bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of parental abnormal chromosomal karyotype and subsequent live births in Chinese couples with recurrent pregnancy loss
Authors: Li Shan , Chen Mei , Zheng Peng-Sheng
Published: October 2021

The frequency and distribution of chromosomal abnormalities and the impact of parental chromosomal aberration on the pregnancy outcomes of couples with recurrent pregnancy loss remains controversial. 3235 RPL couples who experienced two or more miscarriages before 20 weeks were diagnosed in our tertiary referral hospital during 2008–2018 and included in the single-center retrospective cohort study covering a 10-year period. Chromosome aberration was detected in 121 (3.74%) among 3235 RPL couples which included 75 female and 46 male cases at an individual level. 101 cases were structural aberrations including balanced translocations in 46(38.0%) cases, Robertsonian translocations in 13(10.7%) cases, inversions in 42(34.7%) cases and 20(16.5%) cases were numerical aberrations. 121 carriers and 428 non-carriers were followed up for two years, 55 carriers and 229 non-carriers were subsequent pregnant after diagnosis by natural conception or intrauterine insemination. The frequency of carriers to have a health newborn was not significantly different with non-carriers (72.7% vs. 71.2%, adjusted P = 0.968). This study described the majority of carriers were balanced translocations and chromosome aberrations had a limited influence on live birth rate from the present data. The results of the study also remind us that natural conception may be also a good alternative rather than PGD (Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis) which is common in many other reproductive centers for such patients.
Ionospheric perturbation during the South American total solar eclipse on 14th December 2020 revealed with the Chilean GPS eyeball
Authors: Shrivastava Mahesh N. , Maurya Ajeet Kumar , Kumar Kondapalli Niranjan
Published: October 2021

The influence of the South American total solar eclipse of 14th December 2020 on the ionosphere is studied by using the continuous Chilean Global Positioning System (GPS) sites across the totality path. The totality path with eclipse magnitude 1.012 passed through the Villarrica (Lon. 72.2308°W and Lat. 39.2820°S) in south Chile during 14:41:02.0 UTC to 17:30:58.1 UTC and maximum occurred ~ 16:03:49.5 UTC around the local noon. The vertical total electron content (VTEC) derived by GPS sites across the totality path for two PRN’s 29 and 31 show almost 20–40% of reduction with reference to ambient values. The percentage reduction was maximum close to totality site and decreases smoothly on both sides of totality sites. Interestingly, the atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) with a period ~ 30–60 min obtained using wavelet analysis of VTEC timeseries show the presence of strong AGWs at the GPS sites located north of the totality line. But the AGWs do not show any significant effect on the VTEC values to these sites. Our analysis suggests, possibly an interplay between variability in the background plasma density and eclipse-generated AGWs induced plasma density perturbation could explain the observations.
Whole-genome sequencing and ad hoc shared genome analysis of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a New Zealand primary school
Authors: Scott Pippa , Zhang Ji , Anderson Trevor , Priest Patricia C. , Chambers Stephen , Smith Helen , Murdoch David R. , French Nigel , Biggs Patrick J.
Published: October 2021

Epidemiological studies of communicable diseases increasingly use large whole-genome sequencing (WGS) datasets to explore the transmission of pathogens. It is important to obtain an initial overview of datasets and identify closely related isolates, but this can be challenging with large numbers of isolates and imperfect sequencing. We used an ad hoc whole-genome multi locus sequence typing method to summarise data from a longitudinal study of Staphylococcus aureus in a primary school in New Zealand. Each pair of isolates was compared and the number of genes where alleles differed between isolates was tallied to produce a matrix of “allelic differences”. We plotted histograms of the number of allelic differences between isolates for: all isolate pairs; pairs of isolates from different individuals; and pairs of isolates from the same individual. 340 sequenced isolates were included, and the ad hoc shared genome contained 445 genes. There were between 0 and 420 allelic differences between isolate pairs and the majority of pairs had more than 260 allelic differences. We found many genetically closely related S. aureus isolates from single individuals and a smaller number of closely-related isolates from separate individuals. Multiple S. aureus isolates from the same individual were usually very closely related or identical over the ad hoc shared genome. Siblings carried genetically similar, but not identical isolates. An ad hoc shared genome approach to WGS analysis can accommodate imperfect sequencing of the included isolates, and can provide insights into relationships between isolates in epidemiological studies with large WGS datasets containing diverse isolates.
On the statistical significance of communities from weighted graphs
Authors: He Zengyou , Chen Wenfang , Wei Xiaoqi , Liu Yan
Published: October 2021

Community detection is a fundamental procedure in the analysis of network data. Despite decades of research, there is still no consensus on the definition of a community. To analytically test the realness of a candidate community in weighted networks, we present a general formulation from a significance testing perspective. In this new formulation, the edge-weight is modeled as a censored observation due to the noisy characteristics of real networks. In particular, the edge-weights of missing links are incorporated as well, which are specified to be zeros based on the assumption that they are truncated or unobserved. Thereafter, the community significance assessment issue is formulated as a two-sample test problem on censored data. More precisely, the Logrank test is employed to conduct the significance testing on two sets of augmented edge-weights: internal weight set and external weight set. The presented approach is evaluated on both weighted networks and un-weighted networks. The experimental results show that our method can outperform prior widely used evaluation metrics on the task of individual community validation.
Slow deep breathing modulates cardiac vagal activity but does not affect peripheral glucose metabolism in healthy men
Authors: Vosseler Andreas , Zhao Dongxing , Hummel Julia , Gholamrezaei Ali , Hudak Sarah , Kantartzis Konstantinos , Peter Andreas , Birkenfeld Andreas L. , Häring Hans-Ulrich , Wagner Robert , Preißl Hubert , Kullmann Stephanie , Heni Martin
Published: October 2021

Parasympathetic nervous system innervates peripheral organs including pancreas, hepatic portal system, and gastrointestinal tract. It thereby contributes to the regulation of whole-body glucose metabolism especially in the postprandial state when it promotes secretion of insulin and enhances its action in major target organs. We now aimed to evaluate the effect of parasympathetic modulation on human glucose metabolism. We used slow deep breathing maneuvers to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and tested for effects on metabolism during an oral glucose tolerance test in a randomized, controlled, cross-over trial in 15 healthy young men. We used projections towards the heart as a readout for parasympathetic activity. When analyzing heart rate variability, there was a significant increase of RMSSD (root mean square of successive differences) when participants performed slow deep breathing compared to the control condition, indicating a modulation of parasympathetic activity. However, no statistically significant effects on peripheral glucose metabolism or energy expenditure after the glucose tolerance test were detected. Of note, we detected a significant association between mean heart rate and serum insulin and C-peptide concentrations. While we did not find major effects of slow deep breathing on glucose metabolism, our correlational results suggest a link between the autonomic nervous system and insulin secretion after oral glucose intake. Future studies need to unravel involved mechanisms and develop potential novel treatment approaches for impaired insulin secretion in diabetes.
Weakly supervised learning for classification of lung cytological images using attention-based multiple instance learning
Authors: Teramoto Atsushi , Kiriyama Yuka , Tsukamoto Tetsuya , Sakurai Eiko , Michiba Ayano , Imaizumi Kazuyoshi , Saito Kuniaki , Fujita Hiroshi
Published: October 2021

In cytological examination, suspicious cells are evaluated regarding malignancy and cancer type.
To assist this, we previously proposed an automated method based on supervised learning that classifies cells in lung cytological images as benign or malignant. However, it is often difficult to label all cells. In this study, we developed a weakly supervised method for the classification of benign and malignant lung cells in cytological images using attention-based deep multiple instance learning (AD MIL). Images of lung cytological specimens were divided into small patch images and stored in bags. Each bag was then labeled as benign or malignant, and classification was conducted using AD MIL. The distribution of attention weights was also calculated as a color map to confirm the presence of malignant cells in the image. AD MIL using the AlexNet-like convolutional neural network model showed the best classification performance, with an accuracy of 0.916, which was better than that of supervised learning. In addition, an attention map of the entire image based on the attention weight allowed AD MIL to focus on most malignant cells. Our weakly supervised method automatically classifies cytological images with acceptable accuracy based on supervised learning without complex annotations.
Fibrinolytic system activation immediately following trauma was quickly and intensely suppressed in a rat model of severe blunt trauma
Authors: Hayakawa Mineji , Tsuchida Takumi , Honma Yoshinori , Mizugaki Asumi , Ooyasu Takayoshi , Yoshida Tomonao , Saito Tomoyo , Katabami Kenichi , Wada Takeshi , Maekawa Kunihiko
Published: October 2021

In severe trauma, excessive fibrinolytic activation is associated with an increase in the transfusion volume and mortality rate. However, in the first several hours after a blunt trauma, changes in fibrinolytic activation, suppression, and activation–suppression balance have not yet been elucidated, which the present study aimed to clarify. Anesthetized 9-week-old male Wistar S/T rats experienced severe blunt trauma while being placed inside the Noble–Collip drum. Rats were randomly divided into four groups of seven. The no-trauma group was not exposed to any trauma; the remaining groups were analysed 0, 60, and 180 min after trauma. Immediately following trauma, total tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) levels significantly increased in the plasma, and the balance of active tPA and active plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) significantly tipped toward fibrinolytic activation. After trauma, both tPA and PAI-1 levels increased gradually in various organs and active and total PAI-1 levels increased exponentially in the plasma. Total plasma tPA levels 60 min after trauma returned quickly to levels comparable to those in the no-trauma group. In conclusion, fibrinolytic activation was observed only immediately following trauma. Therefore, immediately after trauma, the fibrinolytic system was activated; however, its activation was quickly and intensely suppressed.
Plasma lipidomic profiles of kidney, breast and prostate cancer patients differ from healthy controls
Authors: Wolrab Denise , Jirásko Robert , Peterka Ondřej , Idkowiak Jakub , Chocholoušková Michaela , Vaňková Zuzana , Hořejší Karel , Brabcová Ivana , Vrána David , Študentová Hana , Melichar Bohuslav , Holčapek Michal
Published: October 2021

Early detection of cancer is one of the unmet needs in clinical medicine. Peripheral blood analysis is a preferred method for efficient population screening, because blood collection is well embedded in clinical practice and minimally invasive for patients. Lipids are important biomolecules, and variations in lipid concentrations can reflect pathological disorders. Lipidomic profiling of human plasma by the coupling of ultrahigh-performance supercritical fluid chromatography and mass spectrometry is investigated with the aim to distinguish patients with breast, kidney, and prostate cancers from healthy controls. The mean sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the lipid profiling approach were 85%, 95%, and 92% for kidney cancer; 91%, 97%, and 94% for breast cancer; and 87%, 95%, and 92% for prostate cancer. No association of statistical models with tumor stage is observed. The statistically most significant lipid species for the differentiation of cancer types studied are CE 16:0, Cer 42:1, LPC 18:2, PC 36:2, PC 36:3, SM 32:1, and SM 41:1 These seven lipids represent a potential biomarker panel for kidney, breast, and prostate cancer screening, but a further verification step in a prospective study has to be performed to verify clinical utility.
National-scale changes in crop diversity through the Anthropocene
Authors: Mariani Rachel O. , Cadotte Marc W. , Isaac Marney E. , Vile Denis , Violle Cyrille , Martin Adam R.
Published: October 2021

Expansion of crops beyond their centres of domestication is a defining feature of the Anthropocene Epoch. This process has fundamentally altered the diversity of croplands, with likely consequences for the ecological functioning and socio-economic stability of agriculture under environmental change. While changes in crop diversity through the Anthropocene have been quantified at large spatial scales, the patterns, drivers, and consequences of change in crop diversity and biogeography at national-scales remains less explored. We use production data on 339 crops, grown in over 150 countries from 1961 to 2017, to quantify changes in country-level crop richness and evenness. Virtually all countries globally have experienced significant increases in crop richness since 1961, with the early 1980s marking a clear onset of a ~ 9-year period of increase in crop richness in countries worldwide. While these changes have increased the similarity of diversity of croplands among countries, only half of countries experienced increases in crop evenness through time. Ubiquitous increases in crop richness within nearly all countries between 1980 and 2000 are a unique biogeographical feature of the Anthropocene. At the same time, we detected opposing changes in crop evenness, and only modest signatures of increased homogenization of croplands among countries. Therefore context-dependent and, at least, national-scale assessments are needed to understand and predict how changes in crop diversity influence agricultural resistance and resilience to environmental change.
Interindividual variability of electric fields during transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS)
Authors: von Conta Jill , Kasten Florian H. , Ćurčić-Blake Branislava , Aleman André , Thielscher Axel , Herrmann Christoph S.
Published: October 2021

Transcranial temporal interference stimulation (tTIS) is a novel non-invasive brain stimulation technique for electrical stimulation of neurons at depth. Deep brain regions are generally small in size, making precise targeting a necessity. The variability of electric fields across individual subjects resulting from the same tTIS montages is unknown so far and may be of major concern for precise tTIS targeting. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to investigate the variability of the electric fields due to tTIS across 25 subjects. To this end, the electric fields of different electrode montages consisting of two electrode pairs with different center frequencies were simulated in order to target selected regions-of-interest (ROIs) with tTIS. Moreover, we set out to compare the electric fields of tTIS with the electric fields of conventional tACS. The latter were also based on two electrode pairs, which, however, were driven in phase at a common frequency. Our results showed that the electric field strengths inside the ROIs (left hippocampus, left motor area and thalamus) during tTIS are variable on single subject level. In addition, tTIS stimulates more focally as compared to tACS with much weaker co-stimulation of cortical areas close to the stimulation electrodes. Electric fields inside the ROI were, however, comparable for both methods. Overall, our results emphasize the potential benefits of tTIS for the stimulation of deep targets, over conventional tACS. However, they also indicate a need for individualized stimulation montages to leverage the method to its fullest potential.
Exosomal CD63 in critically ill patients with sepsis
Authors: Im Yunjoo , Yoo Hongseok , Ko Ryoung-Eun , Lee Jin Young , Park Junseon , Jeon Kyeongman
Published: October 2021

CD63 is one of the tetraspanin protein family members that is ubiquitously expressed on exosomes and is involved in the signal transduction of various types of immune cells. It may thus contribute to immunometabolic mechanisms of cellular and organ dysfunction in sepsis. Nonetheless, the association of exosomal CD63 with the severity and mortality of sepsis is not well known. Therefore, in the present study, the overall levels of exosomal CD63 were evaluated to ascertain whether they were associated with organ failure and mortality in patients with sepsis. Exosomal CD63 was measured from prospectively enrolled critically-ill patients with sepsis (n = 217) and healthy control (n = 20). To detect and quantify exosomes in plasma, a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was used according to the manufacturer’s protocol. The total number of exosomal CD63 was determined by quantifying the immunoreactive CD63. The association between plasma levels of exosomal CD63 and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score was assessed by a linear regression method. The best cut-off level of exosomal CD63 for 28-day mortality prediction was determined by Youden’s index. Among 217 patients with sepsis, 143 (66%) patients were diagnosed with septic shock. Trends of increased exosomal CD63 levels were observed in control, sepsis, and septic-shock groups (6.6 µg/mL vs. 42 µg/mL vs. 90 µg/mL, p < 0.001). A positive correlation between exosomal CD63 and SOFA scores was observed in patients with sepsis (r value = 0.35). When patients were divided into two groups according to the best cut-off level, the group with higher exosomal CD63 levels (more than 126 µg/mL) was significantly associated with 28-day and in-hospital mortality. Moreover, the Kaplan–Meier survival method showed a significant difference in 90-day survival between patients with high- and low-exosomal CD63 levels (log-rank p = 0.005). Elevated levels of exosomal CD63 were associated with the severity of organ failure and predictive of mortality in critically ill patients with sepsis.
Personalized behavior management as a replacement for medications for pain control and mood regulation
Authors: Davydov Dmitry M. , Galvez-Sánchez Carmen M. , Montoro Casandra Isabel , de Guevara Cristina Muñoz Ladrón , Reyes del Paso Gustavo A.
Published: October 2021

A lack of personalized approaches in non-medication pain management has prevented these alternative forms of treatment from achieving the desired efficacy. One hundred and ten female patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and 60 healthy women without chronic pain were assessed for severity of chronic or retrospective occasional pain, respectively, along with alexithymia, depression, anxiety, coping strategies, and personality traits. All analyses were conducted following a ‘resource matching’ hypothesis predicting that to be effective, a behavioral coping mechanism diverting or producing cognitive resources should correspond to particular mechanisms regulating pain severity in the patient. Moderated mediation analysis found that extraverts could effectively cope with chronic pain and avoid the use of medications for pain and mood management by lowering depressive symptoms through the use of distraction mechanism as a habitual (‘out-of-touch-with-reality’) behavior. However, introverts could effectively cope with chronic pain and avoid the use of medications by lowering catastrophizing through the use of distraction mechanism as a situational (‘in-touch-with-reality’) behavior. Thus, personalized behavior management techniques applied according to a mechanism of capturing or diverting the main individual ‘resource’ of the pain experience from its ‘feeding’ to supporting another activity may increase efficacy in the reduction of pain severity along with decreasing the need for pain relief and mood-stabilizing medications.
An examination of active inference in autistic adults using immersive virtual reality
Authors: Arthur Tom , Harris David , Buckingham Gavin , Brosnan Mark , Wilson Mark , Williams Genevieve , Vine Sam
Published: October 2021

The integration of prior expectations, sensory information, and environmental volatility is proposed to be atypical in Autism Spectrum Disorder, yet few studies have tested these predictive processes in active movement tasks. To address this gap in the research, we used an immersive virtual-reality racquetball paradigm to explore how visual sampling behaviours and movement kinematics are adjusted in relation to unexpected, uncertain, and volatile changes in environmental statistics. We found that prior expectations concerning ball ‘bounciness’ affected sensorimotor control in both autistic and neurotypical participants, with all individuals using prediction-driven gaze strategies to track the virtual ball. However, autistic participants showed substantial differences in visuomotor behaviour when environmental conditions were more volatile. Specifically, uncertainty-related performance difficulties in these conditions were accompanied by atypical movement kinematics and visual sampling responses. Results support proposals that autistic people overestimate the volatility of sensory environments, and suggest that context-sensitive differences in active inference could explain a range of movement-related difficulties in autism.
An experimental study on the relation between friction force and real contact area
Authors: Liang X. M. , Xing Y. Z. , Li L. T. , Yuan W. K. , Wang G. F.
Published: October 2021

Classical laws of friction suggest that friction force is proportional to the normal load and independent of the nominal contact area. As a great improvement in this subject, it is now widely accepted that friction force is proportional to the real contact area, and much work has been conducted based on this hypothesis. In present study, this hypothesis will be carefully revisited by measuring the friction force and real contact area in-site and real-time at both normal loading and unloading stages. Our experiments reveal that the linear relation always holds between friction force and normal load. However, for the relation between friction force and real contact area, the linearity holds only at the loading stage while fails at the unloading stage. This study may improve our understanding of the origin of friction.
A novel temporary immersion bioreactor system for large scale multiplication of banana (Rasthali AAB—Silk)
Authors: Uma Subbaraya , Karthic Raju , Kalpana Sathiamoorthy , Backiyarani Suthanthiram , Saraswathi Marimuthu Somasundaram
Published: October 2021

Musa sp. cultivar Rasthali (Silk AAB) is a choice variety of the Asian sub-continent. Its production and sustenance are threatened by Fusarium wilt, which affects the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers. The use of quality planting material is one of the strategies to manage the disease. Availability of quality planting material for varieties other than Grand Naine is limited. Large-scale micropropagation using existing technologies is laborious and expensive. Temporary immersion bioreactor system is emerging as a potential advancement in the micropropagation industry. In this study, a cost-effective temporary immersion bioreactor (TIB) system has been developed and an efficient micropropagation method has been standardized. Explants cultured in TIB with 250 ml of culture medium in a 2-min immersion frequency of 6 h were found to be efficient for shoot proliferation and rooting. Its efficacy has been compared with the semisolid culture method. At the end of the 6th subculture, 1496 ± 110 shoots per explant were obtained in TIB. Chlorophyll, carotenoid, stomatal index, and the number of closed stomata were examined to determine the physiological functions of the plants grown in TIB and compared with semisolid grown plantlets. Plantlets grown in TIB were genetically stable and were confirmed using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. The multiplication of shoots in TIB was 2.7-fold higher than the semisolid culture method, which is suitable for large-scale production of planting material for commercial applications.
Arabidopsis thaliana myosin XIK is recruited to the Golgi through interaction with a MyoB receptor
Authors: Perico Chiara , Gao Hongbo , Heesom Kate J. , Botchway Stanley W. , Sparkes Imogen A.
Published: October 2021

Plant cell organelles are highly mobile and their positioning play key roles in plant growth, development and responses to changing environmental conditions. Movement is acto-myosin dependent. Despite controlling the dynamics of several organelles, myosin and myosin receptors identified so far in Arabidopsis thaliana generally do not localise to the organelles whose movement they control, raising the issue of how specificity is determined. Here we show that a MyoB myosin receptor, MRF7, specifically localises to the Golgi membrane and affects its movement. Myosin XI-K was identified as a putative MRF7 interactor through mass spectrometry analysis. Co-expression of MRF7 and XI-K tail triggers the relocation of XI-K to the Golgi, linking a MyoB/myosin complex to a specific organelle in Arabidopsis. FRET-FLIM confirmed the in vivo interaction between MRF7 and XI-K tail on the Golgi and in the cytosol, suggesting that myosin/myosin receptor complexes perhaps cycle on and off organelle membranes. This work supports a traditional mechanism for organelle movement where myosins bind to receptors and adaptors on the organelle membranes, allowing them to actively move on the actin cytoskeleton, rather than passively in the recently proposed cytoplasmic streaming model.
Ten emerging SARS-CoV-2 spike variants exhibit variable infectivity, animal tropism, and antibody neutralization
Authors: Zhang Li , Cui Zhimin , Li Qianqian , Wang Bo , Yu Yuanling , Wu Jiajing , Nie Jianhui , Ding Ruxia , Wang Haixin , Zhang Yue , Liu Shuo , Chen Zhihai , He Yaqing , Su Xiaodong , Xu Wenbo , Huang Weijin , Wang Youchun
Published: October 2021

Emerging mutations in SARS-CoV-2 cause several waves of COVID-19 pandemic. Here we investigate the infectivity and antigenicity of ten emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants—B.1.1.298, B.1.1.7(Alpha), B.1.351(Beta), P.1(Gamma), P.2(Zeta), B.1.429(Epsilon), B.1.525(Eta), B.1.526-1(Iota), B.1.526-2(Iota), B.1.1.318—and seven corresponding single amino acid mutations in the receptor-binding domain using SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. The results indicate that the pseudovirus of most of the SARS-CoV-2 variants (except B.1.1.298) display slightly increased infectivity in human and monkey cell lines, especially B.1.351, B.1.525 and B.1.526 in Calu-3 cells. The K417N/T, N501Y, or E484K-carrying variants exhibit significantly increased abilities to infect mouse ACE2-overexpressing cells. The activities of furin, TMPRSS2, and cathepsin L are increased against most of the variants. RBD amino acid mutations comprising K417T/N, L452R, Y453F, S477N, E484K, and N501Y cause significant immune escape from 11 of 13 monoclonal antibodies. However, the resistance to neutralization by convalescent serum or vaccines elicited serum is mainly caused by the E484K mutation. The convalescent serum from B.1.1.7- and B.1.351-infected patients neutralized the variants themselves better than other SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our study provides insights regarding therapeutic antibodies and vaccines, and highlights the importance of E484K mutation.
Networked configurations as an emergent property of transverse aeolian ridges on Mars
Authors: Nagle-McNaughton T. P. , Scuderi L. A.
Published: October 2021

Transverse aeolian ridges – enigmatic Martian features without a proven terrestrial analog – are increasingly important to our understanding of Martian surface processes. However, it is not well understood how the relationships between different ridges evolve. Here we present a hypothesis for the development of complex hexagonal networks from simple linear forms by analyzing HiRISE images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. We identify variable morphologies which show the presence of secondary ridges, feathered transverse aeolian ridges and both rectangular and hexagonal networks. We propose that the formation of secondary ridges and the reactivation of primary ridge crests produces sinuous networks which then progress from rectangular cells towards eventual hexagonal cells. This morphological progression may be explained by the ridges acting as roughness elements due to their increased spatial density which would drive a transition from two-dimensional bedforms under three-dimensional flow conditions, to three-dimensional bedforms under two-dimensional flow conditions.
Study of a phosphorescent cationic iridium(iii) complex displaying a blue-shift in crystals
Authors: Martínez-Vollbert Emiliano , Philouze Christian , Gautier-Luneau Isabelle , Moreau Yohann , Lanoë Pierre-Henri , Loiseau Frédérique
Published: October 2021

A joined experimental and theoretical study for unravelling the source of a strong hypsochromism.
Electric fields and potentials in condensed phases
Authors: Kathmann Shawn M.
Published: October 2021

Electric potential isosurfaces and field lines inside a CuII-SSZ-13 zeolite catalyst.
Deciphering the alternating synergy between interlayer Pt single-atom and NiFe layered double hydroxide for overall water splitting
Authors: Chen Wei , Wu Binbin , Wang Yanyong , Zhou Wang , Li Yingying , Liu Tianyang , Xie Chao , Xu Leitao , Du Shiqian , Song Minglei , Wang Dongdong , liu Yanbo , Li Yefei , Liu Jilei , Zou Yuqin , Chen Ru , Chen Chen , Zheng Jianyun , Li Yafei , Chen Jun , Wang Shuangyin
Published: October 2021

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) have enormous significance in heterogeneous catalysis.
Mg and Al dual-metal functionalized mesoporous carbon as highly efficient heterogeneous catalysts for the synthesis of ethyl methyl carbonate
Authors: Shi Jinghui , Wang He , Lin Yanan , Cui Yunzuo , Xue Xiangxin , Hao Xiyun , Zhang Zhihui , Liu Chunling
Published: October 2021

Mg and Al dual-metal functionalized nanoscale porous carbon materials (MgAl@NC) with highly ordered mesoporous structures and mixed active sites were successfully prepared using a simple one-pot synthesis method.
Removal of strontium by in situ electrochemical synthesis of Zn–Al LDHs using a bidirectional pulse method
Authors: Peng Shiming , Jiang Li , Yu Xian , Yang Xing , Huang Guangtuan
Published: October 2021

The Sr2+ removal rate is 99.26%, and the energy consumption of the reaction process is 5.01 kW h m−3.
Controlling mechanical properties of 3D printed polymer composites through photoinduced reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization
Authors: Shi Xiaobing , Zhang Jin , Corrigan Nathaniel , Boyer Cyrille
Published: October 2021

Reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization has been exploited to design silica-nanoparticle-incorporated photocurable resins for 3D printing of materials with enhanced mechanical properties and complex structures.
Ruthenium-catalysed chemoselective alkylation of nitroarenes with alkanols
Authors: Ma Shuang-Shuang , Sun Rui , Zhang Zi-Heng , Yu Zheng-Kun , Xu Bao-Hua
Published: October 2021

The alkylation of nitroarenes with akanols catalysed by the phosphinesulfonate ruthenium complex was reported. It displays different reactivity and chemoselectivity depending on the acid–base conditions, delivering diverse anilines from nitroarenes.
Ferrocene-based conjugated microporous polymer and its multiwalled carbon nanotube composite for direct photocatalytic benzene hydroxylation to phenol
Authors: Zhu Zhongpeng , Pan Long , Liu Zilu , Zhao Jie , Tao Zhiping , He Yujian
Published: October 2021

Ferrocene is used as a catalytically active site and building block to construct a new conjugated microporous polymer (CMP), named Fc-POP.
Preparation of ZnS@N-doped-carbon compositesviaa ZnS-amine precursor vacuum pyrolysis route
Authors: Liao Wen-Hua , Hu Qian-Qian , Cheng Min , Wu Xiao-Hui , Zhan Guang-Hao , Yan Rui-Bo , Li Jian-Rong , Huang Xiao-Ying
Published: October 2021

ZnS/N-doped-carbon nanocomposites exhibiting remarkable Li storage performance are facilely prepared through the temperature-controllable vacuum pyrolysis of various ZnS-amine precursors.
Effect of DMSO on the catalytical production of 2,5-bis(hydoxymethyl)furan from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural over Ni/SiO2catalysts
Authors: Ojagh Houman , Achour Abdenour , Ho Phuoc Hoang , Bernin Diana , Creaser Derek , Pajalic Oleg , Holmberg Johan , Olsson Louise
Published: October 2021

Highly effective production of 2,5-bis(hydoxymethyl)furan (BHMF) from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) has been achieved over Ni/SiO2catalyst. An effect of DMSO on the HMF hydrogenation is demonstrated under practical conditions.
MD simulations and QM/MM calculations reveal the key mechanistic elements which are responsible for the efficient C–H amination reaction performed by a bioengineered P450 enzyme
Authors: Kalita Surajit , Shaik Sason , Dubey Kshatresh Dutta
Published: October 2021

Computer simulation method reveals the mechanism of C–H amination reaction due to a single site mutation.
Square-triangle tilings: an infinite playground for soft matter
Authors: Impéror-Clerc Marianne , Jagannathan Anuradha , Kalugin Pavel , Sadoc Jean-François
Published: October 2021

Here we present a way to describe all possible globally uniform square-triangle phases using a three dimensional composition space.
Photochromic and photothermal hydrogels derived from natural amino acids and heteropoly acids
Authors: Wang Xue , Liu Xiaohuan , Ma Zhiyuan , Mu Chuanling , Li Wen
Published: October 2021

UV and NIR dual-responsive supramolecular hydrogels were fabricated by ingeniously combining the side chain and main chain chemistry of basic amino acids with the photo-chemical and photo-physical properties of heteropoly acids.
NiMoO4nanorods with rich catalytic sites as a superb electrocatalyst for cerium-based flow batteries
Authors: Xie Xian , Chan Chung Yim , Daoud Walid A.
Published: October 2021

The synergy of a unique nanorod structure and rich advanced catalytic sites of NiMoO4enables cerium–vanadium flow batteries to operate at high current density and demonstrate a record voltage efficiency, boosting the power density of the battery.
Synthesis of vanadium based binary oxides with a yolk–shell structure and their derived electrocatalysts
Authors: Shi Meiqin , Peng Fei , Qin Yu , Li Fengjiao , Nie Yuanhang , Fang Jun , Lang Xiaoling , Mao Xinbiao
Published: October 2021

Tungsten–vanadium sulfide/oxides with yolk–shell structure were formed and exhibited significant catalytic activity towards the HER and ORR. This method is employed to construct composition-tunable binary metal composites with yolk–shell structure.
Stabilizing orthorhombic CsSnI3 perovskites with optimized electronic properties by surface ligands with inter-molecular hydrogen bond
Authors: Zheng Yapeng , Fang Zhi , Shang Minghui , Sun Qian , Zheng Jinju , Yang Zuobao , Hou Xinmei , Yang Weiyou
Published: October 2021

Inter-molecular hydrogen bonds can be introduced among surface ligands to enhance the stability and optimize the electronic structures of γ-CsSnI3 perovskites, which benefit the device engineering of stabilized PSCs with high efficiency.
On the nature of solvothermally synthesized carbon nanodots
Authors: Ramírez-Barroso Sergio , Jacobo-Martín Alejandra , Navarro-Baena Iván , Hernández Jaime J. , Navio Cristina , Rodríguez Isabel , Wannemacher Reinhold
Published: October 2021

The fluorescence of the solvothermal CNDs investigated is dominated by small molecules and their photoproducts, not by emission from sp2 domains. Singlet oxygen production, however, depends on the graphitic cores.
Efficacy and Safety of Aspirin for Primary Cardiovascular Risk Prevention in Younger and Older Age: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of 173,810 Subjects from 21 Randomized Studies
Authors: Calderone Dario , Greco Antonio , Ingala Salvatore , Agnello Federica , Franchina Gabriele , Scalia Lorenzo , Buccheri Sergio , Capodanno Davide
Published: October 2021

Aims The efficacy and safety of aspirin for primary cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention is controversial. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of aspirin in subjects with no overt CVD, with a focus on age as a treatment modifier.

Methods and Results Randomized trials comparing aspirin use versus no aspirin use or placebo were included. The primary efficacy outcome was all-cause death. The primary safety outcome was major bleeding. Secondary ischemic and bleeding outcomes were explored. Subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate the consistency of the effect sizes in studies including younger and older individuals, using a cut-off of 65 years. A total of 21 randomized trials including 173,810 individuals at a mean follow-up of 5.3 years were included. Compared with control, aspirin did not reduce significantly the risk of all-cause death (risk ratio: 0.96; 95% confidence interval: 0.92–1.00, p = 0.057). Major adverse cardiovascular events were significantly reduced by 11%, paralleled by significant reductions in myocardial infarction and transient ischemic attack. Major bleeding, intracranial hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal bleeding were significantly increased by aspirin. There was a significant age interaction for death (p for interaction = 0.007), with aspirin showing a statistically significant 7% relative benefit on all-cause death in studies including younger patients.

Conclusion The use of aspirin in subjects with no overt CVD was associated with a neutral effect on all-cause death and a modest lower risk of major cardiovascular events at the price of an increased risk in major bleeding. The benefit of aspirin might be more pronounced in younger individuals.
Atherosclerotic Renal Artery Stenosis: A Review
Authors: Gunawardena Thilina
Published: October 2021

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is associated with hypertension and renal impairment. Atherosclerosis is the leading etiologic factor which accounts for >90% of the cases. Those with atherosclerotic RAS (ARAS) tend to have concomitant atherosclerosis in other vascular beds, so they are at a high risk of adverse coronary and cerebrovascular events. Management of ARAS is controversial, with limited indications for revascularization. In this review, the author aims to discuss the pathophysiology, natural history, diagnosis, and management of ARAS.
Total Laparoscopic Nerve-Sparing Radical Hysterectomy Using the No-look No-touch Technique
Authors: Fusegi Atsushi , Kanao Hiroyuki
Published: October 2021

Radical hysterectomy is a standard operation for patients with early-stage cervical cancer. Over the recent decades, laparoscopic radical hysterectomy has been considered an alternative treatment. In 2018, the results of the laparoscopic approach to cervical cancer trial suggested that women with early-stage cervical cancer who underwent minimally invasive surgery for radical hysterectomy had poorer prognosis than those who underwent open surgery. This finding was unexpected, and direct evidence supporting poor prognosis related to minimally invasive radical hysterectomy was not available because the trial was not designed to evaluate the cause of the inferior outcomes. Tumor spillage caused by surgeon-related factors, including squeezing of the uterine cervix and tumor exposure to circulating CO2 gas, is considered to be associated with the poor prognosis of patients who underwent minimally invasive radical hysterectomy. We believe that protective maneuver to avoid tumor spillage is the key to improve oncologic outcomes of cervical cancer. Here, we present a procedure of total laparoscopic nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer in which techniques, such as the “no-look no-touch technique,” were used to prevent tumor spillage.
Shrinking stretchable metallic wiring to fit in a nerve
Authors: Patrick Chris
Published: October 2021

Photolithographically patterned soft, flexible metallic wiring that is smaller than ever could find applications in the biomedical field.
Trapping light in a Floquet topological photonic insulator by Floquet defect mode resonance
Authors: Afzal Shirin , Van Vien
Published: October 2021

Floquet topological photonic insulators characterized by periodically varying Hamiltonians are known to exhibit much richer topological behaviors than static systems. In a Floquet insulator, the phase evolution of the Floquet–Bloch modes plays a crucial role in determining its topological behaviors. Here, we show that by perturbing the driving sequence, it is possible to manipulate the cyclic phase change in the system over each evolution period to induce self-interference of a bulk mode, leading to a resonance effect, which can be regarded as a Floquet counterpart of defect-mode resonance in static lattices. This Floquet Defect Mode Resonance (FDMR) is cavity-less since it does not require physical boundaries; its spatial localization pattern is, instead, determined by the driving sequence and is found to be different in topologically trivial and nontrivial lattices. We demonstrated excitation of FDMRs by edge modes in a Floquet octagon lattice on silicon-on-insulator, achieving extrinsic quality factors greater than 104. Imaging of the scattered light pattern directly revealed the hopping sequence of the Floquet system and confirmed the spatial localization of FDMR in a bulk-mode loop. The new Floquet topological resonator could find various applications in lasers, optical filters and switches, nonlinear cavity optics, and quantum optics.
Comprehensive characterization of osseous tissues from impedance measurements by effective medium approximation
Authors: Wei Wenzuo , Shi Fukun , Zhuang Jie , Kolb Juergen F.
Published: October 2021

A unified mixing (UM) model was developed to derive microstructural information of trabecular bone, i.e., bone volume fraction (BV/TV), from electrical impedance spectroscopy. A distinct advantage of the UM-model over traditional methods, such as equivalent circuit models and multivariate analysis, is that the influence of both the environment (hydroxyapatite) and different inclusions (water, fat, and air) can be taken into account simultaneously. In addition, interactions between the different components such as interfacial polarization can be addressed by a dedicated fitting parameter v. Accordingly, values of BV/TV for different bone samples, e.g., including or not including water, were determined in the higher frequency range of 1–5 MHz. Results showed good agreement with experimental data obtained by micro-computer tomography. In particular, predictions for dielectric parameters that were derived for 3 and 4 MHz were found most promising for the assessment and distinction of osteopathic conditions and differences. This was shown by a clear differentiation of osseous tissues, e.g., the greater trochanter, femoral head, and femoral neck.
Resprouting strategies of three native shrub Cerrado species from a morphoanatomical and chemical perspective
Authors: da Silva Gabriela Santos , Ferraro Alexandre , Lima de Aguiar Claudio , Appezzato-da-Glória Beatriz
Published: October 2021

This study was carried out in a Cerrado (the largest savanna in the Neotropics) area where pine plantations, introduced in the 1970s, were removed by clear cutting of the trees and burning of the remaining material. After the removal and burning, some native shrub species resprouted. Since resprouting is dependent on buds that can be in the belowground bud-bearing (BBB) organs containing reserves, we selected three resprouting Myrtaceae species for analysis of morphology and anatomy of their BBB organs, to determine which compounds could be accumulated and to investigate the bud protection features. Standard histological techniques were used to analyse the BBB organs. The belowground bud bank at a depth of 10 cm was determined. Nonstructural carbohydrates, total phenolics, and flavonoids were quantified on the roots. The large size of BBB organs suggest that these species were present before plantation establishment and survived plantation management treatments. All species produced a large number of axillary buds. All BBB organs exhibited significant lignification and stored starch and phenolic compounds in the parenchyma cells. The protective features and the storage of reserves associated with the bud-bank allowed the survival and subsequent resprouting of these species, contributing to the regeneration of this disturbed area.
Change-over switch for quantum states transfer with topological channels in a circuit-QED lattice
Authors: Cheng Liu-Yong , Zheng Li-Na , Wu Ruixiang , Wang Hong-Fu , Zhang Shou
Published: October 2021

We propose schemes to realize robust quantum states transfer between distant resonators using the topological edge states of a one-dimensional circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) lattice. Analyses show that the distribution of edge states can be regulated accordingly with the on-site defects added on the resonators. And we can achieve different types of quantum state transfer without adjusting the number of lattices. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the on-site defects can be used as a change-over switch for high-fidelity single-qubit and two-qubit quantum states transfer. This work provides a viable prospect for flexible quantum state transfer in solid-state topological quantum system.
Stochastic optimal control for norovirus transmission dynamics by contaminated food and water
Authors: Din Anwarud , Li Yongjin
Published: October 2021

Norovirus is one of the most common causes of viral gastroenteritis in the world, causing significant morbidity, deaths, and medical costs. In this work, we look at stochastic modelling methodologies for norovirus transmission by water, human to human transmission and food. To begin, the proposed stochastic model is shown to have a single global positive solution. Second, we demonstrate adequate criteria for the existence of a unique ergodic stationary distribution

ℜ
s
0

>
1

by developing a Lyapunov function. Thirdly, we find sufficient criteria ℜs
< 1 for disease extinction. Finally, two simulation examples are used to exemplify the analytical results. We employed optimal control theory and examined stochastic control problems to regulate the spread of the disease using some external measures. Additional graphical solutions have been produced to further verify the acquired analytical results. This research could give a solid theoretical foundation for understanding chronic communicable diseases around the world. Our approach also focuses on offering a way of generating Lyapunov functions that can be utilized to investigate the stationary distribution of epidemic models with nonlinear stochastic disturbances.