bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix: 15-year experience from a tertiary care centre in Southern India
Authors: Jacob Sobin V. , Sathyamurthy Arvind , Ramireddy Jeba Karunya , Thomas Anitha , Singh Kaalindi , Ram Thomas Samuel
Published: February 2020

Aim:

To analyse the presentation, treatment strategies and outcomes of neuroendocrine carcinoma of cervix treated with multi-modality approach at our institute.

Materials and methods:

The data of patients diagnosed to have cervical cancer between October 2004 and November 2018 were retrieved, and 14 patients of neuroendocrine carcinoma cervix who received treatment in our institution were identified. The patients were analysed based on demographic characteristics, disease stage, pathological characteristics, treatment and follow-up. The median overall survival and disease-free survival were calculated.

Results:

Median follow-up period was 8 months (range 1–52 months). Six patients died within 4 months of completion of treatment due to disease progression. Median overall survival was 12 months and median disease-free interval was 5·5 months. Four of the patients who underwent combined modality treatment consisting of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiation therapy and brachytherapy are still on regular follow-up and are disease-free.

Conclusion:

Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix is a rare but aggressive histological subtype. Combined modality approach with judicious use of systemic chemotherapy along with surgery and radiation therapy is essential for optimal outcomes.
Global Simulation of Electron Cyclotron Harmonic Wave Instability in a Storm‐Time Magnetosphere
Authors: Liu Xu , Chen Lunjin , Engel Miles A. , Jordanova Vania K.
Published: February 2020

Electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves are electrostatic emissions between the ECHs and play a dominant role for precipitating energetic electrons in the magnetotail. Statistically, the ECH wave intensity is stronger at nightside and dawnside than at dayside and duskside. In this study, we, for the first time, simulate the global ECH wave evolution during a geomagnetic storm event using Ring current Atmosphere interactions Model with Self‐Consistent Magnetic field (RAM‐SCB) combined with a linear growth rate solver. We find that the simulation results are generally consistent with the statistical and real‐time observations. The ECH wave instability is much stronger at nightside and dawnside, compared to the instability at dayside and duskside. Before a geomagnetic storm (quiet time), the unstable regions of the ECH waves lie beyond
with a weak instability level. During the main phase of a geomagnetic storm, the unstable regions can extend to a lower altitude (
) with a strong instability level. During the recovery phase, the unstable regions return to
. We also find that the inner boundary of unstable ECH wave regions is coincident with the plasmapause location during the whole geomagnetic storm event.
Energetic Particles and Acceleration Regions Over Jupiter's Polar Cap and Main Aurora: A Broad Overview
Authors: Mauk B. H. , Clark G. , Gladstone G. R. , Kotsiaros S. , Adriani A. , Allegrini F. , Bagenal F. , Bolton S. J. , Bonfond B. , Connerney J. E. P. , Ebert R. W. , Haggerty D. K. , Kollmann P. , Kurth W. S. , Levin S. M. , Paranicas C. P. , Rymer A. M.
Published: February 2020

Previous Juno mission event studies revealed powerful electron and ion acceleration, to 100s of kiloelectron volts and higher, at low altitudes over Jupiter's main aurora and polar cap (PC; poleward of the main aurora). Here we examine 30–1200 keV JEDI‐instrument particle data from the first 16 Juno orbits to determine how common, persistent, repeatable, and ordered these processes are. For the PC regions, we find (1) upward electron angle beams, sometimes extending to megaelectron volt energies, are persistently present in essentially all portions of the polar cap but are generated by two distinct and spatially separable processes. (2) Particle evidence for megavolt downward electrostatic potentials are observable for 80% of the polar cap crossings and over substantial fractions of the PC area. For the main aurora, with the orbit favoring the duskside, we find that (1) three distinct zones are observed that are generally arranged from lower to higher latitudes but sometimes mixed. They are designated here as the diffuse aurora (DifA), Zone‐I (ZI(D)) showing primarily downward electron acceleration, and Zone‐II (ZII(B)) showing bidirectional acceleration with the upward intensities often greater than downward intensities. (2) ZI(D) and ZII(B) sometimes (but not always) contain, respectively, downward electron inverted Vs and downward proton inverted Vs, (potentials up to 400 kV) but, otherwise, have broadband distributions. (3) Surprisingly, both ZI(D) and ZII(B) can generate equally powerful auroral emissions. It is suggested but demonstrated for intense portions of only one auroral crossing, that ZI(D) and ZII(B) are associated, respectively, with upward and downward electric currents.
Twentieth Century Black Carbon and Dust Deposition on South Cascade Glacier, Washington State, USA, as Reconstructed From a 158‐m‐Long Ice Core
Authors: Kaspari S. D. , Pittenger D. , Jenk T. M. , Morgenstern U. , Schwikowski M. , Buenning N. , Stott L.
Published: February 2020

Light absorbing particles (LAPs) include black carbon (BC) and mineral dust and are of interest due to their positive radiative forcing and contribution to albedo reductions and snow and glacier melt. This study documents historic BC and dust deposition as well as their effect on albedo on South Cascade Glacier (SCG) in Washington State (USA) through the analysis of a 158‐m (139.5‐m water equivalent [w.e.]) ice core extracted in 1994 and spanning the period 1840–1991. Peak BC deposition occurred between 1940 and 1960, when median BC concentrations were 16 times higher than background, likely dominated by domestic coal and forest fire emissions. Post 1960 BC concentrations decrease, followed by an increase from 1977 to 1991 due to melt consolidation and higher emissions. Differences between the SCG record and BC emission inventories, as well as ice core records from other regions, highlight regional differences in the timing of anthropogenic and biomass BC emissions. Dust deposition on SCG is dominated by local sources and is variable throughout the record. Albedo reductions from LAP are dominated by dust deposition, except during high BC deposition events from forest fires and during 1940–1960 when BC and dust similarly contribute to albedo reductions. This study furthers understanding of the factors contributing to historical snowmelt and glacier retreat in the Cascades and demonstrates that ice cores retrieved from temperate glaciers have the potential to provide valuable records of LAP deposition.
Development of a Bowtie Inversion Technique for Real‐Time Processing of the GOES‐16/‐17 SEISS MPS‐HI Electron Channels
Authors: Boudouridis A. , Rodriguez J.V. , Kress B.T. , Dichter B.K. , Onsager T.G.
Published: February 2020

The Space Environment In‐Situ Suite on the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)‐R series of satellites includes a new instrument for measuring radiation belt electrons and protons, the Magnetospheric Particle Sensor–High Energy (MPS‐HI). The MPS‐HI electron channels cover the energy range 50 keV to 4 MeV. The conversion of raw MPS‐HI electron telescope counts to fluxes is based on the so‐called bowtie technique. The goal of the bowtie analysis is to calculate for each energy channel an energy/geometric factor pair applicable to a wide range of energy spectra and for which the geometric factor error is minimized. Rather than using idealized analytical spectral functions, we use observed high‐resolution spectra from the cross‐calibrated Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES) Medium Electron Sensor A and High Energy Electron Fluxmeter data set from the period 1990–1991, restricted to 6 < L < 8. One thousand randomly selected CRRES spectra are used to perform the bowtie analysis and determine the MPS‐HI channel energy/geometric factor characteristics. The results are used to convert the GOES‐16/‐17 MPS‐HI electron counts to fluxes. The same bowtie technique is used to calculate effective energies and geometric factors for the GOES‐13/‐14 Magnetospheric Electron Detector ME1‐ME5 (30–600 keV) electron channels. We compare the fluxes from the various spacecraft (GOES‐16/‐13, GOES‐17/‐14, and GOES‐16/‐17) over periods of several months to determine the applicability and utility of the bowtie analysis. Finally, we compare the GOES‐16/‐13 fluxes during 22 days of near conjunction. All comparisons show good agreement among the various satellite data sets.
High‐Frequency Waves Driven by Agyrotropic Electrons Near the Electron Diffusion Region
Authors: Dokgo Kyunghwan , Hwang Kyoung‐Joo , Burch James L. , Yoon Peter H. , Graham Daniel B. , Li Wenya
Published: February 2020

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Magnetosphere Multiscale mission reveals that agyrotropic electrons and intense waves are prevalently present in the electron diffusion region. Prompted by two distinct Magnetosphere Multiscale observations, this letter investigates by theoretical means and the properties of agyrotropic electron beam‐plasma instability and explains the origin of different structures in the wave spectra. The difference is owing to the fact that in one instance, a continuous beam mode is excited, while in the other, discrete Bernstein modes are excited, and the excitation of one mode versus the other depends on physical input parameters, which are consistent with observations. Analyses of dispersion relations show that the growing mode becomes discrete when the maximum growth rate is lower than the electron cyclotron frequency. Making use of particle‐in‐cell simulations, we found that the broadening angle
in the gyroangle space is also an important factor controlling the growth rate. Ramifications of the present finding are also discussed.
Retraction Note: α2,6-Sialylation mediates hepatocellular carcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo by targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway
Authors: Zhao Y. , Wei A. , Zhang H. , Chen X. , Wang L. , Zhang H. , Yu X. , Yuan Q. , Zhang J. , Wang S.
Published: February 2020

The authors have retracted this article [1] because there are errors in some images. In Fig. 2g, a colony picture for Mock group was incorrect. In Fig. 2k, the invasion pictures for Mock and overexpression ST6Gal-1 cells were incorrect. In Fig. 3g, the colony picture for shNC was incorrect. In Fig. 4f, the authors mistakenly provided WB band for GAPDH. In Fig. 4g, the IHC pictures for 10w in Negative Control and DENA-induced Groups were incorrect, and in Fig. 7f, a IHC picture for GSK-3β in DENA-induced Group (10w) was presented incorrectly. Due to these errors the findings are no longer reliable.
Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction arising from rare-earth orbital magnetism in insulating magnetic oxides
Authors: Caretta Lucas , Rosenberg Ethan , Büttner Felix , Fakhrul Takian , Gargiani Pierluigi , Valvidares Manuel , Chen Zhen , Reddy Pooja , Muller David A. , Ross Caroline A. , Beach Geoffrey S. D.
Published: February 2020

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is responsible for exotic chiral and topological magnetic states such as spin spirals and skyrmions. DMI manifests at metallic ferromagnet/heavy-metal interfaces, owing to inversion symmetry breaking and spin-orbit coupling by a heavy metal such as Pt. Moreover, in centrosymmetric magnetic oxides interfaced by Pt, DMI-driven topological spin textures and fast current-driven dynamics have been reported, though the origin of this DMI is unclear. While in metallic systems, spin-orbit coupling arises from a proximate heavy metal, we show that in perpendicularly-magnetized iron garnets, rare-earth orbital magnetism gives rise to an intrinsic spin-orbit coupling generating interfacial DMI at mirror symmetry-breaking interfaces. We show that rare-earth ion substitution and strain engineering can significantly alter the DMI. These results provide critical insights into the origins of chiral magnetism in low-damping magnetic oxides and identify paths toward engineering chiral and topological states in centrosymmetric oxides through rare-earth ion substitution.
Salamanders and other amphibians are aglow with biofluorescence
Authors: Lamb Jennifer Y. , Davis Matthew P.
Published: February 2020

Biofluorescence is the absorption of electromagnetic radiation (light) at one wavelength followed by its reemission at a lower energy and longer wavelength by a living organism. Previous studies have documented the widespread presence of biofluorescence in some animals, including cnidarians, arthropods, and cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes. Many studies on biofluorescence have focused on marine animals (cnidarians, cartilaginous and ray-finned fishes) but we know comparatively little about the presence of biofluorescence in tetrapods. We show for the first time that biofluorescence is widespread across Amphibia, with a focus on salamanders (Caudata), which are a diverse group with a primarily Holarctic distribution. We find that biofluorescence is not restricted to any particular family of salamanders, there is striking variation in their fluorescent patterning, and the primary wavelengths emitted in response to blue excitation light are within the spectrum of green light. Widespread biofluorescence across the amphibian radiation is a previously undocumented phenomenon that could have significant ramifications for the ecology and evolution of these diverse and declining vertebrates. Our results provide a roadmap for future studies on the characterization of molecular mechanisms of biofluorescence in amphibians, as well as directions for investigations into the potential impact of biofluorescence on the visual ecology and behavior of biofluorescent amphibians.
A comprehensive analysis of coding and non-coding transcriptomic changes in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Das Mahapatra Kunal , Pasquali Lorenzo , Søndergaard Jonas Nørskov , Lapins Jan , Nemeth István Balazs , Baltás Eszter , Kemény Lajos , Homey Bernhard , Moldovan Liviu-Ionut , Kjems Jørgen , Kutter Claudia , Sonkoly Enikö , Kristensen Lasse Sommer , Pivarcsi Andor
Published: February 2020

Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) is the most common and fastest-increasing cancer with metastatic potential. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are novel regulators of gene expression. To identify mRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs, which can be involved in cSCC, RNA-seq was performed on nine cSCCs and seven healthy skin samples. Representative transcripts were validated by NanoString nCounter assays using an extended cohort, which also included samples from pre-cancerous skin lesions (actinic keratosis). 5,352 protein-coding genes, 908 lncRNAs and 55 circular RNAs were identified to be differentially expressed in cSCC. Targets of 519 transcription factors were enriched among differentially expressed genes, 105 of which displayed altered level in cSCCs, including fundamental regulators of skin development (MYC, RELA, ETS1, TP63). Pathways related to cell cycle, apoptosis, inflammation and epidermal differentiation were enriched. In addition to known oncogenic lncRNAs (PVT1, LUCAT1, CASC9), a set of skin-specific lncRNAs were were identified to be dysregulated. A global downregulation of circRNAs was observed in cSCC, and novel skin-enriched circRNAs, circ_IFFO2 and circ_POF1B, were identified and validated. In conclusion, a reference set of coding and non-coding transcripts were identified in cSCC, which may become potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers.
VEGF-A165b levels are reduced in breast cancer patients at primary diagnosis but increase after completion of cancer treatment
Authors: Karsten Maria Margarete , Beck Maximilian Heinz , Rademacher Angela , Knabl Julia , Blohmer Jens-Uwe , Jückstock Julia , Radosa Julia Caroline , Jank Paul , Rack Brigitte , Janni Wolfgang
Published: February 2020

The antiangiogenic splice variant VEGF-A165b is downregulated in a variety of cancer entities, but little is known so far about circulating plasma levels. The present analysis addresses this question and examines circulating VEGF-A/VEGF-A165b levels in a collective of female high-risk breast cancer patients over the course of treatment. Within the SUCCES-A trial 205 patients were recruited after having received primary breast surgery. Using ELISA VEGF-A/VEGF-A165b concentrations were determined and correlated to clinical characteristics (1) before adjuvant chemotherapy, (2) four weeks and (3) two years after therapy and compared to healthy controls (n = 107). VEGF165b levels were significantly elevated after completion of chemotherapy. Within the breast cancer cohort, VEGF-A165b levels increased two years after completion of chemotherapy. VEGF-A plasma concentrations were significantly elevated in the breast cancer cohort at all examined time points and decreased after treatment. VEGF-A levels two years after chemotherapy correlated with increased cancer related mortality, no such correlation could be found between VEGF-A165b and the examined clinical characteristics. Compared to controls, VEGF-A/VEGF-A165b ratios were decreased in patients before and after chemotherapy. Our data suggests that circulating VEGF-A165b is significantly reduced in women with primary breast cancer at time of diagnosis; furthermore, levels change during adjuvant treatment.
Respiratory mycobiome and suggestion of inter-kingdom network during acute pulmonary exacerbation in cystic fibrosis
Authors: Soret Perrine , Vandenborght Louise-Eva , Francis Florence , Coron Noémie , Enaud Raphael , Avalos Marta , Schaeverbeke Thierry , Berger Patrick , Fayon Michael , Thiebaut Rodolphe , Delhaes Laurence ,   The Mucofong Investigation Group, Chabe Magali , Audebert Christophe , Durand-Joly Isabelle , Boldron Amale , Pin Isabelle , Cognet Odile , Pelloux Herve , Prevotat Anne , Wallaert Benoit , Wizla Nathalie , Thumerelle Caroline , Turck Dominique
Published: February 2020

Lung infections play a critical role in cystic fibrosis (CF) pathogenesis. CF respiratory tract is now considered to be a polymicrobial niche and advances in high-throughput sequencing allowed to analyze its microbiota and mycobiota. However, no NGS studies until now have characterized both communities during CF pulmonary exacerbation (CFPE). Thirty-three sputa isolated from patients with and without CFPE were used for metagenomic high-throughput sequencing targeting 16S and ITS2 regions of bacterial and fungal rRNA. We built inter-kingdom network and adapted Phy-Lasso method to highlight correlations in compositional data. The decline in respiratory function was associated with a decrease in bacterial diversity. The inter-kingdom network revealed three main clusters organized around Aspergillus, Candida, and Scedosporium genera. Using Phy-Lasso method, we identified Aspergillus and Malassezia as relevantly associated with CFPE, and Scedosporium plus Pseudomonas with a decline in lung function. We corroborated in vitro the cross-domain interactions between Aspergillus and Streptococcus predicted by the correlation network. For the first time, we included documented mycobiome data into a version of the ecological Climax/Attack model that opens new lines of thoughts about the physiopathology of CF lung disease and future perspectives to improve its therapeutic management.
Sodium-hydrogen exchanger 6 (NHE6) deficiency leads to hearing loss, via reduced endosomal signalling through the BDNF/Trk pathway
Authors: Kucharava Krystsina , Brand Yves , Albano Giuseppe , Sekulic-Jablanovic Marijana , Glutz Andrea , Xian Xunde , Herz Joachim , Bodmer Daniel , Fuster Daniel G. , Petkovic Vesna
Published: February 2020

Acid-base homeostasis is critical for normal growth, development, and hearing function. The sodium–hydrogen exchanger 6 (NHE6), a protein mainly expressed in early and recycling endosomes, plays an important role in regulating organellar pH. Mutations in NHE6 cause complex, slowly progressive neurodegeneration. Little is known about NHE6 function in the mouse cochlea. Here, we found that all NHE isoforms were expressed in wild-type (WT) mouse cochlea. Nhe6 knockout (KO) mice showed significant hearing loss compared to WT littermates. Immunohistochemistry in WT mouse cochlea showed that Nhe6 was localized in the organ of Corti (OC), spiral ganglion (SG), stria vascularis (SV), and afferent nerve fibres. The middle and the inner ears of WT and Nhe6 KO mice were not different morphologically. Given the putative role of NHE6 in early endosomal function, we examined Rab GTPase expression in early and late endosomes. We found no change in Rab5, significantly lower Rab7, and higher Rab11 levels in the Nhe6 KO OC, compared to WT littermates. Because Rabs mediate TrkB endosomal signalling, we evaluated TrkB phosphorylation in the OCs of both strains. Nhe6 KO mice showed significant reductions in TrkB and Akt phosphorylation in the OC. In addition, we examined genes used as markers of SG type I (Slc17a7, Calb1, Pou4f1, Cal2) and type II neurons (Prph, Plk5, Cacna1g). We found that all marker gene expression levels were significantly elevated in the SG of Nhe6 KO mice, compared to WT littermates. Anti-neurofilament factor staining showed axon loss in the cochlear nerves of Nhe6 KO mice compared to WT mice. These findings indicated that BDNF/TrkB signalling was disrupted in the OC of Nhe6 KO mice, probably due to TrkB reduction, caused by over acidification in the absence of NHE6. Thus, our findings demonstrated that NHEs play important roles in normal hearing in the mammalian cochlea.
Effects of Oxygen Modification on the Structural and Magnetic Properties of Highly Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) thin films
Authors: Kumari Shalini , Mottaghi Navid , Huang Chih-Yeh , Trappen Robbyn , Bhandari Ghadendra , Yousefi Saeed , Cabrera Guerau , Seehra Mohindar S. , Holcomb Mikel B.
Published: February 2020

La0.7Sr0.3MnO3, a strong semi-metallic ferromagnet having robust spin polarization and magnetic transition temperature (TC) well above 300 K, has attracted significant attention as a possible candidate for a wide range of memory, spintronic, and multifunctional devices. Since varying the oxygen partial pressure during growth is likely to change the structural and other physical functionalities of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) films, here we report detailed investigations on structure, along with magnetic behavior of LSMO films with same thickness (~30 nm) but synthesized at various oxygen partial pressures: 10, 30, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mTorr. The observation of only (00 l) reflections without any secondary peaks in the XRD patterns confirms the high-quality synthesis of the above-mentioned films. Surface morphology of the films reveals that these films are very smooth with low roughness, the thin films synthesized at 150 mTorr having the lowest average roughness. The increasing of magnetic TC and sharpness of the magnetic phase transitions with increasing oxygen growth pressure suggests that by decreasing the oxygen growth pressure leads to oxygen deficiencies in grown films which induce oxygen inhomogeneity. Thin films grown at 150 mTorr exhibits the highest magnetization with TC = 340 K as these thin films possess the lowest roughness and might exhibit lowest oxygen vacancies and defects. Interpretation and significance of these results in the 30 nm LSMO thin films prepared at different oxygen growth pressures are also presented, along with the existence and growth pressure dependence of negative remanent magnetization (NRM) of the above-mentioned thin films.
Ultrasound imaging links soleus muscle neuromechanics and energetics during human walking with elastic ankle exoskeletons
Authors: Nuckols R. W. , Dick T. J. M. , Beck O. N. , Sawicki G. S.
Published: February 2020

Unpowered exoskeletons with springs in parallel to human plantar flexor muscle-tendons can reduce the metabolic cost of walking. We used ultrasound imaging to look ‘under the skin’ and measure how exoskeleton stiffness alters soleus muscle contractile dynamics and shapes the user’s metabolic rate during walking. Eleven participants (4F, 7M; age: 27.7 ± 3.3 years) walked on a treadmill at 1.25 m s−1 and 0% grade with elastic ankle exoskeletons (rotational stiffness: 0–250 Nm rad−1) in one training and two testing days. Metabolic savings were maximized (4.2%) at a stiffness of 50 Nm rad−1. As exoskeleton stiffness increased, the soleus muscle operated at longer lengths and improved economy (force/activation) during early stance, but this benefit was offset by faster shortening velocity and poorer economy in late stance. Changes in soleus activation rate correlated with changes in users’ metabolic rate (p = 0.038, R2 = 0.44), highlighting a crucial link between muscle neuromechanics and exoskeleton performance; perhaps informing future ‘muscle-in-the loop’ exoskeleton controllers designed to steer contractile dynamics toward more economical force production.
Action information contributes to metacognitive decision-making
Authors: Wokke Martijn E. , Achoui Dalila , Cleeremans Axel
Published: February 2020

Metacognitive abilities allow us to adjust ongoing behavior and modify future decisions in the absence of external feedback. Although metacognition is critical in many daily life settings, it remains unclear what information is actually being monitored and what kind of information is being used for metacognitive decisions. In the present study, we investigated whether response information connected to perceptual events contribute to metacognitive decision-making. Therefore, we recorded EEG signals during a perceptual color discrimination task while participants were asked to provide an estimate about the quality of their decision on each trial. Critically, the moment participants provided their confidence judgments varied across conditions, thereby changing the amount of action information (e.g., response competition or response fluency) available for metacognitive decisions. Results from three experiments demonstrate that metacognitive performance improved when first-order action information was available at the moment metacognitive decisions about the perceptual task had to be provided. This behavioral effect was accompanied by enhanced functional connectivity (beta phase synchrony) between motor areas and prefrontal regions, exclusively observed during metacognitive decision-making. Our findings demonstrate that action information contributes to metacognitive decision-making, thereby painting a picture of metacognition as a process that integrates sensory evidence and information about our interactions with the world.
Thermal stability of tungsten based metamaterial emitter under medium vacuum and inert gas conditions
Authors: Chirumamilla Manohar , Krishnamurthy Gnanavel Vaidhyanathan , Rout Surya Snata , Ritter Martin , Störmer Michael , Petrov Alexander Yu , Eich Manfred
Published: February 2020

Commercial deployment of thermophotovoltaics (TPV) is lacking behind the implementation of solar PV technology due to limited thermal stability of the selective emitter structures. Most of the TPV emitters demonstrated so far are designed to operate under high vacuum conditions (~10−6 mbar vacuum pressure), whereas under medium vacuum conditions (~10−2 mbar vacuum pressure), which are feasible in technical implementations of TPV, these emitters suffer from oxidation due to significant O2 partial pressure. In this work, the thermal stability of 1D refractory W-HfO2 based multilayered metamaterial emitter structure is investigated under different vacuum conditions. The impact of the O2 partial pressure on thermal stability of the emitters is experimentally quantified. We show that, under medium vacuum conditions, i.e. ~10−2 mbar vacuum pressure, the emitter shows unprecedented thermal stability up to 1300 °C when the residual O2 in the annealing chamber is minimized by encapsulating the annealing chamber with Ar atmosphere. This study presents a significant step in the experimental implementation of high temperature stable emitters under medium vacuum conditions, and their potential in construction of economically viable TPV systems. The high TPV efficiency, ~50% spectral efficiency for GaSb PV cell at 1300 °C, and high temperature stability make this platform well suited for technical application in next-generation TPV systems.
Allograft inflammatory factor-1-like is not essential for age dependent weight gain or HFD-induced obesity and glucose insensitivity
Authors: Parikh Dippal , Riascos-Bernal Dario F. , Egaña-Gorroño Lander , Jayakumar Smitha , Almonte Vanessa , Chinnasamy Prameladevi , Sibinga Nicholas E. S.
Published: February 2020

The allograft inflammatory factor (AIF) gene family consists of two identified paralogs – AIF1 and AIF1-like (AIF1L). The encoded proteins, AIF1 and AIF1L, are 80% similar in sequence and show conserved tertiary structure. While studies in human populations suggest links between AIF1 and metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes, such associations with AIF1L have not been reported. Drawing parallels based on structural similarity, we postulated that AIF1L might contribute to metabolic disorders, and studied it using mouse models. Here we report that AIF1L is expressed in major adipose depots and kidney but was not detectable in liver or skeletal muscle; in notable contrast to AIF1, AIF1L was also not found in spleen. Studies of AIF1L deficient mice showed no obvious postnatal developmental phenotype. In response to high fat diet (HFD) feeding for 6 or 18 weeks, WT and AIF1L deficient mice gained weight similarly, showed no differences in fat or lean mass accumulation, and displayed no changes in energy expenditure or systemic glucose handling. These findings indicate that AIF1L is not essential for the development of obesity or impaired glucose handling due to HFD, and advance understanding of this little-studied gene and its place in the AIF gene family.
Reconstruction of residents’ thyroid equivalent doses from internal radionuclides after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station accident
Authors: Ohba Takashi , Ishikawa Tetsuo , Nagai Haruyasu , Tokonami Shinji , Hasegawa Arifumi , Suzuki Gen
Published: February 2020

There is concern among residents that their children might suffer from thyroid cancer in the near future after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station (FDNPS) accident. However, the demographic and geographical distribution of thyroid equivalent doses was not thoroughly evaluated, and direct thyroid measurements were conducted only for 1,200 children, whose individual thyroid doses were assessed on the basis of those measurements accounting for the dynamics of radioiodine intake. We conducted hierarchical clustering analyses of 100 or 300 randomly sampled behavioural questionnaire sheets of children from each of seven municipalities in the evacuation area to reconstruct evacuation scenarios associated with high or low exposures to plumes. In total 896 behaviour records in the Fukushima Health Management Survey were analysed to estimate thyroid equivalent doses via inhalation, using a spatiotemporal radionuclides concentration database constructed by atmospheric dispersion simulations. After a decontamination factor for sheltering and a modifying factor for the dose coefficient—to reflect lower iodine uptake rate in Japanese—were applied, estimated thyroid equivalent doses were close to those estimated from direct thyroid measurement. The median and 95th percentile of thyroid equivalent doses of 1-year-old children ranged from 0.6 to 16 mSv and from 7.5 to 30 mSv, respectively. These results are useful for future epidemiological studies of thyroid cancer in Fukushima.
A Markov chain method for counting and modelling migraine attacks
Authors: Barra Mathias , Dahl Fredrik A. , Vetvik Kjersti Grøtta , MacGregor E. Anne
Published: February 2020

To ensure reproducibility in research quantifying episodic migraine attacks, and identifying attack onset, a sound theoretical model of a migraine attack, paired with a uniform standard for counting them, is necessary. Many studies report on migraine frequencies—e.g. the fraction of migraine-days of the observed days—without paying attention to the number of discrete attacks. Furthermore, patients’ diaries frequently contain single, migraine-free days between migraine-days, and we argue here that such ‘migraine-locked days’ should routinely be interpreted as part of a single attack. We tested a simple Markov model of migraine attacks on headache diary data and estimated transition probabilities by mapping each day of each diary to a unique Markov state. We explored the validity of imputing migraine days on migraine-locked entries, and estimated the effect of imputation on observed migraine frequencies. Diaries from our patients demonstrated significant clustering of migraine days. The proposed Markov chain model was shown to approximate the progression of observed migraine attacks satisfactorily, and imputing on migraine-locked days was consistent with the conceptual model for the progression of migraine attacks. Hence, we provide an easy method for quantifying the number and duration of migraine attacks, enabling researchers to procure data of high inter-study validity.
Integrated metabolome analysis reveals novel connections between maternal fecal metabolome and the neonatal blood metabolome in women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Zhao Chunchao , Ge Jun , Li Xia , Jiao Ruifen , Li Yuan , Quan Huili , Li Jianguo , Guo Qing , Wang Wenju
Published: February 2020

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), which is correlated with changes in the gut microbiota, is a risk factor for neonatal inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs). Maternal hyperglycemia exerts epigenetic effects on genes that encode IEM-associated enzymes, resulting in changes in the neonatal blood metabolome. However, the relationship between maternal gut microbiota and the neonatal blood metabolome remains poorly understood. This study aimed at understanding the connections between maternal gut microbiota and the neonatal blood metabolome in GDM. 1H-NMR-based untargeted metabolomics was performed on maternal fecal samples and targeted metabolomics on the matched neonatal dry blood spots from a cohort of 40 pregnant women, including 22 with GDM and 18 controls. Multi-omic association methods (including Co-Inertia Analysis and Procrustes Analysis) were applied to investigate the relationship between maternal fecal metabolome and the neonatal blood metabolome. Both maternal fecal metabolome and the matched neonatal blood metabolome could be separated along the vector of maternal hyperglycemia. A close relationship between the maternal and neonatal metabolomes was observed by multi-omic association approaches. Twelve out of thirty-two maternal fecal metabolites with altered abundances from 872 1H- NMR features (Bonferroni-adjusted P < 0.05) in women with GDM and the controls were identified, among which 8 metabolites contribute (P < 0.05 in a 999-step permutation test) to the close connection between maternal and the neonatal metabolomes in GDM. Four of these eight maternal fecal metabolites, including lysine, putrescine, guanidinoacetate, and hexadecanedioate, were negatively associated (Spearman rank correlation, coefficient value < −0.6, P < 0.05) with maternal hyperglycemia. Biotin metabolism was enriched (Bonferroni-adjusted P < 0.05 in the hypergeometric test) with the four-hyperglycemia associated fecal metabolites. The results of this study suggested that maternal fecal metabolites contribute to the connections between maternal fecal metabolome and the neonatal blood metabolome and may further affect the risk of IEMs.
Phosphate Adsorption by Silver Nanoparticles-Loaded Activated Carbon derived from Tea Residue
Authors: Trinh Van Tuyen , Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong , Van Huu Tap , Hoang Le Phuong , Nguyen Tien Vinh , Ha L. T. , Vu Xuan Hoa , Pham T. T. , Nguyen Thi Nu , Quang N. V. , Nguyen X. C.
Published: February 2020

This study presents the removal of phosphate from aqueous solution using a new silver nanoparticles-loaded tea activated carbon (AgNPs-TAC) material. In order to reduce costs, the tea activated carbon was produced from tea residue. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of impregnation ratio of AgNPs and TAC, pH solution, contact time, initial phosphate concentration and dose of AgNPs-AC on removing phosphate from aqueous solution. Results show that the best conditions for phosphate adsorption occurred at the impregnation ratio AgNPs/TAC of 3% w/w, pH 3, and contact time lasting 150 min. The maximum adsorption capacity of phosphate on AgNPs-TAC determined by the Langmuir model was 13.62 mg/g at an initial phosphate concentration of 30 mg/L. The adsorption isotherm of phosphate on AgNPs-TAC fits well with both the Langmuir and Sips models. The adsorption kinetics data were also described well by the pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order models with high correlation coefficients of 0.978 and 0.966, respectively. The adsorption process was controlled by chemisorption through complexes and ligand exchange mechanisms. This study suggests that AgNPs-TAC is a promising, low cost adsorbent for phosphate removal from aqueous solution.
Applicability of crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus, and tobacco mosaic virus as indicators of reduction of enteric viruses during wastewater treatment
Authors: Tandukar Sarmila , Sherchan Samendra P. , Haramoto Eiji
Published: February 2020

This study was conducted to evaluate the applicability of crAssphage, pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV), and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) as indicators of the reduction of human enteric viruses during wastewater treatment. Thirty-nine samples were collected from three steps at a wastewater treatment plant (raw sewage, secondary-treated sewage, and final effluent) monthly for a 13-month period. In addition to the three indicator viruses, eight human enteric viruses [human adenoviruses, JC and BK polyomaviruses, Aichi virus 1 (AiV-1), enteroviruses, and noroviruses of genogroups I, II, and IV] were tested by quantitative PCR. Indicator viruses were consistently detected in the tested samples, except for a few final effluents for crAssphage and TMV. The mean concentrations of crAssphage were significantly higher than those of most tested viruses. The concentrations of crAssphage in raw sewage were positively correlated with the concentrations of all tested human enteric viruses (p <0.05), suggesting the applicability of crAssphage as a suitable indicator to estimate the concentrations of human enteric viruses in raw sewage. The reduction ratios of AiV-1 (1.8 ± 0.7 log10) were the lowest among the tested viruses, followed by TMV (2.0 ± 0.3 log10) and PMMoV (2.0 ± 0.4 log10). Our findings suggested that the use of not only AiV-1 and PMMoV but also TMV as indicators of reductions in viral levels can be applicable during wastewater treatment.
Clinical outcomes of self-expandable metallic stents for malignant obstructive atelectasis
Authors: Bi Yonghua , Zhu Xiaoyan , Yu Zepeng , Yi Mengfei , Han Xinwei , Ren Jianzhuang
Published: February 2020

Self-expandable metallic stents (SEMSs) have been widely used in the treatment of malignant central airway obstruction. However, few reports focus on the treatment of atelectasis and how to estimate the prior probability of success via SEMSs placement, This current study aimed to study the safety and effectiveness of SEMSs for the treatment of obstructive atelectasis, and the value of preoperative CT enhancement for ventilation of atelectasis via SEMSs placement. A total of 35 patients with obstructive atelectasis (29 male and 6 female) was included from February 2012 to March 2018. The procedures were performed under fluoroscopic guidance, and bronchoscopic laser resection was performed for severe restenosis cases after SEMSs placement. Clinical and functional pulmonary data were recorded before and 3 months after the procedure. Follow-up involved clinical data and radiographic techniques at 48 h and at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals. Thirty-eight SEMSs were successfully implanted in 34 patients, included 29 Y type tracheal stents, 4 small y stents, and 5 straight airway stents. After stenting, 26 cases showed full ventilation, and 3 cases were partially ventilated. The technical success and clinical success was 97.1% and 82.9%, respectively. A higher maximum enhancement CT value was found in patients with full ventilation. Mean follow-up time was 18.8 ± 4.0 months. Eight cases showed restenosis and received endoscopic laser resection, included 1 case underwent removal and 3 cases received second stenting. There were 2 cases of perioperative non-operative death, and 11 cases of post-discharge death (2 cardiac deaths and 9 malignant tumors). The survival rates of 3 months, 1 year and 2 years were 78.6%, 58.5% and 58.5%, respectively. In conclusion, SEMSs placement is safe and effective for obstructive atelectasis, and the preoperative CT enhancement played an important role in estimating the prior probability of success in the treatment of atelectasis via SEMSs placement.
Limonene nanoemulsified with soya lecithin reduces the intensity of non-isothermal treatments for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Garre Alberto , Espín Jennifer F. , Huertas Juan-Pablo , Periago Paula M. , Palop Alfredo
Published: February 2020

Consumers’ demands for ready-to-eat, fresh-like products are on the rise during the last years. This type of products have minimal processing conditions that can enable the survival and replication of pathogenic microorganisms. Among them, Listeria monocytogenes is of special concern, due to its relatively high mortality rate and its ability to replicate under refrigeration conditions. Previous research works have shown that nanoemulsified essential oils in combination with thermal treatments are effective for inactivating L. monocytogenes. However, previous research works were limited to isothermal conditions, whereas actual processing conditions in industry are dynamic. Under dynamic conditions, microorganism can respond unexpectedly to the thermal stress (e.g. adaptation, acclimation or increased sensitivity). In this work, we assess the combination of nanoemulsified D-limonene with thermal treatments under isothermal and dynamic conditions. The nanoemulsion was prepared following an innovative methodology using soya lecithin, a natural compound as well as the essential oil. Under isothermal heating conditions, the addition of the antimicrobial enables a reduction of the treatment time by a factor of 25. For time-varying treatments, dynamic effects were relevant. Treatments with a high heating rate (20 °C/min) are more effective than those with a slow heating rate (1 °C/min). This investigation demonstrates that the addition of nanoemulsified D-limonene can greatly reduce the intensity of the thermal treatments currently applied in the food industry. Hence, it can improve the product quality without impacting its safety.
Speckle-tracking echocardiography combined with imaging mass spectrometry assesses region-dependent alterations
Authors: Pappritz Kathleen , Grune Jana , Klein Oliver , Hegemann Niklas , Dong Fengquan , El-Shafeey Muhammad , Lin Jie , Kuebler Wolfgang M. , Kintscher Ulrich , Tschöpe Carsten , Van Linthout Sophie
Published: February 2020

Left ventricular (LV) contraction is characterized by shortening and thickening of longitudinal and circumferential fibres. To date, it is poorly understood how LV deformation is altered in the pathogenesis of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes mellitus-associated diabetic cardiomyopathy and how this is associated with changes in cardiac structural composition. To gain further insights in these LV alterations, eight-week-old C57BL6/j mice were intraperitoneally injected with 50 mg/kg body weight STZ during 5 consecutive days. Six, 9, and 12 weeks (w) post injections, echocardiographic analysis was performed using a Vevo 3100 device coupled to a 30-MHz linear-frequency transducer. Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) demonstrated impaired global longitudinal peak strain (GLS) in STZ versus control mice at all time points. 9w STZ animals displayed an impaired global circumferential peak strain (GCS) versus 6w and 12w STZ mice. They further exhibited decreased myocardial deformation behaviour of the anterior and posterior base versus controls, which was paralleled with an elevated collagen I/III protein ratio. Additionally, hypothesis-free proteome analysis by imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) identified regional- and time-dependent changes of proteins affecting sarcomere mechanics between STZ and control mice. In conclusion, STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy changes global cardiac deformation associated with alterations in cardiac sarcomere proteins.
Impact of different stabilization methods on RT-qPCR results using human lung tissue samples
Authors: Esteva-Socias Margalida , Gómez-Romano Fernando , Carrillo-Ávila José Antonio , Sánchez-Navarro Alicia Loreto , Villena Cristina
Published: February 2020

Aiming to increase the reproducibility of biomedical research results, biobanks obtain human tissues of the highest quality and carry out different storage methods adapted to the needs of analytical technique to be performed by the biomedical researchers. However, there is much controversy and little data concerning the real impact of different stabilization methods on tissue quality, integrity and functionality of derived biomolecules. The influence of four stabilization methods [RNAlater (RNL), snap freezing (SF), snap freezing using Optimal Cutting Tissue compound (SF-OCT) and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE)] on RNA quality and integrity was evaluated in paired samples of lung tissue. RNA integrity was evaluated through PCR-endpoint assays amplifying six fragments of different length of the HPRT1 gene and RNA Integrity Number (RIN). To evaluate the difference of tissue functionality among the stabilization methods tested, RT-qPCRs were performed focusing on the differential expression of the HPRT1, SNRPD3 and Jun genes. RNA from the samples preserved with the RNL or SF-OCT method showed better integrity compared to SF and FFPE, measured by PCR-endpoint and RT-qPCR assays. However, only statistically significant differences were observed between the RNA from FFPE and other stabilization methods when gene expression of HPRT1, SNRPD3 and Jun housekeeping genes were determined by RT-qPCR. For the three mentioned genes, Cq and RIN values were highly correlated. The present work describes the fragility of SF samples, being critical the moment just before RNA extraction, although further experiments of tissue RNA are needed. Standardization pre-analytic workflow can lead to improved reproducibility between biomedical research studies. The present study demonstrated clear evidences about the impact of the stabilization method on RNA derived from lung human tissue samples.