bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Sub-diffractional cavity modes of terahertz hyperbolic phonon polaritons in tin oxide
Authors: Feres Flávio H. , Mayer Rafael A. , Wehmeier Lukas , Maia Francisco C. B. , Viana E. R. , Malachias Angelo , Bechtel Hans A. , Klopf J. Michael , Eng Lukas M. , Kehr Susanne C. , González J. C. , Freitas Raul O. , Barcelos Ingrid D. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractHyperbolic phonon polaritons have recently attracted considerable attention in nanophotonics mostly due to their intrinsic strong electromagnetic field confinement, ultraslow polariton group velocities, and long lifetimes. Here we introduce tin oxide (SnO2) nanobelts as a photonic platform for the transport of surface and volume phonon polaritons in the mid- to far-infrared frequency range. This report brings a comprehensive description of the polaritonic properties of SnO2 as a nanometer-sized dielectric and also as an engineered material in the form of a waveguide. By combining accelerator-based IR-THz sources (synchrotron and free-electron laser) with s-SNOM, we employed nanoscale far-infrared hyper-spectral-imaging to uncover a Fabry–Perot cavity mechanism in SnO2 nanobelts via direct detection of phonon-polariton standing waves. Our experimental findings are accurately supported by notable convergence between theory and numerical simulations. Thus, the SnO2 is confirmed as a natural hyperbolic material with unique photonic properties essential for future applications involving subdiffractional light traffic and detection in the far-infrared range.
Green synthesis of olefin-linked covalent organic frameworks for hydrogen fuel cell applications
Authors: Wang Zhifang , Yang Yi , Zhao Zhengfeng , Zhang Penghui , Zhang Yushu , Liu Jinjin , Ma Shengqian , Cheng Peng , Chen Yao , Zhang Zhenjie 
Published: March 2021

AbstractGreen synthesis of crystalline porous materials for energy-related applications is of great significance but very challenging. Here, we create a green strategy to fabricate a highly crystalline olefin-linked pyrazine-based covalent organic framework (COF) with high robustness and porosity under solvent-free conditions. The abundant nitrogen sites, high hydrophilicity, and well-defined one-dimensional nanochannels make the resulting COF an ideal platform to confine and stabilize the H3PO4 network in the pores through hydrogen-bonding interactions. The resulting material exhibits low activation energy (Ea) of 0.06 eV, and ultrahigh proton conductivity across a wide relative humidity (10–90 %) and temperature range (25–80 °C). A realistic proton exchange membrane fuel cell using the olefin-linked COF as the solid electrolyte achieve a maximum power of 135 mW cm−2 and a current density of 676 mA cm−2, which exceeds all reported COF materials.
Intratumoral immunotherapy using platelet-cloaked nanoparticles enhances antitumor immunity in solid tumors
Authors: Bahmani Baharak , Gong Hua , Luk Brian T. , Haushalter Kristofer J. , DeTeresa Ethel , Previti Mark , Zhou Jiarong , Gao Weiwei , Bui Jack D. , Zhang Liangfang , Fang Ronnie H. , Zhang Jie 
Published: March 2021

AbstractIntratumoral immunotherapy is an emerging modality for the treatment of solid tumors. Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists have shown promise for eliciting immune responses, but systemic administration often results in the development of adverse side effects. Herein, we investigate whether localized delivery of the TLR agonist, resiquimod (R848), via platelet membrane-coated nanoparticles (PNP-R848) elicits antitumor responses. The membrane coating provides a means of enhancing interactions with the tumor microenvironment, thereby maximizing the activity of R848. Intratumoral administration of PNP-R848 strongly enhances local immune activation and leads to complete tumor regression in a colorectal tumor model, while providing protection against repeated tumor re-challenges. Moreover, treatment of an aggressive breast cancer model with intratumoral PNP-R848 delays tumor growth and inhibits lung metastasis. Our findings highlight the promise of locally delivering immunostimulatory payloads using biomimetic nanocarriers, which possess advantages such as enhanced biocompatibility and natural targeting affinities.
Genome-wide data implicate terminal fusion automixis in king cobra facultative parthenogenesis
Authors: Card Daren C. , Vonk Freek J. , Smalbrugge Sterrin , Casewell Nicholas R. , Wüster Wolfgang , Castoe Todd A. , Schuett Gordon W. , Booth Warren 
Published: March 2021

AbstractFacultative parthenogenesis (FP) is widespread in the animal kingdom. In vertebrates it was first described in poultry nearly 70 years ago, and since then reports involving other taxa have increased considerably. In the last two decades, numerous reports of FP have emerged in elasmobranch fishes and squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), including documentation in wild populations of both clades. When considered in concert with recent evidence of reproductive competence, the accumulating data suggest that the significance of FP in vertebrate evolution has been largely underestimated. Several fundamental questions regarding developmental mechanisms, nonetheless, remain unanswered. Specifically, what is the type of automixis that underlies the production of progeny and how does this impact the genomic diversity of the resulting parthenogens? Here, we addressed these questions through the application of next-generation sequencing to investigate a suspected case of parthenogenesis in a king cobra (Ophiophagus hannah). Our results provide the first evidence of FP in this species, and provide novel evidence that rejects gametic duplication and supports terminal fusion as a mechanism underlying parthenogenesis in snakes. Moreover, we precisely estimated heterozygosity in parthenogenetic offspring and found appreciable retained genetic diversity that suggests that FP in vertebrates has underappreciated evolutionary significance.
Identification of the haemodynamic environment permissive for plaque erosion
Authors: McElroy Michael , Kim Yongcheol , Niccoli Giampaolo , Vergallo Rocco , Langford-Smith Alexander , Crea Filippo , Gijsen Frank , Johnson Thomas , Keshmiri Amir , White Stephen J. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractEndothelial erosion of atherosclerotic plaques is the underlying cause of approximately 30% of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). As the vascular endothelium is profoundly affected by the haemodynamic environment to which it is exposed, we employed computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis of the luminal geometry from 17 patients with optical coherence tomography (OCT)-defined plaque erosion, to determine the flow environment permissive for plaque erosion. Our results demonstrate that 15 of the 17 cases analysed occurred on stenotic plaques with median 31% diameter stenosis (interquartile range 28–52%), where all but one of the adherent thrombi located proximal to, or within the region of maximum stenosis. Consequently, all flow metrics related to elevated flow were significantly increased (time averaged wall shear stress, maximum wall shear stress, time averaged wall shear stress gradient) with a reduction in relative residence time, compared to a non-diseased reference segment. We also identified two cases that did not exhibit an elevation of flow, but occurred in a region exposed to elevated oscillatory flow. Our study demonstrates that the majority of OCT-defined erosions occur where the endothelium is exposed to elevated flow, a haemodynamic environment known to evoke a distinctive phenotypic response in endothelial cells.
Using sentiment analysis to predict opinion inversion in Tweets of political communication
Authors: Matalon Yogev , Magdaci Ofir , Almozlino Adam , Yamin Dan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractSocial media networks have become an essential tool for sharing information in political discourse. Recent studies examining opinion diffusion have highlighted that some users may invert a message's content before disseminating it, propagating a contrasting view relative to that of the original author. Using politically-oriented discourse related to Israel with focus on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, we explored this Opinion Inversion (O.I.) phenomenon. From a corpus of approximately 716,000 relevant Tweets, we identified 7147 Source–Quote pairs. These Source–Quote pairs accounted for 69% of the total volume of the corpus. Using a Random Forest model based on the Natural Language Processing features of the Source text and user attributes, we could predict whether a Source will undergo O.I. upon retweet with an ROC-AUC of 0.83. We found that roughly 80% of the factors that explain O.I. are associated with the original message's sentiment towards the conflict. In addition, we identified pairs comprised of Quotes related to the domain while their Sources were unrelated to the domain. These Quotes, which accounted for 14% of the Source–Quote pairs, maintained similar sentiment levels as the Source. Our case study underscores that O.I. plays an important role in political communication on social media. Nevertheless, O.I. can be predicted in advance using simple artificial intelligence tools and that prediction might be used to optimize content propagation.
Individual differences in working memory capacity are unrelated to the magnitudes of retrocue benefits
Authors: Ye Chaoxiong , Xu Qianru , Liu Xinyang , Astikainen Piia , Zhu Yongjie , Hu Zhonghua , Liu Qiang 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPrevious studies have associated visual working memory (VWM) capacity with the use of internal attention. Retrocues, which direct internal attention to a particular object or feature dimension, can improve VWM performance (i.e., retrocue benefit, RCB). However, so far, no study has investigated the relationship between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of RCBs obtained from object-based and dimension-based retrocues. The present study explored individual differences in the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCBs and their relationships with VWM capacity. Participants completed a VWM capacity measurement, an object-based cue task, and a dimension-based cue task. We confirmed that both object- and dimension-based retrocues could improve VWM performance. We also found a significant positive correlation between the magnitudes of object- and dimension-based RCB indexes, suggesting a partly overlapping mechanism between the use of object- and dimension-based retrocues. However, our results provided no evidence for a correlation between VWM capacity and the magnitudes of the object- or dimension-based RCBs. Although inadequate attention control is usually assumed to be associated with VWM capacity, the results suggest that the internal attention mechanism for using retrocues in VWM retention is independent of VWM capacity.
Exercise rapidly alters proteomes in mice following spinal cord demyelination
Authors: Lozinski Brian Mark , de Almeida Luiz Gustavo Nogueira , Silva Claudia , Dong Yifei , Brown Dennis , Chopra Sameeksha , Yong V. Wee , Dufour Antoine 
Published: March 2021

AbstractExercise affords broad benefits for people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) including less fatigue, depression, and improved cognition. In animal models of multiple sclerosis (MS), exercise has been shown to improve remyelination, decrease blood–brain barrier permeability and reduce leukocyte infiltration. Despite these benefits many PwMS refrain from engaging in physical activity. This barrier to participation in exercise may be overcome by uncovering and describing the mechanisms by which exercise promotes beneficial changes in the central nervous system (CNS). Here, we show that acute bouts of exercise in mice profoundly alters the proteome in demyelinating lesions. Following lysolecithin induced demyelination of the ventral spinal cord, mice were given immediate access to a running wheel for 4 days. Lesioned spinal cords and peripheral blood serum were then subjected to tandem mass tag labeling shotgun proteomics workflow to identify alteration in protein levels. We identified 86 significantly upregulated and 85 downregulated proteins in the lesioned spinal cord as well as 14 significantly upregulated and 11 downregulated proteins in the serum following acute exercise. Altered pathways following exercise in demyelinated mice include oxidative stress response, metabolism and transmission across chemical synapses. Similar acute bout of exercise in naïve mice also changed several proteins in the serum and spinal cord, including those for metabolism and anti-oxidant responses. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms and duration of activity required to influence the injured CNS should motivate PwMS and other conditions to embrace exercise as part of their therapy to manage CNS disability.
Evaluation of the repeatability and reliability of the cross-training specific Fight Gone Bad workout and its relation to aerobic fitness
Authors: Durkalec-Michalski Krzysztof , Zawieja Emilia E. , Zawieja Bogna E. , Podgórski Tomasz 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCross-training is a high-intensity functional training (HIFT) with multiple workout modalities. Despite the increasing number of studies in HIFT, there is still no validated test to measure its specific performance. It would also be advisable to determine whether selected cross-training workouts can implement a stimulus corresponding to maximize aerobic work. For these reasons, the purpose of our study was to evaluate the repeatability and reliability of Fight Gone Bad (FGB) workout and to assess its relationship with aerobic fitness. Twenty-one cross-training participants (9 females) finished the study protocol which included three two-day measurement sessions separated by 10 days. During each session, participants had their body composition measured, and they performed two exercise tests. The first test was an incremental cycling test to measure aerobic fitness, and the second was a cross-training specific FGB workout performed the next day. Reliability and repeatability were calculated from the three measurements. The total FGB Score (FGBTOTAL) showed excellent reliability (ICC 0.9, SEM 6%). Moreover, FGBTOTAL was strongly correlated with aerobic fitness (i.e., time to exhaustion (Texh, R2 = 0.72), maximal workload (Wmax, R2 = 0.69), time to gas exchange threshold (TGET, R2 = 0.68), and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak, R2 = 0.59). We also found that agreement between standardized FGB and standardized aerobic performance indices such as Texh, VO2peak, Wmax, maximum heart rate, TGET, and workload at gas exchange threshold was high by the Bland–Altman method. In conclusion, FGB is a reliable test that can be used in order to measure changes in cross-training performance caused by an intervention. Moreover, FGB is strongly correlated to aerobic fitness.
CRISPR/Cas9 generated knockout mice lacking phenylalanine hydroxylase protein as a novel preclinical model for human phenylketonuria
Authors: Singh Kuldeep , Cornell Cathleen S. , Jackson Robert , Kabiri Mostafa , Phipps Michael , Desai Mitul , Fogle Robert , Ying Xiaoyou , Anarat-Cappillino Gulbenk , Geller Sarah , Johnson Jennifer , Roberts Errin , Malley Katie , Devlin Tim , DeRiso Matthew , Berthelette Patricia , Zhang Yao V. , Ryan Susan , Rao Srinivas , Thurberg Beth L. , Bangari Dinesh S. , Kyostio-Moore Sirkka 
Published: March 2021

AbstractPhenylketonuria (PKU) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of l-phenylalanine (Phe) metabolism. It is caused by a partial or complete deficiency of the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), which is necessary for conversion of Phe to tyrosine (Tyr). This metabolic error results in buildup of Phe and reduction of Tyr concentration in blood and in the brain, leading to neurological disease and intellectual deficits. Patients exhibit retarded body growth, hypopigmentation, hypocholesterolemia and low levels of neurotransmitters. Here we report first attempt at creating a homozygous Pah knock-out (KO) (Hom) mouse model, which was developed in the C57BL/6 J strain using CRISPR/Cas9 where codon 7 (GAG) in Pah gene was changed to a stop codon TAG. We investigated 2 to 6-month-old, male, Hom mice using comprehensive behavioral and biochemical assays, MRI and histopathology. Age and sex-matched heterozygous Pah-KO (Het) mice were used as control mice, as they exhibit enough PAH enzyme activity to provide Phe and Tyr levels comparable to the wild-type mice. Overall, our findings demonstrate that 6-month-old, male Hom mice completely lack PAH enzyme, exhibit significantly higher blood and brain Phe levels, lower levels of brain Tyr and neurotransmitters along with lower myelin content and have significant behavioral deficit. These mice exhibit phenotypes that closely resemble PKU patients such as retarded body growth, cutaneous hypopigmentation, and hypocholesterolemia when compared to the age- and sex-matched Het mice. Altogether, biochemical, behavioral, and pathologic features of this novel mouse model suggest that it can be used as a reliable translational tool for PKU preclinical research and drug development.
c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) modulates oligodendrocyte progenitor cell architecture, proliferation and myelination
Authors: Lorenzati Martina , Boda Enrica , Parolisi Roberta , Bonato Martino , Borsello Tiziana , Herdegen Thomas , Buffo Annalisa , Vercelli Alessandro 
Published: March 2021

AbstractDuring Central Nervous System ontogenesis, myelinating oligodendrocytes (OLs) arise from highly ramified and proliferative precursors called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs). OPC architecture, proliferation and oligodendro-/myelino-genesis are finely regulated by the interplay of cell-intrinsic and extrinsic factors. A variety of extrinsic cues converge on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen activated protein kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway. Here we found that the germinal ablation of the MAPK c-Jun N-Terminal Kinase isoform 1 (JNK1) results in a significant reduction of myelin in the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum at both postnatal and adult stages. Myelin alterations are accompanied by higher OPC density and proliferation during the first weeks of life, consistent with a transient alteration of mechanisms regulating OPC self-renewal and differentiation. JNK1 KO OPCs also show smaller occupancy territories and a less complex branching architecture in vivo. Notably, these latter phenotypes are recapitulated in pure cultures of JNK1 KO OPCs and of WT OPCs treated with the JNK inhibitor D-JNKI-1. Moreover, JNK1 KO and WT D-JNKI-1 treated OLs, while not showing overt alterations of differentiation in vitro, display a reduced surface compared to controls. Our results unveil a novel player in the complex regulation of OPC biology, on the one hand showing that JNK1 ablation cell-autonomously determines alterations of OPC proliferation and branching architecture and, on the other hand, suggesting that JNK1 signaling in OLs participates in myelination in vivo.
Using persistent homology as preprocessing of early warning signals for critical transition in flood
Authors: Syed Musa Syed Mohamad Sadiq , Md Noorani Mohd Salmi , Abdul Razak Fatimah , Ismail Munira , Alias Mohd Almie , Hussain Saiful Izzuan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractFlood early warning systems (FLEWSs) contribute remarkably to reducing economic and life losses during a flood. The theory of critical slowing down (CSD) has been successfully used as a generic indicator of early warning signals in various fields. A new tool called persistent homology (PH) was recently introduced for data analysis. PH employs a qualitative approach to assess a data set and provide new information on the topological features of the data set. In the present paper, we propose the use of PH as a preprocessing step to achieve a FLEWS through CSD. We test our proposal on water level data of the Kelantan River, which tends to flood nearly every year. The results suggest that the new information obtained by PH exhibits CSD and, therefore, can be used as a signal for a FLEWS. Further analysis of the signal, we manage to establish an early warning signal for ten of the twelve flood events recorded in the river; the two other events are detected on the first day of the flood. Finally, we compare our results with those of a FLEWS constructed directly from water level data and find that FLEWS via PH creates fewer false alarms than the conventional technique.
Hypergravity-induced changes in actin response of breast cancer cells to natural killer cells
Authors: Lee Minseon , Kim Dongjoo , Kwon Soonjo 
Published: March 2021

AbstractAlthough immunotherapy holds promising cytotoxic activity against lymphoma or leukemia, the immunosuppressive mechanisms of solid tumors remain challenging. In this study, we developed and applied a hypergravity exposure system as a novel strategy to improve the responsiveness of breast cancer cells to natural killer (NK) cells for efficient immunotherapy. Following exposure to hypergravity, either in the presence or absence of NK cells, we investigated for changes in the cell cytoskeletal structure, which is related to the F-actin mediated immune evasion mechanism (referred to as “actin response”) of cancer cells. Breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 cells were exposed thrice to a 20 min hypergravitational condition (10 × g), with a 20 min rest period between each exposure. The applied hypergravity induces changes in the intracellular cytoskeleton structure without decreasing the cell viability but increasing the cytotoxicity of MDA-MB-231 from 4 to 18% (4.5-fold) at a 3:1 ratio (NK-to-target). Analyses related to F-actin further demonstrate that the applied hypergravity results in rearrangement of the cytoskeleton, leading to inhibition of the actin response of MDA-MB-231. Taken together, our results suggest that the mechanical load increases through application of hypergravity, which potentially improves efficiency of cell-based immunotherapies by sensitizing tumors to immune cell-mediated cytotoxicity.
Risk factors on admission associated with hospital length of stay in patients with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Guo Anping , Lu Jin , Tan Haizhu , Kuang Zejian , Luo Ying , Yang Tian , Xu Junlan , Yu Jishuang , Wen Canhong , Shen Aizong 
Published: March 2021

AbstractTreating patients with COVID-19 is expensive, thus it is essential to identify factors on admission associated with hospital length of stay (LOS) and provide a risk assessment for clinical treatment. To address this, we conduct a retrospective study, which involved patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection in Hefei, China and being discharged between January 20 2020 and March 16 2020. Demographic information, clinical treatment, and laboratory data for the participants were extracted from medical records. A prolonged LOS was defined as equal to or greater than the median length of hospitable stay. The median LOS for the 75 patients was 17 days (IQR 13–22). We used univariable and multivariable logistic regressions to explore the risk factors associated with a prolonged hospital LOS. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. The median age of the 75 patients was 47 years. Approximately 75% of the patients had mild or general disease. The univariate logistic regression model showed that female sex and having a fever on admission were significantly associated with longer duration of hospitalization. The multivariate logistic regression model enhances these associations. Odds of a prolonged LOS were associated with male sex (aOR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05–0.63, p = 0.01), having fever on admission (aOR 8.27, 95% CI 1.47–72.16, p = 0.028) and pre-existing chronic kidney or liver disease (aOR 13.73 95% CI 1.95–145.4, p = 0.015) as well as each 1-unit increase in creatinine level (aOR 0.94, 95% CI 0.9–0.98, p = 0.007). We also found that a prolonged LOS was associated with increased creatinine levels in patients with chronic kidney or liver disease (p < 0.001). In conclusion, female sex, fever, chronic kidney or liver disease before admission and increasing creatinine levels were associated with prolonged LOS in patients with COVID-19.