, and the Cochrane database were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effect of NA as adjunctive therapy in ventilated adult patients with GNP. Heterogeneity was explored using subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis. The Grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation approach was used to assess the certainty of the evidence. Thirteen RCTs with 1733 adults were included. The pooled results showed NA had better microbiologic eradication (RR = 1.51, 95% CI 1.35 to 1.69, P < 0.0001) and improved clinical response (RR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.34; P < 0.0001) when compared with control. Meanwhile, overall mortality, pneumonia associated mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, length of stay in ICU and change of clinical pneumonia infection scores were similar between NA and control groups. Additionally, NA did not add significant nephrotoxicity while could cause more bronchospasm. The use of NA adjunctive to systemic antibiotics therapy showed better benefits in ventilated patients with GNP. More well-designed RCTs are still needed to confirm our results.
Diquafosol tetrasodium elicits total cholesterol release from rabbit meibomian gland cells via P2Y2 purinergic receptor signalling
Authors: Endo Ken-ichi , Sakamoto Asuka , Fujisawa Koushi
Published: March 2021

Diquafosol tetrasodium (DQS), a purinergic P2Y2 receptor agonist, stimulates secretion of both water and mucins from the conjunctiva into tears. Hence, DQS-containing eye drops have been approved as a therapeutic option for dry eye disease in some Asian countries, including Japan. Recent clinical reports state that instilling DQS-containing eye drops significantly increases the lipid layer thickness in tears. Therefore, we examined this compound’s direct actions on holocrine lipid-secreting meibomian gland cells and their function. Isolated meibomian gland cells (meibocytes) were procured from rabbits and cultivated in serum-free culture medium. Differentiated meibocytes with pioglitazone were used for the subsequent experiments. Intracellular Ca2+ signalling of the cells was dramatically elevated with DQS addition in a dose-dependent manner. This DQS-induced elevation was almost completely cancelled by the coexistence of the selective P2Y2 receptor antagonist AR-C118925XX. DQS treatment also facilitated total cholesterol (TC) release from cells into the medium. This effect of DQS on TC was suppressed significantly by the intracellular Ca2+ chelator BAPTA-AM as well as by AR-C118925XX. DNA fragmentation analysis revealed that DQS may have enhanced the apoptotic DNA fragmentation caused spontaneously by cells. Thus, DQS could stimulate meibocytes to release lipids through the P2Y2 receptor and possibly facilitate holocrine cell maturation.
Hard carbon for sodium storage: mechanism and optimization strategies toward commercialization
Authors: Chen Dequan , Zhang Wen , Luo Kangying , Song Yang , Zhong Yanjun , Liu Yuxia , Wang Gongke , Zhong Benhe , Wu Zhenguo , Guo Xiaodong
Published: March 2021

The sodium storage mechanism of hard carbon, optimization strategies of electrochemical performance, and the scientific challenges towards the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries were systematically summarized and analyzed.
Free fatty acids induce the demethylation of the fructose 1,6-biphosphatase 2 gene promoter and potentiate its expression in hepatocytes
Authors: Wang Lujing , Liu Min , Wu Yucui , Li Xingan , Yin Fei , Yin Li , Liu Jianhui
Published: March 2021

Free fatty acids induce the development of obesity by mediating the demethylation of fructose 1,6-biphosphatase 2 gene promoters.
Prediction of unexpected BnPn structures: promising materials for non-linear optical devices and photocatalytic activities
Authors: Mahdavifar Zabiollah
Published: March 2021

In the present work, a modern method of crystal structure prediction, namely USPEX conjugated with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, was used to predict the new stable structures of BnPn (n = 12, 24) clusters.
Copper(ii)-catalysed direct C3–H esterification of indoles assisted by an N,N-bidentate auxiliary moiety
Authors: Pan You-Lu , Xu Hai-Feng , Hu Xu-Yang , Li Gang-Jian , Chen Jian-Zhong
Published: March 2021

The regioselective direct C3-esterification of indoles with OXA is developed in an efficient reaction with carboxylic acids using the catalyst CuBr2 and oxidants Ag2CO3 and K2S2O8.
Ultrafast excited state relaxation dynamics in a heteroleptic Ir(iii) complex, fac-Ir(ppy)2(ppz), revealed by femtosecond X-ray transient absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Choi Jungkweon , Ahn Mina , Lee Jae Hyuk , Ahn Doo-Sik , Ki Hosung , Oh Inhwan , Ahn Chi Woo , Choi Eun Hyuk , Lee Yunbeom , Lee Seonggon , Kim Jungmin , Cho Dae Won , Wee Kyung-Ryang , Ihee Hyotcherl
Published: March 2021

The experimental and calculation results demonstrate that the 3MLppzCT state generated by the spin-forbidden transition rapidly relaxes to 3MLppyCT through internal conversion process with a time constant of ∼450 fs.
Mineral and biological ice-nucleating particles above the South East of the British Isles
Authors: Sanchez-Marroquin A. , West J. S. , Burke I. T. , McQuaid J. B. , Murray B. J.
Published: March 2021

Mineral dust is responsible for the ice-nucleating properties of aerosol samples collected over the British Isles below ∼−20 °C, while an additional source, potentially biogenic, must explain the ice-nucleating properties at higher temperatures.
High-throughput large-area vacuum deposition for high-performance formamidine-based perovskite solar cells
Authors: Feng Jiangshan , Jiao Yuxiao , Wang Hui , Zhu Xuejie , Sun Youming , Du Minyong , Cao Yuexian , Yang Dong , Liu Shengzhong (Frank)
Published: March 2021

An in-vacuum low-temperature annealing process is developed to make high-density formamidine-based perovskite films. When the temperature is optimized, the efficiency increases to 21.32%, the highest value for a PSC fabricated with vacuum deposition.
Employing lignin in the formation of the selective layer of thin-film composite membranes for pervaporation desalination
Authors: Chen Yu-Ting , Sun Yi-Ming , Hu Chien-Chieh , Lai Juin-Yih , Liu Ying-Ling
Published: March 2021

Lignin, a biomass material, is employed as the effective material for building up the separative layer of thin-film composite membranes for pervaporation desalination.
Gas hydrates in confined space of nanoporous materials: new frontier in gas storage technology
Authors: Both Avinash Kumar , Gao Yurui , Zeng Xiao Cheng , Cheung Chin Li
Published: March 2021

Gas hydrates have emerged as a front runner in gas storage and carbon capture technology. This review highlights recent studies on the growth and theoretical models of gas hydrates within four different categories of nanoporous materials.
Palladium-catalyzed carbonylative cyclization of benzyl chlorides with anthranils for the synthesis of 3-arylquinolin-2(1H)-ones
Authors: Liu Jian-Li , Xu Ren-Rui , Wang Wei , Qi Xinxin , Wu Xiao-Feng
Published: March 2021

An efficient carbonylative procedure for the synthesis of 3-arylquinoin-2(1H)-ones has been established.
Applanmerotic acids A and B, two meroterpenoid dimers with an unprecedented polycyclic skeleton from Ganoderma applanatum that inhibit formyl peptide receptor 2
Authors: Peng Xingrong , Su Haiguo , Wang Huirong , Hu Guilin , Hu Kun , Zhou Lin , Qiu Minghua
Published: March 2021

Applanmerotic acids A and B (1 and 2) with a polycyclic skeleton isolated from Ganoderma applantum showed anti-inflammatory activity via inhibiting the activation of FPR2.
Recent advances on transition-metal-catalysed asymmetric reductive amination
Authors: Tian Yingying , Hu Le'an , Wang Yuan-Zheng , Zhang Xumu , Yin Qin
Published: March 2021

This review focuses on the recent progress of homogeneous transition-metal-catalysed asymmetric reductive amination of ketones with diverse nitrogen sources.
Au nanolenses for near-field focusing
Authors: Lee Sungwoo , Lee Soohyun , Kim Jae-Myoung , Son Jiwoong , Cho Eunbyeol , Yoo Sungjae , Hilal Hajir , Nam Jwa-Min , Park Sungho
Published: March 2021

We synthesized a Au nanolens with electromagnetic near-field focusing capability by integrating a Au nanoporous structure at the center of the Pt@Au nanoring via synthetic steps of eccentric growth of Ag and nanoscale Galvanic exchange reaction.
Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1—naturally competent for synthetic biology
Authors: Santala Suvi , Santala Ville
Published: March 2021

Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is a non-pathogenic soil bacterium known for its metabolic diversity and high natural transformation and recombination efficiency. For these features, A. baylyi ADP1 has been long exploited in studying bacterial genetics and metabolism. The large pool of information generated in the fundamental studies has facilitated the development of a broad range of sophisticated and robust tools for the genome and metabolic engineering of ADP1. This mini-review outlines and describes the recent advances in ADP1 engineering and tool development, exploited in, for example, pathway and enzyme evolution, genome reduction and stabilization, and for the production of native and non-native products in both pure and rationally designed multispecies cultures. The rapidly expanding toolbox together with the unique features of A. baylyi ADP1 provide a strong base for a microbial cell factory excelling in synthetic biology applications where evolution meets rational engineering.
Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 as a bacterial platform for electro-biotechnology
Authors: Ikeda Sota , Takamatsu Yuki , Tsuchiya Miyu , Suga Keigo , Tanaka Yugo , Kouzuma Atsushi , Watanabe Kazuya
Published: March 2021

The genus Shewanella comprises over 70 species of heterotrophic bacteria with versatile respiratory capacities. Some of these bacteria are known to be pathogens of fishes and animals, while many are non-pathogens considered to play important roles in the global carbon cycle. A representative strain is Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 that has been intensively studied for its ability to respire diverse electron acceptors, such as oxygen, nitrate, sulfur compounds, metals, and organics. In addition, studies have been focused on its ability as an electrochemically active bacterium that is capable of discharging electrons to and receiving electrons from electrodes in bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for balancing intracellular redox states. This ability is expected to be applied to electro-fermentation (EF) for producing value-added chemicals that conventional fermentation technologies are difficult to produce efficiently. Researchers are also attempting to utilize its electrochemical ability for controlling gene expression, for which electro-genetics (EG) has been coined. Here we review fundamental knowledge on this bacterium and discuss future directions of studies on its applications to electro-biotechnology (EB).
D‐BERT: Incorporating dependency‐based attention into BERT for relation extraction
Authors: Huang Yuan , Li Zhixing , Deng Wei , Wang Guoyin , Lin Zhimin
Published: March 2021

Relation extraction between entity pairs is an increasingly critical area in natural language processing. Recently, the pre‐trained bidirectional encoder representation from transformer (BERT) performs excellently on the text classification or sequence labelling tasks. Here, the high‐level syntactic features that consider the dependency between each word and the target entities into the pre‐trained language models are incorporated. Our model also utilizes the intermediate layers of BERT to acquire different levels of semantic information and designs multi‐granularity features for final relation classification. Our model offers a momentous improvement over the published methods for the relation extraction on the widely used data sets.
Statistical analysis of the best relay location in a random two‐way relay network with multi‐slope path loss
Authors: Salimnejad Mehrdad , Rabiei Amir Masoud
Published: March 2021

This paper presents an exact statistical analysis for the best relay location in a random two‐way relay network whose channels are subject to multi‐slope path loss and Rayleigh fading. In this network, relays are distributed randomly as a two‐dimensional Poisson point process, and the best relay is selected according to a max–min criterion. The midpoint between the two sources is adopted as a reference point and the relays are indexed such that the closer to the reference point, the smaller is the index. An exact analytical expression is derived for the probability that the th nearest relay to the reference point is the best relay. Then, a detailed statistical analysis for the location of the best relay with respect to the reference point is presented. In each case, a low‐complexity approximation is also derived and its accuracy is verified by numerical simulation. The proposed analysis demonstrates the counter‐intuitive fact that the best relay in a random two‐way relay network is quite unlikely to be located on, or very close to the reference point. Numerical results also suggest that the proposed analysis can be used to restrict the search region for finding the best relay.
Looking around in the neighbourhood: Location estimation of outdoor urban images
Authors: Huang Jie , Huang Haozhi
Published: March 2021

Visual geolocalisation has remained as a challenge in the research community: Given a query image, and a geo‐tagged reference database, the goal is to derive a location estimate for the query image. We propose an approach to tackling the geolocalisation problem in a four‐step manner. Essentially, our approach focuses on re‐ranking the candidate images after image retrieval, by considering the visual similarity of the candidate and its neighbouring images, to the query image. By introducing the neighbouring images, the visual information of a candidate location has been enriched. The evaluation has been conducted on three street view datasets, where our approach outperforms three baseline approaches, in terms of location estimation accuracy on two datasets. We provide discussions related to, firstly, whether using deep features for image retrieval helps improve location estimation accuracy, and the effectiveness of geographical neighbourhoods; secondly, using different deep architectures for feature extraction, and its impact on estimation accuracy; thirdly, investigating if our approach consistently outperforms the classic 1‐NN approach, on two datasets with significant difference in visual elements.
Transactive energy systems for distributed blackstart and service recovery
Authors: Bhattarai Bishnu , Chalishazar Vishvas , Hammerstrom Donald , Maharjan Manisha
Published: March 2021

Current transactive controls use marginal benefits and marginal costs to achieve an economic market efficiency during normal grid operations. However, the transactive mechanisms designed for normal economic operations cannot be applied directly for the contingencies because the grid operations during contingencies are often dictated by technical needs rather than purely economic criteria. For instance, one of the key technical requirements for the blackstart is to have at least one blackstart capable resource cleared which cannot be ensured by the transactive mechanism designed for normal economic operations because they work primarily based on the marginal benefit and marginal cost of the participants. This article presents one of the first attempts to develop a transactive mechanism to be used during grid contingencies. A distributed blackstart and service recovery is used as an example contingency to evaluate the performance of the proposed transactive mechanism. The performance of the proposed transactive mechanism is demonstrated for various use cases using a modified IEEE‐123 node test system. The simulation results demonstrated the proof of concept of applying a transactive mechanism to enable distributed blackstart and service recovery by engaging the mix of blackstart capable and non‐capable distributed energy resources.
Esthetic Considerations in Orthodontics: An Overview
Authors: Singh Swati , Singla Litesh , Anand Tanya
Published: March 2021

Esthetics has been an ever-evolving concept and has gained considerable importance in the field of orthodontics in the last few decades. The re-emergence of the soft tissue paradigm has further catapulted the interest of the orthodontist. So much so that achieving a harmonious profile and an esthetically pleasing smile has become the ideal goal of treatment and is no longer secondary to achieving a functional dental occlusion and/or a rigid adherence to skeletal and dental norms. Esthetics in the orthodontic sense can be divided into three categories: macroesthetics, miniesthetics, and microesthetics. Macroesthetics includes the evaluation of the face and involves frontal assessment and profile analysis. The frontal assessment involves assessment of facial proportions, while the profile analysis involves evaluation of anterior–posterior position of jaws, mandibular plane, and incisor prominence and lip posture. Miniesthetics involves study of the smile framework involving the vertical tooth–lip relationship, smile type, transverse dimensions of smile, smile arc, and midline. Microesthetics involves the assessment of tooth proportions, height-width relationships, connectors and embrasures, gingival contours and heights, and tooth shade and color. The harmony between these factors enables an orthodontist to achieve the idealized esthetic result and hence these parameters deserve due consideration. The importance placed on a pleasing profile cannot be undermined and the orthodontist should aim for a harmonious facial profile over rigid adherence to standard average cephalometric norms. This article aims to give an overview of the macro, mini, and microesthetic considerations in relation to orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning.
Gross and microanatomy of the male reproductive duct system of the saltwater crocodile
Authors: Nixon Brett , Anderson Amanda L. , Bromfield Elizabeth G. , Martin Jacinta H. , Lord Tessa , Cafe Shenae L. , Roman Shaun D. , Skerrett-Byrne David A. , Eamens Andrew L. , De Iuliis Geoffry N. , Johnston Stephen D.
Published: March 2021

Information on the morphology and histology of the male reproductive system of the Crocodylia species is necessary to determine the role of these tissues in the production of functional spermatozoa. Accordingly, in this study we examined the gross morphology and microanatomy of the testis and the male excurrent duct system through which spermatozoa pass before ejaculation. The data demonstrate that the reproductive system in male saltwater crocodiles comprises paired testes, which convey spermatozoa distally via the rete testis into an excurrent duct system comprising ductuli efferentes, ductuli epididymides, ductus epididymidis and ductus deferens. The epithelium delineating the male tract was dominated by non-ciliated and ciliated cells structured into a simple columnar lining of the ductuli efferentes and ductuli epididymides, through to the high pseudostratified columnar epithelium of the ductus epididymidis and ductus deferens. The morphology and histochemical staining of these ducts suggest their involvement in seminal fluid production and/or its modification, which likely contributes to the nourishment, protection and/or storage of crocodile spermatozoa. As a reflection of their common Archosaurs ancestry, the overall structural characteristics we describe for the crocodile male excurrent duct system share closer similarities to those of the Aves than other clades within the Reptilia class or Mammalia.