bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of suitable target/E3 ligase pairs for PROTAC development using a rapamycin-induced proximity assay (RiPA)
Authors: Adhikari Bikash , Schneider Katharina , Diebold Mathias , Sotriffer Christoph , Wolf Elmar
Published: July 2024

The development of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), which induce the degradation of target proteins by bringing them into proximity with cellular E3 ubiquitin ligases, has revolutionized drug development. While the human genome encodes more than 600 different E3 ligases, current PROTACs use only a handful of them, drastically limiting their full potential. Furthermore, many PROTAC development campaigns fail because the selected E3 ligase candidates are unable to induce degradation of the particular target of interest. As more and more ligands for novel E3 ligases are discovered, the chemical effort to identify the best E3 ligase for a given target is exploding. Therefore, a genetic system to identify degradation-causing E3 ligases and suitable target/E3 ligase pairs is urgently needed. Here, we used the well-established dimerization of the FKBP12 protein and FRB domain by rapamycin to bring the target protein WDR5 into proximity with candidate E3 ligases. Strikingly, this rapamycin-induced proximity assay (RiPA) revealed that VHL, but not Cereblon, is able to induce WDR5 degradation - a finding previously made by PROTACs, demonstrating its predictive power. By optimizing the steric arrangement of all components and fusing the target protein with a minimal luciferase, RiPA can identify the ideal E3 for any target protein of interest in living cells, significantly reducing and focusing the chemical effort in the early stages of PROTAC development.
Elevated DNA Damage without signs of aging in the short-sleeping Mexican Cavefish
Authors: Lloyd Evan , Xia Fanning , Moore Kinsley , Zertuche Carolina , Rastogi Aakriti , Kozol Rob , Kenzior Olga , Warren Wesley , Appelbaum Lior , Moran Rachel L , Zhao Chongbei , Duboue Erik , Rohner Nicolas , Keene Alex C
Published: July 2024

Dysregulation of sleep has widespread health consequences and represents an enormous health burden. Short-sleeping individuals are predisposed to the effects of neurodegeneration, suggesting a critical role for sleep in the maintenance of neuronal health. While the effects of sleep on cellular function are not completely understood, growing evidence has identified an association between sleep loss and DNA damage, raising the possibility that sleep facilitates efficient DNA repair. The Mexican tetra fish,
Astyanax mexicanus
provides a model to investigate the evolutionary basis for changes in sleep and the consequences of sleep loss. Multiple cave-adapted populations of these fish have evolved to sleep for substantially less time compared to surface populations of the same species without identifiable impacts on healthspan or longevity. To investigate whether the evolved sleep loss is associated with DNA damage and cellular stress, we compared the DNA Damage Response (DDR) and oxidative stress levels between
A. mexicanus
populations. We measured markers of chronic sleep loss and discovered elevated levels of the DNA damage marker γH2AX in the brain, and increased oxidative stress in the gut of cavefish, consistent with chronic sleep deprivation. Notably, we found that acute UV-induced DNA damage elicited an increase in sleep in surface fish but not in cavefish. On a transcriptional level, only the surface fish activated the photoreactivation repair pathway following UV damage. These findings suggest a reduction of the DDR in cavefish compared to surface fish that coincides with elevated DNA damage in cavefish. To examine DDR pathways at a cellular level, we created an embryonic fibroblast cell line from the two populations of
A. mexicanus
. We observed that both the DDR and DNA repair were diminished in the cavefish cells, corroborating the
in vivo
findings and suggesting that the acute response to DNA damage is lost in cavefish. To investigate the long-term impact of these changes, we compared the transcriptome in the brain and gut of aged surface fish and cavefish. Strikingly, many genes that are differentially expressed between young and old surface fish do not transcriptionally vary by age in cavefish. Taken together, these findings suggest that cavefish have developed resilience to sleep loss, despite possessing cellular hallmarks of chronic sleep deprivation.
Sequential Temporal Anticipation Characterized by Neural Power Modulation and in Recurrent Neural Networks
Authors: Teng Xiangbin , Zhang Ru-Yuan
Published: July 2024

Relevant prospective moments arise intermittently, while most of time is filled with irrelevant events, or noise, that constantly bombard our sensory systems. Thus, anticipating a few key moments necessitates disregarding what lies between the present and the future – the noise. Here, through examining how the brain and the recurrent neural networks (RNNs) anticipate a sequence of prospective moments without relying on any external timing cues, we provided a reinterpretation of temporal anticipation. We first designed a “premembering” task, where we marked three temporal locations in white noise and asked human listeners to detect a tone at one of these points. Using power modulation analyses, we investigated the memory-guided anticipatory processes in trials involving only flat noise. Our research revealed a unique neural-power modulation pattern for sequential temporal anticipation: neural power within the alpha-beta band range fluctuates over time, accurately identifying the marked locations on a sub-second scale and correlating with tone detection performance. To understand the functional roles of these neural modulations, we utilized RNNs optimized for the behavioral task. The hidden dynamics of the RNNs mirrored the neural modulations, and additional analyses and perturbations on the RNNs indicated that the neural power modulations in the alpha-beta band resulted from selective suppression of irrelevant noise periods and heightened sensitivity to anticipated temporal locations. Our behavioral, neural, and modeling findings collectively indicate that sequential temporal anticipation involves a process of dynamic gain control: anticipating a few significant moments involves actively disregarding irrelevant events that frequently occur.
Multisensory integration enhances audiovisual responses in the Mauthner cell
Authors: Otero-Coronel Santiago , Preuss Thomas , Medan Violeta
Published: July 2024

Multisensory integration (MSI) combines information from multiple sensory modalities to create a coherent perception of the world. In contexts where sensory information is limited or equivocal, it also allows animals to integrate individually ambiguous stimuli into a clearer or more accurate percept and, thus, react with a more adaptive behavioral response. Although responses to multisensory stimuli have been described at the neuronal and behavioral levels, a causal or direct link between these two is still missing. In this study, we studied the integration of audiovisual inputs in the Mauthner cell, a command neuron necessary and sufficient to trigger a stereotypical escape response in fish. We performed intracellular recordings in adult goldfish while presenting a diverse range of stimuli to determine which stimulus properties affect their integration. Our results show that stimulus modality, intensity, temporal structure, and interstimulus delay affect input summation. Mechanistically, we found that the distinct decay dynamics of FFI triggered by auditory and visual stimuli can account for certain aspects of input integration. Altogether, this is a rare example of the characterization of MSI in a cell with clear behavioral relevance, providing both phenomenological and mechanistic insights into how MSI depends on stimulus properties.
Efficient coding in biophysically realistic excitatory-inhibitory spiking networks
Authors: Koren Veronika , Malerba Simone Blanco , Schwalger Tilo , Panzeri Stefano
Published: July 2024

The principle of efficient coding posits that sensory cortical networks are designed to encode maximal sensory information with minimal metabolic cost. Despite the major influence of efficient coding in neuroscience, it has remained unclear whether fundamental empirical properties of neural network activity can be explained solely based on this normative principle. Here, we derive the structural, coding, and biophysical properties of excitatory-inhibitory recurrent networks of spiking neurons that emerge directly from imposing that the network minimizes an instantaneous loss function and a time-averaged performance measure enacting efficient coding. We assumed that the network encodes a number of independent stimulus features varying with a time scale equal to the membrane time constant of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The optimal network has biologically-plausible biophysical features, including realistic integrate-and-fire spiking dynamics, spike-triggered adaptation, and a non-specific excitatory external input. The excitatory-inhibitory recurrent connectivity between neurons with similar stimulus tuning implements feature-specific competition, similar to that recently found in visual cortex. Networks with unstructured connectivity cannot reach comparable levels of coding efficiency. The optimal ratio of excitatory vs inhibitory neurons and the ratio of mean inhibitory-to-inhibitory vs excitatory-to-inhibitory connectivity are comparable to those of cortical sensory networks. The efficient network solution exhibits an instantaneous balance between excitation and inhibition. The network can perform efficient coding even when external stimuli vary over multiple time scales. Together, these results suggest that key properties of biological neural networks may be accounted for by efficient coding.
Impact of Maximal Overexpression of a Non-toxic Protein on Yeast Cell Physiology
Authors: Fujita Yuri , Namba Shotaro , Moriya Hisao
Published: July 2024

While it is recognized that excess expression of non-essential proteins burdens cell growth, the physiological state of cells under such stress is largely unknown. This is because it is challenging to distinguish between adverse effects arising from the properties of the expressed excess protein (cytotoxicity) and those caused solely by protein overexpression. In this study, we attempted to identify the model protein with the lowest cytotoxicity in yeast cells by introducing a new neutrality index. We found that a non-fluorescent fluorescent protein (mox-YG) and an inactive glycolytic enzyme (Gpm1-CCmut) showed the lowest cytotoxicity. These proteins can be expressed at levels exceeding 40% of total protein while maintaining yeast growth. The transcriptome of cells expressing mox-YG to the limit indicated that the cells were in a nitrogen source requirement state. Proteome analysis revealed increased mitochondrial function and decreased ribosome abundance, like the inactivated state of the TORC1 pathway. The decrease in ribosome abundance was presumably due to defective nucleolus formation, partially rescued by a mutation in the nuclear exosome. These findings suggest that massive overexpression of excess protein, termed protein burden, causes nitrogen source starvation, a metabolic shift toward more energy-efficient respiration, and a ribosomal biosynthesis defect due to an imbalance between ribosomal protein and rRNA synthesis in the nucleolus.
DeepCorr: a novel error correction method for 3GS long reads based on deep learning
Authors: Wang Rongshu , Chen Jianhua
Published: July 2024

Long reads generated by third-generation sequencing (3GS) technologies are involved in many biological analyses and play a vital role due to their ultra-long read length. However, the high error rate affects the downstream process. DeepCorr, a novel error correction algorithm for data from both PacBio and ONT platforms based on deep learning is proposed. The core algorithm adopts a recurrent neural network to capture the long-term dependencies in the long reads to convert the problem of long-read error correction to a multi-classification task. It first aligns the high-precision short reads to long reads to generate the corresponding feature vectors and labels, then feeds these vectors to the neural network, and finally trains the model for prediction and error correction. DeepCorr produces untrimmed corrected long reads and improves the alignment identity while maintaining the length advantage. It can capture and make full use of the dependencies to polish those bases that are not aligned by any short read. DeepCorr achieves better performance than that of the state-of-the-art error correction methods on real-world PacBio and ONT benchmark data sets and consumes fewer computing resources. It is a comprehensive deep learning-based tool that enables one to correct long reads accurately.
A hybrid approach based on k-means and SVM algorithms in selection of appropriate risk assessment methods for sectors
Authors: Topaloglu Fatih
Published: July 2024

Every work environment contains different types of risks and interactions between risks. Therefore, the method to be used when making a risk assessment is very important. When determining which risk assessment method (RAM) to use, there are many factors such as the types of risks in the work environment, the interactions of these risks with each other, and their distance from the employees. Although there are many RAMs available, there is no RAM that will suit all workplaces and which method to choose is the biggest question. There is no internationally accepted scale or trend on this subject. In the study, 26 sectors, 10 different RAMs and 10 criteria were determined. A hybrid approach has been designed to determine the most suitable RAMs for sectors by using k-means clustering and support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithms, which are machine learning (ML) algorithms. First, the data set was divided into subsets with the k-means algorithm. Then, the SVM algorithm was run on all subsets with different characteristics. Finally, the results of all subsets were combined to obtain the result of the entire dataset. Thus, instead of the threshold value determined for a single and large cluster affecting the entire cluster and being made mandatory for all of them, a flexible structure was created by determining separate threshold values for each sub-cluster according to their characteristics. In this way, machine support was provided by selecting the most suitable RAMs for the sectors and eliminating the administrative and software problems in the selection phase from the manpower. The first comparison result of the proposed method was found to be the hybrid method: 96.63%, k-means: 90.63 and SVM: 94.68%. In the second comparison made with five different ML algorithms, the results of the artificial neural networks (ANN): 87.44%, naive bayes (NB): 91.29%, decision trees (DT): 89.25%, random forest (RF): 81.23% and k-nearest neighbours (KNN): 85.43% were found.
Stress induced on permanent mandible first molar and space maintainer under normal masticatory forces: a finite element study
Authors: Shi Hui , Kang Fang Fang , Liu Qian
Published: July 2024

Background

The band and loop space maintainer is used to maintain the missing space of deciduous molars which are lost early. When the second deciduous molar is lost prematurely, the stress on the first permanent molar during different degrees of development may vary when it is the abutment. The design and use of the space maintainer may also lead to damage of the loop. The purpose of this article is to use the finite element method to study the stress on the first permanent molar and the loop with or without occlusal contact, with the first permanent molar of four different degrees of development serving as the abutment. We aimed to guide the clinical design and use of the space maintainer.

Methods

We developed finite element models of the mandibular first permanent molar and the band and loop space maintainer, and simulated alveolar bone, periodontal ligament (PDL), enamel and dentin. The four developmental stages were 1/2 (I), 2/3 (II), 3/4 (III) and full development (IV). Ansys Workbench was used to analyze the effects of root development and occlusal contact between the loop and the opposite jaw on abutment teeth and the loop. Abutment teeth were statically loaded vertically and obliquely with a force of 70 N. The loop was statically loaded vertically with a force of 14 N. The stress on all structures and the displacement trends of the loop were calculated.

Results

The stress on enamel, dentin, PDL and alveolar bone were similar, and the concentration was consistent. But if there was occlusal contact, the loop produced maximum displacement at the near middle edge of contact with the anterior teeth. When the loop was in occlusal contact with the opposing occlusal tooth, the peak value of the equivalent stress on the space maintainer under vertical load was: group I > group IV > group III > group II, and the maximum principal stress peak change was: group I > group III > group II > group IV. The change of the equivalent stress peak value of the loop under oblique load was: group I > group III > group IV > group II, and the maximum principal stress peak change was: group III > group I > group II > group IV. When the loop was not in occlusal contact with the opposing occlusal tooth, the peak value of the equivalent stress on the space maintainer under vertical load was: group IV > group I > group II > group III, and the maximum principal stress peak change was: group IV > group I > group II > group III. The change of the equivalent stress peak value of the space maintainer under oblique load was: group I > group IV > group II > group III, and the maximum principal stress peak change was: group I > group IV > group II > group III.

Conclusions

Our results suggested that whenever possible, choosing the teeth with nearly complete root development as the abutment of the space maintainer is advisable. The design and use of the band and loop space maintainer should avoid occlusal contact with the occlusal teeth to prevent deformation of the loop.
Psycho-physio-neurological correlates of qualitative attention, emotion and flow experiences in a close-to-real-life extreme sports situation: low- and high-altitude slackline walking
Authors: de Sampaio Barros Marcelo Felipe , Stefano Filho Carlos Alberto , Menezes Lucas Toffoli de , Araújo-Moreira Fernando Manuel , Trevelin Luis Carlos , Pimentel Maia Rafael , Radel Rémi , Castellano Gabriela
Published: July 2024

It has been indicated that extreme sport activities result in a highly rewarding experience, despite also providing fear, stress and anxiety. Studies have related this experience to the concept of flow, a positive feeling that individuals undergo when they are completely immersed in an activity. However, little is known about the exact nature of these experiences, and, there are still no empirical results to characterize the brain dynamics during extreme sport practice. This work aimed at investigating changes in psychological responses while recording physiological (heart rate–HR, and breathing rate–BR) and neural (electroencephalographic–EEG) data of eight volunteers, during outdoors slackline walking in a mountainous environment at two different altitude conditions (1 m–low-walk– and 45 m–high-walk–from the ground). Low-walk showed a higher score on flow scale, while high-walk displayed a higher score in the negative affect aspects, which together point to some level of flow restriction during high-walk. The order of task performance was shown to be relevant for the physiological and neural variables. The brain behavior during flow, mainly considering attention networks, displayed the stimulus-driven ventral attention network–VAN, regionally prevailing (mainly at the frontal lobe), over the goal-directed dorsal attention network–DAN. Therefore, we suggest an interpretation of flow experiences as an opened attention to more changing details in the surroundings, i.e., configured as a ‘task-constantly-opened-to-subtle-information experience’, rather than a ‘task-focused experience’.
DTDHM: detection of tandem duplications based on hybrid methods using next-generation sequencing data
Authors: Yuan Tianting , Dong Jinxin , Jia Baoxian , Jiang Hua , Zhao Zuyao , Zhou Mengjiao
Published: July 2024

Background

Tandem duplication (TD) is a common and important type of structural variation in the human genome. TDs have been shown to play an essential role in many diseases, including cancer. However, it is difficult to accurately detect TDs due to the uneven distribution of reads and the inherent complexity of next-generation sequencing (NGS) data.

Methods

This article proposes a method called DTDHM (detection of tandem duplications based on hybrid methods), which utilizes NGS data to detect TDs in a single sample. DTDHM builds a pipeline that integrates read depth (RD), split read (SR), and paired-end mapping (PEM) signals. To solve the problem of uneven distribution of normal and abnormal samples, DTDHM uses the K-nearest neighbor (KNN) algorithm for multi-feature classification prediction. Then, the qualified split reads and discordant reads are extracted and analyzed to achieve accurate localization of variation sites. This article compares DTDHM with three other methods on 450 simulated datasets and five real datasets.

Results

In 450 simulated data samples, DTDHM consistently maintained the highest F1-score. The average F1-score of DTDHM, SVIM, TARDIS, and TIDDIT were 80.0%, 56.2%, 43.4%, and 67.1%, respectively. The F1-score of DTDHM had a small variation range and its detection effect was the most stable and 1.2 times that of the suboptimal method. Most of the boundary biases of DTDHM fluctuated around 20 bp, and its boundary deviation detection ability was better than TARDIS and TIDDIT. In real data experiments, five real sequencing samples (NA19238, NA19239, NA19240, HG00266, and NA12891) were used to test DTDHM. The results showed that DTDHM had the highest overlap density score (ODS) and F1-score of the four methods.

Conclusions

Compared with the other three methods, DTDHM achieved excellent results in terms of sensitivity, precision, F1-score, and boundary bias. These results indicate that DTDHM can be used as a reliable tool for detecting TDs from NGS data, especially in the case of low coverage depth and tumor purity samples.
Desenho do Trabalho: contribuições de uma revisão integrativa de literatura
Authors: Couto Luan Felipe Alves , Amarante Kaio Henrique Coelho do , Kanan Lilia Aparecida
Published: July 2024

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é realizar uma revisão integrativa de literatura sobre a temática de Work Design. O estudo elegeu os descritores “Work Design”, “Desenho do Trabalho” e “Diseño del Trabajo” nos bancos de dados PePSIC, ScieLO e LILACS. O recorte temporal estabelecido foi de 2015 a 2023. A partir do refinamento dos artigos encontrados com base nos critérios de inclusão e exclusão, restaram 33 artigos para leitura e análise completa.  Como resultados, se observa que a literatura produzida sobre Work Design envolve principalmente, a busca pela adaptação e validação de instrumentos que o legitimem em vários contextos culturais e organizacionais, bem como a constatação de seu poder preditivo em torno de diversos aspectos.
Comparative Analysis of Musculoskeletal Responses in Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis Patients: A Study on Retro-walking Treadmill Protocols using an Experimental Design
Authors: Chaturvedi Chhavi , Rishi Priyanka , Tiwari Snigdha , Kumar Saurabh
Published: July 2024

Introduction: Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is a significant cause of disability globally and is rapidly becoming a major health issue. The part of the knee most affected by OA is the patellofemoral joint. This type of arthritis poses challenges for both patients and healthcare providers in managing symptoms and improving the quality of life for those affected. However, there’s a lack of data on specific therapies for the patellofemoral joint. Aim: To investigate if a varied frequency treadmill exercises protocol involving retro-walking has a greater impact on musculoskeletal responses, leading to better improvements in individuals with symptomatic Patellofemoral Joint Osteoarthritis (PFOA). Materials and Methods: The present study was an experimental research design i.e., between -subjects experimental design in which 60 participants with patellofemoral arthritis were enrolled based on the inclusion criteria. The study was conducted in the Department of Orthopaedics, SGT Medical College Hospital and Research Institute in Gurugram, Haryana, India for a duration of one year (May 2022- May 2023). Participants were randomly randomised to three distinct exercise program groups with varying intensity levels for retro-walking on a treadmill for six weeks, and all three groups received conventional treatment six days/week for six weeks. All participants were evaluated at three-time intervals of baseline, at the end of the third week, and after intervention (end of the sixth week) for the evaluation of several musculoskeletal parameters affecting patellofemoral arthritis. Statistical analysis was carried out using the IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0. Comparison for within group differences between various outcome measures at various intervals of time was done using repeated measures of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and posthoc analysis for mean values with Least Significant Difference (LSD) whereas for between group analysis One-way ANOVA and post-hoc Analysis for mean values was done with p-value set at <0.05. Result: Significant statistical and clinical differences were observed in musculoskeletal responses, Q-angle (p-value=0.001) and popliteal angle (p-value=0.001) in the high frequency group (group C) performing the protocol five times a week for six weeks leading to a better quality of life followed by group B and group A, respectively. Conclusion: The main finding of the present study suggested that the dosage for retro-walking on treadmill among patients with patellofemoral arthritis requires at least walking for five times/week for six weeks to get more clinical improvement in Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD).
Sulfur Synergy: Improving Black Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) Yields with Varied Sources and Levels
Authors: Mibang Anki , Doruk Kasinam , Lida Sanchung , Basar Karge , Akli Nabam , M Karthikeyan
Published: July 2024

Field experiment was laid out at agriculture field of Himalayan university, Jollang during Kharif season 2023-2024 to study the response of black soybean to levels and sources of sulphur under mid - hill conditions of Arunachal Pradesh. The treatments comprising of all possible combinations of three levels of sulphur viz. 15, 30 and 45 kg /ha and four sources of sulphur viz. Iron pyrite, Gypsum, Epsom salt and Sphalerite. The result revealed that yield attributes viz. number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, seed weight, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index of black soybean increased with the application of S upto 45 kg/ha. Higher dose of sulphur significantly influence yield attributes of black soybean. The response per kg S apply was 14.5 kg of soybean grain. Among the sources of sulphur gypsum gave the better response in terms of yield attributes and seed and straw yield of soybean over the other sources. Gross returns (27322 ₹/ha), net returns (12552 ₹/ha) and B: C (1.84) ratio was significantly higher at Gypsum 45 kg S/ha.
Optimization of Plant Growth Regulators in Indirect Plant Regeneration in Rice Variety Nerica 3 Using Mature Seeds as Explant
Authors: Ekom Danielle Christelle Tinak , Abba Haïcha Diko , Piau Jean Cyrille Mouen , Mahot Hermine Claudine , Satok Nathalie Gaelle Tinak , Namegni Rodrigue Simonet Poueme , Wade Abel
Published: July 2024

The study is the first attempt to highlight about callus induction and plantlet regeneration in rice variety ‘Nerica 3’ using mature seed as explant and using five regeneration media with plant growth regulators (BA, IAA, and 2,4-D) at different concentrations in other to establish the efficient indirect plant regeneration protocol. Among the five regeneration media tested, R3 medium (2 mg/L BA), showed greater percentage of plantlet regeneration (45.31%) followed by R2 medium (0.5 mg/L BA + 0,1 mg/L IAA; 29.68%), whereas, R4 medium showed the lowest (2 mg/L 2,4-D; 0%). These results will be used for genetic improvement programs of the variety ‘Nerica 3’.
Impact of Inorganic Fertilizer and Organic Manure on Physico-chemical Properties of Soil in Pea (Pisum sativum. L) Cultivated Field
Authors: Ete Kenrik , Thomas Tarence , Swaroop Narendra , Kumar Kamlendra , Thomas Ashima
Published: July 2024

The field experiment was carried out at central research farm of department of soil science and agricultural chemistry, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj during Rabi season 2023-24. The texture of the soil in the experimental region was sandy loam. The design was set up using randomized block design, with three levels of FYM (0:50:100), and NPK (0:50:100) at different levels. The treatment T9 (@100% NPKS + 100% FYM) gave thebest results in terms of plant height, number of siliqua plant-1, and total Field Pea yield. It also showed a slight decrease in pH, bulk density, and particle density; however, there was a significant increase in pore space, water holding capacity, EC, organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as plant growth and yield attributes. There was no discernible difference in the growth and production of Field Pea under control. The use of NPK and FYM, significantly increases the characteristics of growth and total yield attributes of Field Pea.
A study of the atmospheric surface layer and roughness lengths on the high‐altitude tropical Zongo glacier, Bolivia
Authors: Sicart Jean Emmanuel , Litt Maxime , Helgason Warren , Tahar Vanessa Ben , Chaperon Thomas
Published: March 2014

The atmospheric surface layer of high‐altitude tropical glaciers is inadequately understood, particularly concerning turbulent fluxes. Measurements have shown that sublimation reduces melt energy in the dry season, but the errors are large when a katabatic wind maximum occurs at a low height. This study analyzed wind and temperature vertical profiles measured by a 6 m mast in the ablation area of the tropical Zongo glacier (16°S, 5060 m above sea level) in the dry seasons of 2005 and 2007. Surface roughness lengths for momentum and temperature were derived from least squares fits of hourly wind and temperature profile data. Measurement errors were explored, focusing on the poorly defined reference level for sensor heights. A katabatic wind maximum at heights between 2 and 3 m was regularly observed during low wind speed and strong inversion conditions, or about ~50%of the time, greatly reducing the surface layer depth. The glacier surface, experiencing melting conditions in the early afternoon and strong cooling at night, remained relatively smooth with z0 ~ 1 mm and zT ~ 0.1 mm. Sensible heat flux measured at ~1 m was not very sensitive to the zero reference level due to two opposite effects: when measurement heights increase, profile‐derived roughness lengths increase but temperature and wind gradients decrease. The relation between zT/z0 and the roughness Reynolds number Re* roughly agrees with the surface renewal model. However, this is mostly due to self‐correlation because of the shared variable z0 in zT/z0 and Re*, which prevents a sound experimental validation of the model.
Stretchable Metallic Electrodes for Electroactive Polymer Actuators
Authors: Habrard Florian , Patscheider Jörg , Kovacs Gabor
Published: March 2014

This paper describes preparation and characterization of silver electrodes deposited by magnetron sputtering with high stretching capability while maintaining their electrical conductivity. It is shown that tuning the microstructure and grain size of silver films of 30 nm thickness deposited on silicone membranes is an effective way to extend the stretching limit until rupture to 13%. It is shown that films with an open pores microstructure and small grains of 18 nm do not develop cracks that are observable by AFM, while dense films with grains of ca. 25 nm develop crack networks with individual crack widths of several hundred nanometers, causing conductive failure already at 4% strain.
Polyurethane–Bentonite Nanocomposites: Morphology and Oxygen Permeation
Authors: Mittal Vikas
Published: March 2014

To provide additional functionality to the adhesive polyurethane (PU) matrices, a solution intercalation approach was used to synthesize PU nanocomposite films with layered silicate bentonites modified with different surface ammonium ions. The oxygen permeation through the composite films was correlated to the filler fraction in the composites. The morphology in the composites was characterized using X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The nanocomposites were observed to have mixed morphology with varying thicknesses of filler particles. The platelets were also misaligned, and a quantitative value of 50–75% randomness was determined from finite element model predictions. The X‐ray diffraction signals also indicated that the basal plane spacing was increased to 3.5 nm in the composites irrespective of the filler type and volume fraction. The oxygen permeation in the case of Tixogel VZ decreased to 25% as compared to pure polymer at 6 wt% (2.13 vol%) filler, and an average aspect ratio of 100 was observed by the finite element permeation models. The Tixogel VP filler, on the other hand, had an excess of modification molecules on the surface and combined with the polarity mismatch (Hansen parameters) of the modification with the PU chains led to an increase in the oxygen permeation through the nanocomposite films.
Photopolymerization Kinetics of Block Polyether Based Terminal Urethane Methacrylate with/without Cross‐Linker
Authors: Reghunathan Harikrishna
Published: March 2014

The present work deals with the photopolymerization of difunctional macromonomer with a polyether chain and urethane methacrylate terminations. Macromonomeric formulations were prepared by mixing macromonomer with two different concentrations of photoinitiator. Formulations were also prepared by the addition of 10 wt% of soft‐segmented difunctional cross‐linker to the abovementioned macromonomic formulations. All formulations were then subjected to photopolymerization studies and the effects of light intensity on the photopolymerization kinetics were studied at two different isothermal conditions using photo differential scanning calorimetry (Photo DSC) with polychromatic radiation. The isothermal heat flow against time was recorded for all formulations and the kinetic parameters were noted. It was observed that the rate of maximum polymerization as well as peak maximum time showed a general trend. However, the ultimate conversion as well as the conversion at maximum rate did not show any trend due to diffusional restrictions imparted by the increase in viscosity with conversion. The photopolymerization of the formulations and curing kinetics including evaluation of autocatalytic model are discussed.
Sonoelectrochemical and Electrochemical Synthesis of Polypyrrole Films on St‐12 Steel and Their Corrosion and Morphological Studies
Authors: Ashassi‐Sorkhabi H. , Bagheri R.
Published: March 2014

The electrochemical and sonoelectrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole (PPy) on St‐12 steel was achieved in an oxalic acid medium by using a galvanostatic method with a current density of 4 mA/cm2. Direct application of low‐frequency ultrasound led to more compact and more homogeneous surface structures for PPy. The corrosion behavior of the coatings was studied through open circuit potential‐time curves, potentiodynamic polarization technique, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements in NaCl 3.5% solution. The Kramers–Kronig transformations were applied to evaluate the validity of the impedance data. The results showed that the coating resistance (Rcoat), corrosion resistance (Rcorr), and warburge resistance of ultrasonically prepared samples were higher than that of nonultrasonically synthesized PPy. With the help of scanning electron microscopy, we investigated the effects of the ultrasonic irradiation on the morphology and the results reveal that the sonoelectrochemical synthesis method yielded strongly adherent and smooth coats.
The fate of chronic rhinosinusitis sufferers after maximal medical therapy
Authors: Baguley Campbell , Brownlow Amanda , Yeung Kaye , Pratt Ellie , Sacks Raymond , Harvey Richard
Published: March 2014

Background

Many chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) treatment regimes revolve around “one‐off” maximal medical therapy (MMT) protocols, and although many patients initially respond, long‐term control is unpredictable. The value of imaging, endoscopy, and patient progress after MMT for CRS is assessed.

Methods

Symptomatic CRS patients with computed tomography (CT)‐confirmed disease were recruited at a tertiary rhinology clinic. All patients received at least a 3‐week oral prednisone course as part of their MMT. Pretreatment and posttreatment nasal symptoms scores (NSS), quality of life (22‐item SinoNasal Outcomes Test [SNOT‐22]), and CT (Lund‐Mackay [LM]) scores were recorded along with post‐MMT endoscopy status.

Results

A total of 86 patients (38% female, age 46 ± 13 years) met inclusion criteria. Pre‐MMT and post‐MMT LM scores were 10.9 ± 5.3 and 8.3 ± 5.5 (change 2.6 ± 3.8, p < 0.001). Median follow‐up after their initial post‐MMT assessment was 6.3 (interquartile range [IQR] 17) months. At initial post‐MMT review, 43 (50%) were symptomatic with persistent radiologic disease (“symptomatic CRS”), 12 (14%) were asymptomatic with no radiologic disease (“resolved CRS”), 21 (24%) were asymptomatic with persistent radiologic disease (“asymptomatic CRS”), and 10 (12%) were symptomatic with no radiologic disease (“alternate diagnosis”). Pre‐MMT NSS and SNOT‐22 were similar among groups. The “asymptomatic CRS” group had the highest age (52 ± 11 years, p = 0.07). The “alternate diagnosis” group had the lowest initial LM scores (5.2 ± 2.9, p = 0.001). Of the “asymptomatic CRS” patients, 43% relapsed between 3 and 23 months (median 6; IQR 4.4 months) post‐MMT and 29% eventually underwent surgery.

Conclusion

Although MMT for CRS achieved symptomatic relief in 38% patients, objective evidence of disease was associated with clinical relapse. The concepts of “response” to medical therapy and the need to “control” long‐term inflammatory burden need to be balanced.
Improvement of histocompatibility of silk fibroin/polyurethane membrane with controlled release of aspirin
Authors: Wang Weici , Wang Jian , Yang Hongjun , Li Yiqing , Jin Bi , Ouyang Chenxi
Published: March 2014

The histocompatibility of polyurethane (PU) modified by superfine silk‐fibroin (SF) powder (1 : 1) with different dosage of aspirin to determine the best dosage for histocompatibility was investigated. Aspirin powder was incorporated into SF–PU (1 : 1) blend mixture at doses of 0%, 5%, or 10% (w/w). The influence of different doses of aspirin on histocompatibility of the hybrid material was studied by using morphology examination, infrared spectroscopy,in vitrodrug release study, andin vivotests including an acute toxicity test, an assessment of local reaction in the muscle, hematological examination, and histological examination. SF–PU (50 : 50) blend film had superior performance over the polytetrafluoroethylene (e‐PTFE) film in terms of histocompatibility, and the anti‐inflammatory/anti‐platelet effects were improved after integration with limited doses of aspirin to yield a valuable drug release vascular graft. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2014,131, 40580.
1,2,3‐triazole crosslinked polymers as binders for solid rocket propellants
Authors: Lee Dong‐Hoon , Kim Kyoung Tae , Jang Yujin , Lee Sookyeong , Jeon Heung Bae , Paik Hyun‐jong , Min Byoung Sun , Kim Wonho
Published: March 2014

In this study, 1,2,3‐triazole crosslinked polymers were synthesized as a new binder for solid rocket propellant systems by reacting the azide groups of the polymer with the ethynyl groups of a dipolarophile curing agent. All the mixtures were cured in an oven at 52°C for 7 days, and the curing reactivity of the products was analyzed using a Fourier transform‐infrared spectrometer. The carbonyl group adjacent to the triple bond, which acts as an electron‐withdrawing group, considerably accelerated the 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between the azide and ethynyl functional groups, affording rubbery materials. The modulus of the polymers increased whereas the elongation at the break decreased with increasing ratio of the crosslinker to the prepolymer, resulting in highly crosslinked polymers. The molecular weights between the crosslinking points and interaction parameters of the 1,2,3‐triazole crosslinked polymers were determined from the swelling data, Flory–Rehner equation, and Mooney–Rivlin equation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40594.
Why do the well‐fed appear to die young?
Authors: Adler Margo I. , Bonduriansky Russell
Published: March 2014

Dietary restriction (DR) famously extends lifespan and reduces fecundity across a diverse range of species. A prominent hypothesis suggests that these life‐history responses evolved as a survival‐enhancing strategy whereby resources are redirected from reproduction to somatic maintenance, enabling organisms to weather periods of resource scarcity. We argue that this hypothesis is inconsistent with recent evidence and at odds with the ecology of natural populations. We consider a wealth of molecular, medical, and evolutionary research, and conclude that the lifespan extension effect of DR is likely to be a laboratory artifact: in contrast with captivity, most animals living in natural environments may fail to achieve lifespan extension under DR. What, then, is the evolutionary significance of the suite of responses that extend lifespan in the laboratory? We suggest that these responses represent a highly conserved nutrient recycling mechanism that enables organisms to maximize immediate reproductive output under conditions of resource scarcity.
Enhanced transient recombinant protein production in CHO cells through the co‐transfection of the product gene withBcl‐xL
Authors: Zustiak Matthew P. , Jose Lisa , Xie Yueqing , Zhu Jianwei , Betenbaugh Michael J.
Published: March 2014

Transient gene expression is gaining popularity as a method to rapidly produce recombinant proteins in mammalian cells. Although significant improvements have been made, in terms of expression, more improvements are needed to compete with the yields achievable in stable gene expression. Much progress has come from optimization of transfection media and parameters, as well as altering culturing conditions to enhance productivity. Recent studies have included cell lines engineered for apoptosis resistance through the constitutive expression of an anti‐apoptotic protein, Bcl‐xL. In this study, we examine an alternative method of using the benefits of anti‐apoptotic gene expression to enhance the transient expression of biotherapeutics, namely, through the co‐transfection ofBcl‐xLand the product‐coding gene. CHO‐S cells were co‐transfected with the product‐coding gene and a vector containingBcl‐xLusing polyethylenimine. Cells co‐transfected withBcl‐xLshowed reduced levels of apoptosis, increased specific productivity, and an overall increase in product yield of approximately 100%. Similar results were produced by employing another anti‐apoptotic protein, Bcl‐2 delta, in CHO cells, or through the co‐transfection with Bcl‐xLusing HEK‐293E cells. This work provides an alternative method for increasing yields of therapeutic proteins in TGE applications without generating a stable cell line and subsequent screening, which are both time‐ and resource‐consuming.

See accompanying commentary by Matthias Hackl and Nicole Borth DOI:10.1002/biot.201400104
Evodiamine might inhibit TGF‐beta1‐induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in NRK52E cells via Smad and PPAR‐gamma pathway
Authors: Wei Jiali , Li Zhuori , Yuan Feng
Published: March 2014

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Transforming growth factor (TGF)‐beta1 is the main inducer of EMT. Phosphorylation of Smad proteins and PPAR‐gamma activation are required for the process of TGF‐beta1‐induced EMT. Evodiamine possesses anti‐inflammatory, anti‐obesity, anti‐cancer, and anti‐nociceptive effects. We have examined the effects of evodiamine in EMT induced by TGF‐beta1 and the role of Smad and PPAR‐gamma signal pathway in rat renal proximal tubular epithelial (NRK52E) cells in vitro. E‐cadherin, alpha‐smooth muscle actin (SMA), Smad 2 and PPAR‐gamma mRNA and protein expressions were detected by real‐time PCR and Western blot, respectively. NRK52E treated with TGF‐beta1 for 48 h induced EMT, as evidenced by loss of E‐cadherin and de novo expression of alpha‐SMA. EMT was almost completely blocked by evodiamine and rosiglitazone. TGF‐beta1 significantly increased Smad 2 expression and decreased PPAR‐gamma expression in NRK52E cells compared with the control group, while evodiamine and rosiglitazone almost reversed these effects. These observations suggest that evodiamine and rosiglitazone inhibit TGF‐beta1‐induced EMT in NRK52E cells. Smad 2 and PPAR‐gamma signal pathway might participate in the effects of evodiamine and rosiglitazone in EMT induced by TGF‐beta1.
Nuclear factor‐κB as a link between endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation during cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation
Authors: Wu Qin , Wang Qiqi , Guo Zhidong , Shang Yunpeng , Zhang Lei , Gong Shikun
Published: March 2014

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) can initiate inflammation, and the coupling of these responses is thought to be fundamental to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanism linking ERS and inflammation in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion needs further investigation. Cultured cardiomyocytes were pretreated with SP600125 or salubrinal, followed by tunicamycin to clarify the involvement of the IRE1α and PERK pathways in ERS inflammation. The cardiomyocytes were given hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), and the effects of the NF‐κB inhibitor, SN50, were followed. GRP78 protein levels were similar in the tunicamycin (Tm), salubrinal, and SP600125 groups, but were lower in cells treated with SN50. SN50 might effectively block the H/R‐induced link between ERS and inflammation in cardiomyocytes by decreasing GRP78. This knowledge will aid in the development of therapies for myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.
Control Parameterization‐Based Adaptive Particle Swarm Approach for Solving Chemical Dynamic Optimization Problems
Authors: Zhou You , Liu Xinggao
Published: March 2014

A control parameterization‐based particle swarm optimization (CP‐PSO) approach is presented which combines control parameterization with particle swarm optimization to solve dynamic optimization problems in chemical engineering. To improve search efficiency and convergence rate, a control parameterization‐based adaptive particle swarm optimization (CP‐APSO) approach is proposed, in which inertia weight and acceleration coefficients are updated according to population distribution characteristics. Three benchmark chemical dynamic optimization problems are explored as illustration. The results demonstrate that CP‐APSO is efficient for solving a general class of chemical dynamic optimization problems and CP‐APSO largely outperforms CP‐PSO on the convergence rate.