bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of harvest and extraction factors by full factorial design for the improved yield of C-glucosyl xanthone mangiferin from Swertia chirata
Authors: Kaur Prabhjot , Gupta R. C. , Dey Abhijit , Malik Tabarak , Pandey Devendra Kumar
Published: August 2021

Swertia chirataBuch.-Ham. ex C.B. Clarke is an important medicinal plant used in various herbal formulations as it shows significant biological activities such as hepatoprotective, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antimalarial, antioxidant and anti-parkinson. C-glucosyl xanthone glycoside (mangiferin) is known as bio-marker compound of genusSwertiaL. Development of efficient extraction methods of C-glucosyl xanthone mangiferin fromSwertia chiratawas attempted by optimizing the pre-harvest, post-harvest and extraction techniques by full factorial design. Firstly, a full factorial design was implemented to evaluate the single and interactive effects of pre-harvest (growth stage and plant part), post-harvest (drying condition and storage periods) followed by selection of best extraction technique such as heat reflux extraction (HRE), microwave assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound assistant extraction (UAE) at different solvent types on mangiferin yield. HPTLC and HPLC techniques were used for the determination of mangiferin content in extracts generated from different plant samples. In addition, anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic properties were determined by using DPPH assay and percentage inhibition of α‑amylase enzyme. Substantial variation of mangiferin yield, ranged from 1.46 to 4.86% was observed, depending on the growth stage, plant part, drying condition, storage periods and extraction method. Results showed that drying of the leaves ofSwertia chiratain the shade harvested at budding stage and stored for not more than 1 month was recommended for obtaining a higher mangiferin yield. Among different extraction techniques, MAE and UAE in 50% aqueous ethanol solvent were found to be efficient and cost-effective with better yield of mangiferin (4.82% and 4.86%, respectively) as compared to HRE (4.14%). Highest DPPH activity and percentage inhibition of α‑amylase was observed in the aqueous ethanol extract ofS. chirataleaves harvested at bud-stage of plant followed by flowering stage. The study shows that optimization of various factors by full factorial design was found to be an effective procedure to improve mangiferin yield fromSwertia chirataand can be used for extraction of mangiferin.
Comparing the responses of the UK, Sweden and Denmark to COVID-19 using counterfactual modelling
Authors: Mishra Swapnil , Scott James A. , Laydon Daniel J. , Flaxman Seth , Gandy Axel , Mellan Thomas A. , Unwin H. Juliette T. , Vollmer Michaela , Coupland Helen , Ratmann Oliver , Monod Melodie , Zhu Harrison H. , Cori Anne , Gaythorpe Katy A. M. , Whittles Lilith K. , Whittaker Charles , Donnelly Christl A. , Ferguson Neil M. , Bhatt Samir
Published: August 2021

The UK and Sweden have among the worst per-capita COVID-19 mortality in Europe. Sweden stands out for its greater reliance on voluntary, rather than mandatory, control measures. We explore how the timing and effectiveness of control measures in the UK, Sweden and Denmark shaped COVID-19 mortality in each country, using a counterfactual assessment: what would the impact have been, had each country adopted the others’ policies? Using a Bayesian semi-mechanistic model without prior assumptions on the mechanism or effectiveness of interventions, we estimate the time-varying reproduction number for the UK, Sweden and Denmark from daily mortality data. We use two approaches to evaluate counterfactuals which transpose the transmission profile from one country onto another, in each country’s first wave from 13th March (when stringent interventions began) until 1st July 2020. UK mortality would have approximately doubled had Swedish policy been adopted, while Swedish mortality would have more than halved had Sweden adopted UK or Danish strategies. Danish policies were most effective, although differences between the UK and Denmark were significant for one counterfactual approach only. Our analysis shows that small changes in the timing or effectiveness of interventions have disproportionately large effects on total mortality within a rapidly growing epidemic.
Tumorigenic mesenchymal clusters are less sensitive to moderate osmotic stresses due to low amounts of junctional E-cadherin
Authors: Mohammed Danahe , Park Chan Young , Fredberg Jeffrey J. , Weitz David A.
Published: August 2021

The migration of tumorigenic cells is a critical step for metastatic breast cancer progression. Although the role of the extracellular matrix in breast cancer cell migration has been extensively described, the effect of osmotic stress on the migration of tumor breast cohorts remains unclear. Most of our understanding on the effect of osmotic stresses on cell migration comes from studies at the level of the single cell in isolation and does not take cell–cell interactions into account. Here, we study the impact of moderate osmotic stress on the migration of cell clusters composed of either non-tumorigenic or tumorigenic cells. We observe a decrease in migration distance and speed for non-tumorigenic cells but not for tumorigenic ones. To explain these differences, we investigate how osmotic stress impacts the mechanical properties of cell clusters and affects their volumes. Our findings show that tumorigenic mesenchymal cells are less sensitive to osmotic stress than non-tumorigenic cells and suggest that this difference is associated with a lower expression of E-cadherin. Using EGTA treatments, we confirm that the establishment of cell–cell adhesive interactions is a key component of the behavior of cell clusters in response to osmotic stress. This study provides evidence on the low sensitivity of mesenchymal tumorigenic clusters to moderate osmotic stress and highlights the importance of cadherin-based junctions in the response to osmotic stress.
Substitution of I222L-E119V in neuraminidase from highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N9 virus exhibited synergistic resistance effect to oseltamivir in mice
Authors: Tang Jing , Gao Rongbao , Liu Liqi , Zhang Shuxia , Liu Jia , Li Xiyan , Fang Qiongqiong , Feng Zhaomin , Xu Cuiling , Huang Weijuan , Wang Dayan
Published: August 2021

That the high frequency and good replication capacity of strains with reduced susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) in highly pathogenic avian influenza H7N9 (HPAI H7N9) virus made it a significance to further study its drug resistance. HPAI H7N9 viruses bearing NA I222L or E119V substitution and two mutations of I222L-E119V as well as their NAIs-sensitive counterpart were generated by reverse genetics for NA inhibition test and replication capability evaluation in vitro. The attenuated H7N9/PR8 recombinant viruses were developed to study the pathogenicity and drug resistance brought by the above substitutions to mice. The IC50 fold change of oseltamivir to HPAI H7N9 with NA222L-119V is 306.34 times than that of its susceptible strain, and 3.5 times than the E119V mutant virus. HPAI H7N9 bearing NA222L-119V had good replication ability with peak value of more than 6log10 TCID50/ml in MDCK cells. H7N9/PR8 virus bearing NA222L-119V substitutions leaded to diffuse pneumonia, significant weight loss and fatality in mice. NA E119V made H7N9/PR8 virus resistant to oseltamivir, and I222L-E119V had synergistic resistance to oseltamivir in mice. Due to the good fitness of drug resistant strains of HPAI H7N9 virus, it is necessary to strengthen drug resistance surveillance and new drug research.
Co-infections observed in SARS-CoV-2 positive patients using a rapid diagnostic test
Authors: Fontana Carla , Favaro Marco , Minelli Silvia , Bossa Maria Cristina , Altieri Anna
Published: August 2021

Rapid diagnostic tests are tools of paramount impact both for improving patient care and in antimicrobial management programs. Particularly in the case of respiratory infections, it is of great importance to quickly confirm/exclude the involvement of pathogens, be they bacteria or viruses, while obtaining information about the presence/absence of a genetic target of resistance to modulate antibiotic therapy. In this paper, we present our experiences with the use of the Biofire® FilmArray® Pneumonia Panel Plus (FAPP; bioMérieux; Marcy l’Etoile, France) to assess coinfection in COVID-19 patients. A total of 152 respiratory samples from consecutive patients were examined, and 93 (61%) were found to be FAPP positive, with the detection of bacteria and/or viruses. The patients were 93 males and 59 females with an average age of 65 years who were admitted to our hospital due to moderate/severe acute respiratory symptoms. Among the positive samples were 52 from sputum (SPU) and 41 from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). The most representative species was S. aureus (most isolates were mecA positive; 30/44, 62%), followed by gram-negative pathogens such as P. aeruginosa, K. pneumoniae, and A. baumannii. Evidence of a virus was rare. Cultures performed from BAL and SPU samples gave poor results. Most of the discrepant negative cultures were those in which FAPP detected pathogens with a microbial count ≤ 105 CFU/mL. H. influenzae was one of the most common pathogens lost by the conventional method. Despite the potential limitations of FAPP, which detects a defined number of pathogens, its advantages of rapid detection combined with predictive information regarding the antimicrobial resistance of pathogens through the detection of some relevant markers of resistance could be very useful for establishing empirical targeted therapy for the treatment of patients with respiratory failure. In the COVID era, we understand the importance of using antibiotics wisely to curb the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance.
A modified SEIR model to predict the behavior of the early stage in coronavirus and coronavirus-like outbreaks
Authors: Angulo Wilfredo , Ramírez José M. , De Cecchis Dany , Primera Juan , Pacheco Henry , Rodríguez-Román Eduardo
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease that emerged in China at the end of 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic is the first known pandemic caused by a coronavirus, namely, the new and emerging SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. In the present work, we present simulations of the initial outbreak of this new coronavirus using a modified transmission rate SEIR model that takes into account the impact of government actions and the perception of risk by individuals in reaction to the proportion of fatal cases. The parameters related to these effects were fitted to the number of infected cases in the 33 provinces of China. The data for Hubei Province, the probable site of origin of the current pandemic, were considered as a particular case for the simulation and showed that the theoretical model reproduces the behavior of the data, thus indicating the importance of combining government actions and individual risk perceptions when the proportion of fatal cases is greater than $$4\%$$

4
%

. The results show that the adjusted model reproduces the behavior of the data quite well for some provinces, suggesting that the spread of the disease differs when different actions are evaluated. The proposed model could help to predict outbreaks of viruses with a biological and molecular structure similar to that of SARS-CoV-2.
HDAC1 deregulation promotes neuronal loss and deficit of motor function in stroke pathogenesis
Authors: Chen Jui-Sheng , Wang Hao-Kuang , Hsu Chien-Yu , Su Yu-Ting , Chen Jia-Shing , Liang Cheng-Loong , Hsieh Patrick Ching-Ho , Wu Cheng-Chun , Kwan Aij-Lie
Published: August 2021

Stroke is a common cause of death worldwide and leads to disability and cognitive dysfunction. Ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke are major categories of stroke, accounting for 68% and 32% of strokes, respectively. Each year, 15 million people experience stroke worldwide, and the stroke incidence is rising. Epigenetic modifications regulate gene transcription and play a major role in stroke. Accordingly, histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) participates in DNA damage repair and cell survival. However, the mechanisms underlying the role of HDAC1 in stroke pathogenesis are still controversial. Therefore, we investigated the role of HDAC1 in stroke by using a rat model of endothelin-1-induced brain ischemia. Our results revealed that HDAC1 was deregulated following stroke, and its expressional level and enzymatic activity were decreased. We also used MS-275 to inhibit HDAC1 function in rats exposed to ischemic insult. We found that HDAC1 inhibition promoted the infarct volume, neuronal loss, DNA damage, neuronal apoptosis after stroke, and levels of reactive oxygen species and inflammation cytokines. Additionally, HDAC1 inhibition deteriorated the behavioral outcomes of rats with ischemic insult. Overall, our findings demonstrate that HDAC1 participates in ischemic pathogenesis in the brain and possesses potential for use as a therapeutic target.
Improving event-based progression analysis in glaucomatous visual fields
Authors: Rui Chiara , Montesano Giovanni , Crabb David P. , Brusini Paolo , Chauhan Balwantray C. , Rossetti Luca M. , Fogagnolo Paolo , Giraud Jean-Marie , Fenolland Jean-Rémi , Oddone Francesco
Published: August 2021

Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy with characteristic changes to the optic nerve head and the visual field (VF). Detecting progression of VF damage with Standard Automated Perimetry (SAP) is of paramount importance for clinical care. One common approach to detecting progression is to compare each new VF test to a baseline SAP test (event analysis). This comparison is made difficult by the test–retest variability of SAP, which increases with the level of VF damage, and the limited range of measurement, meaning that damage cannot be assessed below a certain level. We performed a prospective international multi-centre data collection of SAP data on 90 eyes from 90 people with glaucoma and different levels of VF damage over a short period of time (6 tests in 60 days). Data were collected using a fundus tracked perimeter (Compass, CenterVue). We used these data (minus the first test) to develop an improved event analysis that accounts for both the change in variability with damage and the lower bound on the measurement imposed by SAP. Using simulations, we show that our approach is more sensitive compared to previously developed methods, especially in the case of advanced glaucoma, while retaining similar specificity.
Genetic polymorphism of 19 autosomal STR loci in the Yi ethnic minority of Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture from Sichuan province in China
Authors: Cheng Jingliang , Song Binghui , Fu Jiewen , Zheng Xiaoli , He Tao , Fu Junjiang
Published: August 2021

The Yi is one of fifty-six ethnic populations and one of the most ancient ethnic groups in China. The Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (LYAP) in Sichuan Province has the single largest Yi community in China. To establish a Yi population database in the LYAP of Sichuan in China, a Goldeneye™ DNA Identification System 20A Kit with 19 autosomal STRs (short tandem repeats) was used. As a result, the total discrimination power (TDP) and the cumulative probability of exclusion (CPE) for these STRs in 1016 unrelated individuals were 0.999999999999999999999897 and 0.9999999597, respectively. Totals of 273 alleles for 19 STRs and 8–22 alleles for each locus were found. The allelic frequencies ranged from 0.0005 to 0.5084. The forensic parameter averages of these STRs were as follows: observed heterozygosity (Hobs) of 78.44%, expected heterozygosity (Hexp) of 79.89%, discrimination power (DP) of 92.66%, and probability of exclusion (PE) of 57.68%. Penta E presented the highest levels of Hobs and DP, whereas TPOX showed the lowest Hobs and DP values. Nei’s standard genetic distance matrix among 31 populations found that the nearest genetic distance to the Yi population was the Sichuan Han (0.0056). Altogether, we first reported the forensic parameters and allele frequencies of 19 autosomal STRs of the Yi group in Liangshan. These 19 STR makers could provide highly informative polymorphisms for individual identification, paternity testing and genetic population analyses.
Structural basis of the complementary activity of two ketosynthases in aryl polyene biosynthesis
Authors: Lee Woo Cheol , Choi Sungjae , Jang Ahjin , Yeon Jiwon , Hwang Eunha , Kim Yangmee
Published: August 2021

Aryl polyenes (APE) are one of the most widespread secondary metabolites among gram-negative bacteria. In Acinetobacter baumannii, strains belonging to the virulent global clone 2 (GC2) mostly contain APE biosynthesis genes; its relevance in elevated pathogenicity is of great interest. APE biosynthesis gene clusters harbor two ketosynthases (KSs): the heterodimeric KS-chain length factor complex, ApeO-ApeC, and the homodimeric ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase I (FabB)-like KS, ApeR. The role of the two KSs in APE biosynthesis is unclear. We determined the crystal structures of the two KSs from a pathogenic A. baumannii strain. ApeO-ApeC and ApeR have similar cavity volumes; however, ApeR has a narrow cavity near the entrance. In vitro assay based on the absorption characteristics of polyene species indicated the generation of fully elongated polyene with only ApeO-ApeC, probably because of the funnel shaped active site cavity. However, adding ApeR to the reaction increases the throughput of APE biosynthesis. Mutagenesis at Tyr135 in the active site cavity of ApeR reduces the activity significantly, which suggests that the stacking of the aryl group between Tyr135 and Phe202 is important for substrate recognition. Therefore, the two KSs function complementarily in the generation of APE to enhance its production.
Postsynthetic treatment of nickel–iron layered double hydroxides for the optimum catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Tyndall Daire , Jaskaniec Sonia , Shortall Brian , Roy Ahin , Gannon Lee , O’Neill Katie , Browne Michelle P. , Coelho João , McGuinness Cormac , Duesberg Georg S. , Nicolosi Valeria
Published: August 2021

Nickel–iron-layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) platelets with high morphological regularity and submicrometre lateral dimensions were synthesized using a homogeneous precipitation technique for highly efficient catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Considering edge sites are the point of activity, efforts were made to control platelet size within the synthesized dispersions. The goal is to controllably isolate and characterize size-reduced NiFe LDH particles. Synthetic approaches for size control of NiFe LDH platelets have not been transferable based on published work with other LDH materials and for that reason, we instead use postsynthetic treatment techniques to improve edge-site density. In the end, size-reduced NiFe LDH/single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composites allowed to further reduce the OER overpotential to 237 ± 7 mV ( = 0.16 ± 0.01 μm, 20 wt% SWCNT), which is one of the best values reported to date. This approach as well improved the long-term activity of the catalyst in operating conditions.
In situ motions of individual inner-hair-cell stereocilia from stapes stimulation in adult mice
Authors: Wang Yanli , Steele Charles R. , Puria Sunil , Ricci Anthony J.
Published: August 2021

In vertebrate hearing organs, mechanical vibrations are converted to ionic currents through mechanoelectrical-transduction (MET) channels. Concerted stereocilia motion produces an ensemble MET current driving the hair-cell receptor potential. Mammalian cochleae are unique in that the tuning of sensory cells is determined by their mechanical environment and the mode of hair-bundle stimulation that their environment creates. However, little is known about the in situ intra-hair-bundle motions of stereocilia relative to one another, or to their environment. In this study, high-speed imaging allowed the stereocilium and cell-body motions of inner hair cells to be monitored in an ex vivo organ of Corti (OoC) mouse preparation. We have found that the OoC rotates about the base of the inner pillar cell, the hair bundle rotates about its base and lags behind the motion of the apical surface of the cell, and the individual stereocilia move semi-independently within a given hair bundle.
The effect of polysaccharide-based hydrogels on the response of antigen-presenting cell lines to immunomodulators
Authors: Chung Jin Teng , Lau Chi Ming Laurence , Chau Ying
Published: August 2021

In this study we found that the polysaccharides hydrogel can differentially modulate dendritic cell immunogenic or tolerogenic maturation and macrophage activation during co-incubation with various soluble immunological mediators.
Dual concentration-dependent effect of ascorbic acid on PAP(248–286) amyloid formation and SEVI-mediated HIV infection
Authors: Mohapatra Satabdee , Viswanathan Guru Krishna Kumar , Wettstein Lukas , Arad Elad , Paul Ashim , Kumar Vijay , Jelinek Raz , Münch Jan , Segal Daniel
Published: August 2021

Human semen contains various amyloidogenic peptides derived from Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP) and Semenogelin proteins that are capable of enhancing HIV-1 infection when assembled into fibrils.
A novel heterogeneous catalyst NH2-MIL-88/PMo10V2 for the photocatalytic activity enhancement of benzene hydroxylation
Authors: Xu PanPan , Zhang Liuxue , Jia Xu , Wen Hao , Wang Xiulian , Yang Suqing , Hui Juxian
Published: August 2021

In this work, heterogeneous catalyst NH2-MIL-88/PMo10V2-3 has shown the high hydroxylation activity of benzene under visible light (a 5 W LED), which mainly attributed to the production of hydroxyl radical(˙OH) and V5+/V4+ redox pair in the existence of electron (e−).
A graphene-based hydrogel monolith with tailored surface chemistry for PFAS passive sampling
Authors: Becanova Jitka , Saleeba Zachary S. S. L. , Stone Aidan , Robuck Anna R. , Hurt Robert H. , Lohmann Rainer
Published: August 2021

We introduce new PFAS passive sampling devices based on porous graphene monoliths grafted with cationic functional groups for broad-spectrum PFAS pre-concentration including short-chain anionic species.
Construction of spatially organized, peptide/peptide derivative containing nanocomposites
Authors: Ji Mingyang , Liu Zhaoyang
Published: August 2021

The functioning of naturally occurring materials and organisms emerges from the synergistic actions of all involved functional subunits following well-defined spatial hierarchies.
Roles of alcohols and existing metal ions in surface chemistry and photoluminescence of InP cores
Authors: Chen Pin-Ru , Lai Kuo-Yang , Chen Hsueh-Shih
Published: August 2021

It is found that existing metal ions and alcohols play key roles in the surface oxidation and passivation of aminophosphine-based InP NCs, which significantly improve their photoluminescence (PL) and photo-stability.
A review of size engineering-enabled electrocatalysts for Li–S chemistry
Authors: Zhang Xi , Zhang Yaping , Wei Xijun , Wei Chaohui , Song Yingze
Published: August 2021

We offer a systematic summary of electrocatalysts from nano to atom scale, aiming at revealing the working mechanism of size engineering-enabled electrocatalysts in sulfur redox reaction and guiding the rational construction of Li–S batteries.
Controlled covalent functionalization of a graphene-channel of a field effect transistor as an ideal platform for (bio)sensing applications
Authors: Mishyn Vladyslav , Rodrigues Teresa , Leroux Yann R. , Aspermair Patrik , Happy Henri , Bintinger Johannes , Kleber Christoph , Boukherroub Rabah , Knoll Wolfgang , Szunerits Sabine
Published: August 2021

Electrochemical grafting of a protected ethynylphenyl diazonium salt leads to the deposition of a functional monolayer on the graphene channel of a field effect transistor, leading to a general platform for (bio)sensing applications.
Merging of cationic RAFT and radical RAFT polymerizations with ring-opening polymerizations for the synthesis of asymmetric ABCD type tetrablock copolymers in one pot
Authors: Zhu Yuejia , Gao Luoyu , Li Zhenjiang , Liu Bo , Zhang Zhihao , Tong Haoying , Qu Yuanyuan , Quan Yusheng , Zou Xin , Guo Kai
Published: August 2021

A new bifunctional and switchable RAFT agent and a mechanism switching strategy were proposed to control the cationic RAFT polymerization, radical RAFT polymerization and ring-opening polymerization of vinyl and cyclic ester monomers and to produce block copolymers.
Visible-light-induced, catalyst and additive-free cycloaddition of vinylcyclopropanes: access to sulfur-containing seven-membered heterocycles
Authors: Huang Xiaozhou , Wang Rui , Zhou Cen , Gao Rong , Zhang Haowen , Zheng Ying , Zhang Xiao
Published: August 2021

The first visible-light-induced, catalyst and additive-free protocol for [5 + 2] cycloadditions of vinylcyclopropanes (VCPs) has been achieved.
Convergent synthesis of 2-thioether-substituted (N)-methanocarba-adenosines as purine receptor agonists
Authors: Suresh R. Rama , Poe Russell B. , Lin Baorui , Lv Kexin , Campbell Ryan G. , Gao Zhan-Guo , Liston Theodore E. , Toti Kiran S. , Jacobson Kenneth A.
Published: August 2021

Enabling efficient synthesis of rigid methanocarba nucleotides and nucleosides as clinically promising purinergic receptor ligands.
The development of a comprehensive toolbox based on multi-level, high-throughput screening of MOFs for CO/N2separations
Authors: Rampal Nakul , Ajenifuja Abdulmalik , Tao Andi , Balzer Christopher , Cummings Matthew S. , Evans Arwyn , Bueno-Perez Rocio , Law David J. , Bolton Leslie W. , Petit Camille , Siperstein Flor , Attfield Martin P. , Jobson Megan , Moghadam Peyman Z. , Fairen-Jimenez David
Published: August 2021

The separation of challenging mixtures through adsorption is a multidimensional problem that requires a holistic approach. Our toolbox combines experiments, molecular and process simulations with data visualization to find optimal, porous materials.
Selective crystallization via vibrational strong coupling
Authors: Hirai Kenji , Ishikawa Hiroto , Chervy Thibault , Hutchison James A. , Uji-i Hiroshi
Published: August 2021

Strong coupling of optical cavity vacuum fields and solvent vibrations leads to selective crystallization in a pseudo-polymorphic MOF system.
Interfacial water morphology in hydrated melanin
Authors: Martinez-Gonzalez J. A. , Cavaye H. , McGettrick J. D. , Meredith P. , Motovilov K. A. , Mostert A. B.
Published: August 2021

We find that water morphology within melanin is purely interfacial in nature, even at high water contents. This morphology brings into question the proton conduction mechanism within melanin with implications or other conductive biomaterials.
Microbial cell factories: a biotechnology journey across species
Authors: Nikel Pablo I. , Mattanovich Diethard
Published: August 2021

An increasingly large number of microbial species with potential for synthetic biology and metabolic engineering has been introduced over the last few years, adding huge variety to the opportunities of biotechnology. Historically, however, only a handful of microbes have attained the acceptance and widespread use that are needed to fulfil the needs of industrial bioproduction. Synthetic biology is setting out to standardise the methods, parts and platform organisms for bioproduction. These platform organisms, or chassis cells, derive from what has been termed microbial cell factories since the 1990s. In this collection of reviews, 18 microbial cell factories are featured, which belong to one of these three groups: (i) microbes already used before modern biotechnology was introduced; (ii) the first generation of engineered microbes; and (iii) promising new host organisms. The reviews are intended to provide readers with an overview of the current state of methodology and application of these cell factories, and with guidelines of how to use them for bioproduction.
Acquired Brain Injury Survivor Long-Term Cognitive Exercise Engagement Post–Speech Therapy Discharge
Authors: O'Neil-Pirozzi Therese M.
Published: August 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to promote the viewpoint that speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are well positioned to actively encourage individuals with cognitive-communication disorders following acquired brain injury (ABI) to engage in ongoing, long-term, cognitive exercise post–therapy discharge.

Method

This viewpoint article draws on evidence from the well-researched area of physical exercise, reports findings of early-stage research in the much less studied area of cognitive exercise, and highlights relevant aspects of motivational theory informing exercise participation. Informed by these, an evidence-supported model of cognitive exercise engagement is offered to inform ABI-targeted cognitive wellness empowerment efforts, and a case study illustrates clinical application of the model.

Conclusions

Exercise provides an opportunity to sustain or improve long-term health, function, and quality of life outcomes. It is within SLP scope of practice to collaborate with family members and other caregivers to empower individuals post-ABI, especially those with decreased self-management skills, to engage in long-term computerized and noncomputerized cognitive exercise following SLP therapy discharge. Ongoing research will further inform the evidence supporting the scholarly opinion presented in this viewpoint.
A novel compensation method for impedance measurement when long feeders are involved
Authors: Liu Xin , Feng Zhiyuan , Qi Lei
Published: August 2021

Black‐box modelling for the electrical equipment requires accurate admittance/impedance frequency‐sweep measurements. In some cases, long test leads are required because of the large size of the electrical equipment under test. It would induce unacceptable measurement errors in high frequency band. In order to solve this problem, first, the measurement principle of the impedance analyzer is studied, based on which the factors affecting the measurement accuracy are fully discussed. Second, a novel compensation method for measuring the wide‐band impedance of the large electrical equipment is proposed, in which the long test leads effect and the non‐standard characteristics caused by the extra leads connected to the open/short/50Ω‐load compensation terminals can both be eliminated. Finally, this method is validated by some experiments with 30 m‐long test leads in a frequency band ranging from 40 Hz to 10 MHz.
[α/Fe] traced by H II regions from the CALIFA survey
Authors: Sánchez S. F. , Espinosa-Ponce C. , Carigi L. , Morisset C. , Barrera-Ballesteros J. K. , Walcher C. J. , García-Benito R. , Camps-Fariña A. , Galbany L.
Published: August 2021

Context. Differential enrichment between α and Fe-peak elements is known to be strongly connected with the shape of the star formation history (SFH), the star formation efficiency (SFE), the inflow and outflow of material, and even the shape of the initial mass function (IMF). However, beyond the Local Group, detailed explorations are mostly limited to early-type galaxies due to the lack of a good proxy for [α/Fe] in late-type ones, limiting our understanding of the chemical enrichment process.

Aims. We intent to extend the explorations of [α/Fe] to late-type galaxies in order to understand the details of the differential enrichment process.

Methods. We compare the gas-phase oxygen abundance with the luminosity-weighted stellar metallicity in an extensive catalogue of ∼25 000 H II regions extracted from the Calar Alto Legacy Integral Field Area (CALIFA) survey, an exploration that uses the integral-field spectroscopy of ∼900 galaxies and covers a wide range of masses and morphologies. This way, we define [O/Fe] as the ratio between both parameters, proposing it as an indirect proxy of the [α/Fe] ratio. This procedure is completely different from the one adopted to estimate [α/Fe] from high-resolution spectroscopic data for stars in our Galaxy.

Results. We illustrate how the [O/Fe] parameter describes the chemical enrichment process in spiral galaxies, finding that: (i) it follows the decreasing pattern with [Fe/H] reported for the [α/Fe] ratio and (ii) its absolute scale depends on the stellar mass and the morphology. We reproduce both patterns using two different chemical evolution models, considering that galaxies with different stellar masses and morphologies present either different SFHs, SFEs, and inflow and outflow rates or a different maximum stellar mass cut for the IMF. We will explore the differential chemical enrichment using this new proxy galaxy by galaxy and region by region in further studies.
On-site focus alignment of a fresnel mirror field
Authors: Resch Alois , Aigenbauer Thomas
Published: August 2021

Linear concentrating Fresnel collectors are available in various scales for providing solar thermal heat in the temperature range beyond 100 °C. For raising the flexibility in applying such collector systems on mounting sites with restricted space availability, the presented research project investigated the possibilities for adapting an existing Fresnel collector with a mirror surface of 22 m2towards more compactness by using only one half of the mirror field. Therefore, the receiver was relocated and the focus alignment of the mirrors had to be adapted. The theoretical approach by geometrical calculation of the single mirror angles using MATLAB™ was successful, although the required effort for developing such an optical model was high. Furthermore, the resulting angle information obtained by the calculation is difficult to realise on the mirror field, because a high-precision goniometer would be necessary in order to adjust the mirror stripes accordingly. On the other hand, an experimental approach was analysed for realising on-site focus alignment of the single mirror field. The focussed beam of a conventional laser pointer was directed to each of the mirror stripes, while adjusting the corresponding mirror angle until the reflected beam impinged on the center of the receiver. In the end, the experimental procedure turned out to be favourable, because it is simple and reliable, and it requires much less effort. In this way, the adaption of the Fresnel mirror field was successful, as the concentration and the tracking is working as expected.
„Sie sind immer noch stumm geschaltet….!“ - Schluss mit
digitalen Tagungen!
Authors: Strauß Bernhard
Published: August 2021

Die Pandemie hat nicht nur in der PPmP Autoren von Editorials inspiriert
[z. B. 1
2
3
4
5. Erst in der letzten Ausgabe
dieser Zeitschrift hat Anja Mehnert-Theuerkauf 6
die Frage gestellt, ob die post-pandemische Zukunft offline sein wird und mich damit
beinahe dazu veranlasst, mein Thema beiseite zulegen, da ihre Botschaft der meinen
durchaus ähnelt.
Diabetische Retinopathie
Authors: Barth Teresa , Helbig Horst
Published: August 2021

Die diabetische Retinopathie (DR) ist die häufigste Ursache für schwere Sehbehinderung und Erblindung im erwerbstätigen Alter. Eine subjektive Beeinträchtigung des Sehvermögens tritt häufig erst in fortgeschrittenen Stadien der DR ein. Daher sind Screening-Maßnahmen asymptomatischer Patienten und eine stadiengerechte Behandlung essenziell. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen praxisbezogenen Überblick über diagnostische und therapeutische Prinzipien der nicht-proliferativen und proliferativen Form.
Fast-Tracking Health Data Standards Development and Adoption in Real-World Settings: A Pilot Approach
Authors: Dennis Allison F. , White P. Jon , Zayas-Cabán Teresa
Published: August 2021

Background Pilot-testing is important in standards development because it facilitates agile navigation of the gap between needs for and use of standards in real-world settings and can reveal the practicalities of implementation. As the implementation and use of health data standards are usually more complicated than anticipated, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) routinely oversees and organizes relevant pilot projects.

Objectives This article provides an in-depth look into a sample of ONC's standards-focused pilot projects to (1) inform readers of the complexities of developing, implementing, and advancing standards and (2) guide those seeking to evaluate new standards through pilot projects.

Methods The ONC's approach to conducting pilot projects begins with identifying a clinical care need, research requirement, or policy outcome that is not well supported by existing standards through a landscape review. ONC then selects a testing approach based on the identified need and maturity of relevant standards. Next, ONC identifies use cases and sites to pilot-test the relevant standard. Once complete, ONC publishes a report that informs subsequent projects and standards development.

Results Pilot projects presented here are organized into three categories related to their demonstrated focus and related approach: (1) improving standards for presenting and sharing clinical genetic data, (2) accelerating the development and implementation of new standards, and (3) facilitating clinical data reuse. Each project illustrates the pilot approach from inception to next steps, capturing the role of collaboration among standards development organizations, stakeholders, and end-users to ensure standards are practical and fit for purpose.

Conclusion The ONC approach identifies implementation difficulties prior to broader adoption and use of standards, and provides insight into the steps needed to scale use of standards. The ONC's organization of pilot projects serves as a natural accelerator for building communities of practice, often providing a well-connected beneficiary of lessons learned.
Transformation of Electronic Health Records and Questionnaire Data to OMOP CDM: A Feasibility Study Using SG_T2DM Dataset
Authors: Sathappan Selva Muthu Kumaran , Jeon Young Seok , Dang Trung Kien , Lim Su Chi , Shao Yi-Ming , Tai E Shyong , Feng Mengling
Published: August 2021

Background Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an important public health concern in Singapore and places a massive burden on health care spending. Tackling chronic diseases such as DM requires innovative strategies to integrate patients' data from diverse sources and use scientific discovery to inform clinical practice that can help better manage the disease. The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM) was chosen as the framework for integrating data with disparate formats.

Objective The study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of converting Singapore based data source, comprising of electronic health records (EHR), cognitive and depression assessment questionnaire data to OMOP CDM standard. Additionally, we also validate whether our OMOP CDM instance is fit for the purpose of research by executing a simple treatment pathways study using Atlas, a graphical user interface tool to conduct analysis on OMOP CDM data as a proof of concept.

Methods We used de-identified EHR, cognitive, and depression assessment questionnaires data from a tertiary care hospital in Singapore to convert it to version 5.3.1 of OMOP CDM standard. We evaluate the OMOP CDM conversion by (1) assessing the mapping coverage (that is the percentage of source terms mapped to OMOP CDM standard); (2) local raw dataset versus CDM dataset analysis; and (3) Implementing Harmonized Intrinsic Data Quality Framework using an open-source R package called Data Quality Dashboard.

Results The content coverage of OMOP CDM vocabularies is more than 90% for clinical data, but only around 11% for questionnaire data. The comparison of characteristics between source and target data returned consistent results and our transformed data did not pass 38 (1.4%) out of 2,622 quality checks.

Conclusion Adoption of OMOP CDM at our site demonstrated that EHR data are feasible for standardization with minimal information loss, whereas challenges remain for standardizing cognitive and depression assessment questionnaire data that requires further work.
Evaluation of Daytime Sleepiness and Academic Performance in Dentistry Students
Authors: Pierri Ricardo Augusto Gonçalves , Oliveira Marina Reis , Trento Guilherme , Spin-Neto Rubens , Rodrigues Marcos Marques , Pereira-Filho Valfrido Antonio
Published: August 2021

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the daytime sleepiness and sleep quality of students in different academic years of the dental school program.

Materials and Methods A total of 221 students, from the 1st to the 5th year, answered the questionnaires: Epworth, Pittsburg, Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation, and Berlin, related to daytime sleepiness, sleep quality, nasal obstruction, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), respectively.

Statistical Analysis The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of continuous quantitative data and, posteriorly, the chi-square test was used to show if there were any associations. The significance level adopted was 5%.

Results An association between daytime sleepiness and nasal obstruction was observed at the beginning of the school year (T1) (p = 0.002) and at the end of the school year (T2) (p = 0.043). In T2, an association between nasal obstruction and sleep quality was also observed (p = 0.026). The academic performance (AP) was only associated with the OSAS in T1 (p = 0.012). There was no significant difference in AP between the beginning and the end of the academic year (p = 0.935).

Conclusion With the methodology used, it was observed that nasal obstruction influenced sleep quality and daytime sleepiness, and daytime sleepiness did not have any influence on AP.
Impact of Bioactive Glass-Based Toothpaste on Color Properties and Surface Microhardness of Bleached Enamel
Authors: Garcia Raíssa Manoel , Vieira-Junior Waldemir Francisco , Theobaldo Jéssica Dias , Aguiar Flávio Henrique Baggio , Leite Lima Débora Alves Nunes
Published: August 2021

Objective The role of toothpaste used during aesthetic treatments is rarely investigated. The objective was to evaluate the effects of a bioactive glass-based toothpaste (BGT) used before or after the dental bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide (HP).

Materials and Methods Bovine enamel blocks (4 × 4 mm; n = 12) were submitted to tooth bleaching and different treatments/storage, before or after HP, based on: (1) no toothpaste and immersion in artificial saliva (AS) after HP for 24 hours, 7 days, or 14 days (control); (2) daily BGT use and AS storage for 7 or 14 days (after HP); and (3) daily BGT use and AS storage for 7 or 14 days (prior to HP). Surface and in-depth color were determined using the CIE L*a*b* system (ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*, and ΔE) on enamel surface and underlying dentin. The surface microhardness (SMH) was evaluated using a Knoop microhardness tester.

Statistical Analysis Data were submitted to analysis of variance (ANOVA) (color variables), repeated measures ANOVA (SMH), and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05).

Results The color changes on the enamel or underlying dentin were not statistically different among the groups (p > 0.05). Twenty-four hours after HP presented a decrease in SMH differing from baseline (p < 0.01). This decrease did not occur in the groups previously exposed to BGT (p > 0.05). BGT use after HP for 7 days differed from group with exclusive AS storage (p < 0.05).

Conclusion In-office tooth bleaching can decrease the microhardness of enamel surface; however, the use of BGT promotes the protection or enables the mineral recovery of tooth without the influence the bleaching efficacy.
Expanding the Phenotype of Molybdenum Cofactor Deficiency in Neonates: Report of Two Cases
Authors: Chandran Shanu , Muthanandam Dhayaguruvasan , Ponmudi Nithya , Kumar Manish
Published: August 2021

Molybdenum cofactor deficiency (MoCD) is a rare neurometabolic disorder characterized by intractable seizures, progressive microcephaly, tone abnormalities, facial dysmorphism, and feeding difficulties in the neonatal period. We present two different neonatal cases of MoCD with atypical presentations which could have been easily missed. One is a preterm baby admitted with features of sepsis, poor perfusion, and seizures who later developed tone abnormalities and feeding difficulty. The second is a term baby who presented with stridor, respiratory distress, and metabolic acidosis followed by intractable seizures and encephalopathy. Both babies had characteristic radiological and biochemical findings, and genome sequencing identified mutations in MOCS2 and MOCS1 genes, respectively. MoCD presenting as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy and cerebral palsy are well described, but its presentation in preterm with “sepsis-like features with drug-responsive seizures” in the early newborn period is not described, and can also cause unnecessary delay in the diagnosis. Its clinical presentation with “stridor, respiratory distress, and metabolic acidosis” is also described for the first time in literature.
Multifocal Calvarial Infarction with Epidural Hemorrhage in a Patient with Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Crisis: A Case Report
Authors: Gudla Vishaal , Presenza Thomas , Scattergood Emily , Solomon Jason
Published: August 2021

While primarily a hematologic disease, sickle cell anemia is notorious for its multisystemic manifestations, particularly in episodes of vaso-occlusive crisis. Multifocal acute calvarial infarction with associated epidural hemorrhage has rarely been reported in sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis. In this article, we reported a unique case of a 15-year-old male presenting with sickle cell vaso-occlusive crisis and neuroimaging findings of multifocal calvarial bone infarction and epidural hemorrhage. Radiologists and clinicians should be cognizant of this rare complication of sickle cell anemia to ensure appropriate diagnosis and timely treatment.
Graphene monolayer-based pH sensor shows promise for new designs
Authors: Liebendorfer Adam
Published: August 2021

Amino-terminated carbon nanomembrane coupled with a solution-gated field-effect transistor performs with pH resolution as low as 0.01 in seconds.
Collective excitations of rotating dusty plasma under quasi-localized charge approximation of strongly coupled systems
Authors: Kumar Prince , Sharma Devendra
Published: August 2021

Collective excitations of rotating dusty plasma are analyzed under the quasi-localized charge approximation (QLCA) framework for strongly coupled systems by explicitly accounting for dust rotation in the analysis. Considering the firm analogy of magnetoplasmons with “rotoplasmons” established by the recent rotating dusty plasma experiments, the relaxation introduced by rotation in their strong coupling and two-dimensional (often introduced by gravitational sedimentation) characteristics is emphasized in their dispersion. A finite rotation version of both strong and weak coupling dispersions is derived and analyzed, showing the correspondence between a “faster rotating but weakly coupled” branch and its strongly coupled counterpart, relevant to both magnetized and unmagnetized dust experiments, in gravity or microgravity conditions. The first correspondence between their measurements in rotating plasmas and the QLCA produced dispersions in a rotating frame, with an independent numerical validation, is presented in detail.