bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of welfare and brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome signs in young, breeding age French Bulldogs and Pugs, using owner questionnaire, physical examination and walk tests
Authors: Aromaa M , Lilja-Maula L , Rajamäki MM
Published: December 2019

Brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is a major welfare problem in short-nosed breeds, such as the French Bulldog and Pug. In addition to respiratory difficulties, exercise intolerance and impaired recovery are major signs of BOAS. To select healthier breeding animals, exercise tolerance tests, such as the 1,000-m walk test, are already used in several countries for brachycephalic dogs, although evidence supporting their use is still scarce. The aims of this study were to assess the daily welfare of young, breeding-age French Bulldogs (n = 44) and Pugs (n = 51) using an owner questionnaire, and to evaluate 6-min walk test (6MWT) and 1,000-m walk test usability for differentiation between non-or mildly BOAS-affected dogs and more severely affected dogs. Only four out of 95 French Bulldog and Pug owners reported that the BOAS signs limited the daily activities of their dogs. However, according to the physical, examination-based veterinary BOAS grading, 31/95 of the dogs had moderate to severe BOAS signs. In both breeds, the more severely affected dogs performed both exercise tests more poorly than those with no or mild BOAS signs. The longer exercise, namely the 1,000-m test, seemed slightly better able at differentiating between affected dogs and less affected ones. The results of this study further support the use of exercise tests as an important part of the breeding selection in French Bulldogs and Pugs. By influencing the breed standards set by Kennel Clubs and by using breeding selection tools, the harmful impacts of brachycephaly can be diminished.
Application of a welfare assessment tool (Shelter Quality Protocol) in 64 Italian long-term dogs’ shelters: welfare hazard analysis
Authors: Arena L , Berteselli GV , Lombardo F , Candeloro L , Villa P Dalla , Massis F De
Published: December 2019

The confined environment of the dog shelter, particularly over extensive time-periods can impact severely on welfare. Surveillance and assessment are therefore essential components of the welfare protocol. The aim of this study was to generate a descriptive analysis of a sample of Italian long-term shelters and identify potential hazards regarding the welfare of shelter dogs. This was achieved through application of the Shelter Quality Protocol (SQP) to link income/outcome variables and the inclusion of sixty-four long-term shelters in Italy. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Key findings showed feeding regime, type of diet and access to outdoor area to be significantly associated with inadequate body condition score (BCS). The probability of observing skin lesions was shown to be influenced by bedding inadequacy and bedding type. Limiting beds to one per dog and utilising clean bedding materials was significantly associated with a reduced probability of observing dirty/wet dogs. Protection from adverse weather conditions and inadequate bedding were significantly associated with the manifestation of polypnea. Non-existent dog training facilities, outdoor access or leash walking were all found to significantly increase the likelihood of fearful or aggressive attitudes to people. Outdoor access also, in conjunction with feeding regime, was associated with the presence of diarrhoea. The SQP proved useful in identifying welfare hazards, both as regards shelter environment and shelter management. Identification of these hazards creates the opportunity for interventions to be applied, minimising the risks and improving the welfare of long-term shelter dogs.
Homer’s Odyssey: from classical poetry to threshold graphic narratives for dual readership
Authors: Moula Evangelia E , Malafantis Konstantinos D
Published: December 2019

This article’s focus is some unconventional adaptations of the Odyssey in graphic language, belonging to the threshold literary field and contextualized in different historical and cultural milieus. Since  ancient Greek literature in general and Homer in particular, ceased to be considered as sacred scripts, they discarded the centuries-long formalistic and idealistic approach and served as a vehicle for criticism or as a mirror of each  receiving culture’s present. The kind of relation established between each adaptation and its pre-text is defined by the inscribed meta-narratives in its body. The graphic adaptations under discussion, countercultural, demystifying or even subversive, participate in the so called “cross-audience phenomenon”, addressing a dual readership, both children and adults. They aim at undermining the heroic ethos, provoking skepticism and criticizing allusively the contemporary politics. They also trivialize the original by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation. This way they facilitate dialogue between past and present, by creating a contact zone within which pluralism is the major trait.
Key words: The Odyssey, classics’ reception, comic book adaptations, threshold literature, pluralism
An emergent sense of the literary: Doing children’s poetry translation in the literature classroom
Authors: Beauvais Clementine
Published: December 2019

This article brings together findings from translation theory, the poetics of children’s poetry, and the pedagogy of translation, in an attempt to theorise the practice of poetry-translation in the literary classroom. I argue that translating children’s poetry in the context of translation workshops mobilises skills, and encourages ways of thinking about poetry, that espouse particularly well one of the complex challenges of literary education: namely, triggering in learners an emergent sense of the literary. Poetry-translation, I contend, allows for profoundly experiential engagement with some of the most sophisticated, and least easily articulated, aspects of the aesthetics of literature – prominently, the resistance of the literary text to paraphrase, the lack of a clear content-form dichotomy, and the embodied aspects of the literary encounter. Because translating is never just writing, but always already writing one’s reading, the translation of poetry in the literary classroom requires pupils to capture, experience, and take ownership of their encounters with literature, in order to re-express them. I first explain the practice of literary translation in the classroom; I then talk about contemporary poetry translation theory and its deeply phenomenological approach to text. I next show why the particular poetics of children’s poetry situate that kind of text ideally for a pre-semantic, intuitive approach to poetry translation. Finally, I look at the writing process as a way of turning the pupil into what Roland Barthes calls a poéticien, a person whose poetry-writing does theoretical work.
Key words: children’s poetry, translation, literary education, aesthetics
Teaching Lyric Poetry: An Approach through Genre
Authors: Paparousi Marita
Published: December 2019

A genre approach to teaching lyric poetry is the subject of this essay. Part one of the essay contains a discussion and critique of genre theory as it relates specifically to the use of genre as a framework to teach poetry. Part two examines the various ways lyric genre has been defined in literary theory and tries to offer a polyphonic range of perspectives about lyric genre’s most prominent characteristics. The final section suggests a sample lesson plan and student-centered activities intended to strengthen student’s understanding of lyric poetry.
Young readers and a portuguese sonnet of the 18th century: a viable alliance? A trial in the 2nd Cycle of Basic Education
Authors: Custodio Pedro Balaus
Published: December 2019

The program of the 2nd cycle of Basic Education in Portugal contains several guidelines on the teaching of the poetic text, not only in terms of contents and objectives, but also concerning the suggestion of texts to read. These proposals are always supported by the lists included in the National Reading Plan. Now, regarding the poetic text, inserted in the field called literary education, will it be useful to make available texts that deviate from the trajectories that the textbooks outline? Is it possible to embark on texts traditionally read by a more mature student audience? Will students be able to meet this challenge of reading and understanding without compromising their learning and tastes?
This article aims to describe a trial carried out with students from the 2nd cycle of primary education in Portugal, in which it is proposed the reading of a text commonly read and /or studied years later in secondary education. It is the sonnet " O colchão dentro do toucado " by Nicolau Tolentino, an author from the XVIII Century.
 
We will examine how this text can captivate the students and spark their interest for poetry through an extraordinary stylistic simplicity, a rhetoric stripped of adornments and an almost colloquial and graphic language that knows how to mix naivety, the unforeseen and some surprises, features so pleasing to these young readers.
Can this text contribute to the purpose of literary education of the reader of the 2nd cycle of basic education? In what way and by what means will we propose the reading of an eighteenth-century text to young people of the twenty-first century? These are the questions we will try to answer next.
El aula de música como ambiente sonoro de aprendizaje en Educación Infantil
Authors: Ciurana Gonzalez Marta , Alsina Tarrés Miquel
Published: December 2019

Se presenta una investigación de campo que parte de la creación de un ambiente sonoro de aprendizaje en una escuela de Educación Infantil y Primaria. En este entorno, a través del juego libre, se observa y analiza la interacción con el medio del educando de segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil (n=104), organizados en 10 grupos de perfil homogéneo. En segundo lugar, se comparan los resultados entre las diferentes edades de la etapa educativa. Se sigue una metodología de investigación mixta, cualitativa y cuantitativa, bajo el paradigma del diseño secuencial exploratorio. Las sesiones se gravaron en video y se analizaron con una tabla de observación individual (TOIM) basándose en una categorización de los resultados preliminares.  Los resultados muestran como el nuevo entorno y los objetos ofrecidos han permitido al alumnado desarrollar aprendizajes de manera global, más allá de aspectos relacionados con la exploración sonora. Se observan así mismo diferencias, de menos a más, en cómo se desarrollan estudiantes de diferentes edades, especialmente en referencia al tipo de juego, la aproximación a los objetos, la acción de producir y escuchar el sonido y en las relaciones sociales que se establecen.
¿A quién le importa el canto en el aula? Estudio basado en un cuestionario
Authors: Muñoz Muñoz Juan Rafael
Published: December 2019

Cantar es la actividad más importante en la Educación Musical en el ámbito educativo, sobre todo, en la Educación Infantil y Primaria. Algunos importantes autores han destacado la importancia del canto para la construcción del conocimiento musical y el desarrollo de la formación integral del infante en las primeras etapas educativas. Con este estudio se pretende conocer si al profesorado le gusta cantar en el aula y con qué periodicidad lo hace. También, se quiere constatar la importancia que le otorga el profesorado a esta actividad, así como la importancia que cree que le conceden sus compañeros, las familias, las editoriales, la administración educativa y la sociedad en general. En la metodología del estudio, se ha utilizado un cuestionario que han cumplimentado maestros de centros escolares de Almería, Granada y Sevilla. Se podrá observar que a los maestros les gusta cantar y lo hacen habitualmente en su aula. De igual modo, se pondrá de manifiesto que las familias y las editoriales conceden poca importancia al hecho de cantar en clase y que esta importancia es aún menor para la administración educativa y la sociedad en general.
The Egalitarian Quality of Lottocracy
Authors: Jakobi Julia
Published: December 2019

Abstract. Recently, political models which employ lottery-selection instead of ballot voting have been proposed. Proponents argue that such lottocraticmodels can improve the representation of the population and reduce undemocratic influences. In this paper, I argue that these proposals also satisfy the egalitarian requirement of democracy. I claim that having an equal chance to be selected by lot is equally egalitarian as having an equally weighed vote for two reasons: first, having a chance to be selected by lot satisfies the requirement for political justicebetter than electoral democracy and second, it provides citizens with equal political influence and not merely equal impact.
Keywords: Lottocracy, Procedural Democracy, Political Equality, Political Fairness, Egalitarian Democracy
Matt Sleat, ed. 2018, Politics Recovered: Realist Thought in Theory and Practice
Authors: Hers Martínez Alberto Manuel
Published: December 2019

Reseña
Nearest labelset using double distances for multi-label classification
Authors: Gweon Hyukjun , Schonlau Matthias , Steiner Stefan H.
Published: December 2019

Multi-label classification is a type of supervised learning where an instance may belong to multiple labels simultaneously. Predicting each label independently has been criticized for not exploiting any correlation between labels. In this article we propose a novel approach, Nearest Labelset using Double Distances (NLDD), that predicts the labelset observed in the training data that minimizes a weighted sum of the distances in both the feature space and the label space to the new instance. The weights specify the relative tradeoff between the two distances. The weights are estimated from a binomial regression of the number of misclassified labels as a function of the two distances. Model parameters are estimated by maximum likelihood.NLDDonly considers labelsets observed in the training data, thus implicitly taking into account label dependencies. Experiments on benchmark multi-label data sets show that the proposed method on average outperforms other well-known approaches in terms of 0/1loss, andmulti-label accuracyand ranks second on theF-measure(after a method called ECC) and onHamming loss(after a method calledRF-PCT).
Effects of salinity on photosynthetic traits, ion homeostasis and nitrogen metabolism in wild and cultivated soybean
Authors: Ullah Abd , Li Mingxia , Noor Javaria , Tariq Akash , Liu Yuan , Shi Lianxuan
Published: December 2019

Background

Carbon and nitrogen metabolism need to be highly regulated to achieve cell acclimation to changing environmental conditions. The understanding of physio-biochemical responses of crops to salinity stress could help to stabilize their performance and yield. In this study we have analyzed the roles of photosynthesis, ion physiology and nitrate assimilation toward saline/alkaline stress acclimation in wild and cultivated soybean seedlings.

Methods

Growth and photosynthetic parameters, ion concentrations and the activity of enzymes involved in nitrogen assimilation were determined in seedlings of one wild and one cultivated soybean accession subjected to saline or alkaline stresses.

Results

Both saline and alkaline stresses had a negative impact on the growth and metabolism of both wild and cultivated soybean.The growth, photosynthesis, and gas exchange parameters showed a significant decrease in response to increasing salt concentration. Additionally, a significant increase in root Na+ and Cl– concentration was observed. However, photosynthetic performance and ion regulation were higher in wild than in cultivated soybean under saline and alkaline stresses. Nitrate reductase (NR) and the glutamine synthetase/glutamate synthase (GS/GOGAT) cycle showed a significant decrease in leaves of both genotypes. The reduction in the GS/GOGAT cycle was accompanied by high aminating glutamate dehydrogenase (NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase) activity, indicating the assimilation of high levels of NH4+. A significant increase in the activities of aminating and deaminating enzymes, including glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), alanine aminotransferase (AlaAT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AspAT), was observed, probably due to the high glutamate demand and maintenance of the Krebs cycle to correct the C: N status.

Conclusions

Cultivated soybean was much more stress sensitive than was the wild soybean. The decrease in growth, photosynthesis, ion regulation and nitrogen assimilation enzymes was greater in cultivated soybean than in wild soybean. The impact of alkaline stress was more pronounced than that of saline stress. Wild soybean regulated the physiological mechanisms of photosynthesis and nitrate assimilation more effectively than did cultivated soybean. The present findings provide a theoretical basis with which to screen and utilize wild and cultivated soybean germplasm for breeding new stress-tolerant soybean.
Vascularized Polymers Spatially Control Bacterial Cells on Surfaces
Authors: Marquis Kayla , Chasse Benjamin , Regan Daniel P. , Boutiette Amber L. , Khalil Andre , Howell Caitlin
Published: December 2019

Nature uses vascular systems to permit large‐area control over the functionality of surfaces that lie above them. In this work, the application of this concept to the control of a hybrid living–nonliving system is demonstrated. Defined arrangements of vascular channels are created in agar using a fugitive ink printing method. The antibiotic gentamicin is then introduced into the vascular network where it diffuses to the surface and interacts with a model system of Escherichia coli cells. The cells either live or die depending on their distance from the underlying channels, permitting spatial control over the biological system. Using single‐channel systems to define critical parameters, a theoretical model is developed to define the final surface pattern based solely on the arrangement of the underlying vascular channels. The model is then successfully used to create more complex arrangements of cells at the surface. Finally, by introducing different types of active compounds into separate vascular channels, a mixture of bacterial species is separated and localized at defined points. This work demonstrates the ability of bioinspired embedded vascular systems to predictably control a biological system at a surface, laying the groundwork for future spatially and temporally controlled biointerfaces in both industry and medicine.
Self‐Albumin Camouflage of Carrier Protein Prevents Nontarget Antibody Production for Enhanced LDL‐C Immunotherapy
Authors: Ji Haiying , Wu Guangxi , Li Yongyong , Wang Kun , Xue Xiaomei , You Shasha , Wu Shengming , Ren Tianbin , He Bin , Shi Xueyin
Published: December 2019

Elevated low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) increases the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Peptide‐based PCSK9 vaccines have shown a promising prospect of reducing LDL‐C. In peptide vaccine (pVax) design, the peptide antigens need to conjugate with carrier protein (CP). However, CP incorporation can induce undesirable anti‐CP antibodies, which sterically mask peptide epitopes from being recognized by specific B cells and impair subsequent therapeutically antibody production. This epitopic suppression has posed a barrier in clinical translation of conjugate vaccines all along. A model CP (keyhole limpet hemocyanin, KLH) is herein camouflaged with serum albumin (SA) into hybrid nanocarriers (SA@N), with PCSK9 peptide being anchored onto the surface to form nanovaccine (SA@NVax). Such camouflage of KLH via high “self” SA coverage is able to inhibit KLH from extracellular immune recognition and prevent detectable anti‐KLH antibody production. Furthermore, the nanovaccine around 70 nm stabilized by intermolecular disulfide network is ideal for internalization and biodegradation by antigen presenting cells as well as better retention in draining lymph nodes and spleen. As expected, the SA@NVax efficiently primes higher anti‐PCSK9 IgG antibody titer than PCSK9 pVax.
Role of Biomaterials and Controlled Architecture on Tendon/Ligament Repair and Regeneration
Authors: No Young Jung , Castilho Miguel , Ramaswamy Yogambha , Zreiqat Hala
Published: December 2019

Engineering synthetic scaffolds to repair and regenerate ruptured native tendon and ligament (T/L) tissues is a significant engineering challenge due to the need to satisfy both the unique biological and biomechanical properties of these tissues. Long‐term clinical outcomes of synthetic scaffolds relying solely on high uniaxial tensile strength are poor with high rates of implant rupture and synovitis. Ideal biomaterials for T/L repair and regeneration need to possess the appropriate biological and biomechanical properties necessary for the successful repair and regeneration of ruptured tendon and ligament tissues.
Antiperovskites with Exceptional Functionalities
Authors: Wang Yonggang , Zhang Hao , Zhu Jinlong , Lü Xujie , Li Shuai , Zou Ruqiang , Zhao Yusheng
Published: December 2019

ABX3 perovskites, as the largest family of crystalline materials, have attracted tremendous research interest worldwide due to their versatile multifunctionalities and the intriguing scientific principles underlying them. Their counterparts, antiperovskites (X3BA), are actually electronically inverted perovskite derivatives, but they are not an ignorable family of functional materials. In fact, inheriting the flexible structural features of perovskites while being rich in cations at X sites, antiperovskites exhibit a diverse array of unconventional physical and chemical properties. However, rather less attention has been paid to these “inverse” analogs, and therefore, a comprehensive review is urgently needed to arouse general concern. Recent advances in novel antiperovskite materials and their exceptional functionalities are summarized, including superionic conductivity, superconductivity, giant magnetoresistance, negative thermal expansion, luminescence, and electrochemical energy conversion. In particular, considering the feasibility of the perovskite structure, a universal strategy for enhancing the performance of or generating new phenomena in antiperovskites is discussed from the perspective of solid‐state chemistry. With more research enthusiasm, antiperovskites are highly anticipated to become a rising star family of functional materials.
Building on the biocultural syntheses: 20 years and still expanding
Authors: Leatherman Thomas , Goodman Alan
Published: December 2019

Building a New Biocultural Synthesis: Political Economic Perspectives in Human Biologycalled for an integration of political economy with ecological and adaptability perspectives in biocultural anthropology. A major goal of this volume was to explore the utility of including political‐economic and sociocultural processes in analyses of human biological variation, nutrition, and health. A second goal was to enhance collaboration among subfields and work against the “chasm” that separated complementary perspectives in cultural and biological anthropology. Twenty years hence, new ways to link social inequalities and human biology have emerged in part through contributions of developmental origins of health and disease, epigenetics, microbiomes, and other new methods for tracing pathways of embodiment. Equally important, notions of “local/situated biologies” and “reactive genomes,” provide frameworks for understanding biology and health at the nexus of ecologies, societies, and histories. We review and highlight these contributions toward expanding critical approaches to human biology. Developments over the past two decades have reinforced the central role of social environments and structural inequalities in shaping human biology and health. Yet, within biocultural approaches, a significant engagement with historical, political‐economic, and sociocultural conditions remains relatively rare. We review potential barriers to such analyses, focusing on theoretical and methodological challenges as well as the subfield structure of anthropology. Achieving politically and socially contextualized and relevantcritical bioculturalapproaches remains a challenge, but there is reason for optimism amid new theoretical and methodological developments and innovations brought by new generations of scholars.
The duty to warn at‐risk relatives—The experience of genetic counselors and medical geneticists
Authors: Perry Tabitha J. , Patton Samantha I. , Farmer Meagan B. , Hurst Christina B. , McGwin Gerald , Robin Nathaniel H.
Published: December 2019

Studies published over 15 years ago surveyed genetic counselors (GC) and medical geneticists (MG) to examine their clinical experiences with the conflict of “duty to warn” versus patient confidentiality. Federal and state laws pertaining to medical professionals' duty to warn have since been implemented following the publications of these studies. Using a merged version of surveys employed in the prior studies, this study seeks to understand clinicians' current decision‐making process when faced with patient refusal to inform at‐risk relatives, as well as their familiarity with and opinions of laws and guidelines covering this issue. Consistent with the previous studies, the majority of MG and almost half of GC experience patient refusal. Significantly, fewer MG and GC believe they had a duty to warn their patients' relatives of genetic risk. Only 8% of participants believe current guidelines effectively address the issue of duty to warn. Participant awareness of federal or state laws regulating the disclosure of genetic information remains low. The conflict of duty to warn remains a shared experience among genetics professionals, and resources are needed to facilitate informed decision‐making. Participants' opinions of current policies and clinical decisions may guide professional actions regarding duty to warn.
Hydroxide Is Not a Promoter of C2+ Product Formation in the Electrochemical Reduction of CO on Copper
Authors: Li Jing , Wu Donghuan , Malkani Arnav S. , Chang Xiaoxia , Cheng Mu‐Jeng , Xu Bingjun , Lu Qi
Published: December 2019

Highly alkaline electrolytes have been shown to improve the formation rate of C2+ products in the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) on copper surfaces, with the assumption that higher OH− concentrations promote the C−C coupling chemistry. Herein, by systematically varying the concentration of Na+ and OH− at the same absolute electrode potential, we demonstrate that higher concentrations of cations (Na+), rather than OH−, exert the main promotional effect on the production of C2+ products. The impact of the nature and the concentration of cations on the electrochemical reduction of CO is supported by experiments in which a fraction or all of Na+ is chelated by a crown ether. Chelation of Na+ leads to drastic decrease in the formation rate of C2+ products. The promotional effect of OH− determined at the same potential on the reversible hydrogen electrode scale is likely caused by larger overpotentials at higher electrolyte pH.
Aminoazanium of DABCO: An Amination Reagent for Alkyl and Aryl Pinacol Boronates
Authors: Liu Xingxing , Zhu Qing , Chen Du , Wang Lu , Jin Liqun , Liu Chao
Published: December 2019

The aminoazanium of DABCO (H2N‐DABCO) has been developed as a general and practical amination reagent for the direct amination of alkyl and aryl pinacol boronates. This compound is stable and practical for use as a reagent. Various primary, secondary. and tertiary alkyl−Bpin and aryl−Bpin substrates were aminated to give the corresponding amine derivatives. The amination is stereospecific. The anti‐Markovnikov hydroamination of olefins was easily achieved by catalytic hydroboration with HBpin and in subsequent situ amination using H2N‐DABCO. Moreover, the combination of 1,2‐diboration of olefins, using B2pin2, with this amination process achieved the unprecedented 1,2‐diamination of olefins. The amination protocol was also successfully extended to aryl pinacol boronates.
Supracolloidal Self‐Assembly of Divalent Janus 3D DNA Origami via Programmable Multivalent Host/Guest Interactions
Authors: Loescher Sebastian , Walther Andreas
Published: December 2019

We introduce divalent 3D DNA origami cuboids as truly monodisperse colloids and harness their ability for precision functionalization with defined patches and defined numbers of supramolecular binding motifs. We demonstrate that even adamantane/β‐cyclodextrin host/guest inclusion complexes of moderate association strength can induce efficient supracolloidal fibrillization at high dilution of the 3D DNA Origami as a result of cooperative multivalency. We show details on the assembly of Janus and non‐Janus 3D DNA origami into supracolloidal homo‐ and heterofibrils with respect to multivalency effects, electrostatic screening, and stoichiometry. We believe that the merger of 3D DNA origami with colloidal self‐assembly and supramolecular motifs provides new synergies at the interface of these disciplines to better understand multivalency effects, to promote structural complexity, and add non‐DNA assembling and switching mechanisms to DNA nanoscience.
Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed Enantio‐ and Diastereoselective C−H Cyclopropylation of N‐Phenoxylsulfonamides: Combined Experimental and Computational Studies
Authors: Zheng Guangfan , Zhou Zhi , Zhu Guoxun , Zhai Shuailei , Xu Huiying , Duan Xujing , Yi Wei , Li Xingwei
Published: December 2019

Cyclopropane rings are a prominent structural motif in biologically active molecules. Enantio‐ and diastereoselective construction of cyclopropanes through C−H activation of arenes and coupling with readily available cyclopropenes is highly appealing but remains a challenge. A dual directing‐group‐assisted C−H activation strategy was used to realize mild and redox‐neutral RhIII‐catalyzed C−H activation and cyclopropylation of N‐phenoxylsulfonamides in a highly enantioselective, diastereoselective, and regioselective fashion with cyclopropenyl secondary alcohols as a cyclopropylating reagent. Synthetic applications are demonstrated to highlight the potential of the developed method. Integrated experimental and computational mechanistic studies revealed that the reaction proceeds via a RhV nitrenoid intermediate, and Noyori‐type outer sphere concerted proton‐hydride transfer from the secondary alcohol to the Rh=N bond produces the observed trans selectivity.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Mineral Respiration: How Iron Hemes Synchronize Electron Transfer Rates
Authors: Chabert Valentin , Babel Lucille , Füeg Michael P. , Karamash Maksym , Madivoli Edwin S. , Herault Nelly , Dantas Joana M. , Salgueiro Carlos A. , Giese Bernd , Fromm Katharina M.
Published: December 2019

Anaerobic microorganisms of the Geobacter genus are effective electron sources for the synthesis of nanoparticles, for bioremediation of polluted water, and for the production of electricity in fuel cells. In multistep reactions, electrons are transferred via iron/heme cofactors of c‐type cytochromes from the inner cell membrane to extracellular metal ions, which are bound to outer membrane cytochromes. We measured electron production and electron flux rates to 5×105 e s−1 per G. sulfurreducens. Remarkably, these rates are independent of the oxidants, and follow zero order kinetics. It turned out that the microorganisms regulate electron flux rates by increasing their Fe2+/Fe3+ ratios in the multiheme cytochromes whenever the activity of the extracellular metal oxidants is diminished. By this mechanism the respiration remains constant even when oxidizing conditions are changing. This homeostasis is a vital condition for living systems, and makes G. sulfurreducens a versatile electron source.
Real‐Time Atomic‐Scale Visualization of Reversible Copper Surface Activation during the CO Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Luo Langli , Nian Yao , Wang Shuangbao , Dong Zejian , He Yang , Han You , Wang Chongmin
Published: December 2019

By using in situ aberration‐corrected environmental transmission electron microscopy, for the first time at atomic level, the dynamic evolution of the Cu surface is captured during CO oxidation. Under reaction conditions, the Cu surface is activated, typically involving 2–3 atomic layers with the formation of a reversible metastable phase that only exists during catalytic reactions. The distinctive role of CO and O2 in the surface activation is revealed, which features CO exposure to lead to surface roughening and consequently formation of low‐coordinated Cu atoms, while O2 exposure induces a quasi‐crystalline CuOx phase. Supported by DFT calculations, it is shown that crystalline CuOx reversibly transforms into the amorphous phase, acting as an active species to facilitate the interaction of gas reactants and catalyzing CO oxidation.
Preparation of Docosahexaenoic Acid‐Rich Diacylglycerol‐Rich Oil by Lipase‐Catalyzed Glycerolysis of Microbial Oil from Schizochytrium sp. in a Solvent‐Free System
Authors: Zou Xiaoqiang , Nadege Kakeza , Ninette Irabogora , Wen Ye , Wu Shibin , Jiang Xuan , Zhang Hui , Jin Qingzhe , Wang Xingguo
Published: December 2019

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)‐rich diacylglycerol (DAG)‐rich oil was prepared by lipase‐catalyzed glycerolysis of microbial oil from Schizochytrium sp. in a solvent‐free system. The reaction parameters including lipase type, substrate molar ratio, temperature, lipase concentration, and reaction time were screened. The selected conditions were determined as follows: Novozym® 435 (Novozymes A/S, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) as biocatalyst at 8 wt%, substrate ratio (DHA‐rich microbial TAG/glycerol) of 1:1 mol/mol, temperature of 50 °C, and reaction time of 12 hours. Under these conditions, the triacylglycerol (TAG), DAG, and monoacylglycerol (MAG) contents in the product were 36.4%, 48.2%, and 15.4%, respectively. The lipase was reused successively for 18 cycles without significant loss of activity under the conditions given above. Fatty acid composition analysis of the final product showed that the contents of DHA in TAG, DAG, and MAG were 53.9%, 44.9%, and 34.8%, respectively. DHA‐rich DAG has the potential to be used as an ingredient in infant formula to increase the bioavailability of DHA.
Fisheries and conservation assessment of sharks in Pacific Panama
Authors: Guzman Hector M. , Cipriani Roberto , Vega Angel J. , Morales‐Saldaña Jorge Manuel
Published: December 2019

In Panama, shark fisheries were initially developed in the 1980s and progressively increased in production in the 1990s mainly due to the high demand for shark fins and meat from the international Asian market. Since then, and despite the exploitation rate (average 3,514 t year–1) and endangered status of some species, shark fisheries have seldom been studied, and official statistics are general or incomplete and not suitable for the development of appropriate conservation and management strategies.

To understand the dynamics of shark fisheries in Panama, field surveys were conducted between 2007 and 2009 at several landing ports of small‐scale and industrial fisheries, at fish processing plants and on‐board fishing vessels in Pacific Panama, where most of the fishing vessels of the country operate.

In general, it was found that the artisanal and industrial fisheries of the Pacific coast of Panama regularly exploit at least 18 species of sharks, which are also being exploited by neighbouring countries in the eastern Pacific, suggesting the importance of coordinated conservation initiatives across the multiple jurisdictions. A large number of the individuals caught were immature, implying a certain level of impact on recruitment rates. This pattern was particularly evident in species such as Sphyrna lewini, for which immature individuals represented at least 99% and 63% of the total catch by small‐scale and industrial fisheries, respectively. Catch per unit of effort analyses showed that Carcharhinus and Sphyrna species were the most exploited (representing ~80% of the catches) by industrial fisheries in Panama between 2006 and 2009, suggesting that fishery management should provide special attention to these groups.

It is expected that the information presented here provides a baseline to develop new regulations, including the implementation of annual quotas and fishing seasons and the protection of nursery areas, for the long‐term sustainability and conservation of sharks in Panama.
High‐efficiency protein delivery into transfection‐recalcitrant cell types
Authors: Li Zhenpeng , Cai Zeqiong , Fu Weixin , Liu Ying , Tian Chenglei , Wang He , Fu Tongtong , Wu Zhenzhou , Wu Donghai , Jin Yongxin , Cheng Zhihui , Terada Naohiro , Liu Lin , Wu Weihui , Jin Shouguang , Bai Fang
Published: December 2019

Intracellular delivery of functional proteins is of great interest for basic biological research as well as for clinical applications. Transfection is the most commonly used method, however, it is not applicable to large‐scale manipulation and inefficient in important cell types implicated in biomedical applications, such as epithelial, immune and pluripotent stem cells. In this study, we explored a bacterial type III secretion system (Bac‐T3SS)‐mediated proteofection method to overcome these limitations. An attenuated Pseudomonas aeruginosa vector was constructed, which has features of low toxicity, high T3SS activity, and self‐limiting growth. Compared to the method of transfection, the Bac‐T3SS showed significantly higher efficiencies of Cre recombinase translocation and target site recombination for hard‐to‐transfect human cell lines. Furthermore, through the delivery of β‐lactamase in live animals, we demonstrated the feasibility and biosafety of in vivo application of the Bac‐T3SS. This study provided an efficient and low‐cost proteofection strategy for laboratory use as well as for application in large‐scale cell manipulations.
Colletoindole A from the Mangrove Plant Endophytic Fungus Colletotrichum tropicale SCSIO 41022
Authors: Lin Xiuping , Ai Wen , Li Meng , Pang Xiaoyan , Ju Zhiran , Guan Da , Yang Bin , Zhou Xuefeng , Wang Junfeng , Liu Juan , Wang Lishu , Liu Yonghong
Published: December 2019

A new indole derivative colletoindole A (1), along with two new indole derivatives (2 and 3) and one known compound acropyrone (4) were isolated from cultures of Colletotrichum tropicale SCSIO 41022 derived from a mangrove plant Kandelia candel. The structures of 1–4 were determined by analysis of NMR and MS data. The cytotoxicity of 1, 2 and 4, and the COX‐2 inhibitory activity of 1 and 2 were evaluated.
Development and characterization of a continuous cell line (EL) from the liver of European eel Anguilla anguilla
Authors: Zheng Zaiyu , Yang Jinxian , Ge Junqing , Chi Hongshu , Chen Bin , Fang Qinmei , Gong Hui
Published: December 2019

In the present study, a new hepatic tissue‐origin cell line from European eel Anguilla anguilla has been developed and characterized. This cell line designated EL has been maintained in Leibovitz L‐15 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum over 72 months, and subcultured more than 90 times. The EL cell line consisted predominantly of fibroblast‐like cells, which could survive over 100 days in vitro, and could grow at 15–32°C. The optimum temperature for growth was 27°C. The chromosome analysis revealed a modal diploid karyotype of 2n = 38. The origin of this cell line was confirmed by the 18S recombinant (r)RNA sequencing. The susceptibility test indicated significant cytopathic effects in the EL cells with regard to the Rana grylio virus and the Herpesvirus anguillae. The viral replication was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and polymerase chain reaction analysis. Following poly (I:C) exposure, the expression levels of the immune‐related molecules interferon regulatory factor‐7 (irf7) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) were downregulated in EL cells, whereas the expression levels of the rf3 and the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) were upregulated. All four genes were significantly upregulated following inflammation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These data suggested the application of EL cell line for viral identification, as well as for immunodiagnosis and pharmacological targeting.
Transcriptional modulation of calcium‐permeable AMPA receptor subunits in glioblastoma by MEK–ERK1/2 inhibitors and their role in invasion
Authors: Ramaswamy Palaniswamy , Dalavaikodihalli Nanjaiah Nandakumar , Prasad Chandrajit , Goswami Kalyan
Published: December 2019

Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor. Glioblastoma cells secrete a significant amount of glutamate, which serve as a potential growth factor in glioma pathobiology through their specific receptor subtypes including α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR). Glioblastoma express AMPAR subunits; however, its regulation and activation with downstream intracellular signaling are not well‐understood. Phosphorylated‐extracellular signaling‐regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 is known to regulate the ionotropic glutamate receptors in cortical neurons. The mitogen‐activated protein kinase cascade is frequently activated in several tumors, including glioma. Nonetheless, the association of ERK signaling with AMPAR subunits in glioblastoma is undetermined. Here, we demonstrated potential role of AMPAR in invasion, and the modulation of AMPAR subunits at transcript level by ERK signaling in glioblastoma cells. Inhibition of ERK signaling specifically downregulated the expression of calcium‐permeable AMPAR subunits, GluA1 and GluA4, and upregulated calcium‐impermeable AMPAR subunit GluA2 implying differential regulation of the expression of calcium‐permeable AMPAR subunits of glioblastoma. Concomitantly, it significantly decreased the invasion of U87MG cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that the AMPAR enhances invasion of glioblastoma, and ERK signaling modulates the differential expression of calcium‐permeable AMPAR phenotype that might play a crucial role in the invasive propensity of glioblastoma cells.
Electrochemistry for Life Detection on Ocean Worlds
Authors: Thomson Seamus D. , Quinn Richard C. , Ricco Antonio J. , Koehne Jessica E.
Published: December 2019

All forms of terrestrial life include cellular machinery to transform and regulate chemical energy flow through electron‐transfer pathways reliant upon key classes of biological redox molecules; life that evolved elsewhere, presumably, would possess a similar possibly overlapping set of energy‐management molecules. A second set of universal processes in terrestrial biology encompasses enzymatic change to add or remove functional groups, such as phosphate moieties, to biomolecules for a variety of purposes, from managing energy flow to tuning protein function; electrochemical assays can detect such enzymes. Thus, measurement of biological redox activity is a promising means to search for two major classes of life indicators as a component of future exploration missions to the “ocean worlds” of our solar system, those bodies that support substantial liquid oceans. Here, we assay a representative set of life‐critical redox molecules in synthetic seawater (SW) using electrochemical techniques. We also appropriate a well‐developed electrochemical assay that indicates the presence of phosphatase(s) by comparing the redox signatures of a substrate for, and the product of, the enzymatic process. We report measured limits of detection in SW as low as 10 nM for naturally occurring redox molecules and 3.1 aM for alkaline phosphatase over a 60‐minute period, demonstrating the promise and sensitivity of electrochemical sensors as effective life‐detection tools for future ocean worlds missions.
An Activatable Photosensitizer Targeting Human NAD(P)H: Quinone Oxidoreductase 1
Authors: Digby Elyse M. , Sadovski Oleg , Beharry Andrew A.
Published: December 2019

Human NAD(P)H: Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (hNQO1) is an attractive enzyme for cancer therapeutics due to its significant overexpression in tumors compared to healthy tissues. Its unique catalytic mechanism involving the two‐electron reduction of quinone‐based compounds has made it a useful target to exploit in the design of hNQO1 fluorescent chemosensors and hNQO1‐activatable‐prodrugs. In this work, hNQO1 is exploited for an optical therapeutic. The probe uses the photosensitizer, phenalenone, which is initially quenched via photo‐induced electron transfer by the attached quinone. Native phenalenone is liberated in the presence of hNQO1 resulting in the production of cytotoxic singlet oxygen upon irradiation. hNQO1‐mediated activation in A549 lung cancer cells containing high levels of hNQO1 induces a dose‐dependent photo‐cytotoxic response after irradiation. In contrast, no photo‐cytotoxicity was observed in the normal lung cell line, MRC9. By targeting hNQO1, this scaffold can be used to enhance the cancer selectivity of photodynamic therapy.
A RuII Polypyridyl Alkyne Complex Based Metal–Organic Frameworks for Combined Photodynamic/Photothermal/Chemotherapy
Authors: Hu Xiaochun , Lu Yonglin , Dong Chunyan , Zhao Wenrong , Wu Xuewen , Zhou Lulu , Chen Lv , Yao Tianming , Shi Shuo
Published: December 2019

Despite drug delivery nanoplatforms receiving extensive attention, development of a simple, effective, and multifunctional theranostics nanoplatform still remains a challenge. Herein, a versatile nanoplatform based on a zirconium framework (UiO‐66‐N3) was synthesized, which demonstrated a combined photodynamic therapy (PDT), photothermal therapy (PTT), and chemotherapy (CT) for cancer treatment. A RuII polypyridyl alkyne complex (Ra) as a photosensitizer was modified into a nanoplatform by click reactions for the first time. When exposed to suitable light irradiation, the as‐prepared multifunctional nanoplatform (UiO‐Ra‐DOX‐CuS) not only demonstrated efficient 1O2 generation, but also exhibited excellent photothermal conversion ability. In particular, the nanotherapeutic agent presented a dual‐stimuli response; either acidic environment or NIR laser irradiation would trigger the drug release. The synergetic efficacy of UiO‐Ra‐DOX‐CuS combined PDT, PTT, and CT, which was evaluated by cell experiments. Moreover, the design could promote the development of RuII polypyridyl alkyne complexes based multifunctional nanoparticles and multimodal cancer treatment.