bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proteomic profiling of MIS-C patients indicates heterogeneity relating to interferon gamma dysregulation and vascular endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Diorio Caroline , Shraim Rawan , Vella Laura A. , Giles Josephine R. , Baxter Amy E. , Oldridge Derek A. , Canna Scott W. , Henrickson Sarah E. , McNerney Kevin O. , Balamuth Frances , Burudpakdee Chakkapong , Lee Jessica , Leng Tomas , Farrel Alvin , Lambert Michele P. , Sullivan Kathleen E. , Wherry E. John , Teachey David T. , Bassiri Hamid , Behrens Edward M.
Published: December 2021

Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a major complication of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pediatric patients. Weeks after an often mild or asymptomatic initial infection with SARS-CoV-2 children may present with a severe shock-like picture and marked inflammation. Children with MIS-C present with varying degrees of cardiovascular and hyperinflammatory symptoms. Here we perform a comprehensive analysis of the plasma proteome of more than 1400 proteins in children with SARS-CoV-2. We hypothesize that the proteome would reflect heterogeneity in hyperinflammation and vascular injury, and further identify pathogenic mediators of disease. We show that protein signatures demonstrate overlap between MIS-C, and the inflammatory syndromes macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). We demonstrate that PLA2G2A is an important marker of MIS-C that associates with TMA. We find that IFNγ responses are dysregulated in MIS-C patients, and that IFNγ levels delineate clinical heterogeneity.
Forward and reverse genetic dissection of morphogenesis identifies filament-competent Candida auris strains
Authors: Santana Darian J. , O’Meara Teresa R.
Published: December 2021

Candida auris is an emerging healthcare-associated pathogen of global concern. Recent reports have identified C. auris isolates that grow in cellular aggregates or filaments, often without a clear genetic explanation. To investigate the regulation of C. auris morphogenesis, we applied an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system to all four C. auris clades. We identified aggregating mutants associated with disruption of chitin regulation, while disruption of ELM1 produced a polarized, filamentous growth morphology. We developed a transiently expressed Cas9 and sgRNA system for C. auris that significantly increased targeted transformation efficiency across the four C. auris clades. Using this system, we confirmed the roles of C. auris morphogenesis regulators. Morphogenic mutants showed dysregulated chitinase expression, attenuated virulence, and altered antifungal susceptibility. Our findings provide insights into the genetic regulation of aggregating and filamentous morphogenesis in C. auris. Furthermore, the genetic tools described here will allow for efficient manipulation of the C. auris genome.
Ultra-high thermal stability of sputtering reconstructed Cu-based catalysts
Authors: Yu Jiafeng , Sun Xingtao , Tong Xin , Zhang Jixin , Li Jie , Li Shiyan , Liu Yuefeng , Tsubaki Noritatsu , Abe Takayuki , Sun Jian
Published: December 2021

The rational design of high-temperature endurable Cu-based catalysts is a long-sought goal since they are suffering from significant sintering. Establishing a barrier on the metal surface by the classical strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) is supposed to be an efficient way for immobilizing nanoparticles. However, Cu particles were regarded as impossible to form classical SMSI before irreversible sintering. Herein, we fabricate the SMSI between sputtering reconstructed Cu and flame-made LaTiO2 support at a mild reduction temperature, exhibiting an ultra-stable performance for more than 500 h at 600 °C. The sintering of Cu nanoparticles is effectively suppressed even at as high as 800 °C. The critical factors to success are reconstructing the electronic structure of Cu atoms in parallel with enhancing the support reducibility, which makes them adjustable by sputtering power or decorated supports. This strategy will extremely broaden the applications of Cu-based catalysts at more severe conditions and shed light on establishing SMSI on other metals.
Type-I collagen produced by distinct fibroblast lineages reveals specific function during embryogenesis and Osteogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Chen Yang , Yang Sujuan , Lovisa Sara , Ambrose Catherine G. , McAndrews Kathleen M. , Sugimoto Hikaru , Kalluri Raghu
Published: December 2021

Type I collagen (Col1) is the most abundant protein in mammals. Col1 contributes to 90% of the total organic component of bone matrix. However, the precise cellular origin and functional contribution of Col1 in embryogenesis and bone formation remain unknown. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis identifies Fap+ cells and Fsp1+ cells as the major contributors of Col1 in the bone. We generate transgenic mouse models to genetically delete Col1 in various cell lineages. Complete, whole-body Col1 deletion leads to failed gastrulation and early embryonic lethality. Specific Col1 deletion in Fap+ cells causes severe skeletal defects, with hemorrhage, edema, and prenatal lethality. Specific Col1 deletion in Fsp1+ cells results in Osteogenesis Imperfecta-like phenotypes in adult mice, with spontaneous fractures and compromised bone healing. This study demonstrates specific contributions of mesenchymal cell lineages to Col1 production in organogenesis, skeletal development, and bone formation/repair, with potential insights into cell-based therapy for patients with Osteogenesis Imperfecta.
Stable isotopes in global lakes integrate catchment and climatic controls on evaporation
Authors: Vystavna Yuliya , Harjung Astrid , Monteiro Lucilena R. , Matiatos Ioannis , Wassenaar Leonard I.
Published: December 2021

Global warming is considered a major threat to Earth’s lakes water budgets and quality. However, flow regulation, over-exploitation, lack of hydrological data, and disparate evaluation methods hamper comparative global estimates of lake vulnerability to evaporation. We have analyzed the stable isotope composition of 1257 global lakes and we find that most lakes depend on precipitation and groundwater recharge subsequently altered by catchment and lake evaporation processes. Isotope mass-balance modeling shows that ca. 20% of water inflow in global lakes is lost through evaporation and ca. 10% of lakes in arid and temperate zones experience extreme evaporative losses >40 % of the total inflow. Precipitation amount, limnicity, wind speed, relative humidity, and solar radiation are predominant controls on lake isotope composition and evaporation, regardless of the climatic zone. The promotion of systematic global isotopic monitoring of Earth’s lakes provides a direct and comparative approach to detect the impacts of climatic and catchment-scale changes on water-balance and evaporation trends.
Single molecule kinetics of bacteriorhodopsin by HS-AFM
Authors: Perrino Alma P. , Miyagi Atsushi , Scheuring Simon
Published: December 2021

Bacteriorhodopsin is a seven-helix light-driven proton-pump that was structurally and functionally extensively studied. Despite a wealth of data, the single molecule kinetics of the reaction cycle remain unknown. Here, we use high-speed atomic force microscopy methods to characterize the single molecule kinetics of wild-type bR exposed to continuous light and short pulses. Monitoring bR conformational changes with millisecond temporal resolution, we determine that the cytoplasmic gate opens 2.9 ms after photon absorption, and stays open for proton capture for 13.2 ms. Surprisingly, a previously active protomer cannot be reactivated for another 37.6 ms, even under excess continuous light, giving a single molecule reaction cycle of ~20 s−1. The reaction cycle slows at low light where the closed state is prolonged, and at basic or acidic pH where the open state is extended.
Cellular inertia
Authors: Ishiwata Ryosuke , Iwasa Masatomo
Published: December 2021

It has been experimentally reported that chemotactic cells exhibit cellular memory, that is, a tendency to maintain the migration direction despite changes in the chemoattractant gradient. In this study, we analyzed a phenomenological model assuming the presence of cellular inertia, as well as a response time in motility, resulting in the reproduction of the cellular memory observed in the previous experiments. According to the analysis, the cellular motion is described by the superposition of multiple oscillative functions induced by the multiplication of the oscillative polarity and motility. The cellular intertia generates cellular memory by regulating phase differences between those oscillative functions. By applying the theory to the experimental data, the cellular inertia was estimated at $$m=3-6$$

m
=
3
-
6

min. In addition, physiological parameters, such as response time in motility and intracellular processing speed, were also evaluated. The agreement between the experiemental data and theory suggests the possibility of the presence of the response time in motility, which has never been biologically verified and should be explored in the future.
Using imputation to provide harmonized longitudinal measures of cognition across AIBL and ADNI
Authors: Shishegar Rosita , Cox Timothy , Rolls David , Bourgeat Pierrick , Doré Vincent , Lamb Fiona , Robertson Joanne , Laws Simon M. , Porter Tenielle , Fripp Jurgen , Tosun Duygu , Maruff Paul , Savage Greg , Rowe Christopher C. , Masters Colin L. , Weiner Michael W. , Villemagne Victor L. , Burnham Samantha C.
Published: December 2021

To improve understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, large observational studies are needed to increase power for more nuanced analyses. Combining data across existing observational studies represents one solution. However, the disparity of such datasets makes this a non-trivial task. Here, a machine learning approach was applied to impute longitudinal neuropsychological test scores across two observational studies, namely the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle Study (AIBL) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) providing an overall harmonised dataset. MissForest, a machine learning algorithm, capitalises on the underlying structure and relationships of data to impute test scores not measured in one study aligning it to the other study. Results demonstrated that simulated missing values from one dataset could be accurately imputed, and that imputation of actual missing data in one dataset showed comparable discrimination (p < 0.001) for clinical classification to measured data in the other dataset. Further, the increased power of the overall harmonised dataset was demonstrated by observing a significant association between CVLT-II test scores (imputed for ADNI) with PET Amyloid-β in MCI APOE-ε4 homozygotes in the imputed data (N = 65) but not for the original AIBL dataset (N = 11). These results suggest that MissForest can provide a practical solution for data harmonization using imputation across studies to improve power for more nuanced analyses.
Pyrithione metal (Cu, Ni, Ru) complexes as photo-catalysts for styrene oxide production
Authors: Dasireddy Venkata D. B. C. , Kladnik Jerneja , Korošec Romana Cerc , Likozar Blaž , Turel Iztok
Published: December 2021

Selective photochemical oxidation of styrene was performed in an active acetonitrile medium, using H2O2 with or without ultraviolet (UV) light radiation. Pyrithione metal complexes (M–Pth: M = Cu(II), Ni(II), Ru(II); Pth = 2-mercaptopyridine-N-oxide) were used as catalysts. Catalytic testing measurements were done by varying the time, chemical reaction temperature and H2O2 concentration with or without UV energy. Epoxide styrene oxide (SO), benzaldehyde and acetophenone were the major synthesized products. A high batch rate, conversion and selectivity towards SO was shown in the presence of UV. A minor constant formation of CO2 was observed in the stream. Coordinated Ru-based compounds demonstrated the highest process productivity of SO at 60 °C. The effect of the functional alkyl substituent on the ligand Pth, attached to the specific ruthenium(II) centre, decreased the activity of the substance. Ni-Pth selectively yielded benzaldehyde. The stability of the catalysts was examined by applying nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry. Tested metal complexes with pyrithione (M–Pth) exhibited excellent reuse recyclability up to 3 cycles.
Forecasting of excavation problems for high-rise building in Vietnam using planet optimization algorithm
Authors: Sang-To Thanh , Hoang-Le Minh , Khatir Samir , Mirjalili Seyedali , Wahab Magd Abdel , Cuong-Le Thanh
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a new method in forecasting the horizontal displacement of diaphragm wall (D.W.) for high-rise buildings is introduced. A new stochastic optimizer, called Planet Optimization Algorithm (P.O.A.), is employed to assess how proper finite element (F.E.) simulation is against field data. The process is adopted for a real phased excavation measured at the field. To automatically run the iterative optimization tasks, a source code is constructed directly in the Geotechnical Engineering Software (PLAXIS) by using Python to ensure that the operation between optimization algorithm and F.E. simulations are smooth to guarantee the accuracy of the complex calculation for the soil problem. The proposed process consists of two steps. (1) The parameters will be optimized at the early phases of the excavation. (2) The responses of D.W. displacements are forecasted at the subsequent phases. The aim of the process is to predict the displacements of D.W. of the building from the result of the nearby excavation or to provide early warning about the risks of excavation that may happen under vital phases. The proposed procedure also provides an effective method for optimization-based soil parameters updating in real engineering practice.
CXCR4 blockade reduces the severity of murine heart allograft rejection by plasmacytoid dendritic cell-mediated immune regulation
Authors: Fu Jian , Lehmann Christian H. K. , Wang Xinning , Wahlbuhl Mandy , Allabauer Ida , Wilde Benjamin , Amon Lukas , Dolff Sebastian , Cesnjevar Robert , Kribben Andreas , Woelfle Joachim , Rascher Wolfgang , Hoyer Peter F. , Dudziak Diana , Witzke Oliver , Hoerning André
Published: December 2021

Allograft-specific regulatory T cells (Treg cells) are crucial for long-term graft acceptance after transplantation. Although adoptive Treg cell transfer has been proposed, major challenges include graft-specificity and stability. Thus, there is an unmet need for the direct induction of graft-specific Treg cells. We hypothesized a synergism of the immunotolerogenic effects of rapamycin (mTOR inhibition) and plerixafor (CXCR4 antagonist) for Treg cell induction. Thus, we performed fully-mismatched heart transplantations and found combination treatment to result in prolonged allograft survival. Moreover, fibrosis and myocyte lesions were reduced. Although less CD3+ T cell infiltrated, higher Treg cell numbers were observed. Noteworthy, this was accompanied by a plerixafor-dependent plasmacytoid dendritic cells-(pDCs)-mobilization. Furthermore, in vivo pDC-depletion abrogated the plerixafor-mediated Treg cell number increase and reduced allograft survival. Our pharmacological approach allowed to increase Treg cell numbers due to pDC-mediated immune regulation. Therefore pDCs can be an attractive immunotherapeutic target in addition to plerixafor treatment.
Light makeup decreases receivers’ negative emotional experience
Authors: Zhang Ling , Chen Wenfeng , Liu Menghan , Ou Yuxiao , Xu Erjia , Hu Ping
Published: December 2021

Makeup is widely used in modern society and has a positive effect on perceived attractiveness. However, little is known about the other possible outcomes of makeup use. In this study, we investigated whether makeup enhances a receiver’s emotional experience. Dynamic faces with or without makeup are presented in Experiments 1 and 2. Participants were asked to imagine themselves video chatting with a target person (expresser) with different expressions: neutral, angry, sad, or happy, and then to appraise their own subjective emotional experience. Emotional valence, arousal, and willingness to communicate were also assessed in Experiment 2. The results showed that makeup improved perceived facial attractiveness and increased the willingness to communicate. More importantly, it revealed that wearing makeup could weaken receivers’ negative experiences arising from the angry and sad conditions, which is not the case for the non-makeup condition, but could not affect the happy contagion. Furthermore, incremental changes in the amount of makeup were not accompanied by incremental changes in emotional appraisal (valence and arousal). Overall, we found that makeup may affect emotional contagion and interpersonal communication. Whether the alleviated negative experience due to makeup is adaptive may need further discussion.
Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw. reduces BACE-1 activities and amyloid peptides accumulation in Drosophila models of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Kunkeaw Thanit , Suttisansanee Uthaiwan , Trachootham Dunyaporn , Karinchai Jirarat , Chantong Boonrat , Potikanond Saranyapin , Inthachat Woorawee , Pitchakarn Pornsiri , Temviriyanukul Piya
Published: December 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one type of dementia, is a complex disease affecting people globally with limited drug treatment. Thus, natural products are currently of interest as promising candidates because of their cost-effectiveness and multi-target abilities. Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw., an edible fern, inhibited acetylcholinesterase in vitro, inferring that it might be a promising candidate for AD treatment by supporting cholinergic neurons. However, evidence demonstrating anti-AD properties of this edible plant via inhibiting of neurotoxic peptides production, amyloid beta (Aβ), both in vitro and in vivo is lacking. Thus, the anti-AD properties of D. esculentum extract both in vitro and in Drosophila models of Aβ-mediated toxicity were elucidated. Findings showed that an ethanolic extract exhibited high phenolics and flavonoids, contributing to antioxidant and inhibitory activities against AD-related enzymes. Notably, the extract acted as a BACE-1 blocker and reduced amyloid beta 42 (Aβ42) peptides in Drosophila models, resulting in improved locomotor behaviors. Information gained from this study suggested that D. esculentum showed potential for AD amelioration and prevention. Further investigations in vertebrates or humans are required to determine the effective doses of D. esculentum against AD, particularly via amyloidogenic pathway.
Amphiregulin can predict treatment resistance to palliative first-line cetuximab plus FOLFIRI chemotherapy in patients with RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer
Authors: Kim Sang-A , Park Hyejoo , Kim Kui-Jin , Kim Ji-Won , Sung Ji Hea , Nam Milang , Lee Ju Hyun , Jung Eun Hee , Suh Koung Jin , Lee Ji Yun , Kim Se Hyun , Lee Jeong-Ok , Kim Jin Won , Kim Yu Jung , Kim Jee Hyun , Bang Soo-Mee , Lee Jong Seok , Lee Keun-Wook
Published: December 2021

Amphiregulin (AREG) is an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of baseline plasma AREG levels in KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) on treatment outcome with palliative first-line cetuximab + FOLFIRI chemotherapy. Chemotherapy outcomes were analyzed based on baseline plasma AREG levels. The clinical findings were further validated using an in vitro model of CRC. Among 35 patients, the progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly inferior in patients with high AREG than in those with low AREG levels: 10.9 vs. 24.2 months, respectively (p = 0.008). However, after failure of first-line chemotherapy, AREG levels were associated with neither PFS (4.8 vs. 11.6 months; p = 0.215) nor overall survival (8.4 vs. 13.3 months; p = 0.975). In SNU-C4 and Caco-2 cells which were relatively sensitive to cetuximab among the seven CRC cell lines tested, AREG significantly decreased the anti-proliferative effect of cetuximab (p < 0.05) via AKT and ERK activation. However, after acquiring cetuximab resistance with gradual exposure for more than 6 months, AREG neither increased colony formation nor activated AKT and ERK after cetuximab treatment. Our results suggest that plasma AREG is a potential biomarker to predict clinical outcomes after cetuximab-based chemotherapy.
A quantum encryption design featuring confusion, diffusion, and mode of operation
Authors: Hu Zixuan , Kais Sabre
Published: December 2021

Quantum cryptography—the application of quantum information processing and quantum computing techniques to cryptography has been extensively investigated. Two major directions of quantum cryptography are quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum encryption, with the former focusing on secure key distribution and the latter focusing on encryption using quantum algorithms. In contrast to the success of the QKD, the development of quantum encryption algorithms is limited to designs of mostly one-time pads (OTP) that are unsuitable for most communication needs. In this work we propose a non-OTP quantum encryption design utilizing a quantum state creation process to encrypt messages. As essentially a non-OTP quantum block cipher the method stands out against existing methods with the following features: 1. complex key-ciphertext relation (i.e. confusion) and complex plaintext-ciphertext relation (i.e. diffusion); 2. mode of operation design for practical encryption on multiple blocks. These features provide key reusability and protection against eavesdropping and standard cryptanalytic attacks.
Clinical impact of left atrial enlargement in Korean patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Cho Min Soo , Park Hyoung-Seob , Cha Myung-Jin , Lee So-Ryoung , Park Jin-Kyu , Kim Tae-Hoon , Lee Jung Myung , Park Junbeom , Park Hyung Wook , Kang Ki-Woon , Shim Jaemin , Uhm Jae-Sun , Kim Jin-Bae , Kim Changsoo , Lee Young Soo , Choi Eue-Keun , Joung Boyoung , Kim Jun
Published: December 2021

We sought to evaluate the clinical implication of LAE based on left atrial anterior–posterior (LA AP) dimension or LA volume index (LAVI) in Korean patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We enrolled 8159 AF patients from the CODE-AF registry. The primary outcome was rate of stroke or systemic embolism (SSE). The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe LAE by LA AP dimension was 30.6%, 18.5%, and 21.4%, and by LAVI (available in 5808 patients) was 15.7%, 12.5% and 37.8%, respectively. Compared with no or mild LAE, patients with significant LAE (moderate to severe LAE, n = 3258, 39.9%) were associated with a higher rate of SSE (2.5% vs. 1.4%, P = 0.001). Multivariable analysis suggested presence of significant LAE by LA AP dimension was associated with a higher risk of SSE in the overall population (HR 1.57, 95% CI: 1.14–2.17, P = 0.005) and in patients using anticoagulants (n = 5836, HR 1.79, 95% CI: 1.23–2.63, P = 0.002). Patients with significant LAE by LAVI were also at higher risk of SSE (HR 1.58, 95% CI: 1.09–2.29, P = 0.017). In conclusion, significant LAE by LA dimension or LAVI was present in 39.9% and 50.2% of AF patients, respectively, and was associated with a higher rate of SSE.
Prevalence and outcomes of malaria as co-infection among patients with human African trypanosomiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Kotepui Kwuntida Uthaisar , Masangkay Frederick Ramirez , De Jesus Milanez Giovanni , Kotepui Manas
Published: December 2021

Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is endemic in Africa; hence, the possibility of co-infection with malaria among patients with HAT exists. The present study investigated co-infection with malaria among patients with HAT to provide current evidence and characteristics to support further studies. Potentially relevant studies that reported Plasmodium spp. infection in patients with HAT was searched in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. The risk of bias among the included studies was assessed using the checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The pooled prevalence of Plasmodium spp. infection in patients with HAT was quantitatively synthesized using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses of study sites and stages of HAT were performed to identify heterogeneity regarding prevalence among the included studies. The heterogeneity of the outcome among the included studies was assessed using Cochran’s Q and I2 statistics for consistency. Publication bias was assessed if the number of included studies was 10 or more. For qualitative synthesis, a narrative synthesis of the impact of Plasmodium spp. infection on the clinical and outcome characteristics of HAT was performed when the included studies provided qualitative data. Among 327 studies identified from three databases, nine studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The prevalence of Plasmodium spp. co-infection (692 cases) among patients with HAT (1523 cases) was 50% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 28–72%, I2 = 98.1%, seven studies). Subgroup analysis by type of HAT (gambiense or rhodesiense HAT) revealed that among patients with gambiense HAT, the pooled prevalence of Plasmodium spp. infection was 46% (95% CI = 14–78%, I2 = 96.62%, four studies), whereas that among patients with rhodesiense HAT was 44% (95% CI = 40–49%, I2 = 98.3%, three studies). Qualitative syntheses demonstrated that Plasmodium spp. infection in individuals with HAT might influence the risk of encephalopathy syndrome, drug toxicity, and significantly longer corrected QT time. Moreover, longer hospital stays and higher treatment costs were recorded among co-infected individuals. Because of the high prevalence of malaria among patients with HAT, some patients were positive for malaria parasites despite being asymptomatic. Therefore, it is suggested to test every patient with HAT for malaria before HAT treatment. If malaria is present, then antimalarial treatment is recommended before HAT treatment. Antimalarial treatment in patients with HAT might decrease the probability of poor clinical outcomes and case fatality in HAT.
Ileal microbial shifts after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass orchestrate changes in glucose metabolism through modulation of bile acids and L-cell adaptation
Authors: Dang Jerry T. , Mocanu Valentin , Park Heekuk , Laffin Michael , Tran Caroline , Hotte Naomi , Karmali Shahzeer , Birch Daniel W. , Madsen Karen
Published: December 2021

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB)-induced glycemic improvement is associated with increases in glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) secreted from ileal L-cells. We analyzed changes in ileal bile acids and ileal microbial composition in diet-induced-obesity rats after RYGB or sham surgery to elucidate the early and late effects on L-cells and glucose homeostasis. In early cohorts, there were no significant changes in L-cell density, GLP-1 or glucose tolerance. In late cohorts, RYGB demonstrated less weight regain, improved glucose tolerance, increased L-cell density, and increased villi height. No difference in the expression of GLP-1 genes was observed. There were lower concentrations of ileal bile acids in the late RYGB cohort. Microbial analysis demonstrated decreased alpha diversity in early RYGB cohorts which normalized in the late group. The early RYGB cohorts had higher abundances of Escherichia–Shigella but lower abundances of Lactobacillus, Adlercreutzia, and Proteus while the late cohorts demonstrated higher abundances of Escherichia–Shigella and lower abundances of Lactobacillus. Shifts in Lactobacillus and Escherichia–Shigella correlated with decreases in multiple conjugated bile acids. In conclusion, RYGB caused a late and substantial increase in L-cell quantity with associated changes in bile acids which correlated to shifts in Escherichia–Shigella and Lactobacillus. This proliferation of L-cells contributed to improved glucose homeostasis.
Efficient detection of aortic stenosis using morphological characteristics of cardiomechanical signals and heart rate variability parameters
Authors: Shokouhmand Arash , Aranoff Nicole D. , Driggin Elissa , Green Philip , Tavassolian Negar
Published: December 2021

Recent research has shown promising results for the detection of aortic stenosis (AS) using cardio-mechanical signals. However, they are limited by two main factors: lacking physical explanations for decision-making on the existence of AS, and the need for auxiliary signals. The main goal of this paper is to address these shortcomings through a wearable inertial measurement unit (IMU), where the physical causes of AS are determined from IMU readings. To this end, we develop a framework based on seismo-cardiogram (SCG) and gyro-cardiogram (GCG) morphologies, where highly-optimized algorithms are designed to extract features deemed potentially relevant to AS. Extracted features are then analyzed through machine learning techniques for AS diagnosis. It is demonstrated that AS could be detected with 95.49–100.00% confidence. Based on the ablation study on the feature space, the GCG time-domain feature space holds higher consistency, i.e., 95.19–100.00%, with the presence of AS than HRV parameters with a low contribution of 66.00–80.00%. Furthermore, the robustness of the proposed method is evaluated by conducting analyses on the classification of the AS severity level. These analyses are resulted in a high confidence of 92.29%, demonstrating the reliability of the proposed framework. Additionally, game theory-based approaches are employed to rank the top features, among which GCG time-domain features are found to be highly consistent with both the occurrence and severity level of AS. The proposed framework contributes to reliable, low-cost wearable cardiac monitoring due to accurate performance and usage of solitary inertial sensors.
Electronic structure, optical dispersion and luminescence properties of terbium gallium garnet crystal
Authors: Zhang Haotian , Gao Yuxi , Huang Changbao , Chen Yingying , Dou Renqin , Zhang Qingli
Published: December 2021

Electronic structure, optical dispersion and luminescence properties of terbium gallium garnet (Tb3Ga5O12, TGG) were investigated.
Surface potentials of acceptor- and donor-doped CeO2thin films and their relation to oxygen surface exchange
Authors: Wardenga Hans F. , Schuldt Katharina N. S. , Waldow Stephan , De Souza Roger A. , Klein Andreas
Published: December 2021

Fermi level positions, ionisation potentials, and work functions of acceptor-, donor-, and undoped CeO2have been determined by means ofin situphotoelectron spectroscopy on films grown with different surface orientation and preparation conditions.
Pseudorotaxane formation affected by stereo-electronic effects. A theoretical and experimental study
Authors: Porasso Rodolfo D. , Sancho Matias I. , Parajó Mercedes , García-Río Luis , Enriz Ricardo D.
Published: December 2021

We report a theoretical and experimental study on different complexes of pseudorotaxanes possessing pyridine axles.
C–N coupling reactions with arenes through C–H activation: the state-of-the-art versus the principles of green chemistry
Authors: Van Emelen Lisa , Henrion Mickaël , Lemmens Robin , De Vos Dirk
Published: December 2021

Herein, we discuss the state-of-the-art in arene C–N coupling through C–H activation and to what extent it complies with the principles of green chemistry, with a focus on heterogeneously catalysed systems.
Nano-confined electrochemical reaction studied by electrochemical surface forces apparatus
Authors: Kasuya Motohiro , Kubota Daiki , Fujii Sho , Kurihara Kazue
Published: December 2021

The electrochemical surface forces apparatus (EC-SFA) we developed enables study of electrochemical reactions in a solution nano-confined between electrodes with varying distance at nm resolution.
Precisely controlled synthesis of Co/N species containing porous carbon for oxygen reduction reaction via anion exchange and CO2 activation
Authors: Shu Yasuhiro , Fujimoto Yugo , Miyake Koji , Uchida Yoshiaki , Tanaka Shunsuke , Nishiyama Norikazu
Published: December 2021

The synthesis strategy of highly dispersed Co/N-doped porous carbon materials using anion exchange resin and ionic liquids.
A systematic variational approach to band theory in a quantum computer
Authors: Sherbert Kyle , Cerasoli Frank , Buongiorno Nardelli Marco
Published: December 2021

A quantum algorithm to calculate the band structure of any crystal, with efficiency comparable to the classical algorithm.
Design, synthesis and in silico screening of benzoxazole–thiazolidinone hybrids as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 proteases
Authors: Krishna Cheerala Vijay Sai , Ghanta Prasanth , Neelakantan Sundaresan Chittor
Published: December 2021

A novel combination of two bioactive scaffolds – benzoxazole and 4-thiazolidinone (B–T hybrids) as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2.
Introduction of plumbole to f-element chemistry
Authors: Münzfeld Luca , Sun Xiaofei , Schlittenhardt Sören , Schoo Christoph , Hauser Adrian , Gillhuber Sebastian , Weigend Florian , Ruben Mario , Roesky Peter W.
Published: December 2021

f-element sandwich complexes bearing a η5-plumbole ligand are reported. Quantum chemical calculations suggest that this ligand retains its aromaticity upon coordination. The Er complexes show SMM behavior including magnetic hysteresis.
Catalytic asymmetric hydrometallation of cyclobutenes with salicylaldehydes
Authors: Goetzke F. Wieland , Sidera Mireia , Fletcher Stephen P.
Published: December 2021

Chiral, substituted cyclobutanes are common motifs in bioactive compounds and intermediates in organic synthesis but few asymmetric routes for their synthesis are known.
Improving the Efficiency of the Digits-in-Noise Hearing Screening Test: A Comparison Between Four Different Test Procedures
Authors: Dambha Tasneem , Swanepoel De Wet , Mahomed-Asmail Faheema , De Sousa Karina C. , Graham Marien A. , Smits Cas
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

This study compared the test characteristics, test–retest reliability, and test efficiency of three novel digits-in-noise (DIN) test procedures to a conventional antiphasic 23-trial adaptive DIN (D23).

Method:

One hundred twenty participants with an average age of 42 years (
SD
 = 19) were included. Participants were tested and retested with four different DIN procedures. Three new DIN procedures were compared to the reference D23 version: (a) a self-selected DIN (DSS) to allow participants to indicate a subjective speech recognition threshold (SRT), (b) a combination of self-selected and adaptive eight-trial DIN (DC8) that utilized a self-selected signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) followed by an eight-trial adaptive DIN procedure, and (c) a fixed SNR DIN (DF) approach using a fixed SNR value for all presentations to produce a pass/fail test result.

Results:

Test–retest reliability of the D23 procedure was better than that of the DSS and DC8 procedures. SRTs from DSS and DC8 were significantly higher than SRTs from D23. DSS was not accurate to discriminate between normal-hearing and hard of hearing listeners. The DF and DC8 procedures with an adapted cutoff showed good hearing screening test characteristics. All three novel DIN procedure durations were significantly shorter (< 70 s) than that of D23. DF showed a reduction of 46% in the number of presentations compared to D23 (from 23 presentations to an average of 12.5).

Conclusions:

The DF and DC8 procedures had significantly lower test durations than the reference D23 and show potential to be more time-efficient screening tools to determine normal hearing or potential hearing loss. Further studies are needed to optimize the DC8 procedure. The reference D23 remains the most reliable and accurate DIN hearing screening test, but studies in which the potentially efficient new DIN procedures are compared to pure-tone thresholds are needed to validate these procedures.
Acoustic Features of Oral Reading Prosody and the Relation With Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension in Taiwanese Children
Authors: Chung Wei-Lun , Bidelman Gavin M.
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

The study aimed to examine whether oral reading prosody—the use of acoustic features (e.g., pitch and duration variations) when reading passages aloud—predicts reading fluency and comprehension abilities.

Method:

We measured vocabulary, syntax, word reading, reading fluency (including rate and accuracy), reading comprehension (in Grades 3 and 4), and oral reading prosody in Taiwanese third-grade children (N = 109). In the oral reading prosody task, children were asked to read aloud a passage designed for third graders and then to answer forced-choice questions. Their oral reading prosody was measured through acoustic analyses including the number of pause intrusions, intersentential pause duration, phrase-final comma pause duration, child–adult pitch match, and sentence-final pitch change.

Results:

Analyses of variance revealed that children's number of pause intrusions differed as a function of word reading. After controlling for age, vocabulary and syntactic knowledge, and word reading, we found that different dimensions of oral reading prosody contributed to reading rate. In contrast, the number of pause intrusions, phrase-final comma pause duration, and child–adult pitch match predicted reading accuracy and comprehension.

Conclusions:

Oral reading prosody plays an important role in children's reading fluency and reading comprehension in tone languages like Mandarin. Specifically, children need to read texts prosodically as evidenced by fewer pause intrusions, shorter phrase-final comma pause duration, and closer child–adult pitch match, which are early predictive makers of reading fluency and comprehension.
Communication and Swallowing Disorders: The Effects of Climate Change
Authors: Sherratt Sue
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

The environment plays a key role in determining the health of populations, and climate change is considered to be the greatest threat to human health in the 21st century. However, despite extensive research on its increasing effects on health in general, extremely limited attention has been paid to its impact on communication and swallowing disorders (CSDs). This is surprising considering the substantial effect that the environment and climate change (air pollution, infectious diseases, and extreme weather events) have on these disorders.

Method:

This tutorial is written by a speech-language pathologist and audiologist to provide education and resources on the ramifications of climate change for the professions. It also offers strategies for speech-language pathologists and audiologists (SLPAs) to use and to incorporate into their practice.

Results and Conclusions:

The effects of climate change on the incidence, development, and exacerbation of CSDs, such as aphasia, developmental language disorders, and dysphagia, are described in detail. As health professionals, SLPAs have the trust and respect of their clients and their community; they also have a duty of care to safeguard the health of their clients. The combination of prevention, advocacy, and education roles places SLPAs in the perfect position to take action on the effects of climate change on these disorders. To fulfill these roles and to address the pressing issue of climate change, several steps, ranging from the individual client level to the global level, are provided.
Sulfur gas-phase abundance in dense cores
Authors: Hily-Blant P. , Pineau des Forêts G. , Faure A. , Lique F.
Published: December 2021

The abundance of volatile sulfur in dense clouds is long-standing problem in studies of the physics and chemistry of star-forming regions. Sulfur is an important species because its low ionization potential may possibly make it an important charge carrier. The observed sulfur-bearing species in the gas-phase of dense clouds represent only a minor fraction of the cosmic sulfur abundance, which has been interpreted as a signature of sulfur depletion into ices at the surface of dust grains. However, atomic sulfur, which could be the main gas-phase carrier, cannot be observed directly in cold cores. We present measurements of the nitrogen sulfide (NS) radical toward four dense cores performed with the IRAM-30m telescope. Analytical chemical considerations and chemical models over a wide parameter space show that the NS:N2H+ abundance ratio provides a direct constraint on the abundance of gas-phase atomic sulfur. Toward early-type cores, we find that n(S)∕nH is close, or even equal, to the cosmic abundance of sulfur, 14 × 10−6, demonstrating that sulfur is not depleted and is atomic, which is in agreement with chemical models. More chemically evolved cores show sulfur depletion by factors up to 100 in their densest parts. In L1544, atomic sulfur depletion is shown to increase with increasing density. Future observations are needed to discover the solid-phase carrier of sulfur. The initial steps of the collapse of pre-stellar cores in the high sulfur abundance regime also need to be explored from their chemical and dynamical perspectives.
Aperture-corrected spectroscopic type Ia supernova host galaxy properties
Authors: Galbany Lluís , Smith Mat , Duarte Puertas Salvador , González-Gaitán Santiago , Pessa Ismael , Sako Masao , Iglesias-Páramo Jorge , López-Sánchez A. R. , Mollá Mercedes , Vílchez José M.
Published: December 2021

We use type Ia supernova (SN Ia) data obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-II Supernova Survey (SDSS-II SNS) in combination with the publicly available SDSS DR16 fiber spectroscopy of supernova (SN) host galaxies to correlate SN Ia light-curve parameters andHubbleresiduals with several host galaxy properties. Fixed-aperture fiber spectroscopy suffers from aperture effects: the fraction of the galaxy covered by the fiber varies depending on its projected size on the sky, and thus measured properties are not representative of the whole galaxy. The advent of integral field spectroscopy has provided a way to correct the missing light, by studying how these galaxy parameters change with the aperture size. Here we study how the standard SN host galaxy relations change once global host galaxy parameters are corrected for aperture effects. We recover previous trends on SNHubbleresiduals with host galaxy properties, but we find that discarding objects with poor fiber coverage instead of correcting for aperture loss introduces biases into the sample that affect SN host galaxy relations. The net effect of applying the commonly usedg-band fraction criterion is that intrinsically faint SNe Ia in high-mass galaxies are discarded, thus artificially increasing the height of the mass step by 0.02 mag and its significance. Current and next-generation fixed-aperture fiber-spectroscopy surveys, such as OzDES, DESI, or TiDES with 4MOST, that aim to study SN and galaxy correlations must consider, and correct for, these effects.
Geschlechtsspezifische Inanspruchnahme von ambulanten medizinischen
und präventiven Leistungen in einem ländlichen
Raum
Authors: Röding Dominik , Elkeles Thomas
Published: December 2021

Zielsetzung Ziel der Studie ist, repräsentative Ergebnisse zur
geschlechtsspezifischen Inanspruchnahme von Gesundheitsleistungen in einem
ländlich-peripheren Raum bereitzustellen.

Methoden In der 2008 durchgeführten Landgesundheitsstudie
wurden 1246 Erwachsene befragt. Angaben zur Inanspruchnahme ambulanter
Gesundheitsleistungen und verhaltenspräventiver Angebote wurden
bivariat und mittels multipler Regression ausgewertet.

Ergebnisse In bivariaten Analysen zeigen sich geschlechtsspezifische
Unterschiede nicht nur in der Inanspruchnahme von Urologen und
Gynäkologen, sondern auch von Allgemeinärzten,
Zahnärzten, Augenärzten und Radiologen sowie von
Präventionsangeboten zur Gewichtsreduktion, gesunden
Ernährung, Rückengymnastik und Stressbewältigung. Im
multivariaten Modell zeigt sich, dass Frauen gegenüber
Männern unabhängig von Alter, sozialem Status und
Gesundheitszustand höhere Chancen haben, ambulante ärztliche
Leistungen (OR 1,81; 95%-KI 1,11–2,94) und
verhaltenspräventive Angebote (OR 2,46; 95%-KI
1,62–3,74) in Anspruch zu nehmen.

Schlussfolgerung Die vorliegende Studie bestätigt damit
bisherige Befunde zur vom Gesundheitszustand unabhängigen
häufigeren Inanspruchnahme von Gesundheitsleistungen seitens der
Frauen. Eine Übertragbarkeit ist bei Regionalstudien zwar
grundsätzlich nie gegeben, solange aber keine anderen Studien
vorliegen, gehen wir davon aus, dass unsere Ergebnisse für andere
periphere Regionen ebenfalls gelten könnten.
Wie (un)gefährlich ist die einfache Fettleber?
Authors: Figge Anja , Jähnert Andreas , Canbay Ali
Published: December 2021

Neuere, nichtinvasive bildgebende Verfahren, die den Fettgehalt und die Steifigkeit der Leber bestimmen, werden zunehmend zur Verlaufskontrolle bei Patienten mit nichtalkoholischer Fettlebererkrankung (NAFLD) eingesetzt. Dadurch kann die Leberbiopsie Patienten mit unklaren Befunden vorbehalten bleiben. Westlicher Lebensstil, Veränderungen des enteralen Mikrobioms, Kofaktoren wie Begleiterkrankungen und Medikamente sowie genetische Prädispositionen beeinflussen die Krankheitsentstehung und -progression. Wichtigster prognostischer Faktor der NAFLD ist das Auftreten einer Leberfibrose. Jedoch finden sich zunehmend auch Komplikationen, insbesondere der primäre Leberzellkrebs bei NAFLD-Patienten, ohne dass eine nichtalkoholische Steatohepatitis (NASH) zuvor bekannt war oder eine fortgeschrittene Fibrose oder Zirrhose vorliegt. Eine Komorbidität der NAFLD mit Diabetes mellitus Typ 2 ist auch bei simpler Steatose mit einer erhöhten Sterblichkeit assoziiert. Die NAFLD als hepatische Manifestation des metabolischen Syndroms ist ein unabhängiger Risikofaktor für kardiovaskuläre Komplikationen. Neben dem primären Leberzellkrebs lassen sich auch extrahepatische Neoplasien, insbesondere das kolorektale Karzinom und das Mammakarzinom, bei NAFLD-Patienten insgesamt, aber auch bei Patienten mit simpler Steatose gehäuft nachweisen. Somit sollte beim Umgang mit NAFLD-Patienten, auch bei simpler Steatose, über den „hepatologischen Tellerrand“ hinaus das Bewusstsein für die hier beschriebenen zahlreichen metabolischen, kardiovaskulären und neoplastischen Assoziationen geschärft werden. Es gilt bei dieser prävalenten Erkrankung, ganzheitliche Präventionskonzepte interdisziplinär zu prüfen und zu evaluieren. Die strukturierte Etablierung und Evaluierung spezialisierter Versorgungszentren für Patienten mit NAFLD, einschließlich der interdisziplinären Evaluation und Betreuung von Patienten mit simpler Steatose, stellen angesichts der aktuellen Datenlage und der Prävalenz eine große Herausforderung für sämtliche Akteure des Gesundheitssektors dar.
A proof-of-concept model of compact and high-performance 87Sr optical lattice clock for space
Authors: Guo Feng , Tan Wei , Zhou Chi-hua , Xia Jian , Chen Ying-xin , Liang Ting , Liu Qiang , Liu Yun , He De-jing , Zhou Yong-zhuang , Wang Wen-hai , Shen Yong , Zou Hong-xin , Chang Hong
Published: December 2021

A compact and robust design of an optical lattice clock with high stability and accuracy is needed for the implementation of optical clocks operating on the space station. Here, we present the proof-of-concept model of a 87Sr optical lattice clock for space constructed at the National Time Service Center. The design is different from that of a laboratorial optical clock in that it focuses on the aspects of compactness and robustness, such as the modular design, compact components, low power consumption, and all-fiber links. The physics package is placed on an aluminum alloy rack with dimensions of 40 × 55 × 28 cm3. As far as we know, this is the most compact physics package of the Sr optical clock reported. The time interleaved self-comparison frequency instability is determined to be 2.6 × 10−15/τ.