bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gadolinium labelled nanoliposomes as the platform for MRI theranostics: in vitro safety study in liver cells and macrophages
Authors: Šimečková Pavlína , Hubatka František , Kotouček Jan , Turánek Knötigová Pavlína , Mašek Josef , Slavík Josef , Kováč Ondrej , Neča Jiří , Kulich Pavel , Hrebík Dominik , Stráská Jana , Pěnčíková Kateřina , Procházková Jiřina , Diviš Pavel , Macaulay Stuart , Mikulík Robert , Raška Milan , Machala Miroslav , Turánek Jaroslav
Published: March 2020

Gadolinium (Gd)–based contrast agents are extensively used for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Liposomes are potential nanocarrier–based biocompatible platforms for development of new generations of MRI diagnostics. Liposomes with Gd–complexes (Gd–lip) co–encapsulated with thrombolytic agents can serve both for imaging and treatment of various pathological states including stroke. In this study, we evaluated nanosafety of Gd–lip containing PE-DTPA chelating Gd+3 prepared by lipid film hydration method. We detected no cytotoxicity of Gd–lip in human liver cells including cancer HepG2, progenitor (non–differentiated) HepaRG, and differentiated HepaRG cells. Furthermore, no potential side effects of Gd–lip were found using a complex system including general biomarkers of toxicity, such as induction of early response genes, oxidative, heat shock and endoplasmic reticulum stress, DNA damage responses, induction of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes, and changes in sphingolipid metabolism in differentiated HepaRG. Moreover, Gd–lip did not show pro–inflammatory effects, as assessed in an assay based on activation of inflammasome NLRP3 in a model of human macrophages, and release of eicosanoids from HepaRG cells. In conclusion, this in vitro study indicates potential in vivo safety of Gd–lip with respect to hepatotoxicity and immunopathology caused by inflammation.
The atlas of StW 573 and the late emergence of human-like head mobility and brain metabolism
Authors: Beaudet Amélie , Clarke Ronald J. , Heaton Jason L. , Pickering Travis R. , Carlson Kristian J. , Crompton Robin H. , Jashashvili Tea , Bruxelles Laurent , Jakata Kudakwashe , Bam Lunga , Van Hoorebeke Luc , Kuman Kathleen , Stratford Dominic
Published: March 2020

Functional morphology of the atlas reflects multiple aspects of an organism’s biology. More specifically, its shape indicates patterns of head mobility, while the size of its vascular foramina reflects blood flow to the brain. Anatomy and function of the early hominin atlas, and thus, its evolutionary history, are poorly documented because of a paucity of fossilized material. Meticulous excavation, cleaning and high-resolution micro-CT scanning of the StW 573 (‘Little Foot’) skull has revealed the most complete early hominin atlas yet found, having been cemented by breccia in its displaced and flipped over position on the cranial base anterolateral to the foramen magnum. Description and landmark-free morphometric analyses of the StW 573 atlas, along with other less complete hominin atlases from Sterkfontein (StW 679) and Hadar (AL 333-83), confirm the presence of an arboreal component in the positional repertoire of Australopithecus. Finally, assessment of the cross-sectional areas of the transverse foramina of the atlas and the left carotid canal in StW 573 further suggests there may have been lower metabolic costs for cerebral tissues in this hominin than have been attributed to extant humans and may support the idea that blood perfusion of these tissues increased over the course of hominin evolution.
Integrative analysis of gut microbiome and metabolites revealed novel mechanisms of intestinal Salmonella carriage in chicken
Authors: Mon Khin K. Z. , Zhu Yuhua , Chanthavixay Ganrea , Kern Colin , Zhou Huaijun
Published: March 2020

Intestinal carriage of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the chicken host serves as a reservoir for transmission of Salmonella to humans through the consumption of poultry products. The aim of the current study was to examine the three-way interaction that occurred between host metabolites, resident gut microbiota and Salmonella following inoculation of SE in two-week-old layer chicks. Our results revealed an overall alteration in gut microbiome and metabolites in association with SE infection. Enriched colonization by different microbial members throughout the course of experimental infection highlighted significant fluctuation in the intestinal microbial community in response to Salmonella infection. As changes in community membership occurred, there was also subsequent impact on differential regulation of interlinked predicted functional activities within the intestinal environment dictated by Salmonella-commensal interaction. Alteration in the overall microbial community following infection also has a ripple effect on the host regulation of cecum-associated metabolic networks. The findings showed that there was differential regulation in many of the metabolites in association with SE colonization in chickens. Perturbation in metabolic pathways related to arginine and proline metabolism as well as TCA cycle was most prominently detected. Taken together, the present findings provided a starting point in understanding the effect of intestinal Salmonella carriage on the microbiome and metabolome of developing young layer chicks.
An epilepsy-associated mutation in the nuclear import receptor KPNA7 reduces nuclear localization signal binding
Authors: Oostdyk Luke T. , Wang Zhenjia , Zang Chongzhi , Li Hui , McConnell Michael J. , Paschal Bryce M.
Published: March 2020

KPNA7 is a member of the Importin-α family of nuclear import receptors. KPNA7 forms a complex with Importin-β and facilitates the translocation of signal-containing proteins from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. Exome sequencing of siblings with severe neurodevelopmental defects and clinical features of epilepsy identified two amino acid-altering mutations in KPNA7. Here, we show that the E344Q substitution reduces KPNA7 binding to nuclear localization signals, and that this limits KPNA7 nuclear import activity. The P339A substitution, by contrast, has little effect on KPNA7 binding to nuclear localization signals. Given the neuronal phenotype described in the two patients, we used SILAC labeling, affinity enrichment, and mass spectrometry to identify KPNA7-interacting proteins in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. We identified heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins hnRNP R and hnRNP U as KPNA7-interacting proteins. The E344Q substitution reduced binding and KPNA7-mediated import of these cargoes. The c.1030G > C allele which generates E344Q is within a predicted CTCF binding site, and we found that it reduces CTCF binding by approximately 40-fold. Our data support a role for altered neuronal expression and activity of KPNA7 in a rare type of pediatric epilepsy.
Effect of row spacings on soil nematode communities and ecosystem multifunctionality at an aggregate scale
Authors: Zhang Guizong , Kou Xinchang , Zhang Xiaoke , Bai Wei , Liang Wenju
Published: March 2020

Effect of crop row spacing on the belowground ecosystem, especially at an aggregate scale, remains unexplored. To explore how row spacing influenced nematode community and ecosystem function at the aggregate scale, four row spacings i.e. equidistant-row (ER, 50 cm-inter-row distance, 33 cm-intra-row between plants in each row) and non-equidistant-row including NR1 (100 cm + 50 cm row distance and 22 cm intra-row), NR2 (100 cm + 50 cm inter-row and 25 cm intra-row), and NR3 (60 cm + 40 cm inter-row and 33 cm intra-row) were compared, and four soil aggregate fractions i.e. >2 mm, 1–2 mm, 0.25–1 mm and <0.25 mm were separated. Row spacing did not impact C and N, but significantly influenced P. The regulation effect of acid phosphatase on soil available P was aggregate-scale dependent. Nematode faunal analysis indicated that NR3 within 0.25–1 mm was less disturbed or relatively undisturbed environments. Structural equation model showed row spacing pattern directly affected multifunctionality, while aggregate fractions indirectly contributed to multifunctionality mainly by regulating the richness of total nematodes and trophic groups. It was concluded that NR3 had potential to construct more stable food web, and therefore was possibly the suitable planting pattern.
Initial pupil status is a strong predictor for in-hospital mortality after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Mader Marius M. , Piffko Andras , Dengler Nora F. , Ricklefs Franz L. , Dührsen Lasse , Schmidt Nils O. , Regelsberger Jan , Westphal Manfred , Wolf Stefan , Czorlich Patrick
Published: March 2020

Prognosis of patients with high-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is only insufficiently displayed by current standard prognostic scores. This study aims to evaluate the role of pupil status for mortality prediction and provide improved prognostic models. Anonymized data of 477 aSAH patients admitted to our medical center from November 2010 to August 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Identification of variables independently predicting in-hospital mortality was performed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Final regression models included Hunt & Hess scale (H&H), pupil status and age or in a simplified variation only H&H and pupil status, leading to the design of novel H&H-Pupil-Age score (HHPA) and simplified H&H-Pupil score (sHHP), respectively. In an external validation cohort of 402 patients, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) of HHPA (0.841) and sHHP (0.821) were significantly higher than areas of H&H (0.794; p < 0.001) or World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) scale (0.775; p < 0.01). Accordingly, including information about pupil status improves the predictive performance of prognostic scores for in-hospital mortality in patients with aSAH. HHPA and sHHP allow simple, early and detailed prognosis assessment while predictive performance remained strong in an external validation cohort suggesting adequate generalizability and low interrater variability.
In-depth proteome analysis of more than 12,500 proteins in buffalo mammary epithelial cell line identifies protein signatures for active proliferation and lactation
Authors: Jaswal Shalini , Anand Vijay , Kumar Sudarshan , Bathla Shveta , Dang Ajay K. , Kaushik Jai K. , Mohanty Ashok K.
Published: March 2020

The mature mammary gland is made up of a network of ducts that terminates in alveoli. The innermost layer of alveoli is surrounded by the differentiated mammary epithelial cells (MECs), which are responsible for milk synthesis and secretion during lactation. However, the MECs are in a state of active proliferation during pregnancy, when they give rise to network like structures in the mammary gland. Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) constitute a major source of milk for human consumption, and the MECs are the major precursor cells which are mainly responsible for their lactation potential. The proteome of MECs defines their functional state and suggests their role in various cellular activities such as proliferation and lactation. To date, the proteome profile of MECs from buffalo origin is not available. In the present study, we have profiled in-depth proteome of in vitro cultured buffalo MECs (BuMECs) during active proliferation using high throughput tandem mass spectrometry (MS). MS analysis identified a total of 8330, 5970, 5289, 4818 proteins in four sub-cellular fractions (SCFs) that included cytosolic (SCF-I), membranous and membranous organelle’s (SCF-II), nuclear (SCF-III), and cytoskeletal (SCF-IV). However, 792 proteins were identified in the conditioned media, which represented the secretome. Altogether, combined analysis of all the five fractions (SCFs- I to IV, and secretome) revealed a total of 12,609 non-redundant proteins. The KEGG analysis suggested that these proteins were associated with 325 molecular pathways. Some of the highly enriched molecular pathways observed were metabolic, MAPK, PI3-AKT, insulin, estrogen, and cGMP-PKG signalling pathway. The newly identified proteins in this study are reported to be involved in NOTCH signalling, transport and secretion processes.
Effect of induced hypoglycemia on inflammation and oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes and control subjects
Authors: Kahal Hassan , Halama Anna , Aburima Ahmed , Bhagwat Aditya M. , Butler Alexandra E. , Graumann Johannes , Suhre Karsten , Sathyapalan Thozhukat , Atkin Stephen L.
Published: March 2020

Intensive diabetes control has been associated with increased mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2DM); this has been suggested to be due to increased hypoglycemia. We measured hypoglycemia-induced changes in endothelial parameters, oxidative stress markers and inflammation at baseline and after a 24-hour period in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) subjects versus age-matched controls. Case-control study: 10 T2DM and 8 control subjects. Blood glucose was reduced from 5 (90 mg/dl) to hypoglycemic levels of 2.8 mmol/L (50 mg/dl) for 1 hour by incremental hyperinsulinemic clamps using baseline and 24 hour samples. Measures of endothelial parameters, oxidative stress and inflammation at baseline and at 24-hours post hypoglycemia were performed: proteomic (Somalogic) analysis for inflammatory markers complemented by C-reactive protein (hsCRP) measurement, and proteomic markers and urinary isoprostanes for oxidative measures, together with endothelial function. Between baseline and 24 -hours after hypoglycemia, 15 of 140 inflammatory proteins differed in T2DM whilst only 1 of 140 differed in controls; all returned to baseline at 24-hours. However, elevated hsCRP levels were seen at 24-hours in T2DM (2.4 mg/L (1.2–5.4) vs. 3.9 mg/L (1.8–6.1), Baseline vs 24-hours, P < 0.05). In patients with T2DM, between baseline and 24-hour after hypoglycemia, only one of 15 oxidative stress proteins differed and this was not seen in controls. An increase (P = 0.016) from baseline (73.4 ng/mL) to 24 hours after hypoglycemia (91.7 ng/mL) was seen for urinary isoprostanes. Hypoglycemia resulted in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers being elevated in T2DM subjects but not controls 24-hours after the event.
The control mechanisms of heart rate dynamics in a new heart rate nonlinear time series model
Authors: He Zonglu
Published: March 2020

The control mechanisms and implications of heart rate variability (HRV) under the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) modulation remain poorly understood. Here, we establish the HR model/HRV responder using a nonlinear process derived from Newton’s second law in stochastic self-restoring systems through dynamic analysis of physiological properties. We conduct model validation by testing, predictions, simulations, and sensitivity and time-scale analysis. We confirm that the outputs of the HRV responder can be accepted as the real data-generating process. Empirical studies show that the dynamic control mechanism of heart rate is a stable fixed point, rather than a strange attractor or transitions between a fixed point and a limit cycle; HR slope (amplitude) may depend on the ratio of cardiac disturbance or metabolic demand mean (standard deviation) to myocardial electrical resistance (PNS-SNS activity). For example, when metabolic demands remain unchanged, HR amplitude depends on PNS to SNS activity; when autonomic activity remains unchanged, HR amplitude during resting reflects basal metabolism. HR parameter alterations suggest that age-related decreased HRV, ultrareduced HRV in heart failure, and ultraelevated HRV in ST segment alterations refer to age-related decreased basal metabolism, impaired myocardial metabolism, and SNS hyperactivity triggered by myocardial ischemia, respectively.
PulseCam: a camera-based, motion-robust and highly sensitive blood perfusion imaging modality
Authors: Kumar Mayank , Suliburk James W. , Veeraraghavan Ashok , Sabharwal Ashutosh
Published: March 2020

Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the trillions of cells in our body to sustain vital life processes. Lack of blood perfusion can cause irreversible cell damage. Therefore, blood perfusion measurement has widespread clinical applications. In this paper, we develop PulseCam — a new camera-based, motion-robust, and highly sensitive blood perfusion imaging modality with 1 mm spatial resolution and 1 frame-per-second temporal resolution. Existing camera-only blood perfusion imaging modality suffers from two core challenges: (i) motion artifact, and (ii) small signal recovery in the presence of large surface reflection and measurement noise. PulseCam addresses these challenges by robustly combining the video recording from the camera with a pulse waveform measured using a conventional pulse oximeter to obtain reliable blood perfusion maps in the presence of motion artifacts and outliers in the video recordings. For video stabilization, we adopt a novel brightness-invariant optical flow algorithm that helps us reduce error in blood perfusion estimate below 10% in different motion scenarios compared to 20–30% error when using current approaches. PulseCam can detect subtle changes in blood perfusion below the skin with at least two times better sensitivity, three times better response time, and is significantly cheaper compared to infrared thermography. PulseCam can also detect venous or partial blood flow occlusion that is difficult to identify using existing modalities such as the perfusion index measured using a pulse oximeter. With the help of a pilot clinical study, we also demonstrate that PulseCam is robust and reliable in an operationally challenging surgery room setting. We anticipate that PulseCam will be used both at the bedside as well as a point-of-care blood perfusion imaging device to visualize and analyze blood perfusion in an easy-to-use and cost-effective manner.
Close co-variation between soil moisture and runoff emerging from multi-catchment data across Europe
Authors: Ghajarnia Navid , Kalantari Zahra , Orth René , Destouni Georgia
Published: March 2020

Soil moisture is an important variable for land-climate and hydrological interactions. To investigate emergent large-scale, long-term interactions between soil moisture and other key hydro-climatic variables (precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, runoff, temperature), we analyze monthly values and anomalies of these variables in 1378 hydrological catchments across Europe over the period 1980–2010. The study distinguishes results for the main European climate regions, and tests how sensitive or robust they are to the use of three alternative observational and re-analysis datasets. Robustly across the European climates and datasets, monthly soil moisture anomalies correlate well with runoff anomalies, and extreme soil moisture and runoff values also largely co-occur. For precipitation, evapotranspiration, and temperature, anomaly correlation and extreme value co-occurrence with soil moisture are overall lower than for runoff. The runoff results indicate a possible new approach to assessing variability and change of large-scale soil moisture conditions by use of long-term time series of monitored catchment-integrating stream discharges.
Serum lipids, retinoic acid and phenol red differentially regulate expression of keratins K1, K10 and K2 in cultured keratinocytes
Authors: Aldehlawi Hebah , Usman Saima , Lalli Anand , Ahmad Fatima , Williams Gianne , Teh Muy-Teck , Waseem Ahmad
Published: March 2020

Abnormal keratinocyte differentiation is fundamental to pathologies such as skin cancer and mucosal inflammatory diseases. The ability to grow keratinocytes in vitro allows the study of differentiation however any translational value is limited if keratinocytes get altered by the culture method. Although serum lipids (SLPs) and phenol red (PR) are ubiquitous components of culture media their effect on differentiation is largely unknown. We show for the first time that PR and SLP themselves suppress expression of differentiation-specific keratins K1, K10 and K2 in normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and two important cell lines, HaCaT and N/TERT-1. Removal of SLP increased expression of K1, K10 and K2 in 2D and 3D cultures, which was further enhanced in the absence of PR. The effect was reversed for K1 and K10 by adding all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) but increased for K2 in the absence of PR. Furthermore, retinoid regulation of differentiation-specific keratins involves post-transcriptional mechanisms as we show KRT2 mRNA is stabilised whilst KRT1 and KRT10 mRNAs are destabilised in the presence of ATRA. Taken together, our results indicate that the presence of PR and SLP in cell culture media may significantly impact in vitro studies of keratinocyte differentiation.
Roaming Dynamics and Conformational Memory in Photolysis of Formic Acid at 193 nm Using Time-resolved Fourier-transform Infrared Emission Spectroscopy
Authors: Tso Cheng-Jui , Kasai Toshio , Lin King-Chuen
Published: March 2020

In photodissociation of trans-formic acid (HCOOH) at 193 nm, we have observed two molecular channels of CO + H2O and CO2 + H2 by using 1 μs-resolved Fourier-transform infrared emission spectroscopy. With the aid of spectral simulation, the CO spectra are rotationally resolved for each vibrational state (v = 1–8). Each of the resulting vibrational and rotational population distributions is characteristic of two Boltzmann profiles with different temperatures, originating from either transition state pathway or OH-roaming to form the same CO + H2O products. The H2O roaming co-product is also spectrally simulated to understand the interplay with the CO product in the internal energy partitioning. Accordingly, this work has evaluated the internal energy disposal for the CO and H2O roaming products; especially the vibrational-state dependence of the roaming signature is reported for the first time. Further, given a 1 μs resolution, the temporal dependence of the CO/CO2 product ratio at v ≥ 1 rises from 3 to 10 of study, thereby characterizing the effect of conformational memory and well reconciling with the disputed results reported previously between absorption and emission methods.
Comparing Social media and Google to detect and predict severe epidemics
Authors: Samaras Loukas , García-Barriocanal Elena , Sicilia Miguel-Angel
Published: March 2020

Internet technologies have demonstrated their value for the early detection and prediction of epidemics. In diverse cases, electronic surveillance systems can be created by obtaining and analyzing on-line data, complementing other existing monitoring resources. This paper reports the feasibility of building such a system with search engine and social network data. Concretely, this study aims at gathering evidence on which kind of data source leads to better results. Data have been acquired from the Internet by means of a system which gathered real-time data for 23 weeks. Data on influenza in Greece have been collected from Google and Twitter and they have been compared to influenza data from the official authority of Europe. The data were analyzed by using two models: the ARIMA model computed estimations based on weekly sums and a customized approximate model which uses daily sums. Results indicate that influenza was successfully monitored during the test period. Google data show a high Pearson correlation and a relatively low Mean Absolute Percentage Error (R = 0.933, MAPE = 21.358). Twitter results are slightly better (R = 0.943, MAPE = 18.742). The alternative model is slightly worse than the ARIMA(X) (R = 0.863, MAPE = 22.614), but with a higher mean deviation (abs. mean dev: 5.99% vs 4.74%).
Emergence of unprecedented climate change in projected future precipitation
Authors: Kusunoki Shoji , Ose Tomoaki , Hosaka Masahiro
Published: March 2020

The future time of emergence when precipitation changes due to anthropogenic influences begins to continuously exceed the previous maximum value is defined as the ‘tipping year’ Historical experiments and future experiments simulated by state-of-the-art climate models were utilized. A total of 510,000 time series from year 1856 to 2095 were generated by sampling the natural internal variability in precipitation. The time evolutions of internal variability in the whole time period were estimated from the combination of past and future experiments with preindustrial control experiments. A large ensemble size enabled an estimation of the probability density function of the tipping year at each grid point, providing precise information on the uncertainty of the projection. The tipping year of average precipitation emerges earlier in high latitudes than in lower latitudes. In some regions in lower latitudes and mid-latitudes, the tipping year of intense precipitation emerges faster than that of average precipitation. The tipping years of average and intense precipitation are earlier for higher anthropogenic forcing scenarios than for lower scenarios. The global average of the tipping year for intense precipitation might be attributed to the enhancement of the thermodynamic effect (moisture) rather than the dynamic effect (vertical motion).
(−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) attenuates salt-induced hypertension and renal injury in Dahl salt-sensitive rats
Authors: Luo Dan , Xu Jianping , Chen Xuejiao , Zhu Xu , Liu Shuang , Li Jie , Xu Xinting , Ma Xiao , Zhao Jinhua , Ji Xu
Published: March 2020

Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a main active catechin in green tea, was reported to attenuate renal injury and hypertension. However, its effects on salt-induced hypertension and renal injury remain unclear. In the present study, we explored its effects on hypertension and renal damage in Dahl rats with salt-sensitive hypertension. We found that EGCG could lower blood pressure after 6 weeks of oral administration, reduce 24 h urine protein levels and decrease creatinine clearance, and attenuate renal fibrosis, indicating that it could attenuate hypertension by protecting against renal damage. Furthermore, we studied the renal protective mechanisms of EGCG, revealing that it could lower malondialdehyde levels, reduce the numbers of infiltrated macrophages and T cells, and induce the apoptosis of NRK-49F cells. Considering that the 67 kD laminin receptor (67LR) binds to EGCG, its role in EGCG-induced fibroblast apoptosis was also investigated. The results showed that an anti-67LR antibody partially abrogated the apoptosis-inducing effects of EGCG on NRK-49F cells. In summary, EGCG may attenuate renal damage and salt-sensitive hypertension via exerting anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis-inducing effects on fibroblasts; the last effect is partially mediated by 67LR, suggesting that EGCG represents a potential strategy for treating salt-sensitive hypertension.
Controllable movement of single-photon source in multifunctional magneto-photonic structures
Authors: Au Thi Huong , Perry Amber , Audibert Jeff , Trinh Duc Thien , Do Danh Bich , Buil Stéphanie , Quélin Xavier , Hermier Jean-Pierre , Lai Ngoc Diep
Published: March 2020

Quantum dot (QD) coupling in nanophotonics has been widely studied for various potential applications in quantum technologies. Micro-machining has also attracted substantial research interest due to its capacity to use miniature robotic tools to make precise controlled movements. In this work, we combine fluorescent QDs and magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) to realize multifunctional microrobotic structures and demonstrate the manipulation of a coupled single-photon source (SPS) in 3D space via an external magnetic field. By employing the low one photon absorption (LOPA) direct laser writing (DLW) technique, the fabrication of 2D and 3D magneto-photonic devices containing a single QD is performed on a hybrid material consisting of colloidal CdSe/CdS QDs, magnetite Fe3O4 NPs, and SU-8 photoresist. Two types of devices, contact-free and in-contact structures, are investigated to demonstrate their magnetic and photoradiative responses. The coupled SPS in the devices is driven by the external magnetic field to perform different movements in a 3D fluidic environment. The optical properties of the single QD in the devices are characterized.
Glaucoma after ocular chemical burns: Incidence, risk factors, and outcome
Authors: Choi Se Hyun , Kim Mee Kum , Oh Joo Youn
Published: March 2020

Effects of chemical injuries on the cornea and limbus have been widely studied; however, little is known about glaucoma after ocular chemical injuries. We herein investigated the incidence, risk factors, and outcome of glaucoma in patients with ocular chemical burns. Medical records were reviewed of patients who visited our clinic for chemical injuries to the ocular surface. Patients were divided into glaucoma and non-glaucoma groups based on high intraocular pressure (IOP) readings. Clinical characteristics, treatment method, and therapeutic and visual outcomes were compared between the two groups. Of 29 patients (40 eyes), 9 patients (15 eyes, 37.5%) were diagnosed with glaucoma at 2.64 ± 2.92 months after injury. Factors associated with glaucoma included male gender (p = 0.0114), bilateral ocular involvement (p = 0.0478), severe ocular surface involvement (Dua grades IV-VI, p = 0.0180), poor initial visual acuity (p = 0.0136), high initial IOP (p < 0.0001), pupil involvement at initial examination (p = 0.0051), and the need for amniotic membrane transplantation in the acute stage (p = 0.0079). At final follow-up, IOP was uncontrolled in 3 eyes (20.0%), and visual acuity was worse in the glaucoma group than in the non-glaucoma group (logMAR 2.94 ± 1.86 vs 0.34 ± 0.69, p < 0.0001). These findings suggest that careful evaluation and intensive treatment for glaucoma are essential in patients with severe ocular burns.
Right-lateralized fronto-parietal network and phasic alertness in healthy aging
Authors: Haupt Marleen , Ruiz-Rizzo Adriana L. , Sorg Christian , Finke Kathrin
Published: March 2020

Phasic alerting cues temporarily increase the brain’s arousal state. In younger and older participants, visual processing speed in a whole report task, estimated based on the theory of visual attention, is higher in cue than no-cue conditions. The present study assessed whether older participants’ ability to profit from warning cues is related to intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) in the cingulo-opercular and/or right fronto-parietal network. We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 31 older participants. By combining an independent component analysis and dual regression, we investigated iFC in both networks. A voxel-wise multiple regression in older participants yielded that higher phasic alerting effects on visual processing speed were significantly related to lower right fronto-parietal network iFC. This result supports a particular role of the right fronto-parietal network in maintaining phasic alerting capabilities in aging. We then compared healthy older participants to a previously reported sample of healthy younger participants to assess whether behaviour-iFC relationships are age group specific. The comparison revealed that the association between phasic alerting and cingulo-opercular network iFC is significantly lower in older than in younger adults.
Enabling population assignment from cancer genomes with SNP2pop
Authors: Huang Qingyao , Baudis Michael
Published: March 2020

In many cancers, incidence, treatment efficacy and overall prognosis vary between geographic populations. Studies disentangling the contributing factors may help in both understanding cancer biology and tailoring therapeutic interventions. Ancestry estimation in such studies should preferably be driven by genomic data, due to frequently missing or erroneous self-reported or inferred metadata. While respective algorithms have been demonstrated for baseline genomes, such a strategy has not been shown for cancer genomes carrying a substantial somatic mutation load. We have developed a bioinformatics tool for the assignment of population groups from genome profiling data for both unaltered and cancer genomes. Despite extensive somatic mutations in the cancer genomes, consistency between germline and cancer data reached of 97% and 92% for assignment into 5 and 26 ancestral groups, respectively. Comparison with self-reported meta-data estimated a matching rate between 88–92%, mostly limited by interpretation of self-reported ethnicity labels compared to the standardized mapping output. Our SNP2pop application allows to assess population information from SNP arrays as well as sequencing platforms and to estimate the population structure in cancer genomics projects, to facilitate research into the interplay between ethnicity-related genetic background, environmental factors and somatic mutation patterns in cancer biology.
DHA substitution overcomes high-fat diet-induced disturbance in the circadian rhythm of lipid metabolism
Authors: Chen Rulong , Zuo Zhengyu , Li Qi , Wang Hualin , Li Na , Zhang Hongyu , Yu Xiaoli , Liu Zhiguo
Published: March 2020

DHA substitution overcomes high-fat diet-induced disturbance in the circadian rhythm of lipid metabolismviathe core geneClock/Bmal1controlled circadian nuclear receptor pathway.
An anisotropic layer-by-layer carbon nanotube/boron nitride/rubber composite and its application in electromagnetic shielding
Authors: Zhan Yanhu , Lago Emanuele , Santillo Chiara , Del Río Castillo Antonio Esaú , Hao Shuai , Buonocore Giovanna G. , Chen Zhenming , Xia Hesheng , Lavorgna Marino , Bonaccorso Francesco
Published: March 2020

A carbon nanotube/boron nitride/rubber composite with anisotropic electrical conductivity exhibits an EMI shielding effectiveness of 22.41 dB mm−1 and a thermal conductivity equal to 0.25 W m−1 K−1.
Polymer mechanochemistry-enabled pericyclic reactions
Authors: Izak-Nau Emilia , Campagna Davide , Baumann Christoph , Göstl Robert
Published: March 2020

Polymer mechanochemical pericyclic reactions are reviewed with regard to their structural features and substitution prerequisites to the polymer framework.
Redox-responsive supramolecular polymeric networks having double-threaded inclusion complexes
Authors: Aramoto Hikaru , Osaki Motofumi , Konishi Subaru , Ueda Chiharu , Kobayashi Yuichiro , Takashima Yoshinori , Harada Akira , Yamaguchi Hiroyasu
Published: March 2020

A hydrogel actuator with a 1:2 host–guest complex controlled by redox stimuli has been developed to realize faster and larger deformation.
Paper spray mass spectrometry for discriminating the quality of commercial gasolines
Authors: Zhao Jia , Zheng Yajun , Zhang Zhiping
Published: March 2020

Paper spray ionization mass spectrometry is an alternative and sensitive methodology for the rapid evaluation of gasoline samples from different refining companies.
Correction: Nanoparticle size and chemical modification play a crucial role in the interaction of nano gold with the brain: extent of accumulation and toxicity
Authors: Mahmoud Nouf N. , Albasha Abdulrahim , Hikmat Suhair , Hamadneh Lama , Zaza Rand , Shraideh Ziad , Khalil Enam A.
Published: March 2020

Correction for ‘Nanoparticle size and chemical modification play a crucial role in the interaction of nano gold with the brain: extent of accumulation and toxicity’ by Nouf N. Mahmoud et al., Biomater. Sci., 2020, DOI: 10.1039/c9bm02072a.
Influence of activated carbon on performance and microbial communities in the treatment of solvent pollutant mixtures in a continuous stirred tank reactor
Authors: Ferrero Pablo , Izquierdo Marta , Álvarez-Hornos Francisco Javier , Penya-Roja Josep Manuel , Martínez-Soria Vicente
Published: March 2020

Granular activated carbon addition could promote specific microorganisms which favour the anaerobic removal of non-readily biodegradable solvent compounds through their influence on the degradation (methanogenesis) of intermediates.
Purple-emissive carbon dots enhance sensitivity of Si photodetectors to ultraviolet range
Authors: Kalytchuk Sergii , Zdražil Lukáš , Scheibe Magdalena , Zbořil Radek
Published: March 2020

In this work, we achieved the synthesis of purple-emissive carbon dots (p-CDs) by a simple and highly reproducible route using folic acid as the sole precursor.
Dual-porous cellulose nanofibril aerogels via modular drying and cross-linking
Authors: Wu Tingting , Zeng Zhihui , Siqueira Gilberto , De France Kevin , Sivaraman Deeptanshu , Schreiner Claudia , Figi Renato , Zhang Qinghua , Nyström Gustav
Published: March 2020

Cellulose nanofibril (CNF) dual-porous aerogel with BET specific surface area up to 430 m2 g−1 was prepared via a modular process combining directional freeze-thawing (macro-pores, ca. 50–200 μm) and supercritical drying (meso-pores, ca. 2–50 nm).
In situsynthesis of a MOFs/PAA hybrid with ultrahigh ionic current rectification
Authors: Liu Fei-Fei , Guo Ye-Chang , Wang Wei , Chen Yu-Ming , Wang Chen
Published: March 2020

A MOFs/PAA hybrid exhibits excellent ionic rectification, which creates an ideal experimental and theoretical platform for precise ion transport.
Construction of piperidine-2,4-dione-type azaheterocycles and their application in modern drug development and natural product synthesis
Authors: Tikhov Rabdan M. , Kuznetsov Nikolai Yu.
Published: March 2020

The review surveys the existing routes to piperidine-2,4-dione-type heterocycles including derivatives with the most vital types of biological activity. This heterocyclic platform is ideal for the construction of modern drugs and natural products.
Controlling the supramolecular polymerization of dinuclear isocyanide gold(i) arylethynylene complexes through tuning the central π-conjugated moiety
Authors: Zhou Na , Hailes Rebekah , Zhang Youzhi , Chen Zuofeng , Manners Ian , He Xiaoming
Published: March 2020

Tuning the middle chromophores of dinuclear gold(i) arylethynyl complexes has been demonstrated to exhibit a pronounced effect on the photophysical properties, self-assembly mechanisms and morphologies.
Opposite swelling characteristics through changing the connectivity in a biopolymeric hydrogel based on glycogen and glycine
Authors: Patra Priyapratim , Patra Niladri , Pal Sagar
Published: March 2020

Glycine, a biomolecule, has been functionalized through a simple condensation reaction with one of two functional groups (–COOH and –NH2) to prepare two vinylic monomers.
Oligomerization and polymerization of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene by cationic palladium and nickel catalysts
Authors: Farquhar Alexandra H. , Brookhart Maurice , Miller Alexander J. M.
Published: March 2020

Nickel- and palladium-based catalyst systems were developed to convert 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB) to oligomers and polymers with highly controllable molecular weights.
Correction: Performance of electrode-supported silica membrane separators in lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Rafiz Kishen , Jin Y. , Lin Y. S.
Published: March 2020

Correction for ‘Performance of electrode-supported silica membrane separators in lithium-ion batteries’ by Kishen Rafiz et al., Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2020, 4, 1254–1264.
Qualität in der chirurgischen Therapie chronisch
entzündlicher Erkrankungen der Nasennebenhöhlen
Authors: Hildenbrand Tanja , Ketterer Manuel Christoph
Published: March 2020

Die endonasale endoskopische Nasennebenhöhlenchirurgie hat sich als
Standard der operativen Therapie bei chronisch entzündlichen
Erkrankungen der Nasennebenhöhlen etabliert. Eine Verbesserung der
subjektiven Beschwerden und objektiven Befunde konnte in zahlreichen Studien
nachgewiesen werden. Aufgrund der häufig beobachteten Diskrepanz
zwischen objektiven und subjektiven Ergebnissen nach
Nasennebenhöhlenchirurgie kommt der Messung des sog. patient reported
outcome eine zunehmende Bedeutung zu.

Qualität und Effizienz in der Medizin haben in den letzten Jahren
zunehmend an Bedeutung gewonnen. In vielen Ländern und auch
länderübergreifend wurden bereits durch Zusammenschluss von
Experten, z.T unter Federführung verschiedener Fachgesellschaften,
Initiativen zur Verbesserung der Qualität in der chirurgischen
Versorgung gegründet.

Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt eine Übersicht qualitätsrelevanter
Faktoren in der chirurgischen Therapie chronisch entzündlicher
Erkrankungen der Nasennebenhöhlen anhand der vorhandenen Literatur, v.a.
der Prozess- und Ergebnisqualität, dar. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt
auf der subjektiven Bewertung der Ergebnisqualität durch den
Patienten.
„Qualität kommt von Qual [1,2]“
Authors: Wilms Carolin
Published: March 2020

Bei akuten Beschwerden, medizinischen Fragestellungen oder der Arztsuche informieren sich
Patienten vermehrt selbst und zunehmend im Internet. Diese Vorinformation und das
Patientenrechtegesetz bedingen ein deutlich verändertes Verhältnis zwischen
Patienten und Ärzten. Mit der steigenden Quantität an Informationen für
Patienten stellt sich die Frage nach der Qualität der Informationen und deren
Validierung. Es stehen bereits neutrale und gesicherte Informationen von unabhängigen
Einrichtungen zur Verfügung, deren Bekanntheit – auch in der
Ärzteschaft – aber gering ist und die zudem Defizite in Breite und Tiefe
ausweist. Gleichwohl bleibt der Austausch mit dem Arzt und dessen Einordnung
unerlässlich.
Qualität in der Allergologie
Authors: Wagenmann Martin , Stenin Igor , Scheckenbach Kathrin
Published: March 2020

Eine qualitativ hochwertige Behandlung allergischer Patienten sollte für
Hals-Nasen-Ohrenärzte besondere Priorität genießen.
Allergische Erkrankungen spielen im klinischen Alltag der HNO eine große
Rolle und müssen kompetent diagnostiziert und therapiert werden. Zur
Auswahl der hierzu angemessenen Methoden bietet eine Vielzahl von Leitlinien
einen klaren Korridor. Die wichtigsten Sensibilisierungstest wie Hauttests und
die Bestimmung von spezifischem IgE im Serum sind ein zentrales Fundament der
allergologischen Diagnostik. Nasale Provokationstests mit Allergenen als
wichtigste und häufigste Allergenprovokationstests können
besonders von HNO-Ärzten hochqualifiziert durchgeführt werden
und erlauben die Bestimmung der klinischen Relevanz einzelner Allergene.

Neben der medikamentösen Therapie und der Allergenkarenz hat die
allergenspezifische Immuntherapie eine zentrale Position in der Behandlung
allergischer Erkrankungen. Auch hier bieten sich durch die korrekte Indikation
und die gezielte Auswahl der Präparate Möglichkeiten zur
Steigerung der Behandlungsqualität.

Besonders komplexe oder schwerwiegende allergische Erkrankungen erfordern eine
spezialisierte oder sogar hochspezialisierte Behandlung. Hierzu haben sich in
Deutschland strukturierte Vorgaben zur Etablierung allergologischer
Referenzzentren (Comprehensive Allergy Center) entwickelt. Die Beteiligung der
HNO am weiteren Ausbau solcher Zentren sollte verbessert werden.

Eine fundierte allergologische Ausbildung bildet die Basis für die
Kompetenz und Qualität der Behandlung allergischer Patienten. Im
Medizinstudium ist die Allergologie derzeit unterrepräsentiert. In der
Facharztausbildung werden einige grundlegende Aspekte von Allergien
berücksichtigt. Die Weiterbildung zur Zusatzbezeichnung Allergologie
befindet sich aktuell im Wandel, sie soll vereinfacht und droht verflacht zu
werden. Ein spezieller Facharzt für Allergologie existiert in
Deutschland bislang nicht.

Besonders in den Bereichen der allergologischen Ausbildung, der allergologischen
Forschung und in der Kooperation von HNO-Ärzten in hochspezialisierten
Allergiezentren ist ein erhebliches Verbesserungspotential für die
HNO-Heilkunde zu erkennen.
Cavity ring-down spectroscopy measurements of ambient NO3 and N2O5
Authors: Wu Hao , Chen Jian , Liu An-wen , Hu Shui-ming , Zhang Jing-song
Published: March 2020

NO3 and N2O5 are important participants in nocturnal atmospheric chemical processes, and their concentrations are of great significance in the study of the mechanism of nocturnal atmospheric chemical reactions. A two-channel diode laser based cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) instrument was developed to monitor the concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 in the atmosphere. The effective absorption length ratio and the total loss coefficient of the instrument were calibrated using laboratory standard samples. The effective absorption cross section of NO3 at 662 nm was derived. A detection sensitivity of 1.1 pptv NO3 in air was obtained at a time resolution of 1 s. N2O5was converted to NO3 and detected online in the second CRDS channel. The instrument was used to monitor the concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 in the atmosphere of winter in Hefei in real time. By comparing the concentration changes of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, ozone, PM2.5 in a rapid air cleaning process, the factors affecting the concentrations of NO3 and N2O5 in the atmosphere were discussed.
Microwave spectrum and structure of 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine
Authors: Wang Juan , Li Xiao-long , Gou Qian , Feng Gang
Published: March 2020

The high resolution rotational spectrum of 2-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine in 2 20 GHz was recorded and analyzed. Spectroscopic parameters including rotational constants, nuclear quadrupole coupling constants of 14N as well as the centrifugal distortion constants were determined. The rotational spectra of five mono-substituted 13C and one 15N isotopologues were also measured and assigned in natural abundance. Experimental results complemented by ab initio calculations lead to an accurate determination of the skeleton structure. The values of the planar moment inertia Pcc were determined to be 44.46 uÅ2 for all the measured isotopologues, indicating a Cs symmetry of this molecule. The molecular electrostatic surface potential was calculated to illustrate the trifluoromethyl substitution effects on the electron distribution.
Optical frequency comb-based cavity-enhanced Fourier-transform spectroscopy: Application to collisional line-shape study
Authors: Nishiyama Akiko , Kowzan Grzegorz , Charczun Dominik , Trawiński Ryszard S. , Masłowski Piotr
Published: March 2020

Direct-comb spectroscopy techniques uses optical frequency combs (OFCs) as spectroscopic light source. They deliver high sensitivity, high frequency resolution and precision in a broad spectral range. Due to these features, the field has burgeoned in recent years. In this work we constructed an OFC-based cavity-enhanced Fourier-transform spectrometer in the near-infrared region and used it for a line-shape study of rovibrational transitions of CO perturbed by Ar. The highly sensitive measurements spanned the wavenumber range from 6270 cm−1 to 6410 cm−1, which covered both P and R branch of the second overtone band of CO. The spectrometer delivers high-resolution surpassing the Fourier-transform resolution limit determined by interferogram length, successfully removing ringing and broadening effects caused by instrumental line shape function. The instrumental-line-shape-free method and high signal-to-noise ratio in the measurement allowed us to observe collisional effects beyond those described by the Voigt profile. We retrieved collisional line-shape parameters by fitting the speed-dependent Voigt profile and found good agreement with the values given by precise cavity ring-down spectroscopy measurements that used a continuous-wave laser referenced to a stabilized OFC. The results demonstrate that OFC-based cavity-enhanced Fourier-transform spectroscopy is a strong tool for accurate line-shape studies that will be crucial for future spectral databases.
Ro-vibrational spectra of the simplest deuterated criegee intermediate CD2OO
Authors: Li Jun
Published: March 2020

Criegee intermediates are of significance in the atmospheric chemistry. In this work, the ro-vibrational spectra of the simplest deuterated Criegee intermediate, CD2OO, were studied by a vibrational self-consistent field/virtual configuration interaction (VSCF/VCI) method based on a nine-dimensional accurate potential energy surface and dipole surface for its ground electronic state. The calculated fundamental vibrational frequencies and rotational constants are in excellent agreement with the available experimental results. These data are useful for further spectroscopic studies of CD2OO. Especially, the rotational constants for excited vibrational levels are essential for experimental spectral assignments. However, the infrared intensities from different resources, including the current computation, the experiment, and previous calculations at the NEVPT2 and B3LYP levels, deviate significantly.