bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P Wave Tomography Beneath Greenland and Surrounding Regions: 2. Lower Mantle
Authors: Toyokuni Genti , Matsuno Takaya , Zhao Dapeng
Published: October 2020

We study the 3‐D P wave velocity (Vp) structure of the whole mantle beneath Greenland and surrounding regions using the latest P wave arrival time data. We use a new method of global seismic tomography by setting 3‐D grid nodes densely in the study volume to enhance the resolution. We invert ~5.6 million arrival times of P, pP, and PP waves from 16,257 earthquakes extracted from the ISC‐EHB catalog, which were recorded at 12,549 seismic stations in the world. Our results reveal a hot plume rising from the core‐mantle boundary beneath central Greenland, which is called the Greenland plume. This plume has the main conduit and two branches in the lower mantle, and the main conduit rises to the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath eastern Greenland, so it is distinguishable from the Iceland plume that appears to rise from a midmantle depth (~1,500 km) beneath Iceland. The Iceland plume itself is a powerful plume, but it may also be fed by hot mantle materials from three joints with other plumes: a branch of the Greenland plume at ~1,500 km depth, a plume beneath Western Europe at ~1,000 km depth, and the main conduit of the Greenland plume at the MTZ, leading to many active volcanoes in Iceland. We deem that the main conduit of the Greenland plume mixes with the Iceland plume incompletely and splits mainly into the Jan Mayen and Svalbard plumes in the upper mantle, which supply magma to the Jan Mayen hotspot and a geothermal area in western Svalbard, respectively.
Azimuthal Anisotropy of the Crust and Uppermost Mantle Beneath Alaska
Authors: Feng L. , Liu Chuanming , Ritzwoller M. H.
Published: October 2020

This study presents an azimuthally anisotropic shear wave velocity model of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath Alaska, based on Rayleigh wave phase speed observations from 10 to 80 s period recorded at more than 500 broadband stations. We test the hypothesis that a model composed of two homogeneous layers of anisotropy can explain these measurements. This “Two‐Layer Model” confines azimuthal anisotropy to the brittle upper crust along with the uppermost mantle from the Moho to 200 km depth. This model passes the hypothesis test for most of the region of study, from which we draw two conclusions. (a) The data are consistent with crustal azimuthal anisotropy being dominantly controlled by deformationally aligned cracks and fractures in the upper crust undergoing brittle deformation. (b) The data are also consistent with the uppermost mantle beneath Alaska and surroundings experiencing vertically coherent deformation. The model resolves several prominent features. (1) In the upper crust, fast directions are principally aligned with the orientation of major faults. (2) In the upper mantle, fast directions are aligned with the compressional direction in compressional tectonic domains and with the tensional direction in tensional domains. (3) The mantle fast directions located near the Alaska‐Aleutian subduction zone and the surrounding back‐arc area form a toroidal pattern that is consistent with mantle flow directions predicted by recent geodynamical models. Finally, the mantle anisotropy is remarkably consistent with SKS fast directions, but to fit SKS split times, anisotropy must extend below 200 km depth across most of the study region.
Fluid Infiltration Through Oceanic Lower Crust in Response to Reaction‐Induced Fracturing: Insights From Serpentinized Troctolite and Numerical Models
Authors: Yoshida Kazuki , Okamoto Atsushi , Shimizu Hiroyuki , Oyanagi Ryosuke , Tsuchiya Noriyoshi ,   Oman Drilling Project Phase 2 Science Party
Published: October 2020

The mechanisms of fluid penetration through the gabbroic lower crust are important for the hydration of oceanic lithosphere. In the Oman ophiolite, which preserves an entire sequence of oceanic lithosphere formed at a fast‐spreading ridge, the layered gabbros and dunites are extensively serpentinized. In this paper, we describe the characteristic textures of serpentinized troctolite and olivine gabbros recovered from the CM1A site of the Oman Drilling Project. In the troctolite, an olivine mesh texture is pervasively developed and is characterized by two types of veins: early lizardite + brucite + magnetite and late Al‐rich lizardite + magnetite. These veins suggest the initiation of serpentinization at <350°C and a supply of Si and Al from plagioclase during the later stages of serpentinization. Plagioclase surrounding serpentinized olivine grains commonly shows radial fracturing. Numerical simulations using the discrete element method applied to coupled fluid flow, reaction, and fracturing reveal that volume expansion of olivine grains during serpentinization results in the simultaneous fracturing of olivine and surrounding plagioclase, and that the thermal stress during cooling of oceanic lithosphere might also cause preferential olivine fracturing prior to serpentinization. The simulations also predict a self‐organizing fracture network that connects the olivine grains and passes through both olivine‐rich and olivine‐poor layers, resulting in permeability enhancement during serpentinization. Our results suggest that reaction‐induced fracturing plays an essential role in the infiltration of seawater through the lower crust and into the mantle within oceanic lithosphere.
Leveraging Geodetic GPS Receivers for Ionospheric Scintillation Science
Authors: Mrak Sebastijan , Semeter Joshua , Nishimura Yukitoshi , Rodrigues Fabiano S. , Coster Anthea J. , Groves Keith
Published: October 2020

We demonstrate scintillation analysis from a network of geodetic Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers which provide data at 1‐second resolution. We introduce proxy phase (σTEC) and amplitude (SNR4) scintillation indices and validate them against the rate of change of TEC index (ROTI) and S4. Additionally, we validate scintillation observations against a Connected Autonomous Space Environment Sensor scintillation receiver. We develop receiver‐dependent scintillation event thresholding using hardware‐dependent noise variance. We analyze 6 days adjacent to the 7–8 September 2017 geomagnetic storm, using 169 receivers covering magnetic latitudes between 15° and 65° in the American longitude sector. We leverage the available spatial sampling coverage to construct 2‐D maps of scintillation and present episodic evolution of scintillation intensifications during the storm. We show that low‐latitude and high‐latitude scintillation morphology match well‐established scintillation climatology patterns. At midlatitudes, spatiotemporal evolution of scintillation partially agrees with known scintillation patterns. Additionally, the results reveal previously undocumented midlatitude scintillation‐producing structures. The results provide an unprecedented view into the spatiotemporal development of scintillation‐producing plasma irregularities and provide a resource to further exploit scintillation evolution at large spatial scales.
Histone methyltransferase SET8 is regulated by miR-192/215 and induces oncogene-induced senescence via p53-dependent DNA damage in human gastric carcinoma cells
Authors: Zhang Xiaojing , Peng Yin , Yuan Yuan , Gao Yuli , Hu Fan , Wang Jian , Zhu Xiaohui , Feng Xianling , Cheng Yulan , Wei Yanjie , Fan Xinmin , Xie Yaohong , Lv Yansi , Ashktorab Hassan , Smoot Duane , Li Song , Meltzer Stephen J. , Hou Gangqiang , Jin Zhe
Published: October 2020

Gastric cancer (GC) is the most common cancer throughout the world. Despite advances of the treatments, detailed oncogenic mechanisms are largely unknown. In our previous study, we investigated microRNA (miR) expression profiles in human GC using miR microarrays. We found miR-192/215 were upregulated in GC tissues. Then gene microarray was implemented to discover the targets of miR-192/215. We compared the expression profile of BGC823 cells transfected with miR-192/215 inhibitors, and HFE145 cells transfected with miR-192/-215 mimics, respectively. SET8 was identified as a proposed target based on the expression change of more than twofold. SET8 belongs to the SET domain-containing methyltransferase family and specifically catalyzes monomethylation of H4K20me. It is involved in diverse functions in tumorigenesis and metastasis. Therefore, we focused on the contributions of miR-192/215/SET8 axis to the development of GC. In this study, we observe that functionally, SET8 regulated by miR-192/215 is involved in GC-related biological activities. SET8 is also found to trigger oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) in GC in vivo and in vitro, which is dependent on the DDR (DNA damage response) and p53. Our findings reveal that SET8 functions as a negative regulator of metastasis via the OIS-signaling pathway. Taken together, we investigated the functional significance, molecular mechanisms, and clinical impact of miR-192/215/SET8/p53 in GC.
Long non-coding RNA MIAT regulates blood tumor barrier permeability by functioning as a competing endogenous RNA
Authors: He Jiayuan , Xue Yixue , Wang Qingyuan , Zhou Xinxin , Liu Libo , Zhang Tianyuan , Shang Chao , Ma Jun , Ma Teng
Published: October 2020

Blood–tumor barrier (BTB) presents a major obstacle to brain drug delivery. Therefore, it is urgent to enhance BTB permeability for the treatment of glioma. In this study, we demonstrated that MIAT, ZAK, and phosphorylated NFκB-p65 (p-NFκB-p65) were upregulated, while miR-140-3p was downregulated in glioma-exposed endothelial cells (GECs) of BTB compared with those in endothelial cells cocultured with astrocytes (ECs) of blood–brain barrier (BBB). MIAT inhibited miR-140-3p expression, increased the expression of ZAK, enhanced the ratio of p-NFκB-p65:NFκB-p65, and promoted the endothelial leakage of BTB. Our current study revealed that miR-140-3p was complementary to the ZAK 3′untranslated regions (3′-UTR), and luciferase activity of ZAK was inhibited by miR-140-3p in 293T cells. MiR-140-3p silencing resulted in an increase in BTB permeability by targeting ZAK, while overexpression of miR-140-3p had the opposite results in GECs of BTB. Overexpression of ZAK induced an increase in BTB permeability, and this effect was related to ZAK’s ability to mediate phosphorylation of NFκB-p65. Conversely, ZAK silencing get opposite results in GECs of BTB. As a molecular sponge of miR-140-3p, MIAT attenuated its negative regulation of the target gene ZAK by adsorbing miR-140-3p. P-NFκB-p65 as a transcription factor negatively regulated the expression of TJ-associated proteins by means of chip assay and luciferase assay. Single or combined application of MIAT and miR-140-3p effectively promoted antitumor drug doxorubicin (Dox) across BTB to induce apoptosis of glioma cells. In summary, MIAT functioned as a miR-140-3p sponge to regulate the expression of its target gene ZAK, which contribution to phosphorylation of NFκB-p65 was associated with an increase in BTB permeability by down-regulating the expression of TJ associated proteins, thereby promoting Dox delivery across BTB. These results might provide a novel strategy and target for chemotherapy of glioma.
Hepcidin overexpression in astrocytes alters brain iron metabolism and protects against amyloid-β induced brain damage in mice
Authors: Zhang Xinwei , Gou Yu-Jing , Zhang Yating , Li Jie , Han Kang , Xu Yong , Li Haiyan , You Lin-Hao , Yu Peng , Chang Yan-Zhong , Gao Guofen
Published: October 2020

Progressive iron accumulation in the brain and iron-induced oxidative stress are considered to be one of the initial causes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and modulation of brain iron level shows promise for its treatment. Hepcidin expressed by astrocytes has been speculated to regulate iron transport across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and control the whole brain iron load. Whether increasing the expression of astrocyte hepcidin can reduce brain iron level and relieve AD symptoms has yet to be studied. Here, we overexpressed hepcidin in astrocytes of the mouse brain and challenged the mice with amyloid-β25–35(Aβ25–35) by intracerebroventricular injection. Our results revealed that hepcidin overexpression in astrocytes significantly ameliorated Aβ25–35-induced cell damage in both the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. This protective role was also attested by behavioral tests of the mice. Our data further demonstrated that astrocyte-overexpressed hepcidin could decrease brain iron level, possibly by acting on ferroportin 1 (FPN1) on the brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMVECs), which in turn reduced Aβ25–35-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis, and ultimately protected cells from damage. This study provided in vivo evidences of the important role of astrocyte hepcidin in the regulation of brain iron metabolism and protection against Aβ-induced cortical and hippocampal damages and implied its potential in the treatment of oxidative stress-related brain disorders.
A role of oligodendrocytes in information processing
Authors: Moore Sharlen , Meschkat Martin , Ruhwedel Torben , Trevisiol Andrea , Tzvetanova Iva D. , Battefeld Arne , Kusch Kathrin , Kole Maarten H. P. , Strenzke Nicola , Möbius Wiebke , de Hoz Livia , Nave Klaus-Armin
Published: October 2020

Myelinating oligodendrocytes enable fast propagation of action potentials along the ensheathed axons. In addition, oligodendrocytes play diverse non-canonical roles including axonal metabolic support and activity-dependent myelination. An open question remains whether myelination also contributes to information processing in addition to speeding up conduction velocity. Here, we analyze the role of myelin in auditory information processing using paradigms that are also good predictors of speech understanding in humans. We compare mice with different degrees of dysmyelination using acute multiunit recordings in the auditory cortex, in combination with behavioral readouts. We find complex alterations of neuronal responses that reflect fatigue and temporal acuity deficits. We observe partially discriminable but similar deficits in well myelinated mice in which glial cells cannot fully support axons metabolically. We suggest a model in which myelination contributes to sustained stimulus perception in temporally complex paradigms, with a role of metabolically active oligodendrocytes in cortical information processing.
Observation of site-controlled localized charged excitons in CrI3/WSe2 heterostructures
Authors: Mukherjee Arunabh , Shayan Kamran , Li Lizhong , Shan Jie , Mak Kin Fai , Vamivakas A. Nick
Published: October 2020

Isolated spins are the focus of intense scientific exploration due to their potential role as qubits for quantum information science. Optical access to single spins, demonstrated in III-V semiconducting quantum dots, has fueled research aimed at realizing quantum networks. More recently, quantum emitters in atomically thin materials such as tungsten diselenide have been demonstrated to host optically addressable single spins by means of electrostatic doping the localized excitons. Electrostatic doping is not the only route to charging localized quantum emitters and another path forward is through band structure engineering using van der Waals heterojunctions. Critical to this second approach is to interface tungsten diselenide with other van der Waals materials with relative band-alignments conducive to the phenomenon of charge transfer. In this work we show that the Type-II band-alignment between tungsten diselenide and chromium triiodide can be exploited to excite localized charged excitons in tungsten diselenide. Leveraging spin-dependent charge transfer in the device, we demonstrate spin selectivity in the preparation of the spin-valley state of localized single holes. Combined with the use of strain-inducing nanopillars to coordinate the spatial location of tungsten diselenide quantum emitters, we uncover the possibility of realizing large-scale deterministic arrays of optically addressable spin-valley holes in a solid state platform.
Autonomously revealing hidden local structures in supercooled liquids
Authors: Boattini Emanuele , Marín-Aguilar Susana , Mitra Saheli , Foffi Giuseppe , Smallenburg Frank , Filion Laura
Published: October 2020

Few questions in condensed matter science have proven as difficult to unravel as the interplay between structure and dynamics in supercooled liquids. To explore this link, much research has been devoted to pinpointing local structures and order parameters that correlate strongly with dynamics. Here we use an unsupervised machine learning algorithm to identify structural heterogeneities in three archetypical glass formers—without using any dynamical information. In each system, the unsupervised machine learning approach autonomously designs a purely structural order parameter within a single snapshot. Comparing the structural order parameter with the dynamics, we find strong correlations with the dynamical heterogeneities. Moreover, the structural characteristics linked to slow particles disappear further away from the glass transition. Our results demonstrate the power of machine learning techniques to detect structural patterns even in disordered systems, and provide a new way forward for unraveling the structural origins of the slow dynamics of glassy materials.
Fenofibrate prevents iron induced activation of canonical Wnt/β-catenin and oxidative stress signaling in the retina
Authors: Mandala Ashok , Armstrong Austin , Girresch Becky , Zhu Jiyao , Chilakala Aruna , Chavalmane Sanmathi , Chaudhary Kapil , Biswas Pratim , Ogilvie Judith , Gnana-Prakasam Jaya P.
Published: October 2020

Accumulating evidence strongly implicates iron in the pathogenesis of aging and disease. Iron levels have been found to increase with age in both the human and mouse retinas. We and others have shown that retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy are associated with disrupted iron homeostasis, resulting in retinal iron accumulation. In addition, hereditary disorders due to mutation in one of the iron regulatory genes lead to age dependent retinal iron overload and degeneration. However, our knowledge on whether iron toxicity contributes to the retinopathy is limited. Recently, we reported that iron accumulation is associated with the upregulation of retinal and renal renin–angiotensin system (RAS). Evidences indicate that multiple genes/components of the RAS are targets of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Interestingly, aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is observed in several degenerative diseases. In the present study, we explored whether iron accumulation regulates canonical Wnt signaling in the retina. We found that in vitro and in vivo iron treatment resulted in the upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and its downstream target genes including renin–angiotensin system in the retina. We confirmed further that iron activates canonical Wnt signaling in the retina using TOPFlash T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor promoter assay and Axin2-LacZ reporter mouse. The presence of an iron chelator or an antioxidant reversed the iron-mediated upregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. In addition, treatment of RPE cells with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) α-agonist fenofibrate prevented iron-induced activation of oxidative stress and Wnt/β-catenin signaling by chelating the iron. The role of fenofibrate, an FDA-approved drug for hyperlipidemia, as an iron chelator has potentially significant therapeutic impact on iron associated degenerative diseases.
Association of a dysbiotic oral microbiota with the development of focal lymphocytic sialadenitis in IκB-ζ-deficient mice
Authors: Lee Junho , Alam Jehan , Choi Eunji , Ko Yeon Kyeong , Lee Ahreum , Choi Youngnim
Published: October 2020

Mice lacking IκB-ζ, a protein encoded by the Nfkbiz gene, spontaneously develop a Sjögren’s syndrome-like disease involving the lachrymal glands, but no salivary gland symptoms have been reported. We found that Nfkbiz−/− female mice presented a significantly reduced salivary flow rate, focal lymphocytic sialadenitis (FLS), and a dysbiotic oral microbiota at week 24. To dissect the contributions of genetic and environmental factors to the salivary gland phenotype, Nfkbiz+/+ and Nfkbiz−/− mice were cohoused after weaning and evaluated at week 20. Cohousing alleviated the salivary gland phenotype of Nfkbiz−/− mice but did not induce any disease phenotype in Nfkbiz+/+ mice. Additionally, the oral microbiota in the cohoused mice was synchronized toward that in Nfkbiz+/+ mice. In conclusion, IκB-ζ-deficient mice developed hyposalivation and FLS, in which a dysbiotic oral microbiota played an important role. This finding suggests that the dysbiotic oral microbiota could be a therapeutic target.
Re1−xMox as an ideal test case of time-reversal symmetry breaking in unconventional superconductors
Authors: Shang Tian , Baines Christopher , Chang Lieh-Jeng , Gawryluk Dariusz Jakub , Pomjakushina Ekaterina , Shi Ming , Medarde Marisa , Shiroka Toni
Published: October 2020

Non-centrosymmetric superconductors (NCSCs) are promising candidates in the search for unconventional and topological superconductivity. The α-Mn-type rhenium-based alloys represent excellent examples of NCSCs, where spontaneous magnetic fields, peculiar to time-reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking, have been shown to develop in the superconducting phase. By converse, TRS is preserved in many other isostructural NCSCs, thus leaving the key question about its origin fully open. Here, we consider the superconducting Re1−xMox (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) family, which comprises both centro- and non-centrosymmetric structures and includes also two extra superconducting phases, β-CrFe and bcc-W. Muon-spin relaxation and rotation (μSR) measurements show a gradual increase of the relaxation rate below Tc, yet its independence of the crystal structure, suggesting that rhenium presence and its amount are among the key factors for the appearance and the extent of TRS breaking in the α-Mn-type NCSCs. The reported results propose Re1−xMox as an ideal test case for investigating TRS breaking in unconventional superconductors.
Strong spin–orbit quenching via the product Jahn–Teller effect in neutral group IV qubits in diamond
Authors: Ciccarino Christopher J. , Flick Johannes , Harris Isaac B. , Trusheim Matthew E. , Englund Dirk R. , Narang Prineha
Published: October 2020

Artificial atom qubits in diamond have emerged as leading candidates for a range of solid-state quantum systems, from quantum sensors to repeater nodes in memory-enhanced quantum communication. Inversion-symmetric group IV vacancy centers, comprised of Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb dopants, hold particular promise as their neutrally charged electronic configuration results in a ground-state spin triplet, enabling long spin coherence above cryogenic temperatures. However, despite the tremendous interest in these defects, a theoretical understanding of the electronic and spin structure of these centers remains elusive. In this context, we predict the ground-state and excited-state properties of the neutral group IV color centers from first principles. We capture the product Jahn–Teller effect found in the excited state manifold to second order in electron–phonon coupling, and present a nonperturbative treatment of the effect of spin–orbit coupling. Importantly, we find that spin–orbit splitting is strongly quenched due to the dominant Jahn–Teller effect, with the lowest optically-active 3Eu state weakly split into ms-resolved states. The predicted complex vibronic spectra of the neutral group IV color centers are essential for their experimental identification and have key implications for use of these systems in quantum information science.
In-vivo lung fibrosis staging in a bleomycin-mouse model: a new micro-CT guided densitometric approach
Authors: Mecozzi Laura , Mambrini Martina , Ruscitti Francesca , Ferrini Erica , Ciccimarra Roberta , Ravanetti Francesca , Sverzellati Nicola , Silva Mario , Ruffini Livia , Belenkov Sasha , Civelli Maurizio , Villetti Gino , Stellari Fabio Franco
Published: October 2020

Although increasing used in the preclinical testing of new anti-fibrotic drugs, a thorough validation of micro-computed tomography (CT) in pulmonary fibrosis models has not been performed. Moreover, no attempts have been made so far to define density thresholds to discriminate between aeration levels in lung parenchyma. In the present study, a histogram-based analysis was performed in a mouse model of bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis by micro-CT, evaluating longitudinal density changes from 7 to 21 days after BLM challenge, a period representing the progression of fibrosis. Two discriminative densitometric indices (i.e. 40th and 70th percentiles) were extracted from Hounsfield Unit density distributions and selected for lung fibrosis staging. The strong correlation with histological findings (rSpearman = 0.76, p < 0.01) confirmed that variations in 70th percentile could reflect a pathological lung condition and estimate the effect of antifibrotic treatments. This index was therefore used to define lung aeration levels in mice distinguishing in hyper-inflated, normo-, hypo- and non-aerated pulmonary compartments. A retrospective analysis performed on a large cohort of mice confirmed the correlation between the proposed preclinical density thresholds and the histological outcomes (rSpearman = 0.6, p < 0.01), strengthening their suitability for tracking disease progression and evaluating antifibrotic drug candidates.
Improving read alignment through the generation of alternative reference via iterative strategy
Authors: Bu Lina , Wang Qi , Gu Wenjin , Yang Ruifei , Zhu Di , Song Zhuo , Liu Xiaojun , Zhao Yiqiang
Published: October 2020

There is generally one standard reference sequence for each species. When extensive variations exist in other breeds of the species, it can lead to ambiguous alignment and inaccurate variant calling and, in turn, compromise the accuracy of downstream analysis. Here, with the help of the FPGA hardware platform, we present a method that generates an alternative reference via an iterative strategy to improve the read alignment for breeds that are genetically distant to the reference breed. Compared to the published reference genomes, by using the alternative reference sequences we built, the mapping rates of Chinese indigenous pigs and chickens were improved by 0.61–1.68% and 0.09–0.45%, respectively. These sequences also enable researchers to recover highly variable regions that could be missed using public reference sequences. We also determined that the optimal number of iterations needed to generate alternative reference sequences were seven and five for pigs and chickens, respectively. Our results show that, for genetically distant breeds, generating an alternative reference sequence can facilitate read alignment and variant calling and improve the accuracy of downstream analyses.
Novel investigation of perovskite membrane based electrochemical nitric oxide control phenomenon
Authors: Welles Thomas S. , Ahn Jeongmin
Published: October 2020

The combustion of hydrocarbon fuels within the automotive industry results in harmful and reactive incomplete combustion byproducts. Specifically, nitric oxide emissions (NO) lead to increased smog, acid rain, climate change, and respiratory inflammation within the population [Nitrogen Dioxide | American Lung Association]. Current methods for treating combustion exhaust include the catalytic converter in conjunction with nitrogen oxide traps. However, there is no active, continuous reduction method that does not require restrictions on the combustion environment (Hirata in Catal Surv Asia 18:128–133, 2014). Here, a small voltage potential oscillation across a newly designed electro-chemical catalytic membrane significantly reduces NO emissions. A ceramic membrane consisting of two dissimilar metal electrodes, sandwiching a dielectric layer, is able to achieve an NO reduction in excess of 2X that of a platinum group metal (PGM) three way catalytic converter. An analysis of the exhaust effluent from the membranes indicates N2O as a precursor to N2 and O2 formation, without the introduction of ammonia (NH3), during the reaction of NO indicating a divergence from current literature. Our results demonstrate how an oscillatory electric potential on a catalytic surface may alter anticipated reaction chemistry and interaction between the catalytic surface and fluid flow.
Supplementation of branched-chain amino acids decreases fat accumulation in the liver through intestinal microbiota-mediated production of acetic acid
Authors: Iwao Masao , Gotoh Koro , Arakawa Mie , Endo Mizuki , Honda Koichi , Seike Masataka , Murakami Kazunari , Shibata Hirotaka
Published: October 2020

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a significant problem because its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Recent animal studies have identified gut microbiota as a potentially important player in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Previously, we reported that the administration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) reduces hepatic fat accumulation in experimental animal models. This study aimed to clarify how changes in the intestinal microbial flora following the administration of BCAAs affect a high-fat diet (HF)-induced fat accumulation in the liver. We examined whether the administration of BCAAs alters the development of hepatic fat accumulation as well as intestinal microbial flora. The oral administration of BCAAs (3% kcal) induced a significant increase in Ruminococcus flavefaciens (R. flavefaciens) and portal acetic acid levels, and it reduced hepatic fat accumulation in HF-fed rats. In addition, BCAAs reduced the expression of the lipogenesis-related genes FAS and ACC in the liver. Furthermore, we observed that R. flavefaciens is essential for promoting a BCAA-induced reduction in hepatic fat accumulation. These data suggest that BCAA treatment induces the proliferation of intestinal flora including R. flavefaciens and that portal acetic acid synthesized from intestinal flora improves NAFLD by downregulating the expression of FAS and ACC in the liver.
Decline of six native mason bee species following the arrival of an exotic congener
Authors: LeCroy Kathryn A. , Savoy-Burke Grace , Carr David E. , Delaney Deborah A. , Roulston T’ai H.
Published: October 2020

A potential driver of pollinator declines that has been hypothesized but seldom documented is the introduction of exotic pollinator species. International trade often involves movement of many insect pollinators, especially bees, beyond their natural range. For agricultural purposes or by inadvertent cargo shipment, bee species successfully establishing in new ranges could compete with native bees for food and nesting resources. In the Mid-Atlantic United States, two Asian species of mason bee (Osmia taurusandO. cornifrons) have become recently established. Using pan-trap records from the Mid-Atlantic US, we examined catch abundance of two exotic and six nativeOsmiaspecies over the span of fifteen years (2003–2017) to estimate abundance changes. All native species showed substantial annual declines, resulting in cumulative catch losses ranging 76–91% since 2003. Exotic species fared much better, withO. cornifronsstable andO. taurusincreasing by 800% since 2003. We characterize the areas of niche overlap that may lead to competition between native and exotic species ofOsmia, and we discuss how disease spillover and enemy release in this system may result in the patterns we document.
An innovative technique for electronic transport model of group-III nitrides
Authors: Srivastava Anshika , Saxena Anshu , Saxena Praveen K. , Gupta F. K. , Shakya Priyanka , Srivastava Pankaj , Dixit Manish , Gambhir S. , Shukla R. K. , Srivastava A.
Published: October 2020

An optimized empirical pseudopotential method (EPM) in conjunction with virtual crystal approximation (VCA) and the compositional disorder effect is used for simulation to extract the electronic material parameters of wurtzite nitride alloys to ensure excellent agreement with the experiments. The proposed direct bandgap results of group-III nitride alloys are also compared with the different density functional theories (DFT) based theoretical results. The model developed in current work, significantly improves the accuracy of calculated band gaps as compared to the ab-initio method based results. The physics of carrier transport in binary and ternary nitride materials is investigated with the help of in-house developed Monte Carlo algorithms for solution of Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) including nonlinear scattering mechanisms. Carrier–carrier scattering mechanisms defined through Coulomb-, piezoelectric-, ionized impurity-, surface roughness-scattering with acoustic and intervalley scatterings, all have been given due consideration in present model. The direct and indirect energy bandgap results have been calibrated with the experimental data and use of symmetric and asymmetric form factors associated with respective materials. The electron mobility results of each binary nitride material have been compared and contrasted with experimental results under appropriate conditions and good agreement has been found between simulated and experimental results.
Publisher Correction: Robust design from systems physics
Authors: Klishin Andrei A , Kirkley Alec , Singer David J , van Anders Greg
Published: October 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Preparation and characterization of amnion hydrogel and its synergistic effect with adipose derived stem cells towards IL1β activated chondrocytes
Authors: Bhattacharjee Maumita , Ivirico Jorge L. Escobar , Kan Ho-Man , Bordett Rosalie , Pandey Rishikesh , Otsuka Takayoshi , Nair Lakshmi S. , Laurencin Cato T.
Published: October 2020

Inflammation leads to chondrocyte senescence and cartilage degeneration, resulting in osteoarthritis (OA). Adipose‐derived stem cells (ADSCs) exert paracrine effects protecting chondrocytes from degenerative changes. However, the lack of optimum delivery systems for ADSCs limits its use in the clinic. The use of extracellular matrix based injectable hydrogels has gained increased attention due to their unique properties. In the present study, we developed hydrogels from amnion tissue as a delivery system for ADSCs. We investigated the potential of amnion hydrogel to maintain ADSC functions, the synergistic effect of AM with ADSC in preventing the catabolic responses of inflammation in stimulated chondrocytes. We also investigated the role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in IL-1β induced inflammation in chondrocytes and the ability of AM-ADSC to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our results showed that AM hydrogels supported cell viability, proliferation, and stemness. ADSCs, AM hydrogels and AM-ADSCs inhibited the catabolic responses of IL-1β and inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, indicating possible involvement of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in IL-1β induced inflammation. The results also showed that the synergistic effect of AM-ADSCs was more pronounced in preventing catabolic responses in activated chondrocytes. In conclusion, we showed that AM hydrogels can be used as a potential carrier for ADSCs, and can be developed as a potential therapeutic agent for treating OA.
Author Correction: Exploring the advantages of intensity-modulated proton therapy: experimental validation of biological effects using two different beam intensity-modulation patterns
Authors: Ma Duo , Bronk Lawrence , Kerr Matthew , Sobieski Mary , Chen Mei , Geng Changran , Yiu Joycelyn , Wang Xiaochun , Sahoo Narayan , Cao Wenhua , Zhang Xiaodong , Stephan Clifford , Mohan Radhe , Grosshans David R. , Guan Fada
Published: October 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
A randomised controlled feasibility trial of E-health application supported care vs usual care after exacerbation of COPD: the RESCUE trial
Authors: North Mal , Bourne Simon , Green Ben , Chauhan Anoop J. , Brown Tom , Winter Jonathan , Jones Tom , Neville Dan , Blythin Alison , Watson Alastair , Johnson Matthew , Culliford David , Elkes Jack , Cornelius Victoria , Wilkinson Tom M. A.
Published: October 2020

Exacerbations of COPD are one of the commonest causes of admission and readmission to hospital. The role of digital interventions to support self-management in improving outcomes is uncertain. We conducted an open, randomised controlled trial of a digital health platform application (app) in 41 COPD patients recruited following hospital admission with an acute exacerbation. Subjects were randomised to either receive usual care, including a written self-management plan (n = 21), or the myCOPD app (n = 20) for 90 days. The primary efficacy outcome was recovery rate of symptoms measured by COPD assessment test (CAT) score. Exacerbations, readmission, inhaler technique quality of life and patient activation (PAM) scores were also captured by a blinded team. The app was acceptable in this care setting and was used by 17 of the 20 patients with sustained use over the study period. The treatment effect on the CAT score was 4.49 (95% CI: −8.41, −0.58) points lower in the myCOPD arm. Patients’ inhaler technique improved in the digital intervention arm (101 improving to 20 critical errors) compared to usual care (100 to 72 critical errors). Exacerbations tended to be less frequent in the digital arm compared to usual care; 18 vs 34 events. Hospital readmissions risk was numerically lower in the digital intervention arm: OR for readmission 0.383 (95% CI: 0.074, 1.987; n = 35). In this feasibility study of the digital self-management platform myCOPD, the app has proven acceptable to patients to use and use has improved exacerbation recovery rates, with strong signals of lower re-exacerbation and readmission rates over 90 days. myCOPD reduced the number of critical errors in inhaler technique compared to usual care with written self-management. This provides a strong basis for further exploration of the use of app interventions in the context of recently hospitalised patients with COPD and informs the potential design of a large multi-centre trial.
Deep learning from “passive feeding” to “selective eating” of real-world data
Authors: Li Zhongwen , Guo Chong , Nie Danyao , Lin Duoru , Zhu Yi , Chen Chuan , Zhao Lanqin , Wu Xiaohang , Dongye Meimei , Xu Fabao , Jin Chenjin , Zhang Ping , Han Yu , Yan Pisong , Lin Haotian
Published: October 2020

Artificial intelligence (AI) based on deep learning has shown excellent diagnostic performance in detecting various diseases with good-quality clinical images. Recently, AI diagnostic systems developed from ultra-widefield fundus (UWF) images have become popular standard-of-care tools in screening for ocular fundus diseases. However, in real-world settings, these systems must base their diagnoses on images with uncontrolled quality (“passive feeding”), leading to uncertainty about their performance. Here, using 40,562 UWF images, we develop a deep learning–based image filtering system (DLIFS) for detecting and filtering out poor-quality images in an automated fashion such that only good-quality images are transferred to the subsequent AI diagnostic system (“selective eating”). In three independent datasets from different clinical institutions, the DLIFS performed well with sensitivities of 96.9%, 95.6% and 96.6%, and specificities of 96.6%, 97.9% and 98.8%, respectively. Furthermore, we show that the application of our DLIFS significantly improves the performance of established AI diagnostic systems in real-world settings. Our work demonstrates that “selective eating” of real-world data is necessary and needs to be considered in the development of image-based AI systems.
Machine learning enables improved runtime and precision for bio-loggers on seabirds
Authors: Korpela Joseph , Suzuki Hirokazu , Matsumoto Sakiko , Mizutani Yuichi , Samejima Masaki , Maekawa Takuya , Nakai Junichi , Yoda Ken
Published: October 2020

Unravelling the secrets of wild animals is one of the biggest challenges in ecology, with bio-logging (i.e., the use of animal-borne loggers or bio-loggers) playing a pivotal role in tackling this challenge. Bio-logging allows us to observe many aspects of animals’ lives, including their behaviours, physiology, social interactions, and external environment. However, bio-loggers have short runtimes when collecting data from resource-intensive (high-cost) sensors. This study proposes using AI on board video-loggers in order to use low-cost sensors (e.g., accelerometers) to automatically detect and record complex target behaviours that are of interest, reserving their devices’ limited resources for just those moments. We demonstrate our method on bio-loggers attached to seabirds including gulls and shearwaters, where it captured target videos with 15 times the precision of a baseline periodic-sampling method. Our work will provide motivation for more widespread adoption of AI in bio-loggers, helping us to shed light onto until now hidden aspects of animals’ lives.
Safety of Food Additives in Europe
Authors: Barlow Susan M.
Published: October 2020

The use of additives in foods traded within the EU is strictly controlled by legislation, which can be amended to include newly approved additives or to delete additives that are no longer approved. Food additives can only be approved for inclusion in EU permitted lists by decision of the European Commission and member states, who are the risk managers. Before making any approvals, a full risk assessment is carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which advises the risk managers. EFSA considers all safety aspects of an additive, including technical, toxicological and exposure data. If there are no safety concerns, EFSA sets an acceptable daily intake (ADI). The ADI is compared with estimates of exposure to the food additive, including both average and high exposure estimates for the population and relevant subgroups. If estimated exposure exceeds the ADI, it is the task of risk managers to impose any necessary restrictions on the uses and use levels of the additive in foods. Once marketed, the monitoring of consumer exposure to food additives by the member states ensures that ADIs are not being exceeded. Since 2008, EFSA has been conducting a re-evaluation of all food additives currently permitted in the EU market that includes consideration of all published literature and documentation submitted by manufacturers and other interested parties. This has already resulted in some additives being removed from the permitted lists and in the lowering or raising of ADIs set previously.
Individual Additives: Additives Permitted in the EU in 2020
Authors: Saltmarsh Mike
Published: October 2020

This chapter considers each of the 395 individual additives permitted in the EU. With contributions from experts in every type of additive in order to ensure that it is factually accurate and objective it describes their sources, functions, benefits and limitations to their use. Additives can be natural minerals, natural extracts from a wide variety of vegetable matter, seeds, gums, resins, waxes, algae, and some are synthetic. Each is included in food for a particular reason and the benefits of using the specific additive and the limitations on their use, both technical and legislative, are outlined.
Collagen/heparin scaffold combined with vascular endothelial growth factor promotes the repair of neurological function in rats with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Zhang Jian , Liu Xiaoyin , Ma Ke , Chen Miao , Xu Huiyou , Niu Xuegang , Gu Haoran , Wang Renjie , Chen Xuyi , Sun HongTao
Published: October 2020

The objective of this study was to evaluate the therapy effects of a novel biological scaffold containing heparin, collagen and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in treating traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Gold(i) complexes based on six-membered phosphorus heterocycles as bio-active molecules against brain cancer
Authors: Roesch Saskia , Fermi Valentina , Rominger Frank , Herold-Mende Christel , Romero-Nieto Carlos
Published: October 2020

π-Systems based on six-membered phosphorus heterocycles are promising tools to investigate brain cancer.
Iron-catalyzed carbonylative cyclization of γ,δ-unsaturated aromatic oxime esters with amines
Authors: Zhang Youcan , Wu Xiao-Feng
Published: October 2020

An efficient iron-catalyzed carbonylative cyclization of γ,δ-unsaturated aromatic oxime esters with amines has been developed.
Vacancies in graphene: an application of adiabatic quantum optimization
Authors: Carnevali Virginia , Siloi Ilaria , Di Felice Rosa , Fornari Marco
Published: October 2020

Interactions that dominate carbon-vacancy interchange were modeled on a quantum annealer. The method exploits the ground state and the excited states to extract the possible arrangements of vacancies in graphene and their relative formation energies.
Arsenic adsorption on hematite facets: spectroscopy and DFT study
Authors: Yan Li , Chan Tingshan , Jing Chuanyong
Published: October 2020

Surface bonding chemistry regulated by facet specific active sites is the intrinsic nature of facet-dependent arsenic adsorption on Fe2O3 facets.
Introductory lecture: air quality in megacities
Authors: Molina Luisa T.
Published: October 2020

This introduction provides an overview of air quality in megacities, sources and atmospheric processing of emissions, impacts on health and climate, mitigation strategies, and challenges of COVID-19.
Effects of in vitro digestion–fermentation over global antioxidant response and short chain fatty acid production of beet waste extracts in Ca(ii)–alginate beads
Authors: Aguirre-Calvo Tatiana Rocio , Molino Silvia , Perullini Mercedes , Rufián-Henares José Ángel , Santagapita Patricio R.
Published: October 2020

The effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion–fermentation was analyzed on antioxidant capacity, total phenols and production of SCFAs from biocompounds derived from beet waste encapsulated in different formulations of Ca(ii)–alginate beads.
8th International symposium on delivery of functionality in complex food systems (DOF 2019)
Authors: Vicente António A. , Boland Mike , Livney Yoav D.
Published: October 2020

Antonio A. Vicente, Mike Boland & Yoav D. Livney introduce the Food & Function themed collection on the 8th international symposium on delivery of functionality in complex food systems (DOF 2019).
Ligand-tuned cobalt-containing coordination polymers and applications in water
Authors: Tao Rong , Yang Yike , Zhu Haiyan , Hu Xinyu , Wang Dawei
Published: October 2020

Co-CIA could realize the alkylation of ketones and alcohols, alcohols and alcohols without extra bases and organic solvents, while Co-NCIA was effective for the synthesis of 1-benzyl-2-aryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazoles from various phenylenediamine and benzyl alcohols in water.
Coupling liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry with ultrasonic nebulization for chromium speciation in rice
Authors: Chen Bo-Hao , Jiang Shiuh-Jen
Published: October 2020

Liquid chromatography and dynamic reaction cell inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry are used in tandem for the determination of chromium compounds in rice powder.
Site occupancy preference, electrical transport property and thermoelectric performance of Ba8Cu6−xGe40+x single crystals grown by using different metal fluxes
Authors: Wu Jiazhen , Xu Jingtao , Tanigaki Katsumi
Published: October 2020

Different fluxes, Ga, Bi, In, Sb, and Sn, have been used to grow clathrate Ba8Cu5.3Ge40.7 (BCG) single crystals using a flux method, and BCG single crystals have been successfully synthesized by Bi-, In- and Sn-flux.
Analytical van der Waals interaction potential for faceted nanoparticles
Authors: Lee Brian Hyun-jong , Arya Gaurav
Published: October 2020

The derived analytical potential, which accurately captures the vdW energy landscape of diverse particle shapes, could significantly accelerate simulations of faceted nanoparticles.