bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous Direction-Changing or Reversing Positional Nystagmus without Changing Head Position during Head-Roll/Head-Hanging Maneuvers: Biphasic Positional Nystagmus
Authors: Yetiser Sertac
Published: December 2020

Background and Objectives: Conflicting mechanisms have been reported about spontaneous reversal of positional nystagmus during head-roll maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). The objective of this study is to review the reports about the characteristics and possible mechanisms of reversing positional nystagmus and to present seven new cases.Subjects and Methods: Seven cases (5 males, 2 females; 4 left-sided, 3 right-sided) were recruited among 732 patients with BPPV seen outpatient clinic between 2009 and 2019. Diagnosis of lateral canal canalolithiasis was confirmed when transient geotropic nystagmus was documented during head-roll test. Reversing positional nystagmus was analyzed in each case and clinical characteristics of the patients were documented.Results: The age of patients was ranging between 30 to 64 years (46.44±10.91). Duration of symptoms was short (21.34±19.74). Six of them had a story of head trauma. Initial latency was short. First, intense geotropic nystagmus was observed following provocative head-roll position on the affected side. There was short “silent phase”. Then, a longer second-phase of reversed nystagmus was noted. Total duration of nystagmus was 78.40±6.82 seconds. Maximal slow phase velocity was 24.05±6.34 deg/sec. All patients were cured with barbeque maneuver.Conclusions: Ipsilateral reversing positional nystagmus during head-roll maneuver is due to lateral canal canalolithiasis. Mechanism is likely to be due to endolymphatic double flow. Bilateral cases may be due to simultaneous co-existence of canalolithiasis and cupulolithiasis. Longer recording of nystagmus is recommended not to miss the cases with spontaneous direction-changing positional nystagmus.
Anankastic Conditionals
Authors: Sæbø Kjell Johan
Published: December 2020

This chapter sets out the peculiarities of the type of complex sentence that has become known as anankastic conditionals ( = ‘necessity’) and the ways in which these conditionals have been analyzed in the literature. On the surface, they seem to express that wanting one thing is a sufficient condition for another thing being necessary, but at a deeper level they are felt to convey that the second thing is a necessary condition for the first – and it has proven difficult to reconcile these two points of view. Numerous attempts at a compositional analysis have been offered, augmenting the standard Kratzerian theory of modals and conditionals; yet no consensus has been reached on how anankastic conditionals should best be treated.
Bio‐Derived Materials Achieving High Performance in Alkali Metal–Chalcogen Batteries
Authors: Kim Soochan , Yang Jiayi , Liu Dezhong , Huang Yunhui , Lee Youngkwan
Published: December 2020

Alkali metal–chalcogen batteries (ACBs) have attracted significant attention as next‐generation energy storages because of high energy density and reasonable cost as compared to the up‐to‐date lithium‐ion batteries. Nevertheless, their practical applications are harshly inhibited by some drawbacks, such as shuttle effects resulting from dissolved polysulfides and polyselenides, chalcogen volume expansion, and dendrite growth on metal anodes. Functional components, such as chalcogen host, binder, and interlayer, using various polar materials have been introduced to address these issues. Among them, bio‐derived materials are regarded as novel eco‐friendly alternatives. In this report, the authors focus on the unique physical/chemical/environmental properties of bio‐derived materials used in ACBs, including active host materials, polymer binders, separators, and additives. The authors hope that the present report can provide some new insights and directions for future research on high‐performance ACBs.
Photoelectrochemical TiO2‐Au‐Nanowire‐Based Motor for Precise Modulation of Single‐Neuron Activities
Authors: Chen Bin , Liu Lu , Liu Kun , Tong Fei , Wang Shuanghu , Fu Dongmei , Gao Junbin , Jiang Jiamiao , Ou Juanfeng , Ye Yicheng , Wilson Daniela A. , Tu Yingfeng , Peng Fei
Published: December 2020

Micro/nanomotors are revolutionary miniaturized robotic systems capable of converting diverse energy sources, including light, ultrasound, and thermal heat, into mechanical motion. This fascinating research area is emerging and developing at a rapid pace, demonstrating potential in multiple fields. While their locomotion and momentum capabilities have been explored in medical treatments, including microsurgery and diagnosis, the aspect of converting their intrinsic energies into usable forms remains unexplored. Here, we proposed a novel motor based on composite TiO2‐Au nanowires (NWs), powered by a local electric field generated from ultra‐low ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, to serve as an interactive bioelectric interface with a neural cell. Under a light field, the NW motor achieved highly controllable motion in biological environments and reached the targeted neuronal retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with notable precision. Next, the locally generated electric field was utilized as an electrical stimulus to activate the targeted cell through the calcium ion channel. This is the first study to report on the photoelectric conversion capabilities of a motor being used to provide propulsion force and interactive cues in a biosystem. This motor‐based strategy represents a new approach for the precise and non‐invasive delivery of bioelectrical signals and neuronal activity modulation.
Effective Eradication of Tumors by Enhancing Photoacoustic‐Imaging‐Guided Combined Photothermal Therapy and Ultrasonic Therapy
Authors: Xu Caina , Wang Yanbing , Wang Erlei , Yan Nan , Sheng Shu , Chen Jie , Lin Lin , Guo Zhaopie , Tian Huayu , Chen Xuesi
Published: December 2020

Exploiting a comprehensive strategy that processes diagnosis and therapeutic functions is desired for eradicating tumors. In this study, two versatile nanoparticles are introduced: one is polyethylene glycol‐ and polyethyleneimine‐modified gold nanorods (mPEG–PEI–AuNRs), and the other is formed by electrostatic interactions between mPEG–PEI and calcium carbonate nanoparticles (mPEG–PEI/CaNPs). These two nanoparticles possess following favorable properties: 1) mPEG–PEI–AuNRs and mPEG–PEI/CaNPs show not only high cell uptake in acidic tumoral pH, but also efficient accumulation in tumors with prolonged circulation. 2) mPEG–PEI/CaNPs can generate carbon dioxide (CO2) bubbles in acidic tumoral environment and the photoacoustic (PA) signals from mPEG–PEI–AuNRs can be enhanced with the generation of CO2 bubbles. 3) The tumors can be eradicated by combining photothermal therapy (PTT) with ultrasonic therapy (UST) under the near‐infrared (NIR) laser and ultrasonic irradiation with the presence of mPEG–PEI–AuNRs and CO2 bubbles from mPEG–PEI/CaNPs. The detailed evaluation of cellular uptake, photothermal property of mPEG–PEI–AuNRs, CO2 bubbles’ generation from mPEG–PEI/CaNPs, imaging, and combined PTT and UST are carried out in vitro or in vivo. This work has great potential usage for diagnosis and treatment in the future.
Thermodynamics and Dynamics of Supercritical Water Pseudo‐Boiling
Authors: Maxim Florentina , Karalis Konstantinos , Boillat Pierre , Banuti Daniel T. , Marquez Damian Jose Ignacio , Niceno Bojan , Ludwig Christian
Published: December 2020

Supercritical fluid pseudo‐boiling (PB), recently brought to the attention of the scientific community, is the phenomenon occurring when fluid changes its structure from liquid‐like (LL) to gas‐like (GL) states across the Widom line. This work provides the first quantitative analysis on the thermodynamics and the dynamics of water's PB, since the understanding of this phase transition is mandatory for the successful implementation of technologies using supercritical water (scH2O) for environmental, energy, and nanomaterial applications. The study combines computational techniques with in situ neutron imaging measurements. The results demonstrate that, during isobaric heating close to the critical point, while water density drops by a factor of three in the PB transitional region, the system needs >16 times less energy to increase its temperature by 1 K than to change its structure from LL to GL phase. Above the PB‐Widom line, the structure of LL water consists mainly of tetramers and trimers, while below the line mostly dimers and monomers form in the GL phase. At atomic level, the PB dynamics are similar to those of the subcritical water vaporization. This fundamental knowledge has great impact on water science, as it helps to establish the structure–properties relationship of scH2O.
Magnetosensitivity in the Stingless Bee Tetragonisca angustula: Magnetic Inclination Can Alter the Choice of the Flying Departure Angle From the Nest
Authors: Vale Juliana O. , Acosta‐Avalos Daniel
Published: December 2020

It is known that animals are sensitive to the geomagnetic field. In the case of insects, magnetoreception has been reported in several ant species and in some bees and wasps. One study showed that the stingless bee Tetragonisca angustula is able to sense the modification of the magnetic field inclination. The aim of the present manuscript is to continue that study in T. angustula, analyzing the nest arrival and departure angles in the presence of magnetic fields generated by magnets. The bees flying to and from the nest were recorded and the flying trajectories were obtained by analyzing the video frame by frame. The magnetic field was generated by 6, 9, or 12 magnets contained inside an Eppendorf tube and fixed near the nest. Our results show that T. angustula bees are sensitive to magnetic fields because the departure angles are influenced by the magnets. It was observed that these bees are sensitive to the polarization of the magnetic field vector that influences the choice of flying up or down, and this sensitivity has a window until about 80 μT (about four times the local geomagnetic field), with the magnetic field information for higher magnetic field intensities being ignored by the bees. Bioelectromagnetics. 2021;42:51–59. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society
Introductory biology undergraduate students' mixed ideas about genetic information flow
Authors: Uhl Juli D. , Sripathi Kamali N. , Saldanha Jenifer N. , Moscarella Rosa A. , Merrill John , Urban‐Lurain Mark , Haudek Kevin C.
Published: December 2020

The core concept of genetic information flow was identified in recent calls to improve undergraduate biology education. Previous work shows that students have difficulty differentiating between the three processes of the Central Dogma (CD; replication, transcription, and translation). We built upon this work by developing and applying an analytic coding rubric to 1050 student written responses to a three‐question item about the CD. Each response was previously coded only for correctness using a holistic rubric. Our rubric captures subtleties of student conceptual understanding of each process that previous work has not yet captured at a large scale. Regardless of holistic correctness scores, student responses included five or six distinct ideas. By analyzing common co‐occurring rubric categories in student responses, we found a common pair representing two normative ideas about the molecules produced by each CD process. By applying analytic coding to student responses preinstruction and postinstruction, we found student thinking about the processes involved was most prone to change. The combined strengths of analytic and holistic rubrics allow us to reveal mixed ideas about the CD processes and provide a detailed picture of which conceptual ideas students draw upon when explaining each CD process.
Front‐end corn germ separation: Process variations and effects on downstream products recovery and quality
Authors: Mohammadi Shad Zeinab , Venkitasamy Chandrasekar , Lamsal Buddhi
Published: December 2020

Background

The popularity of grain‐based ethanol production, especially via dry‐grind bioethanol from corn and subsequent accumulation of low‐value coproducts, especially dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS), has emphasized the need to add value to the process by recovering different corn components for potential food, feed, and industrial applications prior to ethanol fermentation.

Findings

Modification in corn processing, including the fractionation process, has manifested in variation in product yield such as ethanol. However, the value‐added products thus obtained boost their quality, potentially increasing the profitability of dry‐grind corn ethanol process. Corn oil, being the most valuable corn component, presents itself as an attractive candidate for front‐end and tail‐end separation of germs. Although the corn oil does not take part in starch fermentation into ethanol, the implication of the front‐end degermination in dry‐grind corn process on downstream product recovery is an essential consideration in bioethanol yield. Process improvement has taken a further step to increase the ethanol yield and rate by processing alpha‐amylase corn, providing critical nutrients and superior yeast.

Conclusions

Corn ethanol production, quality of coproducts, germ separation, and oil recovery have been enhanced with component recovery either before or after fermentation. However, the economic aspects of the corn bioprocessing advancements need to be further evaluated for commercial implications.

Significance and novelty

This review summarizes the current knowledge about the significant corn processing methods. It critically reviews germ fractionation, its role in the processing parameters, and the potential for increased value‐added products such as corn oil.
Protecting‐Group‐Free Total Synthesis and Biological Investigation of Cabucine Oxindole A†
Authors: Xie Shengling , Ning Chengqing , Yu Qingzhen , Hou Jieping , Xu Jing
Published: December 2020

Main observation and conclusion

Owing to their challenging structures and promising biological profiles, spirooxindole alkaloids have long attracted much attention from the synthetic community. Herein, we wish to describe a concise, protecting‐group‐free total synthesis of cabucine oxindole A, a putative natural spirooxindole alkaloid and a possible biosynthetic congener of cabucine and palmirine. Key transformations of our approach include a one‐step, organocatalytic and enantioselective construction of the spiro[pyrrolidine‐3,3’‐oxindole] moiety and a Korte rearrangement to furnish the final dihydropyran motif. Biological investigation of 1 and its synthetic intermediates revealed lactone 2 as a mild MOLT‐4 and MCF7 cell line inhibitor.
Tracking snowmelt to jump the green wave: phenological drivers of migration in a northern ungulate
Authors: Laforge Michel P. , Bonar Maegwin , Vander Wal Eric
Published: December 2020

In northern climates, spring is a time of rapid environmental change: for migrating terrestrial animals, melting snow facilitates foraging and travel, and newly emergent vegetation provides a valuable nutritional resource. These changes result in selection on the timing of important life‐history events such as migration and parturition occurring when high‐quality resources are most abundant. We examined the timing of female caribou (Rangifer tarandus, n = 94) migration and parturition in five herds across 7 yr in Newfoundland, Canada, as a function of two measures of environmental change—snowmelt and vegetation green‐up. We generated resource selection functions to test whether caribou selected for areas associated with snowmelt and green‐up during migration and following calving. We found that caribou migrated approximately 1 wk prior to snowmelt, with the flush of emergent vegetation occurring during the weeks following parturition. The results indicate that caribou “jump” the green wave of emergent forage and do so by tracking the receding edge of melting snow, likely reducing movement and foraging costs related to snow cover. Our research further broadens the ecological scope of resource tracking in animals. We demonstrate that resource tracking extends beyond resources directly related to foraging to those related to movement. We also show that snowmelt provides an environmental cue that may provide a buffer against changing environmental conditions.
Biaryl Group 4 Metal Complexes as Non‐Metallocene Catalysts for Polyethylene with Long Chain Branching
Authors: Gragert Maria M. , Tomov Atanas K. , Bettonville Serge , Pannier Gaëlle , White Andrew J. P. , Britovsek George J. P.
Published: December 2020

A series of biaryl Group 4 complexes with a bidentate and a tridentate pincer ligand have been synthesized and characterized. The complexes have been applied as metallocene analogues for the controlled polymerization of ethylene and the copolymerization of ethylene and 1‐hexene, with a particular focus on the control of the degree of long chain branching in these polymers.
Microreactor Coated with Mesoporous Organosilica Thin Film as a Support for Metal Complex Catalysts
Authors: Kataoka Sho , Inagaki Shinji
Published: December 2020

In this study, periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) thin films containing 2,2'‐bipyridine ligands (BPy‐PMO) were formed on the inner wall of a microreactor by evaporation‐induced self‐assembly approach. The obtained BPy‐PMO thin films had open mesopores ranging from 8 to 12 nm on the outermost surfaces with the thickness of approximately 50 nm. Since BPy‐PMO has a strong chelating ability to metals, the microreactor coated with BPy‐PMO film can be used as a unique support for continuous flow reactions using various metal complex catalysts. Dichlorodioxomolybdenum(VI) (MoO2Cl2) complex was immobilized in the BPy‐PMO layer; the epoxidation of cis‐cyclooctene with tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) was evaluated in a continuous flow manner. The immobilized catalysts showed the turnover frequency higher than 3000 h–1 and the turnover number higher than 66000 at 80 °C with maintaining their catalytic activity over 26‐h experiments. These numbers are considerably high compared to Mo catalysts immobilized via conventional methods.
A Facile Transition Metal‐Free Ionic Liquid [BMIM]OH Mediated Regio‐ and Stereoselective Hydrocarboxylation of Alkynylnitriles
Authors: Kumari Chandresh , Goswami Avijit
Published: December 2020

We report an efficient and straight forward access to nitrile substituted enol esters via ionic liquid [BMIM]OH mediated hydrocarboxylation of alkynylnitriles under mild conditions. This atom economical transition metal‐free protocol gives an easy access to a variety of such enol esters with excellent regio and Z‐stereoselectivity. Reusability of [BMIM]OH without losing of significant amount of yield is another noticeable feature of this article.
Exposure and Recovery of the Gulf Toadfish (Opsanus beta) to Weathered Deepwater Horizon Slick Oil: Impacts on Liver and Blood Endpoints
Authors: Alloy Matthew M. , Cartolano Maria C. , Sundaram Rumya , Plotnikova Anastasiya , McDonald M. Danielle
Published: December 2020

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants that can be responsible for a variety of deleterious effects on organisms. These adverse outcomes are relatively well studied, but at concentrations rarely found in the environment. Among the documented effects of sublethal acute PAH exposure are reductions in osmoregulatory capacity and immune function, and changes in the function of critical metabolic organs such as the liver. Gulf toadfish (Opsanus beta) were exposed to control seawater (0.006 µg tPAH50/L) or water accommodated fractions of Deepwater Horizon spill oil diluted to 3 flow-through exposure regimes (0.009, 0.059, and 2.82 µg tPAH50/L) for 7 d, with a recovery period of equal duration. We hypothesized that these chronic exposures would induce the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR)-mediated pathways and result in significant impacts on markers of osmoregulatory, immune, and metabolic function. We further hypothesized that measurable reversal of these impacts would be observed during the recovery period. Our results indicate that activation of cytochrome P 450 (CYP)1A1 was achieved during exposure and reversed during the recovery phase. The only significant deviations from controls measured were a reduction in plasma glucose in fish exposed to medium and high levels of PAH after 7 d of exposure and a reduction in plasma osmolality fish exposed to high levels of PAHs after 7 d of recovery, when CYP1A1 messenger (m)RNA levels had returned to control levels. Our study illustrates a disconnect between the activation of CYP1A1 in response to environmentally realistic PAHs concentrations and several physiological endpoints and supports the idea that the AhR might not be associated with mediating osmoregulatory, immune, and metabolic changes in Gulf toadfish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1075–1086. © 2020 SETAC
Forecasting value at risk and conditional value at risk using option market data
Authors: Molino Annalisa , Sala Carlo
Published: December 2020

We forecast monthly value at risk (VaR) and conditional value at risk (CVaR) using option market data and four different econometric techniques. Independent from the econometric approach used, all models produce quick to estimate forward‐looking risk measures that do not depend from the amount of historical data used and that, through the implied moments of options, better reflect the ever‐changing market scenario. All proposed option‐based approaches outperform or are equally good to different “traditional” forecasts that use historical returns as input. The extensive robustness of our results shows that the real driver of the better forecasts is the use of option market data as inputs for the analysis, more than the type of econometric approach implemented.
Production of [89Zr]Oxinate4 and cell radiolabeling for human use
Authors: Massicano Adriana V.F. , Bartels Jennifer L. , Jeffers Charlotte D. , Crenshaw Bryant K. , Houson Hailey , Mueller Christina , Younger Jarred W. , Knapp Paul , McConathy Jonathan E. , Lapi Suzanne E.
Published: December 2020

[89Zr]Oxinate4 is a Positron Emission Tomography (PET) tracer for cell radiolabeling that can enable imaging techniques to help better understand cell trafficking in various diseases. Although several groups have synthetized this compound for use in preclinical studies, there is no available data regarding the production of [89Zr]Oxinate4 for human use. In this report, we describe the detailed production of [89Zr]Oxinate4 under USP <823> and autologous leukocyte radiolabeling under USP <797>. The final product presented high radiochemical purity and stability at 24 h post synthesis (>99%) and passed in all quality control assays required for clinical use. [89Zr]Oxinate4 did not compromise the white blood cells viability and did not show considerable cellular efflux up to 3 h post labeling. The translation of this technique into human use can provide insight into several disease mechanisms since [89Zr]Oxinate4 has the potential to label any cell subset of interest.
Isolation and yield optimization of lipopeptides from Bacillus subtilis Z‐14 active against wheat take‐all caused by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici
Authors: Zhang Xuechao , Chen Xiaomeng , Qiao Xinlei , Fan Xuerui , Huo Xiaoyi , Zhang Dongdong
Published: December 2020

Wheat take‐all, caused by the soil‐borne fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, is one of the major constraints on wheat production worldwide. Bacillus subtilis Z‐14 exerts significant biocontrol activity against wheat take‐all, and lipopeptide antibiotics are the main antifungal substances. Herein, lipopeptide antibiotics C14–C15 iturin A, C14–C16 fengycin A, and C15–C17 fengycin B from B. subtilis Z‐14 culture filtrates were separated and identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry, respectively. The optimal medium components for Z‐14 lipopeptide antibiotic production were 3.85 g/L corn flour, 1.57 g/L soybean meal, 0.03 g/L FeSO4·7H2O, 0.2 g/L NaH2PO4·2H2O, and 0.4 g/L Na2HPO4·2H2O. Quantification analysis by high‐performance liquid chromatography showed that fengycins played a main role in antifungal activity against Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction showed that lipopeptide synthesis genes fenD and ituC reached maximum expression levels after 48 h of fermentation. The strongest control of wheat take‐all by Z‐14 was achieved by adding 30 mL of culture filtrate per 350 g of soil in pot experiments, during which disease reduction reached 88.15%. This study provides theoretical support and a material basis for the prevention and treatment of wheat take‐all disease.
The fate of rangelands: Revealing past and predicting future land‐cover transitions from 1985 to 2036 in the drylands of Central Iran
Authors: Mazloum Bibizahra , Pourmanafi Saeid , Soffianian Alireza , Salmanmahiny Abdolrassoul , Prishchepov Alexander V.
Published: December 2020

Land serves as a vital production resource, and therefore land planning plays an important role in sustainable land‐use design. Iran includes large areas of the world's drylands, many of which are used as rangelands, and where the population has increased by 60% from 1985 to 2016. Further population increase in Iran would probably require more land resources to be allocated for human needs. However, the pace and patterns of these changes remain unclear. The aim of this study was to map land‐cover change from 1985 to 2016 and predict future land‐cover change in the Zayandehrood ecologic sub‐basins of Central Iran. By using multiseasonal LANDSAT imagery, we mapped land‐cover change with a Random Forest classifier for 1985, 1998, and 2016 with an overall accuracy of 80% for each period. Classification results revealed that from 1985 to 2016 residential areas doubled and industrial areas increased at the expense of rangelands. Our study also revealed cropland expansion at the expense of rangelands, cropland abandonment, and contraction of croplands due to residential and industrial development. Prediction of changes by 2036 with a multilayer perceptron neural network and Markov chain analysis showed further expansion of industries and residencies, particularly near the Ghamashlu Wildlife Refuge. Despite the partial restoration of rangelands in some parts of the world, our study provides evidence of ongoing rangeland degradation in Iran due to conversion to other land uses. Therefore, the study underscores the importance of sustainable land management of already cultivated areas and the development of strategies for the protection of global rangelands.
Tinnitus and auditory cortex; Using adapted functional near‐infrared‐spectroscopy to expand brain imaging in humans
Authors: Zhai Tianqu , Ash‐Rafzadeh Angela , Hu Xiaosu , Kim Jessica , San Juan Juan D. , Filipiak Charles , Guo Kaiwen , Islam Mohammed N. , Kovelman Ioulia , Basura Gregory J.
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Phantom sound perception (tinnitus) may arise from altered brain activity within auditory cortex. Auditory cortex neurons in tinnitus animal models show increased spontaneous firing rates. This may be a core characteristic of tinnitus. Functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has shown similar findings in human auditory cortex. Current fNIRS approaches with cap recordings are limited to ∼3 cm depth of signal penetration due to the skull thickness. To address this limitation, we present an innovative fNIRS approach via probes adapted to the external auditory canal. The adapted probes were placed deeper and closer to temporal lobe of the brain to bypass confining skull bone and improve neural recordings.

Methods

Twenty adults with tinnitus and 20 nontinnitus controls listened to periods of silence and broadband noise (BBN) during standard cap and adapted ear canal fNIRS neuroimaging. The evaluators were not blinded, but the protocol and postprocessing for the two groups were identical.

Results

Standard fNIRS measurements in participants with tinnitus revealed increased auditory cortex activity during silence that was suppressed during auditory stimulation with BBN. Conversely, controls displayed increased activation with noise but not during silence. Importantly, adapted ear canal fNIRs probes showed similar hemodynamic responses seen with cap probes in both tinnitus and controls.

Conclusions

In this proof of concept study, we have successfully fabricated, adapted, and utilized a novel fNIRS technology that replicates established findings from traditional cap fNIRS probes. This exciting new innovation, validated by replicating previous and current cap findings in auditory cortex, may have applications to future studies to investigate brain changes not only in tinnitus but in other pathologic states that may involve the temporal lobe and surrounding brain regions.

Level of Evidence

NA.
Facile Fabrication of Multiresponsive Self‐Healing Hydrogels with Logic‐Gate Responses
Authors: Pei Xiaoyue , Fang Liping , Chen Weiping , Wen Xin , Bai Libin , Ba Xinwu
Published: December 2020

Smart hydrogels have received great attention for application in various fields. In this work, the monomers dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) and methacrylamidophenylboronic acid (MAPBA), and the crosslinker bis(methacrylamide) cysteine (BMAC) are first synthesized. The multiresponsive self‐healing hydrogels are subsequently prepared by photoinitiation polymerization of the DMA, the MAPBA, the BMAC, and the monomer dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) using one‐pot method. The dynamic covalent bonds are formed by the reaction of the catechol groups in DMA and phenylboronic acid groups in MAPBA, which contribute as the second crosslinking of the hydrogels besides the BMAC. The hydrogels show pH, temperature, glucose, and redox tetra‐responsiveness derived from the reversible dynamic covalent bonds (borate ester and disulfide bonds) and responsive polymer chain PDMAEMA. The hydrogels display gel–sol transition in the presence of HCl and dithiothreitol (DTT) together, which exhibits AND logic gate response. In addition, the hydrogels show excellent self‐healing ability due to the well‐known dynamic covalent bond of borate esters. This multifunctional and smart hydrogels have potential applications in the fields of sensors, actuators, controlled drug delivery etc.
Space‐Projected Conductivity and Spectral Properties of the Conduction Matrix
Authors: Subedi Kashi N. , Prasai Kiran , Drabold David A.
Published: December 2020

Herein, the Kubo–Greenwood formula is utilized to project the electronic conductivity into real space, and a Hermitian positive semidefinite matrix Γ is discussed, which is called the conduction matrix, that reduces the computation of spatial conduction activity to a diagonalization. It is shown that for low‐density amorphous carbon, connected sp2 rings and sp chains are conduction‐active sites in the network. In amorphous silicon, transport involves hopping through tail states mediated by the defects near the Fermi level. It is found that for liquid silicon, thermal fluctuations induce spatial and temporal conductivity fluctuations in the material. The frequency‐dependent absorption of light as a function of wavelength in an amorphous silicon suboxide (a‐SiO1.3) is also studied. It is shown that the absorption is strongly frequency dependent and selects out different oxygen vacancy subnetworks depending on the frequency. Γ is diagonalized to obtain conduction eigenvalues and eigenvectors, and it is shown that the density of states of the eigenvalues for FCC aluminum has an extended spectral tail that distinguishes metals from insulators and semiconductors. The method is easy to implement with any electronic structure code, providing suitable estimates for single‐particle electronic states and energies.
Hollow Carbon‐Based Nanoarchitectures Based on ZIF: Inward/Outward Contraction Mechanism and Beyond
Authors: Song Xiaokai , Jiang Yu , Cheng Fang , Earnshaw Jacob , Na Jongbeom , Li Xiaopeng , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: December 2020

Hollow carbon‐based nanoarchitectures (HCAs) derived from zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), by virtue of their controllable morphology and dimension, high specific surface area and nitrogen content, richness of metal/metal compounds active sites, and hierarchical pore structure and easy exposure of active sites, have attracted great interests in many fields of applications, especially in heterogeneous catalysis, and electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Despite various approaches that have been developed to prepare ZIF‐derived HCAs, the hollowing mechanism has not been clearly disclosed. Herein, a specialized overview of the recent progress of ZIF‐derived HCAs is introduced to provide an insight into their preparation strategy and the corresponding hollowing mechanisms. Based on the fundamental understanding of the structural evolution of ZIF nanocrystals during the high‐temperature pyrolysis process, the hollowing mechanisms of ZIF‐derived HCAs are classified into four categories: i) inward contraction of core–shell template@ZIF composites or hollow ZIFs, ii) outward contraction of ZIF@shell composites, iii) special outward contraction of ZIF arrays, and iv) mechanism beyond inward/outward contraction of pure ZIF nanocrystals. Finally, an outlook on the development prospects and challenges of HCAs based on ZIF precursors, especially in terms of controlled synthesis and future electrochemical application, is further discussed.
An Acoustic Platform for Single‐Cell, High‐Throughput Measurements of the Viscoelastic Properties of Cells
Authors: Romanov Valentin , Silvani Giulia , Zhu Huiyu , Cox Charles D. , Martinac Boris
Published: December 2020

Cellular processes including adhesion, migration, and differentiation are governed by the distinct mechanical properties of each cell. Importantly, the mechanical properties of individual cells can vary depending on local physical and biochemical cues in a time‐dependent manner resulting in significant inter‐cell heterogeneity. While several different methods have been developed to interrogate the mechanical properties of single cells, throughput to capture this heterogeneity remains an issue. Here, single‐cell, high‐throughput characterization of adherent cells is demonstrated using acoustic force spectroscopy (AFS). AFS works by simultaneously, acoustically driving tens to hundreds of silica beads attached to cells away from the cell surface, allowing the user to measure the stiffness of adherent cells under multiple experimental conditions. It is shown that cells undergo marked changes in viscoelasticity as a function of temperature, by altering the temperature within the AFS microfluidic circuit between 21 and 37 °C. In addition, quantitative differences in cells exposed to different pharmacological treatments specifically targeting the membrane–cytoskeleton interface are shown. Further, the high‐throughput format of the AFS is utilized to rapidly probe, in excess of 1000 cells, three different cell lines expressing different levels of a mechanosensitive protein, Piezo1, demonstrating the ability to differentiate between cells based on protein expression levels.
Evaluating the Alzheimer's disease data landscape
Authors: Birkenbihl Colin , Salimi Yasamin , Domingo‐Fernándéz Daniel , Lovestone Simon ,   AddNeuroMed consortium, Fröhlich Holger , Hofmann‐Apitius Martin ,   the Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative,   and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Numerous studies have collected Alzheimer's disease (AD) cohort data sets. To achieve reproducible, robust results in data‐driven approaches, an evaluation of the present data landscape is vital.

Methods

Previous efforts relied exclusively on metadata and literature. Here, we evaluate the data landscape by directly investigating nine patient‐level data sets generated in major clinical cohort studies.

Results

The investigated cohorts differ in key characteristics, such as demographics and distributions of AD biomarkers. Analyzing the ethnoracial diversity revealed a strong bias toward White/Caucasian individuals. We described and compared the measured data modalities. Finally, the available longitudinal data for important AD biomarkers was evaluated. All results are explorable through our web application ADataViewer (https://adata.scai.fraunhofer.de).

Discussion

Our evaluation exposed critical limitations in the AD data landscape that impede comparative approaches across multiple data sets. Comparison of our results to those gained by metadata‐based approaches highlights that thorough investigation of real patient‐level data is imperative to assess a data landscape.
Health and social correlates of dementia in oldest‐old Mexican‐origin populations
Authors: Mejia‐Arango Silvia , Aguila Emma , López‐Ortega Mariana , Gutiérrez‐Robledo Luis Miguel , Vega William A. , Andrade Flavia C. Drumond , Rote Sunshine M. , Grasso Stephanie M. , Markides Kyriakos S. , Angel Jacqueline L.
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Substantial gaps in research remain across oldest‐old ethnic populations while the burden of dementia increases exponentially with age among Mexican and Mexican American older adults.

Methods

Prevalence and correlates of dementia among individuals ≥82 years of age were examined using two population‐based cohort studies: The Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS, n = 1078, 2012) and the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (HEPESE, n = 735, 2012–2013). The analytic MHAS and HEPESE samples had an average age of 86.4 and 88.0 years, 1.2 and 1.8 women to men, and 2.7 and 5.1 average years of education, respectively.

Results

We identified 316 (29.2%) and 267 (36.3%) cases of likely dementia in the MHAS and HEPESE cohorts, respectively. For Mexicans but not Mexican Americans, age‐adjusted prevalence rates of likely dementia were higher in women than men. For both populations prevalence rates increased with age and decreased with education for Mexican Americans but not for Mexicans. In both populations, odds of likely dementia increased with age. Health insurance for the low‐income was significantly associated with higher odds of likely dementia for Mexican American men and women and Mexican women but not men. Living in extended households increased the odds of likely dementia in women, but not in men for both studies. Multiple cardiovascular conditions increased the odds of likely dementia for Mexicans but not for Mexican Americans.

Discussion

Our study provides evidence of the high burden of dementia among oldest‐old Mexicans and Mexican Americans and its association with health and social vulnerabilities.
China’s Road to Socialist Modernization
Authors: Hu Angang , Yan Yilong , Tang Xiao , Liu Shenglong
Published: December 2020

The challenge of the road is the primary problem relating to the success or failure of the undertakings of the Party, and it is the life of the Party.
People-Centered Comprehensive Modernization
Authors: Hu Angang , Yan Yilong , Tang Xiao , Liu Shenglong
Published: December 2020

The people-centered development philosophy is not an abstract, abstruse concept. We will not restrict ourselves to lip service or idle reflection but put it into practicein all areas of social and economic development.
2050 China: Strategic Goals and Two Stages
Authors: Hu Angang , Yan Yilong , Tang Xiao , Liu Shenglong
Published: December 2020

Socialism with Chinese characteristics has crossed the threshold into a new era. This is a historic juncture in China’s development. The report of the 19th Party Congress makes strategic plans on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and requests not only that China should finish building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, thus achieving the first centenary goal, but also that we build on this achievement to embark on a new journey towards the second centenary goal of fully building a modern socialist country.
Fixateure externe zur Behandlung der intrapartalen Symphysensprengung
Authors: Müller M. , Greve F. , Zyskowski M. , Wurm M. , Biberthaler P. , Kirchhoff C.
Published: December 2020

Die komplette intrapartale Symphysenruptur ist eine seltene, aber schwerwiegende Komplikation der natürlichen Geburt mit einer Inzidenz von 0,03–3 ‰. Kleine Partialrupturen mit geringen Dehiszenzen sind eine Domäne der konservativen Therapie mittels Beckenorthese. Bei größeren symphysären Dehiszenzen sollten eine operative Reposition und Fixierung erfolgen. Im Folgenden wird der Fall einer jungen zweitgebährenden Mutter mit kompletter Symphysensprengung und Dehiszenz von 39 mm beschrieben. Die operative Therapie mittels Anlage eines supraacetabulären Fixateur externe über einen Zeitraum von 12 Wochen lieferte ein gutes Ergebnis.
Aktueller Versorgungsstandard von Patellafrakturen in Deutschland
Authors: Fehske Kai , Berninger Markus T. , Alm Lena , Hoffmann Reinhard , Zellner Johannes , Kösters Clemens , Barzen Stefan , Raschke Michael J. , Izadpanah Kaywan , Herbst Elmar , Domnick Christoph , Schüttrumpf Jan Philipp , Krause Matthias ,   Komitee Frakturen der Deutschen Kniegesellschaft (DKG)
Published: December 2020

Hintergrund

Die Versorgung von Patellafrakturen ist technisch anspruchsvoll. Auch wenn die radiologischen Ergebnisse zumeist zufriedenstellend sind, deckt sich dies häufig nicht mit der subjektiven Einschätzung der Patienten. Die klassische Versorgung mittels Drahtzuggurtung weist einige Komplikationen auf. Die winkelstabile Plattenosteosynthese hat sich in den letzten Jahren biomechanisch als vorteilhaft erwiesen.

Fragestellung

Von wem werden Patellafrakturen in Deutschland versorgt? Wie sieht der aktuelle Versorgungsstandard aus? Haben sich „moderne“ Osteosyntheseformen durchgesetzt? Was sind die häufigsten Komplikationen?

Material und Methoden

Die Mitglieder der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie sowie der Deutschen Kniegesellschaft wurden aufgefordert, an einer Onlinebefragung teilzunehmen.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt wurden 511 komplett ausgefüllte Fragebogen ausgewertet. Die Befragten sind zum größten Teil auf Unfallchirurgie spezialisiert (51,5 %) und verfügen über langjährige Berufserfahrung in Traumazentren. Die Hälfte der Operateure versorgt ≤5 Patellafrakturen jährlich. In knapp 40 % der Fälle wird die präoperative Bildgebung um eine Computertomographie ergänzt. Die klassische Zuggurtung ist noch die bevorzugte Osteosyntheseform bei allen Frakturtypen (Querfraktur 52 %, Mehrfragmentfrakturen 40 %). Bei Mehrfragmentfrakturen entscheiden sich 30 % der Operateure für eine winkelstabile Plattenosteosynthese. Bei Beteiligung des kaudalen Pols dient als zusätzliche Sicherung die McLaughlin-Schlinge (60 %).

Diskussion

Der Versorgungsstandard von Patellafrakturen in Deutschland entspricht weitgehend der aktualisierten S2e-Leitlinie. Nach wie vor wird die klassische Zuggurtungsosteosynthese als Verfahren der Wahl genutzt. Weitere klinische (Langzeit‑)Studien werden benötigt, um die Vorteile der winkelstabilen Plattenosteosynthese zu verifizieren.
Eye tracking and attentional bias for depressive internet memes in depression
Authors: Akram Umair , Ellis Jason G. , Cau Glhenda , Hershaw Frayer , Rajenthran Ashlieen , Lowe Mollie , Trommelen Carissa , Drabble Jennifer
Published: December 2020

Previous research highlights the potential benefits of engaging with depressive internet memes for those experiencing symptoms of depression. This study aimed to determine whether: compared to non-depressed controls, individuals experiencing depressive symptoms were quicker to orient and maintain overall attention for internet memes depicting depressive content relative to neutral memes. N = 21 individuals were grouped based on the severity of reported depression symptoms using the PhQ-9. Specifically, a score of:  ≤ 4 denoted the control group; and  ≥ 15 the depressive symptoms group. Participants viewed a series of meme pairs depicting depressive and neutral memes for periods of 4000 ms. Data for the first fixation onset and duration, total fixation count and total fixation and gaze duration of eye-movements were recorded. A significant group x meme-type interaction indicated that participants with depressive symptoms displayed significantly more fixations on depressive rather than neutral memes. These outcomes provide suggestive evidence for the notion that depressive symptoms are associated with an attentional bias towards socio-emotionally salient stimuli.
Age-related hearing loss pertaining to potassium ion channels in the cochlea and auditory pathway
Authors: Peixoto Pinheiro Barbara , Vona Barbara , Löwenheim Hubert , Rüttiger Lukas , Knipper Marlies , Adel Youssef
Published: December 2020

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is the most prevalent sensory deficit in the elderly and constitutes the third highest risk factor for dementia. Lifetime noise exposure, genetic predispositions for degeneration, and metabolic stress are assumed to be the major causes of ARHL. Both noise-induced and hereditary progressive hearing have been linked to decreased cell surface expression and impaired conductance of the potassium ion channel KV7.4 (KCNQ4) in outer hair cells, inspiring future therapies to maintain or prevent the decline of potassium ion channel surface expression to reduce ARHL. In concert with KV7.4 in outer hair cells, KV7.1 (KCNQ1) in the stria vascularis, calcium-activated potassium channels BK (KCNMA1) and SK2 (KCNN2) in hair cells and efferent fiber synapses, and KV3.1 (KCNC1) in the spiral ganglia and ascending auditory circuits share an upregulated expression or subcellular targeting during final differentiation at hearing onset. They also share a distinctive fragility for noise exposure and age-dependent shortfalls in energy supply required for sustained surface expression. Here, we review and discuss the possible contribution of select potassium ion channels in the cochlea and auditory pathway to ARHL. We postulate genes, proteins, or modulators that contribute to sustained ion currents or proper surface expressions of potassium channels under challenging conditions as key for future therapies of ARHL.
Integrating public health policies in the epidemiological modeling of hepatitis C with LEHC tool: application in Austria
Authors: Lopes Henrique , Baptista-Leite Ricardo , Franco Diogo , Pirker Roxana , Gschwantler Michael
Published: December 2020

Background

Eliminating hepatitis C requires addressing issues other than medicines or therapies. Public health policies focused on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) must be emphasized and worked to know the impacts on its epidemiologic dynamics. This research aims to provide a tool to evaluate and simulate alternatives by redefining policies meeting specific needs in each country towards the HCV elimination target by 2030.

Methods

The development of a gamified model with 24 public health policies focused on HCV was conducted to evaluate the impact of measures in the disease epidemiologic dynamics. The Let’s End HepC (LEHC) project encompassed key populations (people who inject drugs [PWID], prisoners, blood products and remnant population) in Austria and other countries, presenting prospects for every year from 2019 to 2030. The LEHC epidemiological model comprised an integrated solution for HCV, with adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA) and Markov chains constituting its main processes.

Results

Despite Austria’s efforts towards achieving the HCV elimination goal by 2030, the LEHC model forecast quantitative analysis predicts that it is still not enough to meet the target; however, prospects are very optimistic if public health policies are adapted to the country’s needs, being possible to achieve the goal as early as 2026.

Conclusion

In Austria, the LEHC tool allowed to forecast the HCV elimination year anticipation to 2026, instead of being achieved after 2030. This target will only be valid if adequate management of the 24 public health policies focused on this pathology is further implemented.