bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low serum vitamin D concentrations in Spring-born dairy calves are associated with elevated peripheral leukocytes
Authors: Flores-Villalva Susana , O’Brien Megan B. , Reid Cian , Lacey Seán , Gordon Stephen V. , Nelson Corwin , Meade Kieran G.
Published: September 2021

A role for vitamin D in the immune system is emerging from human research but data in the bovine is limited. In the current study, 48 Holstein–Friesian calves were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups designed to expose calves to divergent vitamin D levels for a 7 month period and to determine its effects on circulating immunity in young calves. Concentrations of circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) was measured in serum using a commercial ELISA with validated bovine standards. Results showed that mean circulating concentrations of 25OHD at birth was 7.64 ± 3.21 ng/ml indicating vitamin D deficiency. Neither the injection of Vit D3 at birth nor the elevated levels in milk replacer yield discernible changes to pre-weaning circulating concentration of 25OHD. No calf reached the recommended level of vitamin D immune sufficiencyof 30 ng/ml of 25OHD until at least 3 months of age (T4). Increasing dietary Vit D3 via ration in the post-weaning period significantly elevated 25OHD concentrations in serum in VitD-In calves. Maximal levels of circulating 25OHD were achieved in VitD-Out calves, reaching 60.86 ± 7.32 ng/ml at 5 months of age (T7). Greatest divergence in haematology profile was observed between Ctl-In vs VitD-In groups with Ctl-In calves showing an elevated count of neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils associated with reduced 25OHD concentrations. Neither IL-8 expression nor ROS production in serum were significantly different between calves with high and low 25OHD, indicating that other vitamin D-dependent mechanisms may contribute to the divergent circulating cellular profiles observed. This novel data on the vitamin D status of neonatal calves identifies a significant window of vitamin D insufficiency which is associated with significant differences in circulating immune cell profiles. Vitamin D insufficiency may therefore exacerbate pre-weaning disease susceptibility, and further work in now warranted.
Genetic analysis by targeted next-generation sequencing and novel variation identification of maple syrup urine disease in Chinese Han population
Authors: Fang Xiaohua , Zhu Xiaofan , Feng Yin , Bai Ying , Zhao Xuechao , Liu Ning , Kong Xiangdong
Published: September 2021

Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that affects the degradation of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). Only a few cases of MSUD have been documented in Mainland China. In this report, 8 patients (4 females and 4 males) with MSUD from 8 unrelated Chinese Han families were diagnosed at the age of 6 days to 4 months. All the coding regions and exon/intron boundaries of BCKDHA, BCDKHB, DBT and DLD genes were analyzed by targeted NGS in the 8 MSUD pedigrees. Targeted NGS revealed 2 pedigrees with MSUD Ia, 5 pedigrees with Ib, 1 pedigree with MSUD II. Totally, 13 variants were detected, including 2 variants (p.Ala216Val and p.Gly281Arg) in BCKDHA gene, 10 variants (p.Gly95Ala, p.Ser171Pro, p.Phe175Leu, p.Arg183Trp, p.Lys222Thr, p.Arg285Ter, p.Arg111Ter, p.S184Pfs*46, p.Arg170Cys, p.I160Ffs*25) in BCKDHB gene, 1 variant (p.Arg431Ter) in DBT gene. In addition, 4 previously unidentified variants (p.Gly281Arg in BCKDHA gene, p.Ser171Pro, p.Gly95Ala and p.Lys222Thr in BCKDHB gene) were identified. NGS plus Sanger sequencing detection is effective and accurate for gene diagnosis. Computational structural modeling indicated that these novel variations probably affect structural stability and considered as likely pathogenic variants.
Optimization of Burgers creep damage model of frozen silty clay based on fuzzy random particle swarm algorithm
Authors: Yao Yafeng , Cheng Hua , Lin Jian , Ji Jingchen
Published: September 2021

The creep characteristics of frozen rock and soil are crucial for construction safety in cases of underground freezing. Uniaxial compression tests and uniaxial creep tests were performed at temperatures of − 10, − 15, − 20, and − 25 °C for silty clay used in Nantong metro freezing construction to investigate the effect law of the stress–strain curves and creep curves. However, owing to the complex effects of factors such as temperature and ground pressure, the mechanical properties of underground frozen silty clay are uncertain. The Burgers creep damage model was established by using an elastic damage element to simulate the accelerated creep stage. The traditional particle swarm optimization algorithm was improved using the inertia weight and the fuzzy random coefficient. The creep parameters of the Burgers damage model were optimized using the improved fuzzy random particle swarm algorithm at different temperatures and pressure levels. Engineering examples indicated that the optimized creep model can more effectively characterize the creep stages of frozen silty clay in Nantong metro freezing construction. The improved fuzzy random particle swarm algorithm has wider engineering applicability and faster convergence than the traditional algorithm.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in permafrost peatlands
Authors: Pastukhov Alexander , Loiko Sergey , Kaverin Dmitry
Published: September 2021

The concentrations of 15 individual PAHs in 93 peat cores have been determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography methods. In the profile the qualitative and quantitative composition of PAHs was non-uniform estimated in a wide range: from 112 to 3673 ng/g with mean 1214 ± 794 ng/g. Among 15 identified individual PAHs, the main contribution to their total amount was made by heavy highly condensed PAHs in the Eastern European peat plateaus, in particular, 6-nuclear benzo[ghi]perylene (1021 ± 707 ng/g), whereas in West Siberian permafrost peatlands, light PAHs were dominating, mostly naphthalene and phenanthrene (211 ± 87 and 64 ± 25 ng/g, respectively). The grass-equisetum peat contained the maximum of heavy PAHs and the dwarf shrub-grass—the minimum. In grass-dwarf shrub, grass-moss and moss peat, the share of 2-nuclear PAHs was most significant: naphthalene and fluorene, as well as 6-nuclear benzo[ghi]perylene. The presence of benzo[ghi]perylene in the entire peat strata, including its permafrost layer, was a marker of the anaerobic conditions that persisted throughout the Holocene and they were necessary for the synthesis of this compound.
A machine learning approach for efficient multi-dimensional integration
Authors: Yoon Boram
Published: September 2021

Many physics problems involve integration in multi-dimensional space whose analytic solution is not available. The integrals can be evaluated using numerical integration methods, but it requires a large computational cost in some cases, so an efficient algorithm plays an important role in solving the physics problems. We propose a novel numerical multi-dimensional integration algorithm using machine learning (ML). After training a ML regression model to mimic a target integrand, the regression model is used to evaluate an approximation of the integral. Then, the difference between the approximation and the true answer is calculated to correct the bias in the approximation of the integral induced by ML prediction errors. Because of the bias correction, the final estimate of the integral is unbiased and has a statistically correct error estimation. Three ML models of multi-layer perceptron, gradient boosting decision tree, and Gaussian process regression algorithms are investigated. The performance of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated on six different families of integrands that typically appear in physics problems at various dimensions and integrand difficulties. The results show that, for the same total number of integrand evaluations, the new algorithm provides integral estimates with more than an order of magnitude smaller uncertainties than those of the VEGAS algorithm in most of the test cases.
Bio-oriented synthesis of new sulphadiazine derivatives for urease inhibition and their pharmacokinetic analysis
Authors: Hamad Asad , Khan Mohsin Abbas , Ahmad Irshad , Khalil Ruqaiya , Khalid Muhammad , Abbas Urva , Azhar Rahat , Uddin Jalal , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Khan Ajmal , Shafiq Zahid , Al-Harrasi Ahmed
Published: September 2021

Current research is based on biology-oriented synthesis of sulphadiazine derivatives and determination of their urease inhibitory activity. In this regard, a series of (E)-4-(benzylideneamino)-N-(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzenesulfonamide was synthesized from sulphadiazine and substituted aromatic aldehydes. The structures of synthesized compounds were ascertained by spectroscopic techniques, such as, FTIR, NMR and HRMS analysis, and in-vitro and in-silico investigation were carried out for the inhibition of urease. Ureases are harmful for humans by producing by-products of urea (ammonia and carbon dioxide). The most active compound (3l) against urease exhibited IC50value of 2.21 ± 0.45 µM which is 10 times more potent than the standard thiourea (20.03 ± 2.06 µM). It is noteworthy that most of our synthesized compounds showed significant to excellent activities against urease enzyme and most of them substituted by halogen or hydroxy groups atorthoandparapositions in their structures. Inhibition of enzyme by the synthesized analogues was in descending order as 3l > 3a > 3b > 3q > 3e > 3o > 3s > 3t > 3g > 3k > 3r > 3f > 3m > 3p > 3n > 3j > 3i > 3h. Moreover, molecular docking studies were performed to rationalize the binding interactions of the synthesized motifs with the active pocket of the urease enzyme. The synthesized sulphadiazine derivatives (3a–u) were found to be non-toxic, and presented passive gastrointestinal absorption.
Thyroid diseases and second to fourth digit ratio in Polish adults
Authors: Pruszkowska-Przybylska Paulina , Kobus Magdalena , Iljin Aleksandra , Wiktorska Joanna A. , Żądzińska Elżbieta , Sitek Aneta
Published: September 2021

The association between second to fourth finger ratio and thyroid diseases is unexplained. There is a possible interaction between prenatal exposition to sex hormone and thyroid functions in the adulthood. The study included 175 adults investigated in Łódź in the central Poland. It consisted of two main parts: a survey including questions about occurrence of thyroid gland dysfunction and anthropometric measurements (body mass and height and length of the second and fourth finger, waist and hip circumferences). The women who had thyroid disease had higher 2D:4D digit ratio (left hand) (mean = 1.004; SD = 0.036) than healthy ones (mean = 0.989; SD = 0.030) (t = − 2105; p = 0.038; d = 0.707). The association between thyroid diseases occurrence and prenatal steroid hormone exposition is noticed. Only females who had thyroid diseases tend to have higher 2D:4D digit ratio, for left hand.
Novel composite materials of modified roasted date pits using ferrocyanides for the recovery of lithium ions from seawater reverse osmosis brine
Authors: Al-Absi Rana S. , Abu-Dieyeh Mohammed H. , Ben-Hamadou Radhouane , Nasser Mustafa S. , Al-Ghouti Mohammad A.
Published: September 2021

In this paper, novel composite materials from modified roasted date pits using ferrocyanides were developed and investigated for the recovery of lithium ions (Li+) from seawater reverse osmosis (RO) brine. Two composite materials were prepared from roasted date pits (RDP) as supporting material, namely potassium copper hexacyanoferrate-date pits composite (RDP-FC-Cu), and potassium nickel hexacyanoferrate-date pits composite (RDP-FC-Ni). The physiochemical characterization of the RO brine revealed that it contained a variety of metals and salts such as strontium, zinc, lithium, and sodium chlorides. RDP-FC-Cu and RDP-FC-Ni exhibited enhanced chemical and physical characteristics than RDP. The optimum pH, which attained the highest adsorption removal (%) for all adsorbents, was at pH 6. In addition, the highest adsorption capacities for the adsorbents were observed at the initial lithium concentration of 100 mg/L. The BET surface area analysis confirmed the increase in the total surface area of the prepared composites from 2.518 m2/g for RDP to 4.758 m2/g for RDP-FC-Cu and 5.262 m2/g for RDP-FC-Ni. A strong sharp infrared peak appeared for the RDP-FC-Cu and RDP-FC-Ni at 2078 cm−1. This peak corresponds to the C≡N bond, which indicates the presence of potassium hexacyanoferrate, K4[Fe(CN)6]. The adsorption removal of lithium at a variety of pH ranges was the highest for RDP-FC-Cu followed by RDP-FC-Ni and RDP. The continuous increase in the adsorption capacity for lithium with increasing initial lithium concentrations was also observed. This could be mainly attributed to enhance and increased lithium mass transfer onto the available adsorption active sites on the adsorbents’ surface. The differences in the adsorption in terms of percent adsorption removal were clear and significant between the three adsorbents (P value < 0.05). All adsorbents in the study showed a high lithium desorption percentage as high as 99%. Both composites achieved full recoveries of lithium from the RO brine sample despite the presence of various other competing ions.
Comparison of SpO2 and heart rate values on Apple Watch and conventional commercial oximeters devices in patients with lung disease
Authors: Pipek Leonardo Zumerkorn , Nascimento Rafaela Farias Vidigal , Acencio Milena Marques Pagliarelli , Teixeira Lisete Ribeiro
Published: September 2021

Lung diseases have high mortality and morbidity, with an important impact on quality of life. Hypoxemic patients are advised to use oxygen therapy to prolong their survival, but high oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels can also have negative effects. Pulse oximeters are the most common way to assess oxygen levels and guide medical treatment. This study aims to assess whether wearable devices can provide precise SpO2 measurements when compared to commercial pulse oximeters. This is a cross-section study with 100 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and interstitial lung disease from an outpatient pneumology clinic. SpO2 and heart rate data were collected with an Apple Watch Series 6 (Apple) and compared to two commercial pulse oximeters. The Bland–Altman method and interclass correlation coefficient were used to compare their values. We observed strong positive correlations between the Apple Watch device and commercial oximeters when evaluating heart rate measurements (r = 0.995, p < 0.001) and oximetry measurements (r = 0.81, p < 0.001). There was no statistical difference in the evaluation of skin color, wrist circumference, presence of wrist hair, and enamel nail for SpO2 and heart rate measurements in Apple Watch or commercial oximeter devices (p > 0.05). Apple Watch 6 is a reliable way to obtain heart rate and SpO2 in patients with lung diseases in a controlled environment.
Clinical features, epidemiology, autoantibody status, HLA haplotypes and genetic mechanisms of type 1 diabetes mellitus among children in Qatar
Authors: Haris Basma , Ahmed Ikhlak , Syed Najeeb , Almabrazi Hakeem , Saraswathi Saras , Al-Khawaga Sara , Saeed Amira , Mundekkadan Shihab , Mohammed Idris , Sharari Sanaa , Hawari Iman , Hamed Noor , Afyouni Houda , Abdel-Karim Tasneem , Mohammed Shayma , Khalifa Amel , Al-Maadheed Maryam , Zyoud Mahmoud , Shamekh Ahmed , Elawwa Ahmed , Karim Mohammed Y. , Al-Khalaf Fawziya , Tatari-Calderone Zohreh , Petrovski Goran , Hussain Khalid
Published: September 2021

To describe the clinical features, epidemiology, autoantibody status, HLA haplotypes and genetic mechanisms of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Patients (0–18 years) with diabetes were recruited. Clinical data was collected, autoantibodies and c-peptide were measured. Whole Genome Sequencing was performed. Genomic data analysis was compared with the known genes linked with T1DM and HLA alleles were studied. 1096 patients had one or more antibody positivity. The incidence of T1DM in 2020 was 38.05 per 100,000 children and prevalence was 249.73. GADA was the most common autoantibody followed by IAA. Variants in GSTCD, SKAP2, SLC9B1, BANK1 were most prevalent. An association of HLA haplotypes DQA1*03:01:01G (OR = 2.46, p value = 0.011) and DQB1*03:02:01G (OR = 2.43, p value = 0.022) was identified. The incidence of T1DM in Qatar is the fourth highest in the world, IA2 autoantibody was the most specific with some patients only having ZnT8 or IA2 autoantibodies thus underlining the necessity of profiling all 4 autoantibodies. The genes associated with T1DM in the Arab population were different from those that are common in the Caucasian population. HLA-DQ was enriched in the Qatari patients suggesting that it can be considered a major risk factor at an early age.
Decompression of the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular notch under combined arthroscopic and ultrasound guidance
Authors: Prenaud Clément , Loubeyre Jeanne , Soubeyrand Marc
Published: September 2021

Decompression of the suprascapular nerve (SSNe) at the suprascapular notch (SSNo) is usually performed with an arthroscopic procedure. This technique is well described but locating the nerve is complex because it is deeply buried and surrounded by soft tissue. We propose to combine ultrasound and arthroscopy (US-arthroscopy) to facilitate nerve localization, exposure and release. The main objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of this technique. This is an experimental, cadaveric study, carried out on ten shoulders. The first step of our technique is to locate the SSNo using an ultrasound scanner. Then an arthroscope is introduced under ultrasound control to the SSNo. A second portal is then created to dissect the pedicle and perform the ligament release. Ultrasound identification of the SSNo, endoscopic dissection and decompression of the nerve were achieved in 100% of cases. Ultrasound identification of the SSNo took an average of 3 min (± 4) while dissection and endoscopic release time took an average of 8 min (± 5). Ultrasound is an extremely powerful tool for non-invasive localization of nerves through soft tissues, but it is limited by the fact that tissue visualization is limited to the ultrasound slice plane, which is two-dimensional. On the other hand, arthroscopy (extra-articular) allows three-dimensional control of the surgical steps performed, but the locating of the nerve involves significant tissue detachment and a risk of damaging the nerve with the dissection. The combination of the two (US-arthroscopy) offers the possibility of combining the advantages of both techniques.
Modeling seasonal emergence of Poa annua in urban greenspace
Authors: Taylor Dallas R. , Prorock Michael , Horvath Brandon J. , Brosnan James T.
Published: September 2021

Turfgrasses are perennial components of urban greenspaces found in parks, recreational areas, golf courses, sports fields, and lawns that confer many ecosystem services. A copious seed producer, Poa annua is the most troublesome weed of turfgrass and continually threatens the ecosystem services provided by urban greenspaces. Field research was conducted in Knoxville, TN to better understand environmental conditions triggering P. annua seedling emergence patterns to assist managers with optimally timing interventions—both chemical and non-chemical—for control. Fluctuations in cooling degree day (CDD21C) accumulation accounted for 82% of the variance in yearly cumulative P. annua emergence data collected in a single irrigated sward of hybrid bermudagrass [C. dactylon (L.) Pers. x. C. transvaalensis Burtt-Davy]. However, non-linear models using CDD21C data developed ex post were not able to accurately predict P. annua emergence patterns ex ante. In both years, P. annua emergence changed most rapidly between the 40th and 43rd week of the year when seven-day mean soil temperature and rainfall were 18.9 °C and 12.7 mm, respectively. Future research should explore the efficacy of herbicide mixtures applied when P. annua emergence is most rapidly changing in lieu of developing models to predict when specific emergence thresholds occur.
Synthesis, delivery, and molecular docking of fused quinolines as inhibitor of Hepatitis A virus 3C proteinase
Authors: Jorshari Mehrnaz Rafiei , Mamaghani Manouchehr , Jahanshahi Parivash
Published: September 2021

It is widely accepted that Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is responsible for liver failure and even death in older people and in people with other serious health issues; so, proposing new compounds with inhibitory activity can help to treated of these disease’s. In current study, a new class of quinolines is proposed with inhibitor activity of the HAV proteinase. So, in the first step, fused quinoline derivatives has been synthesized in short reaction time (12.0 min) and high efficiency yields (94%) in presence of 1-carboxymethyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium iodide ([cmdmim]I) ionic liquid catalyst using a new method. In the following, chemical reactivity and inhibitory activity of synthesized quinolines were evaluated in density functional theory (DFT) framework and molecular docking methodologies. High global softness (0.67 eV), low HOMOSWBNNT-LUMO4a gap (4.78 eV), and more negative adsorption energy (− 87.9 kJ mol−1) in these quinolines reveal that the 4a and 4b compounds have better delivery than other quinolines using SWBNNT as suitable carrier to target cells. Molecular docking shows that the best cavity of the HAV has − 134.2 kJ mol−1 interaction energy involving bonding and non-bonding interactions. In fact, these interactions are between fused quinolines with especial geometries and sidechain flexibility amino acids residues inside the best binding site of the HAV, as hydrogen bonding, steric, and electrostatic interactions. So, these interactions imply that proposed fused quinolines have good inhibitor activity for the HAV.
An updated, computable MEDication-Indication resource for biomedical research
Authors: Zheng Neil S. , Kerchberger V. Eric , Borza Victor A. , Eken H. Nur , Smith Joshua C. , Wei Wei-Qi
Published: September 2021

The MEDication-Indication (MEDI) knowledgebase has been utilized in research with electronic health records (EHRs) since its publication in 2013. To account for new drugs and terminology updates, we rebuilt MEDI to overhaul the knowledgebase for modern EHRs. Indications for prescribable medications were extracted using natural language processing and ontology relationships from six publicly available resources: RxNorm, Side Effect Resource 4.1, Mayo Clinic, WebMD, MedlinePlus, and Wikipedia. We compared the estimated precision and recall between the previous MEDI (MEDI-1) and the updated version (MEDI-2) with manual review. MEDI-2 contains 3031 medications and 186,064 indications. The MEDI-2 high precision subset (HPS) includes indications found within RxNorm or at least three other resources. MEDI-2 and MEDI-2 HPS contain 13% more medications and over triple the indications compared to MEDI-1 and MEDI-1 HPS, respectively. Manual review showed MEDI-2 achieves the same precision (0.60) with better recall (0.89 vs. 0.79) compared to MEDI-1. Likewise, MEDI-2 HPS had the same precision (0.92) and improved recall (0.65 vs. 0.55) than MEDI-1 HPS. The combination of MEDI-1 and MEDI-2 achieved a recall of 0.95. In updating MEDI, we present a more comprehensive medication-indication knowledgebase that can continue to facilitate applications and research with EHRs.
Vaginal microbiome as a tool for prediction of chorioamnionitis in preterm labor: a pilot study
Authors: Urushiyama Daichi , Ohnishi Eriko , Suda Wataru , Kurakazu Masamitsu , Kiyoshima Chihiro , Hirakawa Toyofumi , Miyata Kohei , Yotsumoto Fusanori , Nabeshima Kazuki , Setoue Takashi , Nagamitsu Shinichiro , Hattori Masahira , Hata Kenichiro , Miyamoto Shingo
Published: September 2021

Intra-amniotic infection (IAI) is a major cause of preterm birth with a poor perinatal prognosis. We aimed to determine whether analyzing vaginal microbiota can evaluate the risk of chorioamnionitis (CAM) in preterm labor cases. Vaginal discharge samples were collected from 83 pregnant women admitted for preterm labor. Based on Blanc’s classification, the participants were divided into CAM (stage ≥ II; n = 46) and non-CAM (stage ≤ I; n = 37) groups. The 16S rDNA amplicons (V1–V2) from vaginal samples were sequenced and analyzed. Using a random forest algorithm, the bacterial species associated with CAM were identified, and a predictive CAM (PCAM) scoring method was developed. The α diversity was significantly higher in the CAM than in the non-CAM group (P < 0.001). The area under the curve was 0.849 (95% confidence interval 0.765–0.934) using the PCAM score. Among patients at < 35 weeks of gestation, the PCAM group (n = 22) had a significantly shorter extended gestational period than the non-PCAM group (n = 25;P = 0.022). Multivariate analysis revealed a significant difference in the frequency of developmental disorders in 3-year-old infants (PCAM, 28%, non-PCAM, 4%;P = 0.022). Analyzing vaginal microbiota can evaluate the risk of IAI. Future studies should establish appropriate interventions for IAI high-risk patients to improve perinatal prognosis.
Acetate rescues defective brain-adipose metabolic network in obese Wistar rats by modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ
Authors: Olaniyi Kehinde Samuel , Owolabi Morounkeji Nicole , Atuma Chukwubueze Lucky , Agunbiade Toluwani Bosede , Alabi Bolanle Yemisi
Published: September 2021

We investigated the hypothesis that acetate ameliorates brain-adipose metabolic dysfunction (BAMED) in high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, possibly by modulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ). Ten-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups (n = 6/group): Control, acetate and obese with or without acetate groups received vehicle (distilled water; po), acetate (200 mg/kg, po) and 40% HFD with or without acetate respectively. The treatments lasted for 12 weeks. Obese animals showed increase in body weight, visceral fat mass, insulin and triglyceride-glucose index and a reduction in insulin sensitivity. In addition, obese animals also showed increase in plasma/hypothalamic and adipose pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4, lactate-pyruvate ratio, malondialdehyde, γ-glutamyl transferase, and a decrease in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, glutathione, nitric oxide and PPAR-γ. HFD also elevated plasma/hypothalamic lipid and decreased adipose lipid profile, increased hypothalamic and adipose tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and histone deacetylase (HDAC), and elevated plasma/adipose leptin. These alterations were reversed by concomitant administration of acetate. The present results demonstrate that obesity is characterized by BAMED, which is accompanied by altered HDAC/PPAR-γ. The results in addition suggest that acetate, an HDAC inhibitor rescues BAMED with consequent normalization of body weight and visceral fat mass by modulation of PPAR-γ and suppression of oxidative stress.
Plasma apolipopotein C-2 elevation is associated with Takayasu arteritis
Authors: Tamura Natsuko , Maejima Yasuhiro , Shiheido-Watanabe Yuka , Nakagama Shun , Isobe Mitsuaki , Sasano Tetsuo
Published: September 2021

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is an autoimmune systemic arteritis of unknown etiology. Although a number of investigators have attempted to determine biomarkers for diagnosing TAK, there exist no specific serological markers of this intractable disease. We undertook the exploration of novel serological markers which could be useful for an accurate diagnosis of TAK using an unbiased proteomics approach. The purified plasma samples from untreated patients with TAK and healthy individuals were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. The differentially expressed protein spots were detected by gel comparison and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS). Next, we validated plasma concentrations of identified proteins by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Two-dimensional electrophoresis and numerical analysis revealed 19 spots and 3 spot clusters whose sum of the sample averages was ≥ 0.01, and the average concentrations were ≥ 1.5 times in the patient group compared with the control group. Among them, 10 spots and spot clusters that met the condition of the average spot concentration being 2.5 times more than that in the control group were selected. After processing these spots using MS and conducting MS/MS ion search, we identified 10 proteins: apolipoprotein C-2 (ApoC-2), actin, apolipoprotein A-1, complement C3, kininogen-1, vitronectin, α2-macroglobulin, 14–3–3 protein ζ/δ, complement C4, and inter-α-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain H4 isoform 1 precursor. Finally, ELISA demonstrated that plasma ApoC-2 level was significantly elevated in patients with TAK compared with that in healthy individuals. Thus, ApoC-2 would be a promising candidate biomarker for TAK diagnosis.
High-sensitivity high-resolution X-ray imaging with soft-sintered metal halide perovskites
Authors: Deumel Sarah , van Breemen Albert , Gelinck Gerwin , Peeters Bart , Maas Joris , Verbeek Roy , Shanmugam Santhosh , Akkerman Hylke , Meulenkamp Eric , Huerdler Judith E. , Acharya Manognya , García-Batlle Marisé , Almora Osbel , Guerrero Antonio , Garcia-Belmonte Germà , Heiss Wolfgang , Schmidt Oliver , Tedde Sandro F.
Published: September 2021

To realize the potential of artificial intelligence in medical imaging, improvements in imaging capabilities are required, as well as advances in computing power and algorithms. Hybrid inorganic–organic metal halide perovskites, such as methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3), offer strong X-ray absorption, high carrier mobilities (µ) and long carrier lifetimes (τ), and they are promising materials for use in X-ray imaging. However, their incorporation into pixelated sensing arrays remains challenging. Here we show that X-ray flat-panel detector arrays based on microcrystalline MAPbI3 can be created using a two-step manufacturing process. Our approach is based on the mechanical soft sintering of a freestanding absorber layer and the subsequent integration of this layer on a pixelated backplane. Freestanding microcrystalline MAPbI3 wafers exhibit a sensitivity of 9,300 µC Gyair–1 cm–2 with a μτ product of 4 × 10–4 cm2 V–1, and the resulting X-ray imaging detector, which has 508 pixels per inch, combines a high spatial resolution of 6 line pairs per millimetre with a low detection limit of 0.22 nGyair per frame.
Optical detection of the susceptibility tensor in two-dimensional crystals
Authors: Xu Zhemi , Ferraro Davide , Zaltron Annamaria , Galvanetto Nicola , Martucci Alessandro , Sun Luzhao , Yang Pengfei , Zhang Yanfeng , Wang Yuechen , Liu Zhongfan , Elliott Joshua D. , Marsili Margherita , Dell’Anna Luca , Umari Paolo , Merano Michele
Published: September 2021

The out-of-plane optical constants of monolayer two-dimensional materials have proven to be experimentally elusive. Owing to their reduced dimensionality, optical measurements have limited sensitivity to these properties which are hidden by the optical response of the substrate. Therefore, there remains an absence of scientific consensus on how to correctly model these crystals. Here we perform an experiment on the optical response of a single-layer two-dimensional crystal that addresses these problems. We successfully remove the substrate contribution to its optical response by a step deposition of a monolayer crystal inside a thick polydimethylsiloxane prism. This allows for a reliable determination of both the in-plane and the out-of-plane components of its surface susceptibility tensor. Our results prescribe one clear theoretical model for these crystals. This precise characterization of their optical properties will be relevant to future progresses in photonics and optoelectronics with two-dimensional materials.
Modeling epithelial tissues as active-elastic sheets reproduce contraction pulses and predict rip resistance
Authors: Armon Shahaf , Bull Matthew S. , Moriel Avraham , Aharoni Hillel , Prakash Manu
Published: September 2021

Confluent epithelial tissues can be viewed as soft active solids, as their individual cells contract in response to local conditions. Little is known about the emergent properties of such materials. Empirical observations have shown contraction waves propagation in various epithelia, yet the governing mechanism, as well as its physiological function, is still unclear. Here we propose an experiment-inspired model for such dynamic epithelia. We show how the widespread cellular response of contraction-under-tension is sufficient to give rise to propagating contraction pulses, by mapping numerically and theoretically the consequences of such a cellular response. The model explains observed phenomena but also predicts enhanced rip-resistance as an emergent property of such cellular sheets. Unlike healing post-rupture, these sheets avoid it by actively re-distributing external stresses across their surface. The mechanism is relevant to a broad class of tissues, especially such under challenging mechanical conditions, and may inspire engineering of synthetic materials.
In situ adsorbent formation based dispersive micro-solid phase extraction using a deep eutectic solvent as an elution solvent for the extraction of some pesticides from honey samples prior to GC-MS analysis
Authors: Marzi Khosrowshahi Elnaz , Nemati Mahboob , Farajzadeh Mir Ali , Afshar Mogaddam Mohammad Reza
Published: September 2021

In this work, a simple, inexpensive, green, and fast dispersive micro-solid phase extraction method has been developed for the extraction of several pesticides from honey samples.
Increased prevalence of indoor Aspergillus and Penicillium species is associated with indoor flooding and coastal proximity: a case study of 28 moldy buildings
Authors: Omebeyinje Mayomi H. , Adeluyi Adewale , Mitra Chandrani , Chakraborty Paramita , Gandee Gregory M. , Patel Nalit , Verghese Bindhu , Farrance Christine E. , Hull Matthew , Basu Paramita , Lee Kwonmoo , Adhikari Atin , Adivar Burcu , Horney Jennifer A. , Chanda Anindya
Published: September 2021

Indoor dampness causes mold growth. The likelihood of such molds being clinically relevant Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. is higher in coastal homes with history of indoor flooding. Fungal surveillance in flood prone homes is therefore critical.
Design and synthesis of chromophores with enhanced electro-optic activities in both bulk and plasmonic–organic hybrid devices
Authors: Xu Huajun , Elder Delwin L. , Johnson Lewis E. , Heni Wolfgang , de Coene Yovan , De Leo Eva , Destraz Marcel , Meier Norbert , Vander Ghinst Wouter , Hammond Scott R. , Clays Koen , Leuthold Juerg , Dalton Larry R. , Robinson Bruce H.
Published: September 2021

By tuning donor strength, we produce an organic electro-optic chromophore with high hyperpolarizability, low absorption, and excellent electro-optic activity, which is demonstrated in a plasmonic–organic hybrid modulator with near record lowVπL.
Electrochemically-initiated polymerization of reactive monomers via 4-fluorobenzenediazonium salts
Authors: Molle Edgar , Frech Stefan , Grüger Tilman , Theato Patrick
Published: September 2021

We report on the electrochemically-initiated polymerization of reactive monomers using a fluorine-labelled aromatic diazonium salt in an undivided cell setup with subsequent post-polymerization modifications of the intact reactive moieties.
Cobalt-catalyzed coupling reactions of 2-halobenzamides with alkynes: investigation of ligand-controlled dual pathways
Authors: Thorat Vijaykumar H. , Aman Hasil , Tsai Yu-Lin , Pallikonda Gangaram , Chuang Gary Jing , Hsieh Jen-Chieh
Published: September 2021

The Co-catalyzed reactions of 2-halobenzamides and alkynes to form quinolinones or 2-vinyl benzamides are described here. These two reactions can be controlled merely by ligands.
Long term storage of miRNA at room and elevated temperatures in a silica sol–gel matrix
Authors: Chauhan Rajat , Kalbfleisch Theodore S. , Potnis Chinmay S. , Bansal Meenakshi , Linder Mark W. , Keynton Robert S. , Gupta Gautam
Published: September 2021

Storage of biospecimens in their near native environment at room temperature can have a transformative global impact, however, this remains an arduous challenge to date due to the rapid degradation of biospecimens over time.
The influence of the anion exchange membrane on mass-transport limiting phenomena in bipolar interface fuel cells with Fe–N/C based cathode catalyst layers
Authors: Seeberger Dominik , Hauenstein Pascal , Hartert Adrian , Thiele Simon
Published: September 2021

The AEM layer content in a bipolar interface fuel cell enables the opportunity to regulate the influx rate of water into the porous layer.
High-performance asymmetric supercapacitor based on CdCO3/CdO/Co3O4composite supported on Ni foam
Authors: Henríquez Rodrigo , Mestra-Acosta Alifhers S. , Muñoz Eduardo , Grez Paula , Navarrete-Astorga Elena , Dalchiele Enrique A.
Published: September 2021

This work presents for the first time a CdCO3/CdO/Co3O4@nickel foam based supercapacitor with high both specific capacitance and energy density, a widespread potential window and a long cycle life.
Translocation of silica nanospheres through giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) induced by a high frequency electromagnetic field
Authors: Tharushi Perera Palalle G. , Todorova Nevena , Vilagosh Zoltan , Bazaka Olha , Nguyen The Hong Phong , Bazaka Kateryna , Crawford Russell J. , Croft Rodney J. , Yarovsky Irene , Ivanova Elena P.
Published: September 2021

Membrane model systems capable of mimicking live cell membranes were used for the first time in studying the effects arising from electromagnetic fields (EMFs) of 18 GHz where membrane permeability was observed following exposure.
Towards understanding of electrolyte degradation in lithium-mediated non-aqueous electrochemical ammonia synthesis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Sažinas Rokas , Andersen Suzanne Zamany , Li Katja , Saccoccio Mattia , Krempl Kevin , Pedersen Jakob Bruun , Kibsgaard Jakob , Vesborg Peter Christian Kjærgaard , Chakraborty Debasish , Chorkendorff Ib
Published: September 2021

Lithium-mediated non-aqueous electrochemical ammonia synthesis (LiMEAS) as an efficient and green ammonia production way was studied by GCMS in different organic electrolytes to evaluate the stability of electrochemical systems.
Ribose conversion with amino acids into pyrraline platform chemicals – expeditious synthesis of diverse pyrrole-fused alkaloid compounds
Authors: Cho Soohyeon , Gu Lina , IN Ik Joon , Wu Bo , Lee Taehoon , Kim Hakwon , Koo Sangho
Published: September 2021

One-pot conversion of sustainable d-ribose with l-amino acid, methyl esters produced pyrrole-2-carbaldehydes 5 in reasonable yields (32–63%) under pressurized conditions of 2.5 atm at 80 °C.
Characterization of the T4 gp32–ssDNA complex by native, cross-linking, and ultraviolet photodissociation mass spectrometry
Authors: Blevins Molly S. , Walker Jada N. , Schaub Jeffrey M. , Finkelstein Ilya J. , Brodbelt Jennifer S.
Published: September 2021

Ultraviolet photodissociation and native mass spectrometry allow characterization of the formation and binding interactions of protein-ssDNA complexes.
Water-stable hydrazone-linked porous organic cages
Authors: Yang Miao , Qiu Fenglei , M. El-Sayed El-Sayed , Wang Wenjing , Du Shunfu , Su Kongzhao , Yuan Daqiang
Published: September 2021

A convenient method for constructing water-stable hydrazone-linked porous organic cages (POCs) with tunable structures has been reported, and such POCs can be used as robust adsorbents for effective removal of various pollutants from water.
Ba4Ca(B2O5)2F2: π-conjugation of B2O5 in the planar pentagonal layer achieving large second harmonic generation of pyro-borate
Authors: Li Shuaishuai , Liu Xiaomeng , Wu Hongping , Song Zhongfu , Yu Hongwei , Lin Zheshuai , Hu Zhanggui , Wang Jiyang , Wu Yicheng
Published: September 2021

A new deep-UV NLO pyro-borate Ba4Ca(B2O5)2F2 was synthesized by solid-state reactions. The better π-conjugation of B2O5 dimers in the planar pentagonal layer achieves a large SHG response (∼2.2 × KDP), which is the largest among all the known DUV transparent borates with B2O5 units.
Photoelectrochemical water splitting using one-dimensional nanostructures
Authors: Lee Joo-Won , Cho Ki-Hyun , Yoon Joon-Soo , Kim Young-Min , Sung Yun-Mo
Published: September 2021

This review highlights the research on 1D nanostructured photoelectrodes for solar-driven PEC water splitting based on various strategies to enhance their performances.
Spintronic hydrogen evolution induced by surface plasmon of silver nanoparticles loaded on Fe- and Co-doped ZnO nanorods
Authors: Kung Po-Yen , Pan Fei , Su Yen-Hsun
Published: September 2021

The spin–plasmon-assisted quantum entanglement modulator enables solar-to-hydrogen water splitting cells prepared by silver NPs coated on TM:ZnO (TM: Fe, Co) NRs with circularly polarized light of coherent ħ/−ħ light radiation.
Crystalline mixed-valence copper supramolecular isomers for electroreduction of CO2 to hydrocarbons
Authors: Lu Jia-Ni , Liu Jiang , Zhang Lei , Dong Long-Zhang , Li Shun-Li , Lan Ya-Qian
Published: September 2021

Supramolecular isomers show that the structural stability is improved by increasing the dihedral angle. CuL-4 as a catalyst can reduce CO2 to hydrocarbons (FE = 85.02%), and explore the role of mixed-valence copper sites in CO2 electroreduction.
Recent advances in magnetic carbon nanotubes: synthesis, challenges and highlighted applications
Authors: Guo Jiabei , Jiang Hui , Teng Yan , Xiong Yue , Chen Zhuhui , You Linjun , Xiao Deli
Published: September 2021

Magnetic carbon nanotubes (MCNTs), consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), have enormous exploration and application potentials due to their superior physical and chemical properties, such as unique magnetism and high enrichment performance.
Modified ferroelectric and photovoltaic properties of BiFe0.91Zr0.09O3 thin films via altered annealing atmospheres
Authors: Ma Zhibiao , Liu Huiying , Wang Lingxu , Yao Bingdong , Wang Yangyang , Liu Yan , Zhang Fengqing , Qin Weiwei , Xu Jing
Published: September 2021

The effects of different annealing atmospheres (air, O2, and N2) on the crystal structure, defect concentration, and ferroelectric, photovoltaic, and aging performances of the BiFe0.91Zr0.09O3 film samples were studied.
Correction: Ultra-smooth and robust graphene-based hybrid anode for high-performance flexible organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Zhang Zhikun , Xia Lianlian , Liu Lizhao , Chen Yuwen , Wang Zuozhi , Wang Wei , Ma Dongge , Liu Zhaoping
Published: September 2021

Correction for ‘Ultra-smooth and robust graphene-based hybrid anode for high-performance flexible organic light-emitting diodes’ by Zhikun Zhang et al., J. Mater. Chem. C, 2021, 9, 2106–2114, DOI: 10.1039/D0TC05213B.
Development of Mandarin Chinese Vowel Perception in Young Children With Normal Hearing and Cochlear Implants
Authors: Zhang Changxin , Li Mingying , Yu Jie , Liu Chang
Published: September 2021

Purpose

Depicting the development pattern of vowel perception for children with normal hearing (NH) and cochlear implants (CIs) would be useful for clinicians and school teachers to monitor children's auditory rehabilitation. The study was to investigate the development of Mandarin Chinese vowel perception for Mandarin Chinese native–speaking children with the ages of 4–6 years.

Method

Vowel identification of children with NH and CIs were tested. All children with CIs received CIs before the age of 4 years. In a picture identification task with Mandarin Chinese speech stimuli, listeners identified the target consonant–vowel word among two to four contrastive words that differed only in vowels. Each target word represented a concrete object and was spoken by a young female native Mandarin Chinese talker. The target words included 16 monophthongs, 22 diphthongs, and nine triphthongs.

Results

Children with NH showed significantly better identification of monophthongs and diphthongs than children with CIs at the age of 6 years, whereas the two groups had comparable performance at age of 4 and 5 years. Children with NH significantly outperformed children with CIs for triphthong identification across all three age groups. For children with NH, a rapid development of perception of all three types of vowels occurred between age 4 and 5 years with a rapid development only for monophthong perception between age 5 and 6 years. For children with CIs, a rapid development of both diphthong and triphthong perception occurred between 4 and 5 years old, but not monophthong, with no significant development between 5 and 6 years old for all three types of vowels. Overall, Mandarin-speaking children with NH achieved their ceiling performance in vowel perception before or at the age of 6 years, whereas children with CIs may need more time to reach the typical level of their peers with NH.

Conclusions

The development of Mandarin vowel perception for Mandarin-native children differed between preschool-age children with NH and CIs, likely due to the deficits of spectral processing for children with CIs. The results would be a supplement to the development of speech recognition in Mandarin-native children with NH and CIs.
Deep learning for time series forecasting: The electric load case
Authors: Gasparin Alberto , Lukovic Slobodan , Alippi Cesare
Published: September 2021

Management and efficient operations in critical infrastructures such as smart grids take huge advantage of accurate power load forecasting, which, due to its non‐linear nature, remains a challenging task. Recently, deep learning has emerged in the machine learning field achieving impressive performance in a vast range of tasks, from image classification to machine translation. Applications of deep learning models to the electric load forecasting problem are gaining interest among researchers as well as the industry, but a comprehensive and sound comparison among different—also traditional—architectures is not yet available in the literature. This work aims at filling the gap by reviewing and experimentally evaluating four real world datasets on the most recent trends in electric load forecasting, by contrasting deep learning architectures on short‐term forecast (one‐day‐ahead prediction). Specifically, the focus is on feedforward and recurrent neural networks, sequence‐to‐sequence models and temporal convolutional neural networks along with architectural variants, which are known in the signal processing community but are novel to the load forecasting one.
DDNet: 3D densely connected convolutional networks with feature pyramids for nasopharyngeal carcinoma segmentation
Authors: Li Xiaojie , Tang Mingxuan , Guo Feng , Li Yuanxi , Cao Kunling , Song Qi , Wu Xi , Sun Shanhui , Zhou Jiliu
Published: September 2021

Radiation therapy is the standard treatment for early stage Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). Thus, accurate delineation of target volumes at risk in NPC is important. While manual delineation is time‐consuming and labour‐intensive process and also leads to significant inter‐ and intra‐practitioner variability. Thus, computer‐aided segmentation algorithm is required. However, segmentation task is not trivial due to large variations (e.g., shape and size) of nasopharynx structure across subjects. Moreover, extreme foreground and background class imbalance in NPC segmentation remains challenge. In this paper, we propose a threedimensional densely connected convolutional neural network with multi‐scale feature pyramids for NPC segmentation. We adapt the densely connected convolutional block into a new structure via adding feature pyramids. The concatenated pyramid feature carries multi‐scale and hierarchical semantic information which is effective for segmenting different size of tumors and perceiving hierarchical context information. To address the foreground and background imbalance problem, we propose an enhanced version of focal loss. It prevents the large number of negative voxels far from boundaries from overwhelming the segmentation algorithm. We validated the proposed method on 120 clinical subjects. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach out‐performed state‐of‐the‐art methods and human experts.