bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Functional Amyloids: The Biomaterials of Tomorrow?
Authors: Peña‐Díaz Samuel , Olsen William Pallisgaard , Wang Huabing , Otzen Daniel E. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractFunctional amyloid (FAs), particularly the bacterial proteins CsgA and FapC, have many useful properties as biomaterials: high stability, efficient, and controllable formation of a single type of amyloid, easy availability as extracellular material in bacterial biofilm and flexible engineering to introduce new properties. CsgA in particular has already demonstrated its worth in hydrogels for stable gastrointestinal colonization and regenerative tissue engineering, cell‐specific drug release, water‐purification filters, and different biosensors. It also holds promise as catalytic amyloid; existing weak and unspecific activity can undoubtedly be improved by targeted engineering and benefit from the repetitive display of active sites on a surface. Unfortunately, FapC remains largely unexplored and no application is described so far. Since FapC shares many common features with CsgA, this opens the window to its development as a functional scaffold. The multiple imperfect repeats in CsgA and FapC form a platform to introduce novel properties, e.g., in connecting linkers of variable lengths. While exploitation of this potential is still at an early stage, particularly for FapC, a thorough understanding of their molecular properties will pave the way for multifunctional fibrils which can contribute toward solving many different societal challenges, ranging from CO2 fixation to hydrolysis of plastic nanoparticles.
Tough Hydro‐Aerogels with Cation Specificity Enabled Ultra‐High Stability for Multifunctional Sensing and Quasi‐Solid‐State Electrolyte Applications
Authors: Zhou Hao , Wei Xiaohan , Liu Andeng , Wang Senjing , Chen Bingqi , Chen Zhuomin , Lyu Miaoqiang , Guo Wenxi , Cao Xuezheng , Ye Meidan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe anion‐specific effects of the salting‐in and salting‐out phenomena are extensively observed in hydrogels, whereas the cation specificity of hydrogels is rarely reported. Herein, a multi‐step strategy including borax pre‐gelation, saline soaking, freeze‐drying, and rehydrating is developed to fabricate polyvinyl alcohol gels with cation specificity, exhibiting the specific ordering of effects on the mechanical properties of gels as Ca2+ > Li+ > Mg2+ >> Fe3+ > Cu2+ >> Co2+ ≈ Ni2+ ≈ Zn2+. The multiple effects of the fabrication strategy, including the electrostatic repulsion among cations, skeleton support function of graphene oxide nanosheets, and water absorption and retention of ions, endow the gels with the dual characteristics of hydrogels and aerogels (i.e., hydro‐aerogels). The hydro‐aerogels prepared with the cationic salting‐out effect display attractive pressure sensing performance with excellent stability over 90 days and enable continuous monitoring of ambient humidity in real‐time and effective work in seawater to detect various parameters (e.g., depth, salinity, and temperature). The hydro‐aerogels prepared without borax pretreatment or using the cationic salting‐in effect can serve as quasi‐solid‐state electrolytes in supercapacitors, with 99.59% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles. This study realizes cation specificity in hydrogels and designs multifunctional hydro‐aerogels for promising applications in various fields.
External Field‐Responsive Ternary Non‐Noble Metal Oxygen Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Zinc‐Air Batteries
Authors: Gu Fan , Guo Wengai , Yuan Yifei , Deng Ya‐Ping , Jin Huile , Wang Jichang , Chen Zhongwei , Pan Shuang , Chen Yihuang , Wang Shun 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDespite the increasing effort in advancing oxygen electrocatalysts for zinc‐air batteries (ZABs), the performance development gradually reaches a plateau via only ameliorating the electrocatalyst materials. Herein, a new class of external field‐responsive electrocatalyst comprising Ni0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4 stably dispersed on N‐doped Ketjenblack (Ni0.5Mn0.5Fe2O4/N‐KB) is developed via polymer‐assisted strategy for practical ZABs. Briefly, the activity indicator ΔE is significantly decreased to 0.618 V upon photothermal assistance, far exceeding most reported electrocatalysts (generally >0.680 V). As a result, the photothermal electrocatalyst possesses comprehensive merits of excellent power density (319 mW cm−2), ultralong lifespan (5163 cycles at 25 mA cm−2), and outstanding rate performance (100 mA cm−2) for liquid ZABs, and superb temperature and deformation adaptability for flexible ZABs. Such improvement is attributed to the photothermal‐heating‐enabled synergy of promoted electrical conductivity, reactant‐molecule motion, active area, and surface reconstruction, as revealed by operando Raman and simulation. The findings open vast possibilities toward more‐energy‐efficient energy applications.
Photoinduced C−O Bond Formation through C−C Bond Cleavage of Alcohols by Suppressing Alcohol Oxidation
Authors: Wu Qiang , Hu Peng 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHerein, we present a photoinduced deconstructive alkoxyamination of alkyl alcohols catalyzed by iron salts. This transformation involves the initiation of alkoxy radicals through chlorine radical‐induced alkoxy radical formation, followed by β‐scission and trapping of the resulting carbon radicals with 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yl (TEMPO). This reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope (40 examples), including primary and secondary alcohols that are prone to oxidation by the combination of TEMPO and iron. Mechanistic investigations have revealed that enhanced coordination of the chloride ion with the iron center inhibits the OH oxidation process, thereby enabling the tolerance of primary and secondary alcohols.
NAMPT‐Driven M2 Polarization of Tumor‐Associated Macrophages Leads to an Immunosuppressive Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Hong Sun Mi , Lee A‐Yeon , Kim Byeong‐Ju , Lee Jeong‐Eun , Seon Su‐Yeon , Ha Yu‐Jin , Ng Jestlin Tianthing , Yoon Gyesoon , Lim Su Bin , Morgan Michael J. , Cha Jong‐Ho , Lee Dakeun , Kim You‐Sun 
Published: February 2024

AbstractNicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a metabolic enzyme with key roles in inflammation. Previous studies have examined the consequences of its upregulated expression in cancer cells themselves, but studies are limited with respect to its role in the other cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) during colorectal cancer (CRC) progression. Using single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) data, it is founded that NAMPT is highly expressed in SPP1+ tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs), a unique subset of TAMs associated with immunosuppressive activity. A NAMPThigh gene signature in SPP1+ TAMs correlated with worse prognostic outcomes in CRC patients. The effect of Nampt deletion in the myeloid compartment of mice during CRC development is explored. NAMPT deficiency in macrophages resulted in HIF‐1α destabilization, leading to reduction in M2‐like TAM polarization. NAMPT deficiency caused significant decreases in the efferocytosis activity of macrophages, which enhanced STING signaling and the induction of type I IFN‐response genes. Expression of these genes contributed to anti‐tumoral immunity via potentiation of cytotoxic T cell activity in the TME. Overall, these findings suggest that NAMPT‐initiated TAM‐specific genes can be useful in predicting poor CRC patient outcomes; strategies aimed at targeting NAMPT may provide a promising therapeutic approach for building an immunostimulatory TME in CRC progression.
A Novel Approach Utilizing Domain Adversarial Neural Networks for the Detection and Classification of Selective Sweeps
Authors: Song Hui , Chu Jinyu , Li Wangjiao , Li Xinyun , Fang Lingzhao , Han Jianlin , Zhao Shuhong , Ma Yunlong 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThe identification and classification of selective sweeps are of great significance for improving the understanding of biological evolution and exploring opportunities for precision medicine and genetic improvement. Here, a domain adaptation sweep detection and classification (DASDC) method is presented to balance the alignment of two domains and the classification performance through a domain‐adversarial neural network and its adversarial learning modules. DASDC effectively addresses the issue of mismatch between training data and real genomic data in deep learning models, leading to a significant improvement in its generalization capability, prediction robustness, and accuracy. The DASDC method demonstrates improved identification performance compared to existing methods and excels in classification performance, particularly in scenarios where there is a mismatch between application data and training data. The successful implementation of DASDC in real data of three distinct species highlights its potential as a useful tool for identifying crucial functional genes and investigating adaptive evolutionary mechanisms, particularly with the increasing availability of genomic data.
A Single‐Atom Manganese Nanozyme Mn‐N/C Promotes Anti‐Tumor Immune Response via Eliciting Type I Interferon Signaling
Authors: Qiao Wen , Chen Jingqi , Zhou Huayuan , Hu Cegui , Dalangood Sumiya , Li Hanjun , Yang Dandan , Yang Yu , Gui Jun 
Published: February 2024

AbstractTumor microenvironment (TME)‐induced nanocatalytic therapy is a promising strategy for cancer treatment, but the low catalytic efficiency limits its therapeutic efficacy. Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are a new type of nanozyme with incredible catalytic efficiency. Here, a single‐atom manganese (Mn)‐N/C nanozyme is constructed. Mn‐N/C catalyzes the conversion of cellular H2O2 to ∙OH through a Fenton‐like reaction and enables the sufficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which induces immunogenic cell death (ICD) of tumor cells and significantly promotes CD8+T anti‐tumor immunity. Moreover, RNA sequencing analysis reveals that Mn‐N/C treatment activates type I interferon (IFN) signaling, which is critical for Mn‐N/C‐mediated anti‐tumor immune response. Mechanistically, the release of cytosolic DNA and Mn2+ triggered by Mn‐N/C collectively activates the cGAS‐STING pathway, subsequently stimulating type I IFN induction. A highly efficient single‐atom nanozyme, Mn‐N/C, which enhances anti‐tumor immune response and exhibits synergistic therapeutic effects when combined with the anti‐PD‐L1 blockade, is proposed.
Mechanochemical Activation of DNAzyme by Ultrasound
Authors: Rath Wolfgang H. , Göstl Robert , Herrmann Andreas 
Published: February 2024

AbstractControlling the activity of DNAzymes by external triggers is an important task. Here a temporal control over DNAzyme activity through a mechanochemical pathway with the help of ultrasound (US) is demonstrated. The deactivation of the DNAzyme is achieved by hybridization to a complementary strand generated through rolling circle amplification (RCA), an enzymatic polymerization process. Due to the high molar mass of the resulting polynucleic acids, shear force can be applied on the RCA strand through inertial cavitation induced by US. This exerts mechanical force and leads to the cleavage of the base pairing between RCA strand and DNAzyme, resulting in the recovery of DNAzyme activity. This is the first time that this release mechanism is applied for the activation of catalytic nucleic acids, and it has multiple advantages over other stimuli. US has higher penetration depth into tissues compared to light, and it offers a more specific stimulus than heat, which has also limited use in biological systems due to cell damage caused by hyperthermia. This approach is envisioned to improve the control over DNAzyme activity for the development of reliable and specific sensing applications.
CSN6‐SPOP‐HMGCS1 Axis Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via YAP1 Activation
Authors: Li Kai , Zhang Jiayu , Lyu Haiwen , Yang Jinneng , Wei Wenxia , Wang Yuzhi , Luo Haidan , Zhang Yijing , Jiang Xin , Yi Hairong , Wang Mengan , Zhang Caiyun , Wu Kang , Xiao Lishi , Wen Weijie , Xu Hui , Li Guolin , Wan Yunle , Yang Fang , Yang Runxiang , Fu Xinhui , Qin Baifu , Zhou Zhongguo , Zhang Haipeng , Lee Mong‐Hong 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCholesterol metabolism has important roles in maintaining membrane integrity and countering the development of diseases such as obesity and cancers. Cancer cells sustain cholesterol biogenesis for their proliferation and microenvironment reprograming even when sterols are abundant. However, efficacy of targeting cholesterol metabolism for cancer treatment is always compromised. Here it is shown that CSN6 is elevated in HCC and is a positive regulator of hydroxymethylglutaryl‐CoA synthase 1 (HMGCS1) of mevalonate (MVA) pathway to promote tumorigenesis. Mechanistically, CSN6 antagonizes speckle‐type POZ protein (SPOP) ubiquitin ligase to stabilize HMGCS1, which in turn activates YAP1 to promote tumor growth. In orthotopic liver cancer models, targeting CSN6 and HMGCS1 hinders tumor growth in both normal and high fat diet. Significantly, HMGCS1 depletion improves YAP inhibitor efficacy in patient derived xenograft models. The results identify a CSN6‐HMGCS1‐YAP1 axis mediating tumor outgrowth in HCC and propose a therapeutic strategy of targeting non‐alcoholic fatty liver diseases‐ associated HCC.
Ultrafast Dynamics Across Pressure‐Induced Electronic State Transitions, Fluorescence Quenching, and Bandgap Evolution in CsPbBr3 Quantum Dots
Authors: Chen Lin , Chu Ya , Qin Xiaxia , Gao Zhijian , Zhang Guozhao , Zhang Haiwa , Wang Qinglin , Li Qian , Guo Haizhong , Li Yinwei , Liu Cailong 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis work investigates the impact of pressure on the structural, optical properties, and electronic structure of CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) using steady‐state photoluminescence, steady‐state absorption, and femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, reaching a maximum pressure of 3.38 GPa. The experimental results indicate that CsPbBr3 QDs undergo electronic state (ES) transitions from ES‐I to ES‐II and ES‐II to ES‐III at 0.38 and 1.08 GPa, respectively. Intriguingly, a mixed state of ES‐II and ES‐III is observed within the pressure range of 1.08–1.68 GPa. The pressure‐induced fluorescence quenching in ES‐II is attributed to enhanced defect trapping and reduced radiative recombination. Above 1.68 GPa, fluorescence vanishes entirely, attributed to the complete phase transformation from ES‐II to ES‐III in which radiative recombination becomes non‐existent. Notably, owing to stronger quantum confinement effects, CsPbBr3 QDs exhibit an impressive bandgap tuning range of 0.497 eV from 0 to 2.08 GPa, outperforming nanocrystals by 1.4 times and bulk counterparts by 11.3 times. Furthermore, this work analyzes various carrier dynamics processes in the pressure‐induced bandgap evolution and electron state transitions, and systematically studies the microphysical mechanisms of optical properties in CsPbBr3 QDs under pressure, offering insights for optimizing optical properties and designing novel materials.
CIRI‐Deep Enables Single‐Cell and Spatial Transcriptomic Analysis of Circular RNAs with Deep Learning
Authors: Zhou Zihan , Zhang Jinyang , Zheng Xin , Pan Zhicheng , Zhao Fangqing , Gao Yuan 
Published: February 2024

AbstractCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are a crucial yet relatively unexplored class of transcripts known for their tissue‐ and cell‐type‐specific expression patterns. Despite the advances in single‐cell and spatial transcriptomics, these technologies face difficulties in effectively profiling circRNAs due to inherent limitations in circRNA sequencing efficiency. To address this gap, a deep learning model, CIRI‐deep, is presented for comprehensive prediction of circRNA regulation on diverse types of RNA‐seq data. CIRI‐deep is trained on an extensive dataset of 25 million high‐confidence circRNA regulation events and achieved high performances on both test and leave‐out data, ensuring its accuracy in inferring differential events from RNA‐seq data. It is demonstrated that CIRI‐deep and its adapted version enable various circRNA analyses, including cluster‐ or region‐specific circRNA detection, BSJ ratio map visualization, and trans and cis feature importance evaluation. Collectively, CIRI‐deep's adaptability extends to all major types of RNA‐seq datasets including single‐cell and spatial transcriptomic data, which will undoubtedly broaden the horizons of circRNA research.
Modeling and Fundamental Dynamics of Vacuum, Gas, and Antisolvent Quenching for Scalable Perovskite Processes
Authors: Ternes Simon , Laufer Felix , Paetzold Ulrich W. 
Published: February 2024

AbstractHybrid perovskite photovoltaics (PVs) promise cost‐effective fabrication with large‐scale solution‐based manufacturing processes as well as high power conversion efficiencies. Almost all of today's high‐performance solution‐processed perovskite absorber films rely on so‐called quenching techniques that rapidly increase supersaturation to induce a prompt crystallization. However, to date, there are no metrics for comparing results obtained with different quenching methods. In response, the first quantitative modeling framework for gas quenching, anti‐solvent quenching, and vacuum quenching is developed herein. Based on dynamic thickness measurements in a vacuum chamber, previous works on drying dynamics, and commonly known material properties, a detailed analysis of mass transfer dynamics is performed for each quenching technique. The derived models are delivered along with an open‐source software framework that is modular and extensible. Thereby, a deep understanding of the impact of each process parameter on mass transfer dynamics is provided. Moreover, the supersaturation rate at critical concentration is proposed as a decisive benchmark of quenching effectiveness, yielding ≈ 10−3 − 10−1s−1 for vacuum quenching, ≈ 10−5 − 10−3s−1 for static gas quenching, ≈ 10−2 − 100s−1 for dynamic gas quenching and ≈ 102s−1 for antisolvent quenching. This benchmark fosters transferability and scalability of hybrid perovskite fabrication, transforming the “art of device making” to well‐defined process engineering.
Enhancement of separation performance for ofloxacin enantiomers by a biphasic recognition chiral extraction system
Authors: Li Jiangtao , Cheng Hongye , Qi Zhiwen 
Published: February 2024

AbstractDespite greatly improved separation performance towards many mixtures, utilizing biphasic recognition chiral extraction (BRCE) systems in enantiomer separation remains challenging due to inadequate comprehension of chiral recognition and biphasic synergism mechanisms. In this work, using ofloxacin enantiomers as a case study, separation performance of BRCE system is systematically examined from experimental and theoretical aspects. The BRCE system, comprising di‐p‐toluoyl‐l‐tartaric acid and β‐cyclodextrin as hydrophobic and hydrophilic selectors, achieves maximum enantioselectivity and enantiomeric excess values of 2.4 and 26% under optimal conditions. Five‐stage counter‐current extraction and reverse extraction significantly improve the enantiomeric excess value up to 91%. Molecular simulations reveal that to construct an enhanced BRCE system, two chiral selectors should have opposite recognition abilities for target enantiomers and weak interactions between themselves. This work provides guidance on selecting suitable selectors for construction of an enhanced BRCE system not only for separating ofloxacin enantiomers but also other enantiomers.
Sexual dimorphism of adiposity and fat distribution among children and adolescents (8–18 year olds) from Poland
Authors: Żegleń Magdalena , Kryst Łukasz , Kowal Małgorzata , Woronkowicz Agnieszka 
Published: February 2024

AbstractObjectivesThe study aimed to analyze the sexual dimorphism of total body fat [BF%] and fat distribution among 8–18 year olds from Poland.MethodsThe study included 2175 participants, divided into sex and age groups. Waist and hip circumferences, the thickness of six skinfolds, waist‐to‐hips ratio [WHR], the ratio of abdominal‐to‐suprailiac skinfolds, and the limb‐to‐trunk adiposity index were analyzed. Fat percentage were measured with a body composition analyzer (Tanita) with accuracy 0.1%. The Mollison's Index [MI] was used for calculating sexual dimorphism.ResultsThe value of MI for the WHR and its components (waist and hip circumferences) was negative (the boys were characterized by higher values of these parameters). The magnitude of the sex differences was lower in the younger age groups and the highest in the oldest groups. For adiposity [BF%], the average values were higher in females. In the younger age groups, girls had thicker skinfolds compared to boys, and this tendency was also observed in the older age groups, except for abdominal and suprailiac skinfolds. The values of the analyzed adiposity indicators also represented a tendency toward central allocation of fat tissue in boys.ConclusionsIn conclusion, sexual dimorphism of fat distribution and adiposity could be detected as early as 7 years of age. These differences can be identified using simple anthropometric methods, which are relatively cheap and easy to use, particularly in the field setting and large populations. The observation of changes in these features in children should be a recommended procedure aimed at early detection of overweight, obesity, as well as normal weight obesity or other metabolic disorders.
Photon Generation Scheme of 32‐Fold Millimeter‐Wave Signal Based on Mach‐Zehnder Modulator
Authors: Wang Shali , Wang Dongfei , Ren Lei , Zhang Hu , Wu Zihao , Li Wusong , Zhang Fenghui , Wang Xiangqing 
Published: February 2024

AbstractThis paper proposes a 32‐tupling frequency millimeter‐wave (MMW) filter‐free system based on four Mach‐Zehnder Modulators (MZM) connected in parallel and cascaded with a simple radio‐fiber (RoF) link structure. The four MZMs are all at the maximum transmission point (MATP), and the radio frequency (RF) driving voltage phase difference between MZMs is π /2. The center carrier is suppressed by using an optical attenuator (OATT) and an optical phase shifter (OPS). Two parallel MZMs can generate ±8th order and ±12th order optical sidebands, and the ±4th order optical sidebands can be suppressed by adjusting the modulation index m of the MZM, using cascaded two dual‐parallel MZMS(DPMZM) and the phase difference of the RF signal source is π/4 to generate ±16th order optical sidebands. The theoretical analysis and simulation experiments are performed for the scheme proposed in this paper. The results show that the simulated and theoretical values of the optical sideband suppression ratio (OSSR) for ±16th order optical sideband signals are 60.02 and 59.96 dB, respectively, and the simulated and theoretical values of the RF sideband suppression ratio (RFSSR) for the 32‐tupling MMW signal are 56.34 and 53.94 dB, respectively.