bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuronal Nsun2 deficiency produces tRNA epitranscriptomic alterations and proteomic shifts impacting synaptic signaling and behavior
Authors: Blaze J. , Navickas A. , Phillips H. L. , Heissel S. , Plaza-Jennings A. , Miglani S. , Asgharian H. , Foo M. , Katanski C. D. , Watkins C. P. , Pennington Z. T. , Javidfar B. , Espeso-Gil S. , Rostandy B. , Alwaseem H. , Hahn C. G. , Molina H. , Cai D. J. , Pan T. , Yao W. D. , Goodarzi H. , Haghighi F. , Akbarian S.
Published: August 2021

Epitranscriptomic mechanisms linking tRNA function and the brain proteome to cognition and complex behaviors are not well described. Here, we report bi-directional changes in depression-related behaviors after genetic disruption of neuronal tRNA cytosine methylation, including conditional ablation and transgene-derived overexpression of Nsun2 in the mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC). Neuronal Nsun2-deficiency was associated with a decrease in tRNA m5C levels, resulting in deficits in expression of 70% of tRNAGlyisodecoders. Altogether, 1488/5820 proteins changed upon neuronal Nsun2-deficiency, in conjunction with glycine codon-specific defects in translational efficiencies. Loss of Gly-rich proteins critical for glutamatergic neurotransmission was associated with impaired synaptic signaling at PFC pyramidal neurons and defective contextual fear memory. Changes in the neuronal translatome were also associated with a 146% increase in glycine biosynthesis. These findings highlight the methylation sensitivity of glycinergic tRNAs in the adult PFC. Furthermore, they link synaptic plasticity and complex behaviors to epitranscriptomic modifications of cognate tRNAs and the proteomic homeostasis associated with specific amino acids.
Metabolome and proteome analyses reveal transcriptional misregulation in glycolysis of engineered E. coli
Authors: Wang Chun-Ying , Lempp Martin , Farke Niklas , Donati Stefano , Glatter Timo , Link Hannes
Published: August 2021

Synthetic metabolic pathways are a burden for engineered bacteria, but the underlying mechanisms often remain elusive. Here we show that the misregulated activity of the transcription factor Cra is responsible for the growth burden of glycerol overproducing E. coli. Glycerol production decreases the concentration of fructose-1,6-bisphoshate (FBP), which then activates Cra resulting in the downregulation of glycolytic enzymes and upregulation of gluconeogenesis enzymes. Because cells grow on glucose, the improper activation of gluconeogenesis and the concomitant inhibition of glycolysis likely impairs growth at higher induction of the glycerol pathway. We solve this misregulation by engineering a Cra-binding site in the promoter controlling the expression of the rate limiting enzyme of the glycerol pathway to maintain FBP levels sufficiently high. We show the broad applicability of this approach by engineering Cra-dependent regulation into a set of constitutive and inducible promoters, and use one of them to overproduce carotenoids in E. coli.
The conformational stability of pro-apoptotic BAX is dictated by discrete residues of the protein core
Authors: Bloch Noah B. , Wales Thomas E. , Prew Michelle S. , Levy Hannah R. , Engen John R. , Walensky Loren D.
Published: August 2021

BAX is a pro-apoptotic member of the BCL-2 family, which regulates the balance between cellular life and death. During homeostasis, BAX predominantly resides in the cytosol as a latent monomer but, in response to stress, transforms into an oligomeric protein that permeabilizes the mitochondria, leading to apoptosis. Because renegade BAX activation poses a grave risk to the cell, the architecture of BAX must ensure monomeric stability yet enable conformational change upon stress signaling. The specific structural features that afford both stability and dynamic flexibility remain ill-defined and represent a critical control point of BAX regulation. We identify a nexus of interactions involving four residues of the BAX core α5 helix that are individually essential to maintaining the structure and latency of monomeric BAX and are collectively required for dimeric assembly. The dual yet distinct roles of these residues reveals the intricacy of BAX conformational regulation and opportunities for therapeutic modulation.
Genotoxic stress and viral infection induce transient expression of APOBEC3A and pro-inflammatory genes through two distinct pathways
Authors: Oh Sunwoo , Bournique Elodie , Bowen Danae , Jalili Pégah , Sanchez Ambrocio , Ward Ian , Dananberg Alexandra , Manjunath Lavanya , Tran Genevieve P. , Semler Bert L. , Maciejowski John , Seldin Marcus , Buisson Rémi
Published: August 2021

APOBEC3A is a cytidine deaminase driving mutagenesis in tumors. While APOBEC3A-induced mutations are common, APOBEC3A expression is rarely detected in cancer cells. This discrepancy suggests a tightly controlled process to regulate episodic APOBEC3A expression in tumors. In this study, we find that both viral infection and genotoxic stress transiently up-regulate APOBEC3A and pro-inflammatory genes using two distinct mechanisms. First, we demonstrate that STAT2 promotes APOBEC3A expression in response to foreign nucleic acid via a RIG-I, MAVS, IRF3, and IFN-mediated signaling pathway. Second, we show that DNA damage and DNA replication stress trigger a NF-κB (p65/IkBα)-dependent response to induce expression of APOBEC3A and other innate immune genes, independently of DNA or RNA sensing pattern recognition receptors and the IFN-signaling response. These results not only reveal the mechanisms by which tumors could episodically up-regulate APOBEC3A but also highlight an alternative route to stimulate the immune response after DNA damage independently of cGAS/STING or RIG-I/MAVS.
Potent antitumor activity of a glutamyltransferase-derived peptide via an activation of oncosis pathway
Authors: Fang Cheng , Li Wenhui , Yin Ruozhe , Zhu Donglie , Liu Xing , Wu Huihui , Wang Qingqiang , Wang Wenwen , Bai Quan , Chen Biliang , Yao Xuebiao , Chen Yong
Published: August 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still presents poor prognosis with high mortality rate, despite of the improvement in the management. The challenge for precision treatment was due to the fact that little targeted therapeutics are available for HCC. Recent studies show that metabolic and circulating peptides serve as endogenous switches for correcting aberrant cellular plasticity. Here we explored the antitumor activity of low molecular components in human umbilical serum and identified a high abundance peptide VI-13 by peptidome analysis, which was recognized as the part of glutamyltransferase signal peptide. We modified VI-13 by inserting four arginines and obtained an analog peptide VI-17 to improve its solubility. Our analyses showed that the peptide VI-17 induced rapid context-dependent cell death, and exhibited a higher sensitivity on hepatoma cells, which is attenuated by polyethylene glycol but not necrotic inhibitors such as z-VAD-fmk or necrostatin-1. Morphologically, VI-17 induced cell swelling, blebbing and membrane rupture with release of cellular ATP and LDH into extracellular media, which is hallmark of oncotic process. Mechanistically, VI-17 induced cell membrane pore formation, degradation of α-tubulin via influx of calcium ion. These results indicated that the novel peptide VI-17 induced oncosis in HCC cells, which could serve as a promising lead for development of therapeutic intervention of HCC.
miR-141 mediates recovery from acute kidney injury
Authors: Newbury Lucy J. , Simpson Kate , Khalid Usman , John Imogen , de Rivera Lluís Bailach , Lu Yueh-An , Lopez-Anton Melisa , Watkins William J. , Jenkins Robert H. , Fraser Donald J. , Bowen Timothy
Published: August 2021

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a global clinical problem characterised by a sudden decline in renal function and mortality as high as 60%. Current AKI biomarkers have limited ability to classify disease progression and identify underlying pathological mechanisms. Here we hypothesised that alterations in urinary microRNA profiles could predict AKI recovery/nonrecovery after 90 days, and that injury-specific changes would signify microRNA mediators of AKI pathology. Comparison of urinary microRNA profiles from AKI patients with controls detected significant injury-specific increases in miR-21, miR-126 and miR-141 (p < 0.05) and decreases in miR-192 (p < 0.001) and miR-204 (p < 0.05). Expression of miR-141 increased in renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) under oxidative stress in vitro and unilateral ischaemic reperfusion injury in vivo. Forced miR-141 expression in the presence of H2O2 increased PTEC death and decreased cell viability. Of nine messenger RNA targets with two or more miR-141 3’-untranslated region binding sites, we confirmed protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor type G (PTPRG) as a direct miR-141 target in PTECs. PTPRG-specific siRNA knockdown under oxidative stress increased PTEC death and decreased cell viability. In conclusion, we detected significant alterations in five urinary microRNAs following AKI, and identified proximal tubular cell PTPRG as a putative novel therapeutic target.
Expression of oncogenic HRAS in human Rh28 and RMS-YM rhabdomyosarcoma cells leads to oncogene-induced senescence
Authors: Li Jenny J. , Kovach Alexander R. , DeMonia Margaret , Slemmons Katherine K. , Oristian Kristianne M. , Chen Candy , Linardic Corinne M.
Published: August 2021

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common pediatric soft tissue sarcoma. The two predominant histologic variants of RMS, embryonal and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (eRMS and aRMS, respectively), carry very different prognoses. While eRMS is associated with an intermediate prognosis, the 5-year survival rate of aRMS is less than 30%. The RMS subtypes are also different at the molecular level—eRMS frequently has multiple genetic alterations, including mutations in RAS and TP53, whereas aRMS often has chromosomal translocations resulting in PAX3-FOXO1 or PAX7-FOXO1 fusions, but otherwise has a “quiet” genome. Interestingly, mutations in RAS are rarely found in aRMS. In this study, we explored the role of oncogenic RAS in aRMS. We found that while ectopic oncogenic HRAS expression was tolerated in the human RAS-driven eRMS cell line RD, it was detrimental to cell growth and proliferation in the human aRMS cell line Rh28. Growth inhibition was mediated by oncogene-induced senescence and associated with increased RB pathway activity and expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p16 and p21. Unexpectedly, the human eRMS cell line RMS-YM, a RAS wild-type eRMS cell line, also exhibited growth inhibition in response to oncogenic HRAS in a manner similar to aRMS Rh28 cells. This work suggests that oncogenic RAS is expressed in a context-dependent manner in RMS and may provide insight into the differential origins and therapeutic opportunities for RMS subtypes.
Donor genetic variants in interleukin-6 and interleukin-6 receptor associate with biopsy-proven rejection following kidney transplantation
Authors: Poppelaars Felix , Gaya da Costa Mariana , Eskandari Siawosh K. , Damman Jeffrey , Seelen Marc A.
Published: August 2021

Rejection after kidney transplantation remains an important cause of allograft failure that markedly impacts morbidity. Cytokines are a major player in rejection, and we, therefore, explored the impact of interleukin-6 (IL6) and IL-6 receptor (IL6R) gene polymorphisms on the occurrence of rejection after renal transplantation. We performed an observational cohort study analyzing both donor and recipient DNA in 1271 renal transplant‐pairs from the University Medical Center Groningen in The Netherlands and associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with biopsy-proven rejection after kidney transplantation. The C-allele of the IL6R SNP (Asp358Ala; rs2228145 A > C, formerly rs8192284) in donor kidneys conferred a reduced risk of rejection following renal transplantation (HR 0.78 per C-allele; 95%-CI 0.67–0.90; P = 0.001). On the other hand, the C-allele of the IL6 SNP (at position-174 in the promoter; rs1800795 G > C) in donor kidneys was associated with an increased risk of rejection for male organ donors (HR per C-allele 1.31; 95%-CI 1.08–1.58; P = 0.0006), but not female organ donors (P = 0.33). In contrast, neither the IL6 nor IL6R SNP in the recipient showed an association with renal transplant rejection. In conclusion, donor IL6 and IL6R genotypes but not recipient genotypes represent an independent prognostic marker for biopsy-proven renal allograft rejection.
A machine learning approach identifies 5-ASA and ulcerative colitis as being linked with higher COVID-19 mortality in patients with IBD
Authors: Roy Satyaki , Sheikh Shehzad Z. , Furey Terrence S.
Published: August 2021

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), namely Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. IBD patient conditions and treatments, such as with immunosuppressants, may result in a higher risk of viral and bacterial infection and more severe outcomes of infections. The effect of the clinical and demographic factors on the prognosis of COVID-19 among IBD patients is still a significant area of investigation. The lack of available data on a large set of COVID-19 infected IBD patients has hindered progress. To circumvent this lack of large patient data, we present a random sampling approach to generate clinical COVID-19 outcomes (outpatient management, hospitalized and recovered, and hospitalized and deceased) on 20,000 IBD patients modeled on reported summary statistics obtained from the Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion (SECURE-IBD), an international database to monitor and report on outcomes of COVID-19 occurring in IBD patients. We apply machine learning approaches to perform a comprehensive analysis of the primary and secondary covariates to predict COVID-19 outcome in IBD patients. Our analysis reveals that age, medication usage and the number of comorbidities are the primary covariates, while IBD severity, smoking history, gender and IBD subtype (CD or UC) are key secondary features. In particular, elderly male patients with ulcerative colitis, several preexisting conditions, and who smoke comprise a highly vulnerable IBD population. Moreover, treatment with 5-ASAs (sulfasalazine/mesalamine) shows a high association with COVID-19/IBD mortality. Supervised machine learning that considers age, number of comorbidities and medication usage can predict COVID-19/IBD outcomes with approximately 70% accuracy. We explore the challenge of drawing demographic inferences from existing COVID-19/IBD data. Overall, there are fewer IBD case reports from US states with poor health ranking hindering these analyses. Generation of patient characteristics based on known summary statistics allows for increased power to detect IBD factors leading to variable COVID-19 outcomes. There is under-reporting of COVID-19 in IBD patients from US states with poor health ranking, underpinning the perils of using the repository to derive demographic information.
Superconductivity in LiGa2Ir Heusler type compound with VEC = 16
Authors: Górnicka Karolina , Kuderowicz Gabriel , Winiarski Michał J. , Wiendlocha Bartłomiej , Klimczuk Tomasz
Published: August 2021

Polycrystalline LiGa2Ir has been prepared by a solid state reaction method. A Rietveld refinement of powder x-ray diffraction data confirms a previously reported Heusler-type crystal structure (space group Fm-3m, No. 225) with lattice parameter a = 6.0322(1) Å. The normal and superconducting state properties were studied by magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity techniques. A bulk superconductivity with Tc = 2.94 K was confirmed by detailed heat capacity studies. The measurements indicate that LiGa2Ir is a weak-coupling type-II superconductor ($${\uplambda }$$
λ
e–p = 0.57, $${\Delta }$$
Δ
C/$${\upgamma }$$
γ
Tc = 1.4). Electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and the electron–phonon interaction are studied from first principles calculations. Ir and two Ga atoms equally contribute to the Fermi surface with a minor contribution from Li. The phonon spectrum contains separated high frequency Li modes, which are seen clearly as an Einstein-like contribution in the specific heat. The calculated electron–phonon coupling constant $${\uplambda }$$
λ
e–p = 0.68 confirms the electron–phonon mechanism for the superconductivity. LiGa2Ir and recently reported isoelectronic LiGa2Rh are the only two known representatives of the Heusler superconductors with the valence electron count VEC = 16.
Paecilomyces variotii xylanase production, purification and characterization with antioxidant xylo-oligosaccharides production
Authors: Abdella Asmaa , Ramadan Samah , Hamouda Ragaa A. , Saddiq Amna A. , Alhazmi Nuha M. , Al-Saman Mahmoud A.
Published: August 2021

Paecilomyces variotii xylanase was, produced in stirred tank bioreactor with yield of 760 U/mL and purified using 70% ammonium sulfate precipitation and ultra-filtration causing 3.29-fold purification with 34.47% activity recovery. The enzyme purity was analyzed on sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) confirming its monomeric nature as single band at 32 KDa. Zymography showed xylan hydrolysis activity at the same band. The purified enzyme had optimum activity at 60 °C and pH 5.0. The pH stability range was 5–9 and the temperature stability was up 70 °C. Fe2+and Fe3+ exhibited inhibition of xylanase enzyme while Cu2+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Mn2+ stimulated its activity. Mercaptoethanol stimulated its activity; however, Na2-EDTA and SDS inhibited its activity. The purified xylanase could hydrolyze beechwood xylan but not carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), avicel or soluble starch. Paecilomyces variotii xylanase Km and Vmax for beechwood were determined to be 3.33 mg/mL and 5555 U/mg, respectively. The produced xylanase enzyme applied on beech xylan resulted in different types of XOS. The antioxidant activity of xylo-oligosaccharides increased from 15.22 to 70.57% when the extract concentration was increased from 0.1 to 1.5 mg/mL. The enzyme characteristics and kinetic parameters indicated its high efficiency in the hydrolysis of xylan and its potential effectiveness in lignocellulosic hydrolysis and other industrial application. It also suggests the potential of xylanase enzyme for production of XOS from biomass which are useful in food and pharmaceutical industries.
Physical correlates of human-like softness elicit high tactile pleasantness
Authors: Kitada Ryo , Ng Megan , Tan Zheng Yee , Lee Xue Er , Kochiyama Takanori
Published: August 2021

Touching an object can elicit affective sensations. Because these sensations are critical for social interaction, tactile preferences may be adapted to the characteristics of the human body. We have previously shown that compliance, a physical correlate of softness, increased the tactile pleasantness of a deformable surface. However, the extent to which object compliance similar to the human body elicits tactile pleasantness remains unknown. We addressed this question by using a wide range of compliances and by measuring the distribution of compliance of human body parts. The participants numerically estimated the perceived pleasantness or softness while pushing tactile stimuli with their right index fingers. The perceived softness monotonically increased with increasing compliance and then leveled off around the end of the stimulus range. By contrast, pleasantness showed an inverse U pattern as a function of compliance, reaching the maximum between 5 and 7 mm/N. This range of compliance was within that for both hand and arm. These results indicate that objects with similar compliance levels as those of human body parts yield the highest pleasantness when pushing them.
Numerical simulation and analysis of effects of individual differences on the field distribution in the human brain with electromagnetic pulses
Authors: Wang Shan , Song Zhongguo , Li Huiping , Guo Guozhen , Xi Xiaoli
Published: August 2021

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) opening induced by electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) may be a drug delivery strategy of central nervous system (CNS) diseases. However, the mechanism of EMP-induced BBB opening is still ambiguous. Previous studies have shown the relation between the external field and the extent of BBB permeation (referred to as the effect), while the connection between the internal field and the effect remains unknown. Here, the influence of individual differences on the field distribution in the human brain with EMPs is investigated, the dielectric parameters of the specific anthropomorphic mannequin (SAM) and structural parameters of the spherical brain are adjusted, and the field distribution in the brain illuminated by EMPs at the frequency range of 0–0.5 GHz is simulated based on the Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Studio Suite. The results show that the average electric field in the brain is about 1/100–1/5 of the incident field within the studied frequency range, individual differences have little effect on the field distribution in the human brain; and thus, it is reliable to establish the connection between the internal field and the effect, which is of great theoretical significance for further study of the mechanism of an EMP on the brain.
Combining ability and gene action controlling rust resistance in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)
Authors: Daudi Happy , Shimelis Hussein , Mathew Isack , Rathore Abhishek , Ojiewo Chris O.
Published: August 2021

Groundnut rust caused by Puccinia arachidis Speg. is a major cause of yield and quality losses in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in the warm-humid tropics including Tanzania. Breeding and deployment of rust resistant cultivars with farmer-preferred attributes will bolster groundnut production and productivity. The objective of this study was to determine the combining ability effects and gene action controlling rust resistance in groundnut genotypes for breeding. Twelve selected and complementary parental lines were crossed in a diallel design, to develop F1 progenies, which were advanced to the F2 for individual plant selection. Thirty-three successful partial crosses and the 12 parents were field evaluated using a 5 × 9 alpha lattice designs with two replications over two seasons in Tanzania. The tested genotypes exhibited significant (P < 0.05) variation for rust resistance, yield and yield-related traits. There existed significant (P < 0.05) difference on the general combining ability (GCA) effect of parents and the specific combining ability (SCA) effect of progeny for the assessed traits indicating that both additive and non-additive gene effects conditioned trait inheritance. The Bakers’ ratios indicated that the non-additive gene effects predominantly controlling rust resistance and yield components. This suggested that transgressive segregants could be selected for improved rust resistance and yield gains in the advanced pure line generations. Genotypes ICGV-SM 05570 and ICGV-SM 15567 were the best general combiners for rust resistance and grain yield. The crosses ICGV-SM 16589 × Narinut and ICGV-SM 15557 × ICGV-SM 15559 were identified as the best specific combiners for rust resistance with moderate yield levels and medium maturity. Genotypes with desirable GCA or SCA effects were selected for further breeding.
In silico study of PEI-PEG-squalene-dsDNA polyplex formation: the delicate role of the PEG length in the binding of PEI to DNA
Authors: Vasiliu Tudor , Craciun Bogdan Florin , Neamtu Andrei , Clima Lilia , Isac Dragos Lucian , Maier Stelian S. , Pinteala Mariana , Mocci Francesca , Laaksonen Aatto
Published: August 2021

Using a two step simulation protocol the atomistic interactions between PEG and b-PEI and the effect of these interactions on DNA binding were determined.
Immunotherapy of tumors by tailored nano-zeolitic imidazolate framework protected biopharmaceuticals
Authors: Dutta Saikat
Published: August 2021

Biopharmaceutical@ZIF-based immunotherapy with advanced level protection in the tumor microenvironment.
Lattice distortion of CaF2 nanocrystals for shortening their 19F longitude relaxation time
Authors: Xu Ran , Meng Fanqiang , Liu Yanyue , Duosiken Dida , Sun Kang , Pan Sijian , Tao Ke
Published: August 2021

Shortened interplanar spacing of CaF2 nanocrystals led to significant improvement of their 19F imaging capability.
Lattice-matching Ni-based scaffold with a spongy cover for uniform electric field against lithium dendrites
Authors: Zhao Yunhao , Xu Rui , Zhou Yuanyuan , Wang Fangzheng , Tong Cheng , Shao Minhua , Wang Meng , Li Cunpu , Wei Zidong
Published: August 2021

Herein, carbonized nickel metal organic framework scaffolds at nickel foam (CNS@NF) were fabricated to regulate Li-ion plating/stripping in lithium cells.
Investigating the role of Cu-oxo species in Cu-nitrate formation over Cu-CHA catalysts
Authors: Negri Chiara , Martini Andrea , Deplano Gabriele , Lomachenko Kirill A. , Janssens Ton V. W. , Borfecchia Elisa , Berlier Gloria , Bordiga Silvia
Published: August 2021

The speciation of the CuII sites in Cu-CHA catalysts for NH3-SCR is studied, to investigate the influence of the Al content on the structure and reactivity of these sites in a NO/O2 mixture.
Structures and hydrogen bonding of 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane and its hydrates
Authors: Xu Yugao , Wei Zhi-You , Li Wenqin , Zhang Jiaqi , Lu Tao , Jin Yan , Zheng Wei-Jun , Feng Gang
Published: August 2021

The conformational preference of 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane and the cooperativity of water–water and water–solute interactions determining the hydration of 1,7-dioxaspiro[5.5]undecane are unveiled.
Pressure-induced bandgap engineering of lead-free halide double perovskite (NH4)2SnBr6
Authors: Wang Jiaxiang , Wang Lingrui , Wang Fei , Jiang Sheng , Guo Haizhong
Published: August 2021

Pressure-induced bandgap engineering of (NH4)2SnBr6 elucidates the structure–property relationship and provides guidance for the application of HDPs in practical devices.
Nickel-catalysed fluoromethylation reactions
Authors: Nair Pravya P. , Philip Rose Mary , Anilkumar Gopinathan
Published: August 2021

This review highlights important developments in nickel-catalysed mono-, di- and tri-fluoromethylation, trifluoromethylthiolation and trifluoromethylselenolation.
Sulfur doped FeOx nanosheet arrays supported on nickel foam for efficient alkaline seawater splitting
Authors: Hao Weiju , Fan Jinli , Xu Xia , Zhang Yiran , Lv Haiyang , Wang Shige , Deng Shengwei , Weng Shuo , Guo Yanhui
Published: August 2021

The bifunctional FeOx–Ni3S2@NF electrode for the efficient catalysis of the HER and OER shows durable stability in alkaline simulated seawater.
Star-polymer multidentate-cross-linking strategy for superior operational stability of inverted perovskite solar cells at high efficiency
Authors: Cao Qi , Yang Jiabao , Wang Tong , Li Yuke , Pu Xingyu , Zhao Junsong , Zhang Yixin , Zhou Hui , Li Xiaoqiang , Li Xuanhua
Published: August 2021

A multidentate-cross-linking strategy using adequate functional groups in star-polymer to directly chelate perovskite materials in multiple directions achieves superior device stability at high efficiency.
Ionic liquid-assisted synthesis of a novel PANI/ZnWO4/WO3 ternary nanocomposite: a facile double electron transfer photocatalyst for efficient degradation of a herbicide
Authors: Barik Bapun , Mishra Monalisa , Dash Priyabrat
Published: August 2021

A ternary PANI–ZnWO4–WO3 photocatalyst was synthesized via IL-assisted in situ polymerization method exhibiting double Z-scheme channelization towards photodegradation of glyphosate with superior minimization of toxicity of degraded products.
Anaerobic membrane bioreactors for resource recovery from municipal wastewater: a comprehensive review of recent advances
Authors: Robles Ángel , Serralta Joaquín , Martí Nuria , Ferrer José , Seco Aurora
Published: August 2021

The potentials of AnMBR for resource recovery from municipal wastewater are discussed. The main aim is to provide key insights into overcoming key challenges for full-scale implementation from a technical, environmental and economic point of view.
Virus-inspired designs of antimicrobial nanocapsules
Authors: Cruz Carlos H. B. , Marzuoli Irene , Fraternali Franca
Published: August 2021

We propose a novel approach to antimicrobial drug design that exploits the assembly of antimicrobial peptidic units in nanocapsules that can penetrate and rupture the bacterial membrane.
The petroleum ether extract ofBrassica rapaL. induces apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma cellsviathe mitochondria-dependent pathway
Authors: Halike Xierenguli , Li Jinyu , Yuan Pengfei , Yasheng Kaimeiliya , Chen Min , Xia Lijie , Li Jinyao
Published: August 2021

BRPS inhibited the growth of lung cancer cells through inducing cell cycle arrest, mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, and activating immunity of mice.
Nitrogen-rich anthraquinone–triazine conjugated microporous polymer networks as high-performance supercapacitor
Authors: Luo Bingcai , Chen Ying , Zhang Yubao , Huo Jianqiang
Published: August 2021

Conjugated microporous polymer (CMP) networks are an emerging class of porous organic material composed of pre-designed functional structures and tailored components.
Green light-emitting BSA-conjugated dye supported silica nanoparticles for bio-imaging applications
Authors: Ramalingam Sathya , Janardhanan Sreeram Kalarical , Raghava Rao Jonnalagadda
Published: August 2021

BSA conjugated with amine functionalised silica nanoparticles (BSA@DSFN) proved to be an ideal material for long life fluorescent probe for cellular imaging application.
Unveiling the interaction of protein fibrils with gold nanoparticles by plasmon enhanced nano-spectroscopy
Authors: Capocefalo Angela , Deckert-Gaudig Tanja , Brasili Francesco , Postorino Paolo , Deckert Volker
Published: August 2021

A combined label-free spectroscopic approach at the nanoscale, based on tip-enhanced and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopies, enabled to identify the key mechanisms in the degradation of amyloid fibrils mediated by gold nanoparticles.
Understanding the interfacial charge transfer in the CVD grown Bi2O2Se/CsPbBr3 nanocrystal heterostructure and its exploitation in superior photodetection: experiment vs. theory
Authors: Hossain Md Tarik , Das Mandira , Ghosh Joydip , Ghosh Subhradip , Giri P. K.
Published: August 2021

Efficient charge transfer in few-layer Bi2O2Se/CsPbBr3 NC heterostructure with type I band alignment paving the way for superior optoelectronic devices.
Fluorescent glutamine and asparagine as promising probes for chemical biology
Authors: Bajaj Kiran , Pidiyara Karishma , Khan Shahid , Jha Prabhat N. , Sakhuja Rajeev , Kumar Dalip
Published: August 2021

Fluorescent glutamine and asparagine with excellent photophysical properties are showcased. Cell permeation of these fluorescent amino acids proved their potential as fluorescent probes for chemical biology.
The kinetic resolution of oxazinones by alcoholysis: access to orthogonally protected β-amino acids
Authors: Cronin Sarah A. , Connon Stephen J.
Published: August 2021

A small molecule organocatalyst can promote the alcoholytic, highly enantioselective kinetic resolution of 4- and 5-substituted oxazinones to produce orthogonally protected β2- and β3-amino acids ready for use in peptide chemistry.
Copper(i)-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular C-arylation with ureas as the additives: highly enantioselective formation of spirooxindoles
Authors: Ma Haowen , Feng Jiajie , Zhou Wei , Chen Chen , Deng Zhuoji , Zhou Fengtao , Ouyang Yifan , Zhang Xinhao , Cai Qian
Published: August 2021

A cooperative catalytic strategy is developed for a copper-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular C-arylation reaction with ureas as the co-catalysts.
Thermoresponsive properties of polyacrylamides in physiological solutions
Authors: Kolouchová Kristýna , Lobaz Volodymyr , Beneš Hynek , de la Rosa Victor R. , Babuka David , Švec Pavel , Černoch Peter , Hrubý Martin , Hoogenboom Richard , Štěpánek Petr , Groborz Ondřej
Published: August 2021

We show that the cloud point temperature (TCP) of thermoresponsive polyacrylamides is considerably lower in physiologically relevant solvents (phosphate-buffered saline, serum) than in pure water. This decrease of TCP may be critical for some biomedical applications.
Divergent synthesis of unsymmetrical azobenzenes via Cu-catalyzed C–N coupling
Authors: Wang Yuzhou , Xie Rongrong , Huang Lingyu , Tian Ya-Nan , Lv Shihai , Kong Xiangfei , Li Shiqing
Published: August 2021

Efficient, one-pot, and low-cost metal-catalyzed tandem Chan–Lam coupling/deprotection and Ullmann/Chan–Lam/deprotection reactions to access unsymmetrical azobenzenes are disclosed.
Ball-lens assisted sensitivity improvement of fluorescence immunoassay in microchannels
Authors: Zhang Qingquan , Li Jiajia , Su Yuting , Pan Xiaoyan , Gai Hongwei
Published: August 2021

A contactless and ball-lens assisted sensitivity improvement method was present for the fluorescence or luminescence immunoassay in microchannel.
Ductile keratin films from deep eutectic solvent-fractionated feathers
Authors: Nuutinen Emmi-Maria , Virtanen Tommi , Lantto Raija , Vähä-Nissi Mika , Jääskeläinen Anna-Stiina
Published: August 2021

In the present study, cross-linked keratin films were prepared using deep eutectic solvent (DES) fractionated feathers as a raw material.
A simple pillar[5]arene assembled multi-functional material with ultrasensitive sensing, self-healing, conductivity and host–guest stimuli-responsive properties
Authors: Liu Juan , Yang Hai-Long , Sun Xiao-Wen , Zhang You-Ming , Yao Hong , Wei Tai-Bao , Lin Qi
Published: August 2021

A novel supramolecular gel (TP-QG) was successfully constructed via host–guest interactions, and could serve as a multi-functional material with self-healing, host–guest responsiveness, ultrasensitive sensing and conductivity.
Novel conducting solid polymer electrolytes with a zwitterionic structure boosting ionic conductivity and retarding lithium dendrite formation
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Zhang Yunlong , Yang Zeheng , Su Jianhui , Zhang Weixin
Published: August 2021

Sufficient hydrogen bonding and ion–dipole interactions with zwitterion structure augment ionic conductivity and impede anionic mobility and lithium dendritic growth in conducting solid polymer electrolytes to enable high cycling performance.
Regulation of the surface micro-structure and crystal phase of Pd2B mesoporous nanoparticles for enhanced hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis
Authors: Xu You , Liu Mengying , Ren Tianlun , Wang Shengqi , Liu Tiantian , Wang Ziqiang , Li Xiaonian , Wang Liang , Wang Hongjing
Published: August 2021

Polyethylenimine-modified Pd2B nanoparticles were fabricated and demonstrated improved electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution.
Psychometrics of the Pragmatic Rating Scale for School-Age Children With a Range of Linguistic and Social Communication Skills
Authors: Dillon Emily , Holingue Calliope , Herman Dana , Landa Rebecca J.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

Social communication or pragmatic skills are continuously distributed in the general population. Impairment in these skills is associated with two clinical disorders, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and social (pragmatic) communication disorder. Such impairment can impact a child's peer acceptance, school performance, and current and later mental health. Valid, reliable, examiner-rated observational measures of social communication from a semistructured language sample are needed to detect social communication impairment. We evaluated the psychometrics of an examiner-rated measure of social (pragmatic) communication, the Pragmatic Rating Scale–School Age (PRS-SA).

Method

The analytic sample consisted of 130 children, ages 7–12 years, from five mutually exclusive groups: ASD (
n
= 25), language concern (LC;
n
= 5), ASD + LC (
n
= 10), social communication impairment only (
n
= 22), and typically developing (TD;
n
= 68). All children received language and autism assessments. The PRS-SA was rated separately using video-recorded communication samples from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Assessment data were employed to evaluate the psychometrics of the PRS-SA. Analysis of covariance models were used to assess whether the PRS-SA would detect differences in social communication functioning across the five groups.

Results

The PRS-SA demonstrated strong internal reliability, concurrent validity, and interrater reliability. PRS-SA scores were significantly higher in all groups compared to the TD group and differed significantly in most pairwise comparisons; the ASD + LC group had the highest (more atypical) scores.

Conclusions

The PRS-SA shows promise as a measure of social communication skills in school-age verbally fluent children with a range of social and language abilities. More research is needed with a larger sample, including a wider age range and geographical diversity, to replicate findings.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.15138240
End‐to‐end global to local convolutional neural network learning for hand pose recovery in depth data
Authors: Madadi Meysam , Escalera Sergio , Baró Xavier , Gonzàlez Jordi
Published: August 2021

Despite recent advances in 3‐D pose estimation of human hands, thanks to the advent of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and depth cameras, this task is still far from being solved in uncontrolled setups. This is mainly due to the highly non‐linear dynamics of fingers and self‐occlusions, which make hand model training a challenging task. In this study, a novel hierarchical tree‐like structured CNN is exploited, in which branches are trained to become specialised in predefined subsets of hand joints called local poses. Further, local pose features, extracted from hierarchical CNN branches, are fused to learn higher order dependencies among joints in the final pose by end‐to‐end training. Lastly, the loss function used is also defined to incorporate appearance and physical constraints about doable hand motions and deformations. Finally, a non‐rigid data augmentation approach is introduced to increase the amount of training depth data. Experimental results suggest that feeding a tree‐shaped CNN, specialised in local poses, into a fusion network for modelling joints' correlations and dependencies, helps to increase the precision of final estimations, showing competitive results on NYU, MSRA, Hands17 and SyntheticHand datasets.
A deep learning‐based classification scheme for cyber‐attack detection in power system
Authors: Ding Yucheng , Ma Kang , Pu Tianjiao , Wang Xingying , Li Ran , Zhang Dongxia
Published: August 2021

A smart grid improves power grid efficiency by using modern information and communication technologies. However, at the same time, the system might become increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Among various emerging security problems, a false data injection attack (FDIA) is a new type of attack against the state estimation. In this article, a deep learning‐based identification scheme is developed to detect and mitigate information corruption. The scheme implements a Conditional Deep Belief Network to analyse time‐series input data and leverages captured features to detect the FDIA. The performance of the detection mechanism is validated by using the IEEE standard test system for simulation. Different attack scenarios and parameters are set to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the developed scheme. Compared with the support vector machine and the multilayer perceptrons, the experimental analyses indicate that the results of the proposed detection mechanism are better than those of the other two in terms of FDIA detection accuracy and robustness.
Review of the decomposition characteristics of eco‐friendly insulation gas
Authors: Yang Yuan , Gao Keli , Ding Lijian , Bi Jiangang , Yuan Shuai , Yan Xianglian
Published: August 2021

As one of the major concerns of climate change, identifying a proper eco‐friendly insulation gas for replacing sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) becomes a prominent research topic in recent years. c‐C4F8, CF3I, C5F10O, C6F12O and C4F7N are some potential alternatives that are proved to have excellent characteristics, including high insulation strengths and low Global Warming Potentials (GWPs). Beyond these key factors, the decomposition products of these alternatives are closely related to the gases' insulation performance, as well as the safety of operators and the compatibility with other materials. In addition, the type and content of decomposition products can be used for fault diagnosis. Therefore, a number of studies were carried out to reveal the decomposition mechanism of these alternative gases, and then to explore the gases' application feasibility and strategy. The recent advances obtained in these studies, including theoretical calculation methods, detection of gas decomposition products, decomposition mechanism are reviewed, and some perspectives for future works are proposed. It is concluded that the phenomenon of solid matter precipitation in c‐C4F8 and CF3I gas decomposition cannot be ignored and that more research is needed to reveal the influence of buffer gases, micro‐aerobic, micro‐water and other impurities on the gas decomposition process.
Singular value decomposition‐based iterative robust cubature Kalman filtering and its application for integrated global positioning system/strapdown inertial navigation system navigation
Authors: Yu Zhangjun , Zhang Qiuzhao , Zhang Yunrui , Zheng Nanshan , Sedlák Vladimír
Published: August 2021

The issue of non‐linear robust state estimation in the integration of a strapdown inertial navigation system and global positioning system is addressed in this study. Based on the cubature Kalman filtering frame, a non‐linear robust filter called a robust cubature Kalman filter (RCKF) was introduced to address the outliers and the inaccurate model. It has been found that the determination of an optimal restriction parameter is crucial for maintaining the robustness and accuracy of the non‐linear robust filter. Unfortunately, the value of this restriction parameter is always determined by experience. In this study, an iterative strategy was proposed to adaptively attain the optimal restriction parameter without much previous experience. To improve the computational stability of the iterative non‐linear robust filter, a singular value decomposition strategy was adopted simultaneously. Two case studies indicate that the iterative RCKF can achieve greater robustness and accuracy using the methodology discussed in this study.
Galaxy populations in haloes in high-density environments
Authors: Alfaro Ignacio G. , Ruiz Andrés N. , Luparello Heliana E. , Rodriguez Facundo , Garcia Lambas Diego
Published: August 2021

Context. Some indications suggest that the properties of galaxy populations in dark matter haloes may depend on their large-scale environment. Recent works have pointed out that very low-density environments affect the halo occupation, but a similar analysis of high-density environments is still lacking. We used a simulated set of future virialised superstructures (FVS) to analyse the occupation of galaxies in haloes within these globally high-density regions.

Aims. Our main goal is to explore the different characteristics of the galaxies populating haloes in FVS compared to the characteristics of galaxies in general.

Methods. We used a publicly available simulated galaxy set constructed with a semi-analytical model to identify FVS in the simulation. Then, we computed the halo occupation distribution within these superstructures for different absolute magnitude thresholds and performed several analyses, including the comparison to the global halo occupation results. We studied the dependence on the results of FVS properties such as density and volume, and we considered the morphology of galaxies. We also analysed the properties of the stellar content of galaxies and the formation time of the haloes inside an FVS and compared them to those of the general populations.

Results. We find a significant increase in the halo occupation distribution inside FVS. This result is present for all absolute magnitude thresholds explored. The effect is larger in the densest regions of FVS, but does not depend on the volume of the superstructure. We also find that the stellar-mass content of galaxies considerably differs inside the superstructures. Low mass haloes have their central and satellite galaxies with a higher stellar mass content (∼50%), and exhibit mean star ages (∼20%) older than average. For massive haloes in FVS we find that only the stellar mass of satellite galaxies varies considerably corresponding to a decrease of ∼50%. We find a significant statistical difference between the formation times of haloes in FVS and the average population. haloes residing in superstructures formed earlier, a fact that leads to several changes in the HOD and their member galaxy properties.
Linking nearby stellar streams to more distant halo overdensities
Authors: Balbinot E. , Helmi A.
Published: August 2021

Context. It has recently been shown that the halo near the Sun contains several kinematic substructures associated with past accretion events. For the more distant halo, there is evidence of large-scale density variations – in the form of stellar clouds or overdensities.

Aims. We study the link between the local halo kinematic groups and three of these stellar clouds: the Hercules-Aquila cloud, the Virgo Overdensity, and the Eridanus-Phoenix overdensity.

Methods. We perform orbital integrations in a standard Milky Way potential of a local halo sample extracted from Gaia EDR3 with the goal of predicting the location of the merger debris elsewhere in the Galaxy. We specifically focus on the regions occupied by the three stellar clouds and compare their kinematic and distance distributions with those predicted from the orbits of the nearby debris.

Results. We find that the local halo substructures have families of orbits that tend to pile up in the regions where the stellar clouds have been found. The distances and velocities of the cloud’s member stars are in good agreement with those predicted from the orbit integrations, particularly for Gaia-Enceladus stars. This is the dominant contributor of all three overdensities, with a minor part stemming from the Helmi streams and to an even smaller extent from Sequoia. The orbital integrations predict no asymmetries in the sky distribution of halo stars, and they pinpoint where additional debris associated with the local halo substructures may be located.
Repellent and insecticidal effect of the invasive plantMelilotus officinalis(L.) Pall. onTenebrio molitorL.
Authors: Gulik Elena , Mikhailova Svetlana , Babenko Andrey , Aljboori Qasim H.A.
Published: August 2021

The repellent and insecticidal effect of invasive alien plantMelilotus officinalisL. onTenebrio molitorL. in a laboratory experiment were studied. The repellent activity of the dry crushed aboveground part ofM. officinalis, added to oatmeal and spring wheat, was studied in relation to the larvae ofT. molitor. The best repellent effect ofM. officinaliswas observed in relation toT. molitorlarvae when added to oatmeal. The insecticidal activity of an aqueous extract of the aboveground part ofM. officinaliswas studied on larvae and imago ofT. molitor. A pronounced insecticidal effect ofM. offcicinalison the imagoT. molitorwas established in the absence of an effect on the larvae.