bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remote Sensing and a Monitoring Information System to Enhance the Management of Unauthorized Structures
Authors: He Yuanrong , Ma Weiwei , Ma Zelong , Fu Wenjie , Chen Chihcheng , Yang Cheng-Fu , Liu Zhen
Published: November 2019

In this research, we investigated using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photographic technology to prevent the further expansion of unauthorized construction and thereby reduce postdisaster losses. First, UAV dynamic aerial photography was used to obtain dynamic digital surface model (DSM) data and elevation changes of 2–8 m as the initial sieve target. Then, two periods of dynamic orthophoto images were superimposed for human–computer interaction interpretation, so we could quickly distinguish buildings undergoing expansion, new construction, or demolition. At the same time, mobile geographic information system (GIS) software was used to survey the field, and the information gathered was developed to support unauthorized construction detection. Finally, aerial images, interpretation results, and ground survey information were integrated and released on WebGIS to build a regulatory platform that can achieve accurate management and effectively prevent violations.
Experimental Validation of Optimal Parameter and Uncertainty Estimation for Structural Systems Using a Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis Algorithm
Authors: Tang Hesheng , Guo Xueyuan , Xie Liyu , Xue Songtao
Published: November 2019

The uncertainty in parameter estimation arises from structural systems’ input and output measured errors and from structural model errors. An experimental verification of the shuffled complex evolution metropolis algorithm (SCEM-UA) for identifying the optimal parameters of structural systems and estimating their uncertainty is presented. First, the estimation framework is theoretically developed. The SCEM-UA algorithm is employed to search through feasible parameters’ space and to infer the posterior distribution of the parameters automatically. The resulting posterior parameter distribution then provides the most likely estimation of parameter sets that produces the best model performance. The algorithm is subsequently validated through both numerical simulation and shaking table experiment for estimating the parameters of structural systems considering the uncertainty of available information. Finally, the proposed algorithm is extended to identify the uncertain physical parameters of a nonlinear structural system with a particle mass tuned damper (PTMD). The results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively estimate parameters with uncertainty for nonlinear structural systems, and it has a stronger anti-noise capability. Notably, the SCEM-UA method not only shows better global optimization capability compared with other heuristic optimization methods, but it also has the ability to simultaneously estimate the uncertainties associated with the posterior distributions of the structural parameters within a single optimization run.
Extracting Production Rules for Cerebrovascular Examination Dataset through Mining of Non-Anomalous Association Rules
Authors: Ou-Yang Chao , Wulandari Chandrawati Putri , Iqbal Mohammad , Wang Han-Cheng , Chen Chiehfeng
Published: November 2019

Today, patients generate a massive amount of health records through electronic health records (EHRs). Extracting usable knowledge of patients’ pathological conditions or diagnoses is essential for the reasoning process in rule-based systems to support the process of clinical decision making. Association rule mining is capable of discovering hidden interesting knowledge and relations among attributes in datasets, including medical datasets, yet is more likely to produce many anomalous rules (i.e., subsumption and circular redundancy) depends on the predefined threshold, which lead to logical errors and affects the reasoning process of rule-based systems. Therefore, the challenge is to develop a method to extract concise rule bases and improve the coverage of non-anomalous rule bases, i.e., one that not only reduces anomalous rules but also finds the most comprehensive rules from the dataset. In this study, we generated non-anomalous association rules (NAARs) from a cerebrovascular examination dataset through several steps: obtaining a frequent closed itemset, generating association rule bases, subsumption checking, and circularity checking, to fit production rules (PRs) in rule-based systems. Toward the end, the rule inferencing part was performed by PROLOG to obtain possible conclusions toward a specific query given by a user. The experiment shows that compared with the traditional method, the proposed method eliminated a significant number of anomalous rules while improving computational time.
The Causes of “Vulnerable Regions” to Air Pollution in Winter in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region: A Topographic–Meteorological Impact Model Based on Adaptive Emission Constraint Technique
Authors: Meng Kai , Xu Xiangde , Xu Xiaobin , Wang Haoliang , Liu Xiaohui , Jiao Yayin
Published: November 2019

The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, with its complex terrain, has serious issues with air pollution. The northern and western parts of the BTH region are surrounded by the Yan Mountains and Loess Plateau (LP), and the south-central part of that region is a large open plain. Such special geographic configuration is prone to result in a concentrated pollution belt along the north-to-south direction on the eastern margin of the plateau, in addition to the influence of pollutant-emission sources and population distribution. In this study, based on an original adaptive nudging constraint method, we quantitatively analyzed the differences in the influence of emission sources under different dynamic and thermal conditions in the BTH region, which is impacted by a special large-scale leeward slope terrain. The mechanism of air pollution vulnerability and the comprehensive effects of terrain–meteorological conditions on air pollution in the BTH region were also discussed. The results indicated that the atmospheric diffusion conditions on the eastern side of the plateau were poor, and a sub-synoptic-scale “vortex sequence”, which was composed of a series of linked vortices, was identified. The corresponding atmospheric pollution convergence line stretched from Beijing to Hebei to Northern Henan in the lower atmosphere. On the eastern edge of the plateau, a “warm cover” formed by a temperature anomaly and a downdraft impeded the vertical diffusion of pollutants. Therefore, pollutants tended to converge at the eastern edge of the plateau, and the pollution belts would move longitudinally north and south along the topography of the eastern slope when south-westerly and north-easterly winds alternated. The movement generated a “train” of pollutants that were transported on the eastern edge of the plateau, which then caused air pollution to persist there. Such terrain–meteorological conditions amplified the effects of emissions by an average of 50% to 150% in the region, leading the eastern side of the LP to become a “naturally vulnerable region” to haze pollution.
EIS Study on the Electrode-Separator Interface Lamination
Authors: Frankenberger Martin , Singh Madhav , Dinter Alexander , Pettinger Karl-Heinz
Published: November 2019

This paper presents a comprehensive study of the influences of lamination at both electrode-separator interfaces of lithium-ion batteries consisting of LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 cathodes and graphite anodes. Typically, electrode-separator lamination shows a reduced capacity fade at fast-charging cycles. To study this behavior in detail, the anode and cathode were laminated separately to the separator and compared to the fully laminated and non-laminated state in single-cell format. The impedance of the cells was measured at different states of charge and during the cycling test up to 1500 fast-charging cycles. Lamination on the cathode interface clearly shows an initial decrease in the surface resistance with no correlation to aging effects along cycling, while lamination on both electrode-separator interfaces reduces the growth of the surface resistance along cycling. Lamination only on the anode-separator interface shows up to be sufficient to maintain the enhanced fast-charging capability for 1500 cycles, what we prove to arise from a significant reduction in growth of the solid electrolyte interface.
Intra-Specific Difference in the Effect of Salinity on Physiological Performance in European Perch (Perca fluviatilis) and Its Ecological Importance for Fish in Estuaries
Authors: Christensen Emil A. F. , Stieglitz John D. , Grosell Martin , Steffensen John F.
Published: November 2019

Changes in environmental salinity challenge fish homeostasis and may affect physiological performance, such as swimming capacity and metabolism, which are important for foraging, migration, and escaping predators in the wild. The effects of salinity stress on physiological performance are largely species specific, but may also depend on intra-specific differences in physiological capabilities of sub-populations. We measured critical swimming speed (Ucrit) and metabolic rates during swimming and at rest at salinities of 0 and 10 in European perch (Perca fluviatilis) from a low salinity tolerance population (LSTP) and a high salinity tolerance population (HSTP). Ucrit of LSTP was significantly reduced at a salinity of 10 yet was unaffected by salinity change in HSTP. We did not detect a significant cost of osmoregulation, which should theoretically be apparent from the metabolic rates during swimming and at rest at a salinity of 0 compared to at a salinity of 10 (iso-osmotic). Maximum metabolic rates were also not affected by salinity, indicating a modest tradeoff between respiration and osmoregulation (osmo-respiratory compromise). Intra-specific differences in effects of salinity on physiological performance are important for fish species to maintain ecological compatibility in estuarine environments, yet render these sub-populations vulnerable to fisheries. The findings of the present study are therefore valuable knowledge in conservation and management of estuarine fish populations.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations Suggest a Non-Doublet Decoding Model of −1 Frameshifting by tRNASer3
Authors: Caulfield Thomas , Coban Matt , Tek Alex , Flores Samuel Coulbourn
Published: November 2019

In-frame decoding in the ribosome occurs through canonical or wobble Watson–Crick pairing of three mRNA codon bases (a triplet) with a triplet of anticodon bases in tRNA. Departures from the triplet–triplet interaction can result in frameshifting, meaning downstream mRNA codons are then read in a different register. There are many mechanisms to induce frameshifting, and most are insufficiently understood. One previously proposed mechanism is doublet decoding, in which only codon bases 1 and 2 are read by anticodon bases 34 and 35, which would lead to −1 frameshifting. In E. coli, tRNASer3GCU can induce −1 frameshifting at alanine (GCA) codons. The logic of the doublet decoding model is that the Ala codon’s GC could pair with the tRNASer3′s GC, leaving the third anticodon residue U36 making no interactions with mRNA. Under that model, a U36C mutation would still induce −1 frameshifting, but experiments refute this. We perform all-atom simulations of wild-type tRNASer3, as well as a U36C mutant. Our simulations revealed a hydrogen bond between U36 of the anticodon and G1 of the codon. The U36C mutant cannot make this interaction, as it lacks the hydrogen-bond-donating H3. The simulation thus suggests a novel, non-doublet decoding mechanism for −1 frameshifting by tRNASer3 at Ala codons.
Effects of Prism Adaptation on Reference Systems for Extrapersonal Space in Neglect Patients
Authors: Abbruzzese Laura , Damora Alessio , Antonucci Gabriella , Zoccolotti Pierluigi , Mancuso Mauro
Published: November 2019

Up to now, rehabilitation of unilateral spatial neglect has focused on egocentric forms of neglect, whereas less is known about the possibility to improve allocentric deficits. The present study aimed to examine the efficacy of prism adaptation (PA) training on patients with different forms of neglect: egocentric, allocentric, or mixed. Twenty-eight patients were assessed with specific neglect tests before (T0) and after (T1) 10 sessions of PA training. Performance in the Apples Cancellation test was used to identify patients with egocentric (n = 6), allocentric (n = 5), or mixed (n = 17) forms of neglect. In the overall group of patients, PA training produced significant improvements in performance across different neglect tests. In terms of the egocentric–allocentric distinction, the training was effective in reducing omissions in the left part of space in the Apples Cancellation test both for patients with egocentric neglect and mixed neglect. By contrast, errors of commissions (marking the inability to detect the left part of the target stimulus, i.e., allocentric neglect) remained unchanged after PA in patients with allocentric neglect and actually increased marginally in patients with mixed neglect. The PA training is effective in improving egocentric neglect, while it is ineffective on the allocentric form of the disturbance. Notably, the allocentric component of neglect is frequently impaired, although this is most often in conjunction with the egocentric impairment, yielding the mixed form of neglect. This stresses the importance of developing exercises tuned to improving allocentric neglect.
Antinociceptive and Abuse Potential Effects of Cannabinoid/Opioid Combinations in a Chronic Pain Model in Rats
Authors: Alsalem Mohammad , Altarifi Ahmad , Haddad Mansour , Aldossary Sara A. , Kalbouneh Heba , Aldaoud Nour , Saleh Tareq , El-Salem Khalid
Published: November 2019

Chronic pain is a persistent and debilitating health problem. Although the use of analgesics such as opioids is useful in mitigating pain, their prolonged use is associated with unwanted effects including abuse liability. This study assesses the antinociceptive effect of combining subtherapeutic doses of two opioids (morphine or tramadol) with the synthetic cannabinoid CP55940 (2-[(1R,2R,5R)-5-hydroxy-2-(3-hydroxypropyl)cyclohexyl]-5-(2-methyloctan -2-yl)phenol). It also evaluates the associated adverse effects of these drugs and combinations. Adult male rats were injected with intraplantar complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) to produce mechanical allodyia. Antinociceptive effect of morphine, tramadol, the synthetic cannabinoid CP55940, or their combinations was evaluated three to nine days post-CFA injections. Intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) was utilized to evaluate the abuse liability of these drugs or their combinations. All drugs alone produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect. Morphine produced minimal effect on ICSS, but both tramadol and CP55940 produced dose-dependent depression of ICSS. Morphine at a dose of 0.32 mg/kg enhanced the antinociceptive effects of CP55940, in that, CP55940 produced antinociception at a lower dose (0.1 mg/kg) when compared to the vehicle. The aforementioned combinations did not change CP55940-induced depression of ICSS. On the other hand, tramadol failed to enhance the antinociceptive effect of CP55940. Our data suggest that combining CP55940 with morphine, but not tramadol, shows a better antinociceptive profile with no additional risk of abuse liability, which represents a potential pain management approach.
Assessment of Antioxidant Activity of Pure Graphene Oxide (GO) and ZnO-Decorated Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) Using DPPH Radical and H2O2 Scavenging Assays
Authors: Baali Nacera , Khecha Assia , Bensouici Aicha , Speranza Giorgio , Hamdouni Noudjoud
Published: November 2019

In this work, zinc oxide-decorated graphene oxide (ZnO–rGO) was successfully synthesized with a fast reflux chemical procedure at 100 °C. An equal mass ratio of graphene oxide (GO) and zinc acetate was used as starting materials dissolved, respectively, in ultrapure distilled water and dimethylformamide (DMF). Particularly, pure GO was synthesized using Hummers modified protocol by varying the mass ratio of (graphite:potassium permanganate) as follows: 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4, which allow us to obtain six types of pure and decorated samples, named, respectively, GO1:2, GO1:3, GO1:4, ZnO–rGO1:2, ZnO–rGO1:3, and ZnO–rGO1:4 using reflux at 100 °C. X-ray diffraction, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy spectra confirm the formation of wurzite ZnO in all ZnO-decorated samples with better reduction of GO in ZnO–rGO1:4, confirming that a higher degree of graphene oxidation allows better reduction during the decoration process with ZnO metal oxide. Antioxidant activity of pure and zinc oxide-decorated graphene oxide samples were compared using two different in vitro assays (DPPH radical and H2O2 scavenging activities). Considerable in vitro antioxidant activities in a concentration-dependent manner were recorded. Interestingly, pristine GO showed more elevated scavenging efficiency in DPPH tests while ZnO-decorated GO was relatively more efficient in H2O2 antioxidant assays.
Char from Spent Tire Rubber: A Potential Adsorbent of Remazol Yellow Dye
Authors: Nogueira Miguel , Matos Inês , Bernardo Maria , Pinto Filomena , Lapa Nuno , Surra Elena , Fonseca Isabel
Published: November 2019

A char produced from spent tire rubber showed very promising results as an adsorbent of Remazol Yellow (RY) from aqueous solutions. Spent tire rubber was submitted to a pyrolysis process optimized for char production. The obtained char was submitted to chemical, physical, and textural characterizations and, subsequently, applied as a low-cost adsorbent for dye (RY) removal in batch adsorption assays. The obtained char was characterized by relatively high ash content (12.9% wt), high fixed-carbon content (69.7% wt), a surface area of 69 m2/g, and total pore volume of 0.14 cm3/g. Remazol Yellow kinetic assays and modelling of the experimental data using the pseudo-first and pseudo-second order kinetic models demonstrated a better adjustment to the pseudo-first order model with a calculated uptake capacity of 14.2 mg RY/g char. From the equilibrium assays, the adsorption isotherm was fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich models; it was found a better fit for the Langmuir model to the experimental data, indicating a monolayer adsorption process with a monolayer uptake capacity of 11.9 mg RY/g char. Under the experimental conditions of the adsorption assays, the char presented positive charges at its surface, able to attract the deprotonated sulfonate groups (SO3−) of RY; therefore, electrostatic attraction was considered the most plausible mechanism for dye removal.
CD147 Is a Promising Target of Tumor Progression and a Prognostic Biomarker
Authors: Landras Alexandra , Reger de Moura Coralie , Jouenne Fanelie , Lebbe Celeste , Menashi Suzanne , Mourah Samia
Published: November 2019

Microenvironment plays a crucial role in tumor development and progression. Cancer cells modulate the tumor microenvironment, which also contribute to resistance to therapy. Identifying biomarkers involved in tumorigenesis and cancer progression represents a great challenge for cancer diagnosis and therapeutic strategy development. CD147 is a glycoprotein involved in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression by several mechanisms—in particular, by the control of glycolysis and also by its well-known ability to induce proteinases leading to matrix degradation, tumor cell invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the role of CD147 expression in tumor progression and prognosis, suggesting it as a relevant tumor biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as validating its potential as a promising therapeutic target in cancers.
hENT1 Testing in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: Are We Ready? A Multimodal Evaluation of hENT1 Status
Authors: Raffenne Jerome , Nicolle Remy , Puleo Francesco , Le Corre Delphine , Boyez Camille , Marechal Raphael , Emile Jean François , Demetter Peter , Bardier Armelle , Laurent-Puig Pierre , de Mestier Louis , Paradis Valerie , Couvelard Anne , VanLathem Jean Luc , MacKey John R. , Bachet Jean-Baptiste , Svrcek Magali , Cros Jerome
Published: November 2019

Gemcitabine is still one of the standard chemotherapy regimens for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Gemcitabine uptake into tumor cells is mainly through the human equilibrative nucleoside transport 1 (hENT1). It was therefore proposed as a potential predictive biomarker of gemcitabine efficacy but reports are conflicting, with an important heterogeneity in methods to assess hENT1 expression. A multicenter cohort of 471 patients with a resected PDAC was used to assess simultaneously the predictive value of the 2 best described hENT1 antibodies (10D7G2 and SP120). Three additional antibodies and the predictive value of hENT1 mRNA were also tested on 251 and 302 patients, respectively. hENT1 expression was assessed in 54 patients with matched primary tumors and metastases samples. The 10D7G2 clone was the only hENT1 antibody whose high expression was associated with a prolonged progression free survival and overall survival in patients who received adjuvant gemcitabine. hENT1 mRNA level was also predictive of gemcitabine benefit. hENT1 status was concordant in 83% of the cases with the best concordance in synchronous metastases. The 10D7G2 clone has the best predictive value of gemcitabine benefit in PDAC patients. Since it is not commercially available, hENT1 mRNA level could represent an alternative to assess hENT1 status.
Bulk and Single-Cell Next-Generation Sequencing: Individualizing Treatment for Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Kyrochristos Ioannis D. , Ziogas Demosthenes E. , Goussia Anna , Glantzounis Georgios K. , Roukos Dimitrios H.
Published: November 2019

The increasing incidence combined with constant rates of early diagnosis and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) over the past decade worldwide, as well as minor overall survival improvements in the industrialized world, suggest the need to shift from conventional research and clinical practice to the innovative development of screening, predictive and therapeutic tools. Explosive integration of next-generation sequencing (NGS) systems into basic, translational and, more recently, basket trials is transforming biomedical and cancer research, aiming for substantial clinical implementation as well. Shifting from inter-patient tumor variability to the precise characterization of intra-tumor genetic, genomic and transcriptional heterogeneity (ITH) via multi-regional bulk tissue NGS and emerging single-cell transcriptomics, coupled with NGS of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), unravels novel strategies for therapeutic response prediction and drug development. Remarkably, underway and future genomic/transcriptomic studies and trials exploring spatiotemporal clonal evolution represent most rational expectations to discover novel prognostic, predictive and therapeutic tools. This review describes latest advancements and future perspectives of integrated sequencing systems for genome and transcriptome exploration to overcome unmet research and clinical challenges towards Precision Oncology.
The Gasdermin E Gene Has Potential as a Pan-Cancer Biomarker, While Discriminating between Different Tumor Types
Authors: Ibrahim Joe , Op de Beeck Ken , Fransen Erik , Peeters Marc , Van Camp Guy
Published: November 2019

Due to the elevated rates of incidence and mortality of cancer, early and accurate detection is crucial for achieving optimal treatment. Molecular biomarkers remain important screening and detection tools, especially in light of novel blood-based assays. DNA methylation in cancer has been linked to tumorigenesis, but its value as a biomarker has not been fully explored. In this study, we have investigated the methylation patterns of the Gasdermin E gene across 14 different tumor types using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) methylation data (N = 6502). We were able to identify six CpG sites that could effectively distinguish tumors from normal samples in a pan-cancer setting (AUC = 0.86). This combination of pan-cancer biomarkers was validated in six independent datasets (AUC = 0.84–0.97). Moreover, we tested 74,613 different combinations of six CpG probes, where we identified tumor-specific signatures that could differentiate one tumor type versus all the others (AUC = 0.79–0.98). In all, methylation patterns exhibited great variation between cancer and normal tissues, but were also tumor specific. Our analyses highlight that a Gasdermin E methylation biomarker assay, not only has the potential for being a methylation-specific pan-cancer detection marker, but it also possesses the capacity to discriminate between different types of tumors.
Mitigating Effect of 1-Palmitoyl-2-Linoleoyl-3-Acetyl-Rac-Glycerol (PLAG) on a Murine Model of 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Hematological Toxicity
Authors: Jeong Jinseon , Kim Yong-Jae , Lee Do Young , Sohn Ki-Young , Yoon Sun Young , Kim Jae Wha
Published: November 2019

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is an antimetabolite chemotherapy widely used for the treatment of various cancers. However, many cancer patients experience hematological side effects following 5-FU treatment. Here, we investigated the protective effects of 1-palmitoyl-2-linoleoyl-3-acetyl-rac-glycerol (PLAG) as a mitigator against 5-FU-induced hematologic toxicity, including neutropenia, monocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, and thrombocytosis, in Balb/c mice injected with 5-FU (100 mg/kg, i.p.). Administration of PLAG significantly and dose-dependently reduced the duration of neutropenia and improved the nadirs of absolute neutrophil counts (ANCs). Moreover, while the ANCs of all mice in the control fell to the severely neutropenic range, none of the mice in the PLAG 200 and 400 mg/kg-treated groups experienced severe neutropenia. Administration of PLAG significantly delayed the mean first day of monocytopenia and reduced the duration of monocytopenia. PLAG also effectively reduced extreme changes in platelet counts induced by 5-FU treatment, thus preventing 5-FU-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis. PLAG significantly decreased plasma levels of the chemokine (C–X–C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), CXCL2, interleukin (IL)-6, and C-reactive protein (CRP), which were elevated consistently with the occurrence time of neutropenia, monocytopenia, and thrombocytopenia. When compared with olive oil and palmitic linoleic hydroxyl glycerol (PLH), only PLAG effectively mitigated 5-FU-induced hematological toxicity, indicating that it has a distinctive mechanism of action. In conclusion, PLAG may have therapeutic potential as a mitigator for 5-FU-induced neutropenia and other hematological disorders.
Synergistic Autophagy Effect of miR-212-3p in Zoledronic Acid-Treated In Vitro and Orthotopic In Vivo Models and in Patient-Derived Osteosarcoma Cells
Authors: Oh Ju , Kim Eun , Lee Yeon-Joo , Sai Sei , Lim Sun , Park Jang , Chung Hye , Kim Joon , Vares Guillaume , Takahashi Akihisa , Jeong Youn , Kim Mi-Sook , Kong Chang-Bae
Published: November 2019

Osteosarcoma (OS) originates from osteoid bone tissues and is prone to metastasis, resulting in a high mortality rate. Although several treatments are available for OS, an effective cure does not exist for most patients with advanced OS. Zoledronic acid (ZOL) is a third-generation bisphosphonate that inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and has shown efficacy in treating bone metastases in patients with various types of solid tumors. Here, we sought to clarify the mechanisms through which ZOL inhibits OS cell proliferation. ZOL treatment inhibited OS cell proliferation, viability, and colony formation. Autophagy inhibition by RNA interference against Beclin-1 or ATG5 inhibited ZOL-induced OS cell death. ZOL induced autophagy by repressing the protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin/p70S6 kinase pathway and extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling-dependent autophagy in OS cell lines and patient-derived OS cells. Microarrays of miRNA showed that ZOL increased the levels of miR-212-3p, which is known to play an important role in autophagy, in OS in vitro and in vivo systems. Collectively, our data provided mechanistic insight into how increased miR-212-3p through ZOL treatment induces autophagy synergistically in OS cells, providing a preclinical rationale for conducting a broad-scale clinical evaluation of ZOL + miR-212-3p in treating OS.
Evaluation of the Accuracy of Liquid-Based Oral Brush Cytology in Screening for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Deuerling Lena , Gaida Kristin , Neumann Heinrich , Remmerbach Torsten W.
Published: November 2019

This study evaluates the accuracy of the results of liquid-based oral brush cytology and compares it to the histology and/or the clinical follow-ups of the respective patients. A total of 1352 exfoliated specimens were collected with an Orcellex brush from an identical number of oral lesions, then cytological diagnoses were made using liquid-based cytology. The final diagnoses in the study were 105 histologically proven squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), 744 potentially malignant lesions and 503 cases of traumatic, inflammatory or benign hyperplastic oral lesions. The sensitivity and specificity of the liquid-based brush biopsy were 95.6% (95% CI 94.5–96.7%) and 84.9% (95% CI 83.0–86.8%), respectively. This led to the conclusion that brush biopsy is potentially a highly sensitive and reliable method to make cytological diagnoses of oral neoplasia. The main advantage of a brush biopsy over a scalpel biopsy is that it is less invasive and is more tolerated by the patients. Therefore, more lesions can be screened and more cancers can be detected at an early stage.
A Novel Calcium-Mediated EMT Pathway Controlled by Lipids: An Opportunity for Prostate Cancer Adjuvant Therapy
Authors: Figiel Sandy , Bery Fanny , Chantôme Aurélie , Fontaine Delphine , Pasqualin Côme , Maupoil Véronique , Domingo Isabelle , Guibon Roseline , Bruyère Franck , Potier-Cartereau Marie , Vandier Christophe , Fromont Gaëlle , Mahéo Karine
Published: November 2019

The composition of periprostatic adipose tissue (PPAT) has been shown to play a role in prostate cancer (PCa) progression. We recently reported an inverse association between PCa aggressiveness and elevated PPAT linoleic acid (LA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content. In the present study, we identified a new signaling pathway with a positive feedback loop between the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor Zeb1 and the Ca2+-activated K+ channel SK3, which leads to an amplification of Ca2+ entry and cellular migration. Using in vitro experiments and ex vivo cultures of human PCa slices, we demonstrated that LA and EPA exert anticancer effects, by modulating Ca2+ entry, which was involved in Zeb1 regulation and cancer cellular migration. This functional approach using human prostate tumors highlights the clinical relevance of our observations, and may allow us to consider the possibility of targeting cancer spread by altering the lipid microenvironment.
HIF1α-Dependent Metabolic Signals Control the Differentiation of Follicular Helper T Cells
Authors: Dong Lin , He Ying , Zhou Shuping , Cao Yejin , Li Yan , Bi Yujing , Liu Guangwei
Published: November 2019

Follicular helper T (TFH) cells are critical for germinal center (GC) formation and are responsible for effective B cell-mediated immunity; metabolic signaling is an important regulatory mechanism for the differentiation of TFH cells. However, the precise roles of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) 1α-dependent glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) metabolic signaling remain unclear in TFH cell differentiation. Herein, we investigated the effects of glycolysis and OXPHOS on TFH cell differentiation and GC responses using a pharmacological approach in mice under a steady immune status or an activated immune status, which can be caused by foreign antigen stimulation and viral infection. GC and TFH cell responses are related to signals from glycolytic metabolism in mice of different ages. Foreign, specific antigen-induced GC, and TFH cell responses and metabolic signals are essential upon PR8 infection. Glycolysis and succinate-mediated OXPHOS are required for the GC response and TFH cell differentiation. Furthermore, HIF1α is responsible for glycolysis- and OXPHOS-induced alterations in the GC response and TFH cell differentiation under steady or activated conditions in vivo. Blocking glycolysis and upregulating OXPHOS signaling significantly recovered TFH cell differentiation upon PR8 infection and ameliorated inflammatory damage in mice. Thus, our data provide a comprehensive experimental basis for fully understanding the precise roles of HIF1α-mediated glycolysis and OXPHOS metabolic signaling in regulating the GC response and TFH cell differentiation during stable physiological conditions or an antiviral immune response.
Carbamazepine Enhances Adipogenesis by Inhibiting Wnt/β-Catenin Expression
Authors: Im Dong Uk , Kim Sang Chon , Chau Gia Cac , Um Sung Hee
Published: November 2019

Carbamazepine is a drug that is widely used in the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. The prevalence of obesity in patients treated with carbamazepine has been frequently reported. However, whether carbamazepine affects adipogenesis, one of the critical steps in the development of obesity, remains unclear. Here, we show that carbamazepine increased the expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β (C/EBPβ), and fatty acid synthase (FASN) in 3T3-L1 cells. Notably, carbamazepine inhibited the expression levels of β-catenin, a negative regulator of adipogenesis, leading to enhanced adipogenesis. Conversely, β-catenin overexpression abolished the effect of carbamazepine on adipogenic gene expression. However, depletion of β-catenin further enhanced PPARγ expression. In addition, carbamazepine reduced β-catenin expression by lowering the levels of phospho-low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 6 (p-LRP6) and phospho-glycogen synthase kinase 3β (p-GSK3β) in Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, carbamazepine reduced Wnt mRNA expression and decreased the promoter activities of TCF, the target of β-catenin during adipogenesis. These results suggest that carbamazepine enhances adipogenesis by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin expression, indicating its potential effects on obesity-related metabolism.
A Facile Way to Improve the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells by Toluene and Diethyl Ether Mixed Anti-Solvent Engineering
Authors: Yang Haifeng , Wang Hui , Zhang Jincheng , Chang Jingjing , Zhang Chunfu
Published: November 2019

Solvent engineering is one of the most widely applied preparation methods for the high- quality perovskite films. In this method, the choice of anti-solvent plays a very important role to improve the perovskite crystal quality. Here, we report a facile way to regulate the crystal quality of perovskite film by adjusting the ratio of toluene and diethyl ether in the mixed anti-solvent. Through the combination of characterization and measurements including scanning electron microscopy, the atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and the steady-state photoluminescence spectra, it reveals that the quality of perovskite films is obviously improved when the volume ratio of toluene to diethyl ether in the mixed anti-solvent is 1:1. The optimal device obtains power conversion efficiency of 16.96% with a short-circuit current density of 20.60 mA/cm2, an open-circuit voltage of 1.03 V, and a fill factor of 79.96%. At the same time, the device shows negligible current–voltage hysteresis and steady power output. Moreover, the stability of PSCs is significantly enhanced due to the perovskite film quality improvement by adopting 50% toluene mixed anti-solvent.
Biological Effects of Anodic Oxidation on Titanium Miniscrews: An In Vitro Study on Human Cells
Authors: Iodice Giorgio , Perinetti Giuseppe , Ludwig Bjorn , Polishchuk Elena V. , Polishchuk Roman S.
Published: November 2019

This controlled in vitro study compared the effects of varying the thickness of a TiO2 layer on cellular activity using commercially available miniscrew samples with identical surface features to derive information with direct clinical impact. Titanium grade V plates with four different thicknesses of TiO2 layer/color were used: absent/gray (Control group), 40–50 nm/pink (Pink group), 130 nm/gold (Gold group) and 140 nm/rosé (Rosé group). In vitro experiments used Saos-2 cells and included cell growth analysis, phospho-Histone H3 and procollagen I staining, cell viability analysis, and a cell migration assay at 12, 24, 40 and to 48 h. Few differences were seen among the groups, with no clear behavior of cellular activity according to the TiO2 thickness. The Control group showed a greater cell count. Phospho-Histone H3 staining was similar among the groups and procollagen I staining was greater in the Rosé group. Cell viability analysis showed a significant difference for live cell counts (greater in the Rosé group) and no difference for the dead cell counts. The cell migration assay showed a delay for the Rosé group up to 40 h, where full repopulation of cell-free areas was obtained at 48 h. The results suggest that the TiO2 layers of the commercial miniscrews have minimal biological effects, including cytotoxicity, with possibly negligible or minimal clinical implications.
Stackelberg Game Based Social-Aware Resource Allocation for NOMA Enhanced D2D Communications
Authors: Gu Wenying , Zhu Qi
Published: November 2019

Device-to-device (D2D) communication and non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) have been considered promising techniques to improve system throughput. In the NOMA-enhanced D2D scenario, a joint channel and power allocation algorithm based on the Stackelberg game is proposed in this paper. The social relationship between the cellular and D2D users is utilized to define their utility functions. In the two-stage Stackelberg game, the cellular user is the leader and the D2D group is the follower. Cellular users and D2D groups are matched via the Kuhn–Munkres (KM) algorithm to allocate channels for D2D groups in the first stage. The power allocation of D2D users is optimized through a penalty-function-based particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) in the second stage. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively strengthen the cooperation between cellular and D2D users and improve their utility.
A Power Calculation Algorithm for Single-Phase Droop-Operated-Inverters Considering Linear and Nonlinear Loads HIL-Assessed
Authors: El Mariachet Jorge , Matas Jose , Martín Helena , Li Mingshen , Guan Yajuan , Guerrero Josep M.
Published: November 2019

The active and reactive powers, P and Q, are crucial variables in the parallel operation of single-phase inverters using the droop method, introducing proportional droops in the inverter output frequency and voltage amplitude references. P and Q, or P-Q, are calculated as the product of the inverter output voltage and its orthogonal version with the output current, respectively. However, when sharing nonlinear loads these powers, Pav and Qav, should be averaged by low-pass filters (LPFs) with a very low cut-off frequency to avoid the high distortion induced by these loads. This forces the droop method to operate at a very low dynamic velocity and degrades the system stability. Then, different solutions have been proposed in literature to increase the system velocity, but only considering linear loads. Therefore, this work presents a method to calculate Pav and Qav using second-order generalized integrators (SOGI) to face this problem with nonlinear loads. A double SOGI (DSOGI) approach is applied to filter the nonlinear load current and provide its fundamental component to the inverter, leading to a faster dynamic velocity of the droop-based load sharing capability and improving the stability. The proposed method is shown to be faster than others in the literature when considering nonlinear loads, while smoothly driving the system with low distortion levels. Simulations, hardware-in-loop (HIL) and experimental results are provided to validate this proposal.
Effect of Forest Biomass Pretreatment on Essential Oil Yield and Properties
Authors: Hmaied Mayssa , Bouafif Hassine , Magdouli Sara , Braghiroli Flavia Lega , Koubaa Ahmed
Published: November 2019

Essential oils (EOs) are natural and economically valuable aromatic compounds obtained from a variety of crops and trees, including forest trees, which have different therapeutic and biological activities. This project aims to assess the impact of different residual forest biomass pretreatments on the yield and the properties of EOs, including their antibacterial and antioxidant characteristics. Forest biomass from black spruce (BS, Picea mariana Mill.), balsam fir (BF, Abies balsamea), and jack pine (JP, Pinus banksiana Lamb.) was processed mechanically by (i) shredding, (ii) grinding, (iii) pelletizing, and (iv) bundling. EOs were then extracted by hydro- and steam distillation. The densification into bundles was found to improve EOs yield compared to the other residual forest biomass pretreatments. For example, the yield of bundled BF was improved by 68%, 83%, and 93% compared to shredded, ground, and granulated biomass, respectively. The highest yield was obtained when densification into bundles was combined with extraction through hydrodistillation. As for EOs’ chemical composition, JP had the highest polyphenol content and consequently the greatest antioxidant activity. EOs derived from BS inhibited the growth of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and Gram-negative Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli bacteria. The densification of forest biomass into bundles did not affect the antioxidant capacity or the antibacterial activity of EOs, thereby preserving both properties. Thus, the pretreatment of forest biomass residue could have an impact on the volume and the transport costs and therefore improve the bioproducts market and the bioeconomy in Canada.
Soil Carbon Storage and Its Determinants in Forest Fragments of Differentiated Patch Size
Authors: Shen Chunyu , Ma Lei , Hu Jiaxi , Huang Liyang , Chen Yujuan , Guan Dongsheng
Published: November 2019

Research Highlights: Soil carbon storage (SOC) decreased due to forest fragmentation through lower proportion of macroaggregate distribution, higher storage of fine roots and litter falls, and lower fine root production rate. Background and Objectives: Globally, forest fragmentation processes lead to enormous losses of SOC in forests. We investigated SOC and its determinants in forest fragments experiencing edge disturbances in south China. Materials and Methods: Soil aggregate characteristics, dynamics of fine roots, and litter fall were studied from forest edges to interiors. Generalized linear mixed models were used to model the contributions of fine root and litter fall dynamics to carbon concentration in aggregates. Results: Large and small macroaggregates had higher proportion of aggregate distribution and contributed more carbon to SOC in all types of plots in the present study. SOC significantly increased from forest edges to interiors due to carbon concentration of these two aggregate types increasing from edges to interiors, while the proportion of different aggregate distributions was similar within each plot. The same trend was found with increasing forest patch size. Fine root biomass storage had the strongest impact on carbon concentration in large macroaggregates and microaggregates, with higher fine root biomass storage associated with lower carbon concentration. In addition, biomass storage and production rates of both fine roots and litter falls decreased from forest interiors to edges. Our results showed that SOC was significantly decreased due to the lower proportion of large and small macroaggregate distribution, and lower fine root production rate in forest fragments. Conclusions: SOC loss due to effects of forest fragmentation and forest edges occurred through decreased concentrations of soil aggregates and fine root production rates. Results from this study will enhance our ability to evaluate soil aggregate, fine root, and leaf litter fall contributions to SOC within forest fragments, and to suggest basic recommendations for the management and conservation of these forest fragments.
Roll Motion Prediction of Unmanned Surface Vehicle Based on Coupled CNN and LSTM
Authors: Zhang Wenjie , Wu Pin , Peng Yan , Liu Dongke
Published: November 2019

The prediction of roll motion in unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is vital for marine safety and the efficiency of USV operations. However, the USV roll motion at sea is a complex time-varying nonlinear and non-stationary dynamic system, which varies with time-varying environmental disturbances as well as various sailing conditions. The conventional methods have the disadvantages of low accuracy, poor robustness, and insufficient practical application ability. The rise of deep learning provides new opportunities for USV motion modeling and prediction. In this paper, a data-driven neural network model is constructed by combining a convolution neural network (CNN) with long short-term memory (LSTM) for USV roll motion prediction. The CNN is used to extract spatially relevant and local time series features of the USV sensor data. The LSTM layer is exploited to reflect the long-term movement process of the USV and predict roll motion for the next moment. The fully connected layer is utilized to decode the LSTM output and calculate the final prediction results. The effectiveness of the proposed model was proved using USV roll motion prediction experiments based on two case studies from “JingHai-VI” and “JingHai-III” USVS of Shanghai University. Experimental results on a real data set indicated that our proposed model obviously outperformed the state-of-the-art methods.
Phytosterols Suppress Phagocytosis and Inhibit Inflammatory Mediators via ERK Pathway on LPS-Triggered Inflammatory Responses in RAW264.7 Macrophages and the Correlation with Their Structure
Authors: Yuan Lanlan , Zhang Fan , Shen Mingyue , Jia Shuo , Xie Jianhua
Published: November 2019

Phytosterols, found in many commonly consumed foods, exhibit a broad range of physiological activities including anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, the anti-inflammatory effects of ergosterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, and ergosterol acetate were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. Results showed that all phytosterol compounds alleviated the inflammatory reaction in LPS-induced macrophage models; cell phagocytosis, nitric oxide (NO) production, release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and expression and activity of pro-inflammatory mediator cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (p-ERK) were all inhibited. The anti-inflammatory activity of β-sitosterol was higher than stigmasterol and campesterol, which suggests that phytosterols without a double bond on C-22 and with ethyl on C-24 were more effective. However, inconsistent results were observed upon comparison of ergosterol and ergosterol acetate (hydroxy or ester group on C-3), which suggest that additional research is still needed to ascertain the contribution of structure to their anti-inflammatory effects.