bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An Antifouling Photoelectrochemical Ultramicrosensor for Unbiased Single‐Cell Analysis
Authors: Zhu Linlin , Zhong Lin , Wang Juan , Tang Ying , Liu Zhihong 
Published: November 2021

Comprehensive SummaryThe nanoelectrode‐based electrochemical method has been widely used for single‐cell analysis because of the advantages of high spatiotemporal resolution and in‐situ detection capability. As an evolutional generation of the electrochemical analysis, photoelectrochemical (PEC) sensors not only inherit the above‐mentioned merits, but also possess a lower background and higher sensitivity, because they can operate under unbiased conditions. Moreover, electrodes are often impaired by nonspecific binding in complex biological environments. Thus, an antifouling PEC ultramicrosensor is developed for unbiased single‐cell analysis in this report. The ultramicrosensor is fabricated by self‐assembling of photoactive material ZnCaInS nanosheets onto the carbon fiber ultramicroelectrode surface and further dip‐coating of a porous antifouling layer of cross‐linked bovine serum albumin supported by carbon nanotubes. Benefiting from the minimal influence of the ultrathin nanosheet on the ultramicroelectrode morphology and the smooth protective interface formed by the antifouling film, the obtained photoelectrode can be readily inserted into a single cell with negligible impact on cell viability and shows excellent antifouling performance. The PEC ultramicrosensor achieves selective detection of dopamine (DA) with a low detection limit (3.97 nmol/L) and exhibits good sensing capability for cytosolic DA in single PC12 cells. This exploration provides new opportunities for single‐cell analysis.
(±)‐Atrachinenins A—C, Three Pairs of Caged C27 Meroterpenoids from the Rhizomes of Atractylodes chinensis
Authors: Chen Fei‐Long , Liu Dong‐Li , Fu Jing , Yang Ji , Bai Li‐Ping , Zhang Wei , Jiang Zhi‐Hong , Zhu Guo‐Yuan 
Published: November 2021

Comprehensive Summary(±)‐Atrachinenins A—C (1—3), three meroterpenoids possessing novel C27 skeletons, were isolated from the rhizomes of Atractylodes chinensis. (±)‐Atrachinenin A (1) possesses an unprecedented cage‐like skeleton with a fused 6/6/5/5 tetracyclic system (decahy‐dro‐1,5:4a,7‐dimethanobenzo[7]annulene), which may be formed by the intermolecular cyclization of (±)‐atrachinenin C (3). Compared to 1, (±)‐atrachinenin B (2) features an additional unique five‐membered peroxyl bridge ring to form a complex 6/6/5/5/5 cyclic ring system. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by HRESIMS, NMR spectroscopic data, ECD calculation, and X‐ray diffraction. A plausible biogenetic pathway was proposed. Compound 1 exhibited potential TGF‐β inhibitory activity at 25 μmol/L.
Modified selective mapping based on squaring construction
Authors: Liang Hsin‐Ying 
Published: November 2021

SummaryThis study proposed a novel technology, squaring construction with selective mapping (SC‐SLM), aimed at reducing the peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR); the technology integrates squaring construction codes and selective mapping (SLM). SLM is a frequently adopted technology for reducing the PAPR of signals, and much SLM research has focused on designing a systematic structure for SLM's phase generation mechanisms. SLM involves a high overall system complexity because its phase generation mechanism does not incorporate a systematic structural design. Squaring construction codes were employed in this study to establish a phase generation mechanism with a systematic structure for SLM; additionally, the generator matrix of the squaring construction codes was used to encode the transmitted data to enable transmitted signals to correct errors. Using squaring construction is conducive to the design of codes with varying code lengths to correct errors and protect the transmission system. To ensure that SC‐SLM performs comparably with conventional SLM in terms of PAPR reduction, we established (1) two‐phase generation mechanisms in SC‐SLM and (2) a selection rule to determine the more suitable mechanism for generating scrambling phases under different circumstances. According to the simulation results, the performance of SC‐SLM in PAPR reduction was comparable with that of the conventional SLM, had systematically structured phase generation mechanisms, and was capable of error correction.
Compact wideband five‐port reflectometer based on symmetrical waveguide ring junction for synthetic microwave imaging applications
Authors: Al‐Bawri Samir Salem , Islam Mohammad Tariqul , Jit Singh Mandeep , Islam Md. Tarikul 
Published: November 2021

SummaryA compact and symmetrical five‐port reflectometer (FPR) for microwave imaging application is introduced in this paper. The proposed FPR shows a wide operational impedance matching bandwidth in the frequency span of 1.55–5.31 GHz (about 109.6%). It consists of three layers with a compact size of 42.4 × 42.4 × 3.2 mm3 and comprises five symmetric branch lines which were designed and optimized as a star junction topology and placed at the middle layer to realize an equivalent value of 70 dB for reflection coefficients at a center operating frequency of 2 GHz. Moreover, the measured results indicate that the FPR prototype has realized accuracies of approximately ± 120° in phase, 0.04 and 0.5 magnitudes of reflections and transmission coefficients, respectively, which are relative in parallel to the simulated and theoretical results. The proposed FPR proves higher efficacious capabilities to be used in microwave imaging for biomedical application systems.
Mitochondrial DNA D‐loop sequence analysis reveals high variation and multiple maternal origins of indigenous Tanzanian goat populations
Authors: Nguluma Athumani , Kyallo Martina , Tarekegn Getinet Mekuriaw , Loina Rose , Nziku Zabron , Chenyambuga Sebastian , Pelle Roger 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe Small East African (SEA) goat are widely distributed in different agro‐ecological zones of Tanzania. We report the genetic diversity, maternal origin, and phylogenetic relationship among the 12 Tanzanian indigenous goat populations, namely Fipa, Songwe, Tanga, Pwani, Iringa, Newala, Lindi, Gogo, Pare, Maasai, Sukuma, and Ujiji, based on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D‐loop. High haplotype (Hd = 0.9619–0.9945) and nucleotide (π = 0.0120–0.0162) diversities were observed from a total of 389 haplotypes. The majority of the haplotypes (n = 334) belonged to Haplogroup A which was consistent with the global scenario on the genetic pattern of maternal origin of all goat breeds in the world. Haplogroup G comprised of 45 haplotypes drawn from all populations except the Ujiji goat population while Haplogroup B with 10 haplotypes was dominated by Ujiji goats (41%). Tanzanian goats shared four haplotypes with the Kenyan goats and two with goats from South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique. There was no sharing of haplotypes observed between individuals from Tanzanian goat populations with individuals from North or West Africa. The indigenous goats in Tanzania have high genetic diversity defined by 389 haplotypes and multiple maternal origins of haplogroup A, B, and G. There is a lot of intermixing and high genetic variation within populations which represent an abundant resource for selective breeding in the different agro‐ecological regions of the country.
Comparison of haemodynamic response to muscle reflex in heart failure with reduced vs. preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Moriwaki Keishi , Fujimoto Naoki , Omori Taku , Miyahara So , Kameda Issei , Ishiyama Masaki , Sugiura Emiyo , Nakamori Shiro , Dohi Kaoru 
Published: November 2021

AbstractAimsIsometric handgrip (IHG) training reduces the blood pressure in patients with hypertension. It is unclear how IHG exercise affects the haemodynamics and cardiovascular function through the muscle reflex in patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced (HFrEF) and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).Methods and resultsTwenty patients (HFrEF: n = 10, HFpEF: n = 10) underwent left ventricular (LV) pressure–volume assessments using a conductance catheter and microtip manometer to evaluate haemodynamics, LV and arterial function, and LV‐arterial coupling during 3 min of IHG at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), followed by 3 min of post‐exercise circulatory arrest (PECA). Three minutes of IHG exercise produced significant and modest increases in the heart rate (HR) and LV end‐systolic pressure (LVESP), respectively, in both HFpEF and HFrEF groups. In HFrEF, the increase in LVESP was caused by the variable increase in effective arterial elastance (Ea), which was counterbalanced by the increase in LV end‐systolic elastance (Ees), resulting in a maintained Ees/Ea. In HFpEF, the increase in LVESP was not accompanied by changes in Ea, Ees, Ees/Ea, or LV end‐diastolic pressure. LVESP during PECA was not maintained in HFpEF, suggesting smaller metabo‐reflex activity in HFpEF.ConclusionsThe IHG exercise used in this study may increase the LVESP and LVEDP without detrimental effects on cardiac function or ventricular‐arterial coupling, especially in HFpEF patients. The effects of IHG exercise on haemodynamics and ventricular‐arterial coupling may be affected by the patient background and the type and intensity of the exercise.
Novel post‐tensioned rocking piles for enhancing the seismic resilience of bridges
Authors: El‐Hawat Omar , Fatahi Behzad , Taciroglu Ertugrul 
Published: November 2021

AbstractThe rocking pile foundation system is a relatively new design concept that can be implemented in bridges to improve their seismic performance. This type of foundation prevents plastic damage at the bridge piers and the foundation system, which are difficult to repair and can lead to collapse. However, lack of adequate energy dissipation in this type of foundation can result in large deck displacements and subsequent catastrophic failures of the bridge. The present study proposes a novel foundation system that integrates post‐tensioned piles with the rocking foundation to simultaneously prevent plastic hinging at the piers and reduce the deck displacements during severe earthquakes. The effectiveness of the proposed foundation system is investigated and compared against the rocking pile and conventional fixed‐base foundation systems using identical bridge configurations. Three‐dimensional finite element models of these bridges were developed to capture possible nonlinear behavior of the bridge as well as soil‐structure interaction effects. Six strong earthquakes with both horizontal components were selected and scaled to the appropriate seismic hazard level with a return period of 2475 years. Static pushover and nonlinear time‐history analyses were then performed to compare the dynamic response of the bridges, including deck displacements, pier and pile inertial forces, and other nonlinear behavior experienced by the structure. The results reveal that by integrating the post‐tensioned piles with the rocking foundation, the deck displacements were reduced to an acceptable limit without subjecting the bridge to any damage. In contrast, the bridge with the fixed base foundation experienced extensive damage at the piers, and the bridge with the rocking foundation experienced substantial deck displacements that ultimately led to unseating, resulting in the collapse of both bridges. It was therefore concluded that the proposed rocking foundation system with post‐tensioned piles is the superior alternative and can be implemented in practice as an attractive solution due to the seismic protection it offers.
Changes in fast food intake in Iranian households during the lockdown period caused by COVID‐19 virus emergency, National Food and Nutrition Surveillance
Authors: Rabiei Samira , Ghodsi Delaram , Amini Maryam , Nikooyeh Bahareh , Rasekhi Hamid , Doustmohammadian Azam , Abdollahi Zahra , Minaie Mina , Sadeghi Ghotbabadi Farzaneh , Neyestani Tirang R. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundFast foods, though very popular, are commonly known as unhealthy foods. However, coronavirus pandemic may have influenced on food choices of the general population. This study investigated the changes in fast food consumption during epidemic lockdown 2020.Materials and MethodsThis study was part of a nationwide survey having been conducted using a web‐based electronic self‐administered questionnaire. The questionnaire link was extensively distributed among the whole population both through popular social media platforms and by nutrition and health workers of health offices and medical universities of all provinces. The questionnaire included questions about socio‐demographic characteristics, changes in frequency of fast food consumption as compared with before pandemic, and the reasons for these changes.ResultsA total of 21,290 households took part in the study of whom 89.8% were male‐headed, and almost 74% were from urban areas. Decrease in fast food consumption was reported by 74.8%, while increase in fast food consumption was reported by 2% of the households during the COVID‐19 quarantine. Among those who decreased their fast food consumption, about 82% had completely omitted them from their food baskets. Fear of contamination of fast foods by coronavirus and increase in the number of people at home were the most and the least frequent reasons for decreasing fast food consumption, respectively.ConclusionFast food consumption has dramatically decreased during the lockdown period in Iranian households. Though it may be considered a pleasant offshoot of disastrous COVID‐19 epidemic, the foods replaced fast foods in Iranian households and the overall health consequences warrant further studies.
The two‐handed template for planning fibular free flap reconstruction of the head and neck
Authors: Wood C. Burton , Ha Austin Y. , Puram Sidharth V. , Jackson Ryan S. , Pipkorn Patrik 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFibular free flap reconstruction of head and neck defects is complex, and the anatomic relationships among components of the fibular flap pose challenges to reconstructive surgeons. Various techniques have been employed in planning for fibular free flap procedures, but these are often cumbersome and difficult to implement in clinically. We devised a simplistic tool for pre‐operative leg selection, wherein the surgeon uses two hands to represent the various components of the fibular flap. The senior author has used this method to aid in leg selection for fibular free flaps. In all cases, utilization of this technique allowed for appropriate leg selection relative to the location of the vascular pedicle and posterior crural septum. The two‐handed template for fibular free flap reconstruction is a simple, reproducible, and affordable tool that can aid reconstructive surgeons when they are planning to use a fibular flap.
High‐performance electronics and optoelectronics of monolayer tungsten diselenide full film from pre‐seeding strategy
Authors: Zhang Shu , Pang Jinbo , Cheng Qilin , Yang Feng , Chen Yu , Liu Yu , Li Yufen , Gemming Thomas , Liu Xiaoyan , Ibarlucea Bergoi , Yang Jiali , Liu Hong , Zhou Weijia , Cuniberti Gianaurelio , Rümmeli Mark H. 
Published: November 2021

AbstractTungsten diselenide (WSe2) possesses extraordinary electronic properties for applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and emerging exciton physics. The synthesis of monolayer WSe2 film is of topmost for device arrays and integrated circuits. The monolayer WSe2 film has yet been reported by thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD) approach, and the nucleation mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report a pre‐seeding strategy for finely regulating the nuclei density at an early stage and achieving a fully covered film after chemical vapor deposition growth. The underlying mechanism is heterogeneous nucleation from the pre‐seeding tungsten oxide nanoparticles. At first, we optimized the precursor concentration for pre‐seeding. Besides, we confirmed the superiority of the pre‐seeding method, compared with three types of substrate pretreatments, including nontreatment, sonication in an organic solvent, and oxygen plasma. Eventually, the high‐quality synthetic WSe2 monolayer film exhibits excellent device performance in field‐effect transistors and photodetectors. We extracted thermodynamic activation energy from the nucleation and growth data. Our results may shed light on the wafer‐scale production of homogeneous monolayer films of WSe2, other 2D materials, and their van der Waals heterostructures.image
Metformin induces muscle atrophy by transcriptional regulation of myostatin via HDAC6 and FoxO3a
Authors: Kang Min Ju , Moon Ji Wook , Lee Jung Ok , Kim Ji Hae , Jung Eun Jeong , Kim Su Jin , Oh Joo Yeon , Wu Sang Woo , Lee Pu Reum , Park Sun Hwa , Kim Hyeon Soo 
Published: November 2021

AbstractBackgroundSkeletal muscle atrophy is a severe condition that involves loss of muscle mass and quality. Drug intake can also cause muscle atrophy. Biguanide metformin is the first‐line and most widely prescribed anti‐diabetic drug for patients with type 2 diabetes. The molecular mechanism of metformin in muscle is unclear.MethodsMyostatin expression was investigated at the protein and transcript levels after metformin administration. To investigate the pathways associated with myostatin signalling, we used real‐time polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, luciferase assay, chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, co‐immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, primary culture, and confocal microscopy. Serum analysis, physical performance, and immunohistochemistry were performed using our in vivo model.ResultsMetformin induced the expression of myostatin, a key molecule that regulates muscle volume and triggers the phosphorylation of AMPK. AMPK alpha2 knockdown in the background of metformin treatment reduced the myostatin expression of C2C12 myotubes (−49.86 ± 12.03%, P < 0.01) and resulted in increased myotube diameter compared with metformin (+46.62 ± 0.88%, P < 0.001). Metformin induced the interaction between AMPK and FoxO3a, a key transcription factor of myostatin. Metformin also altered the histone deacetylase activity in muscle cells (>3.12‐fold ± 0.13, P < 0.001). The interaction between HDAC6 and FoxO3a induced after metformin treatment. Confocal microscopy revealed that metformin increased the nuclear localization of FoxO3a (>3.3‐fold, P < 0.001). Chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed that metformin induced the binding of FoxO3a to the myostatin promoter. The transcript‐level expression of myostatin was higher in the gastrocnemius (GC) muscles of metformin‐treated wild‐type (WT) (+68.9 ± 10.01%, P < 0.001) and db/db mice (+55.84 ± 6.62%, P < 0.001) than that in the GC of controls (n = 4 per group). Average fibre cross‐sectional area data also showed that the metformin‐treated C57BL/6J (WT) (−31.74 ± 0.75%, P < 0.001) and C57BLKS/J‐db/db (−18.11 ± 0.94%, P < 0.001) mice had decreased fibre size of GC compared to the controls. The serum myoglobin level was significantly decreased in metformin‐treated WT mice (−66.6 ± 9.03%, P < 0.01).ConclusionsOur results demonstrate that metformin treatment impairs muscle function through the regulation of myostatin in skeletal muscle cells via AMPK‐FoxO3a‐HDAC6 axis. The muscle‐wasting effect of metformin is more evident in WT than in db/db mice, indicating that more complicated mechanisms may be involved in metformin‐mediated muscular dysfunction.
Facile preparation of novel antioxidant fibrous material based on natural plant extract from Portulaca oleracea and polylactide by electrospinning for biomedical applications
Authors: Spasova Mariya , Stoyanova Nikoleta , Manolova Nevena , Rashkov Iliya , Taneva Sabina , Momchilova Svetlana , Georgieva Ani 
Published: November 2021

AbstractFor the first time, fibrous polylactide (PLA) materials containing plant extract of Portulaca oleracea obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide were successfully prepared by electrospinning. The effect of the extract concentration on the morphology and properties of the obtained materials was studied. P. oleracea extracts of 0–7.5 wt% in 10 wt% PLA solutions were electrospun. The optimal process conditions for the preparation of defect‐free fibers were found. The newly obtained fibrous materials were fully characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction analysis and water contact angle measurements. It was found that the incorporation of the crude extract had a significant effect on the average fiber diameter, thermal characteristics and structure of the obtained materials. Moreover, it was found that the electrospun PLA/P. oleracea materials showed high antioxidant activity. The cytocompatibility of fibrous mats was assessed and it was found that the materials loaded with P. oleracea enhanced the cell viability of mouse BALB/c‐3T3 fibroblasts. Thus the obtained novel materials could be a potential candidate for tissue regeneration and wound healing applications. © 2021 Society of Industrial Chemistry.
Quanten‐mechanisch im Wortsinne
Authors: Schliesser Albert , Gröblacher Simon 
Published: November 2021

ZusammenfassungQuanteneffekte in mechanischen Systemen, die man oft schon mit bloßem Auge sehen kann, wurden dank enormer Fortschritte der letzten Jahre Realität in vielen Forschungslaboren weltweit. Die routinemäßig erzeugten Quanteneffekte reichen von gequetschten Zuständen über die Erzeugung von Verschränkung bis zur Verletzung von Bell‐Ungleichungen. Dabei geht es nicht mehr nur um fundamentale Fragestellungen, wie die Existenz einer Schrödingerschen Katze, sondern auch um echte Anwendungen als Quantentechnologie. Mechanische Systeme verheißen hier eine spannende Zukunft für die Grundlagenforschung bis hin zu neuartigen Anwendungen.
QUIC: Opportunities and threats in SATCOM
Authors: Kuhn Nicolas , Michel François , Thomas Ludovic , Dubois Emmanuel , Lochin Emmanuel , Simo Francklin , Pradas David 
Published: November 2021

SummaryThis article proposes a discussion on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to the deployment of QUIC end‐to‐end from a satellite‐operator point‐of‐view. The deployment of QUIC is an opportunity for improving the quality of experience when exploiting satellite broadband accesses. Indeed, the fast establishment of secured connections reduces the transmission time of short files. Moreover, removing transport‐layer performance‐enhancing proxies reduces the cost of network infrastructures and improves the integration of satellite systems. However, the congestion and flow controls at end points are not always suitable for satellite communications due to the intrinsic high bandwidth‐delay product. Further acceptance of QUIC in satellite systems would be guaranteed if its performance in specific use cases were increased. Based on an emulated platform and on open‐source software, this paper proposes values of performance metrics as one piece of the puzzle. The final performance objective requires consensus among the different actors. The objective should at least provide acceptable performance for satellite operators to allow QUIC traffic but reasonable enough to keep QUIC deployable on the Internet.