bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HIIT and MICT attenuate high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and ER stress via the PERK-ATF4-CHOP signaling pathway
Authors: Yuan Zhang , Xiao-wei Liu , Juan Wei , Xiu-juan Liu , Nian-yun Zhang , Lei Sheng
Published: March 2022

Fatty liver can be induced by dietary habits and lifestyle and is directly related to obesity. Although the benefits of exercise interventions for reduction of liver fat have recently been acknowledged, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, our present study investigated the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation, and explored the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signaling pathways. To establish an obesity model, rats were fed with a normal standard diet or a high-fat diet (45% kcal as fat). Then, both lean and obese rats were divided into three subgroups: sedentary control (LC, OC) groups, high-intensity interval training (LHI, OHI) groups, and moderated-intensity continuous training (LMI, OMI) groups (n = 10). Rats in the exercise group underwent a swimming training protocol for 8 weeks. After the experimental period, serum and liver tissues from different groups were dissected for morphological and biochemical analyses. The results showed that with HIIT and MICT interventions, body weight and serum inflammatory markers (e.g., MCP-1, IL-1β, and TNF-α) were reduced in obese rats. Interestingly, HIIT was more effective in ameliorating liver triglyceride content and enhancing mitochondrial metabolic-enzymatic activity than was MICT in obese rats. Both HIIT and MICT conferred beneficial properties through upregulating Nrf2 expression, improving antioxidant enzyme activities and reduction of hepatic ER stress, which may have been regulated by the Bip-mediated PERK-ATF4-CHOP pathway. In conclusion, our findings confirmed the effectiveness of HIIT and MICT, particularly HIIT, in mitigating hepatic lipid accumulation.
From Cancer Epidemiology to Policy and Practice: the Role of a Comprehensive Cancer Center
Authors: Hiatt Robert A. , Sibley Amanda , Venkatesh Brinda , Cheng Joyce , Dixit Niharika , Fox Rena , Ling Pamela , Nguyen Tung , Oh Debora , Palmer Nynikka R. , Pasick Rena J. , Potter Michael B. , Somsouk Ma , Vargas Roberto Ariel , Vijayaraghavan Maya , Ashworth Alan
Published: March 2022

Purpose of Review

Cancer incidence and mortality are decreasing, but inequities in outcomes persist. This paper describes the San Francisco Cancer Initiative (SF CAN) as a model for the systematic application of epidemiological evidence to reduce the cancer burden and associated inequities.

Recent Findings

SF CAN is a multi-institutional implementation of existing evidence on the prevention and early detection of five common cancers (i.e., breast, prostate, colorectal, liver, and lung/tobacco-related cancers) accounting for 50% of cancer deaths in San Francisco. Five Task Forces follow individual logic models designating inputs, outputs, and outcomes. We describe the progress made and the challenges faced by each Task Force after 5 years of activity.

SF CAN is a model for how the nation’s Comprehensive Cancer Centers are ideally positioned to leverage cancer epidemiology for evidence-based initiatives that, along with genuine community engagement and multiple stakeholders, can reduce the population burden of cancer.
Momentary Emotion Goals and Spontaneous Emotion Regulation in Daily Life: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study of Desire for High Versus Low Arousal Positive Emotion
Authors: Swerdlow Benjamin A. , Sandel Devon B. , Pearlstein Jennifer G. , Johnson Sheri L.
Published: March 2022

Recent research has highlighted that emotion regulation strategy use varies both between and within people, and specific individual and contextual differences shape strategy use. Further, use of specific emotion regulation strategies relates to a wide array of differential outcomes, including mental health and behavior. Emotion goals (desire for a given emotion state) are thought to play a particularly important role in shaping people’s use of emotion regulation strategies; yet, surprisingly little is known about whether and how momentary emotion goals predict spontaneous strategy use in daily life. In the present investigation, we examined whether ideal desire for high versus low arousal positive affect was associated with subsequent use of specific emotion regulation strategies. Undergraduate participants (final N = 101) completed ecological momentary assessments (final ks = 1,932 for contemporaneous analyses, 1,386 for time-lagged analyses) of their momentary experienced affect, momentary desire for high versus low arousal positive affect, and emotion regulation. Desire for higher arousal predicted greater use of three disengagement strategies: distraction, expressive suppression, and experiential suppression. None of these strategies, though, were associated with sustained enhancement of high arousal (or low arousal) positive affect. These findings point to a possible disconnect between the strategies that people tend to use when they want to feel more arousal and the affective outcomes associated with use of those strategies.
On the centrifugal effect in turbulent rotating thermal convection: onset and heat transport
Authors: Hu Yun-Bing , Xie Yi-Chao , Xia Ke-Qing
Published: March 2022

The effect of centrifugal force in turbulent rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RRBC) is studied experimentally in an aspect-ratio $\varGamma =1$ cylindrical convection cell and in the ranges of the Froude number $0.004\leq Fr \leq 0.363$ and the Rayleigh number $2.8\times 10^8 \leq Ra \leq 9.5\times 10^9$, and with the Prandtl number fixed at $Pr=4.34$. We use the bulk temperature anomaly to determine the onset Froude number $Fr_c$, beyond which the centrifugal effects cannot be regarded as insignificant. It is found that $Fr_c$ depends on $Ra$ as $Fr_c\sim Ra^{0.53}$, which may be understood qualitatively by the idea of local force balance. For $Fr>Fr_c$, the centrifugal effect is more pronounced for smaller $Ra$, which is also found for larger constant $1/Ro$. This implies that the response of the system to the centrifugal force depends on the flow states, which, in RRBC, is mainly determined by the competition between the buoyancy and Coriolis forces. Detailed analysis of the sidewall temperature signal shows results consistent with those obtained from the bulk temperature. Based on the above results, we propose a different division of the $1/Ro$–$Fr$ phase space than previously suggested. For the heat transport, the results under fixed $1/Ro$ show well-defined $Nu$–$Ra$ scalings, which can provide a better prediction for the heat transport when extrapolating to the unexplored regions in the phase space.
Leonardo da Vinci Studies: The State of the Field at the 500th Anniversary of the Artist's Death
Authors: Fiorani Francesca
Published: March 2022

Leonardo da Vinci studies are in effect two different—almost antagonistic—domains: a narrowly defined field that is so specialized that it scares scholars away (it takes years of dedicated work to learn how to deal with Leonardo's legacy), and a phenomenon of popular culture that is so massive that news about the artist's works makes headlines worldwide. Both aspects of Leonardo studies—the specialized scholarship and the vast public interest—grew exponentially in the past few decades and exploded in 2019, the year that marked the 500th anniversary of the artist's death. Although they only rarely come together, their convergence may offer the best hope for the future of Leonardo studies. Indeed, the recent anniversary provided a reminder that Leonardo da Vinci still touches the imagination of scholars and the general public in ways that force us to ask what is it that connects to our current age. Why is the study of this master of visualization, who made visible what could not be seen—vessels, muscles, water vortexes, wind, the intentions of people's minds—in diagrams, maps, sketches, figurative images, and paintings, significant for the current historical moment? Can we learn something from Leonardo studies—and, more broadly, from Renaissance studies, of which Leonardo studies are a part—as we struggle to find new frameworks to teach, research, innovate, and communicate with one another, or, to quote the mission statement of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, “to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive”?
From Fallen Women to Citizen Mothers: Gendered Carcerality in Pahlavi Iran
Authors: Nikpour Golnar
Published: March 2022

Modern carcerality in Iran, with its attendant systems of surveillance, policing, and mass imprisonment, was a gendered project from the outset. In turn, the new modern prisons of the Pahlavi era (1925–79) provoked gendered anxieties about seemingly rising rates of female and child criminality, the deteriorating family unit, and the inherent sin and vice of life in a modern city. In general, it is difficult to overstate the wholesale changes that the modern carceral system has brought to Iran. The establishment of modern prisons, an effort begun in the first decades of the 20th century, has led to an enduring transformation in social worlds for Iranians of all genders. For much of Iran's pre-20th-century history, forced confinement of any kind was a relative rarity, legal practices and norms were diffuse and diverse, and long periods of incarceration were virtually nonexistent. The conceit of prisoner reform central to the modern penitentiary model—wherein centralized modern governments imagine prisons as rehabilitative spaces in which socially undesirable “criminals” can be reformed into good “citizens”— is nowhere found in the archive of Iran's pre-20th-century punishments.
Energy optimised D* AUV path planning with obstacle avoidance and ocean current environment
Authors: Sun Bing , Zhang Wei , Li Shiqi , Zhu Xixi
Published: March 2022

For the path planning of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in the ocean environment, in addition to the planned path length and safe obstacle avoidance, it is also necessary to pay attention to the impact of ocean currents on the planned path. Therefore, this paper improves the original D* algorithm, and adds the obstacle cost item and the steering angle cost item as constraints on the basis of the original cost function, thus ensuring the navigation safety of the AUV. Considering that ocean currents have a greater impact on the energy consumption of AUVs, this paper establishes a cost model for the impact of ocean currents on AUV energy consumption and applies it to the D* path planning algorithm, so that AUVs can use ocean currents to reduce energy consumption, which can be seen through simulation experiments. The simulation results show that the improvement of the algorithm can plan an optimal energy consumption path.
A method to explore strategies to communicate user experience through storyboards: an automotive design case study
Authors: Rodda Jacob , Ranscombe Charlie , Kuys Blair
Published: March 2022

An engaging user experience is an increasingly important design characteristic in the automotive industry. Compared with physical design characteristics (form, material, mechanical design, appearance), automotive designers find UX (user experience) challenging to communicate during the early stages of the design process without investing in expensive prototypes and/or models. This paper presents the development of a method to explore strategies to communicate UX through the medium of storyboards early in the design process. The method enables links to be drawn between the design tool of storyboarding and the attributes of theoretical UX outlined in theoretical frameworks. By applying this method in a case study of a storyboard created by Ford Design Asia Pacific, we identify how the theoretical attributes of UX are manifested, and we also highlight certain attributes of UX that are difficult to convey during the early phases of automotive design. This research thus contributes a method relevant to practice that assists with effectively communicating UX in early-stage automotive design where higher fidelity prototyping is unviable. Additionally, it enables the study of storyboard outcomes in the design process to assess the degree to which the intended UX is communicated. In doing so, it contributes a first step toward formalizing the analysis of UX in concept design, which in turn opens up this highly subjective area to further research in the automated analysis of conceptual design and even generative design.
On Church’s thesis in cubical assemblies
Authors: Swan Andrew W. , Uemura Taichi
Published: March 2022

We show that Church’s thesis, the axiom stating that all functions on the naturals are computable, does not hold in the cubical assemblies model of cubical type theory. We show that nevertheless Church’s thesis is consistent with univalent type theory by constructing a lex modality in cubical assemblies such that Church’s thesis holds in the corresponding reflective subuniverse.
RETRACTED - THE KRONECKER–WEYL EQUIDISTRIBUTION THEOREM AND GEODESICS IN 3-MANIFOLDS
Authors: BECK J. , CHEN W. W. L.
Published: March 2022

Given any rectangular polyhedron

$3$

-manifold

$\mathcal {P}$

tiled with unit cubes, we find infinitely many explicit directions related to cubic algebraic numbers such that all half-infinite geodesics in these directions are uniformly distributed in

$\mathcal {P}$

.
Longing for the Tonic in Robert Schumann's ‘Meine Rose’ Op. 90 No. 2 andFantasiestückOp. 73 No. 1
Authors: Suurpää Lauri
Published: March 2022

This article studies two late works by Schumann: the Lied ‘Meine Rose’, Op. 90 No. 2 (1850), and theFantasiestück, Op. 73 No. 1, for clarinet and piano (1849). It analyses the works in the light of nineteenth-century developments in approaches to the treatment of tonality. Both ‘Meine Rose’ and theFantasiestückare miniatures and can thus be linked with music-making in private salons. The choice of the two works is based on musical as well as aesthetic factors. Musically, they both avoid confirming their main tonic in a firm manner, a feature that the article links with aesthetics of the time. Most importantly, the music's inability to secure a firm tonal centre can be associated with early nineteenth-century aesthetics of longing: in the same way that unsuccessful attempts to secure the tonic underlie the two Schumann works, so contemporaneous aesthetics saw human existence as being governed by unfulfilled longing. The paper argues that in ‘Meine Rose’ the Romantic ideology can be connected to transcendental qualities associated with nature, while theFantasiestückcan be associated more generally with infinity and longing. In both works, it is precisely Schumann's special treatment of the tonic, drastically departing from Classical conventions, that justifies connecting the works with these aesthetic issues.
Response of smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus) accessions from Argentina to herbicides from multiple sites of action
Authors: Scursoni Julio A. , Tuesca Daniel , Balassone Federico , Morello Juan P. , Herrera Daniela Medina , Lescano María C. , Bulacio Nicolás Montero , Crespo Roberto J. , Depetris Mara B. , Vila-Aiub Martin M.
Published: March 2022

Smooth pigweed is one of the most troublesome weeds in Argentina. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of 50 smooth pigweed accessions to fomesafen, topramezone, glyphosate, 2,4-D, and dicamba. Accessions were collected from soybean fields in various cropping areas in Argentina. The herbicide treatments included 2,4-D (1,140 g ae ha−1), dicamba (560 g ae ha−1), fomesafen (250 g ai ha−1), topramezone (34 g ai ha−1), and glyphosate (1,080 g ae ha−1). Plant survival was evaluated 30 d after each treatment application. Of the smooth pigweed accessions tested, 84% and 76% were susceptible (0% survival) to 2,4-D and dicamba, respectively. More than 90% of the accessions showed high (>60%) survival to glyphosate. While none of the accessions showed total sensitivity (0% survival) to the other herbicides evaluated, 43% and 72% of the accessions showed greater than 60% survival to fomesafen and topramezone, respectively. The differences in survival among accessions confirm the existence of genetic variability in Argentinian smooth pigweed and suggest that weed management practices should be prioritized to preserve the efficacy of these commonly used herbicides.
Mechanisms Controlling Carbon Sinks in Semi‐Arid Mountain Ecosystems
Authors: Guo Weichao , Safeeq Mohammad , Liu Hongyan , Wu Xiuchen , Cui Guotao , Ma Qin , Goulden Michael L. , Lindeskog Mats , Bales Roger C.
Published: March 2022

Feedbacks between the intertwined water and carbon cycles in semi‐arid mountain ecosystems can introduce large uncertainties into projections of carbon storage. In this study, we sought to understand the influence of key mechanisms on carbon balances, focusing on an ecosystem whose complex terrain and large interannual variability in precipitation adds to its vulnerability to warming. We applied a dynamic vegetation‐ecosystem model (Lund‐Potsdam‐Jena General Ecosystem Simulator) to simulate water‐carbon interactions in the 104,512 km2 Mediterranean‐climate ecosystems of California's Sierra Nevada for 1950–2099. Our 48 scenarios include a combination of carbon dioxide (CO2) increase, air temperature change, and varying plant rooting depths. We found that with warming (+2 and +5°C), water limitations on growth and enhanced soil respiration reduce carbon storage; however, CO2 fertilization and associated enhanced water‐use efficiency offset this loss. Using the 4 km model resolution to capture steep mountain precipitation gradients, plus accounting for the several meters of actual root‐accessible water storage in the region, were also important. With warming accompanied by CO2 fertilization our projections show that the Sierra Nevada sequestering at least 200 Tg (2 kg m−2) carbon, versus carbon loss with warming alone. The increase reflects coniferous forests growing at high elevations, and some increase in broadleaved forests at low‐to‐intermediate elevations. Importantly, uncertainty in fire disturbance could shift our finding from carbon sink to source. The improved mechanistic understanding of these feedbacks can advance modeling of carbon‐water interactions in mountain‐ecosystem under a warmer and potentially drier climate.
Quantifying the Impact of Bedrock Topography Uncertainty in Pine Island Glacier Projections for This Century
Authors: Wernecke Andreas , Edwards Tamsin L. , Holden Philip B. , Edwards Neil R. , Cornford Stephen L.
Published: March 2022

The predicted Antarctic contribution to global‐mean sea‐level rise is one of the most uncertain among all major sources. Partly this is because of instability mechanisms of the ice flow over deep basins. Errors in bedrock topography can substantially impact the projected resilience of glaciers against such instabilities. Here we analyze the Pine Island Glacier topography to derive a statistical model representation. Our model allows for inhomogeneous and spatially dependent uncertainties and avoids unnecessary smoothing from spatial averaging or interpolation. A set of topography realizations is generated representing our best estimate of the topographic uncertainty in ice sheet model simulations. The bedrock uncertainty alone creates a 5%–25% uncertainty in the predicted sea level rise contribution at year 2100, depending on friction law and climate forcing. Pine Island Glacier simulations on this new set are consistent with simulations on the BedMachine reference topography but diverge from Bedmap2 simulations.
Configuration of Magnetotail Current Sheet Prior to Magnetic Reconnection Onset
Authors: An Xin , Artemyev Anton , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Runov Andrei , Lu San , Pritchett Philip
Published: March 2022

The magnetotail current sheet configuration determines magnetic reconnection properties that control the substorm onset, one of the most energetic phenomena in the Earth’s magnetosphere. The quiet‐time current sheet is often approximated as a two‐dimensional (2D) magnetic field configuration balanced by isotropic plasma pressure gradients. However, reconnection onset is preceded by the current sheet thinning and the formation of a nearly one‐dimensional (1D) magnetic field configuration. In this study, using particle‐in‐cell simulations, we investigate the force balance of such thin current sheets when they are driven by plasma inflow. We demonstrate that the magnetic field configuration transitions from 2D to 1D thanks to the formation of plasma pressure nongyrotropy and reveal its origin in the nongyrotropic terms of the ion distributions. We show that substorm onset may be controlled by the instability and dynamics of such nongyrotropic current sheets, having properties much different from the most commonly investigated 2D isotropic configuration.
Impulsive Noise Suppressing Method in Power Line Communication System Using Sparse Iterative Covariance Estimation
Authors: Liu Zaihui , Li Youming , Shi Shoudong
Published: March 2022

Power line communication (PLC) is severely affected by impulsive noise, especially asynchronous impulsive noise with high power spectral density and short duration. This paper presents an asynchronous impulsive noise suppression method in PLC system. Based on the component of the asynchronous impulsive noise and the background noise extracted from the received signal by using a null subcarrier matrix, a sparse iterative covariance estimation method is proposed. A optimization problem for estimating impulsive noise power is formed based on a minimum covariance matrix fitting criterion, and the impulsive noise power is then obtained by an iterative algorithm. After that, the impulsive noise is estimated by using the linear minimum mean square estimate method and subtracted from the received signal. Finally, simulation results show that the proposed method can achieve better performance in terms of bit error rate, and has lower computational complexity.
Self-supervised optimization of random material microstructures in the small-data regime
Authors: Rixner Maximilian , Koutsourelakis Phaedon-Stelios
Published: March 2022

While the forward and backward modeling of the process-structure-property chain has received a lot of attention from the materials’ community, fewer efforts have taken into consideration uncertainties. Those arise from a multitude of sources and their quantification and integration in the inversion process are essential in meeting the materials design objectives. The first contribution of this paper is a flexible, fully probabilistic formulation of materials’ optimization problems that accounts for the uncertainty in the process-structure and structure-property linkages and enables the identification of optimal, high-dimensional, process parameters. We employ a probabilistic, data-driven surrogate for the structure-property link which expedites computations and enables handling of non-differential objectives. We couple this with a problem-tailored active learning strategy, i.e., a self-supervised selection of training data, which significantly improves accuracy while reducing the number of expensive model simulations. We demonstrate its efficacy in optimizing the mechanical and thermal properties of two-phase, random media but envision that its applicability encompasses a wide variety of microstructure-sensitive design problems.
Feeding behavior and activity levels are associated with recovery status in dairy calves treated with antimicrobials for Bovine Respiratory Disease
Authors: Cantor M. C. , Renaud David L. , Neave Heather W. , Costa Joao H. C.
Published: March 2022

Calves with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) have different feeding behavior and activity levels prior to BRD diagnosis when compared to healthy calves, but it is unknown if calves who relapse from their initial BRD diagnosis are behaviorally different from calves who recover. Using precision technologies, we aimed to identify associations of feeding behavior and activity with recovery status in dairy calves (recovered or relapsed) over the 10 days after first antimicrobial treatment for BRD. Dairy calves were health scored daily for a BRD bout (using a standard respiratory scoring system and lung ultrasonography) and received antimicrobial therapy (enrofloxacin) on day 0 of initial BRD diagnosis; 10–14 days later, recovery status was scored as either recovered or relapsed (n = 19 each). Feeding behaviors and activity were monitored using automated feeders and pedometers. Over the 10 days post-treatment, recovered calves showed improvements in starter intake and were generally more active, while relapsed calves showed sickness behaviors, including depressed feed intake, and longer lying times. These results suggest there is a new potential for precision technology devices on farms in evaluating recovery status of dairy calves that are recently treated for BRD; there is opportunity to automatically identify relapsing calves before re-emergence of clinical disease.
A novel approach for reliable qualitative and quantitative prey spectra identification of carnivorous plants combining DNA metabarcoding and macro photography
Authors: Krueger Thilo , Cross Adam T. , Hübner Jeremy , Morinière Jérôme , Hausmann Axel , Fleischmann Andreas
Published: March 2022

Prey spectra (the number and composition of captured arthropods) represent a crucial aspect of carnivorous plant ecology, yet remain poorly studied. Traditional morphology-based approaches for prey identification are time-intensive, require specialists with considerable knowledge of arthropod taxonomy, and are hampered by high numbers of unidentifiable (i.e., heavily digested) prey items. We examined prey spectra of three species of closely-related annual Drosera (Droseraceae, sundews) from tropical northern Australia using a novel DNA metabarcoding approach with in-situ macro photography as a plausibility control and to facilitate prey quantity estimations. This new method facilitated accurate analyses of carnivorous plant prey spectra (even of heavily digested prey lacking characteristic morphological features) at a taxonomic resolution and level of completeness far exceeding morphology-based methods and approaching the 100% mark at arthropod order level. Although the three studied species exhibited significant differences in detected prey spectra, little prey specialisation was observed and habitat or plant population density variations were likely the main drivers of prey spectra dissimilarity.
An end-to-end computer vision methodology for quantitative metallography
Authors: Rusanovsky Matan , Beeri Ofer , Oren Gal
Published: March 2022

Metallography is crucial for a proper assessment of material properties. It mainly involves investigating the spatial distribution of grains and the occurrence and characteristics of inclusions or precipitates. This work presents a holistic few-shot artificial intelligence model for Quantitative Metallography, including Anomaly Detection, that automatically quantifies the degree of the anomaly of impurities in alloys. We suggest the following examination process: (1) deep semantic segmentation is performed on the inclusions (based on a suitable metallographic dataset of alloys and corresponding tags of inclusions), producing inclusions masks that are saved into a separated dataset. (2) Deep image inpainting is performed to fill the removed inclusions parts, resulting in ‘clean’ metallographic images, which contain the background of grains. (3) Grains’ boundaries are marked using deep semantic segmentation (based on another metallographic dataset of alloys), producing boundaries that are ready for further inspection on the distribution of grains’ size. (4) Deep anomaly detection and pattern recognition is performed on the inclusions masks to determine spatial, shape, and area anomaly detection of the inclusions. Finally, the end-to-end model recommends an expert on areas of interest for further examination. The physical result can re-tune the model according to the specific material at hand. Although the techniques presented here were developed for metallography analysis, most of them can be generalized to a broader set of microscopy problems that require automation. All source-codes as well as the datasets that were created for this work, are publicly available at https://github.com/Scientific-Computing-Lab-NRCN/MLography.
Design, synthesis and bioactive properties of a class of macrocycles with tunable functional groups and ring size
Authors: Thurakkal Liya , Nanjan Pandurangan , Porel Mintu
Published: March 2022

The design and synthesis of a versatile class of macrocycles with tunable functional groups and ring size are unfolded. Herein, a synthetic strategy is reported to furnish a new class of macrocycles in multi-gram scale in a two-step reaction. The total time taken for synthesizing a macrocycle is 1.5 h. Dithiocarbamates, an important functional group in biomedical and material sciences, is strategically incorporated in the macrocyclic backbone without metal for the first time. It is noteworthy that when state-of-the-art macrocycle synthesis is in millimolar concentration, this work employs the reaction in molar concentration (0.2–0.4 M). As proof-of-principle, a library of macrocycles was synthesized, varying the functional groups and ring size. The physicochemical properties of macrocycles revealed their druggable nature and are affirmed by protein (serum albumin) interaction study theoretically and experimentally. Diverse functional groups and ring sizes of macrocycles brought about twenty-five-fold difference in binding constant with the model protein.
Eye orbit effects on eyeball resonant frequencies and acoustic tonometer measurements
Authors: Shih Po-Jen , Wu Shao-Jie , Sung Ya-Hsing , Tung Yu-Ting , Chang Chia-Yu , Hatamie Shadie , Dai Zhi-Xuan
Published: March 2022

The eye orbit has mechanical and acoustic characteristics that determine resonant frequencies and amplify acoustic signals in certain frequency ranges. These characteristics also interfere with the acoustic amplitudes and frequencies of eyeball when measured with an acoustic tonometer. A model in which a porcine eyeball was embedded in ultrasonic conductive gel in the orbit of a model skull was used to simulate an in vivo environment, and the acoustic responses of eyeballs were detected. The triggering source was a low-power acoustic speaker contacting the occipital bone, and the detector was a high-resolution microphone with a dish detecting the acoustic signals without contacting the cornea. Dozens of ex vivo porcine eyeballs were tested at various intraocular pressure levels to detect their resonant frequencies and acoustic amplitudes in their power spectra. We confirmed that the eyeballs’ resonant frequencies were proportional to intraocular pressure, but interference from orbit effects decreased the amplitudes in these resonant frequency ranges. However, we observed that the frequency amplitudes of eyeballs were correlated with intraocular pressure in other frequency ranges. We investigated eye orbit effects and demonstrated how they interfere with the eyeball’s resonant frequencies and frequency amplitudes. These results are useful for developing advanced acoustic tonometer.
COVID-19 in liver transplant recipients: incidence, hospitalization and outcome in an Italian prospective double-centre study
Authors: Guarino Maria , Cossiga Valentina , Loperto Ilaria , Esposito Ilaria , Ortolani Rosanna , Fiorentino Andrea , Pontillo Giuseppina , De Coppi Lucia , Cozza Valentina , Galeota Lanza Alfonso , Di Costanzo Giovanni Giuseppe , Picciotto Francesco Paolo , Morisco Filomena
Published: March 2022

Liver transplant (LT) recipients are vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2-infection (COVID-19), due to immunosuppression and comorbidities. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on LT recipients compared to general population in the Campania region. In this prospective double-centre study, we enrolled all consecutive adult LT recipients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2-infection. Data were collected at diagnosis of COVID-19 and during follow-up and compared with the regional population. Thirty LT recipients (3.28%) developed SARS-CoV-2-infection (76.66% male, median age 62.61 years). Sixteen (53.33%) were symptomatic. Common symptoms were fever, cough, fatigue, and anosmia. Twenty-five (83.33%) were outpatients, 5 (16.66%) required hospitalization (6.66% admitted to Intensive Care Unit, 6.62% developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and 6.66% died). Immunosuppressors were in 3 (10%) patients. Incidence rate of COVID-19 was similar between LT patients and general population (3.28% vs 4.37%, p = 0.142) with higher rate of symptoms in LT patients (53.33% vs 15.87%, p < 0.000). At univariate analysis, hospitalization and case fatality rates were higher in LT patients compared to general population (16.66% vs 4.54%, p = 0.001; and 6.66% vs 1.76%, p = 0.041, respectively). At multivariable logistic regression analysis, LT patients with COVID-19 were more frequently symptomatic (OR 5.447 [95% CI 2.437–12.177], p < 0.000), whereas hospitalization and death for COVID-19 were not significatively associated with LT condition (p = 0.724 and p = 0.462, respectively) and were comparable with general population. LT is not a risk factor for acquiring COVID-19. Nonetheless, LT patients are more frequently symptomatic, although comparable to the general population for hospitalization rate and mortality.
Variability and agreement of frailty measures and risk of falls, hospital admissions and mortality in TILDA
Authors: Kim Dani J. , Massa M. Sofia , Clarke Robert , Scarlett Siobhan , O’Halloran Aisling M. , Kenny Rose Anne , Bennett Derrick
Published: March 2022

Little is known about the within-person variability of different frailty instruments, their agreement over time, and whether use of repeat assessments could improve the strength of associations with adverse health outcomes. Repeat measurements recorded in 2010–2011 (Wave 1) and 2012 (Wave 2) from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) were used to classify individuals with frailty using the frailty phenotype (FP) and frailty index (FI). Within-person variability and agreement of frailty classifications were assessed using ANOVA and kappa (K) statistics, respectively. Associations of each frailty measure (wave 1, wave 2, or mean of both waves) with risk of falls, hospitalisations and all-cause mortality were assessed using logistic regression. Among 7455 individuals (mean age 64.7 [SD 9.9] years), within-person SD was 0.664 units (95% CI 0.654–0.671) for FP and 2 health deficits (SD 0.050 [0.048–0.051]) for FI. Agreement of frailty was modest for both measures, but higher for FI (K 0.600 [0.584–0.615]) than FP (K 0.370 [0.348–0.401]). The odds ratios (ORs) for all-cause mortality were higher for frailty assessed using the mean of two versus single measurements for FI (ORs for mortality 3.5 [2.6–4.9] vs. 2.7 [1.9–3.4], respectively) and FP (ORs for mortality 6.9 [4.6–10.3] vs. 4.0 [2.8–5.635], respectively). Frailty scores based on single measurements had substantial within-person variability, but the agreement in classification of frailty was higher for FI than FP. Frailty assessed using the mean of two or more measurements recorded at separate visits was more strongly associated with adverse health outcomes than those recorded at a single visit.
Intensity changes of Indian Ocean dipole mode in a carbon dioxide removal scenario
Authors: An Soon-Il , Park Hyo-Jin , Kim Soong-Ki , Shin Jongsoo , Yeh Sang-Wook , Kug Jong-Seong
Published: March 2022

The Indian Ocean Dipole/Zonal mode (IOD) is an interannual phenomenon over the tropical Indian Ocean, causing a pronounced impact worldwide. Here, we investigate the mechanism of the change in IOD characteristics in a CO2 removal simulation for an earth system model (ESM). As the CO2 concentration increases, the intensity of IOD tends to increase, but at high CO2 concentrations, further increases decrease the IOD intensity. The minimum IOD amplitude was recorded during the early decrease in CO2. First, we developed a conceptual model for IOD that is composed of local air-sea coupled feedback, delayed ocean dynamics, El Niño impact, and noise forcing. Then, by adopting ESM results into this simple IOD model, we revealed that the local air–sea coupled feedback is a major factor for changing IOD amplitude, while El Niño does not exert a change in IOD amplitude. The local air–sea coupled feedback including thermocline feedback, wind-evaporation feedback, and Ekman feedback is strongly modified by the air–sea coupling strength during progression of a global warming. Consequently, under the higher CO2 concentrations, IOD amplitude is reduced due to the weakening of air-sea coupling over tropical Indian Ocean.
Smartphone applications for informal caregivers of chronically ill patients: a scoping review
Authors: Guessi Margarido Milena , Shah Amika , Seto Emily
Published: March 2022

Mobile-health applications can be used to deliver timely and personalized health information to family and friends of chronically ill adults living in the community. This scoping review aims to investigate the nature and extent of native smartphone applications for informal caregivers. Six databases were searched for articles on applications across ten chronic conditions, namely heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic obstructive respiratory disease, asthma, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and mood or anxiety disorders. In total, 36 articles were included, encompassing 26 applications. Of these, smartphone applications were designed for use only by caregivers (n = 15), with a few applications also intended to be used with patients (n = 5), healthcare providers (n = 4), or all three roles (n = 2). Most applications targeted a single chronic condition (n = 25), with Alzheimer’s and other dementia being the most common (n = 18). Only one application was designed for management of multiple chronic conditions. Long-term evaluation methods are needed to continually assess the impact of applications on a range of process and health outcomes, such as usability, caregiver burden, and quality of life. Additional directions to advance native smartphone applications for caregivers are discussed, including personalization and expansion of eligibility criteria.
β-cell-specific deletion of PFKFB3 restores cell fitness competition and physiological replication under diabetogenic stress
Authors: Min Jie , Ma Feiyang , Seyran Berfin , Pellegrini Matteo , Greeff Oppel , Moncada Salvador , Tudzarova Slavica
Published: March 2022

HIF1α and PFKFB3 play a critical role in the survival of damaged β-cells in type–2 diabetes while rendering β-cells non-responsive to glucose stimulation. To discriminate the role of PFKFB3 from HIF1α in vivo, we generated mice with conditional β-cell specific disruption of the Pfkfb3 gene on a human islet pancreatic polypeptide (hIAPP+/−) background and a high-fat diet (HFD) [PFKFB3βKO + diabetogenic stress (DS)]. PFKFB3 disruption in β-cells under DS led to selective purging of hIAPP-damaged β-cells and the disappearance of insulin- and glucagon positive bihormonal cells. PFKFB3 disruption induced a three-fold increase in β-cell replication as evidenced by minichromosome maintenance 2 protein (MCM2) expression. Unlike high-, lower DS or switch to restricted chow diet abolished HIF1α levels and reversed glucose intolerance of PFKFB3βKO DS mice. Our data suggest that replication and functional recovery of β-cells under DS depend on β-cell competitive and selective purification of HIF1α and PFKFB3-positive β-cells.
Application of an alkali destruction technique and natural deep eutectic solvent for greener extraction from peanut shells: optimization and extraction kinetics study
Authors: Deng Meifeng , Wang Hailong , Geng Shuwen , Guan Xufang , Liang Ning
Published: March 2022

The extraction kinetics studied by the Fick's Law was primly fitted and could provide theoretical guidance for practical production.
Corrole–protein interactions in H-NOX and HasA
Authors: Lemon Christopher M. , Nissley Amos J. , Latorraca Naomi R. , Wittenborn Elizabeth C. , Marletta Michael A.
Published: March 2022

Mutagenesis was utilised to reveal corrole–protein interactions in H-NOX and HasA. The key interaction is a hydrogen bond between the PO unit of the corrole and a protonated histidine residue.
GdIII and GaIII complexes with a new tris-3,4-HOPO ligand as new imaging probes: complex stability, magnetic properties and biodistribution
Authors: Chaves Silvia , Gwizdała Karolina , Chand Karam , Gano Lurdes , Pallier Agnès , Tóth Éva , Santos M. Amélia
Published: March 2022

MIII complexes (M = Ga, Gd) with a new tris-3,4-HOPO ligand (L2) with biotargeting capacity, have been studied for their thermodynamic stability, magnetic properties and in vivo biodistribution, envisaging potential applications in diagnostic imaging.
Conformationally dynamic copper coordination complexes
Authors: Charette Bronte J. , Griffin Paul J. , Zimmerman Claire M. , Olshansky Lisa
Published: March 2022

Spectroscopic and electrochemical investigations into the conformational dynamics of Cu complexes bearing flexible functionalized dipicolylamine (dpa) ligands.
Two-dimensional coordination polymers with high proton conductivity and ultrafast highly efficient molecular sieving constructed by the structural inductive effect
Authors: Zhou Lian , Ruan Mingming , Meng Wei , Wang Qianping , Liu Bo , Xuan Xiaopeng , Zhang Jun
Published: March 2022

We constructed a family of unique 2D layered Cu-based coordination polymers using a zwitterion pyridiniumolate as the structural inductive agent and reported their ultrafast highly-efficient molecular sieving and excellent proton conductivity.
Structural properties of [Cu(ii)3L6] cages: bridged polyatomic anion effects on unprecedented efficiency of heterogeneous catechol oxidation
Authors: Kim Doheon , Gwak Geonwoo , Han Jihun , Kim Dongwon , Jung Ok-Sang
Published: March 2022

Discrete cages or a 4-fold 3D network of Cu3L4 units were constructed depending on the metallophilicity of outside anions. Interestingly, the heterogeneous catalysis is much more effective than its corresponding homogeneous catalysis.
Expression of concern: Metabolic and genetic response to probiotics supplementation in patients with diabetic nephropathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Ross Philippa
Published: March 2022

Expression of concern for ‘Metabolic and genetic response to probiotics supplementation in patients with diabetic nephropathy: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial’ by Alireza Mafi et al., Food Funct., 2018, 9, 4763–4770, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C8FO00888D.
2D material based heterostructures for solar light driven photocatalytic H2production
Authors: Wang Yingying , Ding Zhu , Arif Nayab , Jiang Wei-Chao , Zeng Yu-Jia
Published: March 2022

Recent advances in 2D material based heterostructures for solar light driven photocatalytic H2production are summarized.
Programmed self-assembly of enzyme activity-inhibited nanomedicine for augmenting chemodynamic tumor nanotherapy
Authors: Chang Ling , Huang Hui , Feng Wei , Fu Hao , Qi Fenggang , Liu Jianjun , Chen Yu
Published: March 2022

The satisfactory therapeutic effects of chemodynamic therapy (CDT) dependent solely on endogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from tumor cells are difficult to achieve.
Correction: SuFEx-enabled, chemoselective synthesis of triflates, triflamides and triflimidates
Authors: Li Bing-Yu , Voets Lauren , Van Lommel Ruben , Hoppenbrouwers Fien , Alonso Mercedes , Verhelst Steven H. L. , De Borggraeve Wim M. , Demaerel Joachim
Published: March 2022

Correction for ‘SuFEx-enabled, chemoselective synthesis of triflates, triflamides and triflimidates’ by Bing-Yu Li et al., Chem. Sci., 2022, 13, 2270–2279, DOI: 10.1039/D1SC06267K.
Detection and screening of basic amino acids using the luminescence switching of a WS2 nanosheet–Ag2O nanoparticle composite
Authors: Mani Neema Pallikkarathodi , Sunil Karthika S. , Tomy Ann Mary , Sathyan Bhasha , Cyriac Jobin
Published: March 2022

Detection of basic amino acids, namely, His, Lys and Arg, has been realized using luminescent WS2 nanosheets.
18-Electron half-Heusler compound Ti0.75NiSb with intrinsic Ti vacancies as a promising thermoelectric material
Authors: Luo Feng , Wang Jian , Zhu Can , He Xiong , Zhang Shun , Wang Jiafu , Liu Hongxia , Sun Zhigang
Published: March 2022

Ti vacancies in 18-electron half-Heusler compound Ti0.75NiSb cause lower lattice thermal conductivity.
Organic photodetectors with high detectivity for broadband detection covering UV-vis-NIR
Authors: Xu Congdi , Liu Peng , Feng Chuang , He Zhicai , Cao Yong
Published: March 2022

OPDs with ultra-low dark current density and high detectivity are developed via interfacial and morphological modifications in the ternary device. A highest D* at 1060 nm exceeding 8.2 × 1012 Jones is achieved with fast response and wide LDR.
Synthetized inertial measurement units (IMUs) to evaluate the placement of wearable sensors on human body for motion recognition
Authors: Hoareau Damien , Jodin Gurvan , Chantal Pierre‐Antoine , Bretin Sara , Prioux Jacques , Razan Florence
Published: March 2022

Movement data from athletes are useful to quantify performance or more specifically the workload. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) are useful sensors to quantify body movements. Sensor placement on human body is still an open question that this paper focuses on. A method that develops synthesized inertial data is proposed for determining optimal sensors placement. Comparison between virtual and real inertial data is achieved. Training motion recognition algorithm on synthesized and real inertial data exhibits less than 7% difference. This method highlights the ability of the numerical model to determine relevant sensor placement of IMUs on human body for motion recognition algorithm using virtual sensors.
Faraday tomography of LoTSS-DR2 data
Authors: Erceg Ana , Jelić Vibor , Haverkorn Marijke , Bracco Andrea , Shimwell Timothy W. , Tasse Cyril , Dickey John M. , Ceraj Lana , Drabent Alexander , Hardcastle Martin J. , Turić Luka
Published: March 2022

Context. Observations of synchrotron emission at low radio frequencies reveal a labyrinth of polarised Galactic structures. However, the explanation for the wealth of structures remains uncertain due to the complex interactions between the interstellar medium and the magnetic field. A multi-tracer approach to the analysis of large sky areas is needed.

Aims. This paper aims to use polarimetric images from the LOFAR Two metre Sky Survey to produce the biggest mosaic of polarised emission in the northern sky at low radio frequencies (150 MHz) to date. The large area this mosaic covers allows for detailed morphological and statistical studies of polarised structures in the high-latitude outer Galaxy, including the well-known Loop III region.

Methods. We produced a 3100 square degree Faraday tomographic cube using a rotation measure synthesis tool. We calculated the statistical moments of Faraday spectra and compared them with data sets at higher frequencies (1.4 GHz) and with a map of a rotation measure derived from extragalactic sources.

Results. The mosaic is dominated by polarised emission connected to Loop III. Additionally, the mosaic reveals an abundance of other morphological structures, mainly narrow and extended depolarisation canals, which are found to be ubiquitous.

Conclusions. We find a correlation between the map of an extragalactic rotation measure and the LoTSS first Faraday moment image. The ratio of the two deviates from a simple model of a Burn slab (Burn, B. J. 1966, MNRAS, 133, 67) along the line of sight, which highlights the high level of complexity in the magnetoionic medium that can be studied at these frequencies.