bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Oral Metformin and Polymetformin Reprogram Immunosuppressive Microenvironment and Boost Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Xiong Yang , Song Wantong , Shen Limei , Wang Ying , Zhang Jing , Hu Mengying , Liu Yun , Li Jingjing , Musetti Sara , Liu Rihe , Huang Leaf 
Published: October 2020

AbstractImmune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI), especially PD‐1/PD‐L1 inhibitors, are emerging as promising therapeutic options for patients with advanced tumors, but the response rate in the majority of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients remains low. Herein, the use of metformin (Met) and its polymeric form (Polymet) to enhance the response rate of immune checkpoint blockade therapy is reported. Oral Met and Polymet significantly enhance the antitumor effect of ICI therapy in a murine orthotopic CRC model. Further analyses reveal that Met and Polymet reprogram the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment via activation of adenosine 5′‐monophosphate‐activated protein kinase and inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway, stimulating T cell infiltration into the tumor. Additionally, oral Met and Polymet change the abundance of key microbes in the intestinal environment, including increasing the Lactobacillus population, which should exert tumor‐suppressing activities in the CRC. These findings highlight the potential of combining Met or Polymet with cancer immunotherapy and provide a strategy for sensitizing CRC patients to immune checkpoint blockade therapy.
Gold Nanorod Assisted Enhanced Plasmonic Detection Scheme of COVID‐19 SARS‐CoV‐2 Spike Protein
Authors: Das Chandreyee Manas , Guo Yan , Yang Guang , Kang Lixing , Xu Gaixia , Ho Ho‐Pui , Yong Ken‐Tye 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe beautiful interplay between light and matter can give rise to many striking physical phenomena, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) being one of them. Plasmonic immunosensors monitor refractive index changes that occur as a result of specific ligand–analyte or antibody–antigen interactions taking place on the sensor surface. The coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic has jeopardized the entire world and has resulted in economic slowdown of most countries. In this work, a model of a sandwich plasmonic biosensor that utilizes gold nanorods (Au NRs) for the detection of COVID‐19 SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein is presented. Simulation results for different prismatic configurations for the basic Kretschmann layout are presented. It is found that a BK7 glass prism‐based SPR sensor has an incremental sensitivity of 111.11 deg RIU−1. Additionally, using Comsol Multiphysics the electric field enhancement observed for various aspect ratios and layouts of Au NRs are discussed in depth.
Long Noncoding RNA HITTERS Protects Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells from Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress‐Induced Apoptosis via Promoting MRE11‐RAD50‐NBS1 Complex Formation
Authors: Wu Chenzhou , Chen Wen , Yu Fanyuan , Yuan Yihang , Chen Yafei , Hurst Douglas R. , Li Yi , Li Longjiang , Liu Zhe 
Published: October 2020

AbstractRecent studies have proven that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exhibit regulatory functions of both DNA damage response (DDR) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Herein, ER stress‐induced lncRNA transcriptomic changes are reported in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells and a novel lncRNA HITTERS (H ERPUD1 intronic transcript of ER stress) is identified as the most significantly upregulated lncRNA. It is shown that HITTERS is a nucleus‐located lncRNA including two transcript variants. HITTERS lacks an independent promoter but shares the same promoter with HERPUD1. HITTERS is transcriptionally regulated by Activating Transcription Factor (ATF) 6, ATF4, X‐Box Binding Protein 1 (XBP1), and DNA methylation. In human OSCC tissues, HITTERS is significantly correlated with OSCC clinicopathological features and prognosis. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function studies reveal that HITTERS promotes OSCC proliferation and invasion via influencing the expression of growth factor receptors and the downstream pathways. Once ER stress is triggered, HITTERS significantly attenuates ER stress‐induced apoptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanically, HITTERS functions as RNA scaffold to promote MRE11‐RAD50‐NBS1 complex formation in the repair of ER stress‐induced DNA damage. To sum up, this study presents a novel lncRNA, namely HITTERS, which links ER stress and DDR together in OSCC.
Field‐Induced Ferroelectric Hf1‐xZrxO2 Thin Films for High‐k Dynamic Random Access Memory
Authors: Hyun Seung Dam , Park Hyeon Woo , Park Min Hyuk , Lee Young Hwan , Lee Yong Bin , Kim Beom Yong , Kim Ho Hyun , Kim Baek Su , Hwang Cheol Seong 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe field‐induced ferroelectric Hf1–xZrxO2 (FFE–HZO) thin film is investigated for use as the capacitive layer in the future dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Although the dielectric permittivity of FFE–HZO is as high as ≈80, a high electric field (4 MV cm−1) is needed to activate the FFE mechanism and the accompanying high dielectric permittivity value. The Zr content is adjusted, or field cycling is performed, to obtain a high dielectric permittivity at a low electric‐field region for feasible DRAM operation. As a result, a dielectric permittivity value of 60–80 is achieved in the low field region (0–2 MV cm−1), which coincided with an equivalent oxide thickness of 0.47 nm with a stable leakage current at 0.8 V. The involvement of hysteresis in the polarization‐electric field curve of the film, however, caused significant energy loss (40–60%). Hysteresis engineering using various dopants, and improving the deposition process, annealing process, or passive interfacial layer, should be the next step.
Designing Advanced Vanadium‐Based Materials to Achieve Electrochemically Active Multielectron Reactions in Sodium/Potassium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Chen Mingzhe , Liu Qiannan , Hu Zhe , Zhang Yanyan , Xing Guichuan , Tang Yuxin , Chou Shu‐Lei 
Published: October 2020

AbstractNext‐generation sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs) are considered to be promising alternatives to replace current lithium‐ion batteries due to the high abundance of sodium and potassium resources. New energetic vanadium‐based compounds that undergoes multielectron reactions and demonstrate good sodium/potassium storage capability, provide new solutions for high‐performance SIBs/PIBs in terms of high energy/power density and long‐time cyclability. So far, desirable rich redox centers (V2+‐V5+), consolidated frameworks, and the high theoretical capacities of vanadium‐based compounds have been widely explored for practical applications. Rational materials design utilizing vanadium multiredox centers and the fundamental understanding of their charge‐transfer processes and mechanisms are critical in the development of high‐performance battery systems. The scientific importance and basic design strategies for high performance V‐based anode/cathode materials, structure‐function properties and state‐of‐the‐art understanding of V‐based electrode materials are herein classified and highlighted alongside their design strategies. The important role of the valence electron layer of vanadium, and the scientific advances of vanadium partitions in other electrochemical behaviors are also summarized in detail. Finally, relevant strategies and perspectives discussed in this review provide practical guidance to explore the undiscovered potentials of multi‐electron reaction relationships of not only V‐based composites, but also other types of electrode materials.
Efficient Electrochemical Water Oxidation by a Trinuclear Ru(bda) Macrocycle Immobilized on Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotube Electrodes
Authors: Schindler Dorothee , Gil‐Sepulcre Marcos , Lindner Joachim O. , Stepanenko Vladimir , Moonshiram Dooshaye , Llobet Antoni , Würthner Frank 
Published: October 2020

AbstractCatalytic water splitting is a viable process for the generation of renewable fuels. Here it is reported for the first time that a trinuclear supramolecular Ru(bda) (bda: 2,2′‐bipyridine‐6,6′‐dicarboxylate) catalyst, anchored on multi‐walled carbon nanotubes and subsequently immobilized on glassy carbon electrodes, shows outstanding performance in heterogeneous water oxidation. Activation of the catalyst on anodes by repetitive cyclic voltammetry (CV) scans results in a catalytic current density of 186 mA cm−2 at a potential of 1.45 V versus NHE. The activated catalyst performs water oxidation at an onset overpotential of 330 mV. The remarkably high stability of the hybrid anode is demonstrated by X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and electrochemically, revealing the absence of any degradation after 1.8 million turnovers. Foot of the wave analysis of CV data of activated electrodes with different concentrations of catalyst indicates a monomolecular water nucleophilic attack mechanism with an apparent rate constant of TOFmax (turnover frequency) of 3200 s−1.
Wheat grain and straw yield, grain quality, and disease benefits associated with increased management intensity
Authors: Roth Mitchell G. , Mourtzinis Spyridon , Gaska John M. , Mueller Brian , Roth Adam , Smith Damon L. , Conley Shawn P. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractWheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the third‐most cultivated field crop in the United States and a very important source of nutrition globally. The economic value of wheat motivates farmers to optimize yield and grain quality, which can be obtained with additional inputs that are often expensive. This study investigated three management intensity levels on grain yield, straw yield, grain test weight, and disease on winter wheat in Wisconsin across 4 yr and 20 varieties. All management practices included a pre‐emergence herbicide and N application, with a mid‐level management strategy adding another N application and a single fungicide application to the current strategy, and a high‐level management intensity strategy adding a growth regulator, two micronutrient applications, and another fungicide application to the mid‐level strategy. Our study revealed that increasing management intensity from current strategies to mid‐ or high levels significantly increased grain yields by 0.81–1.22 kg ha−1, straw yields by 1.2–1.2 t ha−1, and grain test weights by 2.6–3.2 kg hl−1, respectively (P < .05). In addition, the high‐level management intensity led to significant reductions in stripe rust incidence and severity, whereas both mid‐ and high‐level management intensity reduced Fusarium head blight incidence and severity, and mycotoxin contamination (P < .001). The economic considerations of intensified management were also examined, and the mid‐ and high‐level management practices resulted in US$306 and US$242 ha−1 greater profit than current management, respectively, as a result of the improved disease protection and yields.
Tillage method and glyphosate‐resistant alfalfa termination timing affect soil properties and subsequent corn yield
Authors: Clark Jason D. , Yost Matt A. , Cardon Grant E. , Ransom Corey V. , Creech J. Earl 
Published: October 2020

AbstractApplication of glyphosate [N‐(phosphonomethyl) glycine]‐containing herbicides and tillage, alone or in combination, has been the standard for removing declining alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stands. With glyphosate no longer an option to control glyphosate‐resistant alfalfa, different termination strategies are needed. Field studies across four site‐years in Utah evaluated the effect of tillage type and timing (fall conventional till, spring conventional till, fall strip‐till, spring strip‐till, and no‐till) and herbicide timing (fall, spring, in‐crop, and no herbicide) of 2,4‐D (2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and dicamba (3,6‐dichloro‐2‐methoxybenzoic acid) on penetration resistance, alfalfa regrowth, corn (Zea mays L.) emergence rate, and silage corn yield. Across tillage treatments, fall, spring, and in‐crop herbicide timings compared with no herbicide reduced alfalfa stem count and biomass by at least 74 and 92%, respectively. Emergence rate was greatest under fall and spring conventional till or spring strip‐till compared with fall strip‐till or no‐till. Silage corn yield was greatest and similar with fall or spring herbicide applications for all tillage systems and conventional tillage with an in‐crop herbicide application (19–27 Mg ha−1), followed by in‐crop herbicide application for conservation tillage systems and fall and spring conventional till without herbicide application (14–20 Mg ha−1), and lastly when only conservation tillage was used to terminate alfalfa (5–15 Mg ha−1). Silage corn yield can be optimized when glyphosate‐resistant alfalfa is terminated with herbicides prior to planting, regardless of tillage type or timing. Termination of glyphosate‐resistant alfalfa by herbicides after corn emergence, depending on tillage, reduces silage corn yield 9–19%.
Integrated cyberattack detection and resilient control strategies using Lyapunov‐based economic model predictive control
Authors: Oyama Henrique , Durand Helen 
Published: October 2020

AbstractThe use of an integrated system framework, characterized by numerous cyber/physical components (sensor measurements, signals to actuators) connected through wired/wireless networks, has not only increased the ability to control industrial systems but also the vulnerabilities to cyberattacks. State measurement cyberattacks could pose threats to process control systems since feedback control may be lost if the attack policy is not thwarted. Motivated by this, we propose three detection concepts based on Lyapunov‐based economic model predictive control (LEMPC) for nonlinear systems. The first approach utilizes randomized modifications to an LEMPC formulation online to potentially detect cyberattacks. The second method detects attacks when a threshold on the difference between state measurements and state predictions is exceeded. Finally, the third strategy utilizes redundant state estimators to flag deviations from “normal” process behavior as cyberattacks.
Separation of propylene and propane with a microporous metal–organic framework via equilibrium‐kinetic synergetic effect
Authors: Ding Qi , Zhang Zhaoqiang , Yu Cong , Zhang Peixin , Wang Jun , Kong Liyun , Cui Xili , He Chao‐Hong , Deng Shuguang , Xing Huabin 
Published: October 2020

AbstractAdsorption separation of olefin and paraffin can greatly lower the energy consumption associated with the currently utilized distillation technique but remains a great challenge. Herein, we report the efficient separation of propylene (C3H6) and propane (C3H8) in a phosphate anion‐functionalized metal–organic framework (MOF) ZnAtzPO4 by synergetic effect of equilibrium and kinetics. The material features periodically expanded and contracted apertures decorated with electronegative groups, offering eligible pore shape and pore chemistry to effectively trap C3H6 under moderate isosteric heat of adsorption (27.5 kJ mol−1) while obstruct the diffusion of C3H8. It simultaneously combines excellent thermodynamic selectivity (uptake ratio of 1.71) and kinetic selectivity (~31) for C3H6/C3H8 separation, meanwhile can be easily regenerated. Breakthrough experiment for C3H6/C3H8 gas mixture was conducted and confirmed the outstanding separation capability of ZnAtzPO4. The equilibrium and kinetics cooperative C3H6/C3H8 adsorption separation was for the first time found in anion‐functionalized MOFs, and further confirmed by computational studies.
Clinical variability of TUBB‐associated disorders: Diagnosis through reanalysis
Authors: Li Dong , Shen Kaitlyn M. , Zackai Elaine H. , Bhoj Elizabeth J. 
Published: October 2020

AbstractA range of clinical findings have been associated with heterozygous mutations in the Beta Tubulin (TUBB) gene, including microcephaly, structural brain abnormalities, intellectual disability, and skin creases. We report a 5‐year‐old male who presented for evaluation of cleft palate, cardiac defects, growth retardation, hemivertebrae causing scoliosis, and preauricular skin tags. Previous clinical exome sequencing of this patient was nondiagnostic, but reanalysis in the research setting identified a de novo missense c. 925C>G p.(Arg309Gly) mutation in TUBB. This mutation was not found in population allele frequency databases, and was classified to be likely pathogenic. This patient shares some phenotypic characteristics with previous reported patients of TUBB mutations of the two TUBB‐related phenotypes: “Cortical dysplasia, complex, with other brain malformations 6” [MIM 615771] and “Circumferential Skin Creases Kunze type (CSC‐KT)” [MIM 156610], but has no excess skin creases or structural brain anomalies. We also report previously undescribed features, including transposition of the great arteries and vertebral fusion, thus representing phenotype expansion of TUBB‐associated disorders.
Children and safety in Australian policy: Implications for organisations and practitioners
Authors: Powell Mary Ann , Graham Anne , Canosa Antonia , Anderson Donnah , Taylor Nicola , Robinson Sally , Moore Tim , Thomas Nigel Patrick 
Published: October 2020

AbstractChild safety is now a national policy priority in Australia. Extensive enquiries and reviews have escalated legislative and policy responses focused on developing, maintaining and monitoring “child safe” organisations. The recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse point to the importance of cultural conditions within organisations in supporting child safety and the need for responsive change in some organisations. Drawing on a recent policy analysis, undertaken as part of a larger Australian Research Council Discovery Project, this article examines how children and safety are constructed, within and across relevant state and federal government policies in Australia, and the implications of this. Distinctions are drawn between conceptualisations of children within the broader education policy context and two specific policy contexts in which children are considered particularly vulnerable to abuse – out‐of‐home care and disability. The findings indicate that policy discourses of “child safe” potentially foster different emphases and approaches in organisations. These have implications for the way children are positioned in relation to their safety, how their rights are recognised and implemented, and what is required to foster cultural conditions within organisations to best support children’s safety and wellbeing.
A country's response to tackling plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems: The Chilean way
Authors: Urbina M.A. , Luna‐Jorquera G. , Thiel M. , Acuña‐Ruz T. , Amenábar Cristi M.A. , Andrade C. , Ahrendt C. , Castillo C. , Chevallier A. , Cornejo‐D'Ottone M. , Correa‐Araneda F. , Duarte C. , Fernández C. , Galbán‐Malagón C. , Godoy C. , González‐Aravena M. , Hinojosa I.A. , Jorquera A. , Kiessling T. , Lardies M.A. , Lenzi J. , Mattar C. , Munizaga M. , Olguín‐Campillay N. , Perez‐Venegas D.J. , Portflitt‐Toro M. , Pozo K. , Pulgar J. , Vargas E. 
Published: October 2020

Abstract

Marine plastic pollution is worse than expected, and we are starting to realize its full extent and severity. Solving the plastic pollution problem is not easy, as it requires the action and commitment of all sectors of our society. With a coastline extending over 4,000 km (from 18°S to 56°S), Chile is a maritime country, and since plastics are potentially harmful for marine and coastal ecosystems, food security, and public health, plastic pollution is a real threat.
Chile is the sixth‐largest exporter of seafood (fish, invertebrates, and algae) in the world, but the extent of plastic contamination of marine organisms, its potential effects on commercial species and aquaculture, and its subsequent effects on human health are mostly unknown.
Chile has recently introduced some legislation to prevent plastics from reaching the environment and the coastal ocean. Governmental and non‐governmental organizations have joined an informal alliance to take action against plastic pollution, both at a national and regional level, but stronger involvement of producers and commerce is required for effective measures.
Chilean scientists working on plastic pollution have created the Scientific Plastic Pollution Alliance of Chile network, aiming to promote collaborative and coordinated research focused on this pollutant. The wide geographical extent of Chile, with researchers working in diverse ecosystems, provides a unique opportunity to better understand the consequences of one of the most recent and severe threats to biodiversity.
Rather than solely presenting the plastic pollution problem from the scientific perspective, this paper includes views from different sectors of society. Mitigating plastic pollution is exceptionally complex, with this study highlighting the importance of local engagement, media, solving social inequities, new legislation, and law enforcement in order to advance on decreasing plastic pollution from a country‐wide perspective.
Microarchitecture of the hearts in term and former‐preterm lambs using diffusion tensor imaging
Authors: Le Bianca , Ferreira Pedro , Merchant Samer , Zheng Gang , Sutherland Megan R , Dahl Mar Janna , Albertine Kurt H , Black Mary Jane 
Published: October 2020

AbstractDiffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an MRI technique that can be used to map cardiomyocyte tracts and estimate local cardiomyocyte and sheetlet orientation within the heart. DTI measures diffusion distances of water molecules within the myocardium, where water diffusion generally occurs more freely along the long axis of cardiomyocytes and within the extracellular matrix, but is restricted by cell membranes such that transverse diffusion is limited. DTI can be undertaken in fixed hearts and it allows the three‐dimensional mapping of the cardiac microarchitecture, including cardiomyocyte organization, within the whole heart. The objective of this study was to use DTI to compare the cardiac microarchitecture and cardiomyocyte organization in archived fixed left ventricles of lambs that were born either preterm (n = 5) or at term (n = 7), at a postnatal timepoint equivalent to about 6 years of age in children. Although the findings support the feasibility of retrospective DTI scanning of fixed hearts, several hearts were excluded from DTI analysis because of poor scan quality, such as ghosting artifacts. The preliminary findings from viable DTI scans (n = 3/group) suggest that the extracellular compartment is altered and that there is an immature microstructural phenotype early in postnatal life in the LV of lambs born preterm. Our findings support a potential time‐efficient imaging role for DTI in detecting abnormal changes in the microstructure of fixed hearts of former‐preterm neonates, although further investigation into factors that affect scan quality is required.